As I was running on the weekend, trying to get ready to run my first actual honest to goodness race (more on that later), I overtook a pair of older ladies on the path who were doing this Nordic Walking thing (which I haven’t quite figured out just yet).  They were passed by a couple of bikes just ahead of me, who lawfully rang their bells to warn the ladies before they were overtaken.  As I passed the girls however I startled one of them as I jogged past.  She remarked that I didn’t have a bell, and I said no I don’t and apologized for startling her.  As I kept jogging I mentioned that I could always whistle, but then again that would be rude.  Her response?

“No. That would be nice!”

I laughed for the next 3km.  I still think that whistling at ladies wielding sticks is probably not a good plan.  Nikki concurs.

On the Nordic Walking front, if you haven’t heard of this yet you clearly haven’t been outside anywhere in the last three years.  To the untrained eye, let me describe it for you:  It’s basically walking.  Holding ski poles.  That’s it as far as I can see.  There must be more to it however, since you can become a certified Nordic Walker, which must involve more than just walking around holding things.  If that were a sound path to physical fitness my own sport of Bavarian Lurching would be much more popular.  It involves attending summer outdoor concerts with a plastic cup of beer in each hand.  You have to slosh the beer onto everyone else’s shoes without getting a drop of it on your own.  Very tricky. 

The actual, real sport of Nordic Walking seems to be incredibly popular though, so I will now stop making fun of it.  It only makes sense since the people I make fun of probably already own two things with which to beat me and/or skewer me.  And they might be in good shape.   That’s just too dangerous.