As you may have surmised from
previous posts, I love to walk; have for many years. However, since my
retirement in May 2010, and with the encouragement of my primary care
physician, walking has become a major focus and passion for me – perhaps even a
healthy obsession (hey, you could be obsessed with worse things!!).
I walk a lot – typically, 20-30 miles per week – and when training
rigorously for a long-distance, charity event like Project Bread’s 20-mile Walk
for Hunger or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, I
may discover I’ve done a lot more (e.g., I just tallied my workouts for April
and was surprised that I had walked 120+ miles – way, way more than necessary
to prepare for an event like May 6th’s Walk for Hunger, but I just
love it and the miles just seem to accumulate). I
also have a strong desire to ‘pass on’ the physical and emotional benefits I
experience thru walking and thus: “Walking with Howard…”, a walking clinic/club whose
goals are:
- to
assist those who are interested in ‘walking’ for its
cardiovascular/aerobic benefit, in getting started
- to
help those who have already begun a walking program, in raising it up a
notch
- to serve
as a resource and sounding board about appropriate training, technique, stretching
exercises, footwear, apparel, accountability, etc.
- for
those interested in any or all of the prior goals, to create a “community”
that meets, periodically, to walk and have fun
‘Though both knowledgeable and experienced
“walking the walk”, I was novice as a coach when it was launched in the fall of
2011. Initially (and at least for the indefinite present), “Walking with Howard…” is at ‘no charge’ so those interested can get
the benefit of my expertise; in return, I get the opportunity to “pay it
forward” and to hone my skills as a coach and trainer.
It has been the practice for our group to
“meet-up” mostly on a weekly basis (currently, Saturday afternoons at the
“Uncle Sam” statue in Arlington Center near where the Minuteman Bike Trail
resumes, heading West). I’m also available for 1-on-1 sessions, schedules
permitting.
But what if you don’t live in the Boston area
or can’t make the meet-ups? Not a problem: a lot of what I have to offer can be
communicated online; the rest is implementation and practice. Hey, I’m
self-taught and this isn’t ‘rocket science’.
If you
are interested (or merely curious) in “Walking with Howard…” I’d love to hear from you – all levels or no
experience – are welcome!!
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