Training is about change; the change you want for your body is to be able to go 42 kilometers. So you need to get your body to adapt to long distances. You do that by a gradual system of overload. The goal is to get your your body used to being on your feet for about the same period of time it takes to walk the Marathon.

The training programmes are a slow and gradual build up. Walkers can add 10% per week to their mileage and stay healthy. The gradual build up needs to be followed with rest and recovery periods for the body to make the changes. The schedule follows what is called the hard/easy system of training. This helps keep the body and the mind from overdoing it by allowing adequate rest between hard work outs.

The schedules are for a fairly short period (3 months).They assume most walkers have been walking regularly for 6 months for at least 30 kilometers a week. That is not to say you can’t start from scratch but it would pay to get the ok from your doctor first.

Walking means walking ,even if you do other forms of exercise swimming for hours or riding a bike won’t be enough on it’s own you need to train specific muscles for marathon fitness.

You will walk a faster and more comfortable marathon if you can walk at least five days a week. One of the most important changes you need to make is for the body to be able to have enough fuel to cover the distance. It takes about 2600 calories to complete a marathon. Calories come from two major sources carbohydrates and fats.

Your body can store about 2400 – 2500 calories of carbohydrates with the liver, blood and muscle storage sites. It can only utilize 40-60 % of those, leaving an energy deficit if carbohydrates were the only source of fuel. The good news is that everyone has adequate fat stores to fuel for distances far beyond any marathon. (I’m certain you can locate those stores in your own body). The trick is for the body to access those stores and be able to continue to use them throughout the marathon.

For fat to be burned as fuel there needs to be carbohydrates available as well. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “hitting the wall”. This happens when the body burns off its available carbohydrates and cannot use the fats with the outcome that pace slows dramatically as pain increases. The “wall” can be prevented by training the body to do two things. Store more carbohydrates and utilize more fat. Those are both gained by low slow walking.

Resist the current temptation to do every walk at marathon pace.

Long walks should be ¾ to ½ a minute per kilometer slower than marathon pace. To test yourself warm up and walk an accurately measured (say on a running track) kilometer.
Check your heart rate at the end. Then remember that that you should try to walk on average 1-2 minutes slower than that on your long walks.

How do you go from slow to marathon pace? The T’s listed on the schedule are temp walks or walks projected at marathon pace. These are important so that you know exactly how marathon pace feels and can start out there.

You need not to get carried away at the start and go out too fast. Remember the goal is to finish. The walks need to at the pace you want to walk the marathon and not faster. You need to be efficient and practice the pace that will take you 42 kms.

Notice the last couple of weeks show a period of rest before the marathon. This is called Taper and is important so that you are rested and recharged for the big day! The last part of tapering is carbohydrate loading to make certain the muscles are filled with the highest amount of carbohydrate.

Just remember anything is possible and you may surprise yourself just how achievable this could be.

(Click here for details on the Rotorua Marathon)

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