Toronto pedestrian deaths

The first three pedestrians killed were shocking enough. But 14? In three weeks? Toronto streets are getting mean.
While there is no easy answer to why these deaths have occurred in such quick succession, my feeling is that if we are being mindful at all these days, it's only in yoga class. Even there, we are being mindful only of ourselves.
Our mindfulness needs to extend beyond our own chakras. We are all drivers, we are all walkers - we are all traffic. Maybe, no matter what the signs say, we just simply need to watch out for each other.

Beside the Bow River

According to Google maps, it is a 3212 kilometre, 25 day, 23 hour walk from my house to that of my brother, a proud Mountie, who is now stationed in Calgary, Alberta.

Twenty-five days and 23 hours to walk from Toronto to Calgary is an astonishing recommendation.

I have used Google maps when I am visiting a city to determine how long it will take me to get from the hotel to, say, a coffee shop or an art gallery. It is usually accurate within 10 minutes. Of course, for this purpose, I need neither pee breaks nor fuelling and hydration stops.

When I plunk in my address and that of my brother's, I assume Google is just relaying how many hours it would take to walk that distance without any breaks. Still, I am left with untold questions. Will I be walking on highways? Will I be walking on gravel shoulders? Is there any way to determine where I can get food? Where I can sleep? Most importantly, is this an accurate time prediction? Can a Google program that accurately predicts a 10 minute city-walk really estimate a cross country trek?

I feel a project coming on!

In any case, on Saturday, Air Canada helped me avoid the high risk of blistering and frostbite that such a walk surely would entail in winter. I flew to Calgary where I walked a mere 22 kilometres of the Bow River Trail (and visited aforementioned brother) in just under 3 hours - including a pee break under a bridge, a short detour near the Calgary Zoo to avoid ice, and a walk up the stairs beside Prince's Island Park to catch a glimpse of distant Rocky Mountains on the horizon.

I liked my walk. You can understand from the photos above - the first taken at the beginning as I headed east along the south side of the Bow River toward downtown and the second taken at the end after I had walked along the south trail out past Inglewood and returned back via the north trail, crossing again to the south side over one of many pedestrian-friendly bridges.

I haven't ruled out the long, scenic route to Calgary but for now this taste of Canada's Stampede town was magical.

It's all in the group

Nine days into January and the walking is superb. Cold but superb. Today tested our Canadian character with temperatures at our 7am class starting at -25 Celsius (-13 Fahrenheit). Predictably, with these cold temperatures comes SUN. Sun is good.

Class was filled with dedicated walkers who never complain about such a small inconvenience as having to wear 10 layers topped by Vaseline! These are veteran walkers who know that to walk a good event in February, March, or April cold weather training must happen. And it is true that misery loves company - oops - or should I say everything is better with friends.

Equally enthusiastic this morning was the group of Level 1 participants which met for the first class this morning at 10am. Those who arrived ready to walk may not fully understand the meaning of layering yet, and someone did mention that they thought they had signed up for a power talking class, but we had an impressive turnout for the first of winter.

Yes, the talking does help the walking. While we coaches often have to be the talk cops by reinforcing the "no talking" rule during interval training, there is a camaraderie of the group walking class that simply can not compare to solo training walks.

For more interesting info on why group exercise works check out Alex Hutchinson's excellent posting on www.sweatscience.com where you can find his Globe and Mail column from January 7 on the benefits of group exercise.

Because we always think of group exercise being indoors, here's a good place to share your insights on walking outdoors with a group.

New Year's Walk

Did you get out walking to see the Blue Moon last night? It was there - the faintest reverse shadow shining through hazy clouds. Now, I admit I was walking only from the restaurant to the car when I caught a glimpse but what a way to say goodbye to 2009.

This morning, walking along the lake with my IBBH (Infinitely Better Better Half - a much better description than "partner", don't you think?) was a different but entirely perfect welcome to 2010.

