Kevin1500.com

Day 36: I have company on my walk (sort of) [2]

Kevin Stirtz — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:08:04 GMT

Yesterday was a good walking day. Almost 10 miles logged and my daily average is back over 5 miles. Plus my "bank account" of mailes grew significantly to reach 33 miles. (I'd like to see my other bank accounts grow that fast!.)

Let's do the numbers

Miles walked: 9.86
Mileage goal: 4.1
Difference: 5.76
YTD miles walked: 181.13
YTD mileage goal: 147.60
YTD difference: 33.53

More Good News

The other fun news to report today is, I have company on my virtual walk across America. Well, I guess you could say I have virtual company.

My good friend, Ed Wilts, bought a FitBit recently. (I think he likes gadgets more than I do.) And he also set a goal to walk across the USA (virtually, of course). While we're both walking to the west coast, he's ending up in Portland, OR, slightly north of my destination.

See Ed's route and progress on Google Maps.

So now we have two peole using FitBit to walk across the USA, virtually. If there are any others, please let me know. Three makes it a club!

Thanks for joining me on my virtual walk across the country. Make it a great day!

Days 32 to 35: A Salute to Dewey Readmore Books the World Famous Library Cat [2]

Kevin Stirtz — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:15:59 GMT

This blog post is dedicated to Dewey the cat. He's a world famous cat. Not as famous as Garfield or the Cat in the Hat, but, given his humble origins, he did very well for himself.

His full name is Dewey Readmore Books. And I'll talk more about him soon, but first...

Let's do the numbers

(Feb 1 to Feb 4)

Miles walked: 21.32
Mileage goal: 16.4
Difference: 5.28
YTD miles walked: 171.27
YTD mileage goal: 143.5
YTD difference: 27.77

My numbers are improving from last week. My bank account of extra miles has grown to a high of almost 28 miles. My unofficial goal is to get back to a daily average of at least 5 miles. I should hit this by the end of next week.

Back to Dewey the Cat

My virtual walk across the country took me through Spencer Iowa this week. Spencer is a small city of 11,000 people, one big county fair and (formerly) one world famous library cat.

I like to blog about the places I walk through (virtually). It makes the journey more tangible and fun. So when I started looking into Spencer I was thrilled to learn of Dewey the Library Cat.

As a kitten he was found in the book drop outside the Spencer Public Library. This was in January 1988, on a cold winter night. The library staff took him in and got approvel to keep him. He spent the next 18 years as the mascot, lap buddy, pet therapist and overall happy cat.

Over the years, people became taken with Dewey and his story. They began talking about him. Newspapers wrote article about him. People sent him fan mail from around the world. He even appeared in Cat Fancy magazine and on television. Eventualy, after his death, his long time caretaker (and library manager) Vicky Myron, wrote several books about Dewey.

Why Write about a Cat?

I like this story because it shows the power of the bond we have with companion animals. My freshman psychology professor claimed animals don't think or feel. I disagree. And it's clear we humans feel plenty about animals.

I love how this town came together to rescue a helpless kitten (who might not have lasted much longer). And Dewey's long life (19 years) is a testament to the love and caring he received in this wonderful town.

I'm also thrilled that Dewey the Cat helped bring attention to this town. The positive publicity that came from Dewey's fame is nothing to sneeze at. It goes way beyond what any marketing campaign or local economic development board could hope to achieve.

I wonder how else the town of Spencer benefitted from Dewey the cat's long and lustrous life in their local library. Did his presence attract more people to the libary? Did this encourage more people in Spencer to enjoy the library and to read more books? (After all, that was his name.)

Could it be that what started as a simple act of humanity turned into an unbelievable marketing tool for this library and town? And isn't that how it should be?

By doing what came naturally to them, the people of Spencer created an amazing story and brought the world to their door. It sounds like my kind of town.

Those are my thoughts for this day. Thanks for joining me on my virtual walk across America. See you soon!

Days 25 to 31: Goodbye January Hello February!

Kevin Stirtz — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:31:22 GMT

Woo hoo! It's February. Sorry January, no offense meant and nothing personal but you're my least favorite month. So, I'm thrilled to see you in my rear view mirror.

Don't worry though, it's not your fault. I know you try. The big party every year is a great way to start any month. But think about it. How can any month end well when it's preceded with the biggest holiday season of the year and then gives us nothing even close to that for four cold, dark, lifeless weeks?

The best thing about January is February 1st.

There are a lot of things to like about February. But first...

Let's do the numbers

(Jan 25 to Jan 31)

Miles walked: 28.2
Mileage goal: 28.7
Difference: -0.5
YTD miles walked: 149.95
YTD mileage goal: 127.1
YTD difference: 22.85

While I'm still maintaining my "bank account" balance of miles, it's not growing much. And my daily average is down to 4.84 miles. So I am going to step up my activity level with a goal of maintaining a 5 miles per day average.

The good news is our Minnesota weather keeps getting better so I'll have more opportunities for long walks outside.

Now, on to what's great about February. Here are some things I like about this fun month:

It's no longer January!
My dad's birthday happens in February
Valentine's Day
Increased daylight as the longer days become more obvious
Groundhog Day
March is just around the corner.

Technically, Groundhog Day could fit in any month because I'm referring more to the movie than the day. But since February 2 did provide the inspiration and back story for the movie, it still works to celebrate both the day and the movie in February.

As you can see, there's plenty I like about February. But one thing stands out more than any other.

Every new year brings hope, promise, opportunity and more. And if January is our door to the new year then February is the first room we enter. If January is all about planning for the next chapter in our lives then February is more about living that chapter.

February means the journey has begun yet there's more good things ahead to look forward to. That's what I like most about February.

