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Old 12-06-19, 11:11 AM  
Sissy B
 
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Originally Posted by Vantreesta View Post
It isn't the breathing that keeps me from 4 mph it's apparently my legs. I'm a runner too so I never really get winded walking except sometimes on hills. I walk my dog 3 times a day so I'm pretty efficient at it and maintain good form. Maybe it's an excuse but I really just don't think my body is going to allow me to walk that speed outside and feel right.
It's definitely your legs. My DH is tall - 6'7", and my daughter is about 3-4 inches taller than I am and has her dad's long legs. I'm 5'5" with short legs and she has commented many times that I have to take about 2-3 steps for every one they take.
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Old 12-06-19, 11:18 AM  
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Thanks, Sissy! My brother is like 6'4". I always think it's a good thing when we walk together that I'm pretty fit so I can keep up with his long legs!

Most of the time being short doesn't bug me much, but at concerts and sometimes hiking I really wish I had about 4 more inches!
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Old 12-06-19, 07:39 PM  
susan p
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The key to increasing walking speed is focusing on turnover. Stride length is a minor contributor compared to turnover. And the easiest way I've found to increase turnover was taught to me by a walking coach I worked with while marathon training many moons ago. She said to shorten your arms by bending them at the elbows, because shorter levers move faster, then let your arm swing drive your pace. Your legs will follow your arm swing. Lo and behold, she was SO RIGHT! I started bending my arms and focusing on increasing the pace of my arm swing and my legs just went right along with the program. And it was mentally a lot easier than trying to focus on leg turnover. I was able to improve my fast walking speed from 3.8 mph to 4.0 mph doing this.
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Old 12-07-19, 09:13 AM  
TracyQ
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Originally Posted by susan p View Post
The key to increasing walking speed is focusing on turnover. Stride length is a minor contributor compared to turnover. And the easiest way I've found to increase turnover was taught to me by a walking coach I worked with while marathon training many moons ago. She said to shorten your arms by bending them at the elbows, because shorter levers move faster, then let your arm swing drive your pace. Your legs will follow your arm swing. Lo and behold, she was SO RIGHT! I started bending my arms and focusing on increasing the pace of my arm swing and my legs just went right along with the program. And it was mentally a lot easier than trying to focus on leg turnover. I was able to improve my fast walking speed from 3.8 mph to 4.0 mph doing this.
This is spot on. When I walk alone I bend me elbows to go as fast as I can but when I walk with my slower husband I keep my arms straight to slow down to his pace.
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Old 12-07-19, 10:36 AM  
bee
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This is spot on. When I walk alone I bend me elbows to go as fast as I can but when I walk with my slower husband I keep my arms straight to slow down to his pace.
I also bend my arms and use them when I walk alone -- I feel like it really helps add shape and definition to them -- but when I walk with my friends I am embarrassed to do it. Well, and, I don't think they want to walk at that faster pace.

ETA: I don't know if Bubbles is reading this thread, but I remember years ago there was a thread on what to do for better arm definition, and I'm pretty sure it was Bubbles who said it was "running" for her. That's really what got me focusing on my arms when I walk-at-a-fast-pace (not run).
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Old 12-07-19, 04:02 PM  
Sara1000
 
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When I walk in my neighborhood and someone passes me by I will start trying to match my steps to theirs. A lot of people walk in my neighborhood and most walk faster than I normally do so this will usually happen pretty soon in my walk.
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Old 12-07-19, 04:54 PM  
Sara1000
 
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>> Podrunner <<
These may be useful. Walking to the beat, and gradually increase the BPM.
Each 'song' tends to go for around an hour. Non-stop, fixed pace.
I went to that site and it's a fabulous resource! I downloaded the slowest pace (120 BPM - 3 MPH) and it was just right since right now I'm walking with hiking sticks because of a sore hip.
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Old 12-07-19, 06:23 PM  
Helen
 
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I went to that site and it's a fabulous resource! I downloaded the slowest pace (120 BPM - 3 MPH) and it was just right since right now I'm walking with hiking sticks because of a sore hip.
Glad you like it - I've been using these for many many years. They keep my pace up and can be quite meditational due to the kind of music they are - no lyrics, non-stop. I sink into them and time flies.
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Old 12-07-19, 09:12 PM  
lreidgreen
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At one point about 4 years ago I was walking in the range of 13-14 minute miles. I use map my walk and it gives me split times. At my fastest, I actually did one mile at just under 12 minutes. And I am short (with long legs as I am very short waisted.) I typically do walks between 2.5- 5.5 miles.

I have been slowing down in the past few years and then I had foot surgery in June. I started walking again late August and have been in the 14-16 min/mile range. Today I walked 5.3 miles paying attention to Susan's suggestion with the bent arms and trying to concentrate on moving fast. My mind kind of wanders which causes me to slow down.
My splits were:
14:29, 14:20, 13:56. 13.54, 15.00 (last 0.3 miles was at a 16.03 min/mile pace)
I do need some audible cues to keep my pace. At one point I was using an electronic metronone to try to keep a 13 min/mile pace. I couldn't keep up with that plus the sound was really annoying. I will check out that podrunner website.
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Old 12-07-19, 09:15 PM  
lreidgreen
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Ha! My dog stops to sniff every few seconds. My walks take longer than should be
This is why I don't count walking my dog as my regular exercise of the day but rather as supplementary activity. It drives me crazy when she stops to sniff- I want to MOVE.

Today I walked her 1.5 miles and then did my normal 5.3 mile walk. I don't usually have that much time to walk though.
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