Getting fit to walk

I've got the same predicament - as I'm doing Kilimanjaro in August.

I'm going to do what I have always done. Walk as much as possible.
Compliment this with 2 or 3 times a week on the Nordic Ski machine in the
gym (intensive and low impact).
Then at weekends (I live in Holland which makes it tough to get on the
hills) I run round a lake using interval training during the run. This
involves short bursts. 1 minute average speed, 1 minute flat out, 1 minute
slow/walk, repeated at least 5 times. At first it feels like you will die.
The end result is amazing regarding stamina and strength - it's a fast track
and one that I was recommended to do by a pro - much better than running at
a constant speed. I'm going to build up to running for around 1-2 hours on
a Sunday. Between then and now I will do a few two dayer's in the Lakes and
some winter Alp walking starting next week.

Regards

Antony

"Judith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In May I shall be walking coast-to-coast across Scotland on the TGO
Challenge.

I'll be taking 12.5 days and walking every day, although I have a mix
of long and shorter distances on different days.

Yesterday I went for a 13.5 mile walk around the Clwydian hills. It
was a mix of ups and downs, road-walking and paths and some (easy)
off-the-beaten-path stuff. Today my legs are aching.

Before yesterday I hadn't been out walking since Christmas, so I
expected to be a bit stiff, but how can I minimise the expected
achiness in May?

I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk ..... but I
work all day and I can't walk every weekend. I could go for brief
walks (eg 3-4 miles on pavements and country lanes) after work as the
evenings start to get lighter. I could run a couple of miles a couple
of times a week - but running is running not walking (and I hate it!)

Walking takes so long; so what can I do that is the /same/ as walking
but takes less time?

By the way, I will be going running (or, at least, brisk walks to
start with) anyway as I do need to improve my general fitness as well
as training/strengthening my legs.

Judith

"Judith" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In May I shall be walking coast-to-coast across Scotland on the TGO
Challenge.

snip

Quoted message said:

I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk ..... but I
work all day and I can't walk every weekend. I could go for brief
walks (eg 3-4 miles on pavements and country lanes) after work as the
evenings start to get lighter. I could run a couple of miles a couple
of times a week - but running is running not walking (and I hate it!)

Walking takes so long; so what can I do that is the /same/ as walking
but takes less time?

Another answer from the Low Countries :-) : buy a stepper. Preferably one
with adjustable resistance. You could practice in front of your tv. With
rucksack of course :-))

--
"Beannachd leibh"

Theo
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net

Quoted message said:

I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk ..... but I
work all day and I can't walk every weekend. I could go for brief
walks (eg 3-4 miles on pavements and country lanes) after work as the
evenings start to get lighter. I could run a couple of miles a couple
of times a week - but running is running not walking (and I hate it!)

Walking takes so long; so what can I do that is the /same/ as walking
but takes less time?

So... Walk anywhere you can, and walk _fast_. Try and build it into your
daily routine - can you walk to work? Or perhaps walk one way if it'll be
too time consuming. Walk to the shops (great exercise when you come back
with all that shopping :-) Oh, and if you can find hills to walk up and
down that's great.

I don't need to prepare for the odd 100 mile cycle ride because I have a
2.5 mile each way commute. The trick is to do it very fast and hard.
Try and incorporate walking into you daily routine - ever sit down and
listen to the Archers? Whack on some headphones and listen to it on the
move.

This is not an optimum training regime - I ride the 100 miles quite slowly,
but it's better than nothing and _it works_ -no problems completing the
ride and no aches either.

Little is better than nothing, fast is better than slow. Walk whenever you
can, and walk fast.

On Tue, 21 Feb 2006 21:07:21 +0100, "Towser" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Then at weekends (I live in Holland which makes it tough to get on the
hills) I run round a lake using interval training during the run. This
involves short bursts. 1 minute average speed, 1 minute flat out, 1 minute
slow/walk, repeated at least 5 times. At first it feels like you will die.
The end result is amazing regarding stamina and strength - it's a fast track
and one that I was recommended to do by a pro - much better than running at
a constant speed.

That sounds like a good idea - although one minute at top speed sounds
a bit much for me at the moment. I could start off with longer
periods of jogging and shorter sprints and try to build up to what you
describe.

Thanks

Judith

In article <[email hidden]>, Judith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

In May I shall be walking coast-to-coast across Scotland on the TGO
Challenge.

I'll be taking 12.5 days and walking every day, although I have a mix
of long and shorter distances on different days.

Yesterday I went for a 13.5 mile walk around the Clwydian hills. It
was a mix of ups and downs, road-walking and paths and some (easy)
off-the-beaten-path stuff. Today my legs are aching.

Before yesterday I hadn't been out walking since Christmas, so I
expected to be a bit stiff, but how can I minimise the expected
achiness in May?

I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk ..... but I
work all day and I can't walk every weekend. I could go for brief
walks (eg 3-4 miles on pavements and country lanes) after work as the
evenings start to get lighter. I could run a couple of miles a couple
of times a week - but running is running not walking (and I hate it!)

