Walking, a Moving Experience

By Herbert W. Hobler

To those who already saunter, to those thinking of walking, to those who walk aerobically, to those who vigorously swing their arms or carry weights, to those who clamp on a headset to study or otherwise be entertained en route, to those who walk from here to there and back, to those who very deliberately walk only for their health, this book is dedicated to opening up new and rewarding experiences en route.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 27, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543448689

Herbert W. Hobler

Herb Hobler, a WWII B-29 South Pacific navigator, had a career with NBC-TV, CBS-TV and founded his own radio and cable company. A Princeton, New Jersey native energetically involved in community activities and sports, he stopped jogging at age 60 when a friend introduced him to the "wonders and joys" of walking before breakfast. Invigorated physically, mentally and spiritually by casual explorations and encounters during over 600 caonsecutive pre-breakfast walks under every circumstance, he has written "Walking, a Moving Experience" in hopes it will inspire others.

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Copyright © 2017 by Herbert W. Hobler.

Library of Congress Control Number:    2017913552

ISBN:   Hardcover     978-1-5434-4870-2

             Softcover       978-1-5434-4869-6

             eBook             978-1-5434-4868-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 09/18/2017

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Contents

Introduction

Preface

Chapter 1 - NO EXCUSES

Chapter 2 - RIGHT AROUND HOME

Chapter 3 - LIFT YOUR SIGHTS

Chapter 4 - THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE SCENT

Chapter 5 - THE GLORIES OF SUNRISES

Chapter 6 - A DOG’S TALE

Chapter 7 - BRAKING AND ENTERING HOUSES

Chapter 8 - HELLO OLD FRIEND, NEW FRIEND

Chapter 9 - PAR FOR THE COURSE

Chapter 10 - TRAINS & BOATS & PLANES

Chapter 11 - WALKS WHILE TRIPPING AWAY FROM HOME

Chapter 12 - SAND IN MY SHOES…

POSTSCRIPT

To

Gordon,

Nugget, and Echo

. . . in that order–

And Bonnie for typing

and helping me organize this book.

Introduction

Why do I walk? Very simple. I love it. Sure, it’s healthy. Sure, it improves your cholesterol count. Sure, it makes your heart beat strong and smooth. More and more doctors prescribe it, but I have never taken a jaunt just because it was healthy. Frankly, I don’t like exercise that cuts me off from life.

—Harrison E. Salisbury,

The Good Health Magazine article from

The New York Times Magazine, April 16, 1989

No more jogging were the three words that changed my life 10 years ago. It started one May night in 1981 when I asked my good friend and house guest Gordon Fuqua to jog with me the next morning and he responded No more jogging since my by-pass, Herb. I walk instead.

The next morning my Golden Retriever Nugget and I joined Gordon on an hour’s walk. We heard birds singing. Together we smelled newly mown grass, stopped in the 24-hour WAWA store to buy fresh croissants and a newspaper. We fantasized about the shape of cloud patterns. We saw things in my hometown I had never noticed before. We stopped and chatted for a moment with an acquaintance. We waved at a frenzied jogger who refused to stop and visit. A whole new world of touching, hearing, smelling, meditation and creative thinking opened up before me, one that totally had escaped me as an intense never-stop jogger. Walking was a new adventure—and it was fun!

Within days my pre-breakfast walk became habit. For the next fifteen months I walked four or five days a week. By September 1982 I vowed to thereafter never miss my morning ritual. I bought a pedometer, kept track of my daily walking mileage (most of which was before breakfast), posted my daily mileage on the refrigerator, recorded my weight regularly, and planned a different route every single day. It took more than 800 days of creative planning before I repeated exactly the same route.

By the time I got to my office I felt almost exhilarated. My whole outlook on facing each day was changed by the stimulation of the early morning walk. Subsequently I read an article that medically confirmed what I had already concluded: early morning exercise gets the vital juices going in body and mind.

The idea of never missing at least a one mile walk before breakfast became a fetish. Nothing, I decided, would stand in my way—not weather, nor fatigue, nor aches and pains, nor late hours, not even flying in an airplane. Early mornings are cool, peaceful, and quiet. Dust and smog have yet to appear. Problems later in the day can squelch the best of daily intentions to walk, but an alarm clock can always make time before breakfast.

35,000 miles (including miles before and after breakfast), 15 worn out pairs of shoes, and almost 17 years later, the exhilaration of these morning walks still holds. Over 6,000 consecutive pre-breakfast daily walks have taken me to every part of my Princeton, New Jersey hometown, to 28 states and 26 foreign lands. Normally walking 3½ to 5 miles, my minimum mileage before breakfast has been at least one mile no matter the condition. For 177 consecutive months I never walked less than 150 miles a month, one time reaching 242 miles (while on a walking tour abroad). Never missing a walk before breakfast for 17 years may seem more than a trifle compulsive. Perhaps it is, but that ritual has provided incomparable rewards.

