Walking/Running ?

[Dia Minha]

I have been going walking at the track out by my house for several weeks now. The first week I walked around the track twice, which would be about 1 1/2 miles. I have added a lap a week. The first two laps are so hard. My shins ache and I feel like quiting. Usually by the time I get half way around the second lap the pain begins to fade a bit. If I think about it, it is still there, but it is not so bad that I'm thinking about it constantly. It takes me about 11 to 12 minutes each lap for the first two laps. Then on the third lap I cruise. I'm walking so fast that when I hit the downslop of the hill, the track is on, I end up running, because I can't walk fast enough down the hill. I'm afraid if I keep walking I will fall flat on my face. I can make the third and fourth lap in about 9-10 mins each. So all together I do 3 miles in less than 45 mins.

My question is, why does it take me so long to warm up? Is there anything I can do so that I feel that spurt of energy sooner? I would love to get down to a 12 minute mile so that I can walk/run 5 miles in an hour. This would mean I would need to do each lap (3/4 mile) in about 8-9 mins. I think I could do this, if I could figure out how to get warmed up faster.

Thanks!

[5ft Diva]

Are you talking about the track around the park? If you're shins are hurting, it may be because of the cement and/or your shoes. RAR would probably give you more advice on that. As far as warm-ups. It takes me forever to warm up as well. What are you eating before you go walking? That may help. Again, RAR would be a great resource for this kind of a question. I know I don't know anything, but it's fun to respond just the same. Good luck, I think your goal is awesome! Thanks for being such a great example - what time do you go walking?

[Dia Minha]

It is not my shoes. I bought a pair of the best shoes in the world. They are the ones that have been banned by the Boston and New York Marathon, because they give the runners to much of an advantage. They are awesome shoes. I went to going to bed and waking up with sore feet and lower legs, to running around all day, without any pain. I love them.

I know that the cement can be harder on my feet and shins than asphalt. The problem I have is that I am leaving my little ones at home with my oldest in charge. I don't feel comfortable going further than what I could get home in less than ten minutes. I take my phone with me and no matter where I am on the track when they call, I can be home quickly. Just this morning it got to the time I knew my 2 yr old would be up and no one was answering the phone. I went straight home and found her wandering the house by herself and the others were still sleeping. I figured that my shoes would give me enough of an advantage that the cement wouldn't be to bad.

Also the pain gets better the further I walk, not worse. So I'm thinking it has something to do with taking a very long time to warm up. I know it can be harder to walk very fast, than to jog and I am walking very fast. I had two walkers comment to me this morning that I was extremely fast. I have paced myself against the walker/runners (the ladies and gentlemen that walk for a while and than run). When they are running they get ahead of me, then I catch back up to them, when they are walking. So I know I'm hitting a good pace. I have been walking 4 miles 3-4 times a week, but in place in my living room. Walking distances uses different muscle so I'm sure I need to give myself some time to build them up.

I did a lot of research to find something to substitute my protein bar for. I just can't have them in the house. Yogurt was the number one suggestion to eat before a workout. I get up in the morning and drink two glasses of water. Than I eat a yogurt and wait 20-30 minutes before I go walking.

I'm usually out sometime between 6:30 and 8:00. I don't always get out of the house at the same time. It just depends on what time I get up and what kids are up before I leave. I'm trying to get out earlier, now that it is getting hotter sooner. Hopefully once I'm out at 6:00 and back before 7:00 my two yr old will not get up before I get back.

[runamyrun]

You are so awesome! When I first start running I always feel sluggish and slow. It takes a little while for my muscles to warm up. When I ran track in high school, our coach always had us slowly run a lap around the track (the track was 1/4 a mile) before we did our workout. You may want to jog for a little bit before you start timing yourself.

With your shins it may just be that you are really working your legs hard. How long have you been walking/running like this? It could be that you are working those muscles really hard and that over time they will get stronger and not bother you as much. There are also possibilities of injury. Make sure you have good shoes. And yes, running on cement is very hard on our legs. Realize that as I say this, I have also been running at the park.

Basically, just listen to your body. If your shins seem to bother you and you don't think it is a sore muscle, go see a doctor. I prefer a sports medicine doctor for things like that. Otherwise, just keep doing what you are doing and maybe add a warmup jog.

