Training for an ultramarathon is no small feat. These grueling events can test even the most experienced runners, and often require months of preparation. However, with the right mindset and training plan, anyone can get themselves ready for an ultramarathon. The first step is to build up your hiking and walking endurance. If you’re not used to spending hours on your feet, start by slowly increasing the distance and time you spend hiking and walking. Once you’re comfortable hiking for long periods of time, you can start incorporating marathon training into your routine. This means gradually increasing your mileage until you’re able to run the entire ultramarathon distance. ultramarathons are notoriously challenging, but with the proper preparation, they can be an immensely rewarding experience.

I’ve chosen to sign up for the Antelope Canyon 55k Ultramarathon in Paige, Arizona in March 2023. These canyons are immensely picturesque with iconic landscapes painting the horizon. There are several other distances to choose from including a half-marathon and a 100-miler.

Available distances:
– 100 Mile
– 50 Mile
– 55K
– Half Marathon

Learn more about the race and sign-up here: https://geni.us/antelopecanyon

The equipment you use while training and training are super important. I can’t stress enough how important your shoes are for your body and overall health. The wrong shoes can drastically impact your race and your experience. I prefer Hoka One One for long-distance runs and hikes because they give my super high arches all the comfort and support that I need.

Hoka One One Racing Shoes: https://geni.us/7qww

For shorter distances, I love my Mizunos! I call them my Ferraris because they are fast and light and they look sexy as hell. https://geni.us/2USaB

I’ve put together some great products to help you train for your next race including hydration packs, socks that won’t give you blisters, clothes that won’t chafe, etc. https://geni.us/6GeTF

Full Disclosure: If you click on any of the links in my post, I may earn commissions from qualified sales. Thank you for your support!

How Walking Keeps Your Brain Fit

Study co-author James A. Blumenthal, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center notes that exercise could help increase brain volume and blood flow, which appear to have an impact on the executive functions of the brain, including attention span, focus, and memory. “More active or physically fit individuals perform better on tasks involving executive functioning compared to sedentary ones,” says Blumenthal.

How Distance and Speed Play a Role

Some additional research found walking five miles per week had a protective effect on the structure of the brain during the decade-long study. In particular, older adults with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease had a slower decline in memory loss over five years compared to those who walked less.

Moreover, a 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found a link between walking speed and cognitive function. Those who walked at a speed of fewer than 5 kilometers (3 miles) per hour were considered at risk of developing dementia later in life.

“From a biological perspective, there are several mechanisms we think could explain the link,” says Ruth Hackett, Ph.D., a research fellow at University College London. “Walking and cognition rely on similar brain regions, mainly in the prefrontal cortices [and], considering this overlap, it is plausible that a slowing of walking speed is a marker of decline in these brain areas.”

The Bottom Line…

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1. LOWER BACK STRAIN

Symptoms: An aching feeling or pain in your lower back, on both or either side of your lumbar spine.

The injury: If you’re not used to walking for distance, your technique and form can falter as the miles progress. Over-striding is one way you can stress the lower back as you fatigue, especially if you have a pre-existing injury. A lumbar strain happens when the ligaments, tendons or muscles of the lower back are stretched too much, causing small tears in the tissue.

What to do: Tight hamstrings and weak core muscles are normally the culprit. After the injury has calmed down from a few days of rest, get into the habit of stretching your hamstrings a few times per day to improve your flexibility and relieve tension in the lower back. The second step is to strengthen the muscles that stabilize the spine and power your movement as you walk.

2. PLANTAR FASCIITIS

Symptoms: Ranging from a dull ache to a sharp pulling feeling along the arch of the foot, the pain will usually be worse first thing in the morning or at the beginning of your workout.

The injury: Improper or worn shoes, overpronation, and high arches are common causes of plantar fasciitis. If you’ve increased your mileage or are walking more hills than normal, this area of the foot can also become inflamed.

What to do: Depending on how severe your pain is, you won’t necessarily need to stop working out. Avoid hills and wear good shoes that provide plenty of arch support and correct overpronation. Calf stretches and walking alternatives like cycling, swimming, and weight training are great options to maintain fitness until the injury subsides.

3. PATELLOFEMORAL PAIN SYNDROME (PFPS)

Symptoms: Pain or aching behind or around the kneecap.

The injury: Commonly referred to as runner’s knee, this injury can affect walkers, too. It occurs due to poor tracking of the knee cap along the groove of the femur and can become inflamed from increased mileage when descending hills or leaning too far forward when you walk.

What to do: Weakness in the quadriceps and hips are the most common causes of this injury. To prevent the inflammation from causing the pain and becoming more severe, rest may be required. Activities that don’t cause pain, such as swimming or the elliptical, can be done as tolerated. If you can still walk without too much discomfort, keep the mileage low and avoid walking up and down inclines. Once you’re feeling better, focus on quadriceps and hip strengthening to help correct your patella tracking.

4. ILIOTIBIAL BAND SYNDROME (ITBS)

Symptoms: A sharp pain on the outside of the knee is most common, but you may also feel a dull pain or tightness along the outside of the thigh or on the outer hip.

The injury: The iliotibial band attaches to a muscle on the hip called the tensor fasciae latae (TFL). This muscle works in conjunction with the gluteus minimus and medius to abduct the femur. When these muscles are weak or tight, the IT band can rub against the outside of the knee and cause irritation as a workout progresses. Too many hills, taking long steps when you walk and increasing mileage suddenly are other common causes.

What to do: Correcting pronation with footwear or orthotics, rest and strengthening the gluteus minimus and medius should resolve most cases. Icing the area to reduce inflammation around the knee and stretching the TFL (hip) is also recommended. If you have a foam roller, this may also help loosen the tissue on the outside of the thigh, relieving some of the pain on the outside of the knee.

5. ACHILLES TENDONITIS

Symptoms: Pain and sometimes swelling at the back of the heel.

The injury: Since……Read the rest of the article CLICK HERE >>>>>>

Regardless of not being “original”, it did not deter my fortitude. Some months I crushed it and others, well not so much, but the point is that I kept moving forward. At this time last year, I would get blisters and be sore after walking 8 miles. Now, I can easily jog 13 miles and not be sore the next day. Chaffing is another story though, so suggestions are welcome! Leave them in the comments section below ⇓

I have decided that in 2019 I will do my first half-marathon. I have my eyes set on the Sonoma to Napa half-marathon in July and I think I have successfully talked a few friends into joining me. Apparently, there is a lot of wine at the finish line so that helps!

I will keep you posted as my journey continues….