…starts with a single step.
Continuing with the goal of walking 1000 miles throughout the year (once again, thank you, Caroline C for the challenge), this pedometer geek did not slack off in March. Following up February’s success of averaging over 10,000 steps every day (and only one day when the goal was not met completely), this pedometer geek managed to get at least 10,000 steps every single day in March, totaling 319,319 steps for the month. Of those, 185,372 steps were aerobic steps, most of which were obtained on the treadmill (and sometimes as late as 11:00PM).
In fact, up until yesterday, April 2, 2017, the last forty-seven days the goal of 10,000 steps or more was managed. Yesterday, this pedometer geek spent the better part of the day traveling six hours to the first birthday party of my youngest grandson, MJ, but I digress. On the other hand, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world and I will have to work harder to make up for the difference.
In regards to the miles walked in the past three months, this pedometer geek completed more than 278 miles of the 1000 miles so I am pleased with the progress so far. If it continues, the challenge will be met.
One of the greatest advantages to spending time on the treadmill is that it is possible to multitask and read. Although this pedometer geek reader has not mentioned the books being read or the challenges undertaken in recent posts (and for those who may have read last year’s previous posts), over the past quarter more than forty books were read, fourteen of which were read in March. As in the past, this reader chose two challenges through http://www.bookcrossing.com. The first is the yearly pages-read challenge; the other is the SIY (set-it-yourself) challenge.
For the pages-read challenge, 40,000 pages was chosen to be read throughout the year. Through the first quarter of 2017, approximately 31% or about 13,000 pages were read.
For the SIY challenge, twelve particular books were chosen to be read. Not only was the challenge completed, but it was completed about two weeks early. Early enough to be able to read another book that would have been included in the second quarter’s SIY.
While this reader has not listed what has been read recently, just for something different, here following are the books read in March:
Thaw by Satya Robin
The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley
Vanishing Games by Roger Hobbs *
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain *
Going for Kona by Pamela Fagan Hutchins *
Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
My Fair Princess by Vanessa Kelly
Exodus of Magic (Mysterium Chronicles #1) by Simone Pond
The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
Accompanying Alice by Terese Ramin
Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo by Heather Wardell
Thumbsucker by Walter Kirn
River of Magic (Mysterium Chronicles #2) by Simone Pond
A quick rundown of the books: half of the books were read in an e-book format, which is more easily done at higher speeds on the treadmill; two were mysteries; three were mainstream novels; two would be categorized as suspense or thrillers; two were historical novels; two would be categorized as either romance or chick-lit; and two would be classified as urban fantasy. Eight of the authors were new to this reader. Three novels were reviewed on http://www.pedometergeek.wordpress.com, and a fourth one will be soon, probably within in a day of this post. Overall, a diverse set of reads that included a book published in 1919 to several published in the last month. An asterisk indicates that it was a SIY book.
But enough about what I have read, what books have you found interesting lately? Suggestions are always welcome.
As April is the Million Mile Marathon month (see previous posts for more information on the event), this pedometer geek has jumped on the bandwagon once again, this time with a stated goal of eighty miles to complete during the month (and an unstated goal of 100 or more miles). Will it be accomplished? Time will tell.
nbsmithblog...random digressions and musings 
Reblogged this on Jane Wilson.
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Thanks Jane. Greatly appreciate it.
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My wife just picked up The Passenger by Lisa Lutz. I’m still reading some Henning Mankell before shifting to Shadow of the Wind.
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Will have to check them out. Thanks for the titles. ~nan
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And excellent working progress, nan. Go, go, GO!
