16-123

Mile 326.  Today was the fourth big deadline of the season.  We have January 31 for W-2 forms, March 15 for corporate tax returns, the ides of April for individual tax returns, and ... what is May 2, you ask?  It's the deadline for quarterly payroll and sales tax returns when April 30 lands on a Saturday.  And it's every bit as a big a deadline as any of them, if you are Lou ...

So ... what you see above is Tortoise's view as he headed out for a walk at 25:43:26 on his infamous extended military clock when the work of the day was complete.  Yes, it was a minimum walk.  He headed up the hill just past the cell towers on 600 North, and a little more to make sure he would be over two miles for the round trip, then returned.  The walking thought was by Christopher Waddell ...

Cheerio!

Come on, Tortoise, you can make it up this hill!

Today's walk was 2.08 miles, done in 35:09 minutes at an average pace of 16:54 minutes per mile.  This route had an average 4.8 tortoise rating earned by climbing 139 feet in the 1.04 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3285.  This walk burned 320 calories. 

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

326.97 miles walked, compared with Lou's goal for this date of 334.39 miles.

  

23,644 total feet climbed so far in 2016, compared to a year-to-date goal of 20,580. 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 51:30 minutes each.

His average pace so far in 2016 has been 16:32 minutes per mile, somewhat 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 306 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, Overall he has walked on 409 of the 418 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 97.85% consistency rating.  

One step at a time can lead to great things!

And now for today's walking thought ...

"Peace of mind, peace of conscience, and peace of heart are not determined by our ability to avoid trials, sorrow, or heartache.  Despite our sincere pleas, not every storm will change course, not every infirmity will be healed, and we may not fully understand every doctrine, principle, or practice taught by prophets, seers, and revelators.  Nevertheless, we have been promised peace -- with a condition attached.

"In the Gospel of John, the Savior taught that despite the tribulations of life, we can be of good cheer, we can be of good hope, and we need not fear, because He declared, 'In me ye might have peace.' (John 16:33, emphasis added)  Faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice is, and forever will be, the first principle of the gospel and the foundation upon which our hope for 'peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come' is built."

-- W. Christopher Waddell, "A Pattern for Peace", April 2016 LDS General Conference

The Tortoise is smiling!