Walking my way to a PB

After I published last week’s post pondering whether walking can help running, I received several encouraging comments from readers about how their own hiking and walking actually contributed to a PB in a subsequent race.

And then, after a week of hiking and walking, I ran my fastest 5K in weeks. Coincidence? I think not.

So, with that little ego boost, I was inspired to continue this hiking/walking trend both to prep for my upcoming Mount Kilimanjaro climb, and in an effort to clock a PB in my next half marathon.

Because we’re gluttons for punishment, we decided we would hike the Seven Sisters again… in the pouring rain. Two weeks ago, we hiked this glorious 23K of rolling, grassy terrain with mild temperatures, blue skies and ample sunshine. This time, we were greeted with high winds, pelting rain and mud.

The whole experience definitely loses some of its appeal in the pouring rain. The gorgeous chalk cliffs and beautiful views were clouded, literally. You couldn’t really see much! But it was still an incredible walk. And, it was definitely good training. Much like training for a race, you have to force yourself to complete those training runs even when the weather sucks. You never know, it could be cold and rainy on race day and you have to be prepared. We used the same logic to power us through on Sunday.

The only difference was that we stopped about 18K in to have lunch at this lovely pub in Beachy Head. And because it was Sunday, I indulged in a Sunday roast. It was nice to sit down and dry off a bit and the pub was warm and welcoming, complete with roaring fire. It felt like a beautiful cottage in Canada in the fall. It was really hard to get up and motivate ourselves to finish the final descent into Eastbourne. Luckily the last 5K was all downhill.

The last time we did this hike, my calves hurt for days. I’m pleased that I was totally pain free the second time around and even followed up Sunday’s hike with a 45 minute hill climb on the treadmill last night. Mountain? Bring it on.

In other news, did you hear that a 92-year-old woman completed the San Diego Rock n’ Roll marathon making her the oldest marathon finisher in history?! The adorable Harriette Thompson completed the grueling 42.2K in 7:24:36. When asked about all the attention she was getting, she replied humbly that, “All you need to do is get to 90-something and you get lots of attention.” I’d like to be her friend.