Walking today I was thinking of all the stories we told when we were training for a marathon. The thing about training to walk a marathon is you have to log a lot of miles (and I do mean a LOT)! And when you spend that training time walking with a friend you get to tell some silly stories - or share some sad or important ones; no matter what kind of stories, you end up with a closer friend than you started with and you know each other better than maybe a lot of other people know you. You see if you walk 7 miles with someone or 13 or more, well, you are going to take a lot of hours. It is different than running - first off running takes less time - and secondly, I don't have the ability to talk much if I tried running. Yes, I know the test is to run at a pace where you can carry on a conversation, but for me, if I am carrying myself that's about all the breath I have left over - no gab-fests.
But, walking is different; you have breath and you can use it to get to know a friend - or develop a new friendship where once you were acquaintances. Walking is just plain good for your soul.
Today my exercise was a slow jog at a pace that still beats my overall best times walking even when I was in training - or even when I did that 10k as a walker...the entire time in front of the pace car and the ambulance...let's not talk about that. Suffice it to say, as a walker they didn't know what to expect from someone so far behind the pack - but also as a walker I was in great form and my pace that race was exceptional (for me) - but now, adding a bit of a jog to my routine certain days (like this morning) I have upped that time - and you know at the end of the day I still feel great and I can walk tall knowing I am a runner (have been since my first entry blank - that's the rule) and not a couch potato.
Now for some Bryers Mint Chocolate Chip. 40 to go
Friday, September 7, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Walking home from a day at the office - Day 49 of 90
Today I had to leave my car off elsewhere so I planned on walking home at the end of the day. The day was longer than I anticipated, but all in a good way and it wasn't raining and it was still light out, so home I went.
Now don't be too impressed, as I told a co-worker it is only 3.5 miles - not like my old commute of 14 plus miles (or 37 for a couple of years-but I shudder to think about that). If there were sidewalks along the entire route I'd walk more often. I have walked it before over the years but not often, and not even occasionally - more like rarely.
It's the sidewalks that get me. (That and of course I'm naturally lazy or busy or both.) In some spots there isn't even a shoulder, just the verge-and in some spots that isn't even there-there isn't any "there" there - just the edge of the world where the water is below. Humph. Anyway, it isn't terribly busy and mostly drivers look out for pedestrians as I am not the only one walking along.
BUT, you know what I noticed for the first time? The mailboxes were not at the street on poles, but rather they were on the houses just like you see in cities (or small towns for that matter) the problem that occurred to me today was that the mail must be delivered on foot - and without sidewalks, and that sounds like an accident waiting to happen-of course that could just be me.
Tonight I took a photo of a sweet pea popping up in the middle of a tangle of grasses and in the soft light of evening; it was quite pretty.
41 to go
Now don't be too impressed, as I told a co-worker it is only 3.5 miles - not like my old commute of 14 plus miles (or 37 for a couple of years-but I shudder to think about that). If there were sidewalks along the entire route I'd walk more often. I have walked it before over the years but not often, and not even occasionally - more like rarely.
It's the sidewalks that get me. (That and of course I'm naturally lazy or busy or both.) In some spots there isn't even a shoulder, just the verge-and in some spots that isn't even there-there isn't any "there" there - just the edge of the world where the water is below. Humph. Anyway, it isn't terribly busy and mostly drivers look out for pedestrians as I am not the only one walking along.
BUT, you know what I noticed for the first time? The mailboxes were not at the street on poles, but rather they were on the houses just like you see in cities (or small towns for that matter) the problem that occurred to me today was that the mail must be delivered on foot - and without sidewalks, and that sounds like an accident waiting to happen-of course that could just be me.
41 to go
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Walking to the Library and other places - Day 48 of 90
When you commit to walking every day - or getting some exercise of some sort every day you start looking for ways to keep it interesting, to keep moving and add natural opportunities for walking. At least that is what I do. I heard today of a very large (morbidly obese) man (Stephen Furst - Confessions of a couch potato) who was diagnosed with diabetes and figured he couldn't do anything about it - he was just too heavy and it was just too overwhelming a task. But then he thought about it some, and decided he could probably get up from the couch and change the channel instead of using the remote, and after a while he found he could walk upstairs to fetch something instead of sending one of his kids, and after some more time he found he could walk outside, and then down the block and after a while he found these activities became easier and all told he lost more than 100 pounds...just by getting off the couch - well that is how it started - just moving. So, today I walked to the Library. It is under a five minute drive and with a little messenger bag over my shoulder I could trek down and back comfortably.
One thing I wanted to talk about, was the fact that I wanted to blog about being a walker and that it is excellent exercise, and that is absolutely true. So now I am going to talk about something else - and that is I have done a little running. It isn't that I don't think walking is exercise or that running is somehow superior - neither of those are true. What the running is about is me trying to get it done faster. No, I am not bored and hoping to accomplish this is less time. What I mean is that I am trying to beat my time - and add aerobic capacity and muscle strength and this running is new territory for me. I've never been a runner - I have always been a walker and I will always be a walker but in addition to that maybe I can do a little running.
A few days ago I ran - and more than a mile. That was uncharted waters for me - I had officially trekked off the map. Then a couple of days after that I ran for two miles. I never even knew I could do that. But yet I did. Still breathing and my legs didn't collapse or anything. I had no idea. What is interesting is that I use different muscles and absolutely need to stretch afterward - this is different than walking. And from everything I understand good for your bones and lungs so I may continue doing some of that.
My race a few weeks ago was pretty speedy for me - but not as fast as when I had been training for the marathon (5 years ago) now, though I have run 2 miles and done it at a pace I've never managed before while walking. I've recorded my fastest mile ever (so says my Nike iPod - that I've been wearing for a little over 2 years) and I've been keeping all this exercise up for 48 days. I think I am well on my way to developing a habit of daily exercise.
42 to go.
One thing I wanted to talk about, was the fact that I wanted to blog about being a walker and that it is excellent exercise, and that is absolutely true. So now I am going to talk about something else - and that is I have done a little running. It isn't that I don't think walking is exercise or that running is somehow superior - neither of those are true. What the running is about is me trying to get it done faster. No, I am not bored and hoping to accomplish this is less time. What I mean is that I am trying to beat my time - and add aerobic capacity and muscle strength and this running is new territory for me. I've never been a runner - I have always been a walker and I will always be a walker but in addition to that maybe I can do a little running.
A few days ago I ran - and more than a mile. That was uncharted waters for me - I had officially trekked off the map. Then a couple of days after that I ran for two miles. I never even knew I could do that. But yet I did. Still breathing and my legs didn't collapse or anything. I had no idea. What is interesting is that I use different muscles and absolutely need to stretch afterward - this is different than walking. And from everything I understand good for your bones and lungs so I may continue doing some of that.
My race a few weeks ago was pretty speedy for me - but not as fast as when I had been training for the marathon (5 years ago) now, though I have run 2 miles and done it at a pace I've never managed before while walking. I've recorded my fastest mile ever (so says my Nike iPod - that I've been wearing for a little over 2 years) and I've been keeping all this exercise up for 48 days. I think I am well on my way to developing a habit of daily exercise.
42 to go.
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