Walking takes so long; so what can I do that is the /same/ as walking
but takes less time?

By the way, I will be going running (or, at least, brisk walks to
start with) anyway as I do need to improve my general fitness as well
as training/strengthening my legs.

Judith

Can't fault you. You have the right idea.

Good luck on the walk.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

On Tue, 21 Feb 2006 21:43:15 +0100, "Theo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Walking takes so long; so what can I do that is the /same/ as walking
but takes less time?

Another answer from the Low Countries :-) : buy a stepper. Preferably one
with adjustable resistance. You could practice in front of your tv. With
rucksack of course :-))

I borrowed a stepper last time I tried to get fit - I think it's in
the garage. :-\

Stepping is SOOOOOOOO BORRRRRRING. I don't watch much TV, but
perhaps I need to find one 30 minute program I want to watch (or, more
likely, a radio program to listen to), everyday, and step to it.

It's boring, and it upsets the dog, but I can do it after dark and not
care about the weather.

Judith

On Tue, 21 Feb 2006 20:47:11 GMT, Mark Thompson

pleasegivegenerously@warmmail*_turn_up_the_heat_to_reply*.com said:

Little is better than nothing, fast is better than slow. Walk whenever you
can, and walk fast.

You've got me thinking. Last year, I took part in a "step challenge"
at work. I was in a team of ten people who wore step counters for one
week in each of five consecutive months. Our basic challenge was to
do 10,000 steps a day - although we were quite a competitive team and
managed to do a lot more than 10k/day in the later months.

It became an obsession and I used to find myself marching up and down
on the spot whilst drying my hands or making a brew! I also used to
go for a brisk walk round the block at lunchtime and a jog or walk
after work.

I still have the step-counter, so perhaps I ought to start wearing it
again and set myself some targets. Artificial it may be, but I was
definitely more active on the weeks when I was wearing it.

Ta
Judith

In message <[email hidden]>, Judith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

In May I shall be walking coast-to-coast across Scotland on the TGO
Challenge.

I'll be taking 12.5 days and walking every day, although I have a mix
of long and shorter distances on different days.

Yesterday I went for a 13.5 mile walk around the Clwydian hills. It
was a mix of ups and downs, road-walking and paths and some (easy)
off-the-beaten-path stuff. Today my legs are aching.

Before yesterday I hadn't been out walking since Christmas, so I
expected to be a bit stiff, but how can I minimise the expected
achiness in May?

I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk .....

.... It is.

My experience is that my legs get stiff at the end of the first day.
Then on the following days the stiffness wears off - not get worse.

--
Martin Richardson
283/284 Munros - 0.35% to go 34/34 'Furths'- 0% to go
56/89 Donalds - 37% to go 502/1554 Marilyns - 68% to go
376/525 Hewitts - 28% to go (E=178/178; W=137/137; I=61/211)

Judith said:

Walking takes so long; so what can I do that is the /same/ as walking
but takes less time?

Well it's not the /same/ but cycling is an excellent way to build up your
leg muscles and get fit, without the jarring on the joints that you get with
jogging. Much faster too, just 5 minutes doing a few laps around the block
gets me way more knackered than a 20 minute walk around a nearby hill, with
a much stronger effect on my leg muscles.

Cycling is good for interval training too, like Towser mentioned.

Paul

Paul Saunders said:

Quoted message said:

Walking takes so long; so what can I do that is the /same/ as walking
but takes less time?

Well it's not the /same/ but cycling is an excellent way to build up your
leg muscles and get fit, without the jarring on the joints that you get with
jogging. Much faster too, just 5 minutes doing a few laps around the block
gets me way more knackered than a 20 minute walk around a nearby hill, with
a much stronger effect on my leg muscles.

I do use my bike for quick trips ie when taking the car would kill the
planet but walking would be a drag. I also go on Sunday afternoon
pootles for fresh air and exercise. I think I shall keep this up, but
I need to walk as I know that my legs ache differently after walking
compared with cycling.

Judith

Martin Richardson said:

Quoted message said:

I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk .....

... It is.

My experience is that my legs get stiff at the end of the first day.
Then on the following days the stiffness wears off - not get worse.

Do you get tired again after a few days of sustained effort?

Judith

Judith said:

Martin Richardson said:

Quoted message said:

I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk .....

... It is.

My experience is that my legs get stiff at the end of the first day.
Then on the following days the stiffness wears off - not get worse.

Do you get tired again after a few days of sustained effort?

I find after hitting the hills after a layoff, as I usually do, I feel
terrible on the second and third days. It is important not to keep
overloading yourself. But I definitely helps to have some base
fitness. Since New Year I have been getting out for a four hour bike
ride once a week on top of my commuting mileage of about seven miles a
day and my walk of about two miles a day as part of my work. Whilst
riding a bike is no good as training for walking it does give you a
cardiovascular workout.

Did you get that Brompton yet? Stop driving everywhere in that 4x4 of
yours and use your muscles a bit. :-)
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Judith said:

In May I shall be walking coast-to-coast across Scotland on the TGO
Challenge.

