13-11

There are some great views on the East Cinder Knoll loop trail!

I am a thankful poster child for getting your cancer checkups.  I am a 6 year prostate cancer survivor, having had emergency radical surgery and hormone therapy.  Then 2 1/2 years ago the cancer started coming back, and I had 2 months of daily radiation treatments. These left me essentially cancer free and able to live a full and active life.  Checkups literally saved my life. I showed no outward symptoms, but inside cancer was racing at great speed, undetected before a routine checkup.

Colonoscopy is another important screening I had to wait for because I had to first heal sufficiently from these treatments.  Earlier this week, I had my colonoscopy, and thankfully it not only showed my colon is cancer free, but that I have healed better from radiation therapy than was expected.  I attribute this to a number of things, not the least of which is my wife Willyne who, along with me, watches my diet, stress, exercise, prayer, and more.  I cannot thank her enough!

I help manage my stress by walking as close to every day as I possibly can .  I celebrated today with a longer walk than I would normally do in tax season (a whole separate subject, but let's just say that dodging the fiscal cliff was just the beginning for us CPAs ... change is certainly the name of the game this year!).

After I got today's work out in the mail around 4 pm, I walked from the office to the top of East Cinder Knoll in what daylight was left today.  Got some great views and 851 feet of climbing up (and down) in 3.96 miles.  I'm slow, so I was in motion 1 hour 48 minutes.  Total time was 2 hours 14 minutes, including some stops for pictures and to chat with my friend Ed Woodd as he was leaving work and I was passing Valley Academy near the end of my walk.

Looking at the confluence of La Verkin and Ash Creeks with the Virgin River

The Pine Valley mountains tower to the northwest of the previous river view

More pictures and a topographic map are available here:  http://adventures.garmin.com/en-US/by/dougbeechersr/east-cinder-knoll-loop-with-double-climb/#overview

Chapter 13 totals through 11 days, 14.26 miles walked, with 2,328 feet climbed, in 5:55:09.  If you'd like (lots) more stats and details, you'll find them by clicking here:
This walk has diverse components ... I got a good workout as you will see ...

The first section is a mild 3.5% climb, gaining 150 feet in 0.82 miles on city sidewalks from my office to the beginning of the East Cinder Knoll trail.  It took me 15:55 minutes, for an average pace of 3.08 miles/hour.  My heartbeat ranged from 76 to 120 and averaged 105.

Section 2 is a vigorous 16.0% climb, gaining 283 feet in 0.34 miles to the junction of the trail loop near the top of the hill.  The first picture was taken at this location. It took me 15:53 minutes, for an average pace of 1.57 miles/hour.  My heartbeat ranged from 111 to 148 and averaged 128.

Section 3 completes the climb with some up and down stretches along the top of the knoll to the point where the other two pictures beginning this blog post were taken.  The climb averages 6.3%, gaining 114 feet and dropping 25 feet in another 0.34 miles. It took me 9:24 minutes, for an average pace of 2.20 miles/hour.  My heartbeat ranged from 112 to 142 and averaged 130.

Section 4 completes the loop back to the aforementioned junction and then descends a net 372 feet back to the beginning of the trail on Hurricane, Utah's 600 North Street.  The west portion of the loop meanders a bit more than the east portion; making this section 0.83 miles.  It took me 23:04 minutes, for an average pace of 2.15 miles/hour.  My heartbeat ranged from 109 to 134 and averaged 120.

I could have called this good, and it would have been, but I wanted more, so for section 5 I then retraced my steps to the loop junction plus a little more to the top of the steepest climb section.  The climb averages 15.0% (the final portion past the junction is less steep than the rest), gaining 307 feet in another 0.39 miles. It took me 14:29 minutes, for an average pace of 1.61 miles/hour.  Yes, I am the tortoise.  Still, my heartbeat ranged from 112 to 158 and averaged 140 on this second climb.

For Section 6 I turned around and went back to the trail beginning without doing the loop on top this time.  The descent took 11:10 minutes, for an average pace of 2.07 miles/hour.  My heartbeat ranged from 159 to 117 and averaged 132.

The final section returned me to my office, with a slight detour in Valley Academy's parking lot for that conversation with Ed.  I descended 150 feet in 0.86 miles which took me 17:55 minutes, for an average pace of 2.86 miles/hour.  My heartbeat ranged from 141 to 110 and averaged 123.

This is a terrific walk.  I plan to do a single climb and descent without the loop as many work days as possible, mixing in the LaVerkin Overlook trail and other trails when I am working in those places at walking time.  I am an impromptu walker and regularly look for opportunities to sneak one in my schedule.

Going on to other Terreeblay blog details, I took my Youngevity mineral supplements and applied DuraCream to my arms this morning to help slow mole growth from the sun.  Took vitamins with breakfast and Crestor, Omega 3, and Cortisol support with dinner.  Total eating today: 2,526 calories.  Good thing I did all that climbing, eh?

Today's final word ...

From reading in Luke 10 and 2 Nephi 1 ...

"Therefore said he unto them, The ^aharvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."

                                                                                                        -- Luke 10:2

My children's grandmother Floryne would note this is an example of STP in the Church ... Same Ten People being the consistent, loyal laborers.

"And he hath said that: ^aInasmuch as ye shall keep my^bcommandments ye shall ^cprosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence."

                                                                                                       -- 2 Nephi 1:20

The tortoise believes that the Lord is referring to spiritual prosperity and general wellbeing in addition to other forms of prosperity.  And any other form of prosperity, taken alone, is only temporary.

Cheerio!