Final Walking Tally

I'll be back in the New Year with more frequent posts.

I walked* 836 miles in 2009.


Keep walking!

Shop At Alternative Christmas Market

This is the second year in a row that I have shopped at the Alternative Christmas Market at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church. Actually, I should say that this is the second year that I have shopped ACM online.

You may have an Alternative Christmas Market at your church or a church near you.

The following is from Solana Beach Presbyterian's ACM website:

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For those of you who don’t know about the ACM, it’s an opportunity to buy gifts of food, shelter, medicine, water and education for needy people right here in our own neighborhoods as well as in many countries around the world. Purchase these gifts in honor of your family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues or children’s teachers and give them a beautiful Christmas card with an insert explaining the gift you gave in their honor.

Our Alternative Christmas Market (ACM) is turning 24 years old this year.

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Read more by clicking here or on the title of this post.

Below is a list of just some of the different causes to which you can make a donation. You can print out an insert to drop in a Christmas card that you give to a loved one.

I took these details from the actual online receipt less than an hour ago. If you look closely you'll see that I could have saved $3.00 by shopping "live" at our Alternative Christmas Market during recent Sundays at Solana Pres. Have you ever bought 1/2 kilo of earthworms for someone for Christmas?

I will tell you that I did purchase midwife training on behalf of the Afar, meals at Ladle Fellowship and earthworms in the Philippines as well as other worthy causes.

Who do you know that might appreciate something from the list below? (Would you?) Please take a couple minutes and look it over. You never know...

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Name of Event: Alternative Christmas Market 2009

Shipping Information: Not Applicable.

The base cost of $3.00 above is the service charge which will be added to each
order. Please enter the quantity for each item in the box. Your total will be
calculated and shown at the top of the payment page.

First Name Charles
Last Name Hicks-Moore


Afar Partnership (Ethiopia) - A Weekend Training for an Afar Midwife
Afar Partnership (Ethiopia) - A Month Supply of Sterile Blades to Cut Umbillical Cord
SBPC Creation Care - Spell & Smell for the Hamilton Children's Garden
Floresta - 10 Trees for a Family
Food Truck Ministry - One Child's Care Package
Ellie Goolkasian - 100 Cups of Milk for Migrant Kids
Ellie Goolkasian - A Pair of Shoes for an Orphan
SBPC Hispanic Ministry - One Pair of School Shoes
Ladle Fellowship - 7 Hot & Savory Meals
Marchena & Allred (Intervarsity) - Attending Leadership Conference for a Student
M.O.M Camp Pendleton - Fresh Produce for a Family
Oaxaca Partnership (Mexico) - A Breeding Pair of Rabbits
Oaxaca Partnership (Mexico) - A Brood of 10 Chickens
Presbyterian Council of Military Chaplains - One Share of "Chaplain Family Conference"
Presbyterian Council of Military Chaplains - Shipping Fee for Chaplain Devotional Materials
SBPC Reality Changers - One Share of Academic Scholarship
SBPC Reality Changers - A Forest Home Camp Scholarship
SBPC Reality Changers - A Full UCSD Academic Connections Scholarship
Greg & Kathy Saracoff (Team Tijuana) - Beans to Feed Hungry Kids
Greg & Kathy Saracoff (Team Tijuana) - 5 Dozen Eggs for Esperanza Rehab
SD Rescue Mission - A Hot Meal for 12 Homeless People
SD Rescue Mission - A Night at the Emergency Shelter for 3 Women & Children
SD Rescue Mission - A Day of Work Therapy, Recovery Class, Bible Study & Meals for 3 Homeless Men
South American Theological Seminary (Brazil) - 2 Weeks of Tuition at SATS
St. Leo's Dental Clinic - An Extraction
Farming with Natural Solutions (Philippines) - 1/2 Kilo of Earthworms or 4 Ducks
Safe Water Solutions (Gambia & Tanzania) - Training & Materials for a Village Group
Tranforming Lives Thru Micro Loans (Peru & Sri Lanka) - A Start-up Loan for a Family or Community
Tranforming Lives Thru Micro Loans (Peru & Sri Lanka) - A Small Business Expansion Loan

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Keep walking!

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To This Post

This is the time of year that @AvenueZ runs the Virtual Food Drive. I Tweeted more than a few people last year and I might have even annoyed some of them, but it was for a really good cause. This year I'm spreading out my annoyance, er, tweeting and decided to mention the Virtual Food Drive here.

As I was copying and pasting the link I noticed that Beth Ziesenis (she of Avenue Z) had posted about me donating to Ladle Fellowship. I want to take this opportunity to urge you to follow my example and donate to Ladle Fellowship or your favorite "feeding people" charity and tell the Virtual Food Drive what you've done.

Please note that this is not about boasting, but about shining a light on what is possible when we give. My hope and I'm sure that Beth shares this hope is that by seeing what and where people are donating that you readers will donate and/or share the idea with others.

