Having walked regularly for more than thirty-five years, I finally broke down in the spring of 2016 and started using a running app to track my mileage.
I didn't think that the app would make much difference in my walking habits, and for the most part it hasn't. I had estimated my weekly output at about 20 to 40 miles (85 to 170 miles per month), toward the lower end of the range during the winter or in bad weather, and toward the upper end in the summer weather.
I only track walks of about one hour or more. It takes me about that amount of time to fully relax in the walk.
Here's what I found:
• My mood has been consistently good. I almost never have a bad walk.
• I'm walking slightly less than I thought. So far it's about 25 to 30 miles a week (110 to 130 miles per month).
• I'm walking slower than I had thought. I used to do 15-minute miles, but my average is now about 18:30.
A word about speed: unlike other athletes, I don't make speed a goal. Rather, my goal each time out is to discover my rhythm, my groove, and then stay in it, be it fast or slow, for as long as I can. I'm in competition with no one, not even myself.
I don't listen to music when I'm walking. Nor are there any phone interruptions, as I carry a dumb phone, powered down, for emergencies only.
Other than the occasional callus or blister, walking has never caused me an injury. To the contrary, walking strengthens the ligaments in my left knee, which were torn in a car accident.
The expenses involved in walking are minimal. I replace my shoes about two or three times a year, and it's a good idea to wear a long-sleeve shirt and long pants, a wide-brim hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
It turns out that using the app does encourage me to get out more often.