Walk in the park

For the last...several days, I've been trying to a minimum-step thing on my health app, because of this challenge at work where if you get to a certain point you're eligible to gifts and rewards. Which means that now instead of going on walks for the sake of walking, now I'm working towards optimizing my step count versus time and effort, because whenever there's any numbers, there's a desire to game them into a favorable direction.

So instead of walking to random places, crossing the traffic and avoiding heavy vehicles, I have been walking in the park next two our places, taking  ten to fifteen rounds of it every day. I've measured the time it takes for me to take a lap, and then the number of steps to the lap, so I know exactly how much longer I need to be lapping to reach my step-count goals.

When they say something easy as being a 'walk in the park', it really makes sense, I've discovered now. I don't need to pay attention to the people around me, or the traffic or anything else. It's just about the act of walking, not really paying attention to the surroundings, and listening to the podcast or whateveryou might have playing in your ears.

You get to see some interesting stuff too, so it's not like I'm trying to make fun of this situation. I've seen folks practice seriously or League softball until late in the night, I've seen doggieparents spend hours and hours with their cats and dogs trying to leash-train them, I've seen groups of attractive presumably single women setup picnic baskets and wine and just chill and have fun with their friends. It's a pretty sight, been a long time since I saw other human beings, goodlooking ones, in these numbers, and it's a treat for the eyes and the heart to just be able to look at them.

Man IS a social animal, it turns out.

Yeah, I'm the sort of person who goes to walk in the park now, and instead of spending hours exploring the nooks and crannies of the neighborhood would rather enjoy a much more peaceful physical activity. What to do, this is what has let me optimize all the variables.