Postman's 16,600 steps-- Neither snow nor rain nor heat....

Day 10
Nov. 29, 2013-- 3,469 steps

The Thanksgiving weekend has been a low output time for accumulating steps. Not feeling strong enough to mount up the miles. But I used the time to get some more info on the Art of Walking, the Science of Pedometers and the Postman's Creed.

Went to Dick's Sporting Goods and asked an employee, a friendly, energetic young guy about 22 years, if he knew about pedometers. He immediately picked up his wrist and showed me a sleek piece of grey plastic with some a pulsing electronic signal. Then he pulled out his smartphone and showed me how his data was being tracked throughout the day-- steps taken, distance covered, calories burned and even the amount of time he spent sleeping! The high tech pedometer he used was called a FitBit. He said I could sync it up to my laptop since I don't have a smartphone. I must be one of the few people in the world who doesn't own an iPhone or an Android.

The salesman at Dick's made me aware of the high tech possibilities for keeping motivated to walk for health and exercise. Then I asked my US mailman if he knew about pedometers, a guy named Norm. Norm said he had tracked his movement on his route. He too used a pedometer connected to a smartphone. The postman said he walks 8.3 miles on his route. According to my math, that's about 16,600 steps per day! And Norm is approaching retirement age.

The postman's creed is:

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

Pedometer back-up!

Day 9
Nov. 26, 2013-- 3,000 steps

Still feeling the effects of a minor injury and my limited my walking as a result. But something much more significant has occurred... I ended the relationship with my first pedometer and got reminded of that classic song about loss by Neil Sedaka.


Breaking Up is Hard to To Do (by Neil Sedaka)
They say that breaking up is hard to do
Now I know, I know that it's true


Life and counting steps goes on. I bought an inexpensive Sportline yesterday at Walmart. And I ordered a second one, an Omni over eBay as backup, to protect myself from future pain. These new pedometers will have their strengths and their quirks, no doubt, but let's face it... there's no joy to compare with the very first pedometer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Perfect Storm... stepping through the puddles on a mission

Day 8
Nov. 24, 2013-- 2,800 steps

A perfect storm this weekend-- cold winter weather hit Austin, my pedometer battery died out and I felt a minor groin pull-- limited my mobility.  But something amazing happened from the experience of losing my pedometer.  I realized I'm hooked. Before I took off walking I wanted to either buy a new pedometer or replace the battery on my Sportline 363. I decided to drive to Walmart. The weather was cold and rain pelted down but I crossed the parking lot, a man on a mission.

Walmart has lots of hunting and fishing equipment. Then comes golf and football and basketball gear. I got nervous. Do they stock pedometers? Okay, there's the personal fitness and exercise area. I recalled  a guy in a Customer Review saying how much he liked the old circle-shaped pedometer, an old-school, inexpensive Sportline. I saw one! It only costs about 5-6 dollars. I wondered if that pedometer had jumpiness problems. A customer said his cheap pedometer credited you 5 steps for every step you took. And even added more steps just for moving around in your pocket. I decided to gamble, and took a chance on the cheapest device.

I got home and took off down the block. The rain came down so hard I walked back to my car and got a good umbrella, a golf-style umbrella, from the back of my car. I liked the brisk air hitting me in the face making me breath deeply. I could see my breath. The umbrella protected me from the downpour. I walked to the local high school and the pedometer read .8 mile. Seemed a little exaggerated. That should only be about 1/2 mile. I walked further and checked out a new neighborhood Taco Cabana and circled back home. Pedometer said I walked 2.5 miles. That cannot be right. I got in my car and checked with the odometer. The car showed the walk was actually 2 miles. So the budget pedometer did seem a bit jumpy but only about 20% off the mark. I could live with the margin of error, just so long as I had my pedometer.

Finally-- 10K steps! And Singin' in the Rain....

Day 7
Nov. 20, 2013-- 11,900 steps (over 2 hours)


Finally, I made a single walk with more than 10,000 steps! On Wednesday I circled the hike and bike trail adjacent to downtown Austin and reached 11,900 steps. I passed the boathouse where they rent out the rowing equipment, the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue and the downtown skyline. That's close to six miles without a break. Well I did rest on the groovy pedestrian bridge for a few minutes. I felt some fatigue at the end! But nothing too bad. My heart rate was up to 100 beats per minute for the last two miles-- meaning I was working harder in the home stretch.