A blustery wind from the north was sideswiping snowflakes at our faces. Like a good slap that wakes you out of a faint, it brought us out of the semi-coma of holiday overindulgence.

Research undoubtedly supports my view that a brisk one hour walk in fresh air can undo a lot of damage caused by consumption of copious amounts of cheese and crackers, mashed potato and turkey stuffing, chocolate bark and chocolate truffles, Bordeaux and Merlot, shortbread and almond snowballs. To name a few of my favourite holiday things.

Since it is a holiday I am not going to seek out the academic citation that supports this belief although I'm standing by it from personal experience and the anecdotal evidence of the many cheery "Happy New Year's" greetings of other walkers out on the lakeside path this morning. I don't know if they had all overindulged in like manner but there was no question we were all much better for being outside.

Walking in the festive season

The festive season is officially upon us tomorrow. December 1 is when I deem it safe to listen to holiday music, string the holiday lights, and generally let loose with all things twinkly and tinsel.

The challenge, of course, is making it through the holidy season with my waist intact. Just this past weekend I managed to indulge in turkey, tiramisu, and tarts. Walking is a must!

I particularly love evening walking class over the next few weeks as it helps me create space for two of my favorite December vices - eggnog and mince tarts. It is just SO challenging to walk by myself once it gets dark. Of course, as a coach, I have to be out there. But I can tell you, I am extremely grateful for the group and the holiday lights add a magical quality.

So, if you don't have your holiday lights strung up - please get out there! There's a bunch of us evening walkers who will be very grateful!

Walking discoveries - Vancouver & Toronto

I don't know why I need reminding but 10 days ago I almost missed an amazing opportunity. I was in Richmond B.C. which is not the most obviously charming section of the greater Vancouver area. Because it is not the prettiest area and because it was raining (and it's always raining in Vancouver at this time of year), I almost decided to use the fitness center's treadmill for my morning walk. Fortunately, I reminded myself how I often discover something when I go outside for a walk - whether it's good local coffee, an interesting path, or (cry for help) an irresistible shoe store.

So, down I went to the hotel concierge to ask where one might walk that would be pedestrian friendly. Well, as often turns out in any place, but especially on the westcoast of Canada, there is more to Richmond than street after street of suburban malls. Just 8 minutes from my hotel was a beautiful pedestrian walkway along a dyke that follows the Fraser River. And on the way to that dyke I passed by the Richmond Olympic Oval.

Well...because of the Olympic Oval, I never made it to the dyke! I was seduced to enter by the wood wave roof that, as I learned later in the day, is constructed of 1 million board feet of pine 2x4s that were thought to be useless because they had been damged by pine beetles. Only the long track speed skating event will be held here but it will be worth watching just to catch a glimpse of this spectacular building.

My fantastic experience stumbling upon the Richmond Oval reminded, again, how it expands my horizons - quite literally - to walk outside, no matter how much I am tempted to stay in.

So, today, even though I don't usually walk on Mondays, because it's yoga day, I went exploring in my new urban neighbourhood. Over recent weeks I have had need to drive under an overpass on which there are often cyclists. Today I decided to investigate on foot. Wouldn't you know I happened upon the West Toronto Rail Path. The photos above show you some of what I saw. It's an impressive initiative and you can find out more at http://www.railpath.ca/ .

Please post here, if you have discovered an interesting feature of your neighbourhood recently. Or, go for a walk, and find one!

Walking unplugged

There are so many wires hanging out of ears these days. Everywhere I go in my new city neighbourhood I see people walking, running, jogging, and rollerblading – it’s very collegial. The problem is whenever this suburban girl smiles to say hello, few notice. It’s those darn wires. Everyone is moving in their invisible bubble of sound.

I get it. It’s kind of scary just putting ourselves out there – kind of like sitting in a restaurant alone with nothing to read. Still, there’s so much we can learn from our own company. When we are left alone with our brain, we are forced into conversation. Never am I disappointed in how a walk on my own helps me solve problems, set new goals, and appreciate where I live.

