| Walking Resolutions | |
Ring out the old year and ring in the new with the traditional New Year's resolutions. Setting goals in the most important aspect of a physical fitness program or an athletic training program. All year long we should set goals, track our progress, set our determination to overcome setbacks and celebrate our achievements.
The American Volkssport Association and the International Federation of Popular Sports (worldwide) offers an individual lifetime achievement award program. Walkers who participate in 10K non-competitive walking events sanctioned by the IVV worldwide earn stamps in their IVV Record Books. They receive milestone awards for distance walked and events walked. I am somewhere up in the 700's for numbers of events since I began in 1984. Many of the walker's resolutions below are based on using this IVV event and record system.
Our Resolutions
Wendy Bumgardner: I resolve to walk at least four times a week, 2 miles to six miles each time. To accomplish this I plan to walk one-two 10K volkswalks each weekend, walk my neighborhood route with my husband at least twice a week, and lead a Thursday morning walking group at work on our new year-round walk route. I resolve to stay at my ideal body weight through good nutrition and exercise.
I further resolve to promote walking as a sport for fun, fitness, and athletic achievement and to make my websites the premier place to find walking information.
I resolve to work hard to make the Vancouver Discovery Walk a great success in 1998 and invite all my walking friends to come and participate.
Jeri (Maryland): In 1997, I had resolved to walk 50 walks and made 35, which I was actually pretty pleased with, since I also reached my personal resolution of losing 20 pounds.
So in 1998, I have the same resolution - walk 50 walks (and lose the next 20 pounds.)
Marie (California): New year''s walking resolution: to continue to walk at least once a week, despite one full time job (45 hours a week) and one part time job (real estate - this could get hairy).... If I have to, I will walk during the middle of the week instead of saving the walks for the weekends, since I will be busy on the weekends previewing homes and showing around buyers... The ultimate goal is to reach another 500 km in 1998. I am very close to the first 500km; I'm about 59km short...
Cheryl (Washington): My Yearly Walking Resolutions are always - 1) to do all the Year-Round Walking Events in Washington (and Oregon if time - obviously, I've never done both or either for that matter - grin)
2) To do at least 1000km of walking (this year I'm close to 1500)
3) To finish the Walk Oregon program (this year I came closer than last year, but I wasn't here over the summer...) I hope it's still an option for next year.
4) To keep adding to my 50 states - I think I have 13 so far. I want to finish by the time I'm 50, so I have a few more years...I try to get one or two new states a year, but that won't get me done by 50!
Donald (Virginia): 200 events - 5000 kilometers in 98
Sandy (Maryland): My resolution is to do 50 year-round events in Maryland in 1998. It's fun to put them in a separate book so you know which ones you did.
Pat (Texas): This week I joined a fitness center, and yesterday met with the nutritionist. So my resolutions for this year are to follow the recommendations and get as close to a no fat, no sugar, no salt diet as I can; to work out at least three times a week, in addition to my daily short walk and my weekend volksmarching; and to get completely back in shape so two events per day both Saturday and Sunday are a breeze. Then in 20 years and three months I can make it to your senior honor roll.
More Info
See also these articles by personal trainer Chad Tackett on goals and motivation:
