Counting the steps

I have decided to start wearing a pedometer again. Several years ago Usdan gave out cheap little Coca-Cola-sponsored ones in the checkout line, and for a while I tried to wear mine on my belt everywhere I went. I am certain I looked very dorky, but damn if it didn't encourage me to work toward making the ten thousand steps a day required for walking to be a viable way to burn calories. So I downloaded one on my iPhone which more or less works, but its function is interrupted and must be reset if anything else happens on the phone, and it is considerably less convenient to have something the size of an iPhone in my pocket all the time. I may still have the little Coke-brand on in my boxes somewhere; it might be worth it to check, as frankly, silly as it may have looked, it was more convenient for the purpose.

Also related to this end of walking more, I have replaced my everyday walking shoes. I am a devoted fan of simple, sleek, dark-with-a-stripe Puma athletic-styled shoes and have settled upon the Puma Speed Cat SD as my variety of choice. This is my second time purchasing this style in particular, and my fourth time choosing something with this similar kind of look. When discovering they came in both black and brown I got both, reasoning that if I alternated them they would last longer. I always write down in my Livejournal when I buy new ones so I can check how long the previous pair lasted me. I am very hard on shoes, apparently-- it's only been a year and a half since the last time I bought new pairs. I've heard a lot of people can keep one pair going for years without it sustaining any seriously compromising damage. Of course, I consider shoes "worn out" to the point of unwearability once their arch support gives out, even if they are still presentable-looking and otherwise in good repair. They are just too painful to continue on with once that happens. I plan on still keeping the old ones so that I can wear them when I don't want to mess up my good ones. I will just have to keep insoles in them in those cases; they've really reduced the pain issues I've been having recently.