Walking for Runners
From Running Director Heidi Caldwell.
Walking isn’t part of my usual routine. I love running and hiking, but walking - not so much. The times I voluntarily “go for a walk” have largely been reserved for special occasions like family gatherings or city tours. Walking tends to leave me both tired and restless, without the thrill of running fast or summiting peaks to keep me energized. Put me on a mountain trail and I am good to climb, but strolling over smooth terrain? Not my style. Because hey - why walk when you can run?
Well, reality check: sometimes we can’t run. Currently healing from a recent fall and shoulder injury, I am learning to make space for walking in my life. No, I can’t claim that I suddenly have a passion for walking or that I’ll continue my daily walks after I start running again. But I can share that I have developed a fondness for walking, and why I think other runners may want to give it a try.
My initial recovery plan called for an undetermined number of weeks limited to minimal shoulder movement and zero running. However, unlike over-use injuries from running, this upper body ailment allowed me to walk about as much as I please. After one week of rest, I was itching to get out and move. So I fastened my sling and took to the roads.
Admittedly, the first few walks felt a bit like slogs. Despite having regularly run an hour or more prior to my injury, walking for 30-45 minutes somehow felt like an eternity. The first ten minutes were liberating - the beautiful freedom of moving outside! - but from there the novelty quickly wore off and the remaining minutes turned into a slow motion trek. I had trouble finding a comfortable stride while walking. I was frustrated by the feeling of going nowhere fast. Which brings me to my first key point for runners learning to walk: stop comparing walking to running.
When comparing walking to running, the sensation of “going nowhere fast” is, in essence, true. Walking takes you a shorter distance at a slower clip in the same amount of time. But trying to go as far or as fast is not only impossible but also not the point. In my one-armed state, the goal of these daily walks was to make the most of having two healthy legs, a recovering “wing”, and the ability to move outside. I had to shift my mindset and accept slowing down and being active in a new way. This touches on my second recommendation: make walking a routine.
Routines can be a godsend. It took much more motivation to get out for walks than I expected. Without the buzz of a runner’s high or a hearty sweat to entice me, I was less excited to get myself out the door. But I knew moving outside everyday is an important part of physical and mental wellbeing, and that if I didn’t go I would feel lethargic and uninspired. So I resolved myself to this new daily ritual: the mid-morning walk. I picked a destination, Hosmer Point Camp, to walk to everyday, adding extra loops or returning on the trails to mix it up from day to day. Having a route helped me settle in and stop thinking about where to go or how far to go. I eventually fell into a new, gentler rhythm with walking. Which brings me to my third takeaway: relax.
We runners are so accustomed to the grind of running. A day without this self-inflicted pounding leaves us with more energy than we know what to do with. But what if we let ourselves relax, and take the opportunity to slow down from time to time? As I got into the flow of walking, I began to appreciate the perks of this more restorative movement. I noticed things I’d never registered while running on these same roads and trails, as old stonewalls, and cellar holes came into view. I returned from walks with well thought-out project ideas and fresh perspectives. I didn’t hit a wall of tiredness half way through the afternoon. I learned as I listened to podcasts and audiobooks, something I don’t like to do while running. I didn’t think about fitness lost or fitness gained. I just walked, 3-6 miles a day, one or two walks a day. Some days it still felt like a slog, but more and more the time softly slipped by. I felt my legs growing accustom to my newfound walking stride and building strength through this time on my feet. Which brings me to my fourth and final point: trust the process.
A setback or change of pace is a time of growth. In the running sphere, injury or time off is an opportunity to discover new ways of being and moving through the world. Over the past month and a half I’ve learned to appreciate the gentle, grounding benefits of walking. I’ve also re-learned that a pause from the intensity of running is not the same as a full-on stop, and that both our bodies and our minds may be the better for it. Although it may not be easy in the moment, it’s important to remember these peaks and valleys of training are just a part of the process, and that switching it up will help us continue growing as well-rounded athletes. Six weeks in to my recovery process, I’m still practicing my daily walks and feeling grateful every time I do.
Whether you are a runner who is healthy or injured, new or experienced, I encourage you to take a chance on walking from time to time. No, it’s not the same as running, and that’s exactly the point. Let yourself slow down, look around, and go with the flow. You might be surprised by how refreshed and strong you wind up feeling.