I'll be taking 12.5 days and walking every day, although I have a mix
of long and shorter distances on different days.

Yesterday I went for a 13.5 mile walk around the Clwydian hills. It
was a mix of ups and downs, road-walking and paths and some (easy)
off-the-beaten-path stuff. Today my legs are aching.

Before yesterday I hadn't been out walking since Christmas, so I
expected to be a bit stiff, but how can I minimise the expected
achiness in May?

I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk ..... but I
work all day and I can't walk every weekend. I could go for brief
walks (eg 3-4 miles on pavements and country lanes) after work as the
evenings start to get lighter. I could run a couple of miles a couple
of times a week - but running is running not walking (and I hate it!)

Walking takes so long; so what can I do that is the /same/ as walking
but takes less time?

By the way, I will be going running (or, at least, brisk walks to
start with) anyway as I do need to improve my general fitness as well
as training/strengthening my legs.

I live approx. 9 miles from work so 2 - 3 times a week I cycle to work,
that's a good 18 miles of cycle round trip. The route t I take has
good hills to climb both ways. Excellent for building strength in the
legs as well as stamina.

I work in an office on the 10th floor, so walking up the stairs every
day is a small but definately beneficial excerise to be performed. A
basic day requires at least two full 10 story climbs (once coming in in
the morning and again coming in after lunch).

I workout in the gym 4 x a week. I strength train my legs with squats,
calf raises and deadlift. All excellent at building muscle. However
these excercises are I would imagine not accessible to the average joe.

And of course whenever I can I try to get out and walk. Snowdonia is
my favourite at the moment.

This is how I train.

I'm currently in training for the welsh 3k's (for the second time) to
be performed this summer. I did it for the first time last year and it
was thoroughly enjoyable (though very hard!).

In message <[email hidden]>, Judith
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Martin Richardson said:

Quoted message said:

I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk .....

... It is.

My experience is that my legs get stiff at the end of the first day.
Then on the following days the stiffness wears off - not get worse.

Do you get tired again after a few days of sustained effort?

After a week - but it aint my legs that get tired by then, it is my
whole body. The tinnitus in my left deaf ear starts to sound like an
aeroplane - and then I know I am tired.
--
Martin Richardson
283/284 Munros - 0.35% to go 34/34 'Furths'- 0% to go
56/89 Donalds - 37% to go 502/1554 Marilyns - 68% to go
376/525 Hewitts - 28% to go (E=178/178; W=137/137; I=61/211)

Phil Cook said:

Judith said:

Quoted message said:

>I reckon the best way to get fit for walking is to walk .....

Quoted message said:

Did you get that Brompton yet? Stop driving everywhere in that 4x4 of
yours and use your muscles a bit. :-)

No, not yet. You know I spent my Brompton savings on a Rab sleeping
bag. I had always thought the Rab was too expensive....... but it was
nothing compared with the (potential) Brommie.

I think I might be getting the craving again, though.

Judith

Judith said:

I need to walk as I know that my legs ache differently after walking
compared with cycling.

Of course, but surely any exercise that builds up your leg muscles has to be
a good thing?

I think cycling is better for building up the thighs, but the calves are
probably used more when walking. Calf raises are easy to do, all you need
is a doorstep.

Paul

"Judith" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Stepping is SOOOOOOOO BORRRRRRING.

Yes it is, but so is weightlifting and still people lift weights. It's the
result that counts.
BTW You could listen to good music instead of watching tv.

--
"Beannachd leibh"

Theo
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net

"Judith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In May I shall be walking coast-to-coast across Scotland on the TGO
Challenge.

I will be going running (or, at least, brisk walks to

Quoted message said:

start with) anyway as I do need to improve my general fitness as well
as training/strengthening my legs.
Judith

I've done the 'Challenge' several times, and will be doing it again in May,
starting from Strathcarron. As I don't go walking in the hills very much
throughout the rest of the year the bulk of my training before then will be
RUNNING. Running is the most natural form of exercice known to man (though
I'm not sure we should mention it on uk.rec.walking!). It promotes
strength and stamina, improves the cardio-vascular system and maintains a
good strength to weight ratio. On the days I don't run I do one or two
stretches and upper body exercises - arm curls and upward rowing with a
barbell, and a few press-ups.
Then, at Easter-time I'll be off into the hills for a practice walk with my
latest gear, to see how it performs, and experimenting with and fine-tuning
my Challenge diet. And that's it.

Message-ID: <[email hidden]> from Runningfox
contained the following:

Quoted message said:

On the days I don't run I do one or two
stretches and upper body exercises - arm curls and upward rowing with a
barbell, and a few press-ups.
Then, at Easter-time I'll be off into the hills for a practice walk with my
latest gear, to see how it performs, and experimenting with and fine-tuning
my Challenge diet. And that's it.

Oh.

Well, whatever floats your boat I suppose.

--
Geoff Berrow (put thecat out to email)
It's only Usenet, no one dies.
My opinions, not the committee's, mine.
Simple RFDs http://www.ckdog.co.uk/rfdmaker/