"The Blog Almost Too Boring To Be The Most Boring Blog in America ... for Over 5 Years!"

until it got too many red cards from Wounded Duck and the Boredom Enforcement Committee ... now the tortoise's goal is to get to 10 red cards so he can get Big Dog to drive down and take a good long walk with the tortoise

P. S. This blog listens to its readers. We have the Benjamin Category Override for 5+ mile walks and now, it humbles Tortoise to say he has been named "Lou", by Doug Jr, in memory of Mr. Consistency himself, Lou Gehrig. Tortoise can hardly type the words to think he is in any way comparable to the noble Iron Horse. Thank you!


Saturday, February 26, 2011

48

Day 58, a Series 3 walk 3.45 miles at an average 4.4% grade in 80 minutes.  Series 2 total 55.49 miles in 21 hours 30 minutes.  Series 3 total 9.79 miles in 3 hours 57 minutes.

Friday, February 25, 2011

47

Very busy stretch at work. Day 57 walking compromise, a shorter, steeper visit with Terreeeblay: 0.39 miles in 10 minutes at 4% grade.  Series 2 total 52.04 miles in 20 hours 10 minutes.
Breakfast:  Kefir shake, vitamins, water
Lunch:  Barbeque chicken green salad, water
Friday night dinner with friends:  At the local Chinese buffet - plate 1, half the plate is green beans, rest is fried rice, coconut shrimp, skinless chicken, and 2 small vegetable rolls.  small plate 2, one small scoop broccoli chicken and one small serving egg foo young (I don't know how to spell it).  dessert, two small cookies, a small cup of soft serve, and of course the fortune cookie.  I'm going to get a fortune. :)  Water to drink.
No snacks.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

46

Day 56, walked 1.33 miles with Terreeeblay @ 1% grade in 26 minutes. Series 2 total 51.65 miles in 20 hours 0 minutes.
Breakfast:  Small bowl of Irish oats with blueberries and banana slices, water, vitamins
Snack:  One slice wheat bread folded with fresh ground almond butter, water
Lunch:  Medium bowl of homemade vegetable soup with a slice of wheat bread, water
Snack:  Medium bowl of kettle corn, six Ritz crackers with almond butter, water
Dinner:  Medium bowl of noodles and homemade tomato, mushroom, and meat sauce.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

45

3:30 Medium bowl of oatmeal, yogurt, and water (up "early" working, it's that time of year)
6:30 Remaining third of yesterday's peanut butter and jelly sandwich
7:30 Day 55, walked 1.33 miles with Terreeeblay @ 1% grade in 26 minutes. Series 2 total 50.32 miles in 19 hours 34 minutes.
8:15 Kefir shake, water, and vitamins
11:00 Medium bowl of homemade vegetable and ground turkey soup with one slice of whole grain wheat bread, dry, and water
15:30 A dinner plate of pot roast, mashed potatoes, and corn with water
21:45 I'm writing this and preparing to call it a day - that dinner satisfied me, I've had no desire for a snack this evening.  Two months ago I would have been hungry again an hour or two ago.  So it may seem funny, but I do see progress here.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

44

Day 54, walked 1.33 miles with Terreeeblay @ 1% grade in 26 minutes. Series 2 total 48.99 miles in 19 hours 8 minutes.
Breakfast:  Kefir shake, vitamins, water
Snack:  2/3 peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread with water
Lunch:  Orange chicken and fried rice lunch plate from Hunan's with water.  Celebrated Harry's birthday!  (Didn't have any of his cake though)
Dinner:  Salmon, Quinoa with peppers, green beans, carrots, and corn.  Water.

Monday, February 21, 2011

43

Day 53, walked 1.33 miles with Terreeeblay @ 1% grade in 26 minutes. Series 2 total 47.66 miles in 18 hours 42 minutes.
Week 7 tortoise weigh-in: 260.6, down 1.4 over 2 weeks and 9.7 total.  (No access to scales last week).  Goal is 0.5 average per week, 26 total for year - I'm smiling.
Breakfast - kefir shake, vitamins, and water
Lunch - a medium bowl of noodles with homemade tomato, fresh mushroom sauce, and a little meat with water
Snack - a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread with water
Dinner - small serving of pot roast with one scoop each of mashed potatoes and corn.  small bowl of dessert - one small brownie square with a single scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.  Pretty reasonable for inviting a family over for dinner for a break from their painting their house.  And I do enjoy an occasional treat!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

42

9:05 Completed Day 52, a Series 3 walk 3.22 miles at a steady 4% grade in 79 minutes. Series 2 total 46.30 miles in 18 hours 16 minutes. Series 3 total 6.34 miles in 2 hours 37 minutes.

10:00 Drank a Kefir shake, vitamins, and water

12:30 Ate a medium bowl of vegetable and ground turkey soup with one slice whole grain wheat bread (no butter or other topping) and water

14:45 Ate a frosted sugar cookie with water

16:15 Ate a salmon patty on a wheat pita bun, dry, with water

19:30 Finished the eating day with a second medium bowl of the soup with a slice of the bread, no butter or other topping, and water.

Friday, February 18, 2011

41

Day 51, walked 1.26 miles with Terreeeblay in 25 minutes. Series 2 total 43.08 miles in 16 hours 57 minutes.
8:00 Kefir shake, vitamins, water
11:15 Salad and 1/2 open face peanut butter sandwich and water
14:30 Two chicken, rice, and bean wraps and water
18:30 Small cup of chili, two crackers, and water 

21:30 Large bowl of Willyne's vegetable and ground turkey soup and water

Thursday, February 17, 2011

40

Day 50, walked 1.26 miles with Terreeeblay in 25 minutes. Series 2 total 41.82 miles in 16 hours 32 minutes.
Breakfast:  Small bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, water, and vitamins
Lunch:  Two black bean, cheese wraps - wheat tortilla, lettuce, avocado, and salsa with water
Dinner:  Willyne brought a big bowl of green salad to my office, we had dinner together, yea and yum!  I had 2 1/2 servings. 
No snacks today.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

39

No breakfast

Lunch - Popeyes with Doug Jr for his birthday.  One chicken wrap (includes rice and beans), 1/2 a chicken strip, and a chicken biscuit.

Dinner - Medium bowl of oatmeal with yogurt

Snack - 1/2 a medium strawberry shake (shared with Willyne)

Day 49, walked 1.26 miles with Terreeeblay in 25 minutes. Series 2 total 40.56 miles in 16 hours 7 minutes.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

38

Breakfast - small bowl oatmeal with milk, english muffin with 2 scrambled eggs and some thinly sliced Canadian bacon

Snack - frosted small sweet roll and almonds

Lunch - medium bowl of lentil soup. 

Dinner - chicken and avocado sandwich with lettuce and tomato and a medium serving of vanilla soft serve

Snack - almonds

Day 48, no treadmill access, walked outside 2.5 miles in an hour. Series 2 total 39.31 miles in 15 hours 42 minutes.

37

6:00  Day 47, walked 1.25 miles with Terreeeblay in 25 minutes. Series 2 total 36.81 miles in 14 hours 42 minutes.
7:00 Small bowl of oatmeal with yogurt, an English muffin dry with an egg, and a medium glass of orange juice.
10:15  Half a cheese bun, 1/2 ounce of almonds, and a frosted sugar cookie with water

12:45 Ate the last sugar cookie and the other 1/2 ounce of almonds

13:45 Small plate of broiled chicken and rice with a salad and water

16:00 Half a turkey sandwich

19:30 A medium piece of broiled tilapia (fish) with broccoli and a salad with water

22:30 Finished last appointment and then had to drive 30 miles -- a banana nut muffin got me there.  I'm sorry about it because I'm trying not to eat late.  The tortoise will continue trying ... his success ratio is improving

Sunday, February 13, 2011

36

Scheduling and slow internet at 6 am caused split in my first Series 3 walk-1.56 miles at 2% grade in 39 minutes. Second half this evening.

Breakfast:  Small bowl of oatmeal with yogurt, a banana, two hard boiled eggs, and water

Eaten throughout a 12 hour work day on the run:  two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on wheat bread, half a bun with melted cheese, one frosted sugar cookie, and a liter of water

Dinner:  A broiled chicken breast and wing with chipotle rice with vegetables and a green salad.

Second half of my first Series 3 walk with Terreeeblay tonight - 1.56 miles in 39 minutes. Increased grade to 3%. See you Monday!

Note:  Series 2 totals 35.56 miles in 14 hours 17 minutes, Series 3 totals 3.12 miles in 78 minutes.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

35

Day 45: Terreeeblay and I walked 1.22 miles in 24 minutes today; Series 2 total 32.44 miles in 12 hours 59 minutes.

Breakfast:  2 egg, cheese, tomato, avocado omelette with bacon bits, a half cheese bun, water, and vitamins

Lunch:  Cafe Rio shredded carnitas burrito with rice, black beans, and lettuce and tomato salad, with half a tres leche dessert.

