Give Me a Program for a More Modest Goal
Than Walking a Marathon!
By Ellie Hodder


Walking a marathon is a great goal for anyone with the appetite for a lofty challenge. Realistically, I have to admit that not everyone is ready today to set their sights on a 26.2 miles stroll. Here's a little something for those of you who would like to work on training for events like Volkswalks (often 10k or, 6.2 miles). There are a vast number of weekend and year 'round Volkswalks in the Pacific Northwest. You can easily take yourself on a mini-vacation on a regular basis by checking out the possibilities for walks in and around where you live. If you're feeling very adventuresome, there are Volkswalks worldwide. Time to be saving those frequent flyer miles!

The Portland Marathon Mayor's Walk is an excellent event for all walkers. This 10k walk takes place the morning of the Portland Marathon and covers the last quarter of the marathon route itself, giving you a bit of the flavor and excitement of the day. You will be honored with a special finishers area and a personal greeting by our fine city's mayor, Vera Katz, an avid walker herself.

Some Training Guidelines

1. Unlike money which can be saved from day to day, exercise must be practiced nearly every day for the best result.

2. Everything counts. If you are time-limited on a particular day and can't complete the number of miles on your training schedule, remember that something is always better than nothing. Do the best you can and get back on track with the next day or so.

3. Injuries and muscle soreness usually result from overtaxing your body. Be careful to limit weekly mileage increases. If you decide to go on a strenuous hike after practicing on relatively flat terrain, expect to be sore. Take a couple days off, stretch and ease back to your routine. Going on regular hikes, over time will give you the strength to tackle tough terrain with less and less "pay back".

If you miss a few days of walking, avoid the temptation of walking the total miles you missed. Payback is nearly always nasty! Start where you are supposed to be and consider your effort a good one.

4. Make sure you have the right tools for the job. Check out articles on this site about proper shoes, stetching, motivation and more. These apply to you as much as to marathon distance walkers.

The 5-Minute Rule

The hardest part of any exercise program is getting your legs in your shorts.

Barring illness or injury, you MUST do at least 5-minutes of your scheduled walking. If after 5-minutes you want/need to go home for any reason, do it
guilt-free. Tomorrow the 5-Minute Rule applies again.

Sample Training Schedule

"Beginner" means different things to different people. If you are at a very, very beginning stage, go to the article "Moving is Basic" and begin with the training schedules posted at the end of that article. When you've completed the 12-week cycle posted there, take a look at this schedule and see where you can slip in to increase your distance.

If you are walking some already, begin with the schedule below. Look for a week that is close to the number of weekly miles you now walk. Start there. Notice that we are using a program with unequal amounts of daily miles. This is important. Honor this pattern as you progress even though some days will be fewer miles than you are used to. Soon the total weekly miles will begin to challenge you and you will see how this pattern of work and rest will benefit you in making good fitness gains.

As you set out on this fitness journey, remember, you are doing this out of self love, to honor your growing sense of accomplishment, for your blood pressure, cholesterol, lean body mass, to improve sleep and your ability to manage stress, just to name a few benefits. When you're done, remember to "exercise the arm" with a good pat on the back!!

Week #
SUN
MON
TUES
WED
THURS
FRI
SAT
TOTAL
1
0
1 mi
.5 mi
1 mi
.5 mi
0
2 mi
5 miles
2
0
1.25 mi
.5 mi
1.25 mi
.5 mi
0
2 mi
5.5 miles
3
0
1.25 mi
.5 mi
1.25 mi
.5 mi
0
2.5 mi
6 miles
4
0
1.5 mi
.5 mi
1.5 mi
.5 mi
0
2.5 mi
6.5 mi
5
0
1.5 mi
.5 mi
1.5 mi
.5 mi
0
3.0 mi
7 miles
6
0
1.5 mi
.5 mi
1.5 mi
.5 mi
0
3.5 mi
7.5 miles
7
0
1.5 mi
.5 mi
1.5 mi
.5 mi
0
4.0 mi
8.0 miles
8
0
2.0 mi
.5 mi
1.5 mi
.5 mi
0
4.0 mi
8.5 miles
9
0
2.0 mi
.5 mi
2.0 mi
.5 mi
0
4.0 mi
9.0 miles
10
0
2.5 mi
.5 mi
2.0 mi
.75 mi
0
4.0 mi
9.75 miles
11
0
2.5 mi
.75 mi
2.5 mi
.75 mi
0
4.0 mi
10.5 miles
12
0
2.5 mi
1.0 mi
2.5 mi
1.0 mi
0
4.5 mi
11.5 miles
13
0
3.0 mi
1.0 mi
3.0 mi
1.0 mi
0
4.5 mi
12.5 miles
14
0
3.0 mi
1.0 mi
3.0 mi
1.0 mi
0
5 mi
13 miles
15
0
3.0 mi
1.0 mi
3.0 mi
1.0 mi
0
6.0 mi
14 miles
16
0
3.0 mi
1.5 mi
3.0 mi
1.0 mi
0
6.5 mi
15 miles
17
0
3.0 mi
1.5 mi
3.0 mi
1.5 mi
0
7.0 mi
16 miles
18
0
3.5 mi
2.0 mi
3.5 mi
1.5 mi
0
7.0 mi
17.5 miles
19
0
4.0 mi
2.0 mi
3.5 mi
2.0 mi
0
7.0 mi
18.5 mi
20
0
4.0 mi
2.5 mi
4.0 mi
2.0 mi
0
7.0 mi
19.5 miles
21
0
4.0 mi
2.5 mi
4.0 mi
2.5 mi
0
7.0 mi
20 miles

See you at the Portland Marathon Mayor's Walk, Sunday, October 6, 2002!

© 2001. Ellie J. Hodder. All rights reserved.
Reproduction prohibited without written permission.

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