My son was cursing St. Louis' lack of mass transit again today. He's minus an auto, so he has to rely on others (me) for rides. He gave up his car when he moved to Washington, DC and got used to living without one, walking to and from work, using the Metro (subway) system there. All his errands were on foot - or 'by walk' as they say in India.
This same son had backpacked around Europe a couple years ago, before moving to DC. He walked, took trains, ferries, and bikes to navigate his way across the Continent. He fell in love with that lifestyle which he finds to be much more relaxed and natural than our national reliance on and addiction to oil. He's also spent significant amounts of time in India with his grandparents, walking around town on their errands and visits.
In a city like St. Louis, there is very little occasion for daily walking if it's not a 'recreational' walk. Oh yeah, you might walk a block or two from your parking garage to your office, from parking lot to classroom building, and, if you're fortunate enough to live or work with walking distance of our very limited Metro system, you'd walk for that.
Mind you, in our humidity, I'd need to take a shower AFTER I got to work. I've considered riding a bike to work, but I'd have to ride along a 4-6 lane highway, on the shoulder, to get there via any sort of reasonable route. People in St. Louis seem to be IN LOVE with their automobiles. Many people drive 60-90 minutes each way to work! If I could walk the 1/2 mile from my house to the main road and hop on a bus or subway to get to work, I'd gladly part with our second car or maybe even both our cars.
It's a good thing I like to walk. At least this way, I'm able to explore my neighborhood, run a few errands, and get to know local folks at no additional expense. Just found another 'new' trail that I'll share about soon.
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
FISHPOT CREEK
Turns out the scenic little creek I walked along last Tuesday is called Fishpot Creek. You can sorta' see where I walked if you look at this mapquest link:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Ballwin&state=MO&address=Mar+El+Lane&zipcode=63021
This link is even better. Apparently, I was in Mockingbird Park!
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
Next week, I'm going to look for Cardinal Park. Looks like it's not a far walk from where I park on Mar El Lane. Wanna come??
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Ballwin&state=MO&address=Mar+El+Lane&zipcode=63021
This link is even better. Apparently, I was in Mockingbird Park!
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
Next week, I'm going to look for Cardinal Park. Looks like it's not a far walk from where I park on Mar El Lane. Wanna come??
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
ANNGIE AND THE 'NEW' TRAIL - A BALLWIN, MO ADVENTURE
I found a new trail! And, a new walking friend. Both on the same day and walk. Lucky me.
Anngie and her King Charles Spaniel, Lucy, were minding their own business when I accosted them the other day. I had just found a great little paved trail and couldn't find it's name. Further, I wasn't sure where I was! So, as is my habit, I began talking to the next person who crossed my path. Enter Anngie and Lucy. Anngie didn't know the name of the trail, but she knew where we were and that the trail is about a half mile long. She and Lucy were headed in the opposite direction from me, heading back to the point I had picked up the trail. So, I asked if they'd mind if I walked along.
This little trail runs along a creek between two subdivisions in Ballwin, Missouri. I entered it from Flesher Lane and exited at its western end on Corral. I didn't take either of the 'branches', two foot bridges that crossed the creek and headed off into other subdivisions. The trail is asphalt paved and contains a couple of nice hills. And, it's just lovely - shady and cool. I felt like I was walking in deep woods rather than behind tract homes about a quarter mile from one of the busiest roads in St. Louis County, Manchester Road.
Anngie and Lucy were very pleasant walking companions. Our walk together lasted only about 20 minutes, but we got to know each other a bit and passed the time I needed to wait to pick up my son.
I plan to walk this trail again and search out others too. How did I find it? I had an hour to kill and hadn't had my walk that day. My regular Tuesday evening walking partner had to work late, so I chose to use the hour I needed to wait for my son to walk in the subdivision streets near where I parked. There were three cul de sacs and the trail 'head' was at the end of the third cul de sac. Had I not walked all the way to the end of Fleshman, I wouldn't even have seen the trail!
I've mapquested and called Parks Departments in the entire West County area, looking for trails like this one. I haven't had much luck. Either I'm not asking the right questions or these trails are not properly catalogued. If you know of a trail like this one in West County or anywhere in the St. Louis area, please post it here for me. I'm always looking for new territory to cover.
More on this tomorrow....
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
Anngie and her King Charles Spaniel, Lucy, were minding their own business when I accosted them the other day. I had just found a great little paved trail and couldn't find it's name. Further, I wasn't sure where I was! So, as is my habit, I began talking to the next person who crossed my path. Enter Anngie and Lucy. Anngie didn't know the name of the trail, but she knew where we were and that the trail is about a half mile long. She and Lucy were headed in the opposite direction from me, heading back to the point I had picked up the trail. So, I asked if they'd mind if I walked along.
This little trail runs along a creek between two subdivisions in Ballwin, Missouri. I entered it from Flesher Lane and exited at its western end on Corral. I didn't take either of the 'branches', two foot bridges that crossed the creek and headed off into other subdivisions. The trail is asphalt paved and contains a couple of nice hills. And, it's just lovely - shady and cool. I felt like I was walking in deep woods rather than behind tract homes about a quarter mile from one of the busiest roads in St. Louis County, Manchester Road.
