I recently heard about a contest our elected representatives in Congress conducted to see who could walk the most in a predetermined period of time. It got me to thinking again about how easy it is to fold walking into a daily routine that strives for an active and healthy lifestyle. And I don't know about you, but what greater motivation than a competition? And not to be too corny, but in a contest like this, everyone wins; all the participants gain a greater level of fitness by adding exercise every day. Sometimes it seems like we try to make things complicated and set up elaborate plans to incorporate exercise and a healthy diet into our everyday lives. I think about the weight I want to lose and the miles I'm not putting in, how out of shape I feel walking up a few flights of stairs. But maybe it's not so hard. Maybe all I need to do is take a step. Start from where I am, and move forward. Not with a big plan about losing lots of pounds or walking so many miles. But taking steps, literally, toward a healthier body and life. When I look at it that way, maybe it's not so hard after all.

A Case of the Ughs

Since my last race in early May (the Flying Pig in Cincinnati, OH), I'm finding that I have a distinct lack of motivation to walk very many miles each week. I like to shoot for about 20 miles/week, but lately I'm lucky to walk 10-12. Some of it's life - lots of distractions (work, family, etc.) - that mean there often don't feel like there are enough hours in the day to get it all done. Sleep isn't always easy to come by when things get busy, which makes it awfully tough to get out of bed at 5:30am to go for a walk. Some of it's the weather; last week here we had multiple days of 95-100 degree temps during the day, which meant that in the early AM when I'm walking, it's 75 degrees and 95% humidity. And some of it's my personality: exercising because it's a good thing to do can't always make me feel like getting out the door. I sometimes, maybe even often, need a goal to pursue or a deadline that's looming ahead to help me kick into gear.

The problem is this: life will always be busy; it's summer so the temps will be high for a while; and I don't have a race on the calendar. So what do I do? I'm still working on that, but I do have some ideas. One is to find a smaller race to shoot for, maybe a local 5K, to give me something to look forward to. Another is to set some interim goals: step up my mileage incrementally (15 this week, 18 the next, etc.). I should probably also set some goals to take off the weight I've recently gained. And another thing I may do is explore some other exercise options to give me some variety in my fitness plan, things like biking or swimming. Finally, I can look for ways to get some walking done in a practical way; I can go to the store or run errands on foot (no pun intended).

Ultimately I'll get my weekly mileage to where it needs to be, I think. Until then, I need to keep plugging away as best I can - and get off the couch.

Why I Walk in Races

When I tell people (usually non-walkers) that I'm training for a race, I usually get a puzzled look, or sometimes a double-take. "What?" they'll ask. "Why are you doing that? Is it a walk-a-thon? You don't think you're going to win, do you?"

It's a little hard to explain in a short 2 minute conversation. But here are the reasons I do races:

1. The challenge. I did my first race a few years ago to prove to myself that I could walk 13.1 miles all by myself. I'd never done anything that physically demanding before, and even a few years before that, I could only walk a couple of miles at a time. I walk long distances to show myself that I’ve come a long way and that my body is capable of doing amazing things if I push myself.

2. The travel. Participating in races allows me to go to fun places and see cities in a whole new way. I’ve walked through Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World and along the Ohio River in Cincinnati. I’ve even explored parts of the city where I work up close, in a way I’ve never seen before. Choosing a destination for a race is only half the fun; the rest comes with being able to see a place literally at eye level. To experience a city on foot is to have a better understanding of what it’s about.

3. The competition. When I walk in a race, I don’t compete with the other racers. Instead, I compete with myself, trying to go faster than my previous best time. Each race is an opportunity to test myself and improve my fitness and my speed.

4. The discipline. The experience of training for a distance race is an exercise in motivation and determination. Every time I want to roll over and go back to bed instead of going for a training walk, I have to ask myself how much I want it. How badly do I want to finish the race - and finish it well? Sometimes I have to make choices about how I spend my time, and do things like choosing to go home and go to bed early instead of staying out late. Those are the gut-check moments, the times when I choose health and fitness instead of short-term fun. The discipline required by the training schedule is good for me, because it helps to provide a structure for how I spend my time and for my exercise regimen.

So there you have it: the reasons why I walk in races. What are yours?

The Search for Walkability

I recently bought my first house, and I found the househunting process to be a challenge. Everyone makes their list of must-haves, and at the top of mine was location. No surprise there, but my criteria were different from some. Specifically, I wanted a location that was walkable. Sure, I wanted a neighborhood where I could take my daily walks. But I also wanted an area where I could walk to things: the grocery store, shopping, restaurants. In short, a place where I can get around on foot - and without a car - if I need or want to.

