March 1 - 11674
March 2 - 2908 (nasty weather)
March 3 - 5226 (no excuse, just lazy)
March 4 - 3132 (again no excuse, just lazy)
March 5 - 11817 (finally back on track)
March 6 - 10452
March 7 - 10935
March 8 - 6969 (snow, snow, snow)
March 9 - 10931
March 10 - 11075
March 11 - 10643

Another snow storm coming.

March 01 - 14,599
March 02 -- 4,711
March 03 - 13,984
March 04 - 14,709 - 2.3 miles Jogging/running
March 05 - 10,382
March 06 - 25,963 - 3.5 miles Running, lots of walking at the Y
March 07 - 15,681 - 50 minutes Elliptical
March 08 - 21,680 - 2 mile jog - UBRT at the Y
March 09 - 10,925
March 10 - 17,838 - 2.5 mile outdoor jog with Kel - UBRT at the Y
March 11 - 14,753 - 4 mile walk/run mix through the neighborhood

Be safe and stay alert my walking friends. You never know what is coming around the next corner. On yesterday's walk I passed a makeshift memorial to a fellow walker who was hit by a car only 2 blocks from my house. This young school teacher hung on for a week after the accident, but she passed away last Thursday. She was doing her AM walk northbound on our neighborhood's main thoroughfare when a car headed south just drove straight when the road made a slight bend to the right. The teen driver never even hit the breaks. Distracted driving is suspected.

This is so stupid and so sad for both parties involved. The beloved teacher, wife, and mother is gone in an instant. The teenage driver is scared by this tragedy for life. I walk past that spot every time I walk through my neighborhood. It will never be the same. That stretch of road will always be a somber reminder for me of how short life can be and how some stupid little thing that we do can cost somebody their life. If you are driving stay off of your phone. If you are walking, stay alert -- and that includes staying off of your phone.

Absolutely Ken. It is so sad. It is clear to me how dangerous my daily walk could be, especially when the sidewalks aren't cleared and the only choice is to walk in the street. Then there are all the cars that ignore the crosswalks. I don't look at my phone while walking or listen to music. I like to be able to see and hear what's going on, but even so there have been times when I have jumped out of the way of cars with drivers not paying attention. Stay safe.

My nightmare fantasy is having to walk on the road and being forced to the side by a passing car, going to fast probably, and then slipping on the ice accumulated at the edge of the rode, sliding onto the road and then being run over by the car that couldn't be bothered to slow down or take any precautions.

Jean

March 1 - 11674
March 2 - 2908 (nasty weather)
March 3 - 5226 (no excuse, just lazy)
March 4 - 3132 (again no excuse, just lazy)
March 5 - 11817 (finally back on track)
March 6 - 10452
March 7 - 10935
March 8 - 6969 (snow, snow, snow)
March 9 - 10931
March 10 - 11075
March 11 - 10643
March 12 - 11046

March 01 - 14,599
March 02 -- 4,711
March 03 - 13,984
March 04 - 14,709 - 2.3 miles Jogging/running
March 05 - 10,382
March 06 - 25,963 - 3.5 miles Running, lots of walking at the Y
March 07 - 15,681 - 50 minutes Elliptical
March 08 - 21,680 - 2 mile jog - UBRT at the Y
March 09 - 10,925
March 10 - 17,838 - 2.5 mile outdoor jog with Kel - UBRT at the Y
March 11 - 14,753 - 4 mile walk/run mix through the neighborhood
March 12 -- 4,177 - Wet snow at lunch - prep for colonoscopy in the PM

Funny thing about the instructions provided on that colon clearing beverage that they have you drink the night before... not a single mention of what is about to happen. They just tell you how much of the solution to drink and when. They don't even tell you to make sure that you stay close to the bathroom. If I was as ignorant about this subject as I was about diabetes then I might have gone for an evening walk after the first dose. What a mistake that would have been.

