Training tip :: With race season essentially over for a few months, this is a good time to be reminded that rest is good. It’s good to keep walking and it’s good to keep up with some speed work once a week, but distances should come down so that your risk for injury is reduced. Consider bringing your long walks down to a distance somewhere between 8 and 16 kilometres or a time of 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Shin tip :: One of the number one complaints from new power walkers is shin pain. Technically, it’s actually pain in the tibialis anterior which is the muscle that attaches to the shin. This pain is usually associated with fatigue that results from trying to walk fast. It is extremely rare for walkers to suffer shin splints: however; if your shin pain never goes away, and especially if it continues when you are not walking, you should consult a specialist as you may be suffering from a serious condition called chronic compartment syndrome. Otherwise, here are some suggestions for more typical shin fatigue.

1. Warm up your shins before walking by tapping your toe for a few minutes to get blood flow to the muscles.
2. If you wear orthotics, consider taking them out of your training shoes. Stiff orthotics can offer too much resistance in the toe push-off phase of the stride resulting in unnecessary work load on the muscles of the calf and shin areas. They also add extra weight against the toe-up motion of the forward leg.
3. Ice your shins immediately after a workout, if they are hurting or you see any swelling.
4. If there is no swelling, massage these muscles in a warm bath at the end of the day to improve blood flow to the area.

Nutrition tip :: A recent study highlighted the import role of exercising and eating well to reduce the possibility of developing cancer. Reviewing the information that came out of this study, it is interesting to note the authors suggest a healthy person’s best defense against cancer is to get nutrients from food, as opposed to taking supplements. As walkers we know that if we exercise, we will want to eat. And if we eat well, we walk well. If you are interested in more details on the food, exercise, cancer relationship you can find the study, Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, at www.aicr.org.

In the spirit of eating well and exercising for a great life, Lee will be offering a special 6-week habit-buster course starting in Oakville this January that meets 4 times a week for 6 weeks. The goal is to incorporate the most important elements of exercise for weight loss and cancer prevention, aerobic exercise (through walking) and strength training, with discussion and logging of food. Keep your eye on the website for details.

This just in! The sign up for the Chilly Half Marathon on March 2, 2008 is rapidly filling up. This is one of the best races for walkers – walker registration, walker divisions, early start, walker results and prizing. They are capping walker entry to 300 participants and they are already at almost 100 registrations. When you sign up, book a ticket for the pasta dinner. It will be held at Paradiso Restaurant again. The food was terrific last year. The speakers were good, too! Of course, I feel compelled to say that, since I was one of the speakers! I’ll be there next year, too. It would be wonderful to see you.

View from the Back :: Gremlins and goblins, ghosts and gourds. Last week the neighbourhood Hallowe'en decorations were enough to scare me into some pretty snappy training walks. Incentive is a good thing. But fear. Well, fear is a tricky thing.

I'd been preparing for the 10 K Reindeer Walk at Angus Glen. Before a race, I always have a measure of fear. I try to keep it at an "excitedly-anxious" level, rather than a "terrifying paralysis" point.

This year I entered shorter-distance races to build a better base of self-confidence. I had been finding longer races difficult. I hadn't been doing as well as I should have as gauged by my own vague but still critical standards. I wanted to have fun again.

So, this was my second 10K and I was excited. After the first one, I felt good physically and psychologically; proud of myself for the accomplishment of completion without a lot of self-criticism. Now that I knew that state was possible, I wanted to step up the pace – so to speak.

Last Sunday, from the moment my chip beeped on the starting mat until I crossed the finish line, I pushed myself as hard as I could. Occasional self-defeating thoughts crept in, but I shouted them down. “Go away. I'm busy.”

I was ecstatic when I finished. I felt great! I knew I had done the very best I could possibly do. I was proud. The time sheets went up and, after telling anyone who would listen how great I was, I decided to have a look. As I edged myself toward the lists, I wondered what having "a good time" meant. What if I hadn't walked the race as fast as last time? Would I still have had a good time? I decided, yes.

For now, I think I've found my niche: 10k races challenge me but are manageable. In turn, this encourages me. Perhaps, I'll never do longer races, and that's quite all right. Just like Hallowe'en, it's the fun that counts.

Janet Cawley

Save the date! Our annual Winter Solstice Coffee and Muffin walk is scheduled for Saturday, December 22 at 8am (location to be confirmed in the next newsletter). This year we’d like everyone to wear their 2007 medals! Won’t that be fun? How often do you actually wear your medal after a race?

Save your money! The Running Company in Oakville is opening its store on Monday November 19 from 6-9pm to host a special evening for WoW Power Walkers. WoW! You lucky walkers will receive 25% off everything in the store, including special orders. There will be free massages, the New Balance rep will be there and word is there will be snacks! See you there!

Online at WoW :: Stay tuned to the blog for thoughts on walking, racing and much more. January classes are now posted: the ever popular hills (no groaning allowed!) training program is online for Oakville and High Park. Under the excellent coaching of Krista Tevlin and Jane Heath, we are now offering programs in North Toronto, downtown, and the Beach – great venues, fantastic coaches. Our re-designed fall/winter jackets are in with extra reflective material and stylish blue piping. And we are expecting our new winter layering top, made out of recycled pop bottles, to be available in time for Christmas. Show the world you are a proud power walker!

Words to walk, live by :: I can remember walking as a child. It was not customary to say you were fatigued. It was customary to complete the goal of the expedition. - Katherine Hepburn.

WoW Power Walking coaches are proud to wear New Balance shoes.

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