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.

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