Top Ways to Make the Most of Your Next 3-Day Training Walk

The weather is getting warmer. The days are getting longer. It’s training walk season! It’s an exciting time, but training walks are also an important part of your 3-Day experience. They ensure you’re as ready as possible for your 60-mile journey, giving you time to bond with teammates and keeping you moving during these gorgeous spring and summer months. Here are some simple tips to make the most of your next training walk.

Make sure you’re prepared: Our blog is chock full of posts on the best ways to plan your training walk, including this highly informative one from Coach Liz. She recommends using the 3-Day training app, Google Maps and more tools to make sure your walk goes smoothly.
Do your research: Going for a walk may not seem like a scientific endeavor, but with a little research, you can find ways to optimize your walk. Thanks to our ongoing “Healthy Living” blog series with Amgen and American Bone Health, we have learned about the intricacies of getting your feet and legs ready in the right From improving your stance to increasing your flexibility, little changes can make a big difference.

Check the weather: Is it going to rain? How hot is it going to be? Different weather conditions can drastically change how your walk is going to go. Check in advance!
Look at the calendar: There are tons of training walks already planned by your coaches and local training walk leaders, so take advantage of those! Join one of the walks that are already happening, to meet people and get tips for your next walk. Check both our training walk calendar at The3Day.org/TrainingWalks and our local gatherings calendar at The3Day.org/Calendar.
Get some good tunes going: Nothing fuels a walk like some fun music! And we have the perfect playlist for you. Our Music Monday playlist on Spotify is made from songs that you suggested to get you moving when you need inspiration.
Make it themed for extra fun: Who doesn’t love an excuse to dress up and be silly? We have some easy theme ideas to add some flair to your training.
Set up a schedule: This is super easy with the 3-Day Training App, but you can also use your own system. Scheduling training in advance will help you stay on track leading up to your 3-Day and makes it more difficult to skip a day.
Add teambuilding into your walk: Grow your team while you train! Ask every team member to bring someone who’s not yet signed up for the 3-Day to the training walk and use it as a chance to show people the 3-Day spirit. You can also incorporate a teambuilding activity at the start or end of the walk to really get people excited to walk to together…and maybe add some new members to your 3-Day family!

Post about it on social media: Don’t forget to share photos! Use #The3Day and #Commit3Days on all social media so we can see your smiling faces 😊 Also make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get more training tips, alerts about training walks and more cool 3-Day info.
Always stay safe: You don’t have the awesome Safety Crew with you on your training walks, so it never hurts to add an extra safety reminder!

For tips about healthy living, click here for advice and support to keep you on track for the 3-Day and beyond. Thanks to the support of Amgen and in partnership with American Bone Health, the Healthy Living series was designed to prepare your mind, body and bones for the 3-Day.

Themed 3-Day Training Walk Ideas

We are less then four months away from our first 3-Day of the year, and we have loved seeing all your training walk success so far! From maps of all the steps you’ve taken, to shared photos of you and your training teammates, our 3-Dayers are out and walking across the country.

So, let’s amp up that training walk fun! Nothing gets people pumped up and smiling like a good theme, and we have some unique ideas for you. Creative bras are a classic 3-Day outfit idea, but we have expanded on that to include themes that will have your team smiling through every step.

Crazy Wigs or Hats: There are all kinds of hats and wigs on the 3-Day, so let’s start wearing them on our training walks as well! These are sure to attract attention as you walk along so be sure to print off fundraising and information cards (print yours at The3Day.org/Cards) to pass out to people who ask about your amazing garb.
All the Flair: Wear as many 3-Day pins as possible! Whether they are celebrating a pit stop theme or honoring the memory of loved ones lost, pins are a large part of many 3-Day outfits. So, pull out your pins from years past and rock them all at once! This will make for fun, shareable photos to send out with your next fundraising email. 😊
Movie Trivia: The Oscars might have passed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your next training walk a real Hollywood red carpet! Have your teammates dress up as their favorite celebrity or movie character, then hand out “3-Day Oscars.” You can do everything from Best Costume to Best Couple to Best Accessory and beyond!
Think Pink: How much pink is too much? No such thing! Challenge your friends to try to wear as many as pink items as possible on your next walk. This is a great excuse to pick up new outfit ideas for the 3-Day this year, too.

Go Team Go: We all love our 3-Day teammates and the family that is born on this 60-mile walk. However, most of us also have a favorite hometown sports team, too! Whether you love baseball or football or hockey or some other sport, encourage people to rock gear from their favorite sports team! You can time this around a big name in your hometown to really ramp up the excitement!
Sparkle and Shine: You’ll be the most eye-catching group around by adding some sparkle! Get your glitter on and encourage walkers to wear their most eye catching ensemble.
Pick a Decade: From the fringe of the 1920’s to tie dye in the 1970’s, pick your favorite decade and run with it. People can really get into this one when you add themed music for the walk, or even include trivia questions throughout the walk.
Go Pattern-Crazy: Stripes. Polka dots. Floral. And that’s just the beginning! There are all kinds of fun patterns out there, so wear as many as possible…. all at once! Layer on those funny patterns for a truly unforgettable training outfit.

Trip Down Memory Lane: Rock all your old 3-Day credentials at once! Pulling out these old credentials and lanyards will bring up so many fun memories and encourage chatter between people on the training walk. It’s a great way to encourage people to get to know new teammates!

Do you have any other fun theme ideas? Tell us in the comments or share photos from you latest themed training walk!

For tips about healthy living, click here for advice and support to keep you on track for the 3-Day and beyond. http://the3day.co/amgen2019. Thanks to the support of Amgen and in partnership with American Bone Health, the Healthy Living series was designed to prepare your mind, body and bones for the 3-Day.

Take a Walk in the Park, 3-Day Style

Now that spring is here, everyone is itching to get outside and into the sun. And this weekend is the perfect motivation to get you moving! Get out and get your steps in, but instead of walking on a track or at the gym, we want to see you all heading to the park to walk in the sun. Here are some fun ways to get your steps in…

Explore a new park

This is an easy one! Training can become monotonous if you’re always walking in the same park or area, so pick someplace new this weekend! Do some searching, and even take a bit of a drive if you need to, to find a picturesque and unique place to get moving. Websites like AllTrails.com, TrailLink.com and MapMyWalk.com can help you find a new park or trail in your area.

Do a lightning round

If you live in an area with lots of parks or hiking trails, hit as many as you can in one day! Walk 1-2 miles (or even less if you like) in each location, and then move on to the next fun spot. This is a great way to get in a lot of miles with nice built-in breaks. For first-time walkers or those who haven’t done a ton of training yet, kick your spring walks off with this idea!

Go for a hike

This is not the same thing as a walk! Find an area with more of an incline, be it a national park or a mountain (depending on where you live) and lace up those hiking boots. This will be a different type of training, and indeed a different type of park experience. That will help add some variety to your training schedule and prepare you for any hills you might hit on the 3-Day course!

Make it a nature walk

Collect cool flowers, leaves and other elements of nature as you walk. Make sure this is allowed by the park first, as some places do not allow you to remove the nature. However, if it is permitted, it’s a great activity to have on your mind as you walk and will really make you appreciate your natural surroundings. Then, use those petals and leaves for a later team building event and make fun art or pressed flowers that will always remind you of your 3-Day team. 😊

Plan a picnic at the end

This will take some coordination but work with your family or friends to have someone meet you at the end of your 3-Day training walk with a picnic reward! Have as many pink items (think strawberries, pink lemonade, cookies and more!) as you can in the picnic and celebrate a walk well stepped.