I've included a re-tweet from me and another from Global Patriot that you can send out via Twitter. The first one sends you here to read about this. (For you physics enthusiasts - I do like infinite regression!) Hopefully, following that won't send anyone back in time! Global Patriot's tweet actually sends you to Beth's page where she mentions my donation. Your choice.

Clear as mud? Then just click on the title of this post!

By the way, I don't think I'm actually the Twitter King. Maybe something more like King Ralph, but a little more grey matter! Did I say that out loud?!

At the very bottom of this post is what I've copied and pasted from AvenueZFoodDrive.com.

Keep walking & Merry Christmas & Happy Hannukah, etc..!

RT Virtual Food Drive! @BigManWalking http://tinyurl.com/BMW3030 -Give where U live then register UR pledge! #09VFD

@GlobalPatriot
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RT @AvenueZ: Virtual Food Drive Donor Spotlight: @BigManWalking http://bit.ly/93eJkC - Give where you live then register your pledge! #09VFD
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The Twitter King @BigManWalking helped get the Virtual Food Drive off the ground last year, and he’s back with another generous donation (50 pounds) for the Ladle Fellowship. His blog is always worth reading….

Thanks again, Charlie!

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Things I Learned (TIL) A Year Ago This Week

Last year at this time I was in the middle of a cleanse - Jordan Rubin's Perfect Weight America or Maker's Diet cleanse. I had good success and felt great and in the past year I've found out how you can put the weight back on!

In order to not get discouraged I think it's important to ask yourself what you've learned from your experiences over the past year. For me, I recognize that getting back to a healthy weight means both exercise and a more disciplined approach to what I put in my body.

Keeping things in perspective is very important, too. Last night with Reality Changers I was really moved by the true stories of their lives that the students shared. I have never had to live in a car even one night, let alone for years. I have never had someone pressuring me to join a gang over and over for years. I have never had to take over a house cleaning job while I went to school because my mom had a stroke. All these scenarios are realities that these Reality Changers students are overcoming.

I can overcome, too. Dropping some weight I can do once again. I've done it before and this time I can keep it off.

Keep walking!

Speaking And More Speaking

What a great night!

I arrived 40 minutes early to start teaching some Reality Changers how to be more comfortable with public speaking and the students in attendance dove right in or should I say, stood right up! Hopefully some or all will go on to the Lion's Club speaking contest in the New Year.

The Reality Changers speech contest night was the best I've ever seen. The seniors had some of the most moving and inspirational true stories to share of their trials and tribulations and triumphs. They have really overcome some huge hurdles to get to where they are and now colleges and universities are just around the next bend in the road for them.

Compared to what they are doing and have already done, exercise is snap!

Keep walking!

Waking Up At Old California Coffee House

During the last 6 months or so I have become a regular at The Old California Coffee House in San Marcos. I do something most days that you can do, too. I walk 1/4 mile in the parking lot while my coffee is being made. This morning it was a nippy 46 degrees. Even if your beverage doesn't take as long to make as my organic Bolivian, you should find that your coffee is still hot when you get done.

Remember, an extra 1/4 mile a day year round means losing approximately three pounds a year. Usually it takes less than 5 minutes! Not much, but that's 30 pounds over ten years or 60 pounds in 20 years! How many people have gained about three pounds a year since high school?

If you are in the area, I highly recommend visiting The Old California Coffee House. Ask for Noelle and tell them BigManWalking (or Charlie) sent you.

I have walked* 764.25 miles in 2009.

Keep walking!

Reality Changers At Ladle Fellowship

Yesterday I joined Reality Changers as they joined Solana Beach Presbyterian Church's youth on a trip to Ladle Fellowship at First Presbyterian Church in San Diego. I urge you to find a way to serve at Ladle Fellowship at least one time. If you can't serve at Ladle Fellowship, there is probably a group that feeds the homeless in your area. Don't wait like me. I realized that the last time I had been to Ladle Fellowship was probably 1989 - 20 years ago! Our son is now in college and that was before he was born. WOW!

Stew Montgomery led our group and drove the "party bus" down to First Pres. Thanks, Stew! Last Sunday I searched on Twitter for Ladle Fellowship. I thought I could visit as my wife was in the desert for her "Teacher's Away Mission"(nod to Stargate SG-1) with several women from work. I found HEADSPARKS* had tweeted about his impending trip to Ladle Fellowship and asked about it. He said that you had to ask in advance for permission to come so I figured I would do it in the near future. Last Wednesday night I was at Reality Changers and they were making plans to volunteer at two different events on the weekend. They said they were going to feed the homeless on Sunday and since my wife would be visiting family I decided to go if my schedule was open. It was and I did. I'm really glad I did, too.