Finding that neighborhood turned out to be harder than I thought. First was the task of communicating to my realtor what I wanted and why. It's not the most typical request, so that took some doing. We looked at several homes in areas with walking trails and greenways. I could walk for miles around the neighborhood, but if I wanted to go to the grocery store, I'd have to cross a 5-lane road or a highway with no crosswalks. I know that other areas of the country are more pedestrian-friendly, but where I live (as in many places), it's a car-centric culture. The only way to get to many places is by automobile.

My desire to walk around town is a foreign concept to many. The good news it's that it's not impossible: I found a house that fits the bill, and I moved in last month. The process, though, was enlightening for me, and it's made me more interested in pedestrian safety and walkability. We have a long way to go around here if we want to be welcoming to walkers. But I think it's ultimately worth it.

Obesity in the U.S.

A report was released recently about what is being increasingly called the "epidemic of obesity" in the United States. It's not exactly big news, in the sense that it's probably not surprising to most people. Like many, I've had my own struggles with obesity. I've finally moved off the "obese" part of the BMI rankings, but I'm still officially "overweight," so this is something I think about a lot.

What I wonder about most of all, though, is what can be done about this epidemic. The folks who released the study have proposals of their own, including increasing government spending and focusing resources on healthy programs. That's all well and good, and obviously with a problem this large and affecting so many people, it needs as much attention as it can get. But what to do on a much smaller level: individuals, families, friends and workplaces? I know that my company occasionally talks about issues of health and fitness, but what does that really mean? If they were truly committed to encouraging their employees to follow or pursue a healthy lifestyle, I have to wonder if they would do more - like remove the junk good from the vending machines, or at least provide some healthy options. They could provide showers for those who bike or walk to work. Or (gasp!) provide financial incentives to those who lose weight or take other steps to be healthy.

But the responsibility isn't just corporate, it's personal. So what's a family or an individual to do? Parents can strive to set a good example for their kids by eating more fruits and vegetables, and foods rich in whole grains. We can choose active options for family get-togethers: going for a walk or a bike ride. But I also know that there's a place here for personal responsibility. I was at a seriously unhealthy weight for a long time before I finally decided to do something about it. I made my own choices, and I paid the prices for the bad ones. I had to get to the point where I wanted to lose weight for me, to make the effort to live a healthier life because it was what I wanted. And there's no government program that could make me do that; I had to do it for myself.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

North Carolina, where I live, is having a heat wave: highs this week have topped 100 a couple of times, with more promised. I walk in the mornings before work, and yesterday when I stepped outside at 5:45am, it was 80 degrees. I mean, that was the low temperature for the day. Plus it had rained a few hours before, so it was downright steamy out. One of those days when you feel a wall of stickiness when you walk outside.

Now I don't know about you, but I sweat. I don't glisten, or perspire in some sort of elegant, ladylike way. I sweat. By the time I got back from my 3 mile walk, I was soaked from head to toe. So what do I learn from days like this?

1. Walking early is the best solution. I'm lucky, because I'm a morning person. But even if I wasn't, there's no way I'd be walking at the end of the day when it's 90+ degrees out.

2. Tech fabrics are great. They don't keep you from sweating, but they do help the sweat evaporate more quickly, thus keeping you cooler.

3. You hear this a lot on hot day, but hydration is important. As much as I sweat, I can lose a lot of fluids on days like yesterday.

Another Race

After lots of pondering, I've decided to take the plunge and register for another half-marathon. This will be my 4th half altogether. It's the City of Oaks Half-Marathon in Raleigh, NC, and takes place in early November.

The main reason I've hesitated to do another race is because I've been trying harder to lose weight. In my experience, it's tough to train and concentrate on weight loss. For me, one of the biggest issues is my eating after the long training walks on weekends. I'm absolutely ravenous for the rest of the day after most of them, and I find that I can easily justify eating anything in sight: "Gee, I just walked 10 miles, so I can eat those 5 brownies." Obviously, the math doesn't add up, and calories consumed aren't outweighed by the calories burned. So I have to really watch myself on the weekends, even more than usual.

I decided to go ahead with the race, though, mainly because the discipline that training requires is a good thing for me. It provides structure to my workouts, and provides a goal I can work toward. So I'm going to give it the old college try, and hope for the best. We'll see how it goes.