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Mile 432.  Tortoise enjoyed a pleasant Saturday stroll through Confluence Park, entering off of 600 North and exiting on State Street in La Verkin.  The thought of the day was by Tom Perry ...

Cheerio!

The Smiling Tortoise signs the park register

He signs again at the other end when he leaves.

This morning's walk was 4.14 miles, done in 1:30:47 hours at an average pace of 21:56 minutes per mile. This route had an average tortoise rating of 4.0, earned by climbing 365 feet in the 1.65 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3143.   

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

432.23 miles walked, compared with Lou's goal for this date of 426.75.

  

30,241 total feet climbed so far in 2016, compared to a year-to-date goal of 26,264. Lou hopes to climb more than the 61,316 feet he climbed in 2015 -- but in less time each day than his 1:07:04 hour average in 2015.  So far in 2016 Tortoise's walks have averaged 55:58 minutes each.

His average pace so far in 2016 has been 17:21 minutes per mile, compared with his 18:25 minute per mile pace in 2015.

Lou has walked 335 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, 2015. Overall he has walked on 438 of the 447 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 97.987% consistency rating.  

One step at a time can lead to great things!

And now for today's walking thought ...

"My own family, anticipating the celebration of this 90-year milestone in my life, started helping me remember and appreciate the experiences of my long life.  For example, my niece gathered and shared with me several letters that I had written to my parents nearly 70 years ago from my marine outpost on the island of Saipan in the Pacific during World War II.

 "One of these letters particularly caught my eye.  It was a letter I wrote to my mother for her to open and read on Mother's Day 1945.  I would like to share some excerpts with you in the hope you will see why I will ever be grateful to my loving father and mother for the lessons I learned from their teaching in the home.  My parents are the defining example I retain of goodly parents who placed their marriage and the proper rearing of children as their highest priority [He then reads part of the letter, it's worth clicking below to get that too]."

-- L. Tom Perry, "Becoming Goodly Parents", October 2012 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!