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How to Walk (12 miles a day)
- ArtWomb 4y agoI'd love to have this freedom. As well as a nice cabin up in the Green Mountains of Vermont to explore. But 12mi a day, and you're basically a professional hiker for a living when you include prep time and post prandial hot tub soaks for recovery ;)
- ketanmaheshwari 4y agoHey I understand the spirit of your message but you don't really have to be a professional hiker. The OP says it takes three and a half hours to walk 12 miles but could be easily squeezed to 3 hours. Then, it could be split. Half of this could be done in the morning and the other half in the evening. I would kindly urge you to consider this and give walking a fair try. It made a lot of positive change in my life. Best wishes.
- rootusrootus 4y ago> could be easily squeezed to 3 hours The fraction of the population that can sustain a 4 mph pace comfortably for three hours is probably small. That's a pretty good clip. 2.5 to 3 mph is much more realistic.
- phendrenad2 4y agoYes. I've been walking for a LONG time and 12 miles takes me about 4 hours. That's a lot of time out of your day, plus you likely won't have a lot of energy left for errands or whatever else needs to be done afterwards.
- wrycoder 4y agoAt that pace, you could leave San Francisco in March and arrive in Boston before the snow flys.
- mordechai9000 4y agoI'm a pretty fast hiker most of the time, and I find that my pace almost always works out to 2 mph once I figure in breaks and miscellaneous stops or delays. Like fishing out sunglasses, taking bio breaks, removing or adding layers, or enjoying the view for a few minutes. (Granted we're not necessarily talking about hiking.)
- rootusrootus 4y agoOn an unrelated note, this is the one detail that always bothered me about the Long Walk. It doesn't seem plausible. 2 mph I could believe.
- windowsrookie 4y agoYou're already talking yourself out of walking and you haven't even started. ;) 12 miles is totally doable, but start with less because you'll injure yourself if you don't walk at all now. Even just 15 minutes of walking is great. I am more of a bicyclist and luckily there are many trails around me. (I don't like riding on the streets) On a nice summer day I can easily spend 3 hours riding. If you work a full time 9-5, there is still plenty of time in the morning or evening to get a few hours of exercise in . (I should take my own advice here!)
- comprev 4y agoI'm a cyclist too and in the recent good weather I've averaged about 50km per day (split into morning/evening rides) during the week and usually a 70-80km ride one weekend day. Making the most of the weather while it lasts!
- ajuc 4y agoThere's no prep time for walking.
- subroutine 4y agoI know it's not really the point of this missive, but I average right around 12 miles per day at my treadmill desk. So for anyone who'd like to multitask their walking and work, I'd highly recommend trying it. After about a month the walking bit really becomes second nature.
- rootusrootus 4y agoI recommend trying a decently long slow walk first. The mechanics of walking slowly are not the same as walking at a normal pace. Some people get sore, some do not, better to find out before spending real money on the walking desk. Or be like me, know already from experience walking with slow people that I can't walk that slow and not hurt, buy the treadmill desk anyway, sell it six months later after giving up.
- subroutine 4y agoTo counter, try standing for a few hours vs. walking slowly and you will be surprised that walking is actually easier. Humans anatomy seems to prefer walking over standing. It's particularly obvious after those long moments where you are deep into woking through some code, where you totally forget to move for about 20 min. The treadmill takes care of that. So if you already bought that standing desk... https://www.lifespanfitness.com/products/tr1200-dt3-under-desk-treadmill https://www.lifespanfitness.com/products/tr1200-dt3-under-de...
- rootusrootus 4y agoI don't disagree at all. I can walk many miles at 3mph. At 1.5mph I'll be in pain pretty quickly. But if I really want to suffer, I'll stand for a couple hours. So I don't have a standing desk, either. I primarily sit when working at the computer. But every 30-45 minutes I get up and go for a stroll, even if just around the yard.
- subroutine 4y agoYeah I gotcha. Don't get me wrong, nothing beats sitting down to work. It's the best. But with kids I don't have time for the gym, and a stroll in the yard wasn't helping my growing waistline. fwiw my walking desk is set to 2.4mph, which seems to be the sweet spot between my natural walking speed and a pace that I can still comfortably read and type. Pretty much a linear ramp up from 1.0mph to 2.4mph over 1 year period.
- theuri 4y agoIt's also easy to hit this goal with a treadmill desk ;)
- TrevorJ 4y agoTaking walks with friends or colleagues is a vastly underrated activity and leads to some great conversations.
- stevesearer 4y agoIt is interesting how much more natural a side-by-side walking conversation feels than a sit-across-the-table coffee shop conversation.
- vladvasiliu 4y agoIt's true, but in a busy city environment, you're pretty much forced to form pairs. Because of the noise, it's very hard to hear what the person on the other side is saying.
- TrevorJ 4y agoIt definitely makes the situation feel a lot lower pressure to me. After all, the chief activity is taking a hike/walk, so if the conversation lulls it never feels awkward and there's always something new to see and remark on.
- zdragnar 4y agoI had a manager who (back when we were office workers) liked to do outdoor walking 1-on-1 meetings. TBH, I really disliked it, but not enough to ask to stay indoors. I found the noise and sights rather distracting.
