"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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Overcast Walk In Solana Beach

My wife and I took our son to soccer practice and then Rubio's Fiesta Salad. Next stop - the beach! We haven't yet gotten into the habit of checking the high and low tide. It was definitely high tide and the sky was gray. We walked about two-thirds as far as last week as the water was rising and crashing on the rocks, leaving us no sand to work with.

We saw half a dozen sandpipers who seemed to be a group and a little later two of them might have perceived us as following them. If they had bigger brains they might have thought, "What do these people want? We take several steps and they keep coming. We can't even be a full meal for either one of them, let alone both of them! Help!"

Marianne and I did manage to get in 2.5 miles by walking the neighborhood when we left the beach. We saw a guy with a bicycle decked out in pink "fur". Last week he was wearing a hat so we didn't notice his matching pink hair. Definitely stood out on the beach. Seemed pretty harmless.

Keep walking, everyone!

Over Two Miles Before 6 AM

Last night I did my Wednesday night tutoring at Reality Changers and I was inspired by the efforts of some of the kids I know. One guy picked up "The Dialogues of Plato" for pleasure reading! Another student has decided to take a trip with People to People's Student Ambassadors and it's exciting to see them expand their horizons. I guess my inspiration carried over to my sleep time and my brain woke up a little after 4:30 thinking about the same stuff. If you are in San Diego or the North Coast portion of San Diego County and you would like that to tutor/mentor senior high students, give me a shout.

After laying in bed for 15 minutes or so I decided to take Mellow for a walk and he was one enthusiastic retriever. We live in a pretty safe neighborhood but it's nice to have a dog with you walking that early. We walked just over two miles while I counted in my head to double check the landmarks every quarter mile. I know from walking the track at Palomar College that just under 500 of my steps is approximately a quarter mile. I got back before 5:45 and surprised my wife with mushrooms and scrambled eggs with Trader Joe's green salsa.

Last time I mentioned "that's another post" and late in the day my wife and I walked two miles at Solana Beach again. This was the same day that I had done the four miles plus earlier in the day and I was a little tired near the end. I didn't quite lift my foot high enough as we were exiting the beach and I ran into the hardest lump of seaweed I ever remember encountering. Almost broke my fourth toe on my left foot and it's a nice rainbow of purple now. That incident on what should have been the easiest walk of the day has me sort of resting my foot. I walked over a mile yesterday and it's not quite as bad today, but it's much more painful when I walk barefooted as I was on the beach. Wear shoes or watch out!

Birthday Reminder For Me

Our son turned 17 today. Wow! We watched his soccer playoff and his team is now done for the year. Disappointing, but not truly heartbreaking. One year from now he'll turn 18, and years after that he'll turn 21, then 27, 37, 47 and so on. I want to be here for all of those birthdays. Not being here, now THAT would be truly heartbreaking.

I realize that this sounds a little like a pitch for life insurance, but for me, it's the truth. I am walking more to increase my chances of being here later. Bottom line.

Yes, I feel better than I did on January 1, 2008. Yes, I have been told by people that they can see the difference. But me? I want to be here as an old, old man when my son is an old man who has kids and maybe grandkids.

What's a good reason for you to walk (or exercise)? Figure out that reason and remember it (better yet - write it down) and you will find it's easier to get started and to keep going when the going ultimately gets tough.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.