Thursday, September 25, 2014

Walk - start pounding the pavement!

I will be the first to confess that there isn’t any thing sexy or necessarily invigorating about walking.  Yet, the results are in that walking is the best form of long-term exercise! I will probably be one of the first to get the Apple Watch and will use it for my jogging and walking to keep track of my levels of exertion and how many calories I’ve burnt. It is so easy in today’s competitive world to think that unless I’ve spent big bucks on fancy high tech gear or the best running shoes that I’m out of it.

This last week I’ve had the blessings from my in-laws to enjoy a week at the beach enjoying the sound of the surf and the smell of the ocean. What is fascinating is how many people walk along the boardwalk. The group reflects all ages, socio-economics and racial backgrounds. Everyone dresses from being stylish to being in rags. The common element is that everyone knows that walking for 30 minutes to an hour will make your day go further and better!

It has been fun walking along the lower boardwalk that is actually on the beach but is a concrete walkway that has a three-foot ocean wall to protect it from the tide and too much sand. Each morning we have seen the same people walking in groups of two or three or taking their dogs along to get exercise. What is incredible is seeing this one gentleman who is on the large size greet us with this incredible smile and friendly hello. It’s fascinating how walking brings out the best in everyone! The boardwalk in this area isn’t dominated by the young and beautiful but the old whose looks vary.

Yes, I have many friends who are able to afford a personal trainer and clearly benefit for a season from this oversight. Yet, I also see another group of friends that are determined to stay in shape and the secret is rather simple, just get up early and DO IT! As I age I see that my physical features are a byproduct of my genetics and life patterns. I have been blessed to have inherited my mom’s high metabolism and my dad’s commitment to exercise. We argue often about whether we need to be doing more but the reality is that we walk or jog usually twice a day. It’s a treat because we take our herd of dogs out on the canal out in the open.

I have persevered through running eight marathons where I have learned the secret of pacing yourself. It doesn’t matter how fast you start from the gate it is all about how you finish. Can I save up enough to make it through miles 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26? It doesn’t matter if I’ve run a 5-minute mile at mile 1 or 2 but whether I can do an 8-minute mile as I finish my 26.2. The challenge today is that speed seems to be the fascination whether it be in cycling, Nascar or running. I confess that I have various devices that will tell me how fast, far and how many calories I’ve burned. These devices remind me daily to get up and do something.


Walking is no longer an old people’s sport but now practiced by all ages. It is incredible how much better you feel after you have walked a couple of miles and gotten your heart rate up and actually sweated. My inspiration is watching my almost 90-year-old father in-law up early moving it along the boardwalk.

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