Author Topic: Walking is walking and running is running and never the twain?..  (Read 2218 times)

WhitstableDave

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There are times when comments go off-topic and to reply to the off-topic comments would only serve to keep the topic off-topic for longer. The answer, of course, is to start a new topic and reply there - as I'm doing here.  :)


 There is a long running running thread on the forum, I used to go running but haven't for years and it doesn't interest me so I don't read it. But I would never dream of going on to the thread and then complaining it is a running thread and say it shouldn't be there because this is a walking forum and they are talking about running.
 …


 … taking your example about threads, running is running - we either do or don't.


I find this discussion interesting and relevant, firstly because I enjoy both walking and running (during the same activity), and secondly because I’ve read many claims as to what walking is supposedly all about and to which I usually disagree!
 
I can’t recall anyone ever suggesting that camping isn’t walking and therefore topics about camping and tents and gas and so on ought really to be posted in the Hikers Bar and not in areas about walking. But, of course, many walkers see camping as an integral part of what they do – what they simply call ‘walking’ (or ‘hiking’) - and quite right too!
 
So why should running be treated any differently to camping in that respect?
 
I watched a video a little while ago in which, after walking to the summit of Kilimanjaro, the mountaineer jogged back down. He explained that it was not just a faster way to descend, but that it was also often safer to run on a loose surface. Quick, light steps can make slipping less likely. That made sense to me and I’ve tried it several times coming down hills and I believe it’s a Good Idea.
 
Also, I’m not sure how many members are bothered about maintaining a brisk pace over the whole distance, but I am, and running at an easy pace down hills (which takes surprisingly little effort) can help to compensate for the slower slog going up them.
 
A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were nearing the end of a walk on Dartmoor, between Great Links Tor and Brat Tor, when we were caught in heavy, very cold rain. To warm up, we descended the hill at an easy run and were glowing nicely by the time we reached the bottom. There’s a well-known effect of running called ‘runner’s high’ which we definitely felt and we agreed that the run was our favourite bit of the walk (or 'activity'!  8)).
 
I’ll finish by turning things around… runners – and especially trail runners – wouldn’t dream of dismissing walking as some walkers dismiss running. Walking is what trail runners do when hills become too steep or simply too much, and they walk to recover sufficiently for another period of increased effort. It's all part of the same activity (or walk, or hike, or run, or whatever we want to call it).
 
So there we have it. Perhaps someone (whose pseudonym begins with an 'n'!) will point out that it’s impossible to walk and run at the same time. Point taken. But, pedantry aside, I like to point out that walking means different things to different people, and that running and walking can sometimes be combined into a single activity that has merit for some people and that they enjoy every bit as much as others enjoy their own ways of doing things.  ;)
Walk, Jog, Run : our YouTube video channel.

gunwharfman

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I walk, I run and I walk/run. For me the activities often and naturally blend into each other. I like to read all entries, especially about personal experiences, what people see, who they meet, how their equipment worked or didn't work, and so on. It's also useful for me to read about a piece of clothing or equipment which appears to be specific to one activity but then can be used for another.

My own opinion is that this year has been very different for us (Covid-19) and it's easy to run out of ideas or variations just on the subject of walking, which is why I think other subject areas have crept up on us. Also, the subject of walking can only be taken so far, new subjects rarely appear and we are often going over the same ground but in different ways. I personally don't mind this at all, I still like reading the entries.

So for me, like 'running' 'the rant' section and our views about Covid-19, I find them all interesting and I gain a lot of knowledge as well. As an individual I personally find the Hikers Bar the least intersting, I'm not a 'light banter' person at all but thats just me.

I suspect if the Walking Forum tried to be 'pure' about walking, perhaps it wouldn't last very long?

ninthace

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I walk but I don't run.  I don't like running and I find threads on running of little interest so I only dip into them occasionally just in case they have become interesting.  That said, there are often threads on the forum that are often of little or no interest to me, photography or trip reports for example.  When a new topic pops up, I dip in and if I like it I stay, if not I ignore it.  The "show unread posts" filter is invaluable in this regard.  I enjoy the Hikers Bar for the humour, the banter and to cross intellectual swords from time to time.  Thankfully we are all different and we can learn from each other to a greater or lesser extent (except runners ;) ).  I would not proscribe any topic, even running, so crack on.
Solvitur Ambulando

richardh1905

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Back in the bad old days when pubs shut in the afternoon, I would often break into a run when coming off the hill to catch last orders!  :D
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

shortwalker

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I don't run, never have done really, used to do a bit of cross country at school. Most of the runners I know, it seems to be all about the time. So they tend to do the same routes, just to see if they can improve their times.


