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How to Walk (12 miles a day)

walkingtheworld.substack.com

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Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#231

Post by squidbot »

jjtheblunt wrote: post #185
squidbot wrote: post #155

I used to be an avid walker, at least an hour a day back and forth to work, and long walks with the dogs around my home (lucky to live in a beautiful area in the PNW with close beaches and lots of trees, so plenty to enjoy.) I've been walking since I was a kid, as it was the only way to get back and forth to school and town growing up in the Berkeley hills. Though I resented it as a kid, I grew in to loving walks. I'…

osteoarthritis correlates to all the walking?

It's probably several factors, according to the docs. Partly genetics, partly taking up running later in life (about 35, loved it, but the knee pain started in about 5 years in), partly being tall, partly weight issues.

Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#232

Post by squidbot »

golemiprague wrote: post #158
squidbot wrote: post #155

I used to be an avid walker, at least an hour a day back and forth to work, and long walks with the dogs around my home (lucky to live in a beautiful area in the PNW with close beaches and lots of trees, so plenty to enjoy.) I've been walking since I was a kid, as it was the only way to get back and forth to school and town growing up in the Berkeley hills. Though I resented it as a kid, I grew in to loving walks. I'…

The problem with biking is that people tend to exert themselves unlike walking which tends to be more leisurely done. The solution could be an electric shopping bike, the type they use in Japan or Holland and such places. Very comfy seat, upright sitting and much more relaxed ride overall. Another option is rowing which is much less strenuous on the knees, either outside or with a machine at home.

Interestingly, I just got a VanMoof electric bike a few weeks ago as part of a commuting program at work. I'm able to use it for leisure too, so I hope you're right.

Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#233

Post by hemreldop »

aerostable_slug wrote: post #111
dionidium wrote: post #83

> I will end by saying, as a guy, I have never had any problems from other people. In all my years walking all over. But that it is sadly very very different for women. He's either only walking in exceptionally safe areas, he's very large, or I have a particularly punchable face. I biked every road in St. Louis a few years ago, which required biking every street in some high-crime neighborhoods. I was frequently made…

I would invert your statement and posit you were riding in very dangerous areas. Most of the US is very safe compared to St. Louis, Chicago, Oakland, Richmond (CA), Detroit, Atlanta, etc. Don't go to stupid places filled with stupid people doing stupid things and you'll likely be okay — and this includes bars after midnight just about anywhere. Nothing good happens after midnight, but I digress. I agree with you that…

No post body was provided.

Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#234

Post by DiggyJohnson »

stonewashed wrote: post #132
bradlys wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Personally, I have found that 1 hour + is a good threshold to aim for for some really quality thinking. After about an hour I've already processed normal stuff about family or work and have moved on to deeper topics. I find this kinda pointless for myself. Most of the time I just revisit the same subjects over and over and come to the same conclusions no matter how I try to solve it. Once I’m done with the menial t…

This, very much. I need to keep myself distracted, otherwise I get very upset.

Does that lead you to want to work on the thing that is causing you to be upset (constantly? it sounds like) or to ensure you remain distracted?

I’m genuinely asking, because I couldn’t tell from the context of your comment.

Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#235

Post by leobg »

bradlys wrote: post #117
stevesearer wrote: post #8

After walking to and from work for 5 years along the same route, I found that I prefer walking without listening to anything on headphones. Just thinking increases awareness of my surroundings, allows me time to process existing thoughts as opposed to consuming more inputs, and connects me to the people I would inevitably see on a semi-regular basis. Personally, I have found that 1 hour + is a good threshold to aim f…

> Personally, I have found that 1 hour + is a good threshold to aim for for some really quality thinking. After about an hour I've already processed normal stuff about family or work and have moved on to deeper topics. I find this kinda pointless for myself. Most of the time I just revisit the same subjects over and over and come to the same conclusions no matter how I try to solve it. Once I’m done with the menial t…

Maybe you should try the reverse of listening to audiobooks/podcasts. Use your phone as a voice recorder, and just talk about anything that’s going through your mind. Basically an audio brain dump. Since you know that your thoughts are being recorded, you are much less likely to “run in circles“ mentally.

Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#236

Post by citizenkeen »

danielvaughn wrote: post #108
stevesearer wrote: post #8

After walking to and from work for 5 years along the same route, I found that I prefer walking without listening to anything on headphones. Just thinking increases awareness of my surroundings, allows me time to process existing thoughts as opposed to consuming more inputs, and connects me to the people I would inevitably see on a semi-regular basis. Personally, I have found that 1 hour + is a good threshold to aim f…

When I lived in NYC, my commute was about 45 minutes. As much as everyone hates long commutes, I found that to be a very ideal amount of time to decompress from work. It's different when you don't have to drive; standing or sitting on a train is much more relaxing.

I started biking to work (only 3 miles) and after a year I switched to walking because I found biking wasn't giving me enough time to separate "home" from "work". Even during Covid, my wife would kick me out of the house for thirty minutes after work so I could decompress. The difference between "coming down stairs" and "coming home from work" were night and day.

Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#237

Post by nicbou »

stevesearer wrote: post #126
bradlys wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Personally, I have found that 1 hour + is a good threshold to aim for for some really quality thinking. After about an hour I've already processed normal stuff about family or work and have moved on to deeper topics. I find this kinda pointless for myself. Most of the time I just revisit the same subjects over and over and come to the same conclusions no matter how I try to solve it. Once I’m done with the menial t…

Interesting, the way I think I think while walking/hiking is much less wrestling one specific topic to come to a conclusion and more bouncing around between many things. Maybe I don't even really conclude things but instead just move an idea along.

It's a good time to let thoughts resurface on their own, consider them for a moment and let them go. It gives me time to zoom out, to untangle my feelings, to make sense of them.

It's a sort of personal retrospective slash backlog grooming session.

We need that idle time. When I go on long motorcycle trips, I return with a clear head and a much better idea of what I want to do next.

Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#238

Post by SamPatt »

bradlys wrote: post #117
stevesearer wrote: post #8

After walking to and from work for 5 years along the same route, I found that I prefer walking without listening to anything on headphones. Just thinking increases awareness of my surroundings, allows me time to process existing thoughts as opposed to consuming more inputs, and connects me to the people I would inevitably see on a semi-regular basis. Personally, I have found that 1 hour + is a good threshold to aim f…

> Personally, I have found that 1 hour + is a good threshold to aim for for some really quality thinking. After about an hour I've already processed normal stuff about family or work and have moved on to deeper topics. I find this kinda pointless for myself. Most of the time I just revisit the same subjects over and over and come to the same conclusions no matter how I try to solve it. Once I’m done with the menial t…

I find this only to be true when some aspect of my life is troubling me greatly. Negative rumination.

When things are going well, I don't get frustrated by free form thinking.

Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#239

Post by throw1234651234 »

stevesearer wrote: post #8

After walking to and from work for 5 years along the same route, I found that I prefer walking without listening to anything on headphones. Just thinking increases awareness of my surroundings, allows me time to process existing thoughts as opposed to consuming more inputs, and connects me to the people I would inevitably see on a semi-regular basis. Personally, I have found that 1 hour + is a good threshold to aim f…

I actually have trouble thinking while I walk. I have heard quote about it a thousand times, but I think better sitting down. I can't think at all when I run (yes, long runs).

Re: How to Walk (12 miles a day)

#240

Post by farleykr »

jodrellblank wrote: post #207
farleykr wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an excellent articulation. I’ve read dozens of books and articles about the cons of using technology too much and it’s never quite clicked like it did when I read your shopping analogy. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you’re a stranger on the internet and I don’t have any underlying worries about your stance being motivated by selling books or building an audience on social media.

> " I don’t have any underlying worries about your stance being motivated by selling books. " You didn't check his profile, then? ;) He's also been on the Corecursive podcast, about Crafting Interpreters: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/corecursive-coding-storie... which happened to be one of the most recent things I was listening to while out walking.

Fair enough :)
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