Walking: when and where

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Blondie
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Walking: when and where

Post by Blondie » Sun Jul 17, 2005 12:36 pm

I first wrote this post in answering Deb's question about walking--where and when I do it...but then I started to blabber on, so I thought I would start a new thing about it in case someone is looking for ideas...it occurs to me I should put it on the Urban Rangering board, but I don't know if Madame Deb checks that one, so, well, so there.

Caveat: my experience might not be applicable to a lot of you because...

1) I am single--my time is pretty much my own. Of course I have responsibilities and committments (uh, like work, volunteering, my friends etc), but on a daily basis I am not coming home to someone else, I don't have to shuttle kids to soccer practice etc.

2) I live in a city. Not only is it interesting to walk around (people, the National Mall etc), I live within walking distance of many conveniences, such as work, the gym, the grocery store etc.

3) I don't own a car, so my motivation isn't very hard--I never have to choose between the car and the feet. I do have to choose b/w the car and the subway sometimes, but even then I have to walk to the subway and actually getting moving is half the battle anyway.

4) I generally don't set aside time to walk for exercise. It's usually for utility. I think Reinhard mentions that this is how a lot of his walking happens--if I recall he lives in a city, too (duh, Urban Rangering--blondes, I know).

That said...
I do often walk on purpose instead of getting on the subway a lot, and I definitely have started walking more and Metro-ing less, especially since my knee surgery last fall when I couldn't exercise in other ways, so I definitely use it as exercise--and I definitely purposely figured out how far away various things are from my house...but if I walk for a reason other than to get somewhere it's usually with a friend or to enjoy the weather and bop around the city to look at the people--nothing very scheduled.

So, for example:

1) I live about 2.5 miles from work and I manage to walk both ways most days (unless I'm late or it's pouring like it was several times this week). So there's 5 miles. This is my morning "coffee," it's great to get the blood pumping--though right now it is so forking hot that I wear a tank top and shorts (and a hat and SPF 30!!) and carry my work clothes, which is slightly annoying.

2) I live a little over half a mile from both my gym and the grocery store, so round trip to either of those is one mile (and with no car, frequent grocery store trips are necessary for bag-carrying purposes!).

3) The Metro (subway) has stops that are 0.5 and 1 mile away, so even walking there can be 1-2 miles (if I have a little extra time but not enough to walk the whole way I go to the farther one just to get that extra 0.5 mile).

4) The public library is about a mile away--I borrow books on CD to listen to while I walk to and from work (right now I'm listening to a really long Bebe Moore Campbell novel--love her).

5) My hairdresser is about a mile away.

I'm guessing that this type of thing wouldn't work with your geography, Deb (I only have a general idea what Long Island is like, but DC is ideal to walk around in--always people and things to look at, no stretches of suburbia to get bored) and schedule (I imagine it's hard to do this with a child to shuittle around)...but it seems like there are things one could do without too much trouble--like parking a half mile away from your destination and take the extra 10 minutes on either end?

As for setting aside a time to exercise generally, personally I MUCH prefer doing it first thing in the morning. I am a morning person, so that's one thing, but also for me it just sets the tone for the whole day--I look better, feel better, etc for the rest of the day. Also, I am much more likely to decide I don't feel like working out (or running out of time!) if I wait until the end. I wake up before 6 on weekdays, and on Saturdays I am running by 7 so that I can make it to teach swimming lessons by 9.

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sun Jul 17, 2005 2:00 pm

Thanks for the helpful blabbering! I can't believe how active you are Mandy! You are awesome!!!!
Love,
Deb
ps... I check every forum... LOL...

cvmom
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Post by cvmom » Sun Jul 17, 2005 2:45 pm

Okay Mandy:

First of all, I'm totally jealous because you live in an awesome city!!!! I can't wait to take my kids to D.C. in the next few years so I can show them the sights.

Secondly, I would walk 10 miles for a great hairdresser!!!!! :D (We blondes know good blonde when we see it.)

Lastly, I read in a book called "You, an Owner's Manuel" that 30 minutes a day of walking is what we need to keep our hearts young. So you are keeping yourself fit and healthy on the inside too.

I echo Deb when I say that you are an inspiration. Especially walking after knee surgery. Most people would use that as an excuse not to move.

Dru

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ClickBeetle
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Post by ClickBeetle » Sun Jul 17, 2005 3:00 pm

I live in a "medium" city and walking is mostly pretty good here (Raleigh).

Some years ago I started choosing to live in the center of whatever town or city I was living in so that I wouldn't have to drive everywhere.

We don't have a particularly good pedestrian environment even downtown (missing crosswalks, no buttons for the light at many intersections, boring parking lots interrupt every block) but at least I can walk to the grocery store and to some of the offices I frequently visit on business. I am easily amused by things I find along the way such as flowerbeds, interesting stone walls, and the like. Also, I run into a lot of people I know walking or biking.

I walk around after dark a lot because it is so forking hot, as Mandy so aptly put it. Fear isn't a big issue for me ... I just stay on the streets that are well traveled and have activity. Anyway a woman is vastly more likely to be assaulted by a boyfriend or husband than a stranger, and I don't have a boyfriend or a husband. :D
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur

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Blondie
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Post by Blondie » Sun Jul 17, 2005 4:42 pm

Oh, I think Raleigh must be even hotter (but I seriously can't imagine more humid and swampy) than DC...I also love to look at the gardens and beautiful big houses if I'm ever walking in a residential neighborhood, like where my parents live. I imagine NC has some beautiful old houses!

I also definitely make sure to live in the middle of everything--and I sacrifice square footage for location, for sure!! As for safety, there's always so much going on, even late into the night, that I don't feel unsafe...especially because I am a straight woman living in a predominantly gay male neighborhood, so I could pretty much be invisible anyway :wink: Sad, but true.

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ClickBeetle
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Post by ClickBeetle » Sun Jul 17, 2005 5:50 pm

Oh, that is the primary advantage of those neighborhoods, to be sure. : )

When my cousin found out where I was living, she said, "But Betsy, you are not going to meet any straight men!" "Exactly," I said.

Plus, I can rely on my neighbor Sam for excellent fashion advice.

Raleigh is hot as H-E-double-toothpicks, but I would give D.C. the edge on humidity, what with the bottoms down near the Potomac River and all. We're humid too, but D.C. takes the cake. You are a real trooper to keep going in spite of it!

I love old houses ... there are some along my routes ... but most of the ones here were knocked down in the 60's and 70's ... hopefullly by now we have learned from those mistakes.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur

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navin
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Post by navin » Sun Jul 17, 2005 5:54 pm

I would almost have the ideal walking environment... I live about 1.5 miles from where I work... but my road is a semi-rural one with no sidewalks for a pretty good stretch, so I only walk it occasionally. However, there are a lot of "lesser" walks I do on semi-regular basis. For instance my bank is maybe 1/2 mile from my office, as are many restaurants and some shopping, so if I run errands during lunch at work, I can usually walk. Also, if I need to talk to someone in the office, I'll walk over there, rather than e-mail or phone most of the times. We have multiple buildings, too, and while many people drive between buildings, I nearly always walk.

This weekend has been good, though, as I'm dog-sitting for my parents so I have plenty of opportunities to walk. (Or run, or be dragged along, as the case may be... :) )

I try to do biking - I like to bike to work at least once or twice a week, though it's been raining all last week so I haven't done that very much.

ClickBeetle, thanks for the information about assault, I feel much safer now since I don't have a husband or boyfriend either. :D :D

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sun Jul 17, 2005 6:32 pm

But Navin! Don't forget to protect yourself against rampaging women who are after your pumpkin bread!
:wink: Deb

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