It’s possible to circumnavigate the globe on foot in a matter of seconds. Anyone can do it. Just start by running in place. Once you develop a rhythm, you need to start pumping your arms and legs as fast as you can. When you get to a rate where you don’t think you can sustain it for longer than a few seconds, lean forward by more than 45 degrees. You should feel like you’re about to fall over.
Now here’s the important part. You need to stop in a single step. This is for your safety. The trip around the world happens just before that last step. There are two major risks with taking a second step. In one scenario, that second step gives you enough velocity to unwittingly launch yourself into space. In the more common scenario, you run the risk of accidentally stepping through the ground and fusing the molecules of your foot with it forever.
In fact, that’s the real origin of the term “concrete shoes.” It’s from a brief moment in history when high speed circumnavigation by foot was popular and there were many incidents of people with their feet stuck in the ground.
High speed travel can be fun, but it’s safer if you simply don’t move at all.