I chose to serve as a line monitor. I like to talk to people and I definitely did some of that. I met a young man named Reiner who is part of Solana Beach Pres.'s youth group. He took the end of the line and I was at the front. The people we were helping were in line for clothing and stuff like sunscreen or shavers and the like. As he and I were talking briefly about musical styles we liked, I mentioned that although I only liked a little bit of country (like Johnny Cash), I had heard of what many consider to be the #1 country song of all time, "He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones. One Saturday afternoon I was missing my dad, who was a country music fan, and flipped through the channels and found the end of the countdown on the country music channel. I listened to the words of this song for the very first time and realized that it was really moving. I can get choked up just by telling people about it. Because I actually listened to the lyrics I realized that this was about a guy who loved a woman for his entire life, even after they were divorced. The real grabber is that you realize that the reason the songwriter says that "he stopped loving her today" is because this is the day of his burial. Oh. My. My.

As I was relating this to Reiner a lady in a wheelchair started to tell me about how painfully aware she was of the meaning of the "he stopped loving her today". As we talked I found out that her name is Deborah and her husband James passed away a few months ago. She can no longer stay in the house where they lived (I assume they were renting) and now she's not only in a wheelchair, but she is homeless and a widow. She and I talked on and off while I kept an eye on the line. Because she was in a wheelchair, she couldn't fit in the line. Ladle Fellowship has come up with rules for all kinds of contingencies as they've been doing this since 1983. In the case of someone who can't sit in the chairs that constitute the line, they had me give a piece of paper with a number on it to the last person in line at the time that someone in a wheelchair showed up. There's a twin to that piece of paper with the same number on it that I give to the person who can't fit in the line. That way, everyone seems to understand that they are being treated fairly and the person in the wheelchair isn't perceived as cutting into line.

After Deborah reached the front of the line, she and a friend made their way to the food which was reaching the end of its line and there wasn't as much selection at that point, but at least they got some soup and bread. She said it was more important for her to get the clothing than the food on this particular day. When all the volunteers were cleaning up there came a point when Deborah and her friend were done eating and she waved goodbye. We had talked about more than I have shared here and I feel like I know just a little bit more about her than I do most of the people who came to get fed yesterday. I expect that I'll have mixed feelings if she's there again the next time I visit Ladle Fellowship. I suppose that's even more true if she's not there next time I go.

Of course, our line for clothing was just one thing going on yesterday. The main reason people come is for the food. You can click here or on the title of this post to visit Ladle Fellowship's website and find out more.

For those of you who pray, please pray for Deborah and all who served or were being served at Ladle Fellowship.

Keep walking!


He Stopped Loving Her Today Lyrics Search

"Ralph Rubio Is Coming!"

Tonight, as on most Wednesday nights, I go to Solana Beach for Reality Changers, where high school students are preparing to be the first generation in their family to get a college degree. We have a group lesson, share a meal, and then most adults are teamed with one or two students as their tutor/mentor right after we have a speaker. This is the night that Ralph Rubio, founder of Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, is the guest speaker! Very Cool! Thanks, Ralph!

In addition, Sydney, manager of the Carlsbad Rubio's listed below, is providing free meals for 50 people! And, in the new year we'll have a Reality Changers night at her Rubio's that will benefit the Reality Changers program. I hope you'll join us and enjoy some yummy Rubio's food. I regularly enjoy the Fiesta Chicken Salad which is great even if you're doing a high protein/low carb regimen.

If you would like to serve as a tutor/mentor, check out the Reality Changers website. Click on the title of this post to see directions to Palomar Airport Road Rubio's (Gateway Road Rubio's).

CARLSBAD - Palomar Airport Road & El Fuerte
2675 Gateway Road
Carlsbad, CA 92010

Keep walking!

"Keep Walking On Your Mind"

Whether or not you schedule in time to walk, I strongly suggest that you give walking "space in your head" or what is called mindshare. Below are two definitions from Dictionary.com.

mindshare

the amount of attention required by something, the time spent thinking about something

mindshare

the development of consumer awareness about a specific product or brand in hopes that they will buy the product or brand

One strategy for giving walking mindshare is putting stuff related to walking in your head. One strategy for doing just that is videos. Here's a link to The Police video Walking On The Moon.

Today I weighed 271 lbs.


I have walked* 711 miles in 2009.


Keep walking!

"Walking Improves Your Bones"

Looks like a good time to get back to basics. I ran across this information at Tone Your Bones. Take a peek.

Also, I started a new blog about investing in people and getting a good return. Click on the title of this post to visit 550 Plus 50!

Keep walking!

"Time For A Quick Walk"

I put in a call to a friend earlier. Now it's time to walk with or without him. Even a little bit at a time adds up to real mileage. You can do it.

Keep walking!

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P.S. I was blown away how fast Doracy's loan on Kiva.org funded within the next week after I kicked in my 25 bucks. Check out the previous post by clicking here.

"Kiva.org Microloans Help!"

Can You Suggest Ways I Can Make Posts About Kiva.org Consistent With The BigManWalking Theme?"

I just had to get back on the blog, so...

Quick Update - I have walked 1 mile so far today.

Yesterday I weighed in at 270 lbs.

I started on high protein/low carb regimen.

Today I weighed 268 lbs.

I have walked* 633.75 miles in 2009.

Read about Kiva.org and how you or someone you know can help! You can view Doracy's profile by clicking below or on the title of this post:

Doracy - the person I helped today

Below is the email the website would send out. Let me know if you would like a reminder sent to you!

