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Featured Article

Take A Walk! (And We Mean That Literally)   

Posted: May 16, 2008
By: Julie Chernoff

As women, we know that life isn't always a walk in the park… but it can be! Now that the weather is looking up, there is no time like the present to get outside and bust a move.

The great thing about walking for fitness is that it's a "two-fer" -- you can take a walk and catch up with a friend at the same time, not to mention explore someplace new. And if, like some of us, you need even more motivation than that, we're providing you with a number of excellent walking paths paired with a nice place to stop for a bite at the end as a reward for your hard work!  ...
As women, we know that life isn't always a walk in the park… but it can be! Now that the weather is looking up, there is no time like the present to get outside and bust a move.

The great thing about walking for fitness is that it's a "two-fer" -- you can take a walk and catch up with a friend at the same time, not to mention explore someplace new. And if, like some of us, you need even more motivation than that, we're providing you with a number of excellent walking paths paired with a nice place to stop for a bite at the end as a reward for your hard work!

Here are some fun facts about walking, provided by North Shore trainer Tony Duncan:

• Walking an extra 20 minutes each day will burn off 7 pounds of body fat per year.
• On average, every minute of walking can extend your life by 1.5 to 2 minutes. That's a great tradeoff!
• To burn off just one plain M&M candy, you need to walk the full length of a football field. Ouch.
• Shorter, faster walks (20-25 minutes at 75% to 85% max. heart rate) are best for conditioning your heart and lungs.
• Longer, moderately paced daily walks (40 minutes at 60-65% max. heart rate) are best for losing weight.

Duncan also suggests that you follow these simple guidelines to get the most out of your walk:

• Do a complete pre-stretch
• Hydrate well… it is the key to safety.
• To burn extra calories, walk with a 2-lb. weight in each hand.
• Finish your walk with a 2-minute cool-down, and make sure to do a complete post-stretch.
• Enjoy your lunch… guilt-free!

Here are some North Shore walks that we've enjoyed:

Evanston: Head for the Lake. Park your car on one of the side streets nearby (try Dempster or Greenwood) and hotfoot it over to the lakefront. There's a great path that you can follow north up and around the Northwestern campus along the shoreline. We like to walk all the way around the reservoir and back to Greenwood Beach, about 3.5 miles. Afterward, head for downtown Evanston and grab a bite at Pomegranate Restaurant (1633 Orrington Avenue) for some light and delicious Mediterranean food.

Glencoe: Botanic Garden, here we come! Grab a map of the Botanic Garden and wander on one of their abundant and beautiful paths. When you've had your fill of scenic beauty, head over to the Botanic Garden Café for a light lunch. You might even find a table outside.

Skokie: The Skokie/North Shore Sculpture Park is the perfect blend of natural and artistic beauty. Set between McCormick Boulevard and the North Branch of the Chicago River, the Sculpture Park runs for two miles between Dempster Street and Touhy Avenue. You can park in one of three free public lots and walk the two-mile stretch and back while perusing the thought-provoking artwork. Hop back in your car and head for Guan (2426 Main Street in Evanston) to enjoy their fresh take on Asian food (and the lunch specials).

Northfield: Park at New Trier West and take a walk through the Forest Preserve located nearby. There are lovely trails through the lush, green forest, and when you're done, drive over to Three Tarts Bakery (301 South Happ Road, 847-446-3444). Have some of their fabulous Tomato Bisque and a Chicken Salad wrap, grab a table on the patio, and relax. You've earned it!

Lake Forest: The Middlefork Savanna in the Lake County Forest Preserve has a relatively new, four-mile gravel trail for hiking and biking and is a scenic area well worth exploring. Afterward, find respite at the South Gate Cafe (655 Forest Avenue, 847-234-8800) with iced tea and a delicious salad.

One more tip: if you are wondering just how far you walked, use this neat trick. Go to www.usatf.org/routes, and you can plot out your exact path and determine the distance travelled. There are a million walking routes out there to discover... make one your own!
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another great walk is along Gilson Park beach, through the Marina, under Sheridan Road and along the north branch of the Chicago River (which also happens to be the Peter Jans Golf Course). At this time of year a short detour through the B'Hai Gardens is time well spent too!
by: susan @ Saturday May 17, 2008 | 8:13:41 AM


The Hot Topic -

Posted: May 14, 2008

On  Tuesday May 13th at approximately 8:15am a elderly male white with grey hair and possibly wearing a robe initiated a conversation with two 11 year old girls as they were walking near 4th and Greenleaf.  The subject asked the girls if he could pay them $20.00 to assist him in fixing his computer.  The girls politely declined and there was no further contact.  They appropriately informed the school of the incident and the school notified the Wilmette Police.  ...
 
On  Tuesday May 13th at approximately 8:15am a elderly male white with grey hair and possibly wearing a robe initiated a conversation with two 11 year old girls as they were walking near 4th and Greenleaf.  The subject asked the girls if he could pay them $20.00 to assist him in fixing his computer.  The girls politely declined and there was no further contact.  They appropriately informed the school of the incident and the school notified the Wilmette Police.
 
The Wilmette Police spoke with both girls and their parents.  Although no crime has occurred the police will have a squad car assigned to the area before and after school tomorrow in an attempt to identify and speak with this individual.
 
It is important that parents receive accurate information when an incident like this is reported.  The girls, in declining to assist this individual and reporting the incident to school officials did everything right.  This is an excellent opportunity for us to speak our children about basic safety issues when walking to and from school.
 
The police department occasionally receives suspicious person or vehicle reports.  Many of these are innocuous events that the first responding police officer is able to quickly clear up.    It is important for all our parents to know that the  police department contacts the school district whenever an issue of student safety occurs so that you as a parent can be properly notified.   If the police department develops information in this incident that you should be aware of, we will promptly notify you.   As it stands right now, according to the Wilmette Police, there is no cause for concern.  They will however, continue to investigate.
 

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