Crossing the line September 7, 2007
Posted by jean in : marathons, training , add a commentI have reached the point in my training where nagging injuries and doubts occur. The threshold seems to have been last Saturday’s 5 hour walk, a distance of about 17 miles. Two weeks before after a 4.5 hour, about 15.5 mile walk, I felt tired but energized and strong. Two days after my 5 hour walk, though, I felt a great deal of pain in my feet and legs. After some “speed” work on Monday the pain intensified and maintained through a 60 minute walk, so I’m taking some days off. All throughout my feet and legs previously-unnoticed muscles, ligments, and tendons are trying with increasing fervor to get this message through to me: “WHAT ARE YOU DOO-IINNG??!!”
I checked the Group Health knowledgebase to try to find out what the pain in my feet might be. I think I have metatarsalgia. One of the listed causes is “excessive walking.” No kidding.
What does it take to walk a marathon? September 5, 2007
Posted by jean in : marathons , add a commentI’ve been thinking about this, and you can bet that I’ve been thinking about this during my very long (over 17 miles, some of them) Saturday training walks. This is what I think is required:
- Good genes. (Thanks, mom and dad!)
- A large capacity for suffering.
- The willingness to engage that large capacity for suffering
Well, at least we have control of two of the three.
