15-306

Mile 902.  Tortoise started walking right after the office closed.  At 5:30 he had completed his first mile, and this was the view.  It was warm and pleasant, so that part didn't seem like November.  Lou continued to do a loop up past the north Hurricane ball fields, then continued on 975 North as far as 120 East before filling in the loop back to his office.  For a map, the day's walking thought by Thomas S. Monson, and more tidbits, please click below to continue reading ...

Cheerio!

Today's walk was 4.05 miles and had a 4.9 tortoise rating earned by climbing 260 feet in the 2.03 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3285.  This walk burned 602 calories in 1:13:38 hours.

Weigh-in:  223.4, a 1.4 pound decrease compared with Lou's last weigh-in on October 26, and dropping him below his previous low of 224.4 on September 12.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2015:

902.62 miles walked which is 90.08% of Lou's 2015 goal.  On this day in 2014, Tortoise had walked 875.51 miles.

276:57:27 hours walked which is 88.48% of the 2015 goal (which is to walk 1 hour a day on the 313 days other than Sunday in the year).

48,424 total feet climbed, compared with 43,238 feet on this day in 2014.

135,412 calories burned.

83.71% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 150 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, continuing a daily record setting pace since breaking his previous record of 97 consecutive days on September 2.  Overall he has walked on 253 of the 262 non-Sundays in 2015, a 96.56% consistency rating.  This compares with 249 days walked in the same period in 2014 (a 95.04% consistency rating).

The purpose of the percentages is to have a higher percentage of both distance and of time walked than of the year.  This tells Tortoise that he is on track.  Yes, this is more numbers than you are likely interested in, all Tortoise can say is he's really good at setting high goals and having them slip away because he doesn't do them every, every day.  (If you doubt this, compare Tortoise's walking record up until 2013 with 2014 or 2015 ... for him, it is what it takes to be consistent.  He hopes you find what works for you).

And now for today's walking thought ...

"To me that means we strive to have in our lives kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, and goodwill.  These qualities will provide for us a spirit which will touch the lives of those around us.  It has been my opportunity through the years to associate with countless individuals who possess such a spirit.  We experience a special feeling when we are with them, a feeling that makes us want to associate with them and to follow their example.  They radiate the Light of Christ and help us feel His love for us.

"To illustrate that the light which comes from a pure and loving spirit is recognized by others, I share with you an experience of many years ago.

"At that time, leaders of the Church met with officials in Jerusalem to work out a lease agreement for land on which the Church's Jerusalem Center would be built.  In order to obtain the permissions needed, the Church had to agree that no proselyting would be undertaken by our members who would occupy the center.  After that agreement had been made, one of the Israeli officials, who was well acquainted with the Church and its members, remarked that he knew the Church would honor the no-proselyting agreement.  'But', he said, referring to the students who would attend there, 'what are we going to do about the light that is in their eyes?' 

"May that special light ever shine within us, that it might be recognized and appreciated by others."

-- President Thomas S. Monson, "Be An Example And A Light", October 2015 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!