365 True Things: 109/Walking

Today the acquaintance who started me on this bloggy road to ruin posted about her Fitbit. And I thought, Oh, what a good idea!

I do not have a Fitbit, but I do have a Jawbone UP band (first generation; they are now up to gen 4). Same thing, though I expect the interfaces are different. My friend's, for example, tells her how many miles she's walked (5.93 today, in Provincetown MA) and gives her a cumulative total for the year (782.39). Mine does not; maybe because it's gen 1, but I don't know.

I got my UP Band a couple of years ago so I could be sure to walk at least 10,000 steps, or somewhat under 5 miles, a day (on a weekly average: I am not a slave-driver, especially not of myself . . . quite the opposite).

In January, I took it off for whatever reason—a shower is likely (I try not to get it wet)—and it stayed off. Until our recent trip to Norway, when I thought it would be interesting to see how far I walked each day. Since that's hands down my most favorite thing to do when I travel, is walk.

Heidi fording meltwater on a perfectly perfect day on the Hardangervidda

So, the results  were pretty good. Although there were a number of days with less than 10,000 steps (travel days, rainy days, lazy days—it was vacation, after all), there were a number of 20,000-plus days as well, especially in Bergen. There was even one 32,447-step day, which came on the heels of a 26,574-step day—a two-day total of over twenty-five miles! That was on our fabulous if sloshy hike to a hut at Tuva on the Hardangervidda.

I love to walk, so I'm not especially concerned about the number of steps I take. Though it is excellent encouragement, at the end of the day, to look and see you're at 8,000 and then take yourself out for just another wee walk to get up to 10,000.

Since I've been home, I've been hit or miss about wearing the band, and when I have worn it, I see I've been lazy: not too many 10,000-step days. The last such was July 10, 22,868 steps (10.18 miles—apparently I do have a mileage indicator), when I was working moving dirt on the Pine Ridge Trail in Big Sur. Some of those "steps" may have been swings of my tools: I don't know how this gizmo really works. (And in fact, I think the gizmo is confused now as to what date it is, since it suggests that I spent that day—which was actually the day before—working between 3 p.m. and 11:46 p.m.) But I do know I worked very hard that day, whatever day it was, so I'll take the credit.

I am not wearing my UP band now. I should probably get back in the habit, though. It keeps me honest—and more to the point, fit. Or at least moving.