I used to do a bit of school boy cycling, but gave it up. Now I avoid cycling forums like the plague. The whole cycling "scene" is just not for me.


Walking on the other hand is still in essence the same now as it has always been.


So for me it is each to his own.
Let your soul and spirit fly Into the mystic.

Van Morrison

watershed

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Dave When you use the term running, are you also including jogging or is that a separate discussion?

richardh1905

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Dave When you use the term running, are you also including jogging or is that a separate discussion?


..and what about hiking?  ;)
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

WhitstableDave

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Dave When you use the term running, are you also including jogging or is that a separate discussion?

If jogging is simply running at an easy pace, then I'm definitely including it!  ;)

The way I see it, is that what we call 'walking' should not exclude running - I'm embracing inclusivity!

It won't suit everyone, but running (or jogging) while on an activity we'd usually call 'walking' might be of benefit to some people in some situations. The possible examples I gave included: descending hills more safely; improving average speed; and warming up.


Walk, Jog, Run : our YouTube video channel.

WhitstableDave

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..and what about hiking?  ;)
I think we each tend to use that word differently. I prefer to avoid it altogether as I see it as an Americanism.  ;)
Walk, Jog, Run : our YouTube video channel.

richardh1905

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...
So why should running be treated any differently to camping in that respect?
...




Interesting topic for discussion, and interesting question, Dave.


I certainly have no beef with running popping up on a walking forum from time to time, and I have been known to avidly 'dot watch' - the Spine Race is surely the ultimate example of how the line between running and walking is blurred.


As for wanting to get around a walk at a brisk pace, sometimes I do, as on my last walk as I had limited time, but on other occasions I like to take my time and savour the experience - wild camping in a remote location is an extension of this.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

richardh1905

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If jogging is simply running at an easy pace, then I'm definitely including it!  ;)

The way I see it, is that what we call 'walking' should not exclude running - I'm embracing inclusivity!

It won't suit everyone, but running (or jogging) while on an activity we'd usually call 'walking' might be of benefit to some people in some situations. The possible examples I gave included: descending hills more safely; improving average speed; and warming up.


Not sure that I would call running a safer way of descending, but I would add "getting down off the hill quickly as a thunderstorm is coming" to the list.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

richardh1905

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I think we each tend to use that word differently. I prefer to avoid it altogether as I see it as an Americanism.  ;)


Not a great fan of the word myself, but each to their own. Ultimately all it means is a long walk.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

richardh1905

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What you say about running could equally be applied to cycling - some people cycle up a remote glen to gain access to a walk, and quite often (for me) a fair amount of walking is involved in a steep cycle ride!
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Ridge

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I wasn't saying that we shouldn't talk about things which are not walking, quite the opposite in fact.

I walk but I don't run.  I don't like running and I find threads on running of little interest so I only dip into them occasionally just in case they have become interesting.  That said, there are often threads on the forum that are often of little or no interest to me, photography or trip reports for example.  When a new topic pops up, I dip in and if I like it I stay, if not I ignore it.  The "show unread posts" filter is invaluable in this regard.  I enjoy the Hikers Bar for the humour, the banter and to cross intellectual swords from time to time.  Thankfully we are all different and we can learn from each other to a greater or lesser extent (except runners ;) ).  I would not proscribe any topic, even running, so crack on.
I agree with most of what ninthace says above. Though he's wrong about trip reports and, as he isn't likely to be back in this thread, I can get away with saying it. ;)


I used to run for fitness but it was never for pleasure. I enjoyed the fact that I was outdoors and I enjoyed having done it but I like walking for its own sake. If it was practical I would never use any other form of transport.

ninthace

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I agree with most of what ninthace says above. Though he's wrong about trip reports and, as he isn't likely to be back in this thread, I can get away with saying it. ;)

  I heard that! Pardon?  I'm not wrong about TRs.  I said "are often of little or no interest to me" not that they shouldn't be on the forum.  I don't want Mel, April, Beefy, Karl et al lynching me.  I'm in enough trouble with the forum police as it is  ;)
Solvitur Ambulando

 

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