Keep walking!

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Hi!

I just made a loan to someone in United States using a revolutionary new website called Kiva (www.kiva.org).

You can go to Kiva's website and lend to someone across the globe who needs a loan for their business - like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent - and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going.

The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back - and Kiva's loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Doracy in United States. They still need another $2,875.00 to complete their loan request of $4,325.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this entrepreneur off the ground by clicking on the link below to make a loan to Doracy too:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=142773

It's finally easy to actually do something about poverty - using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they're using it for. And most of all, I know that I'm helping them build a
sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

Join me in changing the world - one loan at a time.

Thanks!

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What others are saying about www.Kiva.org:

'Revolutionising how donors and lenders in the US are connecting with small entrepreneurs in developing countries.'
-- BBC

'If you've got 25 bucks, a PC and a PayPal account, you've now got the wherewithal to be an international financier.'
-- CNN Money

'Smaller investors can make loans of as little as $25 to specific individual entrepreneurs through a service launched last fall by Kiva.org.'
-- The Wall Street Journal

'An inexpensive feel-good investment opportunity...All loaned funds go directly to the applicants, and most loans are repaid in full.'
-- Entrepreneur Magazine

Las Vegas

Marianne and I are in Las Vegas at a Starbucks on Tropicana Boulevard because the internet at Emerald Suites Cameron doesn't seem to be working. We got a deal throught Priceline.com and it's nice for $49 a night - just like a little apartment across from The Orleans. Someone told me that their 1-3 No Limit Holdem game in the afternoon is the toughest in the world. I won $99 while relaxing the other day. Who knew?

It remains to be seen whether or not I will play in the World Series of Poker Main Event even though I won a satellite tournament earlier in the week. (It's complicated and I expect that most would be bored by those details.) I have walked 8.5 miles since I've been here which is easy to do in the casinos and much less so out in the heat. I can't believe my wife and I are in Las Vegas for the 4th of July!

More details soon...

Keep walking!

Friends Help

About an hour ago I got off the phone with my Wednesday 9am Warrior Group. We met at a James Ray seminar a month ago and we check in with each other every week in order to keep on track with our goals, stay positive and encourage one another. Because I have been focusing so much on my son's graduation, the graduations of friends' children (who are young adults now!) and the changes at this time in our lives (as well as attempting to win a seat in the World Series of Poker), I have not been walking as much as I have been in the past. I'm changing that. Today.

This morning Mayra, Donnie, Critter, Kevin and I were together again on the phone and as we were saying goodbye I promised to walk a mile right after the phone call. I did and just got back a few minutes ago. I took the dog and killed two birds with one stone. Because I had a little extra time I took Mellow across the street to play with a dog who was there fetching a ball. Her name was Maddie and I got to know her owner, Brad, a little bit. He and his wife are new arrivals in the neighborhood. I recommended Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad somewhere in our conversation about graduation and jobs and the world economy and having more than one stream of income. He said he'd check it out. Because I ventured out into the world I was able to meet and connect with someone new and have a little unhurried time. There are more reasons than exercise to take a walk. For those of you concerned about productivity, I also listened to a message on my mobile phone and rescheduled an appointment with Michael Tarighati, my dentist.

A friend of mine has figured out that he likes some of what he calls "adhoc time". He likes having time where not everything is scheduled. He has also figured out that he can't have all his time be adhoc time if he wants to continue making money at his job! His solution is to schedule in his adhoc or free, unstructured time. Sounds like a good solution. What do you think?


I have walked 297.25 miles in 2009.

Hippy Dippy Do At Peet's

This morning I walked 2.5 miles before 9:30 at Peet's Coffee. I had my Ipod Nano that my sweet wife got me for my 46th birthday and had a great time listening to Rocket From The Crypt's Hippy Dippy Do and The Smithereen's outstanding version of I Saw Her Standing There, among others.

I was inspired as my blood got pumping. I googled this saying, so you can say you "heard" it here first:

Why MARCH to the beat of a different drummer when you can skip?

Or Walk? Or Run? Or Rock?

I'm sure there's a bunch of them!


Keep walking!


Walking directions from Palomar Airport Road & Melrose Drive in Carlsbad, CA are below.

Walking directions to Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc
(760) 448-1835
0.8 mi – about 16 mins

Palomar Airport Rd & Melrose Dr, Carlsbad, San Diego, California 92009

1. Head west on Palomar Airport Rd toward Melrose Dr
0.4 mi

2. Turn left at El Fuerte St
0.1 mi

3. Turn right at Gateway Rd
0.2 mi

Peet's Coffee & Tea Inc
2641 Gateway Rd
Carlsbad, CA 92009

Relay For Life

Marianne and I are just about to leave for the Relay For Life. We will walk for two hours to help fight cancer at Cal State San Marcos. You can read more or donate by clicking here. Have a great rest of the weekend!


Keep walking!

