How often do you walk or run?
Running Out of Miles, Walking into Autumn
✍️Author’s Note
This piece grew out of a prompt asking how often I walk or run. Once, I ran religiously; today, I walk with a mix of gratitude and grumbling. Aging may steal some speed, but it also offers perspective—and a chance to laugh at oneself along the way.
✍️ Letter to the Prompt
Prompt,
This is a tender subject for me. At 79, my hips went on strike and informed me that my running days were over. At 81, I’m still negotiating with management, but alas—arthritis does not bargain. So I walk.
For nearly 30 years I ran faithfully: five times a week, 30 to 50 kilometers in total. My motto was simple: run fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see. I wasn’t the fastest, but I was steady, stubborn, and occasionally elegant—at least in my imagination. During Covid, running was my sanity.
Now my distances are humbler: 3 to 6 km most days, with a proud Sunday stretch of 7 to 10. For an old goat, that is not bad! Though truth be told, I sometimes envy the young gazelles sprinting by. (Don’t worry: I comfort myself by imagining their knees will one day squeak like mine.)
Even the music tells the story. Running was Queen, Meat Loaf, and Dire Straits. Walking is Vivaldi, Mozart, and Leonard Cohen—proof that the pace of life has slowed from rock ’n roll to chamber music.
So what’s the difference between then and now? Running gave me clarity and speed. Walking gives me time to notice the leaves, the light, and the fact that I’m still sitting at the table of life. Perhaps that’s the best finish line one can hope for.
Running or walking, the truth remains: health is wealth. And besides, walking is just running with better sightseeing.
William J J Houtzager, Aka WJJH, September, 2025
📌 Blog Excerpt
At 79, my hips retired me from running. At 81, I walk instead—3 to 6 km most days, 7 to 10 on Sundays. Not bad for an old goat! I miss the thrill of running, but walking has its own perks: more time to admire the leaves, and a soundtrack that has slowed from Queen to Vivaldi. Arthritis may have won a battle, but as long as I’m still moving, I count myself lucky.
In what kind of world do we wish to live 