Let your cursor do the walking

I've been meaning to check Gmaps pedometer ever since I've moved and established new walking routes. I've had a general idea of how far I've gone, based on how long it takes and how many blocks, but it's nice to have confirmation that what felt like a mile really was a mile.

Sophie and I walk at least a mile every day, and usually more. On the rare day that we don't get a long walk in, we still do the 10-minute, half-mile loop. Now that the weather is cooling off, we can walk more during the day, but I suspect she will want to keep up the nighttime walks, too. That's OK; it's an indulgence that benefits both of us.

If you haven't tried Gmaps pedometer, check it out. It's very simple to use. Zoom the map in to street level where you are, click "start recording," and then double-click each point along your route. You will see your total adding up, and the length of each leg. Little mile markers will also appear along your route.

You can feel virtuous about the walks you've already done, and set goals for future walks.

P.S. The map above shows that Washington Park's inner road loop (bikes and pedestrians only for most of it) is just over 2 miles.