My constant companion and dearest friend for all home town walks for many years was Nugget, my lovable, devoted Golden Retriever. When 13-year-old Nugget passed on, bouncy swift-running Echo became my second Golden Retriever companion. Watching them run free or on leash is always a special joy.

Others may not persevere so consistently nor have the author’s privilege of special adventures while traveling broadly for business and pleasure. Still, for every walker, whether of limited or unlimited physical capability, the wonderment of the world is out there—-sunrises, aromas, sounds, the sparkle of the sun on warm water and crusty snow, the adventure of exploring new neighborhoods and distant places.

Everyone agrees that walking improves blood pressure and makes for a trimmer body. But that’s only a by-product compared to the stimulation of the mind and the adventures that lie in wait for early morning walkers. I’m persuaded that the joys of walking begin with an open and curious mind, and a conscious sensitivity to sights, sounds and smells.

About walking in general Henry David Thoreau wrote . . . Your morale improves; you become frank and cordial, hospitable and singleminded.

To those who already saunter, to those thinking of walking, to those who walk aerobically, to those who vigorously swing their arms or carry weights, to those who clamp on a headset to study or otherwise be entertained en route, to those who walk from here to there and back, to those who very deliberately walk only for their health, this book is dedicated to opening up new and rewarding experiences en route.

Echo and I hope you enjoy these tales before breakfast.

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Preface

READY, GET SET AND WALK

Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications … are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

This book is about some of the thousands of walks I’ve enjoyed all over the world. While it is not a how-to book, before sharing more of my tales I thought I’d pass on some ideas on my how’s and why’s of walking.

First, the most important step for walking is a comfortable pair of shoes. There’s extra spring, extra comfort in jogging or walking shoes available at any local athletic shoe store. Investing $40 or $70 makes all the difference in the world. Try several different models—walking or jogging shoes—either kind. Indeed, if you’re not even sure you want to try walking, visit a shoe store and walk a few yards in a pair of walking shoes. The extra lift will convince you to start walking.

Second, dress comfortably for whatever is out there—cold, heat, rain, snow. So that you never have to think about what to wear, set aside your shoes, athletic socks, and walking clothes in an extra bathroom, or bedroom, or if you live in a warm climate, perhaps in the garage. In this way everything is organized and waiting in one spot. (On trips, if there is no room in a suitcase for walking basics, take along a small athletic bag.) To simplify walking in rainy weather, keep some walking boots or an old pair of walking shoes in a pair of rubbers or so you don’t have to struggle to put them on. Bad weather boots, overcoats, scarves, umbrellas (have a big one handy) should be in your front or back hall closet as needed. Always wear a cap or hat in cold or cool weather to conserve body heat.

Third—and most important after comfortable walking shoes—is a pencil and pocket-size note pad or a piece of paper. It will retain a treasure trove of captured thoughts, plans for the day, reminders for this and that. Henry David Thoreau walked to exercise both his body and his mind, and Dr. Othneil J. Seiden, in his book Walk! Get Into Shape the Easy Way said it clearly:

You will learn to control your creative abilities to work for you often while walking. Walking can actually unleash the genius in you!

And, more on creativity during a walk, George Sheehan, Philosopher of Fitness article, The Walking Magazine wrote:

Almost all the great thinkers who gave us the best books wrote them on their walks … If you’re a walker you can put it all together. During the time you’re walking, you can be thinking. The road becomes a gymnasium, a classroom, a cathedral—whatever you want.

Drink a glass of water with a little lemon juice and start walking. No need to warm up—that first easy fifty yards is all that is needed. Walking is its own warm-up. And never forget a pencil and pad to capture those thoughts and plans for the day!

How Far is a Walk?

Time, physical capability, and desire is how far a walk is. If you simply can’t face the before-breakfast walk, time can be scheduled before lunch or dinner, or in the evening. However, if you want to walk every day there likely will always be inconveniences to disrupt whatever good intentions you may have—except before breakfast.

Once I had a 7 A.M. flight from Newark Airport. That meant leaving home at 5:30 and getting up by 5:00. So, why not get up at 4:30 and walk a few miles? Nugget and I went out into 25 degree weather with a full moon overhead. Not a car was on the road as my flashlight helped me keep an eye on Nugget. Then, thanks to adjusting to the spectacular moonlight, no flashlight was needed. The walk turned out to be one of the quietest and most serene walks I ever had. I was raring to go by the time I got to the airport.

How-to-walk books and medical articles suggest 3 to 4 half hour walks per week. To each his or her own. What is most important is disciplining one’s self to a routine. As for your physical capability, start out easy and work up to your time limitations and physical needs and goals. One hundred yards out and back may be a limit for one person, five to six miles for another. While this book is not about walking for your health (a wonderful by-product, nonetheless), for those who are strictly health conscious and want to walk vigorously or aerobically, you and your doctor are likely the best judges of any physical limitations.

For the saunterer, desire is how far a walk is.

Nature’s Aid

Almost 2500 years ago, Hippocrates said, Walking is man’s best medicine.