Snack:  2 large frosted sugar cookies

Dinner:  One slice of pepperoni pineapple pizza, one slice of veggie pizza, green salad, and water

Thursday, February 10, 2011

34

Day 44: Terreeeblay and I walked 1.19 miles in 24 minutes today; Series 2 total 31.22 miles in 12 hours 35 minutes
Breakfast:  2 fried eggs over easy with two pieces of wheat toast with butter and strawberry jam and water
Lunch:  Large bowl of oatmeal with yogurt, water, and vitamins
Snack:  A dilly bar, thanks, Lisa!
Dinner:  Medium plate of meat, mashed potatoes, and corn with two King's Hawaiian dinner rolls (no butter) and water.  My stomach is upset, I got a large vanilla soft-serve (in a cup not a cone) and enjoyed every bite.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

33

Breakfast:  Equate Chocolate Ultra Weight Loss Drink

Lunch:  One hamburger split in pieces on 3 small King's Hawaiian rolls with 2 slices of cheese, a quarter avocado.  Also had a small plate of chips with queso and salsa sauces, one frosted sugar cookie, and a cup of milk.

Dinner:  A second hamburger split in pieces on 2 small King's Hawaiian rolls with 2 slices of cheese.  Also had a full plate of lettuce with half a tomato, a quarter avocado, and a large scoop of cottage cheese, with water.

Day 43: Terreeeblay and I walked 1.18 miles in 24 minutes today; Series 2 total 30.03 miles in 12 hours 11 minutes

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

32

Day 42: Terreeeblay and I walked 1.15 miles in 24 minutes today; Series 2 total 28.85 miles in 11 hours 47 minutes.
Breakfast:  Oatmeal with yogurt, banana, water, and vitamins
Lunch:  At a business meeting.  One small square of lasagna, the rest of the plate was salad, with a bread stick, one oatmeal raisin white chocolate chip cookie, and water.
Dinner:  A salmon patty, one scoop mashed potatoes, peas, a separate salad plate of lettuce, half a tomato, a quarter avocado, and a scoop of cottage cheese, with a King's Hawaiian dinner roll (no butter) and water.

Monday, February 7, 2011

31

Day 41: Terreeeblay and I walked 1.13 miles in 24 minutes today; Series 2 total 27.70 miles in 11 hours 23 minutes
Week 5 tortoise weigh-in: 262.0, down 3.3 for the week and 8.3 total.
Breakfast:  14 ounce kefir shake, vitamins, and water
Lunch:  Leftovers from yesterday's dinner, a plate of pulled pork in barbeque sauce, mashed potatoes, and corn, with water
Dinner:  Large bowl of lettuce, half a tomato, a quarter avocado, and a scoop of 2% cottage cheese, along with a medium bowl of oatmeal with yogurt and a banana.  And water.
Snack:  One Hawaiian dinner roll.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

30

Completed a 40 day tortoise marathon by walking 1.06 miles in 23 minutes today; Series 2 total 26.57 miles (slightly more than the 26.2 miles that many do in 2 to 6 hours in a single morning!) in 10 hours 59 minutes ... in the true passionately smiling tortoise tradition Series 2 will continue on Monday ...

Plus ... I am pleased to announce Series 3 and 4!

Series 3 will be a longer walk with my good friend Terreeeblay the treadmill most Saturdays.  It is tax season, so if all I can do is a regular Series 2 walk some Saturdays, so be it.  My plan is to start next Saturday, February 12, with a 78 minute walk at 2.4 miles per hour at 2% grade, which should complete a 5k (3.1 miles).  I know I can't increase the length of the walk at the speed I have worked myself up to in Series 2, so I am hoping this lower speed setting will make that walk a stretch, but not a painful one.  Just as with Series 2, once I begin I hope to gradually increase what I do in Series 3 each week.

Whatever I do in Series 3 I will count in both the Series 2 and 3 cumulative totals, you can check here at this blog from time to time to see how I do and offer your advice and encouragement.  Basically I just want to increase my stamina so I can be a more energetic grandpa and keep up with grandma (more on that in Series 4 ...)

