REVENGE HIKE

I admit it. I pushed myself and I surely pushed my daughter when we biked 43.5 miles on a trip that took us to the Indiana border and back home again. It was not the wisest choice for a first bike ride of the season. I let my enthusiasm get the best of me. I wanted my daughter to have this accomplishment of biking to Indiana. The next day, yesterday, would have been a great day to recuperate. My daughter who had completely recovered from the bike ride, insisted on taking a walk the next day, as she thought (correctly) that I was still recovering from the day before. We did not set any speed records, but we did walk 7+ miles.  It may be 'over the top' to call this a 'revenge hike' - but it is true that my daughter did delight in some of my reticence to take this walk.

Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, April 15, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal	780	162	9	18	1,020	72
	780	162	9	18	1,020	72
L U N C H
Mostaccioli With Meat Sauce	800	117	22	37	1,661	22
	800	117	22	37	1,661	22
D I N N E R
Turkey Pot Roast	400	9	22	43	1,630	3
Brussel Sprouts	100	15	2	5	0	0
Cream corn	100	23	0	0	0	0
	600	47	24	48	1,630	3
S N A C K S
Haddar - Coconut bar chocolate drizzle	480	56	26	4	20	30
	480	56	26	4	20	30
Totals	2,660	382	81	107	4,331	127
Your Daily Goal	3,038	380	101	152	2,300	114
Remaining	378	-2	20	45	-2,031	-13
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
7.39 Mile Urban Hike	136	1,108
Daily Total / Goal	136 / 30	1,108 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	659 / 210	5,398 / 4,130

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NORTH SHORE CHANNEL TRAIL

It is summertime and I am home in Chicago. It was perfect weather to work a half day. I did not take a two week vacation this summer, so I am allowing myself some downtime as I see fit. In the afternoon, I wanted to check out the 'nearby' NORTH SHORE CHANNEL TRAIL.  This is a seven mile point to point trail in Chicago that includes Skokie as well. The trail is nearly completely paved and mostly flat. One of the high points is passing through the 'sculpture park' on McCormick Blvd. (Although I must say that too much of what passes for 'art' these days is absolute garbage.)

'CHARGER' (artist: Ted Gall) Painted Steel

A 'normal' person would determine that the trailhead for this park is nearly 8 miles away, so it might be prudent to drive or bike to the trailhead. If you have read this blog more than three times, you are aware that I am not a 'normal' person. I stretched the eight mile hike to the trailhead to nearly ten miles. After traversing the entire seven miles of the NORTH SHORE TRAIL I continued into Evanston for another four miles or so. After hiking 21 miles, I hopped on a subway train to return home. This was my plan all along.  I was NOT looking to complete a forty mile hike! Twenty One wins at BLACK JACK, and it was a winner for me too!

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The 'SEVEN MILE' North Shore Channel Trail

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Along the way I checked out the progress of the new FLAGSHIP WHOLE FOODS opening in Lincoln Park next Spring.

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It's not everyday that a person in Chicago sets out for a 'walk' and finds himself in Skokie.

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I always enjoy visiting STEEL ROOTS, only two miles from my home.

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Your Food Diary For:

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Generic - Canadian Bacon Ham, 4 slices	240	4	6	44	2,080	4
Omelette - 3-egg Omelette With Cheese	425	0	21	28	650	2
	665	4	27	72	2,730	6
L U N C H
Campbells - Beef noodle soup	140	15	5	9	820	0
BLT on White Bread	375	32	21	10	728	1
	515	47	26	19	1,548	1
D I N N E R
Pineapple, Fresh, Chunks	450	117	0	9	9	90
Whole Foods - Tuna Avocado Roll	420	70	1	18	680	0
DARK CHOCOLATE GINGER	170	29	7	1	5	25
365 - Dark Chocolate Chip Granola bar	130	0	2	2	0	0
	1,170	216	10	30	694	115
S N A C K S
MILK CHOCOLATE CHERRIES	250	35	14	3	14	29
DARK CHOCOLATE GINGER	200	41	5	0	50	36
Banana Chips	150	17	10	1	0	10
Whole Cashews	320	18	24	10	0	4
Dark Chocolate Coconut Chews	260	26	18	3	32	17
	1,180	137	71	17	96	96
Totals	3,530	404	134	138	5,068	218
Your Daily Goal	5,530	691	184	277	2,300	207
Remaining	2,000	287	50	139	-2,768	-11
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
	*You've earned 3,600 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 192.8 lbs in 5 weeks.