Phone Order & Walking

I had a phone appointment at 8:30 this morning with Stacey Smith-Bacon and we called Waiora and ordered my product. I'll let you know when the shipment comes in. Stacey and I have known each other for several years in our local Toastmasters group, Expressions Unlimited, and I'm glad we can finally connect as a business team. We are both past presidents of our Toastmasters club and know each other better than most people you meet in a social setting. I consider Stacey my friend and so when she told me about Waiora I was ready to listen, though I have seen my share of home-based business opportunities. For me, this is good timing as I'm ready to use Natural Cellular Defense to reduce heavy metals in my body.

In recent years I've been reading more about prevention when it comes to cleaning up the environment and our bodies. However, I seem to have missed out on how to do a more effective job cleaning out what is already in my body. Yes, I have done Jordan Rubin's cleanse twice in the last year, but I was not aware that there was a more complete way to clean your body. Also, I'm not sure how many people are ready to do a 10 day cleanse. Are you?

Stacey and I will continue to learn more about this process and I'll keep you updated. There are different strategies for achieving better health. This one makes sense to me and I'm glad I'll be able to do a better job at something I had overlooked previously. Watch and learn here:

http://tinyurl.com/BigManWalkingWaiora

Those of you who have been reading my blog have noticed that I haven't been posting as much lately. I haven't been walking as much until the last few days, but I'm back on the wagon! I walked a quick mile after getting off the phone with Stacey and tomorrow my wife, Marianne and I will be walking a couple hours for charity.

Recently decided that nearly every time I go out for a quick walk, I will be walking at least 1/2 mile. Yesterday I did three miles more than I would have done by walking a half mile 6 times when I had 10 minutes or so to spare. My goal is to beat that today.

Keep walking!

Stacey Will Call Soon!

I'm excited about a new opportunity to increase my health and fatten my wallet. My Toastmaster friend Stacey just got me involved in Waiora and I'm looking forward to getting bad stuff out of my body. We will all benefit by getting heavy metals out of our bodies. Check out this link!

http://tinyurl.com/BigManWalkingWaiora

More soon!

Keep walking!

Still No Foolin' While Walkin'

Last night my wife, Marianne, told me that her grandparents used to do gentle April Fool's humor all day long to each other. One of them might stand in the doorway looking out at the front yard and say something like, "Come look at the kitty." The other grandparent would come and see nothing in the yard and hear, "April Fool's!" I hope that if you like April fool's jokes you'll see possibilities for gentler humor.

My wife's grandparents lived into their 90's (up above Mission Valley in San Diego) and her grandfather was still chopping wood at 95. They took walks regularly as long as they felt they were able.

All who can walk can benefit from walking. I've been walking more regularly for over a year and I've had ups and downs with regard to how much walking I'm doing at a particular time. My sweet wife got me an Ipod Nano for my birthday and today I'm shopping for another pedometer. I know a pedometer helps motivate me. Will a pedometer help motivate you? Will an Ipod make the walk more interesting for you? What does it take for you to be consistently walking?

For those with Ipods and similar technology I will start giving you suggestions about what you can put in/on them. You may like what I do or maybe not, but like the saying goes, "I don't know art, but I know what I like." Just so you know, I do have an affinity for what "they" call "alternative", but I am definitely not limited to that. Below are my first suggestions. I don't claim they're new, but some of them are free. Marc Seales is good for your cool down after exercise. Let it grow on you. Look for the BigManWalking FAVORITE OF THE DAY and give 'em all a listen!

Is It True - The Pillcrushers

Highway Blues - Marc Seales (JAZZ)

I Saw Her Standing There - The Smithereens (MySpace page)

Jesus Was a Motorcycle Man - Jeff Finlin (Official Site)


BigManWalking FAVORITE OF THE DAY

It Was a Better Time - The Hermit

BigManWalking rates It Was a Better Time a 91!

I rate on a scale of 1 to 100 (like RottenTomatoes.com uses for movies, er...excuse me...CINEMA!) and I consider all recommendations at least 65 or above. Clearly, these are my opinions and you may not agree, but it gives you a point of reference.

I hope you enjoy at least one of these tracks and I hope that they keep you moving/exercising.

Keep walking!

No Foolin'

Tomorrow is April 1st. I'll be making some changes in my blog, BigManWalking.

Watch for the changes!

No foolin'!

Keep walking.

Fundamentals

In sports you will sometimes see a coach or a team emphasizing fundamentals. In baseball or basketball or football you will see drills of the same exercise over and over and over. Blocking, fielding ground balls, free throws, and many other exercises constitute the fundamentals of the respective games. With walking I would say that it's walking short distances. You must be able to walk short distances before you can walk long ones.

Today I'm going to start emphasizing the fundamentals (as I see them) again. Please keep in mind that I don't have any problem with walking to the point that you are receiving aerobic benefits. However, if you only count walking distance when you get aerobic benefits, you will miss counting actual work that your body is doing. Every step you take is work that burns calories or fractions of a calorie. You could say that taking one step is a fundamental of walking. For our purposes, I suggest that we keep track of quarter miles (or even eighths of a mile if you prefer) or more.

