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

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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