- layer8 4y agoI always have the problem that I can either focus on the conversation or on the environment, but not both. When I concentrate on the conversation, I completely blind out my surroundings. Trying to repeatedly switch between both is exhausting.
- AlbertCory 4y agoLook up the word flâneur (or flaneur if the accent is a problem). Nessim Nicholas Taleb describes himself as one.
- bmj 4y agoI highly recommend Rebecca Solnit's book Wanderlust. She dives into the history of walking, and she spends a chapter on notable flaneurs.
- nsxwolf 4y agoWe have a guy in Chicago named Joseph Kromelis. He's been walking the city day in and day out since the early 1970s at least. All day, every day. Not homeless or mentally ill or anything, just likes to walk.
- gandalfff 4y agoI've thought about incorporating such long walks into my lifestyle but I'm not certain the benefits add up. Definitely a fun idea though!
- sleepdreamy 4y agoElaborate on 'I'm not certain the benefits add up'
- paulcole 4y agoHe wants to have done it but needs an excuse to keep from doing it.
- rootusrootus 4y agoMy interpretation is that GP is observing that the benefits do not scale linearly. Most of the exercise benefit happens after a relatively short walk. The extra two hours a day for a long walk is expensive in time, but doesn't multiply the benefits 3x.
- iso1631 4y agoDo you do any exercise at all?
- gandalfff 4y agoYes, I walk/run, but not this far.
- stevesearer 4y agoAfter walking to and from work for 5 years along the same route, I found that I prefer walking without listening to anything on headphones. Just thinking increases awareness of my surroundings, allows me time to process existing thoughts as opposed to consuming more inputs, and connects me to the people I would inevitably see on a semi-regular basis. Personally, I have found that 1 hour + is a good threshold to aim for for some really quality thinking. After about an hour I've already processed normal stuff about family or work and have moved on to deeper topics.
- danielvaughn 4y agoWhen I lived in NYC, my commute was about 45 minutes. As much as everyone hates long commutes, I found that to be a very ideal amount of time to decompress from work. It's different when you don't have to drive; standing or sitting on a train is much more relaxing.
- agumonkey 4y agoDriving is very stressful, and inherently risky (most people a cramped up in their car). Also, 45 minutes of walk is near ideal to get endorphins (AFAIK). I try to double fork my commute, either explore some new path or do some groceries so the 45minutes are not just walk/train. Right now I do bike - train - bike (but, surprisingly, trains are unreliable this month .. they're the one making me late :)
- mrtweetyhack 4y ago
- SnowHill9902 4y agoIt’s a mental interregno.
- citizenkeen 4y agoI started biking to work (only 3 miles) and after a year I switched to walking because I found biking wasn't giving me enough time to separate "home" from "work". Even during Covid, my wife would kick me out of the house for thirty minutes after work so I could decompress. The difference between "coming down stairs" and "coming home from work" were night and day.
- markus_zhang 4y agoI used to ride bicycle with my friend a few times every week 10 years ago. Now it's a distant dream. Both of us have families and full time job so barely getting enough sleep. Weekends are usually spent on chores or personal projects that never get finished. Those were the good days.
- kjs3 4y agoAmen brother. I walk about an hour a day, most every day, and do some light weights. It's the perfect amount of clear-your-head-and-think time for me, and makes me feel tons better. But it's a tradeoff about what doesn't get done (or that I push off on my wife & family) because I do it. The theme some folks in this thread are pushing that "oh, just take 3-4 hours a day...no big deal anyone can do that...you have nothing more important to do" is seriously defective.
- markus_zhang 4y agoExactly. It's always trade off. I actually don't spend a lot of time on my kid because my parents are helping a lot. That will change in a year or so and I'd have even less time. Just hope he can sleep throughout the night without waking up so that we can grab more sleep.
- Handytinge 4y agoThe sleep gets easier, and the challenges change to new ones every few years!
- markus_zhang 4y agoThanks! My friends told me that already :) I figured I'd probably have more free time when he goes to middle school when teenager rebellion kicks in. In about ten years.
- kjs3 4y agoYou will be fine. You aren't the first parent to do this.
- kevingadd 4y agoDuring my time as a producer at a game studio, the office was located in a little business park surrounded by grass and rivers and small lakes, with lots of wildlife and some hiking trails. We had a tradition of going out on walks every day before/after lunch, usually a couple loops around the park. I made a point of going every time because I found that lots of conversations would happen naturally during the walk and some of them helped me identify process issues that weren't being addressed or discussed yet - the sorts of things that people were afraid to complain about in meetings because it would make them seem like a whiner.
- woliveirajr 4y agoSometimes getting out of the loop and going to a coffee, to a walk, or anything that just makes you leave the building but keep talking with coleagues can make wonders for productivity.
- KineticLensman 4y ago> I found that lots of conversations would happen naturally during the walk and some of them helped me identify process issues that weren't being addressed or discussed yet I stepped up to a line manager role (to cover someone for maternity leave) so that I was suddenly line-managing my peers. We had always gone for walks at lunchtime and we very quickly evolved the convention that conservations during the walk were with 'old me' vs those in the office that were with 'manager-me'. This allowed me to vent as well, given that we all a fairly cynical non-corporate bunch.
