Training for a Half-Marathon

You see them everywhere, don't you? People exercising with their smart phones on hand, ear-buds plugged in, enjoying their own music, conversation, recorded book or other mp3 download. And there are good reasons to use them as an aid to exercising  - they make the time go faster and the workout seem easier and less stressful. One study reported in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that music provides a 'distraction effect' for walkers and joggers, reducing the fatigue and stress of exercise so that the workout becomes more comfortable.     

I tend to take the opposite approach. I like to feel a part of my surroundings and discover interesting sites along the way. Usually it's flowers or cloud formations or window displays. Last week I was walking in a quiet woody area and noticed a clearing with tree stumps in a circle. I visualized young scouts huddled around a campfire there. That brought up memories of my own childhood – and soon I realized I had walked another two miles just thinking about the fun I had as a kid. Other times I like to brainstorm and plan – what I'm going to blog about, how to organize the rest of my day, who I want to call or email when I get home, what to make for dinner.     

Staying motivated to continue a long walk or jog can be difficult when you feel you've hit the wall.  It helps to remind yourself of your goals and visualize yourself reaching them. Another way to stay on track – literally – is to break down the remaining period into a set of manageable and attainable sections. And ease up if you find that you're really too tired to continue at the same pace.

The need to find just the right carrot isn't only academic for us. We've been training for the past few months for a half-marathon we'll be power walking soon. It's called the MoonWalk - we begin at midnight and walk the streets of Manhattan in support of breast cancer screening. So give us a shout out of support when you see us walking from the jetty up to the Santa Monica Pier or all around the Venice Canals. And join us for a nice, long walk.