THANKSGIVING 17 MILE URBAN HIKE (DAY 115)

On my drive back from Indianapolis into Chicago I noticed a new billboard advertising the Rolling Stones tour stop at Soldier Field this summer. This gave me a destination for my Thanksgiving walk. I wanted to take a picture of myself with the billboard in the background.  All I had to do was walk approximately 8 miles to get to this spot.... My entire hike was 17 miles.

22° (DAY 103)

It is clear to me that I will not be walking every day with cold temperatures and early darkness descending upon me.  I woke up Saturday to clear skies and 22° F.  So I suited up and headed outside for a 7 mile Chicago urban hike.  It felt great... and somehow, since I was dressed properly it just did not seem so cold....

NEARLY 18 MILES (DAY 90)

I needed to pick up my daughter from her ACT testing location on Saturday. I took a rather long circuitous route to get there. 13 miles. I met my daughter after her test, and we walked home nearly 5 miles. When the day was over I had hiked nearly 18 miles.

Montrose Avenue under Lake Michigan

The walk home from the ACT testing site was a bit more direct than my walk to get there.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WEEK (DAY 89)

I returned home to Chicago late Friday afternoon.

I immediately changed clothes and took a ten mile hike.

It's been a long time since I have not walked/hiked on any given day.

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and here is one more fun fact, that I am likely the only guy in the world who cares about. When I initially made the decision to lose weight (even though I gained so much of it back before I recently lost it again) I was 309 lbs on December 24, 2014. So here is something that I can 'hang my hat on.' I am down 80 pounds from my all-time fattest. The thing is...even at 229.4 lbs I am ain't slim, in fact, if I check the charts, I am still officially obese. Damn those charts!  I feel good!

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This chart 'only' shows a loss of 53.6 lbs in the past 3 months.... That is because, I 'dipped' UP another .6 lbs from the initial weight shown here.... At my most recent fattest, I was 283.6 lbs on July 31, 2018.  On Saturday morning, today, October 27, 2018 I checked in at 229.4 lbs. I am in  a very good mood right now. I think I am going to celebrate...

...and I know just how to do that...

I am going to take a hike!

MOUNT BALDHEAD (DAY 88)

The highpoint (pun intended) of my day yesterday took place after my 5.5 mile hike at Van Buren State Park. The highpoint came when I successfully climbed the 300 steps at Mt. Baldhead in Saugatuck during an additional .75 mile hike at a second location about 20 miles north of Van Buren State Park.

Mt. Baldhead. Saugatuck, Michigan. In the first picture I am contemplating the 300 step climb. In the second picture, I am smiling having completed the 300 step climb.

Mount Baldhead, also known as Bald Head Peak, Baldhead, and Radar Hill is a summit of a hill in Allegan County, Michigan. Mount Baldhead is a hill and a sand dune, in the Sand Hills between Kalamazoo Lake and Lake Michigan. It is located northwest of Saugatuck. It has an elevation of 794 feet / 242 meters.

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35° (DAY 84)

The weather is changing... if I am going to maintain my walking schedule, I am going to get used to walking in the cold. Sunday I headed out in the 35° temperature.  I walked 13 miles.

BACK IN CHICAGO THURSDAY (DAY 74)

I have upped my calories no into the neighborhood of 1800 for the past few days.
After my rain shortened four mile walk on Wednesday I bounced back Thursday with a 10 miler.
The weather has finally changed....
Monday it was 90° and during my Chicago hike on Thursday it was 40° cooler!