501 Steps or 2.5 Miles...

This past weekend, my husband and I ventured on a get-away to Chicago to see the sites and enjoy some time without the wee ones. It was a great weekend and we were able to enjoy fairly good weather to walk around town the whole time.

Knowing we were going to spend our time walking and wanting to see Just How Many Steps I could get in during our trip, I wore a cheap Pedometer all day on Saturday. Cheap as in 'Company Employee Freebie' = Super Cheap.

I was really looking forward to seeing our progress as we went about town and to then try to translate the steps walked to calories burned, thus getting to know how my '130s by Thirty' system was going to work for me.

Well by 3pm we walked from our Hotel to Macy's on State Street, to 'The Bean', back to Macy's, rode the rail up to Michigan Ave, walked Michigan Ave, and then walked back to our hotel. As we got into our room for a quick rest before dinner. (Cause who doesn't want to take advantage of a nap on a child-free day?!?) I checked my freebie Pedometer.

501 steps.
WHAT?!? Only 501 steps?? That does not add up AT ALL. Just the other day in our house and a few errands I racked up a messly 1200 steps for most of the day. How could all of our walking add up to 501 steps? Just a walk from the bathroom to the bed in the hotel room was 6 steps. Seriously?

I conferred with my hubby and he agreed. The Pedometer was bunk. For the rest of the weekend the Pedometer took a time out in my purse.

Today as I was thinking about '501' again, I decided to estimate just how much we walked during our weekend. A quick Google mapping and entering in our routes - I estimate in the same time period that I wore the Pedometer, we walked 2.5 Miles. So much more then the messly 501 steps! Combine the 2.5 miles with the rest of our walking and I estimate on the low end that we walked 4.5 miles the whole trip!!

All that walking did make me feel good, well, would have if I wore more sensible shoes. Boy did my feet get a work out and then add the great Chicago food we snacked on....

I am counting the trip as neutral calories 'eaten vs. walked off'!