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.”
Yesterday I highlighted a few of the stories about extreme run/walk events. If you really want to run, walk, or hike long distances for a charity that is great. I could probably do a long distance hike if it were not a race.
But you don’t have to do something that extreme to help a good cause. In fact all the Epilepsy Foundation asks you to do is take a stroll. It’s a pledge based event so you get your friends and family to support you, then just do two miles. That’s it, just two miles. Read more… »
Students at the University of Georgia are taking the lead in helping to raise funds for a great cause. The AIDS Walk/Run Athens will be held on March 1st 2008 starting with a timed 5K race followed by a walk.
Proceeds will benefit AIDS Athens, an organization that serves Athens, GA and 10 surrounding counties. It is the only AIDS facility serving these areas.
Good luck to all of the students planning this event, running, walking and raising funds for a great cause!
On the Runners Lounge Tom starts his post In Praise of Running Plans off by saying “People with a plan do better than people without a plan.” Very true! Having a plan for training for an athletic event is critical for success. You need to have on the calendar how many miles to run (or walk) each day of the week. This training calendar should be planned for the 4-6 months that lead up to a long distance race (half marathon, marathon or longer).
This is one advantage of charity training programs such as Team in Training or Train to End Stroke. These programs help first time marathoners by providing a training calendar. The group training sessions also help participants stick to the schedule.
If you are looking for more support when running or walking an endurance event consider one of the charity programs available. I know how much they help a first timer - my first (and so far only) marathon I did with Team in Training, walking the Anchorage Alaska Marathon. Since then I have done a half-marathon and several shorter distance events. The skills and discipline I learned in TNT made a big difference in training and being successful on race day.
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.
Students at the University of Georgia are taking the lead in helping to raise funds for a great cause. The