- Mikeb85 4y agoI'm a big fan of walking (or hiking). So much that I moved to a mountain town. For one, creative inspiration often comes to me while walking. Second, it beats sitting on a couch. If you need added stimulation, go with a walking partner or listen to a podcast. Plus health benefits (not going to say it's an amazing workout depending on intensity but it's better than being sedentary) and it's fun. Yes, it takes time. Sometimes you don't have time. That's ok. It doesn't have to be every day. But it's something you can do with kids, parents, colleagues, by yourself, etc...
- mseidl 4y agoGet a dog! I have a high energy dog, we're out for 3x a day for 45-60 minutes.
- oska 4y agoI would reverse this advice. See if you're fine with doing frequent walks before getting a (high energy) dog. Too many ppl get dogs and then don't properly walk them.
- entropie 4y agoEasy to accomplish (at least for me). One word: Dog. I walk daily 90 minutes at least. There was a time (and another dog, but thats not the reason) where it was more like 120-200 minutes a day outside. I live in a fairly populated town in east Germany. We have a solid forest and lots of lakes around. Its great and like 20 years+ later I know most of them, but not all. My coworker and I worked like a year together at my place. He came around, we drank a coffee together and started working. Like 3-4 hours later, depending on schedule, we took a good 60 minutes+ walk with my dog. We talked project related things sometimes, but it felt never like "we have to talk about work", We were kind of friends so we had lots of other topics. Then back at my place we continued for 2,3 or even 5 hours. We had no issues stopping after 2 hours, but did often way more. We were very productive. We were a good match, but those breaks outside enjoying life (forced by my habits to go at least 60minutes outside with the dog) helped a lot not burning out and making room in the brain.
- perardi 4y agoA dog is also great for motivating you to get outside during bad weather. Well. I suppose not all dogs. But get yourself some retriever mutt monster, and strap on those snow boots. https://imgur.com/a/E8bPE5h https://imgur.com/a/E8bPE5h
- abyssin 4y agoSuch a lovely story. Thanks for sharing!
- rhodysurf 4y agoI am similar and walk my dog for about an hour before and another hour after work every day. It’s amazing how much you can think through with dedicated time and space to do so, not to mention physical health benefits
- astrobe_ 4y agoAs for safety, always look left and right when you cross, just like how your were probably taught as a child, really. Because of today's rise of mostly silent electric vehicles, and because of drivers distracted by phones sometimes, you should not cross "by hear", if it ever was a good idea (I used to do that), even if you have the green light. Be extra cautious if a large truck or bus blocks your view. Remove your headset/earphones in high traffic environments. The author mentions other (hostile) people as a potential problem, one could also mention wild animals or straight dogs in urban environments. I had a couple of encounters with lost dogs myself, thankfully they were not hostile. Advice on how to behave from "pros" would be welcome.
- swayvil 4y agoGay dogs, otoh, are generally friendly.
- imoverclocked 4y agoStrike another win for auto-corrupt.
- _Algernon_ 4y agoWhat's corrupt about happy dogs?
- astrobe_ 4y agoIt's actually entirely my mistake. Non-native speakers say funny things sometimes ;-)
- imoverclocked 4y agoSo do native ones :) FWIW, you speak English better than I speak anything else.
- stevesearer 4y agoAnother benefit of regular walking is that you grow more attentive and courteous to pedestrians when you are driving.
- smm11 4y agoPut one foot in front of the other.
- sophacles 4y agoPretty sure thats a good way to trip and fall. Need some variation on the other axes too.
- balaji1 4y agoGreat article hashing out the details of implementing regular long walks as a habit. However, it would be cool if there was a way to get paid for walking. That would motivate a lot more people, even if it is minimal pay. Walk-to-earn crypto game anyone?
- rootusrootus 4y agoFigure out how to convince coworkers to schedule all meetings during a specific 3 hour window each day, perhaps. On my walks I regularly see a guy who seems to either be doing exactly that, or he just has meetings all day. I've never gone past him when he wasn't chatting away on a phone meeting.
- balaji1 4y agothat's smart. We always had 1:1s where we would just step out and walk. In a way, it forced 1:1s to be 30 mins long. Now 1:1s have become "you can have 15 mins back in your day" lol. 1:1s can definitely be done walking, even if some of the other meetings can't be.
- wmeredith 4y agoNot outright payment, but there have been many efforts over the years to capture walking energy. One example I found after a quick search: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30816255 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30816255
- mr_november 4y agoCheck out https://www.stepn.com/ https://www.stepn.com/
- darrenf 4y agoSweatcoin are launching a token later this year. https://sweatco.in/ https://sweatco.in/
- dinkleberg 4y agoWhat service does you walking generate for others that they should pay you to do it? As a daily walker, I have to say it is its own reward.
