Walking Rhythms

Every year I experience the same seasonal rhythms of walking.  I’m so used to walking at a level just above the friction point (where it starts to become more work than walk) – that I forget to notice how fast I’m going.  I take in the scenery, engage in my inner and outer thought processes, and don’t pay much attention to the engine gauges.  The engine is usually silent.

But at the change of seasons, I notice that my speed changes.  I don’t consciously walk any faster when fall comes around, but my body goes faster.  I have so consistently trained it to walk at the friction point, that it does so without any help.  I notice I get home for lunch sooner, and I more quickly get to the local convenience store that I use as psychological motivation (soda, sweets, etc) – so as to take walks on days I otherwise might skip.

In the summer, the opposite thing happens.  As the temperature rises, the inner automatic engine governor cuts back the throttle, and the speed goes down.  Once again, I take no part in the decision, because I’m just along for the ride.

Speaking of lunch, my internal calorie meter on some days might look like the graphic shown above, if not for that  convenient little store at the end of my walking itinerary.