Today numerous surveys indicate walking is America’s favorite form of exercise. It’s more popular than jogging, or swimming, tennis, or golf. Walking burns just as many calories as jogging. It merely takes longer to walk the same distance. And, chances are when an easy paced walk ends you’ll feel so good you’ll want to go further.

Rebecca Hughes in Family Circle, May 1986 said

Walking can help ward off depression, boost your energy level and help you to sleep more soundly. The reason behind these pleasant effects is a set of mood-elevating chemicals called endorphins, the body’s natural opiates … endorphins help you feel refreshed and energized.

A Nike article in Walk Nike notes:

Walking reduces headaches and tension, it sharpens the senses, it increases alertness, relieves depression and helps you feel younger. Unlike swimming, its a weight-bearing exercise. It stimulates new bone tissue growth so that old bone can actually regenerate and become less brittle, reversing the aging process. Walking makes you smarter. It increases glucose to your brain so you can think more systematically, improving your ability to solve problems. And, finally, walking is practically injury free. It’s the one exercise you can use throughout life.

It’s well known that walking can help prevent heart attacks and stroke by strengthening the heart, reducing cholesterol, and lowering blood pressure. Finally regular walkers are more successful in losing weight and usually can better maintain weight control.

How Fast A Walk?

Jane Brody in a Personal Health article in the New York Times, March 14, 1991 notes:

adding to the confusion are the myriad names given to different walking styles: race walking, pace walking, fitness walking, aerobic walking, power walking, rhythmic walking, treadmill walking and mall walking, among others. Surely there can’t be that many ways to put one foot in front of the other.

Walking for me is really none of the above. I walk at whatever pace is comfortable. I walk to enjoy my outing. I seem to walk a bit slower when it’s hot, more briskly when it’s cold. Still my walks usually move along at enough of a pace to come back with a bit of a sweat.

The walker who comes home and wishes he had more time to walk another mile or two is someone who mentally and physically feels good. When a walker looks forward to a walk with keen anticipation—similar to the eagerness of a 12-year-old about to have an ice cream cone—when it’s no longer I must walk because it’s good for my health, distance no longer becomes a concern. Such walkers are obviously stimulating both mind and body. Finally, the walker who sees a short cut and takes a long cut, is a walker for whom the joys of walking has taken hold.

Walking while away from home is always an adventure. Many times I have enjoyed early morning walks around Washington, D.C. past the grandeur of the White House, the Lincoln and the Jefferson Memorial, and the Smithsonian. 2500 miles northwest was the walk from my motel at the edge of town a mile into the city of Fargo, North Dakota. Few houses there were large, streets were wide and clean, and people smiled and said hello to me in this great American midwestern city. I’ve enjoyed early morning walks along the San Francisco waterfront, around the beautiful New England Dartmouth campus in Hanover, New Hampshire, through the residential section of Cheshire, Connecticut while visiting my daughter Mary and her family, from the top of a hill in Los Angeles down to the bottom near the Occidental College campus when visiting my cousin Burns Lee. (Finding my way back up those constantly intersecting winding hilly L.A. roads was a challenge.) As I age, I may forget names or dates but every walk away from home remains distinctly clear in my memory.

What To Take Along

Back home I seldom have identification with me. If I stumble or have an accident, I’ve concluded they will identify me quickly if I am taken to a local hospital.

However, no one knows me when I’m away from home. Before I venture out, I do several things:

I write my name on a piece of paper along with the address where I am staying, date it, and put it in my pocket.

I take a pad or piece of paper with a pen or pencil for possible notes.

If I am staying at a hotel, I take along the key to my room, some hotel matches, and write my name on a piece of paper.

I always take some money with me but seldom take a wallet.

As soon as I leave my overnight accommodations, I look at the nearby intersecting streets, and write down the street names of the streets.

With these simple preparations, I am ready for accidents or getting lost, with one exception. If I am in a non-English speaking city abroad, Bon Jour, Nehi, or Gut Morgen isn’t enough to talk my way back if I stray. I am particularly careful, therefore, to take hotel matches or some identification to show to a non-English speaking local to help me head back to my hotel.

How far afield to walk?

I am perhaps more venturesome than most. But, I don’t walk down dark alleys or go in empty warehouses. Still,some of my best morning adventures have happened in cities and countrysides by venturing a goodly distance away from my starting point. In sixteen years of daily walking there probably have been 400 days of walking away from home. Most have been in unfamiliar territory making possible a new and different walking adventure each time. And that, of course, is what this book is all about.

I decided early on that always walking the same route could become monotonous. As in life itself, variety, however minor the change, can keep a daily walk interesting. What I haven’t tried while walking is listening to an educational book or entertainment cassette to pass the time. Not only do I believe blocking out external sound can be dangerous (such as missing the sound of cars) but for me headsets block out nature’s and man-made sounds that add to the pleasure of walking.

Reaching for a way to encourage elderly people to walk, a retired Army Colonel once suggested counting steps as a way to pass the