- timerol 4y agoI find the anti-backpack mindset interesting, because I started urban walking after getting wilderness backpacking experience. I can't imagine walking around without a daypack, and I often bring it with me even when it's empty. On my morning commute today it held a Kindle, a spare set of headphones, and a plastic bag for when I buy more groceries than can fit in the pack. I'm probably not going to use any of those before I get home, though. Backpacks are magic for longer trips. Food, water, coffee, all go in. Unsure about the weather? Layers layers layers, all in the pack. I also use LL Bean's PrimaLoft Packaway (I own two, one black and one orange), and have a shell for rainy/snowy weather. Unless it's both cold and rainy, one of the two goes in the backpack. I've also never worried much about pocket preferences on my shorts and pants. I instead care about pockets on my packs. My current big pack is an Osprey Exos 58 (but the newer version doesn't have hip belt pockets or a shoulder strap pocket), and my daypack is an REI Flash 22 (with easily accessible side pockets, and a top pocket that you can reach with an awkward shoulder movement). Edit: The big floppy hat comment was absolutely spot-on
- bmj 4y agoI cannot deal when a backpack when the temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, for the very reason Arnade gives -- a sweaty back. I've been using a Nittany Mountain Works fanny pack on bike rides recently (the larger model will carry A5 notebooks, which is plenty big for my non-work commuting since I'm remote full time now). I guess I will still deal with a sweaty lower back, but that's better than my entire back. That said, I agree with you -- I could imagine walking (or riding) with stuff in my pockets.
- cheeze 4y agoGetting a good hiking pack designed to sit off of your back a bit was a godsend to me. I'm with you that I won't carry one if it's hot out, but I'll gladly carry a smaller pack all the time otherwise. Fanny packs are sweet, except the part where you're wearing a fanny pack.
- bmj 4y agoFanny packs are sweet, except the part where you're wearing a fanny pack. Yes, my teenagers were shocked and appalled when they saw it, and made me promise I would only wear it while on the bike.
- SamBam 4y agoFor creative inspirations, or even just thinking through a project in your head, a walk outside can be amazing. What's best is if you can take a full hour-long or more walk, and let your mind wander for the majority of it. You don't need to be actively thinking the whole time, that can actually defeat the purpose of it. But don't let the great be the enemy of the good, if all you can take is 15 minutes, and you need to be thinking the whole time, do that instead.
- werber 4y agoThis has been my norm for most of adult life, and I recently discovered Chaclas which kinda feel like a cross between Birkenstocks and Teva and are a breeze to walk 15 to 20 miles in. Highly recommend checking out their sandals
- hombre_fatal 4y agoCan you link to the sandals you’re talking about? Only thing that comes up for me are the misspelling of chanclas, the generic word for sandals in spanish.
- kingaillas 4y agoNot the OP, but maybe they meant chacos? (https://www.chacos.com/ https://www.chacos.com/) I have a pair and as an avid hiker and trail runner... I'm not sure I'd walk 15-20 miles in them. I have other better-suited footwear for that!
- Qub3d 4y agoMy family is a bit of a Chaco cult. We've climbed 14'ers in Colorado in them, my sister wore Chacos under her wedding dress, and I unintentionally ended up living and working close to the HQ. I personally have walked 10 miles in a pair, but it was pretty casual walking. Get them on sale, and send them in to get refurbished from time-to-time. They are fantastic.
- lkrubner 4y agoMost days I walk home from work. I'm up on 98th st, Upper West Side, work is down in Soho. It's about 8 kilometers direct, or I can go up the east side, then wander across Central Park, and make it 9 kilometers, or even 10 kilometers.
- chasd00 4y agoi walk a lot, not 12 miles a day, but an above average amount. Good shoes and good socks go a long way in keeping your feet happy. Also, i have pretty bad posture so i have to make it a point to not slouch while walking or else my back or shoulders eventually start to ache so be mindful of your posture when walking more than 2 or so hrs at a time.
- ijustwanttovote 4y agoInstead of walking, I bike.
- icpmacdo 4y agoI walked 100km in one day(22 hours) around Vancouver last month for fun, its feels strange have walking develop into a deep hobby.
- stardenburden 4y agooh wow that's very impressive How did you deal with keeping yourself hydrated and filled? Did you drink caffeine to keep yourself awake? I would love to try something similar when I'm in a new city once
- daenz 4y agoI got a portable treadmill in June 2021. I put it under my standing desk and walk at a slow/medium most of the day while I work. I'm at 723 miles so far.
- dhr 4y agoWhat brand/model did you get? I've been thinking about getting a small under the table one, but the reviews I've seen are pretty poor for many models.
- daenz 4y agoI got 2 actually, one for me and my partner, to see if there was any big differences. This is mine https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V7F8QYK https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V7F8QYK It's larger. No real complaints other than you can only tip it up against the wall on the heavier end, which makes it top heavy. This is hers https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0895DRWVY https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0895DRWVY It's a little smaller, but works fine. It's easier to maneuver when tipped up thanks to some omnidirectional bearings built into the edge.
- layer8 4y ago> Now that I am close to sixty, this is a really big deal, and partly why I walk. It is the least injury-prone exercise. I’d say biking is (in the right environment). It’s certainly easier on the knees than walking.
- Johnny555 4y agoThough biking for older people is probably more risky in the event of a fall. Also, walking is weight bearing exercise, which is supposed to be better for bone strength.
