I have a confession to make. My pedometer has been rotting somewhere in my house since I reached my million steps a couple months back.
That’s not to say I have completely given up on fitness and whatnot, but I have become a more frequent user of the Swanson Hall elevators and no longer am I plotting ways to get more steps during the day. (Example: Taking the Wittson Hall route to go from Swanson Hall to the Durham Research Center.)
I have heard from some others that they, too, have stopped wearing their pedometers and logging steps after reaching Chimney Rock.
Well, here’s the deal. The 1 Million Step Challenge is a yearlong challenge and according to my calendar, we’re only five months along in this thing.
So, in a cheap and cheesy attempt to help keep people walking and logging steps for the next seven months, UNMC Today is introducing — drum roll on your desks please — the monthly Gold Shoe award.
It’s only a mild coincidence that Gold Shoe rhymes with Gold U, an award which is handed about six times annually to employees who go above and beyond the call of duty in their jobs at UNMC.
The Gold Shoe is a traveling trophy that will go to the UNMC employee who logs the most steps during a single month. Along with the honor of being able to display the shoe in their workplaces, monthly Gold Shoe winners also will be featured in UNMC Today.
Now I know you’re thinking, “Chuck isn’t the Gold Shoe simply an old running shoe spray painted gold?”
Well, yes, that’s exactly what it is. A Saucony running shoe to be precise.
And you’re probably wondering, “what makes you think an old running shoe will motivate people to keep walking?”
Answer: I don’t know. But who would have thought we’d all be so excited to take imaginary walks to Gothenburg?
Another question you might be asking is, “Chuck, does that shoe stink?”
Not really, the paint seems to have sealed in the odor.
So the Gold Shoe competition starts now. At the end of each month, tally up your step totals and send them to today@unmc.edu by the first Monday of the next month. For example, October step totals are due by Monday, Nov. 5. October’s winner will be featured on the second Monday of November.
In all seriousness — or in as much seriousness as you can muster when discussing an old spray painted shoe — fitness is a lifelong endeavor and the more time we spend trying to increase our activity levels, the closer we get to making such behavior a habit. And that, not simply walking 1 million steps, is the real reason for the challenge.
But if it takes having your picture taken with a spray painted shoe to keep you walking, well, we’re willing to go there.
Happy stepping!
The following is a list of UNMC employees who have recently reached one of the 250,000-step markers in the 1 Million Step Challenge. Send an e-mail to today@unmc.edu with your name, department and tell us what step milestone you reached and we’ll post it on the list.
500,000 steps
- Jane Meza, College of Public Health
750,000 steps
- Stewart Abelbeck, sponsored programs accounting
- Jean Balsano, dermatology
- Janet Herde, sponsored programs accounting
- Fran Neff, College of Public Health
- Cyndie Poffenbarger, sponsored programs accounting
- Alice Schumaker, Ph.D., UNMC/UNO Master’s of Public Health
- Yanyan Zhu, sponsored programs accounting
1 million steps
- Kathleen Bickerstaff, College of Nursing
- Jeff Broberg, sponsored programs accounting
- Steve Byrne, sponsored programs accounting
- NeEtta Gillespie, public affairs
- Judy Huey, transplant data
- Maggie Jones, orthopedics
- Virginia Powers, radiation science technology
- Valarie Warner, sponsored programs accounting
- Kristin Watkins, Center for Biopreparedness Education