16-30

Mile 72.  Here's looking at the still snowy mountains beyond the ball fields near the two mile mark of Tortoise's walk this afternoon.  Same route as yesterday, but sunny and warmer at 61 degrees.  Lou worked up a good sweat even in his shirtsleeves.  He still maintained a brisk pace, but couldn't keep up with what he did yesterday.  Walking thought was by Boyd Packer ...

Cheerio!

Today's walk was 3.26 miles and had a 4.7 tortoise rating earned by climbing 227 feet in the 1.63 mile uphill portion.  It was Lou's third 5k walk of 2016.  Average elevation was 3285.  This walk burned 555 calories in 49:13 minutes, a pace of 15:05 minutes per mile.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

72.65 miles walked which is 10.64% of Lou's 2016 goal of 683 miles.  His goal for this date is 56.55 total miles.

19:14:49 hours walked which is 9.19% of the 2016 goal (which is to walk 40 minutes a day on the 314 days other than Sunday in the year).  

5,590 total feet climbed in 2016. Wounded Duck has challenged Tortoise to climb more than the 61,316 feet climbed in 2015 -- but in 40 minutes, rather than an hour daily.  To accomplish this, Tortoise needs 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 5,096 feet in the 26 walking days so far in 2016.  So far, so good, but stay tuned.  This is a tough goal.

11,823 calories burned.

8.28% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 227 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, Overall he has walked on 330 of the 339 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 97.35% 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 ...

"Just as chalk can be removed from a blackboard, with sincere repentance the effects of our transgression can be erased through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  That promise applies in every case.

"The gospel teaches us to be happy, to have faith rather than fear, to find hope and overcome despair, to leave darkness and turn toward the light of the everlasting gospel.

"Paul and others warned about the trials of our time and the days yet to come.  But peace can be settled in the heart of each who turns to the scriptures and unlocks the promises of protection and redemption that are taught therein."

-- Boyd K. Packer, "The Key to Spiritual Protection", October 2013 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!