- dionidium 4y ago> I will end by saying, as a guy, I have never had any problems from other people. In all my years walking all over. But that it is sadly very very different for women. He's either only walking in exceptionally safe areas, he's very large, or I have a particularly punchable face. I biked every road in St. Louis a few years ago, which required biking every street in some high-crime neighborhoods. I was frequently made to feel uncomfortable. I was never attacked or anything like that, but multiple times it was made clear to me that I was where I didn't belong. And I was on a bike and could quickly ride away. I think I would have had a lot more trouble on foot. I remember being in a bar once and some guy started trouble with me for no reason and my buddy, who is 6'3'' and 250 pounds did not believe that detail, because "nobody would start trouble with you for no reason." To paraphrase Don Draper, "no, nobody would start trouble with you for no reason."
- devoutsalsa 4y agoI’m a large man and rarely get harassed. But even I can get mugged by the cops in Mexico. When in doubt, stick to well lit paths.
- lupire 4y agoBike gets a stronger reaction than walking, especially on roads without bike lanes. Bars have aggressive drunks.
- aerostable_slug 4y agoI would invert your statement and posit you were riding in very dangerous areas. Most of the US is very safe compared to St. Louis, Chicago, Oakland, Richmond (CA), Detroit, Atlanta, etc. Don't go to stupid places filled with stupid people doing stupid things and you'll likely be okay — and this includes bars after midnight just about anywhere. Nothing good happens after midnight, but I digress. I agree with you that it was a good thing you were on a bike and I'm glad you're here to post about it!
- exhilaration 4y agoDon't go to stupid places filled with stupid people doing stupid things and you'll likely be okay — and this includes bars after midnight just about anywhere. Nothing good happens after midnight, but I digress. I see we both watch the same YouTube channel!
- kendallpark 4y agoI've gained an appreciation for walking through very roundabout means. For the longest time I found walking even short distances insufferably slow and boring. I ride my bike--a lot. The distances and durations I cover have grown each year to the point that centuries (metric or imperial) are a regular weekend event. Boredom is always an issue when you're out for 5+ hours, but you'd be surprised at how much your sense of time can change if you normalize riding long distances. Interestingly, my mind's time-condensation for cycling never translated to walking. This year I branched out into winter ultra fat biking, which, as it turns out, can involve a significant amount of walking. In bad snow conditions one can end up pushing a heavy bike for hours at a time. The two races I did this winter had their respective all time worst course conditions. So, I did a lot of walking. This spring I've found myself opting walk to the gym and office, leaving the bike at home. My mind doesn't count the minutes the way it used to. I actually have no sense of how long it takes me to get to these places. I suspect the exaggerated stimulus of pushing a bike for hours through snow drifts has adapted my perception of everyday walking. I would hypothesize that the author's 20-mile weekend walks makes their long daily walks more doable. If you want to enjoy short regular walks, perhaps it would help to go out for a very long and hard walk from time to time.
- tapanjk 4y ago> If you want to enjoy short regular walks, perhaps it would help to go out for a very long and hard walk from time to time. Bingo. Adaptation can do wonders for our perception of an activity. How do you adapt? By pushing the limits a little bit at a time; getting in the zone of discomfort for a short while, and stopping before pain/injury. Lately, I've been trying to enjoy discomfort by thinking of it as an indication that my limits are now shifting in the right direction.
- oneepic 4y agoI think this article could use a bit more info about protecting against injury. For example, I'm sure a podiatrist or physical therapist would have a number of things to add about finding a good shoe, or insoles/orthotics, or muscles/fascia/IT band/etc parts to stretch.
- bubblecheck 4y agoI've walked about 12-15 miles a day for >2 months now, while homeless. I found myself unable to perform manual labor on top of the walking for any sustained amount of time. Extended fatigue takes over. For a sedentary/desk job, I suspect that maintaining this quantity of walking daily would be feasible, and beneficial, long term.
- shimonabi 4y agoI walk 2 km a day with my dog through a golf course, usually at dusk. I sell the golf balls for coffee money.
- pluc 4y agoGet a dog that requires exercise to not be an asshole. I have two Weimaraners, for example.
- winrid 4y agoAdvice: Get out and walk at least once a day, and try to look at things far away once in a while. Otherwise, if you're just staying inside as a resulting habbit of Covid, you can give yourself pseudomyopia (temporary near-sightedness) which can be scary (source: happened to me recently).
- mleonhard 4y agoI walk about 3 miles a day. I'm interested in trying sandals + socks. I'm concerned about exposure to MOAH substances in Vaseline. Is there a good alternative to vaseline? Shea butter? Do the Teva XLT2 sandals provide enough shock absorption for walking on concrete?
- metadat 4y agoThanks, I'd never heard of MOAH (mineral-oil saturated / aromatic hydrocarbons). Scary stuff..
