Carolyn Flaschberger finishes the Whistlestop Half Marathon in October 2014. Submitted photos.
In 2007, I decided that I needed to make some healthy changes in my life. My job required me to sit in front of a computer in an office with no windows five days a week. After many years, it was really taking a toll on my body, and I knew it was time for me to get healthier. In those years, I was a CPA and sitting at a desk for at least nine hours every weekday, and even some weekends, was very stressful, both physically and mentally.
I researched healthy habits and found some great, down-to-earth advice for making healthier choices. I realized that it is simple: eat less (and better food), and move more! I sat down and figured out how many calories I needed to eat to maintain the weight I wanted to get to and decided that a walking routine would be a sensible way to get more exercise into my life. I knew this was a long-term project. After all, it had taken years of not doing the right things to get where I was. I also knew that for this to work, it would take the commitment to make choices that I could continue for a lifetime.
Mindy Burrows, Carolyn’s daughter, and Carolyn jog the Whistlestop Half Marathon in October 2015.
I started out by walking a quarter-mile down the road and back each evening and slowly added distance each week. About four months after I started walking, I decided to try walking in a 5K race. I was so nervous (and sure I would come in dead last) that I didn’t even allow my husband to accompany me to the race. Guess what? I did well and won a great door prize. I was hooked!
Fast forward to 2010, and by this time I had walked and jogged (wogged) my way through several 5K and 10K races and had trained to walk the Ashland Whistlestop Half Marathon. I thought that if I finished a half-marathon to celebrate making it thru my 50th year, I could check that off my bucket list. What I discovered after a summer of training walks, some as long as 12 and 14 miles, is that I really liked those long walks. Those walks made me feel strong and relaxed.
In January 2011, I challenged myself to participate in at least one race of some kind each month of that year. At the end of 2011, I had done 14 races—at least one each month—including another half-marathon. My daughter jokingly asked me how I was going to top that, and I replied, “Just keep going!” I have now completed 108 months of races, including 5Ks, 10Ks, 5 milers, and nine half-marathons, and I even walked the Susan G. Komen three-day, 60-mile breast cancer walk with my daughter in August 2015. I am now beginning my tenth year of monthly races, and although there have been a few months where my schedule or the weather caused me to do a 5k race indoors or on a treadmill, I keep going.
Carolyn has accumulated these ribbons and finisher medals over the past 13 years.
I am the kind of person who finds it hard to sit still or to just clear my mind and think of nothing. There is always activity or the need for activity. I have learned that quiet meditation is very difficult for me. I am a fidgeter! Walking has been a lifesaver for me over the years, I find that if I can get my body moving as the miles add up, the stress falls away. I think of walking as an active form of meditation. I take advantage of my breaks at work and walk indoors when it’s too cold or wet, or I walk around the building and nearby neighborhoods when the weather is nice.
When the weather permits, I prefer to walk outdoors. I know every inch of the road I live on and have walked on every portion of the Mesabi Trail. I know I can leave my house, walk north and cross 169 to pick up the Mesabi Trail and walk into Virginia and beyond. I love the quote by comedian Steven Wright, “Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.”
Perhaps it is giving myself time to think, or commune with nature, or have long discussions with God about things that are troubling me. Perhaps it’s that I get my blood flowing and can then think more clearly. Perhaps it is that I sweat out the toxins. Or is it just that I find it much easier to focus when my body is occupied? All I know is that I feel better when I move.
The challenge to run a race every month is just my way of keeping myself motivated. If I know that I must complete at least one 5K every month, I know that I need to keep walking and keep my feet, legs, and lungs in shape. Along the way, I have met wonderful people, and made new friends through running groups and going to the same races year after year. I have helped support great causes and communities through the racing fees I pay. For me, walking benefits not only my individual wellness, but my community’s wellness.
I have many friends and acquaintances who marvel at the races and walks I do while remarking that they could never run or jog or walk that fast or far. I want to assure you and them that there is great benefit and joy in walking or just plain strolling on a regular basis. You do not have to power walk, run, or compete to reap rewards.
The health benefits of walking begin from the very first steps you take, and the mental relaxation that can be had from an evening stroll should never be discounted. Walking at a brisk pace certainly gives you greater aerobic benefits, but study after study shows that just getting up and moving even for 10, 20, or 30 minutes every day is good for our cardiovascular system and is instrumental in better digestion and sleep.
Another of my favorite walking quotes is from G.M. Trevelyan: “I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.” I don’t want anyone to think that walking can cure all that ails you, but it is a very powerful and healthy tool.
There are many ways to get moving and to stay motivated. Some great resources include www.northlandrunner.com for race schedules in northeastern Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin, the western UP of Michigan, and southern Ontario; www.raceberryjam.com for race schedules throughout Minnesota; and www.active.com for race schedules nationwide. There are local running groups such as Range Runners (www.rangerunners.org) and groups sponsored by the Duluth Running Company (www.duluthrunning.com). There are also Facebook groups dedicated to running and numerous challenges, such as Run the Year, where you run, jog, or walk 2,020 miles during 2020.
Our bodies were designed to move, not to sit hunched over a glowing screen. Get up, stretch, put on those walking shoes (or boots with Yaktrax), and stroll out your door. Take the dog, take your spouse, stop by and ask the neighbor if they would like to walk with you. Check out that trail by your house you have been hearing about. If you’re feeling a bit bold, sign up for a local race. I might just see you there!
Carolyn Flaschberger lives in Mt. Iron, MN.