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Thanks Michael…but I don’t have fitbit numbers. You are the one putting on the steps, which is impressive, but still go, go, GO! ~nan
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A great list, Nan! Thanks for all the reviews and recommendations! I am so in awe of your walking goal, and ability to meet them! I’m also in total awe of your ability to walk and read simultaneously. I can barely walk and think at the same time! But, as for reading, if you like super dense, multi-layered books about strange houses, I highly recommend House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski, although I don’t recommend reading it in digital format, as there are visual aspects to it that are crucial to the experience. Prior to that I read Harriet Scott Chessman’s The Lost Sketchbook of Edgar Degas which was lovely, really beautifully written. I’ve got a huge pile of books in my basket, but the next one up is Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz. He was the creative force behind Foyle’s War, a series I adored, so I’m really looking forward to this new take Sherlock Holmes’ adversary. 🙂
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Thanks Barbara. It isn’t easy, but lately I have been pushing myself to get the steps in. As of tomorrow, I will probably have a more difficult time doing that as I am taking a part-time job for a month. Being confined within a small space for nine hours doesn’t give me much time to walk either to the library, post office, bank, and/or the treadmill as is my normal course of things. That’s why I chose a lower goal (last year I over-extended just as I ended up having surgery…go figure!). While I can read and walk at the same time, I suspect that I miss some of what I am reading. Usually, I pick something that is light and fluffy for treadmill reading. And I must admit that I have nearly fallen off a few times especially if the speed is high (3.2mph) and I lose focus.
I will check out those titles. I love reading historical fiction and biographies, and House of Leaves sounds amazing. I will take your recommendation to avoid digital format for that one. I, too, enjoyed the Foyle’s War series, and it seems to me that I have read at least one of Horowitz’s books. Thanks for the suggestions.
Too many books so little time.
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I hope to read more. But I’ve been slacking in that department.
However I did get a working ‘Fitbit’ finally hooked up to both my home and laptop computers.
This was done to help reduce our insurance deduct able for next year.
I’ve only had it going for about a week and some of that time may not have been recorded in the stats. Because at first it was only hooked up to my laptop which I hadn’t turned on for a few days.
Oh well, I’ll live. so I haven’t had a full week yet of ‘them’ keeping track. But as silly as it is ‘they’ give you little badges for reaching goals. First of course they want you to walk your 10,000 steps a day. But they also want you to move at least 250 steps for a minimum of 9 hours during the prime sitting part of the day – if one were doing that. Between 9am and 5p or 6pm.
The Fitbit keeps track of a few different things like how many stairs you climb, heart rat, miles etc. I’ve got stairs in my home and the hill inclines in the neighborhood also register as stairs. Though I’m not sure exactly what they count as an amount a one set of stairs.
So while last week I actually did make the 10,000 step every day I’m not sure if it registered since I wasn’t ‘connected. They want you to have exercise 5 days a week. And because I wasn’t connected in my 2nd weekly review I only got credited (I think) for 2 1/2 days). (My first weekly review was only one day!)
We had to drive to NC (and back) and I wasn’t sure how I was going to get my steps in – apparently car dancing works (I was lifting my feet and moving my arms to the music of the radio) – and that counted as stair steps. It isn’t a perfect system. But It will have to do since the unit is like a watch and is on your wrist instead of your foot.
I mention this all because they keep accumulated stats (I’m not sure about the days that were missed) but even with the gaps I got my first Marathon Badge yesterday. And I remembered when we were encouraging each other about that. 😉 I forget what the Million Mile Marathon is…I’ll have to check your other post. 🙂
So anyway – Keep up the good work and expect some more post cards next week 😉
Hugs. Jules
Oh- Happy belated B-Day to your grandson!
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How did I miss this comment, JP? Somehow I did, but love all the information on the fitbit. You are really doing well with your exercise/pedometer regimen.
I try to get those steps in, but I have had a few days that have not measured up. I have taken a part-time job at the Board of Elections helping out during early voting (like absentee voting except they show up early rather than have a ballot mailed to them) for a special primary election for a few issues and races.Not all precincts are affected so it is relatively light work; however, I am basically in a small area and steps are difficult to obtain there. I do what I can to walk back and forth (pace), go the long way to maximize the number of steps. Most times I come home and hop on the treadmill, but dinner comes first.
On the other hand, I have completed over sixty miles of my goal of eighty miles, but I really hoping I get to one hundred.
Thanks for the postcard; loved it and it is on my refrigerator right now. Eventually I will color it, too. I am glad you are enjoying your trip to North Carolina. There are some really neat places to visit.