I know that approximately 500 of my steps is a quarter mile. I'm 6'2" with long legs which are normal for my size. You will probably have between 480 and 680 steps in your quarter mile. You can visit the track at a nearby school to get a close measurement. You can count your steps or get a pedometer. I recommend the Sportline that costs around $10 or so. My last one wore out because I forgot when I was in the Bahamas and went in the water with it. Otherwise I would still be using it. They don't last forever, but so far they are the best deal for the dollar I've found.

How many quarter miles can you do in a day? I just walked my dog a quarter mile and that took 7 minutes. I know you can take 7 minutes and do a quarter mile. How about 5 times a day? 10 times a day? 15? I also know that without the dog I can do a quarter mile in 4 to 5 minutes. Keep watching BigManWalking and...


Keep walking!


I have walked 133.25 miles in 2009.

Recovery.Gov

I want everyone to know about http://www.recovery.gov so as many people as possible view what the United States government is doing with the money we put into it. In fairness, some would say that we are watching what is being done with the money that our children and grandchildren will put into it, but that remains to be seen. President Clinton produced surpluses during his administration and it's possible that President Obama and future presidents will do the same by the END (when all is said and done) of their tenure. Some people assume that when the government spends money, it all goes down a hole. If we are rational (Yes, I understand that that word is my judgement, but let us agree that being rational about politics and finances is a good goal.) about examining what happens to the money that the U.S. government spends, we can follow the trail and see if what we are doing is actually stimulative. That is, now that President Obama and his team have VOLUNTARILY created RECOVERY.GOV we can visit the site and see how our money is spent.

Some are not rational about this. They simply say that government spending is bad or more to the point, they don't want the U.S. government to take money from us in order to spend. They're like young school children who simply repeat what they are taught. (Did you know very young kids can be taught to do Calculus? They won't necessarily understand what they are doing, but they can be taught to do it.) It's fair to say that all human beings are fallible and that with human beings involved in government, mistakes will be made. But that is no different than you and me in nongovernmental activities every day. And, with a government large enough there will almost inevitably be corruption somewhere among those millions of people in government and doing business with the government. However, every day on TV or the net or other media I see and hear about people who are NOT involved in government who are committing crimes and that includes the crime of corruption.

Yet there will be successes. Let's look to praise the successes and correct the mistakes. Let's not expect the government to do nothing except tax cuts. I want better transportation systems and adequate police and fire resources and head start and better public education for kids and advanced education for those who take that path. I want better doctors than the one who squeezed my son's hand and knocked him out from the pain and sent him into an apparent seizure when he had never had one before. People who expect the government to do nothing (or to hardly exist, if at all) are building a (what's the opposite of spectacular?) fantasy world that they apparently want to live in. I think what they're doing is not helpful to their psychological well-being, too, and I guess in the United States of America that is their choice. But I sure don't want them to force me to live in their fantasy world which is really a nightmare for the poor and even lower-middle class. It's a pretty hard slog for the plain old middle class, too.

Hurray for Recovery.gov!

Now back to your regularly scheduled messages...


Keep walking!

A Quick Ten Furlongs Before Breakfast

My wife and I like to go out for coffee sometimes on Saturday morning. (Actually, I have tea a lot of the time.) This morning when we got back from our time spent reading the paper and sharing a hot beverage I decided to walk the dog before I went into the house. This is a good strategy for getting more walking in. Mellow and I did a mile and a quarter (ten furlongs) before breakfast. How many times can you do that in a year? Even three times a week means 52 times 3 times 1.25 miles and that's 195 miles extra a year. That is...do whatever you're doing PLUS walk 1.25 miles three times a week and you will have walked an EXTRA 195 miles a year. You'll feel better and you will weigh more than five and a half pounds less than you do now. Six times a week (it only took me a little over 20 minutes) and you'll weigh 11 pounds less than you do. IF you changed NOTHING else! If you added in a better diet/regimen/life plan/discipline (whatever you call it) you can lose even more. Over 5 years that's 55 pounds of weight loss. Think about it.

Walk always.

Keep walking.

You Can Start Over Anytime

Today is Super Bowl Sunday and we're not avoiding the guacamole and chips and pizza. Tomorrow will be a new day and a new start to the year for me. Marianne and I will go to the gym. When you fall off, you have to get back on and that's what we're doing tomorrow. Do you have goals or a New Year's resolution that's off track? Start again. It's ok. If you need an excuse, then start again on Groundhog Day. If you need permission, tell them Charlie said you could start over. Forgiveness. Grace. Look it up. It's real if you accept it.

I have walked 122.5 miles in 2009. Keep walking!

A Funny Thing Happened After Three Miles

Yesterday we got a brand new President, Barack Obama. Did you know you can use lots of occasions to make a new start or start a new habit? For me, it helps to have some familiarity with the new habit and since I've been walking more intentionally for a year and blogging about it, walking early in the day is now like an old friend with lessons to teach me. As I said, yesterday we got a brand new President. Today is his first full day in office. Using that new beginning as my inspiration, I decided to start something new. I'm walking early and this morning my dog and I walked nearly 3.5 miles before 6:15 a.m. and then I came back and checked my online networking while I ate a nice breakfast my wonderful wife made.

