SLIPPIN’ AN SLIDIN’

SLIPPIN’ AN SLIDIN’

It began this week. With a mix of snow and ice and rain over the past week we now have an equal mix of walking conditions. This are not my favourite walking conditions but you get what you get. All we can do is adapt. I’ve switched from my light-weight walking shoes to an insulated heavier weight boot. These will be the go-to boots until spring, I expect, with the exception of a week of beach-walking in Cuba.
KAPPS is holding its final walk for 2014 this weekend and we finish up with the north section of the K and P. Hope to see a good group out. Of course we’ll try some snow-shoeing and some XC skiing but its not quite the same as walking.

Great walker’s gadgets
Here’s a couple of new gadgets:
First I got a terrific glowing arm-band at The Source for about $15. It has the usual combo of a bright orange glow or a flashing light. The strap is sturdy and the light is good and bright.
Next, I’ve been seeing a new feature in winter boots. These are reversible or snap-out cleats on the bottom of the boots. This relieves you of the hassle of carrying and strapping on ice cleats. I have no experience yet, but will keep watching for them. There seem to be a number of variations, with no clear winner in the technology.

Yours , on the journey,                           
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn

PS - No news on Thay as of this afternoon.

FAST OR SLOW

 

FAST OR SLOW
A fellow practitioner and I were talking about indoor walking and she commented on how different it was from outdoor walking , in particular that outdoor walking meant a faster pace, and seemed to her to offer less benefit for awareness.
In some respects this can be true. What I have found from my own working with speed-walking is, if you have developed a capacity for contemplative walking at the slower indoor paces, and have good stability to your attention, then you can bring that even to speed-walking. The only caution I can add is that to turn fast walking into contemplative walking, you need to ensure minimal distraction on the path. This means a route free of traffic, intersections or decision-making. You need to be able to walk from start to finish without significant distraction. Its worth a try, and can be inserted for 10-15 minutes in a slower or more complex walk.

Don’t forget the next KAPPS walk on Sunday November 23rd. This will be a lovely hike down to Calabogie with brekkies at Polly’s in Calabogie. For details, see http://www.padakun.com/this-months-kapps-walk/ 

We would be remiss if we did not extend our best wishes to our friends in the world-family of Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hahn. The 88 year old “Thay” is presently in hospital and stable. He has been a huge influence on walkers everywhere and was one of the main proponents of the kind of mindful walking we share with him. He is our standard quote source below and I know the Earth is holding him in a loving embrace today.

Yours , on the journey,                           
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn

PEDESTRIANISM

PEDESTRIANISM
This week I started into Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport, Matthew Algeo’s new book that documents the rise of competitive walking in the US in the late 1800's. Lest you think this is too dull or weird a topic for anyone but a walking-obsessed guy like yours truly, let me dispel that thought right now. I’m only about half-way into the book, but I’m totally captivated by this wonderful story of characters, rivalries and human achievement. We meet the colourful showman, Edward Payson Weston who transformed himself from an accidental messenger to the Father of Arena Walking in a few years. Bold and flamboyant in his velvet pants and riding crop, he set numerous endurance records, including the 500 mile in 6 day record that formed the basis of his rivalry with others, especially the fellow countryman, the taciturn Irishman, Daniel O’Leary. The two chased each other across two continents and in doing so gave birth to the whole phenomenon of arena-based sports entertainment. Who would have imagined thousands of people paying to cram into an old cattle hall to watch two guys circle a track for days on end. And we needn’t think this was a boys’ club, the book also introduces Madame Anderson, a similarly colourful character who typifies that New Woman spirit of late Victorianism. By coincidence, this same historical period also marks the rise of other sports phenomena like roller skating, baseball, hockey and virtually every other modern-day spectator sport, and the emergence of sports venues and journalism themselves.
The book is lightly written and not the least pedantic. The pace, like Weston’s walking style, is even and full of little side-amusements. It never rambles off the track, even when it introduces side-stories. Like Weston’s cornet-playing while he walked, this title announces the nearly lost history of a unique and important period of our history. Required reading for any aspiring pedestrian.

Yours , on the journey,                           
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn 

WALKERS AND HUNTERS

 WALKERS AND HUNTERS
I was out on part of the K and P a few days ago and was reminded of the uneasy relationship we pedestrians have with hunters. I was strolling along with my three dogs and enjoying the crisp fall air and sharply blue sky when I heard gunshots in the distance. This is not that unusual as I can frequently hear someone taking care of a groundhog or be aware of some of the duck or turkey areas that are near the trail.
This was different. It was very close, in an area I know is only active in deer season and I could not be certain who was out and what direction they were traveling, and more crucially, where they were aiming. Of course, I turned and headed back to safer territory.
I have no time for debates about the ethics of hunting, the rights of hunters or the whole matter of meat-eating. What I know keenly is that many of the trails I enjoy exist because of those who enjoy that activity and who maintain them year round. In policy circles they call it shared access or mixed-use resourcing. It means that we have to share these trails and learn to get along respectfully. None of us has more rights than others, none of us is more entitled. And we have to remember guns have one purpose - killing.
Anyone who walks has to know we have to remain alert on the trail. It can be for the dangers of either wilderness or civilization. This means watching for ATVs, cyclists, snow bridges, loose dogs, horse plops and collapsed swamp banks. If you want guaranteed safety, I suggest mall-walking.
In the meantime, for the next several weeks, we have to remain alert and cautious.
                           
Yours , on the journey,                           
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn