OUT OF GAS

I don't know why, but I simply could not gather up the energy yesterday for a long hike, a moderate  walk or even a short amble. I considered spending some time on the elliptical machine, but I didn't feel up to that either. Apparently, I had just run out of gas.

So although, yesterday was a day without any particular physical exertion, I did get myself to REI with my wife and shopped for a new pair of hiking shoes. A pair of hiking shoes which was on clearance caught my eye, and miraculously they had them in a size 13 and size 14. It turns out that this pair of hiking shoes is the same style as the hiking shoes that I have been wearing: Merrell Moab.

My previous pair was not waterproof and they were a size 13. I always thought that they were a bit too snug. Last year, during a spell when I was urban hiking 10 miles per day, I lost a toenail from wearing those shoes.  (It grew back)  At the store last evening, I tried on a size 13 and size 14.  I settled on the size 14 shoes. They felt amazingly comfortable. Unlike my current worn out pair - this pair is waterproof.  I am sure that I will take them out for spin later today. I am well-rested, with new shoes, and raring to go. So, if I can confirm that forecasted rain will not be be happening, I will shortly be headed outdoors.

* * * * * *

I asked the salesman at the REI store if the fact that these Merrell Moab's were on clearance meant that they were being discontinued. He affirmed that that was the case. He told me that next spring Merrell Moab 2.0 will make their debut.  2.0?  Really? I wonder if they will be bluetooth enabled...

Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, October 15, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Post - Great Grains	400	72	11	10	286	15
Quaker - Grits - Instant - Original, 3 packet	300	66	0	6	930	0
	700	138	11	16	1,216	15
L U N C H
Quaker Rice Cakes - White Cheddar, 14 Cake	630	112	14	14	1,400	0
Roundy's Artisan Bread - Rosemary Pugliese	320	60	5	10	660	0
	950	172	19	24	2,060	0
D I N N E R
Beef and Bean Burrito	350	40	17	11	411	1
Chef Salad	501	13	39	31	1,001	8
	851	53	56	42	1,412	9
S N A C K S
Generic - Hersheys Dark Chocolate Bar, 3.13 bar	500	28	38	9	100	11
Wendy's - Cheesy Cheddar Burger, 1 sandwich	300	24	15	18	760	4
	800	52	53	27	860	15
Totals	3,301	415	139	109	5,548	39
Your Daily Goal	1,930	241	64	97	2,300	72
Remaining	-1,371	-174	-75	-12	-3,248	33
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 224.9 lbs in 5 weeks     

DAY OFF FROM EXERCISING... 

I feel particularly lousy about not even clearing 10,000 steps for the day.  If I hadn't fallen asleep on the couch, I surely would have stepped in place for a 15 minutes just to clear the 10,000 step hurdle.

ANOTHER 13 MILE TREK

It has been more than a week since I have had a nice healthy enjoyable 13.1 mile walk. It amuses me a bit to say that since I have had such a walk less than 10 times in my first 57 years of life. There were several of them this past October, and never once before that.  The weather in Chicago was glorious today and the walkways, and bike paths were filled with Chicagoans and visitors alike taking in the fresh crisp November 1st air.

Each time I leave my home on one of these extra long outings, I don't have an exact plan in mind for precisely where I intend to go. Lots of micro decisions are made along the way. The one thing that I do try to do, only because it amuses me, is to not retrace any part of my path on any given day.  I enlarged sections of my route where it might have appeared that I had retraced steps, when in fact I did not.  As I said, I do this only because it amuses me.

