When you walk faster and faster and faster, there is a point in which you automatically start running.
Really? for me, this does not happen. If I actually want to walk faster and faster I begin walking super funny (the steps become wider and wider while still maintaining a foot always on the ground) and it becomes harder and harder to increase speed beyond a certain point when my muscles cannot move any faster. If I want to switch to running I need to consciously switch to running, it only takes me a split second to decide to switch, but it does not happen “automatically”.
When I want to reach a certain speed, I make a very quick decision on what’s the most comfortable (or sometimes, socially acceptable) way (run or walk?) and based on my internalized experience I do that… but it’s not on the level of a reflex like removing your hand from fire, but rather closer to reaching to get a glass of water with your hand and tracing a comfortable path with your arm. I expect the better you know your body the closer you’ll be at making the right call, just the same as there’s people that sit with good posture and people that sit with bad posture, I find it strange that it would be an “automatic” thing. I’d also guess that a person that’s more used to marching would be more comfortable walking at faster speeds, whereas people that are not used to marching will switch to running much earlier because they aren’t used to walking fast. And vice-versa, someone who’s not used to running might take longer to switch… this might also depend on the state of their joints, if the person is overweight, etc.
Here’s a way to look at it: if you try to walk a long distance at a very high speed, you’ll get exhausted, but if you run the same distance at that same speed, you’ll be less tired.
I feel I’m missing something because this seems contradictory with the previous statement. If you are at a high speed but you don’t “automatically start running” and can walk, then that would mean you are below the switching threshold. And you said that under that threshold walking is more efficient, so shouldn’t it make you less tired to walk?
I feel the kind of “exhaustion” I get from walking is fundamentally different than the “exhaustion” from running… walking too fast for too long can make my muscles hurt but it does not make me lose my breath the way running (even at low speeds) does.
Really? for me, this does not happen. If I actually want to walk faster and faster I begin walking super funny (the steps become wider and wider while still maintaining a foot always on the ground) and it becomes harder and harder to increase speed beyond a certain point when my muscles cannot move any faster. If I want to switch to running I need to consciously switch to running, it only takes me a split second to decide to switch, but it does not happen “automatically”.
When I want to reach a certain speed, I make a very quick decision on what’s the most comfortable (or sometimes, socially acceptable) way (run or walk?) and based on my internalized experience I do that… but it’s not on the level of a reflex like removing your hand from fire, but rather closer to reaching to get a glass of water with your hand and tracing a comfortable path with your arm. I expect the better you know your body the closer you’ll be at making the right call, just the same as there’s people that sit with good posture and people that sit with bad posture, I find it strange that it would be an “automatic” thing. I’d also guess that a person that’s more used to marching would be more comfortable walking at faster speeds, whereas people that are not used to marching will switch to running much earlier because they aren’t used to walking fast. And vice-versa, someone who’s not used to running might take longer to switch… this might also depend on the state of their joints, if the person is overweight, etc.
I feel I’m missing something because this seems contradictory with the previous statement. If you are at a high speed but you don’t “automatically start running” and can walk, then that would mean you are below the switching threshold. And you said that under that threshold walking is more efficient, so shouldn’t it make you less tired to walk?
I feel the kind of “exhaustion” I get from walking is fundamentally different than the “exhaustion” from running… walking too fast for too long can make my muscles hurt but it does not make me lose my breath the way running (even at low speeds) does.