Everywhere we walk there is something to hear, feel, and smell - a band celebrates at Etienne Brule Park as I make my way through the trail, the hum of traffic as I approach the Gardiner Expressway is a sign the lake is near, and then the rhythmic rush of waves from a stiff and invigorating southwest wind. What a day!

I know it’s possible to enjoy all of this with a soundtrack, and obviously many people feel the soundtrack enhances the experience, but I feel like I’d be cheating myself of the total experience and a chance to catch up with myself.

Bad behaviour on the roads

I'm pretty confident that grouchy is not an adjective people would choose to describe me. Today was an exception.

When I am grouchy it's usually because I am suffering sleep deprivation. Or, the water turned cold in the middle of my shower.

But today the cranky side of me came out during a walk!

First, the group of runners/walkers who feel entitled to leave marks all over Oakville sidewalks, trails, and roads had defaced my route with NEON ORANGE. I shouted that in caps so that you'd feel the effect.

Come on people. Is this necessary?

Next, a woman jogging ahead of me dropped the wrapper from her snack down a sewer grate. Within one block there were several garbage receptacles. And, even if there weren't, it's not that difficult to take a wrapper home and dispose of it properly.

This may be our gym outside, but we need to respect it as an environment that many people enjoy.

The neon arrows and "15k" neon markers reflect a colossal sense of entitlement.

I wrote about this last year and now my mission is to find out who is doing it and ask them to stop.

So...if there is anything that makes you grouchy while you are out walking, feel free to post here so that while I'm up to bat I can take a swing for you.

To treadmill or not to treadmill

Away on holidays over the Christmas season, I woke up one morning to a winter gloom of San Francisco fog and rain. Morning walks in San Francisco can be a treat. The reward for powering up Russian Hill is a view of Coit Tower, Alcatraz, or the Bay Bridge. With fog and rain I knew there would be no such view, so I decided to test the treadmill in the hotel fitness center.
It is rare for me to walk on a treadmill since I like to be outside. Still, many of you tell me you prefer the treadmill workout when inclement weather occurs - particularly when the risk of falling is high.

When I entered the fitness center both treadmills were taken. I warmed up sitting on the stationary bicycle. I managed to entertain myself through 20 minutes of imaginary hills on an imaginary ride. When a treadmill became available I moved over and started my walk at 3 mph. As I walked I increased the speed in .2 mph increments. When I reached my race pace from my personal best marathon of 11.22 minutes per miles I held a steady course for about 10 minutes. It was a long 10 minutes. Interesting. I regularly walk for more than 2 hours outside.

Then I aimed for 6mph, or walking one mile in 10 minutes. I was very nearly ejected off the back of the treadmill but managed 6 intervals of 30 seconds at that speed. Another 6 minutes of workout accomplished. Finally I played around with the grade for 5 minutes and ended with a few minutes of cool-down watching a television with no sound and subtitles. The screen was slightly to my right so it’s good that I had not been interested in watching a show for the duration of my workout or I would have walked away with a persistent tendency to look right.

After the workout I felt better than when I had walked into the fitness center. That’s just the way it works. An invigorating walk always improves my mood. Yet, I couldn’t help feeling that treadmill walk was just a bit silly. A little fog and rain in one of the world’s most interesting cities had me making like a gerbil, walking on a moving belt in a room that looks like countless others on the planet. It was interesting to know the exact pace I could muster, but I wish I had spent that hour walking Russian Hill – even without the view.

More on cold weather

Today I needed to pack an extra bag for my weekend foray to the Philadelphia marathon. This is directly related to my long list of cold weather apparel as per my last blog posting.

If any of you reading this have walked a marathon or half marathon or 10k or 5k race, you know that the only real concern the night before the event is what to wear. I have been known to spend almost an entire pasta dinner ruminating over what to wear and then I can fuss for several hours in my room laying all the options out. Then, the first thing I do when I wake up on race morning is listen to the weather, or go to theweathernetwork.com, to check the hourly temperature and meteorlogical conditions! Does this sound familiar?