March 01 - 14,599
March 02 -- 4,711
March 03 - 13,984
March 04 - 14,709 - 2.3 miles Jogging/running
March 05 - 10,382
March 06 - 25,963 - 3.5 miles Running, lots of walking at the Y
March 07 - 15,681 - 50 minutes Elliptical
March 08 - 21,680 - 2 mile jog - UBRT at the Y
March 09 - 10,925
March 10 - 17,838 - 2.5 mile outdoor jog with Kel - UBRT at the Y
March 11 - 14,753 - 4 mile walk/run mix through the neighborhood
March 12 -- 4,177
March 13 - 11,472

March 1 - 11674
March 2 - 2908 (nasty weather)
March 3 - 5226 (no excuse, just lazy)
March 4 - 3132 (again no excuse, just lazy)
March 5 - 11817 (finally back on track)
March 6 - 10452
March 7 - 10935
March 8 - 6969 (snow, snow, snow)
March 9 - 10931
March 10 - 11075
March 11 - 10643
March 12 - 11046
March 13 - 3368 (snow storm)

I'd like to join this challenge

I've recently been bitten by the Fitbit bug . Previously I monitored my steps with an Omron pedometer which too often did NOT count steps unless it was a sustained walk. So, household steps back and forth from sink to stove .. or washer to dryer .. weren't counted. *sigh*.

Currently I'm using both .. Fitbit and Omron .. most days there's an average difference of 1000 steps, ie Fitbit records a higher number. I'm willing to accept the Fitbit record, as it counts those missed Omron steps


Just a bit about me ... I'm 59, turning 60 in June. I live with chronic pain (fibromyalgia) and hypothyroid (on meds). My BP is high-normal, and exercise definitely helps keep it down . Menopause hasn't been kind to me, but it is what it is. *another sigh*

I do like to walk outdoors, weather permitting. But I also like to use "walk at home" dvd's such as Leslie Sansone and others


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


March 1 - 12332
March 2 - 8801
March 3 - 7142
March 4 - 13897
March 5 - 7112
March 6 - 12472
March 8 - 15329
March 9 - 14140
March 10 - 7684
March 11 - 13997
March 12 - 7470
March 13 - 13766
March 14 - 15241


.

Hello Doreen.

I am just the opposite! I trust my Omron implicitly after having counted out over 1000 steps myself to test it, but anything I wore on my wrist significantly overestimated. So, you pays your money and makes your choice ...

My tips for safer road walking:

Always wear a visibility vest or jacket, to give people not at their sharpest the maximum chance of seeing and avoiding you'

In icy conditions always step well to the side for any vehicle to allow for slithers.

The general rule is to walk facing oncoming traffic, except on bends where drivers in either direction will see you better on the other side of the road.

Always listen out. If a vehicle passes you from behind, do not move back towards the centre of the road without looking to see if there are more vehicles behind you. You will only hear the first one.

March 1 - 11674
March 2 - 2908 (nasty weather)
March 3 - 5226 (no excuse, just lazy)
March 4 - 3132 (again no excuse, just lazy)
March 5 - 11817 (finally back on track)
March 6 - 10452
March 7 - 10935
March 8 - 6969 (snow, snow, snow)
March 9 - 10931
March 10 - 11075
March 11 - 10643
March 12 - 11046
March 13 - 3368 (snow storm)
March 14 - 12483

Welcome Doreen. Glad to have a new member.

Jean

Thanks for the welcomes, everybody


Indeed! I do wear the fitbit on my non-dominant wrist (left) after testing on my right which gave wildly higher readings, of course. I've also worn it in my pocket right next to the Omron, and still got higher readings. I actually considered getting a newer model Omron .. mine is >15 yrs old. It only measures "dual axis" ie, back and forth, side to side .. but not up and down eg. stair climbing or cycling. It also doesn't start recording until I've taken 10 consecutive steps, which is why a lot of household steps are being missed .

The fitbit I have is just "entry level" (Flex 2), not expensive and I like the app. I especially like the vibrating reminders if I've been inactive for x minutes, or if I haven't taken at least 250 steps in the last hour .. hey lazybones, get up off yer big fat chair and MOVE!

I could start averaging the two readings and record that

March 01 - 14,599
March 02 -- 4,711
March 03 - 13,984
March 04 - 14,709 - 2.3 miles Jogging/running
March 05 - 10,382
March 06 - 25,963 - 3.5 miles Running, lots of walking at the Y
March 07 - 15,681 - 50 minutes Elliptical
March 08 - 21,680 - 2 mile jog - UBRT at the Y
March 09 - 10,925
March 10 - 17,838 - 2.5 mile outdoor jog with Kel - UBRT at the Y
March 11 - 14,753 - 4 mile walk/run mix through the neighborhood
March 12 -- 4,177
March 13 - 11,472
March 14 - 13,037

Welcome Doreen! I'm glad to see another dedicated 'mover' in our ranks.