[runamyrun]

After reading your second post, I just think your sore shins are from working hard. When you walk in place you don't have to use the same muscles as when you walk somewhere. You have to use muscles to pull you forward. It is the same kind of thing with using a treadmill. You may get a great workout, but when you go to exercise outside, you can get sore because you are using muscles you didn't have to use before. I hope that made sense! If it seems to bother you too much, you could always stop for a couple of minutes and stretch. That is what I do when I go a long ways when I am running. If I start feeling stiff (after I have warmed up) or a certain muscle is getting tight and sore, I will stop and stretch.

[Dia Minha]

Thanks RAR!

[Erudite]

AHHHH RAR did mention stretching...I just missed it as I read down, so I edited here down to the main point.

Every thing I've read about it suggests that short warm-up walk to get things warmed up and then some good stretching, several minutes worth even. It sounds to me like you might want to especially stretch your lower leg muscles, front and back. I used to have shin splints all the time, but with the right shoes and good stretching, I didn't have them that I remember when I quit running last fall.

WAY TO GO, though, Dia!! I thought you didn't want to be a runner and here you are doing 3 miles at a time. That's SO awesome!! Keep it up!

[Mamallama]

GREAT JOB DIA!! You are doing amazing starting out at such a fast pace and going so far already---Wow!

I have the same problem with warming up. I wish I had a solution. I stretch and stretch, but it still takes me running over a mile until the aches and pains start numbing up is what I call it. I don't know why----I wish it wasn't that way----

It sounds like you are already walking faster than I run!! Good for you!!!

[Lovechop]

I have found that my shins get sore from walking both up and downhill quickly. Downhill it's more from the added jolting (for lack of the right word) and uphill it's from having to flex my foot higher. Maybe try warming up on a flat surface first? And make sure you're rolling your feet and flexing your rear end through the WHOLE stride. Both of those things are VITAL to a good walking workout, but often get set aside when you're focusing more on speed than correct technique. Hope that helps! I have HUGE faith in speed-walking. I tend to lose more weight that way than I do with more vigorous exercise. Good for you!

[Dia Minha]

E, I wouldn't call myself a runner yet. I can't run more than a few minutes or I pee my pants. I pretty much have to keep one foot on the ground at all times, that is why speed walking works so well for me. Hopefully one day I will be able to decide I'm not going to have any more babies and go in for one long surgery and get my whole body all fixed up.

Thanks Mama. I'm just going to keep working it. I'm glad I'm not the only one that can't wait for the "numb". That is what I call it too. For the first two laps I feel like a Clydesdale, clopping along at a snail pace. On the last laps, I feel like my body has just taken over and although I still feel like I'm slapping the sidewalk like a huge, clumsy, horse, my legs just keep moving along by themselves. I feel like I could go forever. Of course that is until I have to pee.

Lovechop, I appreciate your comments. Howver, I do not want to give the impression that I am just concentrating on speed. I am concentrating on getting a good workout while improving my speed. When walking up hill I tend to walk slower and take long strides and flex my rear end, which actually ends up tightening up my whole backside, all the way down my calf. When walking down hill I take shorter steps, but quicken them so I'm my lungs and heart are working harder. Sometimes I feel like an idiot, because I am the only one out there walking, whose arms are swinging and hips are swaying. However, swinging arms are good for working the upper body and hip swaying helps get up the speed.

I'm not loosing any weight. In fact I've gained. Which of course is very frustrating. I need to finish up these yucky antibiotics and get my eating back on track.

Thanks for all the help and support ladies.

[Lovechop]

I didn't mean to sound like you weren't using the correct technique...it was just a reminder that it sounds like you didn't need. I'm just impressed you're working so hard! Good for you!

[Erudite]

Dia, runners (or speed walkers) need to use inches not pounds for a measurement of progress. You gain when you change exercises and your body is adjusting and building new muscle, but new muscle means smaller inches. Try measuring your legs and see if there is something going on. Good luck to you!

I just started swimming again. We finally got our backyard pool set up again. It's only hip deep on me, but that's enough to flap my legs for 10 minutes a day. I doubt I told anyone, but my doc says that I can't do weight bearing exercises anymore because it brings on my fibromyalgia flare-up. And he's right, I tried a nice slow 15 minute walk about 3 weeks back and was sick for the 2 weeks after that. So I'm not a runner anymore, I'm a swimmer.

So...off we go!