I'm in training.

I signed up to walk a 5K (3.1 miles) on the first Saturday in May. I will be walking with people from the support group. We hope to have at least 25 of us wearing the Iowa Weight Loss Specialists T-Shirts. I generally walk a mile+ twice a day - about 20-30 minutes each time. I started worrying that I would never be able to do 5K because my knees give out before my energy does. So after work today, I decided to pace myself slower and set my goal to walk for 1 hour. I DID IT!! I use Geodistance.com to plot my route and it came to 2.68 miles! I'm SO excited! Now I KNOW I'll be able to do the 5K. I'm going to continue to walk for an hour at least twice a week and I'm sure I'll be doing 3 miles by the first of May. They give us 2 hours for the 5K, but I want to get done in about an hour or so.

Go Wanda, go Wanda, go Wanda, go Wanda!!

Good job Wanda! Just keep at it and you'll have your endurance built up in no time! If you don't always have an hour, try walking faster during your short distance walks. That's what I do for running and I'm sure it applies to walking as well!

Jen

Thanks Jen.  On my shorter length of time walks, I do power walk - fast and pumping arms.  But there's no way my knees would hold out more than 30 minutes at that pace.  Genrally, I do that twice daily so that I get an hour in at a fast pace. 

Good for you, Wanda!  I'm sure you 5K will be a huge success and before you know it you will be signing up for more.  I have a question for you about your knees.  What is wrong with them?  I'm only asking because my husband has had persistent knee problems and has undergone several surgeries.  He just had another scope in Dec,. and then went through physical therapy to help strengthen the muscles around his knees.  Is this something you could look into?  If you strengthen your leg muscles, would that help your knees?  This just might be a suggestion.

Thanks,
Heather

Hi Heather.  I have arthritis and bone spurs in my knees,  The left knee cap is bone on bone, but they tell me that the cartilage around the rest of the knee is in good shape.  I don't generally have pain, but they do start hurting if I overwork them.  No NSAIDS allowed, so I try to be careful.  Since I'm "only!!" 60, they don't want to do knee replacement for 10 years.  My knees are a lot stronger due to my daily exercises, but I've never worked them for an hour at a time with continuous walking.  I'm really surprised at how much energy I have and was pleased that after that hour of walking, the pain was minimal.  I've built strength in them with the walking, elliptical and other leg exercises.  Sometimes I think I 'baby' them too much for fear of hurting them and thus not being able to exercise like I do.  The exercise is what is helping me maintain my weight and I sure don't want to do anything to compromise that!

Thanks for the suggestion though.  I should GOOGLE some physical therapy exer****s to do myself at home. 

Wanda, my first 5K was a group walk.  There is strength in numbers!  I didn't break any speed records, I never stopped and I did cross the finish line!  You can, too!  Another victory badge!!!

Janet

That's encouraging Janet.  Congratulations on your accomplishment.  I hope I'm not walking by myself because everyone else is way ahead!