So, I packed what feels like every possible apparel contingency for temperatures hovering around zero. If there is precipitation at this temperature, it can be ugly. Rain at 2 degrees is honestly worse than snow at -2 degrees.

With furrowed brow, brooding over the potential for a cold, wet one on Sunday, I arrived at the airport with 2 jammed bags for 3 days away. Seated at the gate with my well-deserved latte in hand, I realized, hey, it could be 2 degrees and sunny! That would mean I need sunblock for my face! Which, of course, is nestled in my bathroom cabinet.

Ah well.

And for those of you who are out training or racing this weekend, here’s another cold weather thought that was discussed at the end of walking class today. There are many people who suffer from Raynaud’s Syndrome. The cold weather is especially challenging – fingers, toes, and noses can go completely white from cold as blood vessels constrict. If you are challenged with Raynaud’s, it really helps to add extra layers to the core area and keep the head warm. Don’t let yourself get cold at the beginning of the walk. It’s better to have to peel off layers as you warm up than have the blood vessels in the extremities constrict. And be prepared for the core to cool quickly after your walk is over. Pack an extra warm coat or vest for after training, especially if you are staying around for the oh-so-important après-walk coffee!

A few favourite cold weather things

This morning I tried to defy the reality of the approaching winter season.

At 5:55am, I could be found driving my car down a black street pretending that I didn't really need to get out and scrape the frost off the windshield. With the windshield wipers slipping furiously back and forth over the icy coating, about 100 metres down the road, I gave in. That ice wasn’t going anywhere fast and I could run over a comrade in early morning exercising, if I didn’t stop to remove the blinding layer.

Too bad my ice scraper was buried somewhere in the “winter” cartons in my basement. I was reduced to using my fingernails to scratch away a viewing hole.

Tonight, I will have to face the harsh realities of the weather, take stock of all cold weather necessities, and remove them from storage - ready for action.

Here’s my initial list. If you have anything to add, please join the discussion:

Ice scraper for car windows!
Hooded layer for the first 10 minutes of warming up.
Gloves/mittens.
Vaseline for skin protection.
Clear glass inserts for sunglasses to protect eyes in the dark from cold and winds.
Layers for legs.
Layers for upper body.
Layers for head.
Layers for hands.
Neck warmer
Yaktrax.
Reflective vest (especially for dark, rainy nights…there are a lot of boomers out there driving the roads who have little/no night vision – and no night vision when it rains!)

And I’m going to get out the oats, too. There’s nothing like cooked oatmeal for breakfast on these cold mornings. Last winter I discovered maple sugar as a topping and I now consider it a partner-for-life to oatmeal.

Winter tips welcome here!

Lee

Beat sagging face blues by walking!

On Sunday I had the exquisite pleasure of lounging the day away at a Muskoka cottage, replete with requisite trashy magazines.

Reading one of the recent issues of InStyle, I learned that running is not recommended because its jarring action breaks down the collagen that keeps the face from sagging! According to the article, walking will avoid this collagen breakdown.

This is not the first time I've heard this theory. My original source was a shop-keeper who, once she heard about all the walking I do, proclaimed that walking is the best exercise since "all runners look terrible with their droopy faces"!

I'm not sure that InStyle is a more reputable source of information than that shop-keeper, but it might be worth investigating further.

In the mean time, since we know what a great workout walking can be, why risk the sad, saggy face of a runner?

Deliberate power walking

Quite often I find articles of interest in running magazines. Yes, it’s true. And I always thought runners had so much to learn from power walkers!

At a recent event I received a copy of Canadian Runner. This is a new magazine that is in its first year of publication. The issue that I was given featured an article on "deliberate running".

Even though I read this article just yesterday, the magazine is already AWOL in my endless piles of books and magazines. So, my précis here might be slightly skewed by poor memory and wishful thinking!

