16-32

Mile 75.  The difference a couple days makes.  On this deadline day, Tortoise was not done working at sundown, but used that time to rejuvenate to keep working into the evening.  In this case, rejuvenating meant walking with a distinct bite in the air touching the cheeks while all other parts of the body were wrapped with scarves, gloves, wool caps, and the like.  32 degrees and breezy compared with 61 degrees Saturday.

Lou was pretty stressed from his day, his stomach churning in displeasure, so rejuvenation was just what the doctor ordered.  No speed records tonight, he cut off the final loop, amounting to seven-tenths of a mile, from his last two walks while taking pretty much the same time to get it done.  It felt mighty fine.  This evening's walking thought was by Todd Christofferson ...

Cheerio!

All four pictures this evening were taken facing different directions from the
southwest corner of the hilltop Hurricane city hall parking lot.

Today's walk was 2.57 miles and had a 4.7 tortoise rating earned by climbing 178 feet in the 1.29 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3285.  This walk burned 380 calories in 46:37 minutes, a pace of 18:08 minutes per mile.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

75.22 miles walked which is 11.01% of Lou's 2016 goal of 683 miles.  His goal for this date is 58.73 total miles.

20:01:26 hours walked which is 9.57% of the 2016 goal (which is to walk 40 minutes a day on the 314 days other than Sunday in the year).  

5,768 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 5,292 feet in the 27 walking days so far in 2016.  So far, so good, but stay tuned.  This is a tough goal.

12,203 calories burned.

8.60% of the year has passed.

Lou has walked 228 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, Overall he has walked on 331 of the 340 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 ...

"In all events, a mother can exert an influence unequaled by any other person in any other relationship.  By the power of her example and teaching, her sons learn to respect womanhood and to incorporate discipline and high moral standards in their own lives.  Her daughters learn to cultivate their own virtue and to stand up for what is right, again and again, however unpopular.  A mother's love and high expectations lead her children to act responsibly without excuses, to be serious about education and personal development, and to make ongoing contributions  to the well-being of all around them.  Elder Neal A. Maxwell one asked: 'When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies?  The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods?  Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?'"

-- D. Todd Christofferson, "The Moral Force of Women", October 2013 LDS General Conference

If we want to change the world, we'd best do it one-on-one by the power of personal example ...

The tortoise is smiling!