Now that the Women’s Beginning Walking and Running Clinic is nearing the end, here are some special Women’s Clinic Post Clinic Tips to help you stay consistent. Remember conversation pace and your heart rate guidelines and be patient as you continue to improve your fitness. Most of all, have fun!
Walkers:
Leopards and Cougars: Repeat the last 4-6 weeks or your group or begin the next group (Leopards switch to Cougars and Cougars switch to Jaguars). Jaguars: repeat the last 4-6 weeks. If you are thinking about being a Panther in the next clinic, keep walking consistently until then. If you have been consistently walking for the last 12 weeks, without injury, and you wish to transition to running, consider a 20-second easy jog every 5-6 minutes of walking.
Any walkers can meet Cat Alumni 5:30pm each Tues/Thur at GFR or whenever it works for you. Copy e-mails from your cat’s group and contact one another to arrange to walk together.
Resources for Walkers:
Willamette Wanderers: http://willwander.weebly.com/
American Volkswalk Association: http://www.ava.org/
Oregon Trails State Volkssport Association: http://www.walkoregon.org/
Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. – Soren Kierkegaard
Panthers (1st Walk-to-Run Transition Group):
Upon completion of the WC Panther plan, you are a runner, congratulations! You’re off to a great start and here’s a plan that has worked successfully for other Panther alumni.
Interim until the next clinic begins, repeat the last 4-6 weeks of the Panther plan, (yes, repeat it) or begin the Cheetah plan. Go at your own pace, to the best of your ability and modify as needed. Arrange to meet other Panther alumni 5:30pm Tues’s and Thur’s at GFR and do it together. The key is to remain consistent.
Next Clinic: Repeating the Panther group or moving to the Cheetah group depends on how you are doing once the next clinic begins. It will depend on your general health (are you injury-free?) and how consistent you were during the interim.
Cheetahs (2nd Walk-to-Run Transition Group):
Repeat the last 4-6 weeks of the Cheetah plan. If you’ve been consistent through the clinic, feel free to begin the Bobcat plan. Go at your own pace, to the best of your ability and modify as needed. Arrange to meet other Cheetah alumni Tues/Thur evenings at GFR and do it together. Staying consistent is key. Being a Bobcat in the next clinic depends on your consistency during the interim. Although walk breaks are always an option, Bobcat homework does not include them.
Bobcats (Running Group):
Arrange to meet your Bobcat buddies 5:30pm Tues’s and Thur’s at GFR and run together. Sign up for 5k’s and 10k’s. Be a Bobcat next clinic. Getting 18-24 months of consistent running and a few 5k’s and 10k’s under your belt is highly suggested before considering a half marathon. If you have not run consistently for 18-24 months and have not run a few 5k’s and 10k’s, please consider being a Bobcat again in order to give yourself a more solid base for which to build upon for safe half marathon training.
