Scary Walking Encounter

I am walking home minding my own business and I noticed a man in the distance.  At first he looked like a typical middle-age guy walking up and down the streets with his cherry colored shirt with the blue and white stripe, but his stringy gray hair flapping around under his black baseball cap made him character right out of a movie.  He scream at me unprovoked, "Go suck a ....you whore.  The next time I see you I will split your lip."

I was freaked out and kept walking, and a bit disconcerted such an individual said this to me at six o'clock in broad daylight next to a major post office, and across the street from several restaurants.  I refuse to let a drugged out homeless dude make me afraid to walk, and he went to wait at the bus stop after the barrage of words he poured upon me.

Honestly, I have never had an encounter that left me shaken before, and even walking in scarier parts of San Bernardino people never threatened me in this fashion.  It snapped me out of my reverie of looking at the palm trees and the mountains, but I am glad I could run pretty fast if this man had tried to chase me.  Today I am going to be hyper-aware of everything around me.

Walking For Health

Walking is the best way to keep your weight down and to focus on your health.  I lost weight a few years ago, and I finally learned to focus on my health by getting out and walking most places I need to go.  I do slip up and drink soda sometimes, but I try to remind myself not to do it by drinking water and eating more balanced meals.  Exercising can change your life, and walking is a great way to jump start your exercise routine.

Pedestrians Wear Flat Shoes

Pedestrians and people who are on their feet wear flat shoes because this is what is practical.  I have been a walker all my life, and I shall continue to be a walker because it is my favorite form of transportation.  I love walking swiftly down the sidewalk, and heels make that harder.  When platform wedges were in style in the early 2000's I made the mistake of walking in those because I wanted to look trendy, and it always hurt my feet.  I cannot believe I once walked three miles in platform wedges, it is quite daunting to think about!

Then I got into my late twenties and realized I look good in walking shoes and a skirt, and that is how I am going to dress.  I am not going to buy pairs of flat dressy shoes that cut up the back of my heels, because even with minimal movement these always do.  Yes I try shoes on often, but my heels are very thin and always end up getting cut up.  Even with tennis shoes I have to be very careful, and wear certain types of sock.  So wearing flat shoes is perfectly fine, and men do it all the time.  I feel like I have so many opinions bubbling up to the surface as of late, but why do women have to be told heels are dressy when a guy would never wear those.  Tell men they should wear heels to if you think women should wear heels.  Sometimes I think women are more judging about what they think other women should be wearing then most men who could care less if women were walking shoes.

Maybe Someday I Will Meet A Fellow Walker

For the most part I am happy being single, but if I am destined to ever meet someone, I think he might be a walker like me. I think maybe we will meet each other on a walk and talk about how we have both vowed to stop drinking soda, even though we occasionally slip once and awhile. There is just something about the idea of meeting a fellow walker, I am going to keep this a bit more in mind.

You Know You Are A Hardcore Pedestrian When You Enjoy The Summer Heat

You know you are a hardcore pedestrian when you can walk over three miles in the summer heat and it does not faze you a bit. However, I have been walking, running, and biking in the heat of Southern California my entire life, and my penchant for warmer weather makes this appealing to me. As long as I take my water bottle and wear a hat I am good to go! I remember about ten years ago when I was still living up in the mountains a repairman gasped when he spotted me emerging from the woods, and commented on how it was a hundred degree outside. "I love the heat I told him," and I watched his jaw drop.

The reality for me is walking in the summer heat in the city is really no big deal for me because I used to bike, run, and hike up in the San Bernardino Mountains, and during the summer months the barometer can rise on the backside of the mountain. The summer months were always my favorite because I did not have to dress in layers, which I have never enjoyed to be honest. Now that I am older I make sure to wear sunblock more often, shirts that cover my shoulders, a proper hat, and I am ready to go. When I see bikers training throughout the city I know I am fine walking in 90+ degrees, but I do not recommend this for most people. I just wish others would realize some people like to walk and train in the warmer months, and we do not let the high temperature outside keep us from enjoying nature. I live in a city with many palm trees and other trees, and it is almost like being in the woods when I walk along certain arbor laden parts of town. Of course I need to visit the mountains again soon, but living in a city with trees is definitely my cup of tea.

Abandoned portion of the Santa Fe Railroad with many trees growing nearby.

I still think about getting a bike because I spotted a cute one the other day, but I am quite afraid of driving conditions in SoCal. Until there are more bike routes in our cities, and drivers are a bit more cautious of pedestrians, I am going to keep walking. So if you enjoy walking, running, or biking in the summer heat, know you are not alone. Just remember to hydrate!

The Black Sketcher D'Lites Are Comfortable

The other day I purchased these black Sketchers D'Lites at the shoe store, but I noticed these are a bit cheaper on Amazon.  I have grown fond of the Sketcher D'Lites because these are not clunky when I walk, and these particular shoes do not fall apart after just a couple of months.  Yes, as a pedestrian I have had some shoes fall apart after about three or four months, or begin to rub the back of my heel after that amount of time, so it is nice to find a pair of walking shoes that are both cute and durable.

Skip The Repetitive Exercises And Go For A Walk To The Grocery Store

Exercise DVDs and videos are a good way to stay in shape if you do not have time to go to the gym or for walks during the week, but do you really want to do repetitive exercises on your day off?  I found exercise tapes helpful in the past, but I got bored quickly because I like a change of scenery, and I like my workouts to have a purpose.  As a pedestrian I get both of these things, but even drivers can experience this by walking to the store on your day off.

If you live two blocks from the store you could walk there for a change of pace, and a change of scenery.  Believe me: you will notice birds in the trees, the man walking that fluffy dog, and a myriad or things you would never notice if you were zooming by in your car.

Once you get to the store keep your shopping trip small because you are walking back, and pack exercise into it by taking one of those carry around baskets.  I limit amount I buy according to what fits in the carry basket, which really helps you assess whether you need the stuff you are putting in or not.  With all the exercise you are doing you really will rethink purchasing that frozen meal, or that ice cream as well.  I know if I go shopping with a shopping cart I can push around that I will mindless throw lots of stuff in, but with a carry basket I just will not do that!

In repetitive exercise videos you always see those moves with weights, but I always found these boring!  I just do not feel like concentrating on lifting the weight to the side, and contorting my my arms behind my back.  As I said if I am moving about I want a purpose, and carrying the bags home from the grocery store I am lifting weights in a natural way, and my journey home gives me a purpose. 

They always say to take reusable bags with you, but I say it is okay to get the plastic bags at the store.  Do you know why I say that?  A lot of people think they are helping the environment because they use reusable bags at the grocery store, but then they have to buy plastic bags for their trash.  What I do is limit my trash to the small plastic bags from the grocery store, which are made of recycled plastic.  Now if they start charging for these bags I might start rethinking this approach, but right now I just cannot see the point of paying for a large plastic trash bag, which would take me weeks to fill, especially when I can cut down on my waste and throw it all in a small plastic bag from the store.