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Mile 494.  Tortoise set out on a "watch the sky illuminate" walk this morning.  This picture was taken at the halfway point near the north entrance to Confluence Park at 5:35 am.  The moon is still providing most of the light but the sky is now turning purple.  Lou loved it!

The day's walking thought was by Walter Gonzalez ...

Cheerio!

Starting.  4:49 am.

Now on Main Street.  4:52 am.

Passing the Community Center.  4:56 am.

First mile complete.  5:09 am.

Looking south at the moon.  5:09 am.

Looking ahead at mile 2.  5:28 am.

Same time and place, looking north.  Much more light this direction.

Time for a break at the comfort station.  2.75 miles.  5:42 am.

Break complete.  Signing the trailhead register.  5:47 am.

Looking ahead at mile 3.  5:52 am.

Looking back, same time and place.

It is a special place.  5k in the books.  5:54 am.

View at 4 miles.  6:12 am.

A peaceful deer getting a drink in the river.  6:14 am.

This is as close as Tortoise could get before the deer scampered off.

Starting the climb out of the park.  6:20 am.

Looking back from the top.  6:26 am.

Sun is still trying to rise.

Today's walk was 4.92 miles, done in 1:45:28 hours at an average pace of 21:26 minutes per mile. This route had an average tortoise rating of 4.0, earned by climbing 322 feet in the 1.48 mile uphill portion.  Average elevation was 3134.

Weigh-in: 224.4, a 0.2 pound decrease compared with Lou's last weigh-in on June 13. 

Here are the overall stats so far for 2016:

494.23 miles walked, compared with Lou's goal for this date of 477.71.

34,387 total feet climbed so far in 2016, compared to a year-to-date goal of 29,400.  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 58:11 minutes each.

His average pace so far in 2016 has been 17:39 minutes per mile, compared with his 18:25 minute per mile pace in 2015.

Lou has walked 351 consecutive non-Sundays since his 8 missed days May 2-11, 2015.  Overall he has walked on 454 of the 463 non-Sundays in 2015-16, a 98.056% consistency rating.

One step at a time can lead to great things!

And now for today's walking thought ...

"'Come unto me, that ye might feel and see.' (3 Nephi 18:25) This was a commandment that the Savior extended to the inhabitants of ancient America.  They felt with their hands and saw with their eyes that Jesus was the Christ.  This commandment is just as important for us today as it was for them in their day.  As we come unto Christ, we can feel and 'know of a surety' (3 Nephi 11:15) -- not with our hands and eyes but with all our heart and mind -- that Jesus is the Christ.

"One way to come unto Christ is by seeking to learn essential truths with our hearts.  As we do so, impressions that come from God will give us knowledge that we cannot get by any other means.  The Apostle Peter knew of a surety that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God.  The Savior explained that the source for Peter's knowledge was not 'flesh and blood ... but [the] Father which is in heaven.' (see Matthew 16:16-17)"

-- Walter F. Gonzalez, "Learning with Our Hearts", October 2012 LDS General Conference

The tortoise is smiling!