Anngie and Lucy were very pleasant walking companions. Our walk together lasted only about 20 minutes, but we got to know each other a bit and passed the time I needed to wait to pick up my son.
I plan to walk this trail again and search out others too. How did I find it? I had an hour to kill and hadn't had my walk that day. My regular Tuesday evening walking partner had to work late, so I chose to use the hour I needed to wait for my son to walk in the subdivision streets near where I parked. There were three cul de sacs and the trail 'head' was at the end of the third cul de sac. Had I not walked all the way to the end of Fleshman, I wouldn't even have seen the trail!
I've mapquested and called Parks Departments in the entire West County area, looking for trails like this one. I haven't had much luck. Either I'm not asking the right questions or these trails are not properly catalogued. If you know of a trail like this one in West County or anywhere in the St. Louis area, please post it here for me. I'm always looking for new territory to cover.
More on this tomorrow....
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
ROUND OR STRAIGHT??
While walking on the track can be convenient and often easier on the body than walking up and down hills on streets or trails, walking in a circle can present a problem. It's too easy to bail out when you pass your 'heading home' point every time you go around the track!
One advantage of walking a trail or on the street is that one must get to the most distant point of the walk before turning around to head back home. That can keep us walking longer. Some days, it's just too easy to cut out that last 1/4 mile circuit when I'm walking on the track. While I might cut a street walk short, I can't bail on the whole thing just because I get tired or unmotivated.
So, if you find yourself becoming bored with walking at the mall or on a track, head for the streets of your neighborhood or a trail somewhere. You can find some routes in your neighborhood by using mapquest.com or mapmywalk.com. There might be routes in your area that you hadn't even known about. Your local Parks Department can also be a good source for information about walking trails near you.
My husband and I will often pick a 'destination' walk on the weekend. We'll pack up the dog and head to a lake or park a bit farther afield than I normally walk alone. There's even a pretty park where we can walk along a river not that far from our home. When we dedicate an hour to walking, we will get in AT LEAST 45 minutes. That's close enough to 3 miles to suit me! The hills help improve the work out too. Can't go wrong there.
So, walk at the mall or on a track if/when it suits you, but don't be tempted to abbreviate your walk because it's so easy to do. Commit yourself to a minimum number of circuits or X number of minutes for walking. That way, your're more likely to get in a good walk!
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
One advantage of walking a trail or on the street is that one must get to the most distant point of the walk before turning around to head back home. That can keep us walking longer. Some days, it's just too easy to cut out that last 1/4 mile circuit when I'm walking on the track. While I might cut a street walk short, I can't bail on the whole thing just because I get tired or unmotivated.
So, if you find yourself becoming bored with walking at the mall or on a track, head for the streets of your neighborhood or a trail somewhere. You can find some routes in your neighborhood by using mapquest.com or mapmywalk.com. There might be routes in your area that you hadn't even known about. Your local Parks Department can also be a good source for information about walking trails near you.
My husband and I will often pick a 'destination' walk on the weekend. We'll pack up the dog and head to a lake or park a bit farther afield than I normally walk alone. There's even a pretty park where we can walk along a river not that far from our home. When we dedicate an hour to walking, we will get in AT LEAST 45 minutes. That's close enough to 3 miles to suit me! The hills help improve the work out too. Can't go wrong there.
So, walk at the mall or on a track if/when it suits you, but don't be tempted to abbreviate your walk because it's so easy to do. Commit yourself to a minimum number of circuits or X number of minutes for walking. That way, your're more likely to get in a good walk!
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Heaping Helping of Humidty Laden Motivation
Ok - so how do we keep motivated to walk when it's this hot and humid?
How do we manage the extra time it takes to repair damage to hair and skin? Some days I have to shower and wash my head twice! I REQUIRE 'wash and wear' hair. That gets expensive in my case - a perm every 6 weeks and a haircut about every 4 weeks. Fortunately, my haircut standards aren't very high so I cut it myself between perms. My poor stylist has to deal with my hair-butchery. Just cut my mom's hair today as we're on the same perm/cut schedule - and we're overdue for our perms.
Anyway - back to motivation. Are you motivated to keep going? I find that my walks give me so much energy - like putting money in the bank. The more I walk, the more energetic I become. While I need an initial rest period after a 'wringing wet walk', my energy level soon zooms up and keeps me moving forward.
I had to work up to this. It doesn't just automatically happen. One must develop tolerance to the heat and humidity and build up endurance levels. You MUST start slow if you aren't used to walking or you're not used to the heat/humidity.
There's nothing saying, of course, that one MUST walk outside in the hot weather. It's just that I much prefer walking outside most of the time and I felt the need to improve my endurance and tolerance of heat when I first began walking.
Much the same can be said of winter walking too. Sometimes, it's just too cold (or icy or rainy) to walk outside, either comfortably or safely. We must each use our own judgment and follow our own preferences.