- dredmorbius 4y agoRunners use Body Glide, among others, particularly for chafing thighs: https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/g37340104/best-anti-chafing-stick/ https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/g37340104/best-anti-chafin... I'm not sure what else would work for feet and toes, though asking on a running / distance-walking discussion would probably be useful. A chief problem is adding something else that irritates skin at the same time you're trying to reduce the problem. Cyclists tend to swear by bag balm: https://www.rivbike.com/pages/saddle-sores https://www.rivbike.com/pages/saddle-sores Ocean rowers and open-water swimmers also use various treatments against friction and salt rashes, though I'm not sure which specifically.
- js2 4y ago12 miles = 19.3 km. I've been following Tom Turich on Facebook for years now. He's just about to finish up his 7 year walk around the world with his dog Savannah. I think he was walking around 15-20 miles (24-32 km) a day, somedays upwards of 30 miles (48 km). http://theworldwalk.com/ http://theworldwalk.com/ Most updates are on FB, not his web site: https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldWalk/ https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldWalk/ Some AMAs he's done over the years: https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3m7erz/i_am_tom_turcich_im_160_days_and_roughly_2500/ https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3m7erz/i_am_tom_turci... https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/4sheeq/i_am_tom_turcich_466_days_10_countries_and_6300/ https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/4sheeq/i_am_tom_turci... https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/al1elx/i_am_tom_turcich_1036_days_26_countries_and_14000/ https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/al1elx/i_am_tom_turci... https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/szksev/i_will_soon_become_the_tenth_person_and_my_dog/ https://old.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/szksev/i_will_soon_be... The most miles I've done (walking and running) in a day is 105 (169 km). It was a lot. The world record is 192.252 miles (309.4 km). Okay, that involved some running.
- pbhjpbhj 4y agoHow many hours walking did you do to go 105mi? I'm finding that hard to believe. 200mi in a day, wow, but what's the record for walking, yours has to be close?
- js2 4y agoI was a little ambiguous there. It was a 24 hour race around a 1.5 mi loop. I completed 105 miles in a combination of walking/running, probably about a 50/50 split between the two. Stopped only to use the restroom and for shoe/sock changes. The race supplied food and drink. I've also completed 12 hour races (I get to around 62 miles/100 km), and I've done distance races of 50 miles and 100 miles. My best time for 100 miles is 23 hours, but folks complete this distance much faster, say 14:23:13: http://umstead100.org/index.html http://umstead100.org/index.html http://www.devonyanko.com/news/2022/4/8/umstead-100-race-report http://www.devonyanko.com/news/2022/4/8/umstead-100-race-rep... I don't know if there are 24-hour racewalking competitions, but 100 mile racewalks are a thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_(racewalking) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_(racewalking)
- at_a_remove 4y agoI was thinking of taking up walking again, despite getting stopped by police more than I would really like. But I considered getting some kind of MP3 player and have gone down the bizarre rabbit hole of trying to find out if those even exist now, do they use .m3u playlists, and so forth. I haven't had as much time to listen to my music and I am not a user of streaming services (I want to listen to what I want to listen to, rather than some kind of firehose of what someone else decides via algorithm), so this would be a nice time to do it.
- twodave 4y agoIf you don’t mind going with Bluetooth headphones, there are many watches out there that’ll store mp3s and playlists on them. Kill several birds with one stone and get a nice Garmin that’ll also track vitals, map your hike, and measure your pace along with being able to play music and listen to audiobooks ;)
- otikik 4y agoThey make it more difficult than they should, but you can totally copy mp3 files in your Android or iphone and use a regular mp3 player app to listen to your own music. Most phones these days have space to spare.
- balfirevic 4y ago> I want to listen to what I want to listen to If you mean streaming services like Spotify or Deezer, is that not exactly what they allow you to do?
- AlbertCory 4y ago> despite getting stopped by police more than I would really like. Really? I don't think I've ever been stopped by police just for walking. I did find, at Google, that almost every time I was out, someone would stop me and ask where the Google Store was. Weird.
- at_a_remove 4y agoHonestly, I think it is a function of being large and a bit odd-looking. Some big pallid dude walking the neighborhood just sets off something on the cop-dar.
- lnwlebjel 4y ago> My rule of thumb is to try and aim for consistency, and never try to change my total miles walked in a week more than roughly 30% a week I've read suggestions to keep it at about 10% per week to prevent injury. And more generally to increase in one dimension only (intensity, frequency or duration). Important to know as you get older ...
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- tibbar 4y agoI also love taking long walks on the weekends! I've ramped up over time to around 35 mile walks. I always take the same route, over the Golden Gate bridge and back. With this distance there is a heightened risk of repetitive stress injury, but you can help by increasing distance slowly and doing simple foot/ankle exercises during the week. Besides the potential for listening to music/podcasts, it's also a great time to call friends who may live in other places. Unlike the author, I do wear a backpack. I really like having all the stuff I might want with me, from snacks to Gatorade to jackets, etc. It can be very meditative as well. If you walk quietly for several hours, just focusing on breathing and walking, you can be in (almost) another state of consciousness by the time you get back.
