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Question:

Hi all, I’m a 36 year old overweight (80 pds) walker of local races. I always check time limits for races, and don’t enter if I can’t make one. However, I have a dilemma here. I just started back into walking/slight jogging after being out for a while with knee problems. I completed the 1/2 marathon on Labor Day weekend, and am going to do a race next weekend. I just got back into walk/jogging today, so that I would be rested. My times are slower right now, but my knee is holding up very well at this point: no injury, no pain, no problems. The race has a 1m walk and a 5K run.  I spoke with the director, who said 10 – 12 min miles would be good, and that the last race most everyone was done in 40 min (12:54 min miles). The problem is this: I can do a 1M slight jog/walk in 12/13 min. Is it considered ‘kosher’ to jog/walk some of this, given my weight and time? Also, what would I do about the 5K? I usually take 45 – 48 min. to do a 5K and don’t want to hold anything up. Although the director was told I avg. 15 min. for each mile, he said go ahead and enter. I’m not so sure I’d want to hold up the thing by taking 5 to 10 min. longer than anyone else. Would what others do? Victoria

Response:

Hey Victoria!  Just go ahead and do the event.  And keep up the good work!! You didn’t tell us about how long you’ve been at it, but we’ve all got to start somewhere, so go for it!! Make sure you tell us how you do!!!                                                     Gregoire

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I’m a 36 year old overweight (80 pds) walker of local races. I always check time limits for races, and don’t enter if I can’t make one. However, I have a dilemma here. I just started back into walking/slight jogging after being out for a while with knee problems. I completed the 1/2 marathon on Labor Day weekend, and am going to do a race next weekend. I just got back into walk/jogging today, so that I would be rested. My times are slower right now, but my knee is holding up very well at this point: no injury, no pain, no problems. The race has a 1m walk and a 5K run.  I spoke with the director, who said 10 – 12 min miles would be good, and that the last race most everyone was done in 40 min (12:54 min miles). The problem is this: I can do a 1M slight jog/walk in 12/13 min. Is it considered ‘kosher’ to jog/walk some of this, given my weight and time? Also, what would I do about the 5K? I usually take 45 – 48 min. to do a 5K and don’t want to hold anything up. Although the director was told I avg. 15 min. for each mile, he said go ahead and enter. I’m not so sure I’d want to hold up the thing by taking 5 to 10 min. longer than anyone else. Would what others do? Victoria

Response:

Hi Victoria, Hi all, I’m a 36 year old overweight (80 pds) walker of local races. I always check time limits for races, and don’t enter if I can’t make one.

I do the same thing as I’m slow but enjoy the scenery. Since I like trails, I also use the winning, ending, and spread times as an indicator of the difficulty – and sometimes the last person is 1 hr behind the next to last person on longer or tougher events. The race has a 1m walk and a 5K run.  

Are these concurrent separate events (I’m assuming since that’s what many seem to be) – or stages of a single race (which your post almost sounds like, but I may be misunderstanding something) I spoke with the director, who said 10 – 12 min miles would be good, and that the last race most everyone was done in 40 min (12:54 min miles). The problem is this: I can do a 1M slight jog/walk in 12/13 min. Is it considered ‘kosher’ to jog/walk some of this, given my weight and time?

I’ve never done a "walk" event but I now running/jogging is not allowed in race-walking events, which I don’t think this is. So I’m not sure. You might check. Also, what would I do about the 5K? I usually take 45 – 48 min. to do a 5K and don’t want to hold anything up. Although the director was told I avg. 15 min. for each mile, he said go ahead and enter. I’m not so sure I’d want to hold up the thing by taking 5 to 10 min. longer than anyone else. Would what others do?

Being 5 min or so behind the next to last isn’t a big deal. I volunteered at a low-key local 5k recently and there was probably several minutes between each of the last several finishers – and I think that’s been the pattern on events I’ve done (I’m usually one of the last few finishers). Since the guys working the finish line were enjoying their conversation waiting for the runners (even the main part of the pack wasn’t tight), I think they almost hated to see the last runner come in. Where there are announced cut-off times, it’s a different story, but that doesn’t sound like the case here. Fun events are intended for people of all capabilities to … HAVE FUN! And if the director said to go ahead and enter, then, by gosh, go ahead and enter and have fun! Enjoy! Dot

Response:

[...] The race has a 1m walk and a 5K run.  I spoke with the director, who said 10 – 12 min miles would be good, and that the last race most everyone was done in 40 min (12:54 min miles). The problem is this: I can do a 1M slight jog/walk in 12/13 min. Is it considered ‘kosher’ to jog/walk some of this, given my weight and time?

It’s kosher as long as you have filled out an entry form in good faith and your check clears the bank. — Terry R. McConnell   Mathematics/304B Carnegie/Syracuse, N.Y. 13244-1150

Response:

Hi, Victoria,

[snip] min (12:54 min miles). The problem is this: I can do a 1M slight jog/walk in 12/13 min. Is it considered ‘kosher’ to jog/walk some of this, given my weight and time?

Around here, the 1 mile support walks are open to pretty much any kind of human locomotion. It might be a good idea to ask the RD. Again, around here, many of the runners from the companion events walk/jog the 1 mile event. Also, what would I do about the 5K? I usually take 45 – 48 min. to do a 5K and don’t want to hold anything up. Although the director was told I avg. 15 min. for each mile, he said go ahead and enter. I’m not so sure I’d want to hold up the thing by taking 5 to 10 min. longer than anyone else. Would what others do?

As someone who runs back with the walkers, I’d go fer it. In the 5K event I ran last Saturday, the last finisher had a time of 50:57. Chances are that you’ll surprise yourself. The real question is will you be ready to remember all the weird stuff you’ll see <G. Seriously, go out to enjoy yourself during the event and then hang around afterward. Caution: You may like it. Layne The rec.running report archives may be found at http://kinder.cis.unf.edu/rec.running

Response:

Everyone has given me great advice. Thanks Victoria

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Victoria, [snip] min (12:54 min miles). The problem is this: I can do a 1M slight jog/walk in 12/13 min. Is it considered ‘kosher’ to jog/walk some of this, given my weight and time? Around here, the 1 mile support walks are open to pretty much any kind of human locomotion. It might be a good idea to ask the RD. Again, around here, many of the runners from the companion events walk/jog the 1 mile event. Also, what would I do about the 5K? I usually take 45 – 48 min. to do a 5K and don’t want to hold anything up. Although the director was told I avg. 15 min. for each mile, he said go ahead and enter. I’m not so sure I’d want to hold up the thing by taking 5 to 10 min. longer than anyone else. Would what others do? As someone who runs back with the walkers, I’d go fer it. In the 5K event I ran last Saturday, the last finisher had a time of 50:57. Chances are that you’ll surprise yourself. The real question is will you be ready to remember all the weird stuff you’ll see <G. Seriously, go out to enjoy yourself during the event and then hang around afterward. Caution: You may like it. Layne The rec.running report archives may be found at

http://kinder.cis.unf.edu/rec.running – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

Response: