The Vizsla needs a run -- she’s been waiting patiently all day and the rain has let up to a fine mist.  I’ll grab my poles and take a hike (nordic walk) up in the woods.

We start out on the loops on our land, which we walk several times a day, and she’s off on her “check the new smells” romp.  I’m caught up in thinking about some publishing issues I’ve just struggled with -- missing fonts in older documents because they were done on older computers.  I’ve been trying to create some ebooks using pdf and it’s a hassle -- I’ve got 900 fonts but not a couple we used five years ago.  So, let it go and enjoy the early fall afternoon.

The leaves are turning but mostly yellow here.  We’ve got soft maples and they seem to get speckled with brown -- although some will get red later on.  Higher up, there’s lots of red showing on the mountains.  The ferns, chest-high in spots, got frosted and are bronze.  The asters and daises, often head high, are untouched but soaking wet.

I’ve got my new LL. Bean slicker on and with the poles and climbing, find it pretty warm.  Robins are flocking up in every clearing -- they’ll likely be heading south on the next cold front winds.

We head up on to abutting forest and Penny flushes a couple of partridge.  She doesn’t point them, just chases them.  No wonder she flunked out of hunting school years ago.

I’m reminded of a time years ago when I was working on one of my mountain bike books and trying to tape record the ride description as I rode along.  I was climbing up this rocky trail, gasping into the mike about it, when a whole covey of young partridges exploded out of the weeds near my front wheel.  I wish I had saved that tape -- it was a breathless  “the trail gets more technical .... S.O.B...” accompanied by the beating of a dozen wings.  It was funny to hear when I was transcribing later on -- and still makes me chuckle as I remember it.

Then my mind veers to the photos I used to try to take on these rides.  You don’t meet riders on most of the rides I was doing and rather than just taking another photo of the bike against a trail sign, I’d try to set up the camera and use the timer.  I’d set up the small tripod I carried, set the self-timer, and then run back, try to hop on the bike and ride toward the camera.  What a joke -- it was either out of focus, or I was half on the bike, whatever.  I don’t know that I ever got a usable shot.

The rain has picked up a bit and I’m glad for the slicker.  It’s loud on the leaves and all I can hear is Penny’s periodic shaking to dry out.  She’s loving it, ranging back and forth, nose to the ground.  There are still some stone walls to check on the way back -- where she remembers critters from former walks.

We’ve been out a little over an hour and it feels great -- the trail is soft due to the rain and the temperature is perfect.  My hiking shoes and jeans are soaked.  We’ll head back and dry out a bit -- and Penny will smell like ferns all evening. 

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Any sport becomes more fun when you have good gear and good equipment.  A new pair of running shoes or a lightweight bike adds a little speed and a lot of enjoyment to your workout.  The same goes for nordic walking.

 In my first post on nordic walking, I allowed how you probably have gear in the attic that will help you get started -- especially if funds are tight. However, for a modest investment, you can add zip and energy to your walks.  A book or video might also give you some good pointers.

Equipment

     Poles

Probably the best investment for making nordic walking more enjoyable and by doing so, give you a better workout, is a good pair of poles. I'd suggest that you stick to adjustable poles unless you have walked a lot with poles and know the length you like best.  Leki is one of the more popular brands and their Supreme model might be a good bet at a cost of about $100 US. 

Search Amazon.com and you'll find many options for walking poles from Swix, Colman, Power Walker, and others. You'll also find a book, The Ultimate Nordic Pole Pole Walking Book. There's also a DVD, Poles for Hiking, Treking, and Walking.

     Shoes

You can nordic walk in running shoes, walking shoes or hiking shoes.  I'd tend to use whatever is already comfortable and supportive and not spring for new shoes until you need replacements.

Nearly every active footwear company carries a women's walking shoe, but fewer make men's walking shoes and even fewer designate them as nordic walking shoes. Reebok has a specific nordic walking shoe for men.

 Technique

 While there's a lot to be said for just getting out and walking and not worrying about how to do it, some coaching or instruction can make your nordic walking more efficient. Here's some common sense instructions from the American Nordic Walking Association:

Every step should begin with the heel touching the ground and rolling forward to the ball and toe area, where you will push off to propel yourself forward.

The hands should constantly be in a “grip-n-go” state with the pole. They should grip the pole every time the pole hits the ground, then let it go as it is drawn back behind the body, finishing up with an open hand.

As the arms continue to move the poles, the torso and hips should be involved in a counter-swinging motion from the lower body. This effectively works the mid-torso muscle groups.

 Other Resources

Nordic Walk Now

On October 3, 2009, the spectacular Walkway Over The Hudson will open.  Through the work of many over the last decade, the former Poughkeepsie Highland Railroad Bridge has been converted to a delightful venue for walkers, cyclist, and bladers.  It’s opening just in time for the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding by Dutch explorer, Henry Hudson.  The walkway, about 1.25 miles long, connects with twenty-seven miles of miles of rail trails and riverfront parks already built or planned in Ulster and Dutchess Counties.

The bridge currently is owned by a not-for-profit organization, Walkway Over the Hudson. The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (New York State Parks) is "Lead Agency" under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. The Dyson Foundation funded a significant portion of the design and inspection. Consulting services are being provided by the Bergmann Associates team.
From the book Bridging The Hudson: "The Poughkeepsie railroad bridge was the first bridge to be built over the Hudson River from the ocean all the way up to Albany. It was a technological wonder. Opened in 1889 soon after the Brooklyn Bridge opened, it is not only higher above the water than the Brooklyn Bridge, and founded deeper in the water, but also longer. When it opened, its promoters claimed it was the longest bridge in the world."

The Walkway Over The Hudson is an exciting place to visit.  Louis Rossi, author of Cycling Along The Canals of New York State, recently toured the facility.  His email back to the bridge contact person said: “WOW!!!  The bridge is Awesome! Staggering! Incredible!   My COMPLIMENTS to you-all!  Incredible job!!”

This is the longest pedestrian bridge in the world. The top of the bridge deck is 212 feet above the water and the width expands from 24 feet over land, to 35 feet over the Hudson River.  Come visit this great facility -- bring your bike or your walking shoes, and your camera.

 bridge image from Walkway website   photos by Louis Rossi

Unable to run after appendicitis surgery, I’ve been doing a lot of walking with the Vizsla in the woods.  The recent chilly mornings have gotten me thinking about cross-country skiing -- and all the dryland training I’ve done over the years -- and so I got down some old poles from the garage and joined the ranks of nordic walkers.  I love it.

For decades, skiers have used ski poles in the summer/fall to stride up hills, run trails, and to roller ski and skate blade.  I’ve gotten my share of “Where’s the snow?” comments -- and in some snowless years in the 1980’s, spent a great amount of time training with poles.

So nordic walking, one of the latest fitness fads in the U.S., is pretty old hat to XC skiers.  Folks in Finland have been doing it for many years.  There’s new gear, technique, and instructional DVD’s to support this new fitness effort.  I’ll cover them in a subsequent post.

I use old ski poles, sometimes with the baskets still on, but keep them shorter than those I ski with. Today, I took the baskets off some collapsible snowshoe poles, and wearing some cotton work gloves, took a long hike with Penny.  There’s a good feeling to pushing off with the arms and I find myself not only striding faster than when I just walk, also getting my heart rate up more. It’s said that you get a 40% increase in effort since more muscles are used.  All I know is that it’s a better workout.

Hills, of which we have many, are especially good for workouts.  I often use a regular diagonal stride up the hill -- planting the pole opposite the lead foot -- but I also will “double pole.”  This works best on steep climbs where you plant both poles ahead, take three strides as you use the poles to help, and then plant them again.  Try it, it’s a neat way to add some variety to hill climbs.

So, whether you ski or not, I suggest that you look at this sport called nordic walking.  It’s inexpensive (you may have poles already), easy on the joints, a good cardiovascular workout, and requires no specific skills.  Don’t worry about looking like a dork -- striding with poles on dry roads and paths -- as more and more folks take it up the coolness factor will climb.  Plus, who cares?  You’re getting some fresh air, a full-body workout, and burning enough calories to justify that small maple Creemie on the way home.

Walk On!

top photo by FaceMePLS    lower photo by yuko_ppp2501

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A couple of young friends of mine just completed the Presi Traverse over the weekend, updating their Facebook friends with photos as they hiked along.  I admired their efforts but in spite of my love of fitness and the outdoors, was just as glad I was walking in my woods instead.

The Presidential Range Traverse, popularly known as the “Presi Traverse,” is one of the classic hikes in New England.  It is twenty-four miles of New Hampshire’s boulder piles, grassy “lawns,” and historic bridle paths.  It crosses eleven peaks, including Mt. Washington, the highest mountain east of the Mississippi and north of the Carolinas.

Reading their updates made me think of a day hike I took a few years ago with my adult sons, to climb nearby Mount Hunger.  It’s a popular local hike to a modest peak that we can see out our living room window.

The hike started fine, with an easy trek up an old road and on to a typical Vermont hiking trail with roots and rocks and a steady climb.  At one point, we came to a little climb that had a knotted rope to help and soon broke out of the trees to a smooth rocky slope.  We were moving up that slope, following the arrows on the stone, when I paused and looked back.  Big mistake.  I froze at the sight of open air and scenery -- froze to the point where I could not move.  I am very afraid of heights -- "Acrophobia should be my middle name".

“But you’re a pilot!” people say when they hear me say that.  Yes, I’ve flown all sorts of planes for decades but it’s different, even with the cockpit window open.  But get me in a car climbing up a winding road with a dropoff on the side, or even driving up over the Delaware Bay Bridge, and I’m very uncomfortable.

I thought we’d have to bring in a helicopter to get me off the mountain.  Robb went up ahead to see if we could climb up and find an easier way down -- with no luck.  So both he and Rich somehow, by staying on each side of me as we eased down, got me to the trees and I could relax.  It was an interesting reversal of roles -- pay back for times I extricated them from situations when they were kids.

So, how can you hike in Vermont, or anywhere with mountains, if you’re petrified of heights?  With the Long Trail running the length of the state and the Appalachian Trail cutting through it, and hundreds of hikes to the peaks of the Green Mountains, do you have to stick to bike paths and back roads?
I searched for information on “hikes for height-fearers” with no luck.  I know there are many sections of trails that don’t have narrow paths along cliffs or open traverses across rocky faces.  Perhaps I’ll start a list.  Maybe it’s a book.  I know I’d buy it -- I’d like to take my grandchildren hiking on a number of spots in the Northeast -- but I’d rather not run into another Hunger Mountain situation.  Got any suggestions?

As a bonus, here’s a link to a video of a place where you'll never meet me.

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"Hiking with kids presents an exciting way to hike. It can also create a new challenge. With a little preparation and the following ten essential items, you and your children are sure to have a great hike..." 

Read the whole article by Jessica Linnell

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