National Volkssport Walking Month
I almost let October slip away without celebrating the walking sport that turned me into a walker. Twenty-five years ago, my fiance and I went on the very first volkssport walk held in Oregon. It was a 6.2 mile (10 kilometer) walk that happened to be held in my hometown. I didn’t believe I could make it a whole six miles, but I did and got my first sports medal ever - a volkssport medal given to all finishers. I was hooked, and here I am today.
You can catch the volkssport bug, too. The events are completely non-competitive and most are set up to allow you to sign up within a four-hour window and start and finish with plenty of time to really enjoy the route. These are walks, not races. While you can use the routes for athletic walking training, most are meant to be enjoyed for the sights along the way.
I can’t think of a better way to connect with my own local area as well as to explore tourist destinations. Last weekend I was in Los Angeles and we chose to stay at a hotel that hosts one of the 1700 year-round volkssport routes. That meant that I had a map and directions for a great walk I could use each day, and many starting points have more than one route featured.
What you will discover at many volkssport walks is that the walkers tend to be over age 50. Don’t let that dissuade you if you are an energetic 20-something. Those oldsters can probably walk you into the ground. Strike up a conversation and you’ll discover that many of them log a half marathon a day when they are out on a walking trip. Many have walked in all 50 states and many countries around the world. They lead fun, interesting and active lives.
Get started now with volkssporting. It is a world-wide sport. I have a step-by-step tutorial on what to expect on a traditional weekend volkssport walk, and another on how to enjoy one of those 1700 year-round volkssport walks.
Find a volkssport walk
Photo © Wendy Bumgardner
National Volkssport Walking Month originally appeared on About.com Walking on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 09:04:30.
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