Walkers Training Guide - Action Challenge · Walkers Training Guide . What Are You Training For?...

Walkers Training Guide

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What Are You Training For?The Grand Union Challenge is long walk at anydistance, so the best way for you to prepare is to getmiles in your legs, on the appropriate terrain.

● The aim is to develop your strength, staminaand cardiovascular fitness so that you andyour body are prepared for the challenge.

● Equally important perhaps, is increasing yourresilience to the aches and painsexperienced with any endurance event anddeveloping the mental fortitude to cope withthe distance and time associated with thesedistances.

Your legs will be performing the same actioncontinuously for a prolonged amount of time, so partof your training is to enable your legs to develop anatural motion, whilst increasing the ability of yourlegs to work efficiently for a longer period of time. Italso has the added benefit of toughening up your feetand getting used to your trail shoes or boots.

Welcometo The Grand UnionChallenge trainingguide…Whether you intend to tackle the 100 km or 50 kmor 25 km in June 2014, you should embark on asuitable training regime well in advance. Forsome, this may mean starting more or less fromscratch, and for others it may be re-focusingexisting exercise programmes to be fully pre-pared on start day.

This guide is designed to support you with yourtraining plans, whatever your level of fitness andwhatever your ‘time’ ambition is for the event.Remember- it’s ‘Your Challenge-Your Way’

Why Train?The Grand Union Challenge is a tough enduranceevent and training is essential no matter your currentfitness or target time. Preparation is key and will aidyour enjoyment of the challenge whilst ensuring thatyour body is up to the rigours of the event.

It is very important for all competitors to train properlyand build up endurance and resilience thresholds,alongside your base fitness. This will enable you tocope with the distance and provide the ability torecover between stages during the challenge.

Not only do you need to be physically fit for thechallenge, you also need to build up your staminaand get your body used to the strains and stresses ofbeing in constant movement over a prolonged periodof time. Even if you are able to avoid getting blistersor feeling physically tired, the impact of walking forcontinual periods of time may bring our other weak-nesses and strains in your body that you were noteven aware of.

Through a solid training plan you will be able tocounter act some of the stresses the event will causeto your body and become aware of any issues youmay be likely to face – and learn how to deal appro-priately and responsibly with them.

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Footwear & CareLooking after your feet whilst training should be a toppriority. The first thing you can do to make sure youfeet remain in a good condition is to invest in a goodpair of walking boots. Boots can be expensive, butanyone who has tried to walk in the wrong pair willtestify, they are well worth the money. Although forsome of you this may be the first and only time youwill consider doing an endurance walk or trek, a goodpair of walking boots will come in useful far morefrequently than you would initially expect. We wouldrecommend visiting a specialist outdoors shop topurchase your boots, such as Cotswold Outdoor orEllis Brigham.

Once purchased the first thing you need to do is startwearing them in. This way the boots will mould toyour feet and prevent hot-spots and blisters fromforming during the challenge.

Another way to protect your feet is to tape them upbefore you start with zinc oxide tape. The Taperemoves the moisture from your skin which will stopblisters from forming. By taping your feet before thestart you are taking preventative action rather thantrying to nurse a blister that has already formed.

How Do YouTrain?Training is a very simple concept; it is all aboutprogressively increasing your ability to do justthat little bit more, and giving your body time toadapt, recover and to come back stronger. If youare relatively new to endurance events, the trickis to build it up gradually and peak a couple ofweeks prior to the event itself, allowing arecovery period beforehand.

You should be looking to plan a structuredtraining programme, ideally over a period ofweeks.

● Your training should concentrate on buildinga base of walking, then increasing yourmileage in a structured manner.

● Build some back-to-back long days to enableyou to assess any problems that may occurfrom walking the long distances.

● Take regular but short breaks on these longtraining walks, mimicking the conditions youwill face during the challenge itself.

A variety of sporting activities increase the heart rateand improve cardio vascular fitness, whilst varyingyour training, so try and incorporate these into yourweek. This can be combined to good effect with yourlong walk on weekends or free days.