- mrtweetyhack 4y ago
- squidbot 4y agoI used to be an avid walker, at least an hour a day back and forth to work, and long walks with the dogs around my home (lucky to live in a beautiful area in the PNW with close beaches and lots of trees, so plenty to enjoy.) I've been walking since I was a kid, as it was the only way to get back and forth to school and town growing up in the Berkeley hills. Though I resented it as a kid, I grew in to loving walks. I've been developing severe osteoarthritis in my knees over the last decade since I hit my 40's, and now it's so bad, I'm unable to walk more than about 10 minutes. It's had a tremendous negative impact on my physical and mental health, especially as it was coincident with the pandemic. I've "replaced it" with biking, but for some reason, it just doesn't do as much for me as walking did. I've gained about 30 pounds, I'm tired all the time, and for the first time ever, feeling a little blue now and then and not doing other things I used to enjoy (very mild though, my wife has major depression and mine is a blip comparatively.) I guess I'm a living testament to how important walking is. I like the timing of this article for myself. On the bright side, I'm getting one of my knees replaced next week, and the other hopefully in 6 months if recovery goes well. I am really looking forward to daily walks again and getting back to that healthy place I was in for so long!
- golemiprague 4y agoThe problem with biking is that people tend to exert themselves unlike walking which tends to be more leisurely done. The solution could be an electric shopping bike, the type they use in Japan or Holland and such places. Very comfy seat, upright sitting and much more relaxed ride overall. Another option is rowing which is much less strenuous on the knees, either outside or with a machine at home.
- squidbot 4y agoInterestingly, I just got a VanMoof electric bike a few weeks ago as part of a commuting program at work. I'm able to use it for leisure too, so I hope you're right.
- jjtheblunt 4y agoosteoarthritis correlates to all the walking?
- throwpp034578 4y agoI would like to read instructions on how to walk — on the act itself. Sure I have been walking for most of my life, but how do I make sure that I walk with a good posture, without slouching, without looking weird/with confidence/grace/poise/or whatever adjective is appropriate. I'm sure there are people who walk better than me and I'd like to learn how to do so.
- oska 4y agoSome of it is just maintaining physical awareness of how you are walking (which it sounds like you're already somewhat doing). But one actual tip I would give is to lead with your chest when you walk. Oh, and let your arms swing freely, with your hands facing your legs (not turned backwards) and try to place your feet down pointing directly forwards, not having one foot turned outwards, as I often see.
- runjake 4y agoBased on the author’s advice, I downloaded that Overdrive app and signed in with my library card. So far, every single audiobook I want to check out is reserved at least 6 months out and more commonly a year out. Is there some other scheme for borrowing audiobooks? I used to subscribe to Audible but it wasn’t a very good deal.
- themodelplumber 4y agoDoes your library also use other apps? For example mine subscribes to Hoopla so I have access to a lot more content above and beyond Overdrive content. With Overdrive / Libby I tend to sort by what's available, rather than searching for what I want. (It's similar to going to the library to browse shelves, in that way) Anyway usually the local librarians know the smartest ways to combine apps and such.
- killerdhmo 4y agoThe limitation is the inventory of the library you chose (bizarre and stupid) but why he recommended adding more libraries. Not sure if you have friends in other places you could borrow their card? The app I use is called Libby, but I imagine it is pulling from the same inventory.
- JZL003 4y agoI'm a really heavy overdrive user, and I wouldn't trust the waiting time. Join multiple libraries as well - the limiting factor is if the library has bought the book not the waiting time. Their prediction algorithm seems to assume everyone keeps it for the full 14/21 and many people don't. Also most libraries have multiple copies which speeds things up a ton Because the best secret tip is that overdrive doesn't encrypt their mp3's. They even admit it at [1]. I don't know about iOS but on android it's just stored plaintext in the android system. So you just get on hold for books and whenever they come in, download then, and don't have to worry about loans. I try to be nice about this and buy the book for author's books I've enjoyed because I want to support artists. But it's nice to not have the limitations of 21 days, especially for longer books Overdrive is trying to go to libby where they obfuscate the mp3s but they might not push it through Also don't discount text to speech. It's not as nice as a real narrator but I also walk 5+ hours on weekends and it's nice to be able to listen to arbitrary text. Google's TTS is pretty readable and has a generous free tier [1] https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/0004.html https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/0004.html
- volforix 4y agoI have roughly the same routine. However, I have been lucky to have two additional components on many occasions: * Super interesting conversations with my walking comrades. * LSD / mushrooms / MDMA. Apart from doing garbage collection on my subconscious psychedelics make thinking and talking much more fulfilling and satisfactory.
- ajuc 4y agoI started walking regularly (averages to about 9km a day) over a year ago. It transformed my life. I was walking a little bit before, but not regularly. Since I started doing it every day I lost 35 kg and got much happier. I just can't continue to be angry about anything after walking for 1 hour with a good book on the headphones. Now I'm usually doing about 5-10 km on work days and 20-35 km on free days. I skip if the weather is too bad but it's rare. For example I love walking when snow is falling as long as it's not the heavy wet variety. I agree that sometimes it's better not to listen to anything - you can recognize these days by the fact you don't actually listen to the stuff on the headphones. Then I just turn it off or put some instrumental music instead. As for where to walk - I prefer countryside nowadays, but that's probably because countryside here is very walkable. Small roads have pavements or the traffic is so low it doesn't matter. And the expectation is that people walk on them so it's pretty safe. There's only one road nearby that sucks for walking as I've learnt the hard way. Never again.
