16-103

Mile 271.  Tortoise enjoyed a late night, quiet, moon-lit walk through the east hills of La Verkin, accompanied by the healing walking thoughts of Kevin Duncan ...

Cheerio!

Today's walk was 3.16 miles, done in 50:01 minutes at an average pace of 15:50 minutes per mile.  This route had an average 5.1 tortoise rating earned by climbing 158 feet in the 1.58 mile uphill portion. Average elevation was 3242.  This walk burned 523 calories.  It was Tortoise's forty-seventh 5k walk of 2016.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

271.82 miles walked, compared with Lou's goal for this date of 280.25 miles.

  

19,356 total feet climbed so far in 2016, compared to a year-to-date goal of 17,248. Lou hopes to climb more than the 61,316 feet he climbed in 2015 -- but in 16 minutes less each day than his 1:07:04 hour average in 2015.  So far in 2016 Tortoise's walks have averaged 50:45 minutes each.

His average pace so far in 2016 has been 16:26 minutes per mile, slightly more tortoise like than his goal of 16:05 minutes per mile, but a noticeable difference from his 18:25 minute per mile pace in 2015.

Lou has walked 289 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, Overall he has walked on 392 of the 401 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 97.76% consistency rating.  

One step at a time can lead to great things!

And now for today's walking thought ...

"Even though we may be a victim once, we need not be a victim twice by carrying the burden of hate, bitterness, pain, resentment, or even revenge.  We can forgive, and we can be free!

"Many years ago, while I was mending a fence, a small sliver of wood entered into my finger.  I made a meager attempt to remove the sliver and thought I had done so, but apparently I had not.  As time went on, skin grew over the sliver, creating a lump on my finger.  It was annoying and sometimes painful.

"Years later I decided to finally take action.  All I did was simply appl ointment to the lump and cover it with a bandage.  I repeated this process frequently.  You cannot imagine my surprise when one day, as I removed the bandage, the sliver had emerged from my finger.

"The ointment had softened the skin and created an escape for the very thing that had caused pain for so many years.  Once the sliver was removed, the finger quickly healed, and to this day, there remains no evidence of any injury.

"In a similar way, an unforgiving heart harbors so much needless pain.  When we apply the healing ointment of the Savior's Atonement, He will soften our heart and help us to change.  He can heal the wounded soul (see Jacob 2:8)."

-- Kevin R. Duncan, "The Healing Ointment of Forgiveness", April 2016 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!