● Look for nature trails, head for hills andforests, if there are any within your reach.

● Use the weekends to do full day hikes and ifpossible night-time hikes (for 100 km walkers).

Medical Advice - If you have any concerns aboutembarking on a serious training programme, orindeed the actual walk, please consult your GP.


Team Training TipsWhen possible, try to take on your long training walksas a team. Get used to encouraging each other, whatpace is right for your group, and understand how youwill all interact over a long period. Don’t worry if youfeel that you are ‘off the pace’ - The Grand UnionChallenge is not a race - it’s far more aboutcompleting the challenge.

If your team intends to set a fast pace, your trainingshould include components of jogging to up yourfitness and stamina.

Try and make your training fun. Vary whereyou go for your long walks. If you are short on ideaslook at a walking websites such as www.ldwa.org tofigure out some ideas in your local area or furtherafield.

Top Team Tip Keep a team training diary, thiswill help you see how quickly you are achieving newdistances, it will record your times and give you newgoals to aim for. Get into the habit of filling it inimmediately after your training walks so that you canproperly chart your progress and keep yourselfmotivated.

Training TipsDon’t over commit to training. Don’t overstretchyourself, you want to reach the event day in peakphysical fitness but without being burnt out.

Wear Your Gear In! Walk as often as youcan and as much as you can. Wear the shoes/bootsyou will be wearing on the event (if they are new,then this is very important!) and find a way to carryyour backpack comfortably – this will help to avoidblisters and any foot and back injuries.

Learn to Hydrate Even when you think youhave been drinking enough the chances are youprobably haven’t so concentrate on staying hydratedwhilst training. Invest in a Camelback or Platypusand keep taking sips of water frequently throughoutyour walk and measure how much water you aregetting though.

Team Training If you signed up as a team,why not train as a team? Sit down together, plan yourtraining and pencil in some longer weekend walks orruns in preparation. You will find that it’s far easier tomotivate yourself when your team mates are in thesame boat! Support each other in the lead up and onthe challenge

Night Walk Try to fit in some night time walks;early dawn or evening. The more prepared you arethe better you will feel at 3am on the challenge!

Step by Step - Stretch byStretch Break the exercise in slowly. Overtraining can lead to injury and could disrupt yourtraining programme. Start with manageable trainingdistances and speeds and then work up from there.Try to aim to fit in a longer walk at the weekendsand don’t forget to stretch before and after exercise.

Individuals Training TipsIf you have like minded friends then why not get theminto training with you? You never know, they mightenjoy it so much that they want to sign up with you!

If you are training on your own, make sure you trainduring the day and take a mobile phone with you andthe appropriate all weather gear. You don’t want tobe caught out.

See if a friend can come and meet you at pre-designated stops during your long training walk.

Training WalksOur specially designed training walkshelp you to prepare and plan for thechallenge. A great opportunity to tryout your kit, test your walking bootsand ask our expert lead walkers adviceon the event itself. We offer both day &night time walks across the year whichyou can join up to for just £19 - fulldetails and dates available on theparticipants area of the website…


Interval TrainingInterval training can be best described as bouts ofintense exercise interspersed with short restintervals. The intensity and duration of the workintervals and the length of the rest periods dictatesoutput and effectiveness of your training. Alternatebetween brisk walking or running for up to a minute,and then return to original pace for a set periodbefore repeating.

Strength TrainingBasic strength programmes adapt the body for morestrenuous resistance training. This targets the majormuscle groups, tendons, ligaments and joints to helpprevent injury. Relevant exercises can includesquats, bench press, overhead press, leg press andcalf press, leg extensions and leg curls.

Don’t forget!● Enjoy your training! Don’t see it as a chore,

keep things fun and simple and you’ll enjoythe whole experience.

● Always warm up for at least 10 minutesbefore undertaking any exercise and cooldown for at least 10 minutes afterwards.

● If you miss a session then it’s not the end ofthe world. Don’t push yourself to try and makeit up, 1 session won’t make too muchdifference in the end.

