Labels

canal (6) heroines (22) memoir (12) poems (3) time to go (2) walking (22)

This Blog's Focus, or lack there of

Edith Wharton said "There are two ways of spreading light ...To be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it." That's what this blog is about, how the light of other people and the world around me have reflected off and in me. . .or other things when I need to write about other things, like walking, lizards, or fruit. There will be pictures of plants. All pictures are taken by me, unless noted.

I say what's on my mind, when it's there, and try to only upload posts that won't hurt or offend readers. However, readers may feel hurt or offended despite my good intentions. Blog-reading is a matter of free choice, that's what I have come to love about it, so if you are not pleased, surf on and/or leave a comment. I welcome any and all kind-hearted commentary.

It's 2012 and my current obsessions are writing and walking, sometimes at the same time. And books. I'm increasingly fascinated by how ebooks are transforming the physical book, forcing it to do more than provide printed words on a page.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

New Year's Calculations

I resolved this year to walk every day, which really means to go on a walk every day. So far, so good. I added a new ap to my phone to help me keep track of my progress. It's called walkmeter. According to the ap, I walked 12.33 miles at an average pace of 17:57 minute miles. Somehow in my flat neighborhood I managed during the week to ascend 53 feet, yet descend 54, so by the end of the year I will be 52 feet below where I started. . .

I also went to an athletic shoe store and had some analysis done on my feet, stance, and gait. Lots of graphs and colors. I joined their club, bought some shoes, a bell was rung. It felt like smoke and mirrors, but my feet are happy with my new shoes, insoles, and fancy socks. I am willing to go along with some degree of hoodwinkery, if in the end I have happy feet.

After one week of walking (on average 1.54 miles per day), I can tell already that I will need to concoct some extra complication to keep me interested. Some experiments or assignments. I heard on the radio (NPR Costas Karageorghis, a sports psychologist at Brunel University in London) that listening to music while you exercise can enhance your performance. Might try that for a week. Question: will I walk better or will I get mugged or hit by a car while wearing earbuds?

Maybe one week, I will go on protest marches every day, carry hand-made signs declaring my unhappiness with some thing or another. Or go on walk-athons. Pull out my old Save-the-Whales pendant. Wear tube socks.

For this first week the goal was not to fail in the first week. Not sure what I'll do next week. Maybe walk with my son's dog who has spent every day since Christmas stealing our holiday treats off the counter. So far she has consumed an entire bag of reindeer kibble, a handful of Peppermint Patties, a batch of cookies, and one of those chocolate oranges (dog owners, worry not, she does not get sick when she eats chocolate).

I welcome other suggestions.




1 comment:

Yolande said...

2 suggestions: 1. Take a different route each day and see how many permutations you can do to traverse the neighbourhood. 2. invite someone new along and try and walk in silence.