Hello there! Usually on the last Friday of the month I link up with Marcia for her monthly “Runfessions.” However, this week I’ve been doing a lot of walking (note the return of the dumpster fire mug) and I have THINGS TO SAY. Pour yourself a nice cup of coffee and I’ll tell you all about it.
There are two types of running injuries- the kind where you can’t even walk without limping (um, sprained ankle, for example) and the kind where you can do pretty much EVERYTHING ELSE, except run.
My calf “issue” falls into the second category, and while it’s frustrating, I am definitely appreciating the fact that I can at least get out and walk. As a matter of fact, I had intended to work on my walking this training cycle! Not instead of running, of course, but… let’s just say I’m embracing the opportunity.
In the 2 1/2 (ahem) ultras I’ve run, I’ve become aware of how people walk. Everyone walks at some point- it’s part of ultra races- but I’ve seen some people walking REALLY FAST. I always thought I walked pretty fast, but these people are really booking it. I remember hearing someone talking about their ultra training on a podcast, and their coach would periodically have a day where they WALK a 5K as fast as they can, and then a month or so later do it again, trying to improve their time.
Well, perfect time for me to try this. On Sunday I walked 3 miles and finished in 44:20, with an average mile pace of 14:46. Today I tried it again and was able to improve my average mile pace to 14:10. My last mile was a PR, at 13:59! Seems kind of fast, right?
Now, did you know that race walking is an Olympic sport? How fast do you think those athletes are walking? Go ahead… take a guess.
In the Tokyo Olympics, the men’s gold medalist in the 20K distance finished in 1:21:05, or a pace of a 6-minute, 31-second mile. WHAT????!!!!!!! HOW is that possible? Even in my youth, at my fastest, I’m not sure I could have run one mile at that pace. I DEFINITELY couldn’t come anywhere close now.
How can they walk that fast? And more importantly, why would you, well… want to? Walking fast is so uncomfortable- it gets to the point where it would be so much easier to just break into a nice jog. At what point in a person’s athletic career do they say “My dream is to be an Olympic walker?”
There’s also a 50K race walk in the Olympics! The men’s winner in Tokyo finished in 3:50:08. Now I just have to laugh- does anyone remember how long it took me to finish my last 50k (where I was mostly running?) If you don’t remember, well, let’s just say I’d rather not discuss it, in light of this new information.
Speaking of the Olympics… I’ve been watching as much of the track and field trials as I can, and loving every second of it. Heal up fast, calf! I want to stop walking and start running again.
Do you know your mile walking PR? – Don’t be afraid of hurting my feelings- I’m still working on it!
Are you watching the Olympic trials? Have you ever watched a race walking event?
44 Responses
I remember reading about an Olympic walker who finished his marathon in less than 3:15, which is faster than I ran Berlin last year. And I was running as fast as I could!
It’s unbelievable how fast they can walk – although it’s quite ugly to watch.
I’m sure your calf will heal very fast! And that it won’t take as long as an Achilles or PF injury. Have you seen a specialist yet? Or will you just wait and see if it goes away by itself?
I got a deep tissue massage this week, and the therapist said she thinks it’s an adhesion in the fascia. She showed me how to release it at home and I’ve been doing that every night. It feels good right now, and I’m going to try running this weekend. Fingers crossed!
Olympic walking looks really weird but I think it’s cool too! I had no idea they did that kind of distances!! Walking fast for 50k certainly wouldn’t be my cup of tea. As you say, walking fast is uncomfortable. I did it for the 5k recently but for my upcoming 19k I will definitely keep it comfortable! I have 6 hours to finish so it should be ok. My max pace for the 5k was 6:24/km but the average 10:54/km. I don’t know what that would be in miles.
I hope you can run soon again!
After all these years, I still can’t convert km to miles (unless it’s a 5k or 10k.) You’d think one day I’d learn! Walking comfortably is actually very pleasant- your 19k should be fun.
did you see the race walkers in Rome??? HOLY WALK STRIDE, BATMAN they were booking it. I just don’t get it. If you can walk that fast why not run? haha!
sorry about the injury. walking is still great. I didn’t do runfessions for a year because I felt like I wasn’t running anyway really so…
I need that mug LOL!
Renee, that’s the way I feel. WHY would you want to walk super, super fast instead of run? It’s a mystery.
There was a guy walking the Gasparilla Half Marathon when I ran it and let’s just say he came in ahead of me. The whole race walking thing is so odd. I’ve noticed them in the Olympics for decades. I think your sub-14 walk pace is pretty impressive!
I’m going to try to catch the race walkers in Paris this year- not sure how it will work out, schedule-wise. It’s definitely a weird event.