● Approach your training in a structured way,and make sure you allocate sufficient time toget some long and tough walks in at theweekend.

TrainingProgrammeThere are various ways to train for your challengethat can be adapted to fit into your personallifestyle. The training plan is based aroundgradually increasing your mileage throughvarious forms of exercise. Below is a list ofrecommended training that will help build up yourstrength and core fitness and help you completeThe Grand Union Challenge.

Aerobic conditioningThis will form the core of your training through regularwalks, building up to longer distances and fasterpaces. Aerobic exercise trains the energy systemsof the body that utilise oxygen and is used during allheightened activity. Don't neglect hill training as thiswill be key to getting the body used to the terrain youcan expect to experience.

Cross-trainingJust walking to build up fitness levels can becomemonotonous so consider using different forms ofexercise to keep your training varied and interesting.Team and racket sports or cycling, for example, canwork well within a training programme for an eventsuch as this and means you don’t have to drop all ofyour other interests. The key is to undertake regularaerobic exercise with a long walk once a week.

Example Training Programme for 25 kmThis is based on a 4 week training period, but you are strongly advised to build up your base fitness prior tothis. This is a sample training programme, which can be tailored to your own personal timetable. Thisprogramme allows for flexibility of different activities and for you to fit your rest days around your daily week.The maximum number of training days per week is 5 and you should be looking to try and train for 3-4 daysout of 7 as a guide.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Rest 20 min aerobic 30 min aerobic Cross training Rest 1 hr walk Rest

Rest Cross Training Rest 40 min aerobic Rest 1 hr walk 2 hr walk

Rest 30 min interval Cross training 30 min aerobic Rest 3 hr walk Rest

Rest 30 min aerobic Cross training 30 min interval Rest 4 hr Walk Rest



Example Training Programme for 50 kmThis is based on a 12 week training period, but you are strongly advised to build up your base fitness prior tothis. This is a sample training programme, which can be tailored to your own personal timetable. Thisprogramme allows for flexibility of different activities and for you to fit your rest days around your daily week.You should be looking to try and train for 3-4 days out of 7 as a guide.

Example Training Programme for 100 kmThis is based on a 15 week training period, that is designed to build upon an already established base layerof fitness. This programme allows for flexibility of different activities and for you to fit your rest days aroundyour daily week. You should be looking to try and train for 4 days out of 7 as a guide.



Rest Cross training Rest 40 min aerobic Rest 2 hr walk 1 hr walk

Rest 30 min interval Cross training 30 min aerobic Rest 3.5 hr walk Rest


Rest 50 min aerobic 40 min aerobic Cross Training Rest 6 hr Walk Rest

Rest 1 hr interval 30 min aerobic Cross Training Rest 4 hr Walk 4 hr Walk

Rest 30 min aerobic 45 min aerobic Cross Training Rest 7 hr Walk 5 hr Walk

Rest 30 min aerobic Rest 30 Min Aerobic Rest 1 hr Walk Rest



Rest Cross Training Rest 40 min aerobic Rest 2 hr walk 1 hr walk

Rest 30 min interval Cross training 50 min aerobic 1 hr walk 2.5 hr walk Rest


Rest 50 min aerobic 40 min aerobic Rest 30 min aerobic4 hr Walk Rest

Rest 1 hr Interval 30 min Aerobic Cross Training Rest 5 hr Walk 2.5 hr Walk

Rest 30 min Aerobic 45 min Aerobic Cross Training Rest 6 hr Walk Rest

Rest 50 min Interval Cross Training 30 min Aerobic Rest 7 hr Walk Rest

Rest 30 min Aerobic Cross Training 30 min Aerobic Rest 8 hr Walk 4 hr Walk

Rest 30 min Aerobic 20 min Aerobic Cross Training Rest 9 hr Walk Rest

Rest30 min Aerobic 45 min Aerobic Cross Training Rest

10 hr Walk 5 hr Walk

RestRest Rest 30 min Aerobic Rest

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Walkers Training Guide - Action Challenge · Walkers Training Guide . What Are You Training For?...

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