Day 34 is 60 minutes of walking, non-stop, and the subject today is the part of the body that carries every step of this program and gets the least attention: the lower leg. Calves, shins, ankles and feet do the landing and the push-off seven thousand times an hour, and by week five they have done it for well over thirty hours. A little care goes a long way.
The shins are the usual complaint on walking programs, and the usual cause is overstriding - a foot landing too far in front, heel slamming down, the muscle along the front of the shin working overtime to lower the foot. The fix is the one from Day 20: shorter stride in front, quicker cadence, landing under the body. The calves take the push-off; the two sets of calf raises in the lower body circuits have been building them for exactly this. The ankles and feet adapt to surface variety, which is why the trails and grass of Day 25 matter. Most of the care is in the walking itself, done well.
Walk the hour with attention on the lower leg. Feel the heel land softly, the foot roll, the big toe push. Feel the calf contract on the push-off and relax on the swing. On any downhill, shorten the stride and let the quads control the descent so the shins do not have to. Finish the walk with a few slow calf raises on a step or kerb, letting the heels sink below the toes at the bottom for a stretch - the only bit of after-care this program ever asks for.
The ankles, shins and calves take every step of this program - today, pay them some attention.
Make it Harder: Spend the final ten minutes walking on your toes for thirty seconds out of every two.
Make it Easier: Slow the pace on any downhill and shorten the stride.