About accuracy, I find that my phone step count and my Garmin Vivofit match fairly closely when I'm out for a regular walk. Where my differences show up is when I'm moving short distances around the house. My Garmin requires more steps before it will acknowledge my activity. I get a little annoyed when I spend 2 hours cooking and cleaning the kitchen only to have a hand full of steps actually count. But I noticed that I'd get a bonus 100 to 200 steps each time I brushed my teeth, so I suppose that made up for the missed steps. I recently upgraded to the Garmin Vivofit 3. I think that they "improved" the step sensor. I no longer get bonus steps for brushing my teeth and I still don't get credit for moving around in short bursts.

Ultimately, precise accuracy is not all that important. If I don't take a real walk on a given day my step count will rarely exceed 4K steps. If I get a good walk or two in, I always hit my 10K. So this thing on my wrist is simply motivation to make sure that I prioritize movement in my daily routine.


Thanks for the tips Ambulo

More information has leaked out about the tragedy that occurred in our neighborhood. As it turned out, the walker was facing oncoming traffic and going the same direction as the car that hit her. The car drifted across to the opposite side of the road and struck her from behind. Our neighborhood has a narrow, lousy sidewalk on only one side of the street. Our streets are wide, though, so most walkers/joggers choose to walk in the street, as was the case here. And as I suspected, it has been confirmed that distracted driving from cell phone use was the primary cause of this accident.

When I walk at night I wear a vest, reflective wrist bands and carry a flashlight. I also choose to walk our uneven sidewalks rather than the street. But I also tend to listen to music as I walk and I suppose that does put me at greater risk.

That's what I've decided too, ultimate accuracy is not important but the motivation to move that my Fitbit provides really helps me stick with my daily walking.

On the issue of safety, I often walk in the street. Some streets have no sidewalks. Many streets only have sidewalks on one side and in the winter those sidewalk are often not shoveled so there is no choice but to walk on the street. I tend to avoid the busier streets but there are still dangers involved. Crossing streets at crosswalks can be dangerous for many drivers aren't paying attention. Even when they are not distracted by their phones, they often don't look to see if there's a pedestrian wanting to cross. I have literally jumped out of the way of a car or two while crossing at a crosswalk. Today I stood waiting to cross a busy road and counted somewhere close to 24 cars go whizzing by me. I finally crossed when there was a break in the traffic. Granted this was not at a crosswalk but my choice at that location was to either cross to the other side of the road to reach the sidewalk or not to cross the road but walk along the snowbanks on the street as cars drove by. I like to be alert so I don't listen to music and when I walk at night I wear a reflective vest and stay on safer routes where there are sidewalks.

Jean

March 1 - 11674
March 2 - 2908 (nasty weather)
March 3 - 5226 (no excuse, just lazy)
March 4 - 3132 (again no excuse, just lazy)
March 5 - 11817 (finally back on track)
March 6 - 10452
March 7 - 10935
March 8 - 6969 (snow, snow, snow)
March 9 - 10931
March 10 - 11075
March 11 - 10643
March 12 - 11046
March 13 - 3368 (snow storm)
March 14 - 12483
March 15 - 11483

March 01 - 14,599
March 02 -- 4,711
March 03 - 13,984
March 04 - 14,709 - 2.3 miles Jogging/running
March 05 - 10,382
March 06 - 25,963 - 3.5 miles Running, lots of walking at the Y
March 07 - 15,681 - 50 minutes Elliptical
March 08 - 21,680 - 2 mile jog - UBRT at the Y
March 09 - 10,925
March 10 - 17,838 - 2.5 mile outdoor jog with Kel - UBRT at the Y
March 11 - 14,753 - 4 mile walk/run mix through the neighborhood
March 12 -- 4,177
March 13 - 11,472
March 14 - 13,037 - UBRT circuit at the Y
March 15 - 17,616 - 2.5 mile outdoor jog