Walk: Sat. Oct. 22 @ Tim's

Let's hope for a few more nice days like this

Saturday, we're supposed to get a break in the wet, windy weather. Let's make the most of it, and enjoy a stroll along the boardwalk. 8K would take us to the end of the boardwalk; 10K would take us around the Neville Park roundabout. After being stuck inside for so many days, 10K sounds good to me.

We're sending big birthday wishes out to Pat. Or, à la Parisienne, should we say bonne fête? Hope you are feted like a queen on your special day.

While we're on the subject of birthdays, thanks to Rainer for sending along this article from Yahoo! Health: 10 Surprising clues you'll live to be 100. One clue is particularly good news for us:

Faster walkers live longer. University of Pittsburgh researchers crunched numbers from nine different studies including almost 35,000 subjects ages 65 or older. The result: For each gait speed increase of 0.1 meters per second came a corresponding 12 percent decrease in the risk of death.

The average speed was 3 feet per second (about two miles an hour). Those who walked slower than 2 feet per second (1.36 miles per hour) had an increased risk of dying. Those who walked faster than 3.3 feet per second (2.25 miles per hour) or faster survived longer than would be predicted simply by age or gender.

A 2006 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that among adults ages 70 to 79, those who couldn't walk a quarter mile were less likely to be alive six years later. They were also more likely to suffer illness and disability before death. An earlier study of men ages 71 to 93 found that those who could walk two miles a day had half the risk of heart attack of those who could walk only a quarter mile or less.

If you use the handy speed converter (you can always find it on the blog, left column), then the fastest speed they cite, 2.25 miles per hour, translates into almost 17 minutes per kilometre. That means some of us, you know who you are, might just live to be 150! Happy walking.

P.S. Another reminder about our Shore Things Pot Luck Party on November 19th. The location will be Lou-Ann's church, Presteign-Woodbine United Church. I'll be sending out an official invitation via our Google Group shortly. However, it's open to all Shore Things, old and new, and their family. If you aren't on our mailing list yet, let me know. My email is at the bottom left of our blog.