16-18

Mile 40.  Tortoise repeated last Thursday's walk.  It took him about an extra minute today, in spite of the fact that the weather is gradually getting nicer ... low 50s and no wind as 6 pm approached.  The shorter walks at a quicker pace and higher average climbs are pushing Lou more than the longer walks did last fall.  It is interesting to see how he deals with the varied physical challenges each day brings.

The day's walking thought is by Todd Christofferson ...

Cheerio!

Today's walk was 2.82 miles and had a 4.7 tortoise rating earned by climbing 200 feet in the 1.41 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3286. This walk burned 460 calories in 44:13 minutes, a pace of 15:41 minutes per mile.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

40.60 miles walked which is 5.94% of Lou's 2016 goal of 683 miles.  His goal for this date is 32.63 total miles.

10:49:13 hours walked which is 5.17% of the 2016 goal (which is to walk 40 minutes a day on the 314 days other than Sunday in the year).  

3,064 total feet climbed in 2016.  Lou's goal is to climb one foot per mile more than he did in 2015, or 56 feet per mile.   In 40.6 miles so far this year, that goal works out to 2,274 feet, so he's doing well there.  

Then, there is the Wounded Duck challenge to consider:  To climb more than the 61,316 feet climbed in 2015 -- but in 40 minutes, rather than an hour daily.  To accomplish this, Tortoise would need to climb an average of 196 feet on each of the 314 walking days in 2016  ... assuming he misses no days at 6 days per week all 52 weeks (definitely quite an assumption!).  But playing along with Wounded Duck, this would mean climbing 2,940 feet in the 15 walking days so far in 2016.

Looks like Tortoise is just staying ahead of the "Hare", or Wounded Duck's challenge if you will, for now.  Stay tuned to see how this works out as the year progresses ...

6,594 calories burned.

4.78% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 216 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, Overall he has walked on 319 of the 328 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 97.26% 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.  And of course, he also wants to keep the Boredom Committee supplied with plenty of boring numbers so those good folks will be happy ...

And now for today's walking thought ...

"Elder James E. Talmage wrote:  'It was Jesus to whom she spake, her beloved Lord, though she knew it not.  One word from His living lips changed her agonized grief into ecstatic joy.  'Jesus saith unto her, Mary.' The voice, the tone, the tender accent she had heard and loved in the earlier days lifted her from the despairing depths into which she had sunk.  She turned, and saw the Lord.  In a transport of joy she reached out her arms to embrace Him, uttering only the endearing and worshipful word, 'Rabboni', meaning my beloved Master.'"

Beautiful words.  Quoted by D. Todd Christofferson in "The Resurrection of Jesus Christ", in the April 2014 LDS General Conference.

The tortoise is smiling!