Does walking quickly mean that you're a bag snatcher???

[HermanTheGerman]

After each Camino, I've notice that my walking speed increases. It's something that just occurs instinctively without me being aware of my walking speed. Whether I'm walking out of a shop back to the car in the car park, or along the footpath en route to somewhere, I usually hit my average Camino speed of about 5km/h. It just happens without thinking as I find it nearly impossible to walk any slower; feeling almost as though I'm off-balance by spending so much time transferring the weight from one leg to the other.

The strange thing is that I've noticed that my walking pace has caused some people (the dawdlers) in urban areas, alarm or reason for concern. Old men in front of me stop completely and turn around in anticipation of a mugging, while women spot me in their peripheral vision as I approach quickly from behind and grasp their handbags tightly in anticipation of a snatch and run!

Has anyone else noticed this strange behaviour?

Buen Camino, the German.

 

[Dutch]

Only on the camino i get strange comments about walking fast. Never in every day life back home.

 

[Old Hillwalker]

Same thing happened to me last September on the Camino Frances. My speed increased as my fitness grew. By the time I got into Galicia I was so pumped by the recollections of my trail running days in the 80s that I found myself jogging down the trail in places. And I was 74 years old and carrying a full pack. I lost 20 pounds on last year's Camino and have kept it off. But yes, I recall seeing the same reaction from those I passed while on my 5k/hr normal pace. This year I hope to slow it down a bit, and this year's Camino combinations will be around 1200 km. Also, this time I will be using hiking poles which tend to slow me down quite a bit.

 

[jennie]

Same thing happened to me last September on the Camino Frances. My speed increased as my fitness grew. By the time I got into Galicia I was so pumped by the recollections of my trail running days in the 80s that I found myself jogging down the trail in places. And I was 74 years old and carrying a full pack. I lost 20 pounds on last year's Camino and have kept it off. But yes, I recall seeing the same reaction from those I passed while on my 5k/hr normal pace. This year I hope to slow it down a bit, and this year's Camino combinations will be around 1200 km. Also, this time I will be using hiking poles which tend to slow me down quite a bit.

i think someone should sneak a few rocks into your bag to prevent you showing up the huffers n puffers honestly though i am really impressed,not saying you are old but you must be the envy of many being able to move like that !i am in my early 40s and would be left eating your dust .

 

[Ekelund]

samoht.w: the same thing also happened to me. In my daily life I run 50 - 70 km a week and I really enjoy it. The first week of walking the Portugese Camino I was exhausted, my back was hurting from carrying the backpack but slowly I got used to it and in the end of my second week I just had to try to jog. I did it when nobody was looking. And it felt good!
Herman the German: next time you have women looking anxiously in your direction or older men eyeing you in a nasty way, tell them to have a nice day and give them a big smile as you zoom by them.

 

[Arn]

I'm an old horse that spent the better (well, maybe not better)part of my middle years in the Marines. The standard force march pace is three miles an hour/4.8km with a seventy pound/32 kg pack.

Even when I am "leisurely" walking with no pack, hiking with a light/heavy pack...over a route without severe inclines/declines...I walk the same 3 miles/4.8 km.

And, yes, I have slowed down a bit as I've gotten older...But the horse still wants to push when possible.

 

[Olivares]

Obviously, you do not live in New York....

 

[allisgroovey]

I would just keep walking, smile a lot, and say "Hi how are you" and keep moving. Give them something to think about.