What sticks in my mind, was the thesis that a runner can improve performance by being deliberate in the pursuit of speed. This is what we do on a weekly basis in our program and I can unequivocally tell anyone who asks that power walkers who challenge themselves to a weekly coached session of speed drills improve. For some the improvement is dramatic. For others it’s slow, but consistent, improvement.

It takes focus and deliberation to work on speed training. Speed is achieved recruiting the brain, as much as the body. Our interval work is often spent directing mental attention to specific muscle groups or to aspects of technique.

This deliberate thinking, according to The Canadian Runner, can be further categorized: associative thinking versus disocciative thinking. Some people exercise and use dissociative thoughts to distract themselves. They might dwell on the beauty of a sunset or count light poles. Others use associative thoughts - thoughts which are focused and associated with the body's movements. For example, walking as fast as you can while deliberately focusing on landing with the front foot in a strong toe-up position.

It makes sense that people using associative techniques would achieve greater improvement in speed and fitness, but what is also interesting is that these exercisers reported a greater enjoyment from their workout.

Possibly there are times to use each of these deliberations.

This is the place to post any of your ideas on “deliberate walking”. Do you think you use dissociative or associative mental games with yourself? Do you notice any difference in how you feel after the workout?

p.s. speaking of speed, I hope those of you reading this in the GTA are registered for one of the most beautiful 5k events in southern Ontario – happening this Sunday in Oakville, Ontario – the OTMH Classic 5k. Register at www.otmhclassic.com

Walking in woods

This past weekend I had the most excellent fortune to be in one of the best walking cities in Canada - Victoria on Vancouver Island. As some of you may remember from a long ago blog, I am privileged to visit this idyllic corner of our country frequently because much of my family lives there.

In past years my Victoria walks have taken me along the paved paths beside the ocean. I never tire of walking by the ocean. The light lifts my spirits as much as the exercise. I savour both the pungent odours of the intertidal zone and the cool ocean breezes that can’t be experienced beside Lake Ontario.

By coincidence of where I was staying last weekend, it was more convenient for me to walk wooded trails in the early morning.

Walking in the woods on soft trails affords a calmer, more reflective experience. During one of these walks my father, who was my walking companion, suggested that our walk wasn’t like my normal walks. True enough. On these trails, roots and stones make it impossible to move at the speeds that I achieve on paved trails.

The workout is less cardiovascular and more proprioceptive. I can feel my brain working to process the challenges of balance necessary on trails. It’s a good change for a few days after the rigorous speed and endurance challenges of training for two full marathons in the past month.

I like the calm of the woods and I am struck by how walking in different environments can elicit a sense of well-being with such variation on mood.

Please post here if you have a favourite walking environment.

P.S. If you take a walk in an Ontario wood this weekend you might see the trillium in its final days.

March Break Butt

It felt irresponsible to write entries on a walking blog over the past week when my butt was firmly glued to the seat of my car. Yes, my family participated in the annual blue and white license plate migration to the land of oranges. It's a long drive to the beach!

Surprisingly, for a person who spends many hours outside walking, I discovered I did not mind the drive. Predictably, since I can always be found extolling the many hidden benefits of power walking and training for marathons, I believe that walking training even prepares a person for long drives.

Marathon training has given me the ability to slow my brain. It has given me the gift of accepting the moment for what it is. During a marathon your brain simply can not move to the finish line too early. If you think about how far you have to go, the experience becomes completely odious - even impossible.

I have learned to entertain myself with my own thoughts on those long training walks and I discovered on the drive south to Florida that the skill works just as well driving for hours as walking for hours.

Now I don't see myself buying an RV or becoming a transport trucker since I do love fresh air but I do know that when I have had enough of winter training, I don't need anything more than my car, a little patience, and I can be taking my next walk on a beach!

I'd love to hear how you find power walking and training has enhanced your life.

Valentines Day Walking

No one should be reading, or writing, a blog on Valentine's Day!

If you are reading this, go out for a walk and find yourself a Valentine!