I used to watch race walking events with my dad! Those people are amazing how fast they walk and very interesting to watch. I am not really watching the Olympics, not sure why. maybe I’ll start- will be good for the kids.
Right now I’m watching the trials- the actual Olympics start in four weeks. You have time to get ready! The kids will like it- especially gymnastics. I remember watching the gymnastics with my mom when I was little.
I think I could only walk that fast on my treadmill. I certainly couldn’t reach that pace with Scooby!
I hope your calf calms down soon!
Yes, one of these days I’m going to do my 3 mile walk on a treadmill and see if I can get a little faster. Not sure I can get much faster on the road right now.
Race walking looks SOOOO odd, but it is insane how quickly they’re going. I remember watching one racer collapse from the exertion at the Olympics once and that makes sense. Isn’t it also CRAZY that some of the race walkers beat runners in events?
Well, darn. I was so hoping your calf would be all better by now. At least you got to use your dumpster fire mug?
I have had a dumpster fire week, myself. Onward and upward for the two of us, right? <3
Yes, onward and upward! Things will get better- they always do. I’m going to try running this weekend- I’m optimistic, but also scared. I’ll be soooo disappointed if it hurts again!
I do know my walking pace – and don’t worry, it will not hurt your feelings. When I’m with Rex, the very best I can do is 19 min/ mile. That’s the very best and that’s unusual. Typically it’s more in the 20 (still optimistic) to 24 minute range. What can I say, he likes to sniff things. But even if I’m by myself and walking quickly, it’s generally in the 16 minute range, so your numbers are astonishing to me!
A 50k race walk at 3:50??? Wow. Well, I guess they are in the Olympics for a reason. 50k with Rex at my current pace, well, it would take a while.
When I had my running injury, one of my yoga students (a man in his 70s) said in the most astonished way “Running? Why would you run? What’s wrong with walking briskly?” It still makes me laugh when I think of him. What IS wrong with walking briskly? NOTHING! So you just briskly walk as much as you need to (I know you’re dying to get back to running, but hey, walking briskly gets you where you need to go, and you’re going pretty damn fast, Jenny!)
As usual, thanks for the great pep talk, Nicole! I’m definitely grateful that I can walk pain-free- that makes a HUGE difference. And, you won’t be setting any PRs while walking with a dog- but i’m sure part of the pleasure of walking with Rex is stopping to explore everything.
I think your walking speed is pretty fast, lately I haven’t even been able to run that fast on trails, let alone walk! Whenever I try to work on my “power hiking” pace, there comes a point where it just feels awkward to walk and feels more comfortable to run, so it’s crazy that people can walk a 50K in under 4 hours!
Yes, that’s exactly the way I feel- power walking feels so awkward. I’m definitely ready to try running again. And, a lot of my trail miles were slower than that in my last race!
I remember watching the Olympic walking in Rio, and thinking how it looked like they must have speeded up the video, because it just seemed so awkward and funny to be walking so fast! Crazy stuff.
Yes, walking at a normal pace seems so natural, and race walking seems very UN-natural. Weird sport.
I went on a wild Google rabbit hole last Olympics about all the rules of race walking and ground contact and how the leading leg has to be straight. It is so wild to me how they can move so fast and keep all of that in mind – I would be frozen! (or disqualified haha!) My walking pace is in the 19/20 minute per mile zone but tends to go to 22 minutes if Lil Momma is with me; she loves a distraction, haha! I love the dumpster fire mug!!
Yes, apparently there are judges just waiting to disqualify people if they don’t follow all the rules. Blech, what a tedious sport! I want to watch it in Paris though, now.
Some of those race walkers really do book it! I feel like my walking form/style is different than my running one. I love walking for exercise. My walk route is a little hilly and yes, that’s a fast walk. Hope things get better for you soon. How is the pool running?
I should mention that my walking route is 100% flat, so that probably helps my speed. Pool running is… fine. I’m doing a little of both pool running and walking on the roads while waiting to run again.
I knew about Olympic walking but have never watched the sport! They can “walk” crazy fast. I have never timed how fast I walk but I think 15 min/mile is kind of my average usually? I did a lot of walking when I was recovering from my c-sections, especially after Taco’s because we had a really mild winter and it was peak pandemic times so I needed to get out of the house and get fresh air for my sanity. I hope your injury heals soon so you can get back to running! It’s hard to be limited in what you can do. I can relate but for a different reason. I can still run, thank goodness, but I can’t do any strength training that requires me to lift weights. I was kind of suffering through it but it just hurts so much to grasp the weights with my right hand. I still have options, like body weight workouts, which can be very effective still.
I haven’t watched any of the Olympic trials but am hoping to watch the women’s gymnastics this weekend!
