I don’t walk fast.
I can, but I often don’t.
I am short, (which is a closely guarded secret even from myself), and I have a short legs long body sort of arrangement, so despite not seeming that short, my steps are short. This means that when walking with tall people, I either, fall behind, or take double the amount of steps. This is worse going up hills when your stride length naturally shortens.
That sounds like a load of excuses, it’s not, it’s just a physiological explanation for why I sometimes walk slower than other people. Other, non physiological reasons are I like to look around, I stop to chat to birds, I like to take photos, I attempt to get sheep to come and talk to me, dogs tend to make a beeline for me causing me to stop moving, all cats need attention…the list is actually endless, but it boils down to: I like to interact with my surroundings rather than power through them.
Here is a random selection of things I stop to look at / photograph whilst walking about…
There are many reasons why I go slowly, it is very rare that the reason is I am struggling and I am not enjoying it. To be honest sometimes even if I am struggling because my ankle is being annoying or, yes sometimes walking up big hills is hard or whatever, I am probably still enjoying it.
What I don’t enjoy is people constantly asking if I am ok and telling me we can go back if I want. Or we can go a shorter/less hilly/whatever way if I would prefer.
People doubting my abilities makes me doubt my abilities.
People striding on ahead, stopping to watch me catch up, then carrying on just before I reach them makes me feel guilty for slowing them down. It makes me feel like I am an annoyance that they have to put up with, like a kid who can’t keep up with the adults and needs allowances made for them. It makes me feel like I have to apologise for slowing everyone down.
It has the compound effect of allowing the fast walkers to get a rest, and the slow walkers to have to walk continuously. This means that on a long walk the slow walkers get tired quicker, which compounds the “you are slow you must be struggling” problem…
It is the same with running.
I run slowly, I mainly do run/walk intervals, and I enjoy doing that.
As soon as other people get involved I start to feel slow and they start to do the *head tilt, patronising tone* “you’re doing really well” thing. I know they are attempting to be encouraging, I know I often read more into things than is really there, but it just comes across as “well done fat girl, at least you are trying”
This is why I am never doing park run again!
Come to think of it this is why I am not going to run with people or sign up for races again. I am fully aware that every time I say that I normally follow it up with a spur of the moment entry into an outrageously long run or walk or some such thing! I am pretty sure this is not going to happen this time however. I have enough on my plate with Strong person (bear?) training!
I think the problem some people have is accepting / realising that even doing something that is hard / tiring can be rewarding. Finding aspects of something a challenge does not make it a struggle. It is not always the case that a person will want to take the easy route, this is even true of fat people believe it or not!
So, in summary, don’t assume that someone is struggling unless they tell you they are struggling…
Especially not if they have stopped to chat to a sheep… sheep need chatting to, it is practically the law!
Project Warrior Goddess 
Wonderful post, and stunning photos. I much prefer weekend walks where I can amble and enjoy my surroundings, other half on other hand seems to enjoy the sight of the ground just beyond his feet! I go deliberately slowly just so he has to stop and look around 😂. I’m not being entirely truthful… cows! Shivers down my spine… we did a walk a year if so ago, had done about 5 miles, 2 miles left to go, field of cows!!! I had to turn around and walk all the way back! Knackered!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂 I am glad you liked it, and the photos 😁 I get so cross with the people who assume things about me!!
Honestly I am not sure how I feel about cows…
I have been known to turn round and go another way because I am convinced cows are going to chase me!! My husband claims cows are not evil… I am not so sure…
These ones were ok though and behind a fence!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤣 fences are a must! (Or a steak knife!) No point wasting brain power on people who make assumptions about us, their thoughts are their issues 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mmm steak!!
You are right about not wasting brain power, I just get very frustrated when it is friends and people who know me well enough to know better…
I realised recently that you can’t change peoples assumptions if they are determined to stick to them…
That’s why I write it on here…I think about it much less 😁
LikeLiked by 2 people
That is a shame when it’s those close to us. At least here gives you the chance to air 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly! And just occasionally it makes someone think about things a little bit differently and that might help!
(Not that *that* many people read my blog…)
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have a great blog, love your energy and writing style, so I reckon loads of people will read over time, and some of those will benefit 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 😀 it started as a means to keep myself accountable and grew from that!
I never thought a phone would read it but believe it or not I have met some of my best friends through this blog 🙂
LikeLike
That’s so cool 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
And 500+ followers isn’t a small blog 😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
😆😆 I first how many I have sometimes!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh yes! I agree with this post 100%
I too used to be a slow walker (now I’m an exceptionally slow one 😉) but that didn’t stop the fact that I could walk miles with a full 65litre sack on my back. But make me walk a mile with someone and I’d be breathless and sweating due to my short strides. I remember having to run to keep up with the slow looping stride of one particular friend. I ran for 3 days. All he said afterwards was that I perhaps should try to get a bit fitter before we went out next. We never went out again.
I wander along and watch the runners speeding past me. I seldom wish I could run. Instead, I wish that some of them would stop pushing themselves in stupid ways and see the world around them. Running seems to be ‘cool’. Everyone does it. No one seems to just have a walk and breathe in the life around them. Some people are born to run. Some are born to walk. But I think they just don’t know it. Instead they’re struggling to be ‘cool” and follow the herd.
You certainly don’t need to follow the herd in order to blossom. So: no more Parkruns! (other running is fine, as long as you feel better for it)
Oh, and my favourite photo out of the pictures you uploaded to this post was the one of the autumnal leaf on the post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are very definitely some people who are incapable of realising that people can be fit in different ways! Walking particularly is a brilliant way to actually see the world around you as long as you remember to slow down and look at things!!
I love the leaf picture, the loping stride brigade would have missed it because it was about 3 steps from my car which in some peoples eyes would be far to soon to stop!
I continue to run a bit but will never be super fast, never the patronising park run and I am totally prepared to stop and walk if a bird needs talking to!!
LikeLike
*loping stride – not looping. Auto correct strikes again. Looping stride is possibly what my dog does.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehe looping strides sound tricky… possibly what the small dog person does…although he looks like he does scampery strides…
LikeLike