- Handytinge 4y agoA few questions if you don't mind. Did you change your diet and/or sleep habits too? What was the weight you dropped down from?
- ajuc 4y agoI started counting calories as well. No change in sleep. Walking pushed me into negatives (walking was 500-700 kcal spent per day and I was usually 100-400 kcal in the negatives). I started around 130 kg, now I'm under 95 kg, target is 85.
- Handytinge 4y agoThanks, appreciate it. Good luck on your goal!
- ChrisMarshallNY 4y agoI walk 3 miles, each morning (takes about 50 min). Here's a useful tool, for planning routes. A friend wrote it: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/easyroute/id605127860 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/easyroute/id605127860
- analog31 4y agoI normally ride my bike to work every day. When the lockdown started, I missed my ride. I heard about the "fake commute" where you pretend to be commuting but end up at home again. I made it a habit to go on a long walk every morning at the same time, to get my blood flowing and clear my mind. During the winter, while I do continue riding to work, I prefer walking if I don't have to cover any kind of real distance.
- DapperZoom 4y agoI've yet to read the article posted in the OP, but already want to chime in after reading some of the comments. I tend to walk 5-10mies a day, usually as part of my commute within San Francisco. One of the reasons I love this city so much is the walkability. I'm a fan of the backpack for a book, an extra layer, and in case I buy something on the walk, or in case I find an interesting read in one of those neighborhood share libraries. My wife will be visiting relatives out of the country for the entire month of July, so I'm planning on a solo trip to some town or city in the United States. Any suggestions on nice, walkable cities? I also like to visit bars and try and see live music.
- tastysandwich 4y agoWalking rocks! I walk every day, preferably with my wife. It works for me because I'm not a sit-down-and-chat kind of person. I can't sit still - I'm _always_ doing something. I just get ants in my pants and have to get up. A good hour-long walk is fantastic because it provides a long stretch of uninterrupted time where we can talk about, well, anything! Free from any distractions or time pressure. And strangely, I feel way more open to talking when I'm physically moving. When walking alone I usually put a podcast on, but most of the time I zone out and end up thinking. It's great because you can carry a long chain of thought and see where it takes you! And the minute I sit down - poof! - it's all gone. Nietzsche said "all truly great thoughts are conceived while walking". I wish I could say I had such lofty thoughts are the great philosophers. Usually I'm daydreaming about something useless. But it's nice to think I at least share something in common with them!
- jonnycoder 4y agoI was surprised to learn he wears Teva sandals for walking that much, but it makes sense with a little thought. My most comfortable walking shoes are very comfortable on the sides which means no excess pressure. Those Tevas are not restrictive on the sides.
- stardenburden 4y agoI don't like planning walks. In fact I think it's best to just go out and see where curiosity leads you. This only really works in urban environments, but then you can also drop the supplies and instead just take money with you.
- thefourthchime 4y agoI’m a big fan of walking. Most days I walk my dog anywhere from 2-4 miles a day. I’m no extreme walker. I have a day job. That said, it’s my favorite part of my day. If I need to think about things. Either personal or work related, I work it out. If not, I listen to podcasts, and learn more about the world or current events.
- jillesvangurp 4y agoCorona got me into a habit of taking long walks pretty much out of boredom. I now really enjoy doing that and build it into my schedule. I put some podcast on usually and just walk for 1-2 hours; sometimes longer. I also often walk distances I used to use a bike or public transport for. Anything up to 5km is basically walking distance for me. I'll walk it unless I'm in some kind of hurry. Fitting exercise into my schedule is usually tricky so cheating by turning part of a commute or a lunch break into a hike is a great life hack. And if I work from home, I do a fake commute by taking a little walk at the end of the day. In general, any kind of exercise or mindless activity (cooking, doing stuff with your hands, etc.) is great for resetting your brain. Also if you stop looking at cleaning as chore and start seeing it as an indoor fitness activity, you can basically multi task a bit: reset brain, listen to podcast, get some exercise and my place ends up getting some attention.
- georgeoliver 4y agoI love to walk, I think people should walk more, but I'm baffled by the logic(?) when the author writes, > Walking twelve miles takes about three and a half hours. Most people don’t have that time, not people with kids, commutes, and full time jobs. A more realistic goal is around seven miles, which takes about two hours. Maybe they mean spread out over the course of the day?
- akshatmittal108 4y agoI think the idea is to walk for a longer time rather than in chunks to engage in deeper thinking. If the purpose is fitness, then I agree it can be spread out over the course of the day. Little breaks in the middle also help in thought process but for me it usually leads to focussing only on the immediate problem at hand without allowing the thought process to meander a bit so as to gain a different perspective.
- ck2 4y agoWhile walking is better than sitting for three hours, if your heartrate is not getting out of zone one you are doing virtually nothing for your health. Jogging for 45 minutes daily will actually improve your health.
- FuriouslyAdrift 4y agoBest sock I have found over the years... Balega blister resistant wool. https://balega-socks.implus.com/products/blister-resist-running-socks/ https://balega-socks.implus.com/products/blister-resist-runn...