Saturday, November 25, 2006

Turkey Day

Thanksgiving day was a fine day for walking downtown Fort Bragg. Almost everyone was home preparing dinner or watching football. These storefronts face west across Main Street. Laurel Street intersection just to the left.

I know there are folks doing inside “growing” but this is getting out of hand!
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I have continued getting up at 5:45 AM for two and three mile “exercise” walks even though this time of year it is dark and cold the whole distance. I'm averaging 3.4 miles per hour and feeling pretty good about it.

My walk in the dark is nice in that there is almost no traffic but the main thing is, I don’t have to be embarrassed about doing my “Power Walk” thing!

Okay, here’s my “Power Walk” thing. Culled from http://www.walking.about.com/

Stand up straight. Think of being tall and straight, do not arch your back.

Eyes forward.

Chin up

Suck in the stomach

Tuck in the behind

Elbows bent 90 degrees

Hands loose and partially closed.

With each step the arm opposite the foot comes straight forward. Not diagonally.
As the foot goes back the opposite arm comes straight back.

Elbows close to the body, don’t “chicken wing”.

Strike the ground with the heel first, roll through the step from heel to toe.

Push off with the toe.

To increase speed take more, smaller steps rather then lengthening the stride.

Your stride should be longer behind your body, where your toe is pushing off, rather than out in front of your body. Your forward leg has no power, while your back leg is what is driving you forward.

Getting the full power out of the push from the back leg as it rolls from heel to toe is the key to powerful, efficient walking.

Fast walkers train themselves to increase the number of steps they take per second and to get full use out of the back part of the stride.
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For some reason I was embarrassed when I started walking this way but over time I am getting used to it. Besides, it looks like I am exercising and not homeless!!


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