Race for the Cure - October is Around the Corner

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

28 Jun 2007 06:15 AM

Not really, but with just 4 months to go it's time to start preparing for the Susan G. Komen Dallas Race for the Cure. Today I received my invitation to sign up for the 2007 Race for the Cure and so now the prepping is on.

5K Run/Walk

I'll be participating in the 5K walk this year. My goal is to do the 3 miles in about 45 minutes. This would 3 15-minute miles. The first mile is the easiest, it's the next two miles that are tough to match and to measure. My daughter wants to do the walk with me, but making a 15-minute mile for a six year old is a lot tougher than it will be on me.

How to Prepare?

First and foremost, I'll get my 15-minute mile sharpened. I need to gauge the speed, the stride and the comfort level I can sustain to make a 15-minute mile. That's the goal for July. In August, we step it up to stretch that first mile into two miles in 30 minutes or less. It's important to remember when you are training for something like this -- you aren't training for the burn. You're also not looking to strain or injure yourself.

Instead, you are training to regulate your breathing so that you are getting plenty of oxygen as your stride lengthens and increases in pace. You want this pace to be comfortable, sustainable, but also one that eats up the ground beneath where you are walking. You can use the treadmill to train to a point, but you need the outdoors as well.

I know the area where the Dallas Race for the Cure is traditionally held. The urban area is populated with sidewalks, streets and slopes. The slopes are gentle, but they do create resistance, so outdoor training is a must. Walking with 2-pound hand weights will help build endurance as well. It's important to alternate the days you do and don't use the weights. You'll see a noticeable change in your stride and pace when you have the weights versus when you don't.

Don't worry about ankle weights so much, the walking pace is stronger and more even without them. You want to build the endurance in your leg muscles, not the muscles themselves. So that's my plan for the next few months. The Dallas Race for the Cure takes place on a Saturday in October. I hope you'll join me with your own walk or by supporting mine as we race for the cure.

Click here to visit my personal page and pledge your support.

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Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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