I have been told that it is always the right time of year to work on fitness. I know that I would much rather be outside then inside using the stationary bike and watching a video. My gps will do everything that is shown on the screen of the stationary bike will do and more. I can save my track on to the pc and see the route I have traveled. I can get a profile of my hike showing the ups and downs in elevation. I can print out a map if need be. Selecting the appropriate options on my gps I can see how fast I am walking, how far I have walked, my average speed, and the amount of time I take for a break.
During my walk I normally check the gps a few times to see how fast I am going. When I started out yesterday morning I knew my walk was going to be around four or five miles. I normally plan a three miles an hour pace. No more running for me, I have already destroyed my knees. I quickly gained altitude and was puffing a little bit when I could hear distance foot falls behind me. Ahead was a steep drop into drainage and then a climb out the other side. A quick check of my gps showed that I was averaging 3.7 miles per hour. I consider that a good pace, but I felt the person closing in behind me. I opened up my stride to the bottom of the drainage, and continue long strides up the far wall of the drainage. A quick check of my gps showed I was doing 4 miles per hour.
I knew I was putting distance between me and the other walker. I feel I could burn the walker out on the steep slope. As the grade grew gentler I slowed my pace and I could hear the steady fall of feet behind me. I started to make excuses to myself, age, bad knees, long winter, but I knew my time was up. I could hear the beat of the foot falls increase. As the person caught up with me a gentle female voice said she was passing. As she passed I notice that she must be at least 75-years old. As I watched her disappear I notice she had a very quick and steady pace. And I think she was a professional long-range walker, because it appeared she was wearing Depends. Does she think she is an astronaut? Can she drag a deer out of the woods? Hey Lady, how would like to go deer hunting?
Do you older guys have a physical coming up and you want to impress your Doctor with you efforts to fight obesity in America. My doctor has become computerized, and the doctor can now show me my weight gains and losses on a graph. I think that I will print out a Track downloaded from my gps, and Vertical Profile of the track. The Vertical Profile is impressive, and hopefully he would not ask me to increase the peaks and valleys.
