May 10, 2025: The Step Count

10,000 steps per day, the experts say.

For most folks, that’s about four to five miles of movement. Many people use this measurement as a goal, and though not highly scientific, it's easy to remember.

Today, after hours of yard work, I checked my step count and blinked at the screen:

17,000.

By bedtime, the total reached 24,000. To be clear, not normal for me. My all-time high came from strolling around New York City — 30,000 in a single day. And yeah, I slept like a log that night.

My neighbor likes to say, “Motion is the best lotion.” So true.

All this step-talk got me curious about extreme feats. Jesse Castenda holds the Guinness World Record for walking 142 miles in 1976, totaling roughly 285,000 strides. Just typing that makes me tired.

Earlier this week, NBA commentator Paul Pierce made a bet. If the Celtics dropped Game 2 of the playoffs, he would walk to work. Barefoot and in a bathrobe.

The Celtics lost. And keeping his promise, Pierce set out on a 20-mile trek to the studio the next morning.

He livestreamed the whole thing on Instagram, engaging with fans and hecklers along the way. His journey took over eight hours. That’s a lot of mileage.

Well, I broke no records today, but I’m satisfied. And my reward? Grass clippings in my socks.