Walking

I started walking. It seems to fall in line with my non-resolution to lose some weight and non written resolution to be more fit. I have tried to put in 2 miles of walking a day. Not a bad start.

I am not worried about the time I am in the city because I am forced to walk. Either it is from my hotel to work or from work to another building for meetings. By the end of last week my calves were burning because of the little hill to my hotel on Post Street. Humph!

Today was a big day. John got up early to head to a retreat with his university and I thought it was high time I put in a long walk. I was aiming for 4 miles. Simply walk to the ocean and back on beach blvd. No big deal.

Also, I have this cheapo pedometer that I strapped on to keep me hones and it has a clock which is great because my fingers and wrists swell when I walk so I rather not wear a watch. Pedometer strapped to the waist band of some old Lillian stretch pants that I don't remember how I got them house keys in pocket, iPod in ears, $15 in pocket (emergency money), face towel (you never know), kiss the hubby and I am all set to walk walk walk!

Just as I get out of the gate of the complex John drives up and gives me the thumbs up. Another kiss for posterity and off I go. An hour later I am at the seaside need to pick up the pace but for the first time out not bad. Cool. I assume it is 2.2 miles. The pedometer says I have only walked 1.6 miles. I can't believe it and I am a little upset. But I think well, if I take a detour I can walk the 4 miles by the time I get home.

I head up pacific coast highway to First Street, then First Street to Main Street via Orange St, and main street back to Garfield and Beach. By then it is two and a half hours later. The little toe on my right foot is not very happy and my lower back is pissed off as well. I check the pedometer and it says I walked 12441 steps. Hah! It just has to be 4 miles. They might have been slower toward the end but it is 4 miles.
I get home and get online to see how much I have walked since I don't still believe the pedometer's reading of 4.6 miles and worse yet it says I only burned 267 calories! The stupid thing. The bright spot is at least it records the number of steps right.

I find a calculator of pedometer steps on about.com and I put in my steps and how fast I think I was walking and my weight and tada! it tells me I walked 6.2 miles. Yay! 6.2 miles a far cry from the 4.6 miles the pedometer was telling me. Nice. To be sure I mapped out my route on Google maps and it said I walked 6.2 miles not counting the distance from my house to the corner. I am elated. Now that totally explains why my ankles hurt and the fact that I was flabbergasted that it would take me 2.5 hours to walk 4 miles. So I am walking about a 23 minute mile. I was a little slow in the end ... hard to maintain that 20 minute mile toward the end.

I can't wait for my Omron pedometer to show up! At least it will be more accurate.

Now I need a shower.