How to Walk Four Times Around the World.

Post 93: 2 January 2016 

After embarking on the Country Walking Magazine 1000 mile walk challenge with a 3 mile walk yesterday it occurred to me that how could this make a difference to me or the other over 10,000 members who have joined this ‘activity’. What would I miss if I hadn’t walked on a regular basis or if I didn’t continue to walk on a regular basis?

I hope you will be inspired to make the effort to do your regular 3 mile or whatever walk….

I am rapidly approaching the young age of 65 this month (my mother will be 94 this month so yes I am quite young really). So I have looked back at my walking experiences since the age of 21. It is not worth looking much before that as I was more into football, tennis, basketball and ‘other’ distractions from walking. A sporting injury at the age of 17 finished impact sports and led to my interest in walking.

The first verified person to walk around the World between 1970-74 was David Kunst who completed 14,450 miles.

I have calculated I have completed about 68,264 miles between the age of 21 and 65. Please note that for most of the years I had a dog and did my 3 mile walk every morning before going to work. (In fact I did more because I did shorter evening walks as well). In the last 10 years or so I have sometimes replaced the 3 mile walk with gym treadmill walking. I have also swam over the last 16 years and in the last 6 months cycled

Here is how the mileage has stacked up to the equivalent of four times around the World. I haven’t included just general walking to the shops, cinema, etc etc.

3 miles x 6 days x 52 weeks x 44 years = 41,184 miles

On the 7th day I would do a longer walk of on average 10 miles. 10 miles x 1 day x 52 weeks x 44 years = 22,880 miles

Annual long distance walks actually completed and recorded between 1990 and 2003 = 1200 miles

Total mileage = 41,184 + 22,880+ 1200 = 68,264

Divide this by 14,450 = 4.7 times around the World. 

If you wonder whether I walk on holiday yes I do. I recently completed 35 miles around a cruise ship! 175 laps of the ship.

Whilst the mileages are estimates they are pretty reliable as dogs don’t give you days off and even when I stopped having dogs (to make it easier to go on holidays and longer walks) I kept doing 3 mile walks through my village to keep me fit for the weekly and long walks.

A walking friend used to say that it was better to remember things we saw on walks in the memory rather than in photographs. Fortunately, I ignored this advice and always took photographs. The memory can fade.

So if I hadn’t walked the photographs below wouldn’t have been taken. They give an example of what I would have missed. If you get out and walk you will have some unexpected surprises.

 

 

 

WELL I MUST DASH I HAVE A 3 MILE WALK TO DO THIS MORNING