On Facebook I noticed that Mark Labberton had accepted my connection. He is a man of faith and he writes about it and speaks about it. I Googled him and found a recent post I urge you to check out - The Lima Bean Gospel. Even if you are a critic of the church you will find some agreement there. He says some things that should light a fire under those who follow Jesus and maybe give some verbal ammunition to critics of the church.

Keep walking!


I have walked 93 miles in 2009.

Sometimes You Just Gotta Walk

Here's a little bit of an update:

I did gain weight in The Bahamas. I want to stress that the walking was effective. I'm sure I gained a pound or so LESS because of all the walking. For you skeptics, that's just the way it works. Your body does physical work and it burns calories. There is no magic (except in romance). I DECIDED that I was going to eat basically what I wanted after a couple days at Atlantis. I had never been east of Florida before and I was not going to miss out. I chose to eat more and a wider variety, knowing the consequences. I had already done a little of that New Year's eve.

Regular readers may recall that earlier on New Year's eve I weighed myself and that final weigh-in for 2008 was 112.2 kilos. I started the year at 123.2 kilos and that difference of 11 kilos means that I lost 24.2 pounds. Some (females, especially) are amazed how much weight a man can gain in a short period of time. If you're really curious, email me. I am back to "being good" with what I eat and this morning I weighed in at 113.7 kilos. That is down from our arrival home Sunday night.

New readers may actually wonder, "What are you telling us all this stuff? Do you just like to hear yourself speak(/write)?" [ Let me think...MAYbe...I did once tell a mentor that I treasure my own company! ;-) ] My hope is that by seeing what is actually going on with a real person you can be encouraged that YOU can do it, too. No matter what it is for you, you can do it. (And, for 90%+ of us, walking is something we can do and it helps our bones and our brains!) Weeks or months or years from now you can revisit my blog and as long as I'm alive and coherent (some already see this as iffy) enough to post, you will see me making progress. I know you can do it. I'm DOING it in my life right now!

I want to acknowledge our creator here. (If you don't believe, you obviously have the choice to skip ahead, but please don't stop reading this blog entirely. People who care about you want you to reach your goals and be around when you're old to do things like bounce your grandniece on your knee or teach her math and science or read Where The Wild Things Are to your grandson.) In 2007 I wanted to lose weight and I barely achieved that goal. I lost 1 pound in 2007. On December 31, 2007 I asked God for help in losing weight and getting in better shape and in 2008 I lost 24.2 pounds. (Thank you.) I also want to thank you who are reading my blog. Knowing that you're out there (especially when you comment!) means that there are some people to whom I'm accountable. That helps me and it can help you, too.

Right now I'm going to do it - some walking - because no matter what else is going on, sometimes you just have to close your mouth and stop what you're doing and saying and get out there AND DO IT! And my loyal dog, Mellow, will be a little happier. Somebody said, "Just Do It!" That's what I'm going to do. Right now.


Keep walking!

On Networking Discoveries

If you're on Twitter, get on Facebook and vice-versa. Once you're on Twitter, you can use Tweetworks. If you have a blog, all the better. I'm telling you - I'm really figuring this stuff out. Of course, you have to remember to take a break and take a walk.

Keep walking!

Thanks, AAA!

Just got off the phone with AAA, the Automobile Club of Southern California, and the call took less than four minutes. Cedar Towing should be at our house in less than 30 minutes. (If you don't have Triple A, you should. There aren't many actual shoulds in life, but it's one of them.) I guess I really am back in the real world! I'm grateful that this didn't happen to our son while we were in The Bahamas.

Keep walking!

Walk While You Can

Some of us remember high school and Bartlett's Familiar Quotations and that's where I went to see about walking quotes.



Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you.


Jesus (John 12:35b)

Twitter quote 121 http://tinyurl.com/BMW777195 at Bartleby.com

Getting Back Into The Swing

My wife, Marianne, and I arrived back home from The Bahamas late Sunday night and I'm finally feeling relatively normal. Yesterday I was feeling the after-vibe of Paradise Island and I turned off the radio and was singing in my car as I drove to pick up Mellow, our dog. A few hours later the tiredness hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks and it was a chore to visit Trader Joe's last night.

Following an email notification from my brother-in-law as well as a high school friend, I finally started to connect with some people on Facebook, so now you can find me there, too.

I have walked 72 miles in 2009.

Coming Home Tomorrow

We have definitely had some big fun here in The Bahamas at Paradise Island this week and, after discovering The Marketplace buffet on Thursday we have eaten there four times. More walking and pictures are in store for today. We heard from family that our son is doing ok, though we heard he's been sick. It would be nice to hear from the horse's mouth, but...

So far I have walked 62.5 miles in 2009. Atlantis, Paradise Island is one heck of a place to take a walk.