I’m watching women’s gymnastics right now! Talk about injuries… I feel SO bad for some of these women. To get all the way to the trials and then be injured… I guess I shouldn’t complain too much about my calf.
Yes, it is frustrating to be limited though. Well- I hope we both heal up soon.
I *feel* like I could walk all day. I usually top out at two hours, because there’s stuff to do, but I feel I could just keep going… My best times are in the 14-min range, but that’s for two hours tops–not 50K!
I’m so sorry your calf hasn’t let you get back to running. Are you going to see someone about that?
Wow, you’re walking for two hours in the 14-minute range? That’s a lot! I’m only walking for about 45 minutes, and then I’m ready to stop.
I’m hopeful that my calf is ready to run again- I’m going to try it this weekend.
As a tall gal (I’m 5’9), I can usually get near a 14-minute pace without ((much)) effort. That said, I seldom ever walk that kind of pace unless nature is calling and I need to hustle a$$ and get home pronto. I do agree, competitive speed-walking does look awkward! I hope your injury takes a chill pill soon and mellows…
Thanks Kim! Yes, I guess having long legs would help. My short, stubby legs have to work hard to get that 14 min. pace.
I have actually been thinking about this more (fast walking) after my knee injury. I found it REALLY hard to “walk fast” (as my doctor instructed” during my return to running. I ended up just jogging but keeping my feet really close to the ground and engaging the muscles around my knee like crazy. I just couldn’t walk fast. It made my abductors ache and gave me horrible shin splints. Walking fast is a totally different body movement than walking and uses different muscles entirely. I don’t really know if a person could be good at both running and race walking. Or if they were, their leg muscles would be super developed.
I have no watched walking race at the Olympics but I’m going to check them out this year! I hope your calf issue resolves soon!
Thanks Noemi! Yes, sometimes fast walking makes my shins ache- running doesn’t do that. I’m also going to try transitioning from a fast walk to a slow jog- it just doesn’t seem it like it will make that much a a difference on my calf? We’ll find out.
yes, Heal up calf!!!
I don’t walk fast but then again I walk with others and we talk… my walking 5k time was one hour!!
That sounds about right- I’m sure you weren’t walking as fast as you possibly could, especially since you were recovering from food poisoning. You could probably walk a lot faster if you wanted to… but as we’ve discussed, walking fast is so uncomfortable- you might as well just be running.
haha Josh and I were talking about the mile racewalking pace just yesterday!! SOO WILD!!! i don’t know how they do that, at ALL!
No, I can’t even fathom. And once again… why would you want to? Just run!
Those race walkers are wild to watch – I just don’t know how they move that fast without breaking into a run. I have no idea what my walking pace is but I really enjoy walking for exercise (especially when I can’t run).
Sorry about your calf – hope things calm down soon.
Thanks Michelle! I agree- walking is good when you can’t run. You know things are really bad when you can’t even walk.
Power walkers are fascinating to me! A few years ago I did a race where I paced myself behind a walker! He was keeping up a sub 11 minute mile pace, which is a fast running speed for me. I lost him when we got to a hill and I had to start walking – I could keep up with him when I was running but not walking!
I used to power walk on the treadmill at 4.7 MPH for 45 minutes, but, ahem, that was a long time ago. In recent years I’ve clocked in a few 14 minute miles while walking.
Every time I see a race walker, I am so impressed by them! Even though it looks painful to me, lol, but then again, so does running. 😉 I’m guessing it provides less impact on the body so that’s why they do it? I’m not sure! I may go down a Google rabbit hole about this. But hey, break-dancing is now an Olympic sport so it doesn’t surprise me that race walking is.
I think my pace is about 20 minutes per mile. And I have no dog to blame! I hope you’re feeling better now and that your weekend run went well.
Exercisewalking is a PE course at the university where I work. I’ve always been a bit befuddled by it, to be honest, but maybe there’s more to walking techniques than I give it credit for.
I was so happy to see Nicole’s response about walking with the dog. We are in exactly the same boat. 19 min/mile is the absolute fastest I can do with the goober of a dog stopping to sniff, pee, and chew sticks. We’re generally more in the 20-25 minute/mile zone. There are so many sticks to chew, you know?
Race walkers are (wonderful) freaks of nature. I’m 5’2 so I will never set a land speed record.
So bummed to hear you’re still struggling, but I <3 that mug
I do not know my walking PR but I wanna say it’s somewhere between 14-15 min/mi. I had to chuckle at your question: “At what point in a person’s athletic career do they say “My dream is to be an Olympic walker?” That’s what I WANT TO KNOW. I mean, besides the fact that it looks uncomfortable, it also looks freakin’ weird. LOL