So I've been continuing with the (this year) 1,500 Miles to Nowhere challenge, courtesy of Marn, though I haven't been posting the milestones here (or at the site).  I'm probably going to fall short this year ... I've gone almost 1100 miles, but have 410 miles left, 89 days to go, am averaging just under 4 miles per day but need to be doing 4.6.  I suspect that my pedometer earlier in the year was underestimating, but, whatever -- it's something I'm tracking and doing, huzzah.

But next year, I might tackle things a little differently.  The Eowyn Challenge site -- originally set up leading up to the last LotR movie, offers some annotated "trips" you can track.  Based on the work of Karen Wynn Fonstad, author of The Atlas of Middle Earth, you can do things like walk "with" the Hobbits from Bag End to Rivendell (458 miles).  That could be kind of fun ("On This Day in My Walking ...")

I want to poke at the site a bit more at the end of the year, but it could be a pleasant way to track my ongoing walking habit.

Filed under :: Walking
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Filed under :: Travel - WDW 07 :: Walking
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Let's start off with a review of last year.

1. Spend more time with Kitten.

Managed to do this, actually. Continued the tradition of driving her home from after-care on the couple of days of the week she was there. Went with her to karate. And spent more time (the both of us did) assisting with homework.

2. Try to cut back on external commitments some. Family first.

Didn't do nearly as much stuff outside the house. Continued to spend time with Margie playing CoX, etc. Tried to prioritize even my work schedule around Katherine's needs.

 

3. Write. Edit. Write.

Fell down more than a bit here. While I did the April Storyball, and even set up my own Writing blog, my attempts to prioritize working on existing works, and extending into others, didn't go anywhere (heck, even . Even resolutions to do the next best thing, GMing, never really gelled. An "activity too far."

 

4. Keep the weight off, and walk 1,500 miles to nowhere.

When all was said and done here, I felt pretty good in this category. Weight went up during the year, but since October (and, ahem, excluding any tracking over the last week or so) I dropped about 15 lbs to go under 200. So huzzah there.

I'm probably going to be about 20-25 miles short on the 1,500 miles -- too many times I just didn't get the walking thang done. But I managed to really stick to the walking at lunch, and that helped a lot in a lot of ways. And Margie and I walk together a mile or two on the track while Katherine's in karate, so it was all pretty good.

And what about next year? Well, I don't know as I'd call these "stretch goals," but how about

1. Spend at least as much time with Kitten. Preferably more "quality time" -- getting her involved with stuff at home, and being more involved in some of her other activities. She's growing up into a fine young lady that I want to spend time with.

    

2. Keep the house in a bit more order -- a bit tidier, pursue projects and maintenance a bit more diligently, etc. This is going to mean (gasp) maybe doing a bit less of other activities. These sorts of things work better as routine, so I need to figure out how to do that in a flexible fashion.

    

3. Write. Edit. Write. Yeah, yeah. Need to think of some good strategies here, though, that don't involved Daily Stuff -- because my Daily Stuff queue is pretty much full.

    

4. Be fit. Keep the weight off, exercise more, and walk 1,500 miles to nowhere. Heck, how's this -- drop down to 185 by the end of the year. There's an (un-)stretch goal for you! Or, more precisely, for me. But one I believe I can reach.

Happy New Year, all!

Filed under :: Home Improvement :: Parenting :: Personal :: Walking :: Weight :: Writing and Language
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Well, I took what was probably my last official weighing of the year (for various logistical and metrics reason), and came in solidly (so to speak) under 200, at 197. A nice way to end the year, especially given my diet over the last week-plus. That I'm headed off to Faerie and its sumptuous feasts there for the holidays doesn't fill me with optimism about how I'll actually cross the end-of-year line, but ...

And, as of last night, I'm just 57 miles from my 1,500 for the year. We'll see how that goes. Again, going off to Faerie is going to knock my walking schedule all to heck, but there's plenty of periods of intense activity there, so there's a good chance I'll make it.

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As we plunge into December, I have a bit over 95 miles left to go in my 1,500 Miles to Nowhere, and 20 days to do them in. It's going to be tight -- my YTD average is 4.09 miles/day, and I needed to be doing 4.11 miles per day to hit the mark. At this point, I'll need 4.74 miles/day until the end of the year -- which is doable, but it will be tight.

Meanwhile, weight-wise, I'm right at 200 lbs. (or was before the weekend -- didn't weigh this morning). I'd love to get down another few pound persistently -- we'll see how it goes.

Filed under :: Walking :: Weight
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