February 16th 2024

10,000 step trauma

I do not advertise the fact that I am a 10,000 step-a-day nerd, but recent misinformation has forced me to break my silence.  I should qualify that first sentence by saying that my reticence about discussing my 'step journey’ does not extend to my wife and sons, who have become sick and tired of me wittering on about it over the past several years.  They are all too aware of my boast that I managed to achieve a perfect 10,000 step-a-day year in 2023.  Give them their due, they do try and look interested and act astounded each time I remind them of my feat, and will “Ooh” and “Aah” when I show them for a second or third time the confirmatory evidence of this achievement demonstrated as a green tick against every day of last year on my Withings Step App.

Imagine, therefore, my dismay when I was sent my annual summary by Withings towards the end of last month, which congratulates me on achieving my ‘Step Goal’ on only 363 of 365 days of last year!!  I spent the next two weeks convincing myself that it would be petty to contact Withings and point out their error, before going online and ‘chatting’ with Camille, one of their representatives.  I did get the distinct impression that she found it difficult to understand the severity of the distress I suffered on receipt of the incorrect annual summary, but she did at least reassure me that their App team would look into the matter urgently to make sure that this mistake is not repeated.  What a relief!