5 posts tagged “pedometer”

My new pedometer has been underused. My summertime walking obsession has evolved into a lukewarm pursuit due to the many kind rides from friends to and from work and church.

What can I say? They're free rides. Who says no to that? Especially when money is tight.

My previous post found me high on the waves of getting a replacement for my lost pedometer. Visions of picking up where I last left off at an average of 10,000 steps per day had me excited and thoroughly convinced I would be back at my regular pace like I never stopped.

Yet here I am, lackluster in my pursuit.

And I don't really mind.

I'm spending more time with K, like I should be doing, in my final months here in the Philippines before moving back to the US.

My post-work walking time is now spent watching her in Advanced Ballet class; soaking up every moment of seeing her dance and fulfill her dream.

The 5,000 steps I'm now averaging are a small price to pay for doing what I'd like to think I do best - being a mom.

My walking can wait for my destination in Somewhere, America.

You'll know where that will be when I finally know.

Here's a picture of K in her pointe shoes taken using the Self-timer function of the Olympus mu-725sw I reviewed.

Tendu pose

So my beloved obsession came to a temporary halt when I lost my pedometer one morning. In the aftermath, I was too sad to keep up my 10,000 steps per day routine seeing that I didn't know exactly how many steps I was making! The sadness led to laziness. Shame!

Three weeks later, Kisha gave me an extra one of her mom's that was lying around their house. So sweet of her. It didn't measure accurately though so it only got around for a day and a half.

My last resort was to ask a friend on vacation to see if my lost pedometer model, the Sportline 360, was available on sale anywhere. It was. Price of the first one that got lost = $ 45. (P 2,250.); price of the one my friend got for me = $ 17! Same brand and model but for some reason, its belt clip is tighter. Yay.

I'm now on Day Two of re-discovering my near-lost obsession.

And nixed my previous start day for the Million Step Challenge to yesterday's date.

We're goin' walkin', people. We're goin' walkin'.

(This post is brought to you in part by my Twitter Page. *sigh*)

realizing my beloved pedometer fell during my morning commute, i slip into sadness and mourn its loss.. and $ 45 price tag. *sobs* 09:43 AM May 08, 2007 from web

instinctively, my hand reaches for my waist to secure my pedometer only to realize it is truly gone. i sigh and begin my walk home. 07:01 PM May 08, 2007 from web

the walking begins and i am going through pedometer withdrawal. i bite my lip, close my eyes and say, 'today is a new day. i. will. walk. ' 07:41 AM May 09, 2007 from web

It's been five days since my pedometer's disappearance. I'm proud of myself that I didn't kick and scream and Twit like a mad woman at my stupidity for letting it drop. I guess I am more forgiving than I realize. It was, after all, just one of those things - an accident, an unfortunate event, an act of fate, the hand of God. Whatever. My pedometer is gone.

I confess that I am still smarting from its absence. We were makin good time together! More than 170,000 steps logged down so far and stored away at 10000steps.org.au to ensure my completion of one million steps by July 19, 2007.

Not happening.

Yet.

In the meantime, I walk, walk, walk. Still. And though I may have no way of knowing if I'm reaching my daily goal of 10,000 steps, I know that at least 100 steps a day is better than none.

It just started raining in Manila today. This for us is the foreboding of the end of summer in the Philippines. Which is good and bad for us city-dwellers.

The good thing is that the heat is slowly losing its grip on our islands. Slowly, I stress. It ain't over yet.

The bad thing is that with rain comes horrific traffic, and for those of us who commute, the possibility of falling/tripping on an open manhole. Yes, we have those here. This and the getting drenched by cars, jeepneys, or buses that drive by and splash water on pedestrians, albeit unintentionally. Sometimes.

So before the summer ends, I just gotta post these two pictures of my regulation commuting attire. And ask the question, why don't Filipinos do the same instead of getting office clothes wet from sweat?

I find it vaguely amusing when people at work comment on my choice of clothing for my commute to the office in 34 degree Celsius heat - "You're so American!"

In my head, I'm thinking it's not so much an American thing but more of a practical solution slash common sense thing to want to be comfortable when walking to the jeepney stops, the tricycle stands, the bus stops, the pedicab rides, and whatever ride that needs getting to.

At least this way, my requisite office uniform isn't sweaty when I get to work. One stop at the restroom to change and I'm all... fresh and clean.

What's so foreign about that?

So now that the rainy season is starting to assert itself, there is no way that I'm not coming to work in anything but my regulation commuting attire - t-shirt and trainers. Okay, maybe I'll get rain boots...

Steps walked so far since my walking obsession began? 163,725.

*these feet were made for walkin'... what else can i do...?*

Manila has been hot and humid these past couple of weeks. Just yesterday, we hit 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 degrees Fahrenheit). That's not that hot but add h-u-m-i-d-i-t-y to the equation (sorry don't know how to measure that!) and it makes it worse. I've been told that humidity is actually what keeps Filipino skin young but it sure is a price to pay when each step you take makes you drip, drip, drip and feel stick, stick, sticky.

What better time for me to decide to take walking seriously than the start of summer in the Philippines!

Allow me to explain. My fellow single mom friend recently purchased a pedometer. We've been complaining about how we don't have time to go the gym. Blah, blah, blah. So she was at the mall recently and decided to buy a pedometer to motivate her to do something... healthy. And, it's a simulation of being on a treadmill in an actual gym. Minus being stuck in one place. It's been a no-brainer for her to use:  wear on belt every morning before walking out the door, keep on all day, remove at night upon arriving at home, and voila, total number of steps recorded, total distance walked, and number of calories burned are all magically displayed on the monitor.

I got jealous. I wanted my own pedometer! So I got one. It cost me around US $ 45. (P 2,295.00). Not exactly cheap for the Philippines but cheaper than a gym membership that I hardly use. (Have a lifetime membership somewhere but I just don't feel like going! *throws tantrum on the ground*)

Anyway. I started using it Monday morning for my daily commute to and from work. I was so excited to see my progress at the end of the day!

Day One

Not too bad. Though my goal is 10,000 steps a day, I didn't come down hard on myself and walk more, more, more til I hit my target. I decided that there's always tomorrow.

And there was. Which is today. My total steps? 9,847. Kilometers traveled? 5.90.

Since I get all sweaty on my way to work (even without the extra push to walk briskly), I decided to commute in a t-shirt. As soon as I got to the office, all I had to do was change into my top and blazer. Once upon a time, this was an excuse that kept me from making the effort.

No more. Truly, where there is a will, there is a way. You just have to want it bad enough. And at this point in my life, I do. It's all about the forward motion. Keeping on keeping at it. Or at least start moving in that direction. Even if it is summer.