Thanks for being here today on my virtual journey across the USA. See you soon!

Day 23: Goals, motivation and reality [2]

Kevin Stirtz — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:36:44 GMT

Today (January 23) is an important day because I entered Iowa. Not that going to Iowa is such a big deal. If you live in Minnesota you've probably done that a hundred times.

But entering Iowa is important because now my my virtual walk across America is truly multi-state. It's a milestone of sorts. It feels like I am making more progress.

Now in my fourth week of walking I am starting to realize some new things about this walk how it relates to goal setting and motivation. I'll get to those in a moment.

But first...

Let's do the numbers

Miles walked: 3.65
Mileage goal: 4.1
Difference: -.45
YTD miles walked: 116.64
YTD mileage goal: 94.3
YTD difference: 22.34

If you look at my numbers during the last two weeks you might see a pattern. One is I'm finding it hard to blog about this daily. Another is, my mileage during the week often drops below my daily target.

These both have the same cause: time. While I'd hardly consider us to be super busy, it seems we have activities almost every night during the week. From plays to commision and board meetings to family events, we are often out doing things the majority of week nights. Since Debbie and I like to walk at night, after work, this is having an impact on my miles.

Combine this with winter in Minnesota and the effect is doubled. It's dark in the morning when I wake up. It's dark when I get home from work. And it's cold and messy all day long. Ugh!

So I am finding it takes more motivation on my part, more self-pushing and more reminding myself how important this is. It helps that Debbie is supportive. She understands what I'm doing and why. This makes it easier when I prioritze a 6 mile walk in the dark, cold night over some other fun activity.

I am also learning how important the basic aspects of goal setting have become. If on January 1 this year I had simply said to myself, "I'm going walk more this year" I am certain my results so far would be vastly different.

By setting a goal that's measurable, that requires daily reporting and that is very public, I have set myself up for success. By bringing others into my journey I have made it more likely I will continue even when the going gets rough.

Walking is easy.

However, walking 4.1 miles every single day is not always convenient. And it's not always fun.

Maybe this is why so many New Year's resolutions fall by the wayside. We start strong, full of enthusiasm and good intentions. Then reality shows itself to be a bigger obstacle than we thought.

So far none of my obstacles have been large or even significant. More molehills than mountains. But taken together they could knock me off track.

That's why using these simple goal setting techniques is so useful, at least for me. This is an important self-learning and its helpful to see it play out in real life.

Those are my thoughts for this day. Thanks for joining me on my virtual walk across America.

Day 22: Approaching Iowa

Kevin Stirtz — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:29:39 GMT

Just like Iowa is the first state to kick off our presidential election season, Iowa will be my first state (outside of where I started of course) I travel through on my virtual walk across the USA.

I should cross the Minnesota Iowa border in the next day or two. With over 100 miles walked I feel like this journey is starting to become significant. I wonder how I'll feel after 500 miles? (Tired?)

Let's do the numbers

Miles walked: 6.11
Mileage goal: 4.1
Difference: 2.01
YTD miles walked: 112.99
YTD mileage goal: 90.2
YTD difference: 22.79

My actual walking route was very nice but a little messy. It was foggy and slushy in Burnsville most of the day. At least the temperature was back into the tolerable zone. The weather looks good for the next 10 days so I look forward to more outside walking than last week.

Thanks for "walking" with me. See you soon!

Days 17 to 21: Minnesota Gets Cold

Kevin Stirtz — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:59:51 GMT

It finally happened. We knew it would. Most of us didn't want it to happen but we all knew it was only a matter of time.

This week, it finally got cold in Minnesota.

Temperatures dipped below zero for the first time this winter, which is highly unusual. By now, in a typical winter, we'd be accustomed to the bitter cold.

So this week was our opportunity to to acclimate ourselves to the single digits and sub-zero temperatures.

My walking for the week was clearly affected. Sure, it was a busy week, like usual. But more so it was the cold that kept me from meeting my goal for the week. Of the 5 day days logged in this post, I met my goal only two days and fell behind on three. But the good news is I'm still 20 miles ahead overall, thanks to a strong start in the first half of January.

Let's do the numbers

(Jan 17 to Jan 21)

Miles walked: 18.77
Mileage goal: 20.5
Difference: -1.73
YTD miles walked: 106.88
YTD mileage goal: 86.10
YTD difference: 20.78

Most of my walking was indoors this week. The treadmills and ellipticals at LA Fitness helped as did the expansive campus where I work at Thomson Reuters. Also, the ever fun and inviting Mall of America offered it's warm walkways as a bright alternative to walking in the cold dark night of January in Minnesota.

My friend the weather nerd says things will warm up to the 30's this week so I expect a stronger week with more miles added to my bank account.

My virtual route brought me through the City of Blue Earth MN, across both branches of the Blue Earth River and south of Interstate 90. I am about 12-15 miles from my first milestone on my virtual route. You can see it here on the Google Map I am using to track my virtual journey.

Thanks for sharing this virtual walk across the country with me. See you ina few days!

Day 16: 175,215 steps and counting

Kevin Stirtz — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:32:05 GMT

Day 16 was uneventful. Cold at first, mostly due to the wind. But as I walked and warmed up I was quite comfortable - enough to walk almost 6 miles.

Here's a new metric for this project. As of yesterday, I have walked 175,215 steps this year. I want to talk about that today, but first...

Let's do the numbers

Miles walked today: 5.65
Mileage goal today: 4.1
Difference: 1.55
YTD miles walked: 88.12
YTD mileage goal: 65.6
YTD difference: 22.52

Lately, since learning about FitBit, I have heard a lot about 10,000 steps a day. It's an idea proposed by some as a way to be healthier and to prevent certