THE STREETS ARE PAVED WITH GOLD

Today's question: Have you ever heard that in America that 'the streets are paved with gold'?  Now as everyone knows this is not quite true. Most streets are paved, but that sticky tar that practically melts in the hot summer sun is hardly golden. But there is gold in them thar streets. Apparently there is a lot of loose change just waiting to be discovered.  I have decided to stop and pick up every coin I see, even pennies, just to keep a running accounting of how much money is just lying around in the hot sun.

During a walk in Janesville on July 12th, I found one quarter.
Three days ago in Dayton, July 20th, I found 22 coins.  two dimes and ten pennies.
Two days ago I
 found one penny.
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I guess if I walk enough places, and walk far enough, I will find enough money to finance some new sneakers. What a great hobby I have - it's a hobby that pays for itself.  There are a lot of roads in America - It makes me think about the unknowable.  I wonder how many millions of dollars in coins are currently just lying around on our streets. Maybe our streets really are paved with gold after all.

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This was lifted directly from wikipedia
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"London streets are paved with gold" is a saying that came from the 19th century story of Dick Whittington and his cat, loosely based on the 14th century Lord Mayor of London, Richard Whittington. The saying, which expresses the idea of a "land of opportunity", is partly ironic, since Dick Whittington found when he went to London that the streets were in fact grimy and poverty stricken. The second irony was that with persistence, belief, and luck, Whittington was able to become successful.

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from an anonymous 1900's immigrant:

I came to America because I heard that streets here were paved with gold. When I came I learned three things:
first: streets in America are not paved with gold;
second: streets in America are not paved at all;
third: I am expected to pave them.

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SATURDAY IS THE DAY I STEP ONTO MY SCALE.
This morning I checked in at 227.2 lbs.
Down another pound from last week.
Lots of progress from my 'disastrous' weight of 241.9 lbs on May 7 (In fact, May 7 was eight days after my hernia surgery when I had just completed the most inactive week of my life)

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, July 22, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Smucker's - Concord Grape - Jelly, 1.5 Tbsp. (20g)	75	20	0	0	8	18
Gordon Food Service - Peanut Butter, 1.5 oz	260	10	22	10	200	4
Hostess - Classic Wheat Bread, 4 Slices	280	54	3	10	580	10
Thomas' - Cinnamon Raisin Bread, 2 slice	160	32	2	4	250	14
Raisin Bran - Post, 1 Cup	190	47	1	5	230	19
	965	163	28	29	1,268	65
L U N C H
Bento Sushi - Spicy California Roll	680	128	14	14	2,380	32
	680	128	14	14	2,380	32
D I N N E R
Subway - Footlong Turkey Breast on Wheat	560	92	17	36	1,890	11
Kellog's Special K - Protein Meal Bar, Chocolate	170	24	5	10	170	15
	730	116	22	46	2,060	26
S N A C K S
Organic - Milk Chocolate Toffee Bar	500	52	27	7	68	43
	500	52	27	7	68	43
Totals	2,875	459	91	96	5,776	166
Your Daily Goal	3,076	384	102	154	2,300	115
Remaining	201	-75	11	58	-3,476	-51
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 1,146 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 214 lbs in 5 weeks.

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, July 22, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
MATRIX TREADMILL	97	1,235
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-89
Daily Total / Goal	98 / 30	1,146 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	909 / 210	6,477 / 4,130

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Friday was about as inactive a day as a human being can have that is not hospitalized.  By the time I returned from Cincinnati at 9:45PM, my step count was closer to zero than 10,000. I had spent the entire day with a customer from 9:30AM until around 4:30PM, and then drove home for five hours. As soon as I arrived at home, without wasting any time, I quickly changed into my workout clothes and hopped onto my elliptical machine.  I successfully went over 10,000 steps by the time midnight had struck.

