WWN27 : Walk, don't Run

A decade ago, a lanky German nerd ran across Dundee University campus.

One of his female classmates asked him “Why do you run everywhere? You’ve got ages until class starts.”

He gave the girl a puzzled look and replied in a thick German accent:

“Vy walk when you can run?”

At this point in the story you’re probably half expecting “that young German was X and ten years later he became a world-champion sprinter…”

But no.

He was just a socially awkward classmate of mine who thought it was better to run everywhere than to walk, enjoy the journey, maybe even talk to a person on the way.

(Also insufferably full of himself without the mastery to back it up, but that’s irrelevant to this piece.)

I was reminded of my awkward German classmate today as I read the replies to my recent tweet on a recurring theme round these parts:

The important of walking as a writer.

Weirdly, I got a bunch of comments this time asking “what about running”, “i run a lot, does that count?”, “why not run instead, two birds one stone” etc.

Dear reader,

These people have missed the point.

Bigly.

Let me spell it out for the slow of thinking on the timeline.

Taking your time about it is the whole point. Being relaxed about it is the whole point.

Long walks are not about distance. They’re about time.

As I wrote back in WWN12,

But alas, no matter how many times I explain this to people, they still keep making the same mistake of thinking it’s about getting somewhere. About doing something. Why not combine it with exercise. It’s efficient!

But doing something is not the goal.

The goal is to do nothing.

Trying to exercise at the same time is to miss the point. The goal of the long walk is not to be efficient, it’s to be inefficient.

It’s to open up space to think.

To take time out from the constant hustle and let your mind wander, let that subconscious generate new ideas and concepts.

Running is great. I have nothing against running. It can clear the mind. It’s good for you. It kicks off all sort of endorphins in your brain.

But it requires focus and effort. When you’re running, you’re focused on the run. You’re thinking about the run. You’re pushing through the barrier of physical effort and distress.

All of that is very good for you.

But none of it helps you think.

Neither does sitting on the couch, because your brain will swiftly power down and start to think of other things, like wotsits (cheetos) and whether you can be bothered reaching for the TV remote.

Walking is the sweet spot.

It’s enough activity to keep you awake and focused.

You’re constantly moving past new sights and sounds and smells to inspire your creativity.

You’re moving your body, increasing your activity levels, all of which helps sharpen your brain.

But you’re not pushing yourself so much that the activity becomes your sole focus. You’re taking your time. Taking it easy. Taking it in.

So how do we practically do it?

Well let’s be honest.

It’s not rocket science!

Put on your shoes, walk out the door, keep walking until you’re tired or out of time.

More specifically, do all the above without any form of mental stimulation. Leave your phone at home, turn the podcasts off, forget the work that you need to be doing and just think.

I recommend first thing in the morning, last in the evening. Maybe at lunch.

Short brisker walks to clear your head whenever you feel the funk coming on.

Long ambling walks to ponder a problem, or just to ponder more generally.

Vary the pace, vary the routes.

Pay attention to whatever you pass by, you never know when seeing something might spark something.

But really this is one of those Write Way Newsletter issues that are easy to read…

…and completely useless unless you actually put on a pair of shoes and go for a wander.

You’ll never believe how much difference this will make until you put it into practice.

And until next week, may your pipe accompany many fine walks by river and road,

James Carran, Craftsman Writer

fin

But not quite fin for the fine folks in Craftsman’s Corner who keep the lights on around here.

For them, a (lightly edited for comprehension) transcript from a 10,000 step walk I took last year. I dictated this note about one of the biggest benefits walking brings back then and now I’m sharing it with you.

(There are even pictures.)