15-363

Mile 1,100.  Tortoise is continuing to catch up on posts from past days when walks happened but writing didn't.  This one is from December 29, 2015. Lou walked back to work this morning, taking the new connector road from the state highway to 600 North, pictured above with the Hurricane Cemetery and the snow dusted peaks of the Pine Valley Mountains in the background.  The day's walking thought is by Donald Hallstrom ...

Cheerio!

Today's walk was 3.00 miles and had a 4.9 tortoise rating earned by climbing 188 feet in the 1.50 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3260. This walk burned 449 calories in 50:55 minutes.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2015:

1,100.19 miles walked which is 109.80% of Lou's 2015 goal.  On this day in 2014, Tortoise had walked 1,016.30 miles.  

337:57:31 hours walked which is 107.97% of the 2015 goal (which is to walk 1 hour a day on the 313 days other than Sunday in the year).  

60,965 total feet climbed, compared with 48,751 feet on this day in 2014.

165,358 calories burned.

99.36% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 199 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, Overall he has walked on 302 of the 311 non-Sundays in 2015, a 97.11% consistency rating.  This compares with 296 days walked through December 29 in 2014 (a 95.19% 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 ...

"During one intense discussion about the challenges in his life, he leaned toward me -- as his conclusion to our numerous talks -- and said, 'Bishop, I have a bad temper, and that's just the way I am!'

"That statement stunned me that night and has haunted me ever since.  Once this man decided -- once any of us conclude -- 'That's just the way I am,' we give up our ability to change.  We might as well raise the white flag, put down our weapons, concede the battle, and just surrender -- any prospect of winning is lost.  ...

"We meet here tonight in the name of Jesus Christ.  We meet with the confidence that His Atonement gives every one of us -- no matter our weaknesses, our frailties, our addictions -- the ability to change.  We meet with the hope that our future, no matter our history, can be better."

-- Donald L. Hallstrom, "What Manner of Men?", April 2014 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!