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07122016 ICE AGE TRAIL 25 CENTS
07202016 DAYTON TWO DIMES, TEN PENNIES
07212016 Cincinnati, one penny

MARATHON MAN

When the day started on Sunday, I had no desire to ever train hard enough to run a marathon. By the time the late afternoon arrived, that lack of desire to run a marathon was still secure.  However, I did walk much of the Chicago Marathon route yesterday.  I started my normal walk at 8:00AM and after nearly 40 minutes or so, I spotted the runners from the Chicago Marathon running on the road adjacent to Lincoln Park where I was.  My research about people who join races without paying the entrance fees  had educated me enough so that I knew it would have been unethical to join the roadrunners.  I did however follow the course on the sidewalk.  There were only a few spots where the sidewalk was impassable where I had to detour around an extra block.  I did not take a drink of water, Gatorade or accept a banana that I was not entitled to nor did I accept an accolade or cheer that did not belong to me. I was not a marathon bandit.  What I did was 100% within the bounds of ethics.  With about one mile to go to the finish line, I veered off the course completely and stopped my workout after MayMyWalk Application had indicated that my trip was 26.2 miles.

My path to 26.2 Miles (just slightly altered from the official course)

This screenshot shows my time, 5:39:16

Yesterday, Sunday, 11 October, I was a Marathon Man.  It was a tremendous accomplishment and I am glad that I completed the 26.2 mile walk.  The 26.2 miles were completed in 5 hours, 39 minutes, 16 seconds. The MapMyWalk application indicated that this particular workout had burned 5210 calories. When my 26.2 miles concluded, I reset the MayMyWalk application for the 5 mile walk home, in which my walking speed was dramatically reduced.  This five mile walk lasted an additional one hour, twenty-five minutes & 54 seconds.  This time, the application recorded only 740 calories burned.

In the late afternoon, I went grocery shopping with my family.  When we returned home, I noticed that the FitBit had recorded approximately 57000 steps.  Naturally, I wanted to bring that total up to 60000 steps.  A short walk to downtown Chicago was in order.  My daughter volunteered to accompany me. The thing is, my daughter thought that if 60000 steps was an accomplishment, then 65000, 70000 or 75000 steps would be a far greater accomplishment. I was very amenable to this type of thinking. Our walk did not conclude until the FitBit had stopped at 75000 steps for the day.

After walking more than 30 miles, I took a long hot shower and got dressed.  I  happily know that I have never felt better or fitter.  I am wearing the skinniest jeans that I own.  Remember, this is the same guy who needed to squeeze into 50 inch waist slacks just 9 months ago.  This particular day would not end until I had walked nearly 40 miles.  I was very active for more than twelve hours. I unquestionably burned more than 6000 calories yesterday.  By the time I went to sleep, there is no question, I was feeling pretty good about myself.

This chart shows by the hour of the day when my 75029 steps were earned yesterday. The solid green block represents just a bit more than 7 straight hours stepping (walking).   First the marathon, then the 90 minute walk home.

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 Sunday MENU

breakfast  Harvest Strawberry Crunch, Apple, Energy Chews, granola  1240 calories
lunch        fruit & nut bar, Chili Turkey w/beans                                       800 calories
dinner       Mariano's Spinach Salad                                                           750 calories
SNACKS Ginger Chews, Wasabi, Mango slices, cherry vanilla granola 1050 calories

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 3840 CALORIES

26.2 MILE MARATHON, 340 MINUTES                                          5210 CALORIES
   5.0 MILE WALK HOME FROM MARATHON, 86 MINUTES        740 CALORIES
STEPS CALORIE ADJUSTMENT ACCORDING TO MyFitnessPal  606 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED 6556 CALORIES 

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Sunday net calories 2716 calorie defecit

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fitbit day 39

75029 steps
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It is likely that I will never attain 75000 steps walked in one day ever again.  Surely, I have never walked nearly 40 miles in one day prior to today.  It is hard to imagine a day when I would walk more than 40 miles.  

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Here are a bunch of pictures from the nearly 10 mile walk my daughter and I took to cap off the day from 7:30PM until just before Midnight.  (Today, Monday, is Columbus Day - which means no school, so I had no issues keeping my daughter out and about extra late.  We saw parts of Chicago that we had never seen at night - Riverwalk, Millennium Park, and Maggie Daley Park.

Sara in front of the Chicago River

Sara checks out her reflection at 'The Bean.'

Daddy and daughter in Millennium Park posing in front of 'The Bean' (Cloud Gate)

Maggie Daley Park (You cannot imagine how many thousands of kids enjoy this park each day) It was great fun to visit at night with just a handful of other people around.

Sara is standing under the whale's tail.

Clowning around at Maggie Daley Park

Daddy and daughter take a 'selfie'

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and finally.... a blog entry about the Chicago Marathon should have the official results of the top ten finishers among the elite men and women competitors.  

MEN 

1. Dickson Chumba, Kenya - 2:09:25
2. Sammy Kitwara, Kenya - 2:09:50
3. Sammy Ndguru, Kenya - 2:10:06
4. Girmay Burhanu Gebru, Ethiopia - 2:10:07
5. Luke Puskedra, United States - 2:10:24
6. Wesley Korir, Kenya - 2:10:29
7. Elkanah Kibet, United States -  2:11:31
8. Lucas Rotich, Kenya - 2:13:39
9. Abera Kuma, Ethiopia - 2:13:44
10. Fernando Cabada, United States - 2:15:36

WOMEN

1. Florence Kiplagat, Kenya - 2:23:33
2. Yebrgual Melese, Ethiopia - 2:23:43
3. Birhane Dibaba, Ethiopia - 2:24:24
4. Kayoko Fukushi, Japan - 2:24:25
5. Mulu Seboka, Ethiopia - 2:24:40
6. Meskerem Assefa, Ethiopia - 2:25:11
7. Deena Kastor, United States - 2:27:47
8. Diane Nukuri, Burundi - 2:29:13
9. Jessica Draskau Petersson, Denmark - 2:30:07
10. Sara Hall, United States - 2:31:14 

AMAZING BIKE RIDE

CRITICAL MASS. CHICAGO. The last Friday of the month. I was not sure what to expect. My family arrived at Daley Plaza in Chicago at 5:30PM.  Over the next hour, hundreds of bikes (and their owners) arrived.  There was some some wild looking bikes congregating on the Plaza.  One guy rode a replica 1900's bicycle with the giant oversize front wheel.  Other bikes were decorated so that they looked like the bicycle Pee Wee Herman rode in 'Pee Wee's Big Adventure."  I was pleased so see Police Officers (on bikes) at the Plaza. There would be Police Escorts along the entire route.  The Police helped keep riders on the right side of the roads and control traffic.  The ride traversed perhaps 15 miles of Chicago streets.   It was like a bicycle parade.  All night long, the bicyclists shouted out "Happy Friday" to pedestrians and to folks stuck in their cars. I may have noticed some drivers annoyed at being stuck in a sea of bikers, but they were in the minority.  It was much more common to see giant smiles on the faces of people as a thousand bicyclists passed them by.  It seemed that everyone was shooting video of us on their cellphones. It was a great freedom to ride bikes in the streets and not have to stop for a stop sign or a traffic light.  The ride lasted from 6:30PM until about 8:45PM.  It was truly an amazing experience.  I will definitely do this again.  Meanwhile back on the scale, I am personally approaching critical mass.   There is no way that I want to pop up over 230 lbs.

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226.6 lbs

I weigh 226.6 lbs.

I gained 2.8 lbs this week

I have lost 82.4 lbs in 248 days. Today begins Day 251.

I will always be at the beginning of a journey that never ends.

I weigh 226.6 (248 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)

I have lost 26.6% of my weight since Dec 24.

I have a BMI, body mass index of 30.31 

I had a 42.0 BMI on Dec 24 just 234 days ago (Class III obesity)

I have nine words of wisdom for myself today: ONE CAN NOT EXERCISE ENOUGH TO COMPENSATE FOR OVEREATING.

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 FRIDAY MENU

breakfast    oatmeal, bacon, poached eggs, cherry vanilla granola   834 calories
lunch          baby spinach, asparagus, apples                                     376 calories
dinner        turkey, sausage, date pieces, granola, ginger                 1089 calories
SNACK     ginger chews, No Cow Bar Mint, toasted coconut          830 calories

total calories consumed 3129 calories

calories burned
HOME ELLIPTICAL 65 MINUTES, MANUAL SETTING, LEVEL '20'  1174 CALORIES

Friday net calories 1955 calories
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still 30 minutes to go before the start of the ride... Daley Plaza, Chicago

CRITICAL MASS

What is Critical Mass as it relates to bicycles and Chicago?   This was lifted directly from the www.chicagocriticalmass.org website:

Critical Mass is a bike ride plain and simple. The ride takes place on the Last Friday Of Every Month (in Chicago anyway). A Critical Mass is created when the group of riders comes together for those few hours to take back the streets of our city. The right of the people to assemble is guaranteed in the Constitution, and Critical Mass helps people remember that right. The Mass itself has no political agenda, though, no more than the people of any other community do. Critical Mass is open to all, and it welcomes all riders to join in a celebration of riding bicycles. Why? Because bikes are fun! 

Sure, as with any community, you'll see people of all types. Some people see Critical Mass as a forum for grassroots political change. Some people see it as a protest against cars. Some people just like to ride. The Mass, however, is just that...a bunch of bike riders. You can drive a car the whole month and ride in the Mass. You can be an anarchist and ride in the Mass. The point of the Mass is the Mass, nothing more. Critical Mass has no leadership. It is a ride where no one is in charge. At any time, riders are free to leave, stay, stop, or even help out. Everyone is responsible for themselves and the Mass. Learn how to get involved! Once you realize that, you're free to enjoy the exhilaration that is a large bike ride. It's quite a sight to be parading down Michigan Avenue with thousands of fellow riders, wishing pedestrians and drivers a "Happy Friday!" Chicago Critical Mass is a community, yet it's also part of a worldwide Critical Mass community as a whole. Critical Mass rides take place all over the world each month, and Chicago is proud to join in to proclaim our love of bicycles. If you love bikes, and you want to show others how you feel about cycling, come join us!

I will admit that I have been driving through Chicago on a Friday evening when I bumped up against Critical Mass and I remember not being too pleased about having too wait an extra long time for the bicycle riders to thin out before I could proceed in my car.  Tonight, our family will be part of the bike riders.  I am thinking that this will be a fun experience to experience once. Maybe I am wrong, and it will be the greatest experience ever.  It should be somewhat memorable - I am sure of that.

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 Thursday MENU

breakfast  granola, apple                                                                           672 calories
lunch        Subway spinach salad, ginger, granola, mango, corn snack  1460 calories
dinner      Mariano's spinach salad, kale crunch                                      1110 calories
SNACK    cocoa wafers, ginger chews                                                      333 calories

total calories consumed 3575 calories

calories burned

elliptical machine 65 minutes, level 20              822 calories
stairmaster  60 minutes                                      1124 calories

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED 1946 calories

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Wednesday net calories 1629 calories

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I returned home to Chicago on Thursday and I used my bicycle to travel from home to my local YMCA.  My local YMCA is 3.5 miles from home.  This trip can take nearly one half hour of travel time via car with all the traffic and traffic lights that need to be navigated.  My trip on two wheels only took 19 minutes. It was a very rewarding experience. At the YMCA I spent one hour on the elliptical machine and one hour on the stairmaster. After riding home - I realized that my legs had not been challenged quite so intensely in a long, long tine.  This is probably good as a bigger challenge awaits my legs in about one month in Yosemite Park.

I must admit that until now I have not had warm feelings for all the bicycle paths painted on the streets of Chicago.   In some places, the bicycle path has been more than painted and it actually separated from the auto traffic.  My appreciation of these bicycle paths has increased rather dramatically now that I am a bike rider.