Slow walker want to walk 1/2 marathon

DebBeaumont0811

I realy want to do a 1/2 marathon. But I walk SLOW! 19-23 min miles.

Did 5 miles this morning 1 hour 43 minutes.

I need to get down to under 18 min miles for most halfs in this area.

And advice?

bbinoa

You may need to look outside your area for some half marathons with longer time limits (if you find a half running along with a full marathon they'll usually have a longer time for the course to be open). Some are definitely more walker friendly than others. Also, sometimes there are options to allow a walker to start earlier in the race. You could possibly contact the race coordinator priot to registering ask if that's a possibility.

Good luck, I think this is a great goal! If you haven't already done so, try a few 5k and 10ks to get you a better idea what your pace may be for an actual race.

KathyApplebaum

And if you can't find a half with a longer time limit, you can do some speed work to get your pace a little faster. You're almost there as it is.

First, check with your local running store to see if they have a group training to walk a half. My local Fleet Feet has groups training for several halfs a year, and all of those training groups have walkers, with coaches who can give specific advice on getting to the 18 min mark. (They can also help you find walker-friendly halfs.)

If you can't find a group, one day a week do some speed work on your own. One way is to do intervals -- 2 minutes power walking at a fast pace, a minute to recover, repeat 6 times. For the fast pace, choose a pace where you can say a 3 word sentence without gasping, but not a six word sentence. Your recovery pace should be slow enough that you're fully recovered before the next interval. There are a lot of free phone apps that will let you time the intervals.

sarabushby

Sorry I can't see your location but in our area there is a very good running company 'Saxons, Vikings, Normans' who put on Challenge events where you have up to 6hours to go as far as you want as fast or slow as you want. They are hugely welcoming to beginners and have many 100-marathon club members too. The aid stations are chockablock full of treats. Since everyone has a different goal for the day no one judges you what pace you're going. Maybe there's something similar near you?

I'll be doing this Cakeathon challenge tomorrow ... http://www.saxon-shore.com/cakeathon_may_bank_holiday/

20yearsyounger

Try doing walk/run intervals now as training for it - 2 minute walk, 30 second run. Get an interval app for your phone. Easier on the body but you still can go faster. You might even surprise yourself and run more than you think.