The thrill of inclement weather

Spring conditions and 9 degrees on Tuesday night. Wild winds and -20 degrees last night. Winter storm watch tonight and possibly 30 centimeters of snow tomorrow. We'll never get bored with the walking conditions during a Southern Ontario winter.

I love storms if I don't have to drive anywhere. There is nothing exhilarating about a storm from the inside of a car. But there's everything exhilarating when I can wrap myself in multiple layers and tromp through 30 centimeters of fresh snow. It may not be sport specfic training for a marathon, but it is fun and it is a workout!

If we do have a storm, tell us your storm walking tale. On second thought, why not tell us your storm walking tale before then so we can be inspired to walk our own.

More New Year Reading

A few days ago I finished reading A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. I'm still chuckling. Bryson tried to walk the entire 2,000 miles and more of the Appalachian Trail in the summer of 1996. He never finished but I recommend the book as a reminder that finishing is not everything and that appreciating the journey (and having a sense of humor) is everything.

You don't walk the Appalachian Trail, you hike. And there is a difference.

Every once in a while Bryson leaves the trail to search out a little civilization and he discovered what many of us power walkers already know. As Bryson says "hardly anyone...walks anywhere for anything". Moreover, "...in America now, it is not actually possible to be a pedestrian, even if you want to be." Bryson goes on to describe an adventurous one and a half mile walk he attempted in an effort to find insect repellant at K-Mart. He describes a walk that many of us training for marathons have experienced: one with 6 lanes of traffic, no intersections with "WALK" buttons, sidewalks ending for no reason, concrete barriers, bridges with no pedestrian way, and worse.

The bad news for Bryson, when he finally made it to K-Mart, the store did not carry insect repellant. The good news for us is that we're usually just trying to cover miles on our training schedules and we can avoid areas that are not pedestrian friendly. Still, it amazes me that even in my home town of leafy, residential Oakville, which stretches probably 20 kilometres across the shore of Lake Ontario and 2o kilometres north from the shore, that we often walk the same roads again and again because so many routes are simply not feasible for people using two feet.

It's a shame really. And as much as I laughed at Bryson’s description of his attempts to transverse urban America in search of insect repellant, there is a part of me that thinks we should be taking action to institute urban and suburban planning that encourages more walking. Not everyone may want to train to walk a marathon, but it would be good if more people walked to pick up milk and mail.

Christmas Eve Walk

Snow on the ground this morning was the first, and quite possibly best, Christmas present we could have received. The walking was tricky as a sudden freeze yesterday meant that smooth ice was lurking under much of the layer of snow covering the sidewalks. But, oh, what a way to head into the next few days of indulgent eating.

The ice may have slowed my feet but a bracing wind over 8 kilometres gave my head the clearing it needed. During the hour I was out, car after car of holiday shoppers passed me en route. A strong bond of camaraderie connected me to the two runners with whom I crossed paths: fellow brave exercisers conquering the wind, cold, and snow on Christmas Eve.

For this holiday season I wish all of you the blessing of good times with family and friends. And possibly a small gift, whether its freshly fallen snow or Yaktrax, to encourage you to get outside!

6am workouts

Alarm sounds at 5:13am. Out of bed at 5:26am. In the car by 5:42am. Ready to work out at 5:52am. Class starts at 6am. Sharp.

It does not feel like a great idea at 5:13 - I can tell you that unequivocally. In fact, it doesn't seem like a good idea at 9pm the night before, which is why there was no blog posting on Monday. I decided to go to bed in preparation for the Tuesday 6am class.

Inevitably, getting out of bed early is worth the effort. Dressed and outside at 6am the world is looking fine. There was a waxing crescent moon hanging low over the west horizon on Tuesday morning. Today, just the thought of it being there helped get me out of bed. It wasn't visible for the cloud cover. Still, I look forward to the next few weeks as it grows into a full moon.

