Steady Beats Fast, and Why I Mean It
I want to get this out of the way early, before we're on any actual trail, because it changes how you'll walk from the first hundred yards.
Most people treat a walk like a test. They pick a pace that feels respectable, hold it as long as they can, and then pay for it on the way back. I've watched this happen more times than I can count, and I did it myself for the first year I was walking up the canyon. You feel strong at the trailhead. You want to show it.
Here's my opinion, and I'll say it more than once this course because I mean it every time: steady beats fast. I would rather you finish the whole trail slow than gas out at a pace that looked good for twenty minutes. Pace is negotiable. Finishing is the point.
What steady actually looks like
Steady isn't slow for the sake of slow. It's a pace where you can talk in short sentences without gasping. If you can carry on a full conversation, you've got room to pick it up a little. If you can only get out three or four words before you need another breath, that's your pace. Not faster. That's it.
This is the only measurement I care about, and I'll admit I'm a little contrarian about it. Some folks want a heart rate number, a zone, a beep on a watch. I tried a fitness watch for about a month years ago and gave it up, not because it was wrong, but because I kept looking at my wrist instead of the trail. The trail's got more to tell you than the watch does. Your own breathing is the instrument. It's free and it's always with you.
How to build this at home before we ever meet on a trail
You don't need the canyon to practice steady. Practice it on your regular walk around the block or the school track or the sidewalk down to the mailbox and back.
- Walk at a pace where you could hold a conversation. Actually talk to yourself out loud if nobody's around to judge you. If you run out of breath mid-sentence, slow down.
- Time yourself for ten minutes at that pace, then stop and notice how you feel. Not winded. Warm, maybe a little effort in the legs, but not gasping. That's the target.
- Do this three times this week, not once, hard. Consistency matters more than any single good walk. You don't need gear for this. You need to actually go.
- Pay attention to your feet. This is where I'll bring up something I learned the expensive way.
A word about socks, because it matters more than people think
Years back I went out on a cold morning in cotton socks, because that's what was in the drawer and I didn't think about it. Hit a wet patch near the creek without noticing, and walked the last mile with feet like two blocks of ice. Cotton holds water. It doesn't dry out on you, it just sits there being cold and miserable against your skin.
I bought wool socks that same afternoon. I now own eleven pairs, which Maria considers excessive and which I consider correct. Wool wicks moisture and stays warm even damp. It costs more than a three-pack of cotton at the store, but you're only buying it once every couple years if you take care of it. This is not a preference I'll be talked out of. Cotton is a mistake. Wool is worth the money.
You don't need trail socks yet if you don't own any. But if you're buying anything before this course starts, buy those before you buy shoes, a pack, or anything else on a gear list somebody tries to sell you. Most of what's marketed to walkers is aimed at people who'd be better served just going out three times a week in decent socks.
Why this matters more at elevation
We sit around 4,600 feet here, and the air's dry enough that you won't notice you're sweating until you're already behind on water. A pace that felt sustainable at sea level can feel harder up here for the first few weeks, especially on any real grade. Steady pace, paying attention to your breathing, matters more here than it would somewhere lower and wetter. Don't compare yourself to how a walk felt somewhere else. Compare it to how you feel right now, today, at this pace.
Before next time
This week, go on three walks at a pace where you could talk the whole time, ten minutes each at minimum, and notice how your feet feel afterward. If you're buying anything, buy wool socks first.