Walkers' thread (those training for a moonwalk or those just wanting to get a bit fitter... sign in here)

[EllbellTheBluestocking]

OK... following on from another thread, I thought I'd start this for those of us who are not really that into exercise but who are struggling to get a bit fitter.

I am working towards doing the Edinburgh moonwalk in June (and would prefer it if no-one mentioned just exactly how blardy far it's going to be just yet [panic emoticon]), and am struggling to find the time and the inclination to train.

Anyone else in a similar position? Hippipotami? Quint? Don't leave me walking all on my own...

Will come back and post again when I've got off my bum and done some exercise!

12 miles bamama? Wow, that is a long walk!! Well done!

It makes absolute sense - once you get going it isn't too bad but getting organised to go is such a pain.

I used to be really strict with myself and go on monday wednesday and friday, rain or shine because it was important to get the miles in but if you're doing 4 miles now then you're well on track for the half moon.

Don't stress too much about the night itself right now but concentrate on walking regularly.

Thanks mrspnut

Went out for a walk last night with 4 of my fellow moonwalkers. We did 3.65miles in one hour and fifteen, so not too bad

Was very tired after, but not desperately deathly exhausted, so am pleased

I am walking Monday morning, Tuesday evening and Thursday morning. Although I take the dog into the woods or along the canal on the Thursday one, so it is more of a slower amble...

I do actually enjoy it once I am walking. My main worry is that because of my size (am obese) I walk a lot slower than the others. I am very worried about not being able to keep up with them. For instance last night the two fitter ones were at least quarter of a mile ahead of me, and one never took her hands out of her pockets for hte entire walk - she looked like she was just ambling along, whereas I was huffing and puffing....

Please tell me there are people at the moonwalk doing it at a slower pace? It is not a race is it....help.....

It's not a race at all, and on the night the pace is a lot slower in places because of stopping to cross roads and things.

I walked alone and put my ipod on at about 8 miles and that really helped me, so don't feel that you have to walk the entire way as a team.

You will get better as you get more used to it, and just crossing the start line is an achievement in itself.

On our practice walks our team already seems to naturally divide itself into fast, medium and slow walkers, so yes, I think it is fair to expect we will drift apart during the night.

Can I ask you another question (sorry), how did you get to Hyde Park on the night? I am assuming it will be very very busy?

We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Mayfair so I only had a 10 minute walk to the tent (took me 30 minutes to get back on the sunday morning) but if not then just get a bus or tube and walk across the park to the tent. Get there early because there is a huge queue to get into the complex.

There are places to park on the side streets around Mayfair but it is expensive and there's no guarantee that you'll manage to find a spot.

Crikey! You moonwalkers are impressing me with your distances/times.

I feel a bit pathetic reporting this but my Good Housekeeping programme (I'm on week 4 of 8 wks) only requires me to walk for 25 min continuously on top of my daily activity on five out of seven days.

Full house so far this week so feeling good! Even managed to motivate myself to go walking in a freezing hail storm yesterday! Like Hipp, it's starting to feel just a bit easier ... and I am picking up the pace a bit.

This thread really works because I didn't feel like exercising on Monday but I wanted to be able to report here that I had walked every day so far so I made myself go out. So thanks for the support everyone!

Onwards and upwards ...

Well done counting - 5 days a week is impressive!

I still really struggle though, especially compared to my team mates....

And I get this excruciating pain in my heel. It comes on once I stop walking, and gradually gets worse until I cannot put weight on it in the morning. And then it gradually dulls, but never quite goes away.

If you've got a pain in your foot then your trainers need looking at.

Did you get specialist walking trainers and were you fitted for them by an expert? It will make a huge amount of difference otherwise.

Oh no, I get this pain a lot, long before the moonwalking started, and long before I bought my trainers. I just seem to be getting it more frequently at the moment because I am walking longer than I have ever walked in my life...

Yes, my trainers are NewBalance walking trainers and were properly fitted. (good job too as they recommended a size bigger than I normally wear)

I often get this heel pain if I suddenly do a long walk with the dog after weeks of frequent little walks. Almost like it has seized up and takes time to get going if that makes sense...?

I'd go and see a chiropodist then because it sounds like your feet are out of balance. It isn't normal to have aches and pains.

Okay, I have a lovely chirodopist, don't know why I did not think of her before. Will go and check it out.

I normally just put it down to being obese, all that weight puts extra strain on....

Thanks Hipp. 5 days isn't very impressive when you consider the brevity of the walks. So well done yourself for all those distances you are putting in!

I think this sort of thing works better when we try not to compare ourselves with others too much. I was feeling good in the park the other day when I was passed by a (admittedly much younger) woman than me who was power-walking the same circuit and she overtook with ease!! I wouldn't have minded that much but she didn't (from my perspective) appear to be going that fast!! Just had to tell myself "this is where I am at right now. If I hadn't started 26 days ago, I'd be in an even worse position. Hopefully, in six months to a year's time, I'll be able to keep up/overtake her! Best just to keep "ploughing your own furrow" as my venerable aunt used to say!!

Sorry to hear about your foot though. Do you think it could be some form of arthritis/rheumatism?

How is everyone else getting on?

Hurray! I decided to do a walk on my own today, straight after dropping the dc at school. I had a route in my head, a cross between some of the routes I have been doing with the girls.
I walked at my own pace, and allowed myself to daydream (lovely fantasty involving Philip Glennister and a swimming pool )
Got home 20 minutes ago, put the route into that fabbo gmap-pedometer site, and guess what, I DID 5 MILES!! (sorry for shouting, am a bit excited)
And the best thing is, I feel fine. My right heel is a bit achy (have app for next week), and am a little tired, but nothing awful. It took me 1 hour and 40 minutes, so an average of only 3 miles an hour, but that is fine by me
I think what really helped me is not having anyone to talk to. I run out of breath when I walk and talk at the same time...

Feel brill, maybe I like walking after all. Because I was daydreaming I really really enjoyed it...

Hope you are all getting on well aswell!

Well done Hippi...
So pleased you've had a positive walk at last! Do you know in all the time I've been walking (moonwalking training that is, so 4ish years) I have only walked with someone else a handful of times. I love the me time of walking alone, the lack of pressure to go faster or slower, the meditativeness, the chance to daydream... I always come back feeling refreshed. I think there are so many demands on your time and energy, from all sorts of areas, it is lovely and very useful to be able to get away (and fantasise about Philip Glennister!)

I'm hoping to get out Sat or Sun for a slightly longer walk. First weekend in ages where we have nothing on the calendar - bliss!

Well done Hippi...
So pleased you've had a positive walk at last! Do you know in all the time I've been walking (moonwalking training that is, so 4ish years) I have only walked with someone else a handful of times. I love the me time of walking alone, the lack of pressure to go faster or slower, the meditativeness, the chance to daydream... I always come back feeling refreshed. I think there are so many demands on your time and energy, from all sorts of areas, it is lovely and very useful to be able to get away (and fantasise about Philip Glennister!)

I'm hoping to get out Sat or Sun for a slightly longer walk. First weekend in ages where we have nothing on the calendar - bliss!

Hi all. I've only got a minute but thought I'd post to get this on my threads.

I'm doing the halfmoon (wuss that I am [blush) in Edinburgh but haven't started training yet. I keep waiting for the better weather...

I'll have a read when I get time and post properly after I know what's already been said as I have some questions about shoes.

Glad to see you're doing the hm too hippipotami - that makes me feel better! There are only 2 of us in our group going for the half but I reckonned there was no way that I could manage the full distance this year.

I thought I was used to walking fairly long distances until I measured what I thought was a fairly substantial walk and it came out as 2 miles

Bookthief - nothing wussy about doing the half moon at all. I think people overestimate how far and how fast they walk and think that just because the moonwalk is "only walking" that its a piece of cake. The number of people who said to me over the years "oh I could do that!", as if its a stroll in the park.

If I had really known how far the full moon was before signing up then I'd have opted for the half moon.

I looked longingly last year as the half mooners went up the steps to cross the bridge and head for home and I knew I had another 16 miles to do.

I'm hoping to hear soon what I'll be doing on the night. I'm quite excited about being there again but this time I don't have to do so much preparation.

Hi bookthief

Nothing wussy about doing the HM, how often do you go our for a 13 mile walk??

I know what you mean about walking a long way and it being no distance at all. I started training with some mums from school 4 weeks ago. We walked for 45 minutes that first evening, and all expected to have done loads. We had a shock when we looked at the pedometer - 1.8miles

There is no way with my weight (am obese ) and the resulting hip, knee and heel problems that I would be able to do the FM.

As I said, we started training last month and are now up to 4 mile walks.
But I have discovered today that I prefer walking on my own. So maybe I will splinter off the group and do my own training. Not very sociable, but if it helps me walk further then that cannot be a bad thing...

I did all my training by myself and did most of the actual walk myself as well.

I quite enjoyed the peace and quiet (as the baby slept most of the time when I was training) although it was strange on the night not to be pushing a pushchair.

I would love to train by myself, today was the first time I enjoyed the walking.... (actually it was the daydream I enjoyed, but hey...)
But I have agreed to train with my teammates, so to pull out of that arrangement now will seem odd and unfriendly.
On Monday I walk with my best friend, and have told her that I was so happy walking on my own today that she said she will bring her ipod to listen to if I don't feel like talking) but on Tuesdays there are usually 6 of us, so to walk amongst them but not talk to them will be odd...

Hi all... I'm back. That injuury to my back, caused by dd1 and her over-enthusiastic ice-skating, took ages to get better, but I went out for a 'proper' walk earlier today and, although my back felt a bit stiff at the time, it seems to be OK now, so I think I'm OK to start training properly again now.

This morning I did 3.3 miles (measured it afterwards in the car) and it took me about 45 mins. I'll try to go a bit further tomorrow and walk for, maybe, an hour or so.

bookthief... I'm doing Edinburgh too. Are you in Scotland? I'm in W. Yorks, but am walking for a friend who's based in Edinburgh, so will be staying with her and she'll be coming out to laugh see me off!

Hippi - you are doing great. I like walking on my own too, though I think on the night it'll be good to have others around to keep me going.

Good luck, everyone...

my walking plans are going to pot I managed 8 miles on Monday then ds1 and I both came down with a real stinker of a cold ... I pottered for 45 mins on Weds but apart from that I've either been working, mopping ds's fevered brow or curling up on the sofa clutching a lemsip - my walking team-mates are all going out for a big walk tomorrow but dh is away so that's not going to work - I've been planning to go on Monday but I've just seen severe weather warning - oh joy

ps why is Philip Glennister so attractive? he shouldn't be really, but mm mmmm