Get a Wiggle On . . . evolves.

Hey you, half-marathoner, 5K-er, half-miler, and most importantly . . . WALKER!

You’ve likely noticed that this blog is a little bogged down. Sorta rhymes and I like rhyming, so keep watching for more. Never know what’s in store. Anyway, I digress. I began this blog to write out the thoughts I’d been collecting for a book, which became an e-book and then morphed into this blog, and now we’re back to the e-book stage. So……stay tuned. Hoping for a January 2011 release.

In the meantime, I’m shifting the focus to walking. Women who walk. Women who walk fast, slow, languidly, quickly, women who walk with purpose and dreams, women who carry inside them all the memories of good, sorrowful, poignant, hurtful, yummy, and, and, and….the list goes on of the memories that live inside each of us. Those memories go with you on a walk. They color and flavor your every step and your every interpretation of what you see.

Kate Fischer, Managing Owner of Edge

Also, to put in a plug for my new gig at Edge Performance Fitness. Edge is not your average gym. In fact, it’s about as unaverage as you can get. Inspired by Kate Fischer, woman of extreme vision, Edge is really a place to come and get an unusual gym experience. If you’re sick of the big screen TVs blaring and the spandex pick-up scene, well……this might just be your sophisticated alternative. You can go to their website and learn more, but just know it’s hard to feel it unless you’re there.

I am at Edge on Wednesdays giving Feldenkrais® lessons on how to take care of yourself while you’re keeping fit. Think of it as building foundations for fitness. Email me to schedule, kim@kimcottrell.com. Edge Members get 1/2 price lessons for July and August so get on over here!!

And, super fun for me . . . I’ll be doing a 2-hour workshop at Edge on September 12, 3-5, Feldenkrais Foundations for Fitness. $25 for non-members, $15 for members.

It’s a new day, a new moment, a new second. Let’s seize as many of them as we can, what say you?

And, now to the walk . . .

Get a Wiggle On . . . revisits old injuries and pacing.

Most of us have some ache or pain that was there before we began our walking practice. Maybe it was a sprained ankle in our teens or 20’s, maybe it was a series of sprains. Maybe we’ve had a broken bone or accident that shifted the way we move and use our skeletal system. Always, there are ways to work around these issues. But, not if we ignore them and push on.

Pushing through the pain is disrespectful and detrimental to our goals and our well-being. However, regardless of how much we are aware that we’ll get farther if we take it easier, it’s irresistible to push. We’ve been conditioned and taught to not pay attention to the physical self. Often, we are dissociated and not in touch with our own experience.

Pushing through pain is compulsive.

In my worldview, pushing is over-rated. We’ve pushed ourselves our whole lives and where did it get us? We need to ease off and back up to get where we want to go. We need to find the respect for ourselves that lies hidden behind the history of our actions. Dust it off and come at the project from a place of paying attention, having fun, and relaxing.

Who cares how fast you walk? Who cares how much you weigh? Neither of these things makes or breaks a walker. I’ve seen skinny walkers drop out, I’ve seen heavy walkers sail through, I’ve seen fast walkers get injured and slow walkers surprise themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I’m speaking in generalities. There are thoughtful, fast, skinny people, and checked-out, slow, and heavy people. Slow people can be skinny. Fast people can be heavy.

What is most important is that the tactics match and support the goal of being out there for the distance and for completing the event. If that is the goal, then everything else becomes secondary and respect for the self becomes primary.

Get a Wiggle On . . . teacher relearns to wiggle.

I just posted this to my A Healthy Stepmother blog, but realized it’s just as pertinent for this column.

A couple of months ago, I started having pain in my left ankle when I took a step. It wasn’t too annoying and I carried on with my half-marathon training walks. I got tired after a walk, but recovered quickly. Gradually, over the weeks and as the mileage increased, the pain intensified and it didn’t go away so quickly. My ankle began to hurt when I wasn’t walking. I began to wince when I took a step.

Then, two weeks ago, I realized my world had reduced to thinking of my ankle. It bothered me and I iced. I took an anti-inflammatory and iced again. I walked and iced. I iced and rested. Still I hurt. I iced. My ankle winced.

Yesterday, I went to the chiropractor and she looked at my foot and ankle and decided they were a little off, but mostly she was impressed by how twisted my sacrum was. After she did some gentle manipulations, I left the office feeling like something was really different.

As I walked the dogs this morning without a limp, I recognized that I had over-focused on my ankle. So much so that I hadn’t noticed that I’d quit moving my hip when I took a step. On the right side, my hip swayed when I took a step and on the left it was as if I had a leg that didn’t bend. With my sacrum untwisted, I could step down and sway to the left when I stepped on that foot.

The experience made me think of being in a stepfamily when things aren’t going right. Naturally, I focused on the  stuff that irritated. Often, I’d try to see if I could better the situation. Nothing changed. In fact, it often got worse. I hurt. I winced. It was not fun.

My world narrowed down to focusing on the irritations. They seemed huge and painful and they grew more and more irritating. Thinking of ways to make irritating things better took up a lot of time in my life. I became exhausted and unhappy. When I finally let go of even thinking of those things as irritating, when I finally paid attention to the other equally important things in my life, especially the ones I had control over, the pain went away. Almost overnight.

That was the same story with my ankle. When I stopped holding my left leg still when I took a step, my hip swayed and the pressure on my ankle decreased. I’m not as uncomfortable. I can feel the looseness and flexibility in my gait. There’s still a twinge or ache as the new pattern settles in to something more familiar, but the pain is about ten percent of what it was.

It was a good reminder for me to hold things gently, including the pain, especially the irritations.

Adjust Your Workout, Adjust Your Mind

Tinkering with your mileage is one way to adjust the workouts to suit your physical or mental comfort from day-to-day. You can go a little less when you’re feeling sluggish, a little more when you’re the speedster. You could even split your walk into two parts on some occasions. That’s probably not a good idea for long-term results, but now and then, it’s not going to hurt. However, if there were no other choice than to do part of the walk in the morning before work and part of it after work, then do so. Later, during your long walks you can watch to make sure you’re body is managing the long distances adequately.

Adjusting your mental comfort might be a different proposition entirely, but even a crummy mood can’t mar the beauty of walking. Regardless of how cranky, upset, sad, frustrated, or moody you are, if you get out the door and do the first 30 minutes of your walk, you’ll feel better immediately. That is, if you let yourself. Walking is a salve to the nervous system. It is rhythmic, it is comforting. When you are in one of those yuk moods, enter into your walk slowly and let the walk do it’s magic.

Resist the urge to rush yourself. Resist the urge to push through the bad mood to get to something better. Trust and respect those moods. They have something to tell you. If you listen, make some notes on what is there, and then give yourself over to the walk, you might be surprised what comes up besides peace of mind. I’ve done some of my most productive problem-solving when out walking and some of my deepest grieving. It’s good for everything, so no matter how you feel . . . go take a walk.

And now, to the walk  . . .

Your Wiggle . . . prevents Fatigue!

If you are in the middle of your half-marathon training program, you’re up to the six or seven mile distance and you’re returning home from your training walks more than a little tired. You’re likely exhausted. From now on, each walk is a little like doing the event itself. Each walk is a first. The first time you’ve walked eight miles. The first time you will have walked nine, 10, or 11 miles. Now is the time to begin practicing fatigue prevention.

So, let’s strategize.

I have always thought a half or full marathon that is flat is a repetitive stress injury waiting to happen, and its true. Quite literally, after you’ve gone several miles the chemicals in your system such as sodium and potassium become depleted. These chemicals tell the muscles to move and when they get depleted you’re left with very little oomph for the next step.

So, if that’s the case, what can you do? Well, the usual answer comes in the form of replacing the potassium and sodium in the form of drinking electrolytes. That is good and necessary and you won’t survive without electrolytes, so drink up!

But, another lesser known strategy could turn out to be your stealth speed booster—change your gait pattern during the event. Walk like a duck, walk pigeon-toed, mix it up. Wiggle your bottom, walk sideways, jog, pump your arms, do anything to shift yourself out of your usual gait pattern for at least 30 seconds, maybe up to two minutes, per mile.

If you use an altered gait, the synapses between nerve cells will get a rest and the chemicals that fire the nerves will have time to replenish. When you shift to the new gait and new muscles, the new set of neurons will fire and they have plenty of chemicals to drive the neuronal reaction. It’s like your “boost of energy” is sitting inside you, waiting to be taken advantage of.  Drink enough fluids, alter your gait, and you’ll have the sensation of gaining new strength. If you wait until you hit the wall to begin altering your gait, you’ll get some benefits but not nearly as much as if you begin early in your walk.

Now you know my secret weapon. Be imaginative, stick your neck out, wave your arms around, strut like a rooster, do something different when you’re walking. Sing a song, it forces you to breathe in a new way. Your muscles will get a rest and you’ll feel like you can walk another mile or so, until you mix it up again. You’ll be energized which is a really nice way to finish the 13.1 miles.

Now, to the walk,

Get a Wiggle On . . . for the whole 6 miles!

The Spirit of Portland, right there.

Today, the walkers in the Foot Traffic University program (okay, and runners, too) completed the first walk-of-the-year along the Willamette river, 6 miles total. We had stupendous views of our city and the trees blossoming, the river roaring, and the nearby hills protecting. We love our city, that’s clear.

Things talked about on this walk . . . water, shoes, feet that hurt, holding the head up when moving forward otherwise you will slow down your stride, if you can walk 6 you can walk 13, dogs, significant others, kids, jobs, getting out the door and doing something . . . the list was endless, really.

Seriously, this is the point in any training program, the 6-mile mark, where you need to take stock. Listen to your body and see if it is telling you to back off, take a day off, speed it up. Yes, believe it or not, you might want to try going faster. Sometimes you can be uncomfortable because you haven’t found your stride yet. Especially if you are a newbie at this, you might think you need to go slow or that to speed up will mean you hurt worse. But, not true. Sometimes, it feels better to get a little speed going. Secret: if you wiggle your hips you can go faster!!! True.

Get a Wiggle On . . . gets some chocolate.

When I got back to the Foot Traffic store, I had the chance to visit with Stacey Miller, Foot Traffic walker and Oregon Bake House owner. She gave out chocolate samples on our walk today and wow, they hit the spot. I’m in love with the lemon truffles myself.

I’m infatuated with Maeby, Sean River’s dog. When I heard she got lost when she followed someone onto the MAX train and rode all the way to Hillsboro, I immediately thought to myself, “Waaaah, I want my mommy.” And, if one of my lovely dogs had gotten lost, I’d have freaked out. Apparently, the train driver finally realized that the dog didn’t have an owner and called. Keep those tags on your dogs! No, this is not an ad for the Oregon Humane Society, but it could be.

Great to see everyone today! If you are shyly-curious, feeling left out, or had other obligations, we hope you come on out and visit us. Some of us are walking at a nice and easy pace and there’s always company along the route.

And now, to the walk . . .

Why Carry Water on Race Day?

I’m old school and I’ve been involved in long distance walking for over 30 years. Stay tuned and I’ll post my story about walking the March of Dimes Walkathon in high school. Well, that event plus the Portland Marathon in 1990 convinced me to become self-sufficient and carry my own necessities. Look, I’m not out to break any records, simply to go the distance and enjoy the process. For me, that includes taking care of myself.

Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink . . . unless you take some with you.

Let’s look to physiology and physics for some data points. Walkers take longer to cover the distance than runners. We are out on the course generally twice as long as the average runner and typically by the time we get to most aid stations, the water is gone, the electrolytes are gone, or both. I carry water with me for four reasons:

• • • • • If they run out of supplies, I have enough fluids to be comfortable.
        • If they run out of cups, but still have plenty of water, I can refill my water-bottle.
        • I have trained with my water pack and I drink when I need to, not when someone else offers me up a drink. My worries at the beginning of a big event are enough and I don’t need another thing to worry about. Carrying my own water means I have independence and peace of mind.
        • When I see someone else in an emergency situation, I can share and help them get through their rough spot. Sometimes it’s been enough to help someone finish when they might have needed to drop out.

Enough said.

Now, to the walk . . .

Foot Traffic walkers enjoy the sun . . . and some coffee.

What a blast today. A nice 4 mile jaunt north to Fernhill Park, return to Foot Traffic along various routes. I think my group didn’t exactly follow the route in it’s completeness, but what the hey, we had a really good time. Alice, Debbie, Pam, and Alicia, you are wonderful walking companions. Thanks for the cheery questions and inquisitive nature. It will do you good.

After the walk, a couple of veterans and I headed to Aliviar Coffee on 42nd Ave, just south of Sandy Blvd. They make the greatest cappuccino in Hollywood, bar none! Get on over here and join us next time we’re in NE.

Get a Wiggle On gets a coffee.

Steady as she goes for this week. Two or three 30-minute walks are a great way to keep your endurance up. And, if you can ride a bike in the sunshine or take a spin on an elliptical. Cross training, cross braining . . . literally, what’s going on is that you’re using a different set of muscles and you’ll be stronger and ready for more other kinds of activity. It all helps, it all gets you ready for the endurance of the 13.1 miles on July 4.

And, stay tuned this next week for info about GEAR, it’s time to talk shoes. Also, I’ll be adding more movement lessons as the weeks go along. If you take a few minutes and experiment with the ideas of moving in non-habitual ways, you may find the mileage doesn’t affect you so severely.

And now, to the walk . . .

Walking Guide posted . . .

It’s time to consider what your training schedule will look like. Which two days of the week will you take off? Which days will you go for a walk? Which days are your cross-training days? There are so many ways to get your mileage in, but most important is that you get out the door and get some walking time on your shoes. Check out the guide, ask me questions, consider your life and realistically figure out how you’ll manage to get yourself in mental and physical shape.

The Walking Guide

Walking in the Rain

One more note of caution: Resist the urge to do too much, too soon!!! It’s easy to think I’ll just add a mile a week. But you don’t NEED to add a mile a week. The half-marathon is only 13 miles. The training time is 20 weeks. You are better off to put in low miles early, build up your legs and mental comfort, and THEN begin to add the mile a week.

Resist the urge to do what everyone else is doing. Resist the urge to go with the crowd. Resist, resist. resist. This is about you and your long-term goal, not about sacrificing on any one week of the training program.

And now, to the walk . . .

The Perfect Distance

Croc-Walker, Foot Traffic Flat Half-marathon 2008

How will you know what distance to train for? How will you determine what is right for you? Some people are satisfied with a few miles here and there but don’t want to push themselves beyond what they might do in a 30-minute workout at the gym. Others walk their way through the year from one 5K to another, collecting t-shirts and memories they revel in for years to come. Still others enjoy the incentive of fund-raising to compel them out the door so they sign up for a program with a monetary commitment. And then there are the solo long-distance walkers. They prefer to quietly train on their own, in their own town, on a hill, or in your neighborhood.

While there are plenty of reasons to think of keeping your distance reasonable; time, family, sleep, or lack of desire, plenty of us succumb to the virus to challenge ourselves with a longer distance. When we do get the long-distance fever, every one of us has come to experience the boost in confidence that comes with finishing a half-marathon.

How you train for the half-marathon depends on your style. Are you solo or group, are you go-getter or roll-with-the-flow, have you been injured and are just coming back to walking? What’s your goal? Health, mental clarity, fitness?  Are you looking for camaraderie as you clock the miles? Anything goes, as long as you’re prepared to take care of yourself, to monitor your inner comfort, and to alter your training plan if it’s not working for you. To be a lemming and follow without comment and question . . . this is not a good thing.

Here’s the best kept secret this side of the Title IX divide, the half-marathon is the most civilized distance in competitive or non-competitive long-distance events. This 13.1 mile event has everything long distance events are made of . . . lots of time on feet, a myriad of ways to test one’s endurance, ample time for thinking and visiting or sight-seeing along the way. But, the training investment is significantly reduced compared to a full marathon, which makes the half-marathon more accessible to a wider range of people.

The half-marathon distance is a challenge, but a very manageable challenge and every finisher comes away with a sense of accomplishment. Every finisher learns a little more about herself. Every finisher stores away those knowings about what worked and what didn’t work. So find your distance, get out the door and enjoy the process.