Today is Friday, TGIF, and happy to say this 10,000 steps per day seems to be a worthwhile goal. The crazy pedometer is the little techie device I needed to stay motivated. How do I know it's working... well it was raining and cold in Austin today but I found myself wanting to get out and walk around my neighborhood. The habit of getting exercise must be addictive like so many habits. I found myself smiling and breathing deeply despite getting pelted by rain.

I didn't actually sing or dance in the rain. Gene Kelly need not fear me. I looked at a guy walking towards me in the downpour. He was younger than me, maybe a 20 years old and wearing only a hoodie to protect his head from the rain and cold. But he looked at me and seemed to be wondering... doesn't this old guy have enough sense to get out of the rain.

Winning a Convert and 6,794 steps

Day 6
Nov. 19, 2013-- 6,794 steps

They say there's "no zealot like a convert." I resisted the pedometer as too goofy when my mother first mentioned it to me. I had to be converted to the idea of strapping the weird counter thing to my belt. Now I'm converting others. Today I was at the Credit Union and found myself explaining to the bank teller how important it is to walk!

I mentioned  to the bank employee about the problem with office jobs. Recent research shows even marathoners spend too much time sitting on their butts at work. And marathoners spending the most time sitting suffered greater health consequences as a result. Feeling like a kindergarten kid at Show 'N Tell, I handed the pedometer to the bank employee.  Suddenly she smiled and said "I may get one." Her reaction made my day.

Got back on track this afternoon with a more rigorous walk, about 7,000 steps or 3 1/2 miles, on my hilly route. Felt tired toward the end. I celebrated with a tall latte at Starbucks and began nodding off as I read my book. Endorphins will do that to you.

Light Workout and Lightweight Shoes

Day 5
Nov. 18, 2013-- 2,500 steps

Didn't have much time so focused on going up a few hills and took about 30 minutes to go 1 1/4 miles; same distance as yesterday.  Hope that my enthusiasm is not falling off after a mere five days. The key is getting out there and doing what you have time for. Thirty minutes was all I had.

A brief mention of my footwear. I wore these super lightweight shoes from Skecher's called Go Bionic. The reviews mention the shoe only weighs 6 oz. and I believe it. These things are light and very flexible. Makes your feet almost feel barefoot as you walk and kinda makes you feel "grounded"-- in a good way. Will likely alternate these very light shoes with Nike and other more traditional tennis shoes. Here is a full review from Runblogger:
<http://www.runblogger.com/2012/03/skechers-go-bionic-review-lightweight.html>

Spoke to my brother today about the importance of movement. He's a full-time worker and I sent him a few articles on the important of getting up from the desk and out of the office. Fortunately he's self-employed and can make those decisions without consulting a boss or supervisor. How will you break up your day so that you can get on your feet and start chalking up those 10,000 steps per day?

And here's one more link-- maybe the key recommendation to anybody considering Manpo-kei, 10,000 steps-- a link to ordering a pedometer. I have the Sportline Walking Advantage 363, Count Up/Down Pedometer. Here's a link to Amazon.com:
<http://www.amazon.com/Sportline-Walking-Advantage-Count-Pedometer/dp/B000EGALRW>

For somewhere between $7- $20 this device can help you get a new lease on life!

2500 steps-- a Neighborhood stroll on the Weekend

Day 4
Nov. 16, 2003-- neighborhood walk (2,500 steps)

The pedometer is already having a beneficial effect. Having the numbers as a tool to measure your walk inspire you to go out and get some exercise. The 10,000 steps per day goal is the equivalent of 5 miles (8 km).That means 1,000 steps is about 1/2 mile. I decided to go out in the neighborhood with my pedometer and take a walk on a Saturday morning. I parked my car in a local park and took off down the street. As soon as I got out of the car I could feel my breathing get more relaxed. You feel better about being alive. I only went 2500 steps yesterday, about 1 1/4 miles, but got interrupted for a good reason.

