Speed

It’s ironic that since I started a Runna fitness plan my “fitness” has been going down rather than up. The simple reason is that although the workouts are challenging, they’re challenging for a short time.

Take this morning’s bike ride for example. It was short in distance and time, but high in effort and strain. I had to keep up with specialists. By specialists I mean “people who cycle without touching other sports as often”. I walk, hike, run and cycle every day so I’m excellent at walking, and mediocre at everything else. This is written with humour.

Yesterday I expected to be quite comfortable on a ride but I wasn’t. The climb was steep, with bits that were at 17 percent according to others. You pedal, and pedal. You feel the muscles in your legs fatigue. You think, “if only I could stop for a few minutes”, but you don’t. You keep going. You keep pushing. You get to the top.

You rest for a bit, while waiting for others to join. Finally the group is reunited so you continue the bike ride. You descend, but as you descend you take a detour back up to the Chemin Des Crêtes. Yet more uphill, before heading back down. Finally you’re in the Vallée de Joux valley, but there’s a problem. There is a strong sustained wind pushing against you. The group pushes on fast.

A few weeks ago two individuals in a car yelled abuse at a group of us who were cycling. They were mad that a cyclist did not pull in for them to pass easily. At this point I thought “Despair is not sat on a bench as in the proverb, he is sat in a car.

Years ago, after yet another speeding fine when driving between home and a scuba diving spot, or vice versa I was flashed and I thought “expensive cars are a waste of money, because the motorway is rarely quiet enough to drive at the speed limit, let alone to speed. In effect you’re spending a huge amount on a machine that will see you stuck in traffic and grumpy.

We are all familiar with it. We get a phone call. “I will be in Nyon in 20 minutes, do you want to meet”. We think, duck, that’s short notice. Do we take the bike? No, because we don’t want to leave it unattended. Do we take the car? No, because then we’d pay for the parking. Do we walk? No, because the meeting is in ten minutes and the walk will take 30 minutes. do we run? No, because then we’ll be hot and sweaty and clothes might smell.

Some of us remember a time when you could get roller skates that fit shoes. Moonwalkers have the same idea, except that the goal with their project is for the wheels to be powered, to drive you forward at a maximum speed of 11 km/h.

Speed Increase Depends on Base Walking Speed

They claim that this would increase walking speed by 250 percent, but I already walk at 5 to 7km/h, so it would double walking speed. Theoretically, this is a fantastic idea because it allows people who walk more slowly to get around more quickly, whilst walking. The drawback is that, as with all these developments, they are designed for urban, rather than rural use. They are designed to speed up getting around for people who already have access to buses, trains, foot scooters and more.