Everyday Systems

hey, does walking the track at our town's elementry school still count as "Urban Ranger-ing"? A few freinds and i are planning to take this up as the weather is nice now.

Well, that depends. Will you be walking *to* the track?

i "could" walk to the track, if laziness doesn't prevent it... it is only a few miles from my house....I love small towns...

Walking the track itself doesn't count as Urban Rangering. I just can't imagine Strider walking up and down a road, only to end up back at the same pub.

If you must walk and have nowhere in particular to go, make sure you walk somewhere interesting. There's a walking/bike path that goes all along the outside of our town, or you can simply make an excuse to go somewhere farther than usual -- for instance, I have a friend who lives a mile or two out in the country, and another who's at the very opposite end of town from me.

Make it creative, because otherwise, you will get bored of simply walking the track forever.

I just can't imagine Strider walking up and down a road, only to end up back at the same pub.

LOL!

Doulachic,

Walking at a track is great -- if you keep at it.

But I suspect you might not, because it's just not as interesting as walking to a destination.

By all means, do it. Especially if you've got social support (and entertainment). But I'd also keep my eyes open for opportunities for purposeful walking.

Reinhard

Since you can walk to the track just walk to the track, great idea!

walking there with friends great idea!


Taking the car just a mile or two to get to the track, bad idea, so save just save yourself the gas money, great idea!

went tonight and got in two miles!
I know everyone thinks i will get bored with track walking, but i like it because i am one of those people who likes details....like, i want to know how many miles i've done, etc. so that i can try to outdo myself...i'm my own worst competition!

also, i don't have to worry about uneven ground which is important to me since i have a bad back that i don't want to mess up by stepping in a hole somewhere....very small town here, some parts of it don't have sidewalks...plus it is another one of those mind games; if i know i am going to the track to do my hour of walking and can then get in my car and come home, then i feel good about it. like, i can leave anytime i want to (which i won't because once i get going it is hard for me to stop!)...but i am so busy with my daily life that for me thinking of just walking around town for an hour is really stressful...like it's more time consuming or something...weird, i know.

anyway, i loved it tonight and am planning to go again tomorrow!

That's the important thing though, doing it!

Competing with yourself is good idea too, i do it everytime i walk in the forest on the same trail.

Keep it up!

Go Tricia!!!!!!

Love,
Deb

ps... Wakawaka... Your screen name made me laugh.. Is it a clever double reference to walking and the loveable Fozzie Bear???
LOL!!!

Maybe you should find a Fozzie Bear avatar~

Actually, it reminds me mostly of this guy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakka

got a late start tonight, but did manage to get in 1 1/2 miles! yeah me! Will try to do an hour in the morning so i will have more time. I am loving to walk!!

Wednesday morning i walked three miles and WOW! Were my hip muscles SORE! So i took thursday and friday off to rest...back at it tonight though, got in two miles!

I so love walking!

Walking is walking, whether on the track or through the countryside. I like track walking because (1) no traffic; (2) no dogs; (3) even surface; (4) measured distance.

I don't like track walking for almost exactly the same resaons. I like dogs, I like traffic (urban ranger mentality), and an uneven surface and uncertain distance means it's never boring.

But whatever gets you walking...

Walking on a puzzle hunt is great fun, especially if you get lost easily...

You could set up a treasure hunt with your friends, each of you does some clues each week, and then the rest of you work together to go around town and find the treasures. Of course the treasure master for the week would have to walk with everyone else just in case the clues were too hard.

Example - there's a statue of some famous person in your town... so you say (for example it's washington or someone) "By George's feet something red will lead the way to the next clue" or somesuch....



And if you like, you could end up at the track.

There was a puzzle hunt at the company picnic this year, and it kept us outside, kept us away from the food part of the time, and had us running back and forth across giant fields. Good stuff.

I know it seems childish but the prize could be something like coffee for everyone and its a lot of fun

That's nice!

A puzzle hunt does sound like fun.

I do a lot of walking at our little town's track. I walk to it from my house, walk around 6 or 8 times and walk back. The good thing about our track is that there is a playground for the kids in the center, so when my son wants to go play, I can walk the track and keep an eye on him at the same time.

Bump!!!
Hi folks. What I started doing (to prevent boredom), is when I am driving around, I make notes of streets that go uphill. I found a really good one, it's pretty steep and it's exactly a mile long(according to the car odometer)-with no dips, it just climbs higher and higher. I did the hill in 18 minutes today. I use a heart rate monitor - I felt like I was walking really slow, but my heart rate was right on target. It was fun!!!

I like it... motorized reconnaissance for the foot soldiers. A way to contribute to urban ranger even when you aren't doing it directly.

Reinhard

Hi,

I live only 5 minute's drive from a wonderful, wooded walking trail that runs for miles & miles. One summer some friends & I met after work and walked 5 miles at least twice a week. However, when the daylight started ending before we got off work, that was no longer safe for us. Plus, the trail actually closes not long after dark.

The challenges I have with urban rangering are 1) finding daylight hours during Fall/Winter months as I tend to both arrive at and leave work in the dark, and 2) my town is incredibly pedestrian unfriendly. I once walked home from an appt at an office that should only have been a 20 minute walk. But it was harrowing and took an hour. I ran across a couple of huge intersections and walked in ditches to stay out of narrow two-lane roads without shoulders. It was awful. This is actually a great neighborhood - just not for walking. So, I do have to choose my route -- can't just set out and assume I'll be able to make safe passage.

In order to get daylight hours on the trail, I would have to walk on weekends. That would at least give me 2 days a week most weeks, and would hopefully compliment shugging on the N-days. Do you think it would be worthwhile to walk just a couple days a week?

Hi Orvette, yes - even if you can only walk 2 days a week, it is worthwhile. Anytime you can fit a walk in, no matter how infrequent it might be is good. We have to start somewhere, right?
Take care,
Nu