How To Prepare For A Long-Distance Walk or Race
Thinking of walking or running in a race? Be sure to follow these tips!
Starting out on any kind of new exercise or wellness program can always be a challenge for some people. Not only are you putting your body through a new strenuous activity, but it can also be difficult to fight through the lack of motivation and inspiration that a frequent exercise regime requires.
One way that many people encourage and excite themselves about a new exercise routine is by creating an exciting, long-range goal for themselves at the end of their program. This could be something as simple as a goal weight that you have been working towards for years, or even the simple task of becoming more healthy in your day-to-day life. However, one of the most popular types of long-term wellness goals that people often choose is deciding to complete a race or charity walk.
Finishing a short race or a charity walk is a very realistic goal for many walkers. Not only do these activities provide the perfect source of motivation and drive for getting into shape and completing your wellness goals, but they also make training and losing weight that much more fun. Walks also range anywhere from 3 miles to 20 miles, so they are perfect for people of all athletic backgrounds.
However, if you are thinking of signing up for a charity walk or race, it is important that you take the proper amount of time to train and prepare yourself for the event so that you can enjoy it without hurting or over-exerting yourself. To help you get started, we have put together some basic training tips that will help you preparing for a long-distance walk or race while maintaining your optimum health.
Start Training Well Before Your Race
When you first decide that you would like to complete a walk or run, you should pick a goal distance that fits your current level of fitness and then make time for a long-term training commitment that lasts for a few months before the event. Increasing your endurance involves a lot of muscle building and increased stamina, and these things do not just develop overnight. You should prepare to make a commitment to walk at least 5 to 6 days per week for at least 4 months in order to fully prepare yourself for your event.
Ask A Friend To Join In With You
One of the best ways to stay motivated in any type of exercise or activity is to share your goals and training schedule with another person. This will not only make the activity more fun and enjoyable, but it will also help you from procrastinating about your training or workouts when you have someone else to report to.
Go Easy The Week Of The Event
Before your event, you should be rested and ready, but should also be "loose." Therefore, it is important that you go easy on yourself the week of the event in order to feel fresh and rested on your big day. However, this doesn't mean that you should stop working out all together. Many walkers will often find that the feel tight or groggy if they do not use their muscles before a race. By completing a simple 10 to 30 minute walk the day before your event, you can be sure that you will be ready to go without feeling tight.
If you are looking for a charity walk in your area to train and prepare for this fall, the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot will be taking place on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas. This event is the largest Thanksgiving Day event of its kind in the country, and the 2011 Trot had a record setting 36,820 participants. For more information, visit: www.thetrot.org
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