Better to cycle than do a 50k walk....

[runner]

I watched with some amazement the 2012 50k walk yesterday, not only is this a feat of some endurance but I felt you must be mad to become involved in such a sport. My wife pointed out to me the "gait" the way they "swivelled" their hips and said...can that really be good for the body?? Now I am a runner and know that as I get older I must be sensible, I love competing in half marathons but tend to do lots of training on my Kinesis racelight tk2 for the obvious reasons that it takes the weight of my joints but allows me to train and therefore have a long running career....but the sight of all those athletics reaching the finish and being unable to stand and having to have the assistance of wheelchairs was a ridiculous spectacle....a fascinating race to watch but one you must be mad to train for knowing the lifespan of a 50k walker must be rather limited...and then those injuries

 

[Michael8]

I gave up the running a long time ago due to sciatica. I went out for a run one night and lost all feeling in my left leg, calf mostly. It took 8 years to finally go away so the bike is the best means of exercise now. My brother in law was told by the doc to pack in running all together due to knee and back problems, he is ex Army and still in the TA and I remember he used to go out running with a back pack full of sand. As for walking well 'ridiculous spectacle' just about sums it up. But each to their own.

 

[Cush]

If you are still wanting to compete, try some of the Long Distance Walkers Association events of 15 to 100 miles, there are no prizes and the challenge is a personal one. There are plenty of people on these walks that combine walking (but not race walking) and jogging. Unfortunately for me Uncle Arthur Ritus has become resident in my right knee and thigh but I still hanker for the fifty and thirty mile challenge walks.