I noticed there were some people walking and a group of cars parked around an Estate Sale. I checked it out. Didn't get much but on the way home I found a small Garage Sale. I started to go through the items for sale and decided to buy some stuff. What do these items say about me:

1. a book by Suze Orman-- "Everything You Need to Know in Good Times and Bad Times"
2. Chuck Norris autobiography-- "The Secret of Inner Strength"
3. a Monopoly game
4. Reptiles magazine 
5. a picture frame

The key was that I got out in the fresh air. I realized walking in the neighborhood can be fun and lead to good conversations. 

Day 3-- 7K more steps.... and learning the pedometer

Nov. 15, 2013-- 1 hour and 15 minutes (7,000 steps)

Went back to the hilly route and did another 7,000 steps. One thing surprised me was how much my heart rate increased on the steep hills. My pulse showed about 90 beats per minutes much of the time. On steep hills I jumped to 120 beats per minute or more. That amazed me-- and increase of 33% in my pulse just from walking uphill! I noticed I only perspired slightly from the effort. Walking can be very rigorous exercise if you want to add the element of uphill and downhill. The 7,000 steps (about 3 1/2 miles) required a greater effort but I still felt good, tired but pain-free.

Where do we learn everything these days-- the internet, of course. I looked up pedometer the little plastic device I've been wearing on my hip to count my steps. The device counts your steps based on the movement in your hips. You can achieve any amount of hip movement; no need to be M.C. Hammer in this sport, even Lawrence Welk hip action will move the counter on your pedometer. Just walk. But nice to know your hips are key to walking, moving towards your goal of 10,000 steps per day.

And I learned the Japanese came up with the whole concept of 10,000 steps for day. Their term for 10,000 steps is Manpo-Kei. I ordered a book on the subject by Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke called "Manpo-Kei: The Art and Science of Step Counting."

The number 10,000 steps a day, approximately 5 miles or 8 kilometers, did not result from scientific research and you normally take about 3,000 steps a day. So, by adding 7,000 steps from the walk yesterday my total movement for Friday reached close to 10,000 steps-- a number that works well for good health.

Day 2-- how to walk for exercise

Nov. 14, 2013-- 1 hour and 20 minutes (7,000 steps)

Different kind of walk today. Walked around Town Lake in Austin. Town Lake or Lady Bird Lake is actually the Colorado River and runs right through downtown Austin. Today's walk was flat land, less rigorous than the first day. Lots of Austin folks are health-minded and the hike and bike trail, just beneath the Austin skyline, gets plenty of use. We've even got pedestrian bridges across the river to keep walkers, joggers, and bikers protected from traffic. Really an ideal setting for exercise and relaxation!

I found out you take more steps in less time if the ground is level. I clocked about 7,000 steps today-- versus yesterday when I did 4,000 steps on a hilly path. Today I walked with a friend and lasted more than an hour. I guess we did 3.5 miles. He explained how you should walk for exercise. This guidance, he said, comes directly from a guru in the fitness field-- "walk like you're going to an appointment, but are on-time." That means brisk walking but not rushed.

Walking is always about enjoying yourself. No stress. I can walk with another person for exercise but most other workouts-- weights, machines, swimming, etc.-- I prefer to do alone. I don't want to get  injured trying to impress another person. But walking is relaxed and easily done with a friend. And you might even learn something helpful-- like how to walk for exercise.

4,000 steps... but who's counting

Nov. 13, 2013-- 1 hour walk (4,000 steps)

Realized recently how exercise is largely about duration-- not exertion. Devote more time to exercise and you will see the benefits. Just get off your butt. Don't sweat the amount of effort. In fact, keep your effort to a minimum but go longer-- for as much as an hour or two a day. Think about your ancestors. They moved a lot more than you do. If you work in an office the greatest threat to your health is remaining seated all day.

The best course of action is to exercise at least 3-7 hours per week. That means you have to move, not necessarily move mountains... and the easiest way to move is simply to walk. I noticed Dr. Oz recommends 10,000 steps a day. It took me about an hour to do 4,000 steps today-- measured with my handy pedometer. So a full 10,000 steps would have taken more than 2 hours! But I noticed during my walking, much of it on gently sloping hills, my pulse rate got to 90 beats per minute. I had this device on my wristwatch for taking note of heart rate.

Okay, I'm going to start modestly. But the key technical device turns out to be your wristwatch-- and only for keeping track of time. Duration, duration, duration.... Keep walking for as long as possible, as much as your schedule allows. You'll start to feel the difference immediately!