A view of the tent city outside the store where I bought my pedometer to keep track of my steps (I walked to the store but unfortunately THOSE steps don't count since its still August.) - these people have been camped out for a week on the sidewalk just to be the first ones in line for the big annual ski deal in Denver. Yes really. These people are clearly committed snow enthusiasts - me; I'll stick to my 10k steps!

(easy for me to say; I bought my skis LAST year ;)

The journey of ten thousand miles begins with the first step. — Lao Tsu

I have the most fabulous nutritionist, and I recently found out that she was opening up a new clinic in Del Mar, near San Diego.She has really helped me in the past, and I recently was ready to do some more work on myself, so I looked her up. When we talked about exercise, I was ready to feel guilty! "I walk, but I know I need to do more," I told her. She immediately suggested that I get a pedometer and start doing 10,000 Steps a day. I was so relieved – it sounded so doable!

Being a bit of a geek, I researched pedometers online before going to my local sports store and buying one for about $20. I was tempted by a more expensive one where I could port the steps walked over to my computer and analyze the data. However, I rightly decided not to over-complicate things (besides, this would mean more time at the computer instead of walking!) These devices have really improved in the last few years, and if you calibrate it properly and wear it as instructed, they are pretty accurate. Mine is a Sportline 345. Nothing fancy, but it works well and is comfortable to wear.

Since I was already walking, it really is doable to do 10,000 steps, but I’ve found I have to plan if I want to get it done every day. I get maybe 4,000 steps in a day just in the normal course of my workday, and I have to consciously take a walk to make up the rest. Otherwise, I end up marching around the couch while watching TV at night. This is not recommended, especially if anyone else is trying to watch TV with you!

The funny thing is, I’d gotten a bit bored after a couple of weeks and was not really doing it every day, when…our Corazonas marketing team announced that we’d all be walking and blogging for the month of September! (I’d like to say they asked us nicely, but really, it was an announcement.) I had to laugh. When it’s meant to be, there’s nothing for it but to suit up and start walking!