After posting about completing my first half marathon, I made the decision to register for the 2011 Portland Marathon. I'll be walking about 3/4 of the course, and running the rest, which is the same strategy I used for the Eugene Half in May. It's sort of my twist on the Galloway Run/Walk/Run method. This method is allowing me to increase my workout distances without injury and I'm all for a pain-free workout.
I'm up to long walk/runs of sixteen miles in training with almost three months to go before the October 9th marathon. My goal is to get in a long training walk/run of 22 to 24 miles before I start tapering in late September. I'm determined to get my old legs used to a really long training walk so that I don't hit the proverbial wall in the real marathon.
Though my training is progressing well, I'm not very good at cross-training on my recovery days between walks. With life on the farm becoming busier during the summer months, it's stretching my schedule to its limit just to fit in the scheduled training walks. But this past weekend, which was my wedding anniversary, my husband and I drove over to the coast and managed to fit in a six-mile beach walk along the Salishan Split near Lincoln City, and then a four-mile hike up the Cascade Head Trail, which rises 1,200 ft. in elevation to the high viewpoint. I haven't done much hiking and I used leg muscles that don't normally get used during my walk/run workouts. So not only did we enjoy the beautiful weather and gorgeous coastal scenery, I actually accomplished a bit of cross-training in the process.
The only downside was that I came home with four blisters on my toes. I walked along the beach on Sunday in a pair of sandals that I've beach-walked in before, but the sand on the spit was really loose and I guess the sand ended up grinding away some skin on four of my toes! Being the tough old broad that I am, I hit the Safeway, bought some padded band-aids and blister pads, wrapped up my blistered toes and hit the hiking trail on Monday. It did the trick and I was able to hike without doing any further damage to my toes. It's three days later now, and my toes are just about healed up.
Good thing - I'm doing eighteen miles on Saturday with my son, who has graciously offered to accompany me on my marathon quest. He's run the Portland Marathon before, so this will be a piece of cake for him. Having company for the 26.2 miles will be wonderful for me. Living out here in the countryside, I train by myself and love it when I can walk with a partner.
Onward.......just more slowly than most people.