Baby Steps toward Speed Walking

I have been walking on my treadmill since April. I have put over two hundred miles on it so far. These days I walk a little over three and a quarter miles in an hour. When I started I walked for a half hour. I would read or talk on the phone to kill the time. As I got faster, I had to put down the books and step away from the phone.

I have realized over time that my walking "form" is sadly lacking. I tend to walk very heavily with my feet too far apart. I have an awful lot of hip spread from having all those babies of mine, and as a result my gait was pretty horrible.

As time has gone by my gait has improved somewhat, but I realize that as I get faster I need to find a new direction if I want to keep challenging myself in my walk.

I went to the library and found a book on speed walking. There was a lot of good information, which really confirmed why I would rather speed walk than to get into running. I have long-standing back, hip, knee and foot injuries. That alone is pretty much my reasoning. Running simply puts too much inpact on those areas.

I have had to change my stride, shortening it, rather than lengthening it to increase my speed. I am also holding my arms at a 90 degree angle, close to the body and pistoning them in time with my legs. I rotate my hips slightly:



and strive to keep my feet closer to a middle point on the treadmill:



Rather than my current stride:




One thing I found right off the bat is that this difference in posture and movement of the legs and arms really works the sides of my trunk. Along the ribcage and down to the hips I can feel the muscles really working.

I will let you know how it pans out.