The Renaissance Man's Sneakers Weeb Site: The Zen of Walking

	The Renaissance Man's Sneakers Weeb Site
	The Zen of Walking

For many people, walking is much more than a way to get from here to there. Walking is how they see the world, get some sane exercise and connect with nature. For others, walking is the shortest distance between stress and a meditative state—one that helps them deal with problems and energizes them throughout the day. "If you let it, walking just gobbles up your worries," says Shirley Dockstader, a masters-level racewalker.

Even if you're not competing, walking can set you in a rhythm that seems to generate energy instead of draining it, Dockstader says. "You feel like it's no longer your muscles moving you through space, but energy; that's when you know you're in the zone."

Perhaps more than other land-loving sports, walking allows your body to maintain a close connection to the earth, Dockstader says. Running actually breaks your connection with the ground. For a moment you are actually suspended over the earth before landing with a jarring motion and being reconnected to it. Racewalking does just the opposite, she explains. When you racewalk you just roll, and you never break your connection to the earth. "When you get smooth and good at walking and your body is moving naturally, it's really a roll—like a wheel that is constantly cycling energy through the body."

Don't just take one professional's word for it. There is a physiological reason for these feelings. When they hit the zone, some walkers and coaches refer to it as catching their second wind, according to Shelly O'Brien, a multisport instructor and health and fitness consultant. When you start out, you're aware of each step you take, then, as you get into your workout, each step gets easier until you feel as if you're not putting much effort into it at all. And when you hit the zone, there's unparalleled joy. "I find myself singing at the top of my lungs if no one's around when I hit that perfect rhythm," Dockstader says. "There are all kinds of things you can to celebrate it."


		© Ragnar Torfason 2005 June 28