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Mile 462, June 15.  Temperatures are climbing to around 110 daily at the moment, so Lou is doing more early walks.  This one started about 6:40 and went up and down the La Verkin east hills.  The day's thought listened to while walking was by Anthony Perkins ...

Cheerio!

Today's walk was 2.84 miles, done in 1:01:22 hours at an average pace of 21:37 minutes per mile.  This route had an average tortoise rating of 5.0, earned by climbing 162 feet in the 1.42 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3245.

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

462.71 miles walked, compared with Lou's goal for this date of 455.41.

32,269 total feet climbed so far in 2016, compared to a year-to-date goal of 28,028.  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 per day average in 2015.  So far in 2016, Tortoise's walks have averaged 56:31 minutes each.

His average pace so far in 2016 has been 17:28 minutes per mile, compared with his 18:25 minute per mile pace in 2015.

Lou has walked 344 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, 2015.  Overall he has walked on 447 of the 456 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 98.026% consistency rating.

One step at a time can lead to great things!
And now for today's walking thought ...

"When I was a young man, our family would drive over America's Rocky Mountains to visit grandparents.  The road began in sagebrush flatlands, ascended through steep, pine-covered slopes, and ultimately emerged through steep, pine-covered slopes, and ultimately emerged into aspen groves and mountaintop meadows, where we could see almost forever.

"But this beautiful road was not perfectly safe.  Much of the highway was carved into the steep mountainside.  To protect travelers, road builders constructed guardrails and placed signs that read, 'Beware:  Falling Rocks.'  We observed ample reason for these warnings.  Rocks and boulders were strewn along the riverbed far below the road.  Occasionally we could see crumpled cars on the canyon bottom, a tragic record of drivers who failed to beware.

" ... I remember one crossing of the Rocky Mountains.  After passing a 'Beware:  Falling Rocks' sign, my father noticed pebble and small stones landing on the pavement in front of us.  He quickly slowed the car to a near stop just as a basketball-sized boulder whizzed by us.  Dad waited for the rock slide to cease before continuing.  My father's constant attention and immediate action ensured that our family safely reached our final destination.

[Prayer is a vital way to safely navigate the falling rocks of life.]  ... President Thomas S. Monson has taught:  'If any of us has been slow to hearken to the counsel to pray always, there is no finer hour to begin than now. ... A man never stands taller than when he is upon his knees."

-- Anthony D. Perkins, "Beware Concerning Yourselves", October 2012 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!