Our 6am class is walking strength and balance with the emphasis on strength and balance, and walking as a way to get there. It's a great total body workout that moves us out of the saggital plane which is where we do all of our marathon training. So, we work the muscles that move our bodies, arms, and legs sideways and rotationally instead of forward and back.

It’s better than just stretching because the strength and balance moves increase the range of motion around our joints - essentially the goal of stretching - while improving muscle tone.

And, in the WoW spirit, we get outside. It's amazing how much we can do outside. I definitely look at stairs, railings, picnic tables, benches, parking meters, empty parking lots, hills, and curbs with a whole new level of interest and imagination!

You may not be able to join us on these early morning adventures but I encourage you to think about the outdoors as your strength training playground. Can’t think of what to do? Sit back, imagine you are five. Go play.

And don’t forget to come back and tell us about the fun you’ve had.

Venus and the moon

Have you seen Venus and the moon in the early morning? Set in an inky blue sky, the planet and moon look as though they could be cut out from a velvet curtain that's hiding a brilliant heaven behind.

An early morning walk won't get much better than this.

Pleasures and perils of night walking

I’ve just returned from an invigorating evening walking class. In the fall the dark seems colder than in the spring. It as if our bodies can’t tolerate the cold after being warm for so many months.

The cold and dark present a powerful psychological deterrent to walking. My reason for making it out was because I had to coach. It seems there are many of you crazy enough to want to walk in the dark but sane enough to realize that you won’t get outside unless you are paying someone to make you be there!

Of course, it’s always worth it. Tonight the stars felt as if they could just fall from the sky on us. The rich reds and oranges of the autumn leaves caught by the streetlights cast a warm glow. Twenty minutes into our walk and we were warm enough to appreciate it all.

Over the next few weeks glowing Santas and colourful lights will be enticing us out on the streets. It's always a better view on foot than by car.

Still, walking in the dark can be dangerous. Lights are a good idea. Reflective tape works well, too.

Walking defensively is essential. My personal night walking safety nightmare occurs when see I people walking on the side of the road facing traffic and approaching a corner where a car might make a right run around that corner and directly into them.

Please take care out there. As always suggestions for night safety are appreciated.

The power of walking posture

It's a beautiful Sunday summer morning. The trail of runners and walkers of varying ages and sizes is impressive. There are more people on foot than in cars. This is a good thing.

Still, the critic, or should I say the coach, in me looks at many of the runners and thinks: "You should be power walking!"

As much as I like the sight of people outdoors, and especially people outdoors getting a workout, I look at many of these runners and I see poor form. Poor form during exercise always translates into poor form (read poor posture) in real life. These people are running with their shoulders stooped, their heads protruding as if they are hunkered over a computer screen or their heads completely dropped looking at their feet, and even though many never get both feet off the ground they are still landing heavily on bent knees in an effort to be "running". I know that they would do their bodies a huge favour if they were to take on a tall posture and a good walking stride. The workout would be the same, the muscles of the rear would get more toned, and their "take-home" posture would improve tenfold.

We just need a way to get the message out…it’s sort of like the walking with weights issue. Do we make suggestions as we encounter the slouchy runner? Something like “You should try power walking. It really opens up the rib cage!” Do we surreptitiously slide a WoW Power Walking business card in their water bottle holder?

As usual, suggestions are welcome.

Walking with hand weights

Occasionally I see people out walking while carrying hand weights. Yikes. Really bad idea. In fact, so bad, I have to stop myself from accosting these avid exercisers to insist they go home directly to put the weights down!

Hand weights are a great tool for targeting the muscles of the arm with a bicep curl or a tricep kick-back, but those weights should not hang out at the end of arms when walking.

If you are reading this blog and you carry hand weights when you are walking ask yourself what you hope to gain.

Are you looking for a more challenging cardiovascular workout? If so, you are not going to get it. A marginal increase in cardiovascular workout is far outweighed by the compromised walking form that may lead to injury in the back and shoulders. It’s really hard to maintain good posture when carrying these weights. Your walking form should always reinforce good posture.

