If I could walk 500 miles…

When Tracy and David took up the step counting workplace challenge, it prompted me to turn on the step counting feature of my android phone, S-Health. I did it just in time for a conference marathon. In the past month, I’ve spent time in Austria, Calgary, Sweden and Scotland. (This is my second try at getting in on the step counting bandwagon. You can read about my first attempt here.)

On the one hand, good, because European cities. On the other hand, bad, because conferences. Still I was curious. I knew that I typically didn’t get enough exercise while at conferences.

Here’s some quick thoughts and observations.

Calgary was easy because my hotel was a fifteen minute walk from campus. Add to that walking for lunch and I did okay. Everyday I met my phone’s starting step target of 6000 steps a day and on a couple of days I hit the magical 10,000 steps.

Sweden was the best because conference organizers built in walks, including a stroll up a giant hill where we had an afternoon break with wine and non alcoholic sparkling juice and potato chips.

After we climbed down the hill we walked for another twenty minutes. Here’s a tree along the way.

Austria didn’t count so much because it was only one day of work. When work was over, I did some hiking in the Alps. Pretty!

But my best walking days have been here in Scotland where I’m writing this post. What made a difference? Well, it’s incredibly walkable. Again, getting a hotel room a few blocks away from the conference helps. There and back it’s 2500 steps. We’ve also been exploring Edinburgh whenever we can. There’s a really nice stroll along the canal as well as the hills and steep streets of the old city. What a beautiful city. Also, we’ve done some wandering outside the city scouting out castles and watching birds and badgers.

Last night we headed out after dinner and I got my photo taken with the statue of David Hume as philosophers like to do. It’s a bit dark and I might wander down there again today to do it again.

There are also plans to walk up to Author’s Seat.