As I often do, I took a very long walk the other day. Autumn mornings are among my favourite times to walk as the sky is a brilliant blue, the air is cool, and a bright sun brings warmth and a promise that the day will be beautiful. As I laced up my hiking shoes I reminded myself how very lucky I am to have endless trails just beyond my back fence. I can choose to walk through the parks and neighbourhoods of my suburban home, or I can make my way down to the bottom of the coulee and walk along the river, or I can go into the forest, sheltered by a canopy of trees, full of the ever-changing wonder of the seasons.
As I laced up my hiking shoes I decided I would make my way down to the river and then into the forest. I was in no rush and felt like a long, long walk. The morning air settled on my bare arms and I wondered briefly if I should return to get a jacket, but I reasoned I would soon warm up. In the shade, I could feel the cool on my skin; it was even a bit tingly and quite refreshing.
When I stepped from the shade into the sunshine, my arms were warmed by first rays of the day.
There are many runners in this city. Some of them are pretty hard-core. They have all the latest in running gear and are very dedicated to their sport. I admire these athletes as training for their half and full marathon goals is not easy. They must not only log the miles, but they must work on their techniques and timing. Some runs are LSD (long slow distance) while others are tempo runs, where the timing is varied with the distance. There are the fartleks, a fun sort of play with running where one runner chases another (or runs against the stopwatch), catching up and then trading who is the next to take off as the leader, a little like being “it” in a game of chase. All of these techniques help them fine tune their bodies so they can successfully complete what has for many become the Holy Grail of running: the full marathon. Having been a former competitive runner myself, I can appreciate all of this.
But I am happy to be me just as I am. Sure, someday I hope to run a half or full marathon, but only if these knees of mine can take it. For now, I simply slip on my shoes and I am out the door. There is no heart rate monitor strapped to my chest with its accompanying wrist watch to record the beat of my heart, only to signal back to me if I have slowed too much to be below my ‘target zone’. I do not wear a personal stereo with a play list of music specially selected at some pre-determined beats per minute to get my heart rate into the target zone, then move to the anaerobic zone, then back out again. It is just my shoes and me.
It is so simple, really. All that is needed is to just go outside and experience all that nature has to offer with all my senses on any given day. I like to feel the hilly terrain as it challenges my leg muscles to use their power to move me up and down the hills. I like to feel the crunch of the gravel path under my feet. Sometimes I like to walk on the prairie itself, through the ankle-high grass, listening to the soft thud as I strike the earth; it is a nice contrast to how my feet sound on the rolling paved trails. I love to hear the sound of the river, the wind in the trees, and the birdsong all around me. These are the sounds that remind me that the earth is alive, with a rhythm and pulse all her own. Best of all is when I walk fast and my heart beats its own rhythm, reminding me that I am alive. A simple walk, begun with just one step out the door, can bring much joy and optimism.
As I laced up my hiking shoes I decided I would make my way down to the river and then into the forest. I was in no rush and felt like a long, long walk. The morning air settled on my bare arms and I wondered briefly if I should return to get a jacket, but I reasoned I would soon warm up. In the shade, I could feel the cool on my skin; it was even a bit tingly and quite refreshing.
When I stepped from the shade into the sunshine, my arms were warmed by first rays of the day.
There are many runners in this city. Some of them are pretty hard-core. They have all the latest in running gear and are very dedicated to their sport. I admire these athletes as training for their half and full marathon goals is not easy. They must not only log the miles, but they must work on their techniques and timing. Some runs are LSD (long slow distance) while others are tempo runs, where the timing is varied with the distance. There are the fartleks, a fun sort of play with running where one runner chases another (or runs against the stopwatch), catching up and then trading who is the next to take off as the leader, a little like being “it” in a game of chase. All of these techniques help them fine tune their bodies so they can successfully complete what has for many become the Holy Grail of running: the full marathon. Having been a former competitive runner myself, I can appreciate all of this.
But I am happy to be me just as I am. Sure, someday I hope to run a half or full marathon, but only if these knees of mine can take it. For now, I simply slip on my shoes and I am out the door. There is no heart rate monitor strapped to my chest with its accompanying wrist watch to record the beat of my heart, only to signal back to me if I have slowed too much to be below my ‘target zone’. I do not wear a personal stereo with a play list of music specially selected at some pre-determined beats per minute to get my heart rate into the target zone, then move to the anaerobic zone, then back out again. It is just my shoes and me.
It is so simple, really. All that is needed is to just go outside and experience all that nature has to offer with all my senses on any given day. I like to feel the hilly terrain as it challenges my leg muscles to use their power to move me up and down the hills. I like to feel the crunch of the gravel path under my feet. Sometimes I like to walk on the prairie itself, through the ankle-high grass, listening to the soft thud as I strike the earth; it is a nice contrast to how my feet sound on the rolling paved trails. I love to hear the sound of the river, the wind in the trees, and the birdsong all around me. These are the sounds that remind me that the earth is alive, with a rhythm and pulse all her own. Best of all is when I walk fast and my heart beats its own rhythm, reminding me that I am alive. A simple walk, begun with just one step out the door, can bring much joy and optimism.
No comments:
Post a Comment