These last two maps show my 2 mile walk home from downtown Chicago after a lunch stop at Whole Foods

Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, November 1, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Target Market Pantry - Dipped Granola Bar - Chocolaty Covered Chewy Chocolate Chip Bar, 2 bar	280	44	10	2	90	30
Roundy's - Center Cut Bacon, 6 Slices	140	0	8	14	440	0
	420	44	18	16	530	30
L U N C H
Quaker Chewy Dipps - Chocolate Dipped Granola Bars, 2 bar	280	46	10	2	120	26
Jongold - Apple, 3 large	240	66	0	0	0	48
Taco Meat - Home Made, 6 oz	255	0	11	37	108	0
Homemade - Pasta W/Marinara, 5.2 oz	142	22	4	3	667	14
	917	134	25	42	895	88
D I N N E R
Generic - Broiled Whitefish, 1 filet	265	0	12	38	0	0
Campbell's Chunky - Manhattan Clam Chowder, 2 cup	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
	505	36	18	48	1,600	6
S N A C K S
WHOLE FOODS - CHEDDAR SESAME STICKS, 32.2 g (1/3 cup)	172	15	11	3	552	1
WHOLE FOODS - NATURAL WASABI GREEN PEAS, 0.40333294271564485 cup (30 grams)	145	23	4	5	290	2
WHOLE FOODS 8497 - CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 54.45 g (3/4 cup)	238	40	7	5	59	15
WHOLE FOODS 7700 - ORGANIC DATE PIECES w/OAT FLOWER, 74.0 g (2 TBSP)	222	56	0	2	19	41
WHOLE FOODS 8738 - DRIED MANGO SLICES, 46.0 g (approx 6 pieces)	126	32	0	2	1	23
Trader Joe's - Pumpkin O's, 3 Cup	330	75	3	6	420	27
	1,233	240	25	23	1,341	109
Totals	3,075	454	86	129	4,366	233
Your Daily Goal	5,159	645	172	258	2,300	193
Remaining	2,084	190	86	128	-2,066	-40
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 3,229 extra calories from exercise today

~ ~ ~ ~

       Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
Walking, 5.0 mph	158	2,915
Walking, 5.0 mph	24	466
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-152
Add Exercise Quick Tools
Daily Total / Goal	183 / 30	3,229 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	981 / 210	16,643 / 4,130

Strength Training	Sets	Reps/Set	Weight/Set
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED 3076 CALORIES
TOTAL CALORIES BURNED 3381 CALORIES
NET CALORIES 305 CALORIE DEFECIT
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

fitbit day 60

30137 steps

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

HALF-DOME YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

Half Dome is a granite dome in Yosemite National Park, California.  It is Yosemite's most well-known rock.  The granite crest rises more than 4,737 feet above the valley floor.  And I tell you this, because my once-in-a-life experience will be taking place this October when I am part of an expedition of five guys who are going to its summit.

Half Home Yosemite National Park

My brother Andy has been trying to organize a trip with a small group of climbers for the past three years.   Two years ago his trip was scuttled during the United States Government partial shut-down.  Last year, again, the trip was scuttled when the park was closed due to huge wild fires in the Park.  Apparently, it was God's plan that I be invited and included in this expedition.  God was just waiting for me to lose 90 pounds so that I could be invited and would agree to participate.

The trip is scheduled for Thursday, October 1 in nearly six months time.  I think I have time to train and get myself physically and mentally prepared for this challenge.  The hike immediately becomes another one of my 'life-long dreams.'  (although this dream began less than 48 hours ago)

from http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm

Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level, Half Dome is a Yosemite icon and a great challenge to many hikers. Despite an 1865 report declaring that it was "perfectly inaccessible, being probably the only one of the prominent points about the Yosemite which never has been, and never will be, trodden by human foot," George Anderson reached the summit in 1875, in the process laying the predecessor to today's cable route.

I will definitely be required and enjoy becoming even more focused on my wellness, diet and fitness training in the upcoming months.   This is going to be exciting.

The countdown to Half Dome begins now...
...165 days to go!

SATURDAY MENU

breakfast  two eggs, two slices turkey bacon, oatmeal, prune                                        355 calories
lunch        CABBAGE SOUP, spinach salad w/tomato, Salmon Burger                        243 calories
dinner       BLACK ANGUS SIRLOIN 4oz, spinach, 9 cherry tomato, Cabbage Soup 378 calories

total calories consumed 976 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED
6PM elliptical 42 minutes 483 CALORIES

SATURDAY NET CALORIES 493 CALORIES