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
How do we manage the extra time it takes to repair damage to hair and skin? Some days I have to shower and wash my head twice! I REQUIRE 'wash and wear' hair. That gets expensive in my case - a perm every 6 weeks and a haircut about every 4 weeks. Fortunately, my haircut standards aren't very high so I cut it myself between perms. My poor stylist has to deal with my hair-butchery. Just cut my mom's hair today as we're on the same perm/cut schedule - and we're overdue for our perms.
Anyway - back to motivation. Are you motivated to keep going? I find that my walks give me so much energy - like putting money in the bank. The more I walk, the more energetic I become. While I need an initial rest period after a 'wringing wet walk', my energy level soon zooms up and keeps me moving forward.
I had to work up to this. It doesn't just automatically happen. One must develop tolerance to the heat and humidity and build up endurance levels. You MUST start slow if you aren't used to walking or you're not used to the heat/humidity.
There's nothing saying, of course, that one MUST walk outside in the hot weather. It's just that I much prefer walking outside most of the time and I felt the need to improve my endurance and tolerance of heat when I first began walking.
Much the same can be said of winter walking too. Sometimes, it's just too cold (or icy or rainy) to walk outside, either comfortably or safely. We must each use our own judgment and follow our own preferences.
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
WRINGING WET
While the heat and humidity continue pretty much unabated, I still managed to walk TWICE today. That's SIX miles, thank you very much.
This morning, while yesterday evening's cool front was still with us, Steph and I walked three miles at Des Peres park, up and down the hills there. It was a glorious morning. I came home to change then ran some errands on the way to spend a few hours with my mom. Ended up giving her a hair cut and having a nice chat. I was so energetic.
When I got home, I did laundry and other stuff around the house, including helping my daughter make some brownies, but got antsy. So, Sally and I met at the mall for another couple miles. I may have not made it to exactly 6 miles, but based on time, that's what I'm calling it.
Even in the mall, the humidity still gets to me. But, I don't care - unless I am trying to retain an acceptable appearance for some after-walk appointment. That's a problem for me on Tuesday evenings when Laurie and I walk and I then attend a gathering for about 90 minutes before going home. Those folks are going to have to get used to seeing (but I hope not smelling) me wringing wet.
Wringing wet is what I get from this weather. Drippy from the head down. Sunscreen running into my eyes (no matter how much they swear you can't sweat it off), burning and no longer offering any sort of protection. BTW - be sure to use that stuff if you're fair skinned &/or light-eyed. I've already had one skin cancer removed from my face!
Anyway, Steph and I are scheduled to walk again Monday after work. Wringing wet or not, I'm still going at it!
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
This morning, while yesterday evening's cool front was still with us, Steph and I walked three miles at Des Peres park, up and down the hills there. It was a glorious morning. I came home to change then ran some errands on the way to spend a few hours with my mom. Ended up giving her a hair cut and having a nice chat. I was so energetic.
When I got home, I did laundry and other stuff around the house, including helping my daughter make some brownies, but got antsy. So, Sally and I met at the mall for another couple miles. I may have not made it to exactly 6 miles, but based on time, that's what I'm calling it.
Even in the mall, the humidity still gets to me. But, I don't care - unless I am trying to retain an acceptable appearance for some after-walk appointment. That's a problem for me on Tuesday evenings when Laurie and I walk and I then attend a gathering for about 90 minutes before going home. Those folks are going to have to get used to seeing (but I hope not smelling) me wringing wet.
Wringing wet is what I get from this weather. Drippy from the head down. Sunscreen running into my eyes (no matter how much they swear you can't sweat it off), burning and no longer offering any sort of protection. BTW - be sure to use that stuff if you're fair skinned &/or light-eyed. I've already had one skin cancer removed from my face!
Anyway, Steph and I are scheduled to walk again Monday after work. Wringing wet or not, I'm still going at it!
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
Monday, June 22, 2009
UNCLE ??
How hot is too hot to walk? Depends on who you are and where in the world you are. Folks who normally reside in the tropics would have no trouble with the weather we are currently enduring in the St. Louis area. Right now, it's 96 degrees F with heat factor of 104. That's hot!
Normally, I'll trek in any weather. Although I look simply horrible, inspiring the need in others to seek medical care for me because I turn so beet red, during and for a long time after a walk in this type weather, I'll still do it. I stick to level terrain and leave the dog at home. Take plenty of water and end my walk if/when the going gets too tough.
But, if you're elderly, out of shape, heat-intolerant, or just blame tired, stay inside for your walk. You'll still heat up as the A/C just can't get all the humidity out of the air. THEN you have to go get into your overheated auto for the drive home.
Seems daunting - but don't give up. Take it slow and build up your tolerance for this weather. It can be done!
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
Normally, I'll trek in any weather. Although I look simply horrible, inspiring the need in others to seek medical care for me because I turn so beet red, during and for a long time after a walk in this type weather, I'll still do it. I stick to level terrain and leave the dog at home. Take plenty of water and end my walk if/when the going gets too tough.
But, if you're elderly, out of shape, heat-intolerant, or just blame tired, stay inside for your walk. You'll still heat up as the A/C just can't get all the humidity out of the air. THEN you have to go get into your overheated auto for the drive home.
Seems daunting - but don't give up. Take it slow and build up your tolerance for this weather. It can be done!
***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.
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