The Importance of Training

One of the biggest questions that new walkers ask me is about training. How in the world can you possibly train for a 60 mile event while also living busy daily lives? Honestly, I don't know how some people do it with kids and jobs and school, etc. I can only tell you how I do it and what I've determined is most important.

If you are a walker and you are not receiving the weekly e-mails from the 3-day with the recommended training schedule, sign into your participant center and update your personal profile to receive the virtual trainer e-mails. The 3-day also offers this helpful schedule: http://www.the3day.org/site/DocServer/3DAY_2009TrainingSchedule_fp.pdf?docID=2021 in .pdf format. If you have to skip a day, just get back on the training schedule when you can. If you are injured, take time to heal because continuing will be worse for your body than continuing. The guide has one day of rest a week. It might not work for you to have that day be Monday. Move that day around. The schedule is there to guide and help, not hinder and overwhelm.

While these training schedules can be incredibly helpful, they can also be overwhelming. If your life affords you the time to follow these perfectly, do it. Your body will be as prepared as possible for the 3-day. If you do not have that kind of time and are overwhelmed at the thought of walking over an hour everyday, let me help. Here are my 4-Ds of training.

• Walk with Determination. The important thing is to be walking. The more you walk, the better prepared you will be. Create more opportunities to walk. Park on the far side of the store you need at the mall, forcing yourself to walk to the store and back from the store. Park in a far spot at the grocery store. Wherever it is feasible for you to walk, do it. Even if you can't train the number of miles required on the schedule, do the best you can to walk as much as you can.


• Walk Differently. If you are used to walking on sidewalks, pick a new path that takes you through the grass. If you are used to walking on flat surfaces, walk some hills. Go to a park and walk some trails. Walk in the morning. Walk at night. Walk in the middle of the day...provided it's not 110 degrees. :-) Remember to vary your paths not only to keep you entertained, but also to train your body to different conditions.


• Walk Doubly. The training schedule suggests walking back-to-backs as the 3-day gets closer. This means walking 10 miles on Saturday and 8 miles on Sunday, several miles during the week, and then 12 miles on Saturday and 10 miles on Sunday, for example. I tell everyone I can that this is the most important part of training. Walk two LONG days back to back. This is hard, but will prepare you better than anything else for the 3-day. That second day will be hard. You will hurt, but keep walking. These training walks will teach you what clothes are comfortable, how your feet and muscles react to longer walks, and whether you are drinking enough water. (For tips on what to pack for these long walks, click here.)


• Walk Decorated. Walk wearing what you are going to be wearing for the 3-day, carrying what you are going to be carrying for the 3-day. If you are going to wear a fanny pack on the 3-day, day 1 is not the time to find out that it is an incredible annoyance. Test these things out! I don't typically carry my camelbak on shorter walks, but on anything longer than 6 miles or so, I load it down with snacks (even if I don't eat them) and socks (even if I don't change into them) and other things, just to weigh the bag down. Don't "save" things for the 3-day; test them out on longer walks to be sure they work the way you want them to. This holds true for sun screen, water bottles, shoes, socks, clothes, jackets, hats, sun glasses, etc. You'd be surprised what can bug you after 10 miles. :-)

All that being said, here is my typical week for training, even right up to the walk. This is an IDEAL week. Most weeks I will skip a day or two here and there, but this is what I do if nothing else is going on.

Monday - 3-4 miles in the evening.

Tuesday - 3-4 miles in the evening.

Wednesday - 3-4 miles in the evening.

Thuesday - 3-4 miles in the evening.

Friday - Sometimes I walk, sometimes I don't. :-)

Saturday - 6+ miles in the morning.

Saturday - 6+ miles in the morning.

Questions? Other tips? Please comment here or e-mail me at leanne.lindgren (at) gmail.com.