Roger Burrows wears a maroon windbreaker
and track pants with sturdy sneakers as he strolls at a leisurely
pace, breath steaming against the brisk air as he talks. Picking
up his arms to chest level, he shortens his stride into quick,
little steps while driving his foot along the ground, increasing
his speed until it almost matches that of a runner.
This is race-walking.
It’s a sport that’s become increasingly popular in
the past five years, says Burrows. This is especially true amongst
the baby-boomer set and those who want the health benefits, but
not the injuries and muscular strains, of running.
“It’s walking stripped down and tuned up, just like
one would tune up a racing car,” he says. “It’s
the Ferrari of walking.”
He says a good race-walker is slower than the equivalent level
of a runner by only one minute per kilometre.
This means that while an elite female runner might run 10 kilometres
in 40 minutes, an elite female race-walker might take 50 minutes
to cover the same distance.
Burrows, who has worked with Athletics Canada and now runs the
Bytown Walkers group, says running is essentially a series of
jumps, which can stress the muscles considerably.
“By far the most dramatic muscular activity in running is
the act of landing on each stride,” he says, demonstrating
the movement. “If I’m walking, I’m simply putting
my foot down, and there’s no more weight or stress on my
muscle – it’s just one times my body weight. But if
you’re running at a considerable speed, it’s up to
three times your body weight.”
Race-walking can be an intense physical workout, Burrows says,
but unlike running, it’s one in which injuries are not typical.
Dr. Bernie Lalonde, who has been a sports physician at the Carleton
University Sports Medicine Clinic for 30 years, says he can’t
recall anyone coming in with race-walking injuries.
“I can only speculate that any injuries would be overuse
injuries related to the lower extremities like the foot and ankle
— tendonitis, reactions to the bone,” he says.
Both agree, however, that the health benefits are many.
Burrows explains that race-walking uses all muscles, thereby
making them stronger. This improves the cardiovascular system
– the heart and lungs – as it works to provide fuel
to the working muscles, beginning a positive cycle.
Weight loss may also occur, although race-walkers are more likely
to gain or maintain their weight because of the development of
muscle, which is heavier than fat.
Burrows, who has coached runners as well as three-time Olympic
race-walker Janice McCaffrey from Calgary, also recommends race-walking
for runners as a means of staying fit while recovering from injury.
Beyond the physical effects, there are also psychological benefits,
says one longtime race-walker.
Eileen Sarkar has been race-walking with Burrows for seven years,
even before the Bytown Walkers group began in 2003. Sarkar, 62,
set a new Canadian record for the 60- to 64-year-old age category
in race-walking at the 2004 Canadian Masters Championship in
Calgary, walking three kilometres in 19 minutes and 50 seconds.
Sarkar, who is also an assistant deputy minister in the Canadian
Heritage department and a Centretown resident, says the competitiveness
and goal-oriented nature of race-walking appealed to her when
she first started. She also liked that she could do it “any
time, any place, and by myself,” unlike some other sports.
She says the sport has become a part of her identity and has
helped her develop the mental toughness, as well as the physical
strength of a competitive athlete. This has spilled over into
her work and personal life.
“It’s an integration of the brain, the body and the
spirit into a ‘can do’ attitude,” she says. “I
imagine success, I set myself goals. I don’t think about
failure, I think about strategies to win.”
Burrows says he expects more walkers will take part in organized
running events and hopes to see an event specifically for walkers.
For him, the excitement is in seeing people develop to their
fullest potential through this sport, whether through taking
part in local competitions like the National Capital Marathon,
or following in the footsteps of his Olympian protege.
“This is about us interacting with our environment and the
planet in a positive way, using our God-given talents and getting
off our butts,” he says. “It’s so cool seeing
(people) using the talent they do have.” |