Your Exercise Diary for:

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	340	3,600
Add Exercise Quick Tools
Daily Total / Goal	340 / 30	3,600 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	732 / 210	7,940 / 4,130

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from wikipedia...

The North Shore Channel is a drainage canal built between 1907 and 1910 to flush the sewage-filled North Branch of the Chicago River down the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The sewage carrying duty has been largely taken over by the Chicago Deep Tunnel, but there are still occasional discharges due to heavy rains. The North Shore Channel flows from Lake Michigan to the North Branch of the Chicago River. A sluice gate usually prevents the canal from back-draining out to Lake Michigan in Wilmette, although the gate must be opened occasionally to prevent downstream flooding. The north end of the channel is near the Bahá'í House of Worship. The channel flows southwest, and then south, through or near Wilmette, Evanston, Skokie, and Lincolnwood, and into Chicago. The south end of the channel flows into the North Branch at approximately 5100 north and 3000 west in the Chicago street address numbering system. Chicago's only waterfall within the city limits, which looks like a concrete spillway, is in River Park, where the upper North Branch drops about 4 feet (1.2 m) through a dam into the confluence. In 1999, the system of which the canal is a part was named a Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium (as part of the Chicago wastewater system) by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

READ THIS

On Sunday my wife served me a side dish with lunch that I have never had before. 4 BEAN SALAD.  READ SALADS are marketed by Seneca Foods. Nutritionally, I am aware that fresh vegetables are preferable to canned vegetables. Nevertheless, fresh vegetables are not always available. The complete contents of this can are only 300 calories, and I am sure that it will be a useful snack to keep in stock at home and on the road. Apparently, my daughter has been enjoying this as part of her school lunches for some time now. Even if the health benefits of canned vegetables are somewhat limited - I am pretty certain that this is still better than a candy bar or a bag of chips.

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15 Oz. CanClassic salad of green beans, wax beans, kidney beans plus chickpeas in a vinegar based, sweet-tangy dressing. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Ingredients:
Green Beans, Water, Wax Beans, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Sugar, Distilled Vinegar, Dehydrated Onions, Red Peppers, Salt, Soybean Oil, Turmeric..
Serving Size: 85g 
Servings Per Container: 5
Amount Per Serving: 1/3 cup
(Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet)
Calories: 60
   Calories from Fat 0
Total Fat 0g (0%)
   Saturated Fat 0g (0%)
   Trans Fat 0g (0%)
Cholesterol 0mg (0%).
Sodium 300mg (13%)
Potassium 90mg (5%)
Total Carbohydrate 13g (5%)
   Dietary Fiber 2g (8%) 
   Sugars 8g
Protein 1g 
Vitamin A (0%)
Vitamin C (4%)
Calcium (2%)
Iron (4%)

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I woke up at the crack of dawn on Monday, in sharp contrast to my 10AM start of the day on Sunday. Long before my family woke up I completed 99 minutes on the elliptical machine.

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After lunch our family took a leisurely bike ride along the Lake. I didn't initialize the MapMyRide Application until we arrived at the Museum Campus.  The 17 Mile ride that we recorded was understated by about 4 miles.

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Right before we returned home from the bike ride, my daughter expressed an interest in returning to Navy Pier to watch the 4th of July Fireworks. You know me...any chance to 'take a walk' and I am usually ready. We left our home at 8:40 which gave us plenty of time before the 9:30 start time. We hadn't counted on the fact that NAVY PIER was closed as it was FULL TO CAPACITY. We found a spot close by, still packed like sardines and watched the show.
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Our attempt to walk to Navy Pier failed as it was filled to capacity

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We took the long way home, fighting through a sea of humanity to get away from Navy Pier  area.

