Stuff to help you walk/train better and safer

I purchased this DVD/CD online from Wow Powerwalking when it first came out about a year ago. It's a fabulous, easy-to-follow guide to walking technique. Lee Scott is an engineer by training, and I think that's what gives her such an ability to deconstruct the mechanics of walking.

Of course, not everyone wants to walk "faster." But I think everyone wants to walk more efficiently. Lee shows you how easy it can be to walk with the greatest effectiveness for the least amount of effort. Less effort, you say? Bring it on!

The DVD comes with an audio CD of two walking workouts (30 & 50 minutes) that I have just loaded onto my iPod. Until I got my fancy-schmancy FM-equipped hearing aids, I wasn't able to use the CD portion. I heard one for the first time last night. If you're walking by yourself, this would be a great motivator, trainer and companion. At $29.95, the DVD/CD combo is an excellent deal. Just an unsolicited, unpaid endorsement by a fan. (Note: see our blog link under Training Support for a one-pager on walking technique inspired by this DVD.)

An easy way to carry ID

While the high Canadian dollar gives us such good value south of the border, it might be a good time to invest in some RoadID. I've had this on my list of Things To Do for a while. These guys make ID tags for your shoe, wrist, ankle or dog-tag style and also sell bright clip-on lights for night training.

Shoelace tricks for sore feet

On another subject, now that we're getting into longer distances, you might be interested in how to avoid those black toenails and blisters. The solution could be as simple as tying your shoelaces. Thanks to the Stellar Runners for this (free) link to some shoelace tricks from Runner's World. Have a look at the online videos or bookmark for later.

Walk! Magazine offer

Those who did the Alfie Shrubb 8K last year received a copy of Walk! Magazine in their goodie bag. I have just noticed that the mag offers a subscription deal to walking clubs: you can subscribe for $6 a year if there are 30 of us, or $7.50 a year for 10. It's not a bad little magazine, and it is expressly for walkers. We'd have to subscribe in one block, pre-paid. Please let me know if you're interested.

P.S. Don't forget to let Norma know if you want to join her yoga class. She tells me that her class size is limited to 10 -- and our family just claimed 3 of those spaces.