I Walked
Among many runners, that's a bad thing to say; but in many ways, it can actually be a good thing. After several days of significant foot discomfort, I decided to give my feet a recovery day. I racewalk, so even when I walk it's no stroll in the park. Yesterday, I took a stroll in the park - a vigorous one.
If park management is to be believed, the path I walked is 2.2 miles long and I walked it in almost exactly 22 minutes, so I was going at 10-minute miles or 6.0 miles per hour. Even a couple of hours after my walk, my feet weren't hurting. They hadn't gotten tight like they do after most of my runs.
Walking, when done briskly, can provide you with an aerobic workout that matches that of running, but without the impact loads that running puts on the body. What about calories burned? Well, the rule of thumb is that running and walking both burn roughly the same number of calories per mile. The difference comes from the fact that when you run, you cover those miles a bit faster than when you walk. Much of my running training is done at about an 8:00 or 8:30 pace, or about 7-7.5 mph. The aerobic intensity of this walking was considerably higher than that, but because of the reduced pounding, I could do it with less fatigue and without aggravating my feet. In terms of intensity, I'd estimate this to equate aerobicly to about a 6:40 mile pace (about 9 mph).
So, while for many runners, saying, "I walked" is a mark of shame, it shouldn't always be that way. I can consider yesterday's walk to be a sign of wisdom and honor.
"We know you're tough, but are you wise?"
- Coach Bill Squires of the Greater Boston Track Club
If park management is to be believed, the path I walked is 2.2 miles long and I walked it in almost exactly 22 minutes, so I was going at 10-minute miles or 6.0 miles per hour. Even a couple of hours after my walk, my feet weren't hurting. They hadn't gotten tight like they do after most of my runs.
Walking, when done briskly, can provide you with an aerobic workout that matches that of running, but without the impact loads that running puts on the body. What about calories burned? Well, the rule of thumb is that running and walking both burn roughly the same number of calories per mile. The difference comes from the fact that when you run, you cover those miles a bit faster than when you walk. Much of my running training is done at about an 8:00 or 8:30 pace, or about 7-7.5 mph. The aerobic intensity of this walking was considerably higher than that, but because of the reduced pounding, I could do it with less fatigue and without aggravating my feet. In terms of intensity, I'd estimate this to equate aerobicly to about a 6:40 mile pace (about 9 mph).
So, while for many runners, saying, "I walked" is a mark of shame, it shouldn't always be that way. I can consider yesterday's walk to be a sign of wisdom and honor.
"We know you're tough, but are you wise?"
- Coach Bill Squires of the Greater Boston Track Club
posted by Scooter at 8:30 AM
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