Well, it is late and I have to get up early to get to the BoE by 8AM (and I am not a morning person).
Hugs, JP.
nan
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I’m not a morning person either. Just got back from Kentucky – we were supposed to stay for a few more days. But as with the job hubby has… – he finished up early. Did a tad bit of scrambling to change flights, but we did it.
I’m going to have to start keeping different track of my miles and steps. Fitbit has a great page of stats but more for daily and then a weekly report. But just different for info. Next time I’m there I’ll try to remember to (since I started with it) to write down my total steps.
Even though I missed a few days and car danced some. I guess though it all evens out statistically. So that total step number is just from April 2 – April 21 – so far. It was kind of funny though at the hotel we hardly used the elevator. We were on the fifth floor and used the stairs as much as we could.
I’m still not sure of how many of my steps = 1 mile. While away I got in 8 miles one day. Turns out we can get max points for insurance by doing 15,000 a day. I’ve done that 4 days in a row. But one day – the 8 miler I put in over 20,000. But I had some help with the treadmill at the hotel gym. Most of the time at home I just walk my neighborhood, go up and down my stairs or stomp in place 😉
I didn’t get a chance to send PC’s from KY. I was going to write them out while doing laundry at the hotel…today. But it became a travel day instead. 🙂
I’m not ready to commit to volunteering to do anything. Even with the school year almost over and my on call ‘grama duties’. I’ve got a few days of real vacation coming and then a family vacation in August. Not sure after that. I don’t want to commit to anything and miss an opportunity to travel with my guy 😉
I wrote about our trip(s) in my daily pieces but also here:
The Ohio…
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JP,
I have worn a pedometer since the early 2000s. I don’t know how many I have owned, lost, replaced, etc; hence, I truly am a pedometer geek. I measured a mile in steps at the beginning and it was about 2000 steps for a mile. My current pedometer is more sophisticated (unlike me) and actually measures the mileage, but it also is based upon the stride length when I set it. I am not sure my stride length is really accurate as I no longer count ten steps and measure the distance and calculate it. Thus now my mile is about 2880 steps based on a default status; however, it is accurate enough for my purposes.
I keep my results on an Excel spreadsheet with columns for total steps and aerobic steps daily for each month and have done that for almost ten years. My current pedometer actually has a download feature and tracks daily steps, aerobic steps, calories, and miles, but it doesn’t connect to the Internet like the fitbit can. My goal remains at 10K a day, but I don’t totally freak out when I don’t accomplish it (car trips really wreck havoc on step totals and there are times when it is impossible to wear my pedometer). I know I should up my game and go for 12K or 15K daily, but until I can consistently break 10K without getting on the treadmill, I probably won’t.
You, however, are really rocking it, and you should be proud of yourself. I know I am proud of what you are accomplishing and it makes me want to do better.
As for my volunteer jobs, one is sanitizing the computers at the library weekly (and after seven years of it, I am ready to tell them to find someone else or suggest each employee be responsible for taking care of three or four of them), and the other is working the desk and gift shop at Old Woman Creek Estuarine Research Center two afternoons a month. Oh, and I am one of two facilitators for a library book group. However, I never feel guilty about taking time off from them if the situation arises. If our grands were closer, I’d probably be like you…spending the time watching them. Alas, it is not to be.
Loved your Ohio post. Take care, and keep on stepping out. ~nan
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I wish my Fitbit came with instructions, besides loading and connecting to the pc. I might just have to look for that on the net. But I’ve been exploring and found more info. Since I started April 2nd (as of April 21…not including the 6 miles I put on yesterday) I’ve clocked 105 miles. = 251,107 steps. But I think that also changes with pace. We (anyone that is I think doesn’t…) don’t always walk the with the same stride. And when I was at the hotel ‘gym’ I put the fitbit on my ankle and it counted as a bike ride!
So I guess jumping through some hoops for a lower insurance rate can be a good thing?
So thank you for the continued encouragement. And for getting me started on the right track 😉
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