Keep walking!

More Fun In The Sun

Today we found a place called The Cove here at Atlantis, Paradise Island. What a beautiful pool! There were beds as well as lawn chairs there and four beds in the middle of the pool. Lots of dance music, swimming, and generally laying in the sun and then back to our room to freshen up. Only after we left did we find out that we were not technically supposed to be there because we stay at the Coral Tower. We also tried out the water slides fairly early before the crowds got there and they are a blast. I haven't gone on the scariest one yet. We have gotten a little bumped and bruised on the slides and the rapids. Nothing serious, but you really have to pay attention. I'm not 100% sure they would have these in the U.S. without some restrictions making them safer. I haven't heard of anyone getting hurt seriously, but you really do have to be awake. I wouldn't go on these if I had had any alcohol. Still, if I could afford it, I would want to take all my family and a few friends here next year.

So far in 2009 I have walked 58.5 miles and what an incredible place to take a walk!

Keep walking!

Boromir Is Dead

Yesterday the Orc hunt did not go so well. We lost Boromir, yet we will live to fight another day. I did not last in my second day of the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure when I got a set of threes beaten by a flush on the last card. For those of you who are poker novices, a set of threes means three threes with two in your hand and one among the common cards.

I have walked 50.5 miles so far in 2009. The Bahamas is incredible. When I lost yesterday I was in shock for a little while, but this place is a wonderful place to regain that step in your stride. I've also been reading a book by Tony Campolo and both of those things combined have me back to 99%. (This is the biggest tournament I've ever played in as well as this vacation being the grandest prize I've ever won.) If you come to The Bahamas, you must stay at Atlantis and eat at The Marketplace buffet. We may not eat again today and for The Bahamas, that place is a great deal.

Beautiful Wednesday In The Bahamas

So far in 2009 I have walked 38 miles - most of it in the beautiful Bahamas. We had great food this morning in Murray's Deli and in less than an hour and a half I will start Day 2 of the poker tournament. Every day I've awakened singing a different song. First it was Bob Marley's Three Little Birds and then ABBA's Dancing Queen and this morning The Cars' Dangerous Type. I'm picturing myself as Aragorn hunting Orcs this morning. Here's hoping!

Keep walking!

Bahamas Update

Yesterday I started the Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure tournament at noon and survived the first day. We started with 20,000 in chips each and, unfortunately, I am down to 14,800 while nearly all of my opponents will have multiples of that when we start again on Wednesday. The tournament is so big that there are two "first" days and we are combined on Wednesday. Late in the day I was moved from my first table to one where Tom McEvoy was on my immediate left. If you Google him you will find that he has extensive poker experience. I have one of the tournament books that he co-wrote with me here in the Bahamas! The good news is that I have today off to rest after finishing after 1:00 a.m. last night.

At this morning's buffet I finally gave in and have more carbohydrates than I've had for a while. I realized that I failed to mention that I ended the year at 112.2 kilos which means I lost 24.2 pounds in 2008. I'll share more about that later as my time on this computer is running out. I have walked 33.5 miles so far in 2009.

Keep walking!

Tournament Starts In Less Than Half An Hour

My wife and I have enjoyed a few days of really nice weather in the Bahamas and we've walked more than we probably would have at home in early January. This morning we had a nice "American" breakfast at Murray's Deli and now we're back at the library. I am ready to go for the tournament and will head over there as soon as this posts. I've walked 26 miles so far in 2009. Blessings to you.

Keep walking!

15 Minutes In The Bahamas

There's not much computer time available here because we share with all the guests. If I had realized that, I would have brought my laptop! Last night we recovered sleep time after falling asleep to the Chargers overtime win. This is day 2 here for Marianne and me and we have been walking. My total for the 2009 is now 21 miles. And, yes, the food is good AND expensive.

Keep walking!

We're Leaving Imminently

My brother should be here to pick us up in less than 20 minutes. For those who might have been wondering, yes, I am still walking and so far I'm a little behind for 2009. I have walked 5.75 miles as of about 1:30 p.m. January 2. I expect that moving through the airports will catch me up to my expected above 5 miles a day average. Gotta go! Next post will hopefully be from the Bahamas.

Keep walking!

Happy New Year!

We had a great time with family last night and I took my nephews to the bookstore today. I told them getting a book was a great way to start off the new year. I'm amazed that it's 2009 and told them for someone who remembers 1976, our bicentennial, it's even more amazing.

My wife, son and I got home this afternoon and found that our neighbors think a water leak is coming from our place and I've been running around getting ready for the trip to the Bahamas tomorrow. We didn't really anticipate challenges with tasks like doing laundry right before departure. Thankfully a friend of mine and I came to an accomodation with him taking our dog to the boarding place tomorrow. If I win this tournament, he'll be amply rewarded. My goal is to blog every day while I'm away and fill in the readers of Big Man Walking. We shall see. Time to get back to the last minute preparations/complications. Honey's home and we're going to talk with the neighbors who got home, too.

Keep walking!