No, I didn't take up golf.
I walk for many reasons, none of which are for exercise.
The practical side is that there is exercise involved and it is good for me, if I do it a lot and for a sustained period of time.
I walk for many reasons, none of which are for exercise.
The practical side is that there is exercise involved and it is good for me, if I do it a lot and for a sustained period of time.
- The large muscles in the legs take over pumping the blood through the body. This gives the heart a break. That's a very simplified version of the process. Running, I'm told, isn't as effective as walking. I know I would love to be able to run. That's a feeling of freedom I don't think I will be able to enjoy unless I manage to lose another 45 pounds or more.
- I remember when I walk. I remember the good times, bad times, happy and sad times. I let my mind wander and remember. If people see me with tears in my eyes, I can always lie and tell them that I have dust in them.
- My mind sort of defrags a bit. It's just like sleeping for me. The brain defrags itself while sleeping. It sorts things out and files stuff away, allowing me to function another day without going off the deep end.
This time of year is perfect for walking outdoors.
- There are aromas (odors) here in Lancaster County. There are sounds. The sun is bright, but not hot.
- I can wear my sweatshirt to start the walk, and take it off to cool down. Nothing else to remove when it's hot out without causing problems.
- I don't work up a sweat, no matter how hard I chug along.
- The leaves on the trail soften the walk. The colors are nice too.
In the past:
1970's
- When I finished a gig at 2am, I would come back home and be too keyed up to sleep. Yes, we were rockers, but most of the time, we were sober. We may have played the part, but we didn't live it. I would unpack my car, and then grab a glass of chocolate milk and chug it down. Hit the bathroom, and then go out for a walk. I was lonely back then and felt depressed. It was a let down when I finished playing. I was high on the music and the ego trip, and then I was all alone. So, I would walk the quiet streets of Levittown until I stopped feeling sorry for myself. Then, I would turn around and head home to sleep.
- My wife and I would walk for many reasons. Recreation to see new sites, just to talk and be together, taking the kids to see new things, etc. I miss those times.
One of the problems with growing up, and older, is that you learn to "pace" yourself. I know if I go all out, my recovery time will mess up my life for the next few days. Therefore, I will not go all out much of the time. My fitness level suffers because I will not go all out.
1988 (?)
I made a deal my Daughter one time, that we would enter and walk in a 12 mile fund raising event. Neither of us were really interested in the fund raising part. We just wanted to see if we could actually walk 12 miles.
The course was set up so that we would leave from just outside of York, PA. and walk to Mountville, PA. along old Route 30 (Route 462). There were plenty of stops along the way for food and drink, rest rooms, etc. If we didn't make it, we could get a shuttle back to the starting point. We both walked a bit before the event so that we could build up to it, but I never got further than 5 miles.
The day of the event, it was chilly in the morning, but sunny and clear, just like today.
They rang the bell or shot the starting pistol, and we headed out. We were both wearing good walking shoes, but there was a crowd and we both hate crowds. So, we decided we either had to fall back, or charge ahead. We decided to charge ahead. We walked together and cut in and out of the people to the left and right, and finally after about a half hour, we were alone. Since we were already walking at a good clip, we kept up the pace to stay ahead of everyone we could. There were people ahead of us, but they were experts and in much better shape than us.
The halfway point was Wrightsville, PA. on the west side of the Susquehanna river. We forced ourselves to stop at the fire hall there and get a sandwich and something to drink. The break also highlighted the fact that neither of us had ever walked that far before, especially at that speed.
People started to catch up to us, and many had already dropped out.
We had the choice to continue or go back home. We decided to continue, even though we were very relaxed and a bit sore at that point. It's tough to get back on the road when you feel like you don't have anything left.
The bridge over the river is just over a mile long and we had never walked over it before. It was beautiful, and by that point, the crowd was thinning out.
We hit the other side and the streets of Columbia, PA. were all broken up, and angled to drain water, rather than to be walked on. It's an old worn out town.
The angles, ruts, holes, and stones hurt my legs and I realized that in order to finish the walk, I would have to go "all out". No pacing here. It was all or nothing.
So, I trudged on at a slower pace, but I kept going. My daughter was anxious to keep moving, so I allowed her to get ahead of me.She was just a bot younger than me, or course, and had way more reserves than I.
She finished up about 15 minutes ahead of me, and my last few miles were not very pretty. But, I did it!
Then, I had to climb the steps into the school bus to take the ride back to York. Nope, couldn't do it! I had to sit down on the steps and take them one at a time.
I ended up taking a day off from work (the walk was Saturday. I took off Monday). I rolled around on the floor in pain for a solid day and night. It was a week before i could walk again. My Daughter did a little better than me. I'll bet she could do a 12 mile walk again today!
That's one of my favorite memories. We walked for the sake of walking.
Today, I was walking on the Junction Road rail trail. It's a 2.5 mile trail that has markers every half mile. I walked out at a fast pace for 20 minutes, took a break, and then walked back at a slower pace. I took my sweatshirt off on the way back.
I was stopped by a guy who was passing me. He asked me if I had ever been to the place that was on my sweatshirt. I had to think a moment because I don't usually read my own sweatshirt.
I told him it was a gift from my parents. He said he had been there and it was beautiful. Then, we parted ways.
The sweatshirt is very comfortable. It's baggy and worn out, so it stays out of the way of my movement. It's also my old size, so it hangs a bit long. Stretched out, worn out....just the way I like em!
When I started the walk, I was a bit depressed because of all the things I needed to accomplish this week that I hadn't,. I had been wondering what to think about during the walk to make it productive.
I was walking angry, so I was going pretty fast. My fists were clenched, and I was chugging along.
The guy asking the question about my sweatshirt helped me to focus on what to think about. It opened me up to new ideas. I was sort of stuck up until that point.
By the way, the walk today was a little over 2 miles, measured by the markers and the fact that there is a bridge a bit further than the marker.
I will be able to climb the steps up the bus today, and will be able to walk again tonight. That's one nice thing about pacing myself.
I hope I never learn to play golf!
The course was set up so that we would leave from just outside of York, PA. and walk to Mountville, PA. along old Route 30 (Route 462). There were plenty of stops along the way for food and drink, rest rooms, etc. If we didn't make it, we could get a shuttle back to the starting point. We both walked a bit before the event so that we could build up to it, but I never got further than 5 miles.
The day of the event, it was chilly in the morning, but sunny and clear, just like today.
They rang the bell or shot the starting pistol, and we headed out. We were both wearing good walking shoes, but there was a crowd and we both hate crowds. So, we decided we either had to fall back, or charge ahead. We decided to charge ahead. We walked together and cut in and out of the people to the left and right, and finally after about a half hour, we were alone. Since we were already walking at a good clip, we kept up the pace to stay ahead of everyone we could. There were people ahead of us, but they were experts and in much better shape than us.
The halfway point was Wrightsville, PA. on the west side of the Susquehanna river. We forced ourselves to stop at the fire hall there and get a sandwich and something to drink. The break also highlighted the fact that neither of us had ever walked that far before, especially at that speed.
People started to catch up to us, and many had already dropped out.
We had the choice to continue or go back home. We decided to continue, even though we were very relaxed and a bit sore at that point. It's tough to get back on the road when you feel like you don't have anything left.
The bridge over the river is just over a mile long and we had never walked over it before. It was beautiful, and by that point, the crowd was thinning out.
We hit the other side and the streets of Columbia, PA. were all broken up, and angled to drain water, rather than to be walked on. It's an old worn out town.
The angles, ruts, holes, and stones hurt my legs and I realized that in order to finish the walk, I would have to go "all out". No pacing here. It was all or nothing.
So, I trudged on at a slower pace, but I kept going. My daughter was anxious to keep moving, so I allowed her to get ahead of me.She was just a bot younger than me, or course, and had way more reserves than I.
She finished up about 15 minutes ahead of me, and my last few miles were not very pretty. But, I did it!
Then, I had to climb the steps into the school bus to take the ride back to York. Nope, couldn't do it! I had to sit down on the steps and take them one at a time.
I ended up taking a day off from work (the walk was Saturday. I took off Monday). I rolled around on the floor in pain for a solid day and night. It was a week before i could walk again. My Daughter did a little better than me. I'll bet she could do a 12 mile walk again today!
That's one of my favorite memories. We walked for the sake of walking.
Today, I was walking on the Junction Road rail trail. It's a 2.5 mile trail that has markers every half mile. I walked out at a fast pace for 20 minutes, took a break, and then walked back at a slower pace. I took my sweatshirt off on the way back.
I was stopped by a guy who was passing me. He asked me if I had ever been to the place that was on my sweatshirt. I had to think a moment because I don't usually read my own sweatshirt.
I told him it was a gift from my parents. He said he had been there and it was beautiful. Then, we parted ways.
The sweatshirt is very comfortable. It's baggy and worn out, so it stays out of the way of my movement. It's also my old size, so it hangs a bit long. Stretched out, worn out....just the way I like em!
When I started the walk, I was a bit depressed because of all the things I needed to accomplish this week that I hadn't,. I had been wondering what to think about during the walk to make it productive.
I was walking angry, so I was going pretty fast. My fists were clenched, and I was chugging along.
The guy asking the question about my sweatshirt helped me to focus on what to think about. It opened me up to new ideas. I was sort of stuck up until that point.
By the way, the walk today was a little over 2 miles, measured by the markers and the fact that there is a bridge a bit further than the marker.
I will be able to climb the steps up the bus today, and will be able to walk again tonight. That's one nice thing about pacing myself.
I hope I never learn to play golf!
