I'm going to need a new icon soon

[the_nita]

As some of you know, I'm doing a fundraiser walk for cancer research this September. So on top of everything else I'm doing, starting the end of this month, I train for this

Comments

[ink_13]

A 35.5km walk, if you're speedy, will take five hours. I'm impressed.

When I did a lot of walking, I was fairly dependant on my portable music thingy to keep my mind off things. My advice would be to start researching podcasts.

[mylostmarbles]

I semi-frequently walk 9 km at at time. I'm in shape for very loose definitions of "in shape". If you want some company, let me know. I also find that having a lot of good music playing helps make the trip shorter.

[the_nita]

Will do - and yah - that's what the iPod for Xmas was for.

[devilish__angel]

I'm seconding the offer of "walking buddy," depending on where and when you are walking.

[msmemory]

If I forget to say this more times later, it's me being stupid.

THANK YOU. It's people like you, who join these walks, who fund the research that makes/has made my life possible.

[the_nita]

And it's for you, and my other friends who've had cancer.

For my grandmothers, who both lost a breast to cancer.

For my aunt, who managed not to lose one, though closely.

For my other aunt, who died of ovarian cancer that spread like wildfire after fighting it for 8 years.

For my step-father who's cautiously optomistic that the surgery seems to have gotten it all.

For the father of one of my dearest friends who may not be as lucky, but I cross my fingers daily for him.

Because I finally found something that I went "I can do something instead of feeling helpless. It's not much, but it's something."

[nobodyhere]

If you ever want company, 6.5 km isn't a totally unusual distance for me and Sammy. (He gets walked an hour and a half a day, usually split into an hour walk and a half hour walk.)

[the_nita]

Done & done.

[neeuqdrazil]

Good luck!

I did two (!) half-marathons last fall, and had a similar training schedule.

One thing to keep an eye on - your feet may get larger, so keep an eye on your toes, in particular.

Also, get yourself a fluid belt - when you're doing the longer walks, you don't want to be carrying a bottle (or bottles) of water. I found having a little sling-bag also helped a lot - like this one. You can put an extra bottle of water, or some snacks, in it.

Speaking of snacks, learned from experience - have something to eat with you, and as you increase your distance, learn when to eat. I used gels - Carb Boom! was what worked best for me, although the Jelly Belly Sport Beans were also pretty good.

Sometime when I'm in town, we should do a training walk together. :)

[psychedelicbike]

Did you ever consider a Camelbak-type hydration pack? I've got a 2-litre pack that I take on bike rides. It's sufficient for about 2 hours of biking. More than that, and I have to start bringing along Nalgenes in the panniers.

[neeuqdrazil]

I actually preferred the hydration belt that held a number of smaller bottles. That way I could have some with water, and some with Gatorade.

[the_nita]

I've got a camelback and that's 2L, so that should do me more a goodly portion of it.

Still need to figure out the snacks end of it, but my coach is away on business - need to talk to her about what.