Outside walking alone

Have you thought about getting way out into nature? There's self-discovery to be had on a long challenging walk, especially in nature. For some, "One of the most transformational parts of the journey was solo hiking--the piece that held so much that was unknown for me. Turns out the things we are most uncertain about or fearful of often hold the most opportunity for challenge and growth."

Elements of self-knowledge:

• Grit. "I have what it takes to push myself."
• Risk."…we can't take risk away--solo hiking or not…However, there are things you can do to mitigate the risk on your hike."
• Quiet. "The solitude of the trail helped bring me to a place where I had the space to think, process, ask questions, listen for answers, make decisions, and find clarity."
• Meaning. "There is something about the wilderness that seems sacred - a natural cathedral of intense beauty and wonder that inspires us to stop, take some deep breaths, and live in the present moment."
• Community. "In addition to the community you find with fellow thru hikers, you'll also meet magical creatures called "Trail Angels" and people in town stops who go out of their way to care for you, feed you, give you rides, and offer you ice cream and watermelon under the I-10 overpass after hiking the last 5 miles in 100-degree heat."
• Will. "…he trail was a lesson in learning to choose life, to pursue the things that make me a little nervous, excited, joyful, and freaked out all at the same time."

Get out those Nordic walking poles and hit the trail. They'll not only serve you by distributing the weight of your load from your knees, the Nordic walking technique will help you maintain a consistent pace. Also, the gloves on Nordic walking poles help you take the weight off your hands and forearms.

Walking with your friends

Nordic walking is a great social activity. The poles make it possible to increase the intensity of physical exertion without increasing the perception of physical effort. That means you still feel like you're exerting yourself as you always have in traditional walking but you won't feel too tired to enjoy each other's company.

You may have gone out on your own and walked briskly, feeling like you've accomplished something when you get back home sweaty and breathing heavily. What about when you Nordic walk with others? Here are some thoughts:

• You may think you're reducing the effectiveness of your walk because you're in a group. Maybe you normally walk faster than the others, meaning you feel like you need to slow down. Maybe you walk more slowly than the others and feel some pressure to go beyond your capabilities to keep up. Don't worry. The fact you're with others has positive effects on your health.
• When you're with others, your focus changes a bit. The walking group will want to be more sensitive to the abilities of others. In a group, the purpose isn't to max out but to encourage each other.

You don't have to walk with a group all the time. It may be a weekly get together so members can work at their own pace the other times. 

Let the poles take care of themselves

Now there's an act of faith. I tell Nordic walkers the poles are better trained than their pets. They'll keep up with you, being available to grip on the front swing and planting into the ground for push off on the backswing. You don't have to do anything except walk and swing your arms naturally.

Isn't that a key element of faith: Expecting something and having confidence to the degree you think of it as if it's already come to pass. Have that kind of confidence in the poles.

Why would I say something strange like that? Beginning Nordic walkers forget how to walk. In trying to remember the different points in the technique they were taught, beginners overthink things and get discombobulated in their walking. The most common way is to mess up your arm swing.

• In regular walking, the opposite arm swings forward as a foot steps forward, left foot forward/right arm swings forward.
• Then as you move forward, your front foot becomes your back foot, and that opposite arm swings to the rear on the backswing. For example, when the steps continue, the left foot has become the rear foot because the right foot stepped forward. At the same time, the right arm will have swung back.
• That opposite foot/opposite arm movement (how we normally walk) is called diagonal walking by some Nordic walking instructors.

In my experience, beginning Nordic walkers are trying process the new information they gained and put it into action. The problem is, they overthink it as if running down a checklist to make sure everything has been covered. That distracts from walking because the poles haven't become part of the routine yet.

How do I know this? I ran into the same problems when I was starting out. The key is to have faith the poles will be there when you need them. If that happens, revert to the dragging technique where you don't even grip the poles nor let them go. Just drag them on the ground, swinging your arms naturally. Before long, you'll be back in synch.