The Reluctant Runner: Walking turned up to 11

A friend of mine hit me with a harsh accusation at me last week. He said that I didn't seem reluctant about running at all. In fact, he accused me of sounding downright cheerful when I talked about it. The truth is that I still feel a slight sense of dread when I get ready to take those first fast strides down the trail. Every time. What I am cheerful about is how I feel once my workout is done. Once I'm able to get over the hurdle of just getting myself out there, I'm always rewarded with the great feeling that comes after the whole ordeal is over. When I received an invitation from my dad and brother to go walking with them, I was thrilled. I could get in a workout without getting over that mental barrier of running. Besides, this would be a piece of cake. After all, it was just walking. You probably won't be surprised to learn that I was whistling a jaunty tune when I showed up to the walking trail in Kingsport that runs along the South Fork of the Holston River. My dad and brother were just barely out of the truck before they were off like a shot as I scrambled to keep up with their pace. In the words of Keith Jackson, "Whoa, Nelly." My training is mostly interval training, which means I run for a bit and use walking to catch my breath. The steady, unrelenting pace I subjected my body to for the next 50 minutes or so challenged me in ways I didn't expect, and gave me a different kind of workout than I had done before. I had flashbacks to being a cub reporter in the sports department about 20 years ago. As the new guy, I looked at the schedule and saw I was down for a unique assignment one fall Saturday morning - race walking. That's all it said, and it wasn't enough to prepare me for what I witnessed on the brisk morning when I showed up on a road called American Way in Kingsport to cover it. My eyes were still bleary from a late night covering high school football when I stepped out of my car and happened upon a participant sitting on the curb. He looked like he was dressed to play tennis in an episode of Hawaii Five-0, and he was shaving his calf muscles with a disposable Bic razor to gain some sort of aerodynamic advantage. It was a sight to behold, but once the competition started, those folks were moving. And so was I, 20 years later, logging three miles at a sustained pace that gave me an outstanding workout. I'm still running (reluctantly) and will keep that up, but it was nice to find another workout to add to the mix. For all you brisk walkers out there, you have my respect. If you're still looking for a way to get yourself up and moving, walking briskly is a great place to start. As they say, sometimes you have to walk before you run, and walking is a fantastic way to push your health in the right direction. If you're out there putting one foot in front of the other, or looking for a way to get started, I'd love to hear from you. Email me at: dongie@sixriversmedia.com.