I’ve talked to many people who when asked if they’d like to run a marathon react like you were asking them to jump off a bridge. Yes, marathons and other long distance endurance events ARE difficult. But it’s not something that will kill you. Unless you have a really significant health issue, a marathon can be within your reach. In this post I’m going to show you how to complete a marathon and still feel human after crossing the finish line.
1. Choose your event wisely. First of all there are many different event lengths that you can choose from. A half-marathon is 13.1 miles and a full marathon is 26.2 miles. There are other walk or run events that are 30 miles or even more. If you have never done a race before or your aerobic activity level is low, consider the half-marathon. Most of the time you will still get a finisher’s medal with the half. Read more… »
Close to 700 Yale University students, faculty, and community residents participated in the AIDS Walk in New Haven, Connecticut last Sunday.
The annual 5K walk is sponsored by the Yale chapter of AIDS Watch and raises funds for 10 local HIV and AIDS service organizations. This year walkers raised even more than in years past, over $30,000.
Congratulations to Team Home for Our Troops! This past Monday a dedicated team of 25 people ran the Boston Marathon in support of this charity. The team was made up of active and retired military members as well as a few civilians.
The program is different from other charity teams in that members come from all over the USA and beyond, paying their own way to get to Boston to run the marathon in addition to all the money they raise. It’s a lot of work training for a marthon plus doing all of the fundraising, and this team excelled at both. Together the group raised over $87,000 to provide specially adapted homes for our most severely injured troops.
Marie Curie Cancer Care is best known for their network of nurses working in the community to provide end-of-life care for patients in their own homes. They have 10 hospices across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. and run the world-renowned Marie Curie Research Institute, which investigates the causes and treatments of cancer.
The Great Daffodil Appeal raises funds to support the charity and its programs.
Several Daffodil walks took place during the month of March, including one in Sunderland. There’s another walk coming up in Northern Ireland on April 26 called the Devoted to Life Walk.
Marie Curie also has a program that lets you choose your own “ultimate challenge.” With running events, swimming, cycling, marathoning, parachuting, and international events like the Kilimanjaro trek, there’s something for everyone.
Residents of Glasgow, Scotland will join together for the city’s first Great Scottish Walk event on Sunday, May 25. There will be three routes: three, six and twelve miles. Edinburgh also hosts a similar event which will be on June 22nd. The events will benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland.
I walked a marathon in Anchorage Alaska after several months of training in proper racewalk technique. Yes, there’s a technique to marathon walking. In order to walk efficiently and as fast as possible you have to use specific waking techniques. I was lucky enough to benefit from a trainer when I participated in Team in Training. If you participate in such a program or can find a trainer that really understands racewalking technique, you’ll be at a great advantage in preparing for a marathon.
Jo Ann Taylor of The Walking Connection has a great article on Walking Technique and Form. There are two other great websites that have a lot of information: Marathon Walking has a lot of great articles and Racewalk.com has a lot of specific technique tips and race plans.
So why would you walk a marathon instead of running one? Well I don’t think walkers really have to justify their love of walking. But a few reasons someone might choose to walk include health issues that make running more dangerous or uncomfortable such as arthritis, asthma or someone who has not been exercising regularly. Personally I get too winded when I run and prefer to walk. It’s just more fun to me. Another option would be to run/walk in specific intervals, which I did for a half marathon race. This strategy also requires some preparation in training, so you know how many minutes to run and how many to walk.
So what do you think… are you ready to walk a marathon?
Here’s another extreme walk for charity from the news…
Englishman Mark Beecham will soon be embarking on a long walk for charity. He’s a 20 year veteran of the postal service and 5 year veteran of the TA (Territorial Army) . He’ll be will be going on a well known Coast to Coast trek which spans 192-miles. He’s raising money for Help For Heroes, a charity which supports British soldiers wounded in battle.
He was quoted in the local paper saying, “The idea’s been in my head for about 10 years and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
I’ve talked to many people who when asked if they’d like to run a marathon react like you were asking them to jump off a bridge. Yes, marathons and other long distance endurance events ARE difficult. But it’s not something that will kill you. Unless you have a really significant health issue, a marathon can be within your reach. In this post I’m going to show you how to complete a marathon and still feel human after crossing the finish line.
Read more… »
Close to 700 Yale University students, faculty, and community residents participated in the AIDS Walk in New Haven, Connecticut last Sunday.
Congratulations to Team Home for Our Troops! This past Monday a dedicated team of 25 people ran the Boston Marathon in support of this charity. The team was made up of active and retired military members as well as a few civilians.
Marie Curie Cancer Care is best known for their network of nurses working in the community to provide end-of-life care for patients in their own homes. They have 10 hospices across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. and run the world-renowned Marie Curie Research Institute, which investigates the causes and treatments of cancer.