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Your Food Diary For:

Monday, July 4, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 3 packet (28 g)	300	66	0	6	930	0
Maltomeal - Honey Nut Scooters, 2 cup	240	48	3	6	420	18
	540	114	3	12	1,350	18
L U N C H
Campbell's Chunky - Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
Read 4 Bean Salad - Green and Yellow Beans, Red Beans, Chickpeas, 1.65 cup	300	65	0	5	1,500	40
Sargento - Havarti (sliced) - 7 oz, 2 slice	160	0	14	8	250	0
Butternut - Whole Grain White, 4 slices	280	54	3	10	540	8
Oscar Meyer - Deli Fresh Black Forest Ham	100	0	3	18	1,120	0
	1,080	155	26	51	5,010	54
D I N N E R
Italian Roast Beef, 4 ounces	60	0	2	12	390	0
Melon - Honeydew	150	36	1	3	90	33
Broiled Whitefish	200	0	9	29	0	0
	410	36	11	44	480	33
S N A C K S
Nestle - Mini Baby Ruth, 2 bars	170	24	8	2	85	20
YOGURT PRETZELS	380	56	0	4	360	38
Nice! Trail Mix - trail mix, 1 package	200	24	11	4	0	0
	750	104	19	10	445	58
Totals	2,780	409	59	117	7,285	163
Your Daily Goal	5,017	627	167	251	2,300	188
Remaining	2,237	218	107	134	-4,985	25
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 3,087 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, July 4, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	99	1,154
Bicycling, road cycle	132	1,200
Walking	77	585
Walking	38	285
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-137
Daily Total / Goal	347 / 30	3,087 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	347 / 210	3,087 / 4,130

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KANKAKEE RIVER STATE PARK BIKE HIKE TRAIL

There are not too many effective ways of avoiding rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon in Chicago. Yesterday I found one way to do it. After finishing my last appointment on in Mahomet, Illinois, I was headed home. On the way home I stopped at Kankakee River State Park and found a trail which followed the path of the Kankakee River. I parked my car. I walked 5 miles in a northwesterly direction and simply turned around and retraced my steps and walked 5 miles back to the car. By the time I arrived home, I missed most of the Chicago Friday afternoon traffic. 

I snapped this photo right before I turned around and headed back to the car

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Considering that the official start of summer is still  more than 10 days away, the temperature of 93° seemed a bit on the warm side when I started my ten mile hike.  However, the 'wind chill' made it seem like 97°!

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, June 10, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Clover Valley - 100% Whole Wheat Bread	240	44	2	16	440	4
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 3 packet	300	66	0	6	930	0
Nice! - Creamy Peanut Butter, 2 Tbsp	180	8	15	7	130	3
Smucker's - Concord Grape - Jelly, 2 Tbsp	100	26	0	0	10	24
	820	144	17	29	1,510	31
L U N C H
Subway - Footlong Steak Cheese, 1 footlong	760	96	20	52	2,060	16
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
	950	146	21	53	2,064	54
D I N N E R
Organic baby spinach	40	6	0	4	130	0
Asparagus	23	3	0	3	510	0
Tomatoes - Cherry Tomatoes	24	0	0	0	0	3
Imitation Crab Stick	90	15	0	7	350	2
Breaded Pork Chops	315	11	21	20	62	1
	492	35	21	34	1,052	6
S N A C K S
Crunchy Oats N Honey, 3 bars	285	44	9	6	240	18
Chips Ahoy - Chunky Chocolate Chip	240	30	12	3	165	18
Keebler - Elfudge, 1 cookie	85	13	4	1	50	6
Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew	180	22	9	4	20	14
	790	108	34	14	475	56
Totals	3,052	433	92	130	5,101	147
Your Daily Goal	4,535	567	151	227	2,300	170
Remaining	1,483	133	58	97	-2,800	23
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 2,605 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, June 10, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking	133	1,927
Walking	75	765
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-87
Daily Total / Goal	209 / 30	2,605 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	1065 / 210	13,570 / 4,130

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S A T U R D A Y  W E I G H  I N

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231.9 pounds

I am now down ten pounds from my recent high point on May 7th when I was on the 'dl' (disabled list) from the hernia.  From my initial starting point of 309 lbs on December 24th, 2014, I am down 77.1 pounds. Just this past week I successfully shed 3.3 pounds.  IT WAS EASY!  All I had to do was keep my daily caloric intake to about 3000, and walk more than 70 miles!  (Ok, I lied, it was not easy) The 'easier' way would have been to cut down on my calories far below 3000 per day. You know what? This is more or less 'working' for me - so I will stick to it...

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