Blue plastic clip-on exertion-information-gathering thing; it’s a good idea. (It’s worth singing about! I want a blue pedometer for Christmas…)
I’ve always been big on walking; now I can keep closer track of it. I was partly inspired by a profile of Roger Ebert, who aims for 10,000 steps a day to help his health. Today (while wearing the pedometer, of course, which wasn’t all the time) I managed 9,600 steps, 1,400 of which came from my morning commute: walking to the bus, then crossing the sky bridge from the VA Hospital to OHSU and then to my building. I also walked to the bottom of Pill Hill after work and then did a circuit around my neighborhood after dinner.
I have promised myself not to stress over days where I don’t hit the target. I won’t tell myself “I walked only 7,000 steps today, so I must do 13,000 tomorrow”; that way lies madness (but damn well developed calves!)
Here’s how my mind works: at one point yesterday I actually thought, No, you can’t wear it while naked. ;-)