By Yvette Walker
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Action Sports International |
I walked in the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on Jan. 11, and while I'm a little worse for wear, the only swelling I've got is in my head.
A half marathon is 13.1 miles to the uninitiated. I'm thrilled, proud and I can't wait to do the next one.
The veteran marathoners told me that these races can become addictive, and they are right. I'm already looking ahead to doing various 5K and 10K walk/runs around Kansas City, and the Humana Half Marathon in downtown Kansas City next fall. I want to jog/walk in that one. I've got my eye on the challenging Hospital Hill 12K in June, as well.
My fellow walkers and I have vowed to continue to train. Walking is great exercise, easy on the joints (especially the knees!) and the benefits are plenty. I've burned calories (according to the Web site bodyfatguide.com, if you are walking at 3.5 m.p.h., in one hour you will burn an amount of calories equal to twice your pounds of body weight). I've definitely developed my legs, and my backside is smaller than it used to be. Even your upper body gets into the act when you pump your arms.
I'm not a little woman, and I was glad to see there were all shapes and sizes of people walking and running along the course that wound through the Disney theme parks. (Don't be jealous, we couldn't stop to see Mickey or Goofy.)
This was my first half marathon, and unlike some other races, there was a time requirement. You had to walk or run no more than a 16-minute mile. That's like walking a mile in the time it takes to do a load of laundry. That's pretty fast for this Walker. I was concerned about making it.
Toward the end, the marathon officials gave us a little leeway, and my time was a 17.4 minute mile. Still, it was a personal best for me.
We walked across the finish line, and they placed a finishing medal around our necks. The medal is in the shape of Donald Duck's head - the full marathoners got Mickey Mouse. That's OK, though - Donald's got more chutzpah, something all marathoners need!
How'd I do it? Endurance, perseverance, and lots of training.
I entered the marathon through the Train to End Stroke program, sponsored by the American Stroke Association. This was the first time I've done ANYTHING like this as an adult. (I walked fund-raising walk-a-thons in high school, but hey, I was a lot younger!) The members of TTES met every Saturday from last August through December. We walked or ran in sun, rain and wind and even a little snow. The half-marathoners trained by beginning at two miles and walking up to 12 over the course of five months. In addition, we were charged to walk two to three miles every other day. Also part of the program was fund-raising. You don't have to enter a marathon on behalf of a charity, but it makes it so worthwhile.
You meet all kinds of people during this laborious process, and because I walked on behalf of stroke research, I met several stroke survivors. One was a little girl named Olivia, who had a stroke when she was 1-year-old. Another was my mentor, Marc Hardin, a Johnson County veterinarian and fitness enthusiast. Hardin counseled me about fitness and diet as I trained for the half. Hardin also was the keynote speaker for the nationwide stroke association gathering the night before the marathon. Marc is a stroke survivor, but being a veteran runner, he ran the full marathon again this year with a fantastic time of 3 hours, 43 minutes and 28 seconds. That's a pace of 8 minutes and 34 seconds per mile.
Hardin always points to his temple when I complain that I can't accomplish something. He's not saying that I'm crazy. He's saying it's all in your head. He was right.
My feet disagreed with him around mile 10, but in the end, he was right.
Yvette Walker is the Readers' Representative at The Kansas City Star.
For more information on marathons in your area, go to:
- www.marathonguide.com (for marathon news and a list of U.S. and world races)
- www.jeffgalloway.com (site of a well known marathon trainer)
- 18-Week Walk a Marathon Program (A PBS guide)