To Walk or To Run?

1 hour, 30 minutes, and 9 seconds. That's how long it took Olga Kaniskina of Russia to win the women's 20-kilometer Race Walk Gold Medal in a dominating start-to-finish performance in wet conditions at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. For those of you who are wondering just how far 20 kilometers measures out to be, it's 12.43 miles, just short of a 1/2 marathon. That means Miss Olga was pounding out just a little over a seven minute mile, if I figured that right. I am impressed!
Back in time, when I was a lot younger, somewhere around 1990, I finished up my last race walk. For about three or four years I entered every race walk I could. Back then they offered the category of race walking with all of the other 5 and 10K events. I never lost a race. I think my long legs had something to do with it but after two or three years, I stopped entering because I didn't want to break my winning streak, I couldn't bear the thought of losing. On my last race, the Ogden 5K I won a hundred dollars and a little shiny medal. After the race I had a gentlemen approach me and ask me if I wanted to train to be an Olympic race walker. I started laughing, I thought he was joking, but turned out, he was dead serious. He said I had good form and speed. After I asked him if I could bring along my five kids, he wondered if I was joking. I was not joking! That was the end of that.
Today I had an afflatus! Why am I trying to run? I hate running. I love walking! Des thinks I should train to race walk the marathon. Anyone who walks with any speed can tell you it's really hard to maintain a fast paced speed and not break into a jog.
Me oh my! I can't decide what to do, but seeing Olga with those swaying hips makes me want to reconsider my strategy. I timed myself today. Took me 12 min to walk one mile without jogging one single step. I'd be thrilled if I could sustain a 12 min mile for 13 miles, but I don't think that's going to happen. Of course I did stop to consider I could go alot faster if I weren't wearing 20 layers because it's freezing cold running in the dead of winter.
I better think this over.