Series 4 will begin in April (after the 15th, of course).  One Saturday a month I will replace a Series 3 walk with Terreeeblay with a Series 4 walk in the outdoors.  If any of you reading this would like to join me on any of the Series 4 walks you are welcome to do so.  I hope to put out a couple possible days for each month for discussion in the comment section here sometime next week.  I will only put out days that I know will work for me, then I will make a final decision that includes your feedback as to which of those days works best for you.  My early thoughts are:

April:  Walk up the La Verkin Outlook Trail (2 miles up and another 2 back down that are pretty steep)

May:  Walk on the West Rim trail in Zion Park, at least as far as the top of Walter's Wiggles and possibly a little further

June:  Walk all the way to West Rim, including an early lunch at the top soaking in the views

July:  Try to reserve a campsite now for a Friday night in the Pine Valley Forest Service campground to get the benefit of sleeping at 6600 feet to get somewhat used to the altitude, then walk up and back on the Forsyth Creek Trail (here is a brief summary of it:  http://tinyurl.com/4ngsngq).  If you google "Pine Valley Mountain trails Utah" you'll see more, including some pictures.  I'm thinking Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th is our best shot, but let's talk about this.

OK, let me say some more about keeping up with Willyne (aka grandma).  She expressed a desire at least a year ago, probably more, to climb Mt. Timpanogos.  Life got in the way, nothing has happened yet.  She does lots of aerobics, zumba, and more ... she could probably walk up that mountain right now, no problem.  As for me, I will need every bit of Series 1, 2, 3, and 4 to even show up in her rear view mirror.  With that introduction, I'd like to throw out trying Mt. Timpanogos in August, perhaps the 12th and 13th, again definitely in the idea stage and open for discussion.  I hope I haven't waited too long to arrange to do this with her!  As a side note, if one of you reading this know of a high elevation camp we could reserve Friday night to be ready for an early morning start there on Saturday, please share it with us!  (I'm hoping for a lively comment section here, Terreeeblay likes the company)

-----------------------------------------------

Going back to more ordinary Terreeeblay blog fare, here is what I ate today ...

Breakfast - Medium bowl of Willyne's barbeque ranch chicken salad (inspired by Panera Bread!) with a half King's Hawaiian bun with melted cheese, vitamins, and a pint of water.

Lunch - Medium bowl of spaghetti with Willyne's wonderful tomato, mushroom, and meat sauce and another pint of water.

(Early) Dinner - Medium bowl of oatmeal with yogurt, a banana, and yes, another pint of water :)

No snacks today ...

Friday, February 4, 2011

29

10:00 Large bowl of oatmeal with yogurt and a banana with water and vitamins
12:30 Medium bowl of spaghetti with lots of Willyne's tomato-mushroom-meat sauce
14:30 Second medium bowl of spaghetti and sauce
17:00 Medium bowl of Willyne's barbeque-ranch chicken salad.  Excellent!  With one side of a King's Hawaiian sweet bun with melted cheese, one low-country coconut bar (addictive, but when I drank a cup (not a glass) of milk I got past it.).  Very satisfied for the rest of the day.
19:40 On day 39, I walked 1.05 miles with my friend in 23 minutes; Series 2 total 25.51 miles in 10 hours 36 minutes

28

Breakfast - small cup of Irish oats reheated from yesterday, half a banana, and yogurt, with water and vitamins.  Still yummy!

Lunch - medium serving of lentils with a couple handfuls of oyster crackers.  This is a good day!  Oh, yes, more water.

Snack - the other half of the banana from breakfast

Dinner - the water delivery truck has not arrived and we have used the last of three 5-gallon bottles at the office.  Sadness befalls me.  I improvise to make some fresh old fashioned oatmeal which I eat with another banana and more yogurt.  I make a mental note to bring water from home tomorrow.

21:45 - Day 38, I walked 1.04 miles with my friend in 23 minutes; Series 2 total 24.46 miles in 10 hours 13 minutes.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

27

Breakfast - medium bowl Irish oats with milk, vitamins, and water
Lunch - one scoop mashed potatoes, one scoop turkey, water
Dinner - medium serving barbeque chicken salad (thanks, Willyne), a dinner roll with butter, and water
No snacks
Day 37 walked 1.05 miles with my friend Terreeeblay the treadmill in 23 minutes; Series 2 total 23.42 miles in 9 hours 50 minutes.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

26

Day 36 walked 1.02 miles with my friend Terreeeblay the treadmill in 23 minutes; Series 2 total 22.37 miles in 9 hours 27 minutes.
No breakfast
Lunch - chicken breast with vegetables, 1/2 piece of carrot cake, small scoop of soft-serve vanilla, and water
Snack - 1 1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and water
Dinner - small bowl of lentils, dinner roll and butter, small piece of chocolate cake, one piece of divinity, and water