Walking can be trans-formative. Here are real examples of how walking can change your life…
Health – walking is one of the most healthy exercises. You use more muscles walking than running. Walking is also lower impact than running and over all walkers incur a lower percentage of serious injuries.
Many studies have been done that indicate walking is good for your heart, lungs, weight control and more.
Friends – Walking is a great activity you can do with friends. You might also make new friends that are avid leisure, power or race walkers. I have made many new friends through walking and running. During COVID it is also an activity you can do if you insure proper social distancing and when in close proximity wear a mask.
Competition – If you happen to be competitive, like me, walking is a great sport. There are many 5k’s you can participate in with runners and walkers. Local 5k’s are fun and even if you walk a comfortable 20 minutes per mile… if you finish you are a WINNER! When I walk/run a 5k I cheer on every walker or runner at the finish line. Often it is the folks that happen to finish near or at the end that get the biggest cheers from the crowd. I promise you no one will laugh no matter where you finish. All finishers are winners.
If you enjoy competing and train properly you will become a faster walker you will likely finish ahead of at least half the runners in the field while racewalking or fast power walking! I have finished as high as 18th place walking against runners 200 – 425+ runners of all age groups. Most often, I either win gold or silver medals in my age group and many younger age groups either by walking the entire 5k or mixing in some running. The wonderful thing is when mixing walking and running you will enjoy your races far more than entirely running them. Lots more detail about how you can walk – run races on the web site.
If you become very fast you can quickly compete in USATF or Masters Local, Regional and National championships as I do. They are a blast. Although you will compete with walkers in your age group there will also be younger and faster walkers in these championship events.
In many of my national races I have competed with national champions from around the globe and U.S. Olympians! I did not beat them but it is cool to be in their company. You will pick up tips just watching them warm-up.
The first time I raced with Maria Michta who is an amazing U.S. Olympian I was a rookie racewalker in my first USATF National Championship 10k. I introduced myself before the race and my one question to her was, when you lap me on the course, do you want to pass on the inside lane or an outer lane… she laughed and said the inside lane. She lapped me twice and won the race against all men and women. I like to think I lowered her finish time by 3 seconds giving he the inner lane. I happily won my age group. Everyone went home happy.
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