The Habit Changes With the Seasons. Walk or Run?
Friday, March 18, 2022:
I walked six miles today, starting at about 10:45 a.m. and finishing about 12:35 p.m. I noticed as soon as I left the house that it was going to be a pretty good day to be outside; the temperature was between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius and large white clouds filled less than half the sky, so I was going to get some sun on my winter-white legs. Besides shorts I also wore a nylon t-shirt and light jacket (the one I bought in Boston in 2005 to celebrate what could be my one and only visit to that lovely marathon city).
While walking today I took a few pictures with my GoPro camera. I tend to think that a few colourful pictures help make these pages a bit brighter. And I like - from an artistic point-of-view - the curving lines of tarmac that make up part of the city's pathways, and the natural, colourful landscapes to my left and right, along with the odd alligator.
Shortly after I returned home, and after completing my 10 - 12 minute 'stretches and weights' routine, I logged today's points into my journal. Six points for the walk, half a point for the stretches, etc. And I included the 2.25 miles I'll walk this evening on my way to and from an Ontario Hockey League game at a downtown arena, so I collected 8.75 points. Excellent. 43.25 points for the week, so far.
And something could happen on Saturday besides shopping and errands, so I could get 45 - 50 points, more than my goal of 40 - 45. Stuff happens ; ) (And it did. I went for a short walk in the rain, did my stretches/weights and finished the week with 43 miles and 46 points).
The 'points journal' is a long-standing habit, as much as my walking and running routine have been over the last 50 years. Yes, there have been some big breaks in the routine - life can get busy! - during my working career. Big breaks even occurred during my first few years of retirement when I opened a wood-working shop and bought a motorcycle and gained weight and didn't think about it or worry about it... until I did.
Though I keep a journal - and it can get pretty colourful at times - it follows in the heels of an even more important habit, i.e., getting out the door to walk and/or run as often as I feel I can handle. Currently, I get out the door for about two hours per day, six days a week. And that habit has lasted without too many (even short) breaks for the last seven years.
The Determined Walker and Runner
There are many faster men and surely stronger women who regularly walk and run on London's fine pathways for longer distances, with greater frequency, than me. And svelter than me? No doubt, but I'm working on it. That being said, I don't mind saying that my 40-plus-miles, 6-days/week habit has earned me the right, in my humble opinion, to own a pretty suitable nickname - Steady Eddie. (Has more zip than Geezer Gord).
A younger walker called me Speedy Pop Man a few years ago but I'll stick with Steady Eddie because it speaks to one of my fairly evident characteristics, i.e., that I'm a determined walker and runner.
Yes, I have short, sturdy legs, and pretty good co-ordination. I seldom walk right into telephone poles or trip on cracks in the sidewalk. I have a lengthy history in a variety of sports and have old hockey sticks, baseball and golf equipment and a box of running medals stashed somewhere in the basement. I generally buy 'near the top o' the line' running shoes, t-shirts, spandex shorts and tights, and have durable caps and toques for every occasion. In London, Ontario, I have access to several great walking and running routes and pathways.
And, besides all of that, I think I know something more important than the value of owning the best running shoes and stylish, matching shorts: I know how to develop an almost unbreakable habit of getting out the door for at least 5 - 6 days per week for a long, long time.
I've done it for years (along with using a point-system*) and didn't know I was sitting on a gold mine**.
Page Break: Inform Readers About the Asterisks
*point system: An optional way to keep track of walking and running progress; I think it's more related to my personality than my progress over the years; I like points and one day I might have enough to win or earn a train ride to Ottawa, one of my favourite Canadian cities. (My favourite city, currently, is Edinburgh***)
**gold mine: Where do I come up with this stuff? What I've learned over the years is common knowledge but it took me many years to realize its value. Details to follow. Pay me later.
***Edinburgh: I stayed at an Airbnb exactly 100 steps**** from Brew Dog Brewery. But that's a whole different story.
****I counted them, twice.
To be continued.
Please click here to view Another Year's Work, 2021
Unattributed Photos GH
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