dammit

I was on my way to racking up a 30,000-step evening when my phone conked out at around the 24K-step mark. I didn't think it was cold enough to suck out the battery power, but 50℉ (10℃) is apparently enough to do just that. I had started the walk with about 74% battery power. By the time I reached Jamshil Bridge, my turnaround point, I had already done 16,000 steps. 2,400 of those steps came from doing two kilometer-long loops around local parks; I hadn't planned on doing the same loops on the way back, so my walk should have totaled 29,600 steps. The phone died at 24,885 steps and 180 minutes of walking, which means I must've been walking way faster than I normally do. My usual step rate is about 100 steps per minute, but 24.9K steps per 180 minutes is a step rate of 138.25 steps/minute. I must've been especially agitated or something. Anyway, at that rate, I might have gone past the 30K-step mark, but now we'll never know because the fucking phone crapped out on me. Dammit.

I'll bring a spare battery next time, but that's no guarantee because, when your phone dies, it dies quietly in your pocket. By the time you notice the phone is dead, you have no idea how much time has passed since its passing. Perhaps the best strategy is to check the phone's battery power regularly, then switch out batteries at around the 10%-power mark. And if it's cold out, keep the phone close to your body, not in the thigh pocket of your cargo pants.