Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Umbrella

My new umbrella was necessary today as a light rain fell throughout my walk.  I only went as far as Dairy Rd, but I tried out some faster pace-rates from time to time.  Unfortunately, I couldn't really measure them because I left my watch at home today (first time in for. ever.),

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Some Math

After a hiatus, some good days, some off days, I did the Airport Rd walk, making some measurements and doing a little math which occupied my mind while chugging away.  [To be fair, some of the math I did later, in the office, with Google's help.]

I walked from 300 NE Troy Ln (my office building) to the corner of Airport Rd and Grimes Way and back in 37'54".  Google Maps informs me that this is 1.2 miles one way, call it 2.4 round-trip. That's 334 feet per minute (or 15.79 minutes per mile).  Since I clocked myself at just about 60 paces (120 steps) per minute, that's 5.57 feet per pace.

To perform the same walk in 32 minutes would require a rate of 396 feet per minute, an increase of 18.5%.  To accomplish this by lengthening stride alone would require a stride of 6.6 feet -- probably not doable, at least without racewalking mechanics.  To accomplish it by quickening pace alone would require a pace of 71.1 paces per minute (142.2 steps).  Since the University of Michigan marching band does 240 steps per minute (in formation and while playing instruments, including winds and horns), I know it's humanly possible.  I don't know what it would take to get me up to that rate for 32 minutes straight.

If I could lengthen my pace by 3 inches (to 5.82 feet), I would need a rate of 68 paces per minute to do that walk in 32 minutes.  That might be doable.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

For the Record...

Monday I walked out to Dairy Rd and back.  The time was about 20:40, which is close to my personal best (20:36).

Tuesday I did not walk, but had a yoga class that was quite strenuous (as yoga goes), including dripping sweat all over my mat.

Wednesday I had a motivation failure -- I just wanted to sit at my desk and work and not go out and sweat and strain.

Thursday (today) it was Dairy Rd. again (10:40 out, 11:00 in, 21:40 overall).  It seems my lower legs are currently the limiting factor.  On the return trip I had to shorten my stride to keep up the step rate (or, i suppose, keep the stride long and slow the step rate), because my calves were complaining.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Diary Road Speed Sprint

Warm weather today -- I didn't wear a jacket for my walk.  I walked to Dairy Road and back in 20'36", trying pretty hard to keep up the pace in spite of the fact that my legs were still a little tired from yesterday's Airport Road trek.

If I remember correctly, that's about 3' less than my first time in February.  If I can reduce my Dairy Rd. time to about 19'00", and can keep up that pace all the way to Airport Road and back, that will bring me in at my dream (it hasn't really been a goal) of 30 minutes to A-Rd. and back.  That might require better shoes...:-)

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Other Walks This Week

Tuesday I tried a variant of the "light day", walking the same path as my downtown walk, but stopping and turning around at the bottom of the hill by Engineering.  That gets me all the elevation change in a shorter time.  I turned it around in 19 minutes, which is about what I would have extrapolated (interpolated?) from my downtown times.

Wednesday was too busy at work.

Thursday I walked all the way down to Airport Road for the first time.  34 minutes round trip.  It's 2.2 or 2.4 miles, according to slightly different lookups in Google Maps, so that's a pretty good clip.  Also kind of tiring in the legs as well as the aerobic system.  I felt tired for a good bit of the afternoon.  Still, it was exciting to finally get all the way down to the corner -- I've been thinking about that as a goal for years.