- When: The first Wednesday in April.
- Goal: 30 to 60 minutes of walking.
- How to Participate: Walk alone, with a friend, or with a pet in your neighbourhood or a local park.
- Social Action: Share your walk on social media using #NationalWalkingDay
How did your national walking day go?
Thanks to my knees, walking and I have a complicated relationship.
See some of my past posts on this theme.
- “Now Sam’s a slow walker will she die earlier than the rest of you?” (July 12, 2019) Here I claim that walking speed is just a proxy for fitness, and that you can get fit other ways. “No slow shaming please.”
- “Sam, the slow walker” (March 7, 2022) Reflects on the group hiking etiquette of not taking off again the moment a slow walker catches up — and connects it to my knee situation and walking home from work as a mental break.
- “Fast walkers, virtue, and fitness” (June 14, 2021) More reflection on having become sensitive to step-count boasting and walking-speed talk, and the ableist undertone of glorifying fast walking.
But these days–thanks to knee replacement surgery on both knees–I’m back to walking again, and I have a new problem and need your advice!
Last week I was in Toronto for the awarding of the Middlebrook Young Curator Prize and I had to walk from the east side of downtown to Queen West. It was raining, but I actually don’t mind walking in the rain. I considered the streetcar, but walking was actually about the same amount of time. I was dressed for the event and wearing nice shoes. My knees didn’t hurt, so I just kept walking, 6 km in total that evening. But by the time I got home, my feet were killing me.
Right after knee surgery, I wore running shoes everywhere, usually my Hokas. See Recovery shoes? Really? But that choice was about my knees, not my feet.
For years, knees have been my limiting factor when it comes to walking. It’s been 10 years or longer since I’ve had sore feet. I haven’t been able to walk far enough to get sore feet. I guess those days are over.
Woo hoo, I can get sore feet again?
Okay, so here’s the advice part, Fit Feminist friends: What do you wear for long walking days? I could just go back to wearing my Hokas all the time. Maybe that’s okay. Or have you found a walking shoe that’s actually somewhat fashionable?
I have Fluevog flats for events like conovocation–I’ve sold all my Fluevog heels–but I want something for walking. Suggestions welcome!
This raised a couple of thoughts. First, I can really relate to your comment about the group taking off as soon as the slowest person gets there! When I first really got into cycling, I spent quite a bit of time feeling aggrieved that the person who needed the most rest (me, usually) got the least. Later, when I began leading endurance training rides, I almost always chose to sweep. I made sure not to keep my end-of-the-group rider(s) feeling the same frustration. When they wanted to stop, I stopped!
On the shoe question, I find that for really long walks my more rigid hiking boots really help. That would be for rough terrain & lots of hours. Short of that, running or walking shoes work. If I am headed for an event where that’s not the best message, I carry a pair of more formal shoes (never heels for me – I am short but I don’t care – I just want comfortable feet!) and change when I get there.