Starting Again at Half a Mile
In my thirties and early forties, I often went hiking on my own around Portland. Ten or fourteen miles was not unusual. Later, I stopped hiking the trails but continued walking the roads near my home, especially the ones that bordered farmland. Those walks were usually two to six miles.
Then, about ten years ago, I stopped walking regularly.
I didn't stop enjoying it. Walking simply wasn't part of my routine anymore.
A few months ago, I decided to begin again.
I had been paying more attention to my health for several years, with regular Tai Chi, Qigong, and strength training. I wanted a little more movement in my life. I also wanted an uncomplicated way to work off some of the stress that had been building up.
And I remembered how much I liked walking.
So I started with an old half-mile route near home. It was the easiest walk I could remember.
Those first walks weren't particularly satisfying. Not disappointing, exactly, but awkward. I remembered walking briskly, with a long, easy stride. Now my stride was shorter and my pace was slower. I had trouble finding the rhythm that once seemed so natural.
Still, I went out again. Two or three times a week, I walked what felt comfortable.
After a while, I began thinking about other routes I used to take.
I'd be leaving home and wonder, Could I do that old route today?
Sometimes I tried one and decided partway through that it was too much. I turned around and headed home. Other days, I felt good and kept going until I had completed it.
There wasn't a plan to add a certain distance each week. I was just getting reacquainted with familiar walks and seeing what felt right that day.
One of those routes is now my regular walk. It's about 2.4 miles, with some hills, residential streets I like, and a stretch near a golf course. Years ago, it was one of my easy walks, the sort I'd take when I didn't have time for anything longer.
Now it's a comfortable walk, but also close to my current limit.
My stride has lengthened again. My pace has picked up. Neither change was something I set out to accomplish. I've simply noticed them happening.
What I've missed most about walking isn't necessarily the places I walk through.
I enjoy a wooded path, but a sidewalk through Hillsboro suits me just as well. What I love is the feeling of moving steadily, of settling into a pace that begins to feel like my own.
Sometimes that movement brings ideas. A problem I've been thinking about becomes a little clearer, or a new thought appears without my looking for it. Other times, my mind quiets down and the walking becomes almost meditative.
Sometimes I listen to an audiobook or some quiet music. Sometimes I just walk.
That feeling of rhythm is something I recognize from Tai Chi, Qigong, and strength training too. The activities are different, but something similar happens when I settle into the movement.
I would enjoy walking farther again. There are old farmland routes and hiking trails I might like to return to someday.
But I don't want to turn that possibility into a schedule. I don't need each walk to be longer than the last.
Right now, I often leave home with an old route in mind and a pretty good idea of how far I feel like going. Sometimes I change my mind along the way.
A few months ago, I was starting again at half a mile. Now some of my old walks are becoming familiar again, and so is the rhythm I missed.
It's good to have walking back in my life.