Are you looking to get arms that are more toned? Again, that 3 pound weight held in the isometric contraction while you walk is not to going to be nearly as effective as a few bicep curls, tricep kickbacks or pushups done to fatigue.

Now the question still remains how do we get the message out? Do we react in horror when we see weight carrying walkers, do we politely ignore their misadventures, or do we slid up beside them and ask if we can borrow a weight to do a bicep curl?

Suggestions welcome!

Sun protection, vitamin D and walking

To slather or not to slather, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to choose SPF 15 or 50?

As a true redhead with requisite freckles, I have endured a love hate relationship with the sun for a long time. I love almost anything that requires being outside...years of sailing and windsurfing, followed by years of walking marathons. I hate getting burned.

So, I dutifully slather on the sunblock well before I hit the pavement for my walks. Recently, I've been reading that all that sunblock may be reducing the ability of my body to make vitamin D. Vitamin D is critical to the formation of strong bones by promoting calcium absorption. Wouldn't it be ironic that all the bone density building that happens when we’re out power walking is for naught because we’re not getting appropriate levels of vitamin D?

What's a dedicated power walker to do?

According to various reliable sources, exposing about 15 percent of your body to just 10 minutes in the sun on most days of the week in summer, 15–20 minutes in spring and autumn, or 30 minutes in winter, outside peak UV times will usually give us enough vitamin D. If a power walk is going to be longer than these times or if we are walking in peak sun times at high UV Index levels we should be putting on the sunblock. And it should be a high Sun Protection Factor (SPF).

For me, during early morning walks from 7 to 9:30am I feel safe without my sun protection. Any time after that, I’ll be laying it on. Research aside, my unscientific analysis has revealed that my freckles experience a population explosion any time after the early morning sun.

Let me know if you have any other good sun strategies or tips.

Walking toward happiness

Happiness is a hot topic. I guess it always has been. In these crazy times of flat screen HD televisions and spa retreats, it's an even hotter topic as we have so many leisure choices that discovering what makes us truly happy can be a dizzying challenge.

Yesterday morning, with no specific race on the immediate horizon for which I need to train, I woke with no reason to rush out the door to meet training partners or follow the training the schedule. Still, walking does make me happy. So, I put on all of my walking gear and drove with my husband to town to drop off our son at work. Then, we went to our favourite local coffee shop where I indulged in my caffeine boost of choice – a large bowl with espresso filled with lots of hot, steamy milk called a “Parisienne”. While I never once saw a Parisian drink this concoction during my visits to Paris over the last 14 months, I’m happy to indulge in the illusion.

As we sat there, the tables started filling with groups of people returning from their walks or runs. Not one of them looked sad. Now I imagine many of them have sad things happening to them, and some of them may be predisposed to be unhappy by nature, but at that moment all I could hear around me was laughter.

After an hour of enjoying my husband’s company and the relaxing environment around the town square, I headed home on two feet while my husband returned with the car. I wandered by the lake and the boats (see photo) and then walked as many side roads as possible on my way home. I have walked these streets a thousand times over and I continue to delight in new diversions. Yesterday, I walked by three cherry tress in full fruit. Ninety minutes later I arrived at my street. It wasn’t one of my record setting walks but I felt invigorated and, yes, happy.

Settling in to read the paper later that afternoon, I discovered that the Saturday paper had an entire section devoted to happiness. Several thousand words on happiness. According to the paper a google search found someone who touted happiness is a Dyson vacuum.

While I’m skeptical about the vacuum, another idea did stand out for me and it came from Enrique Penalosa, the mayor of Bogota in Columbia who radically changed the priorities of his city to encourage citizens to walk or cycle whenever possible. “There are few things we can agree on about happiness,” the paper quoted him as saying. “You need to fulfill your potential as a human being. You need to walk. You need to be with other people.”

Mmmm…that might explain all the happy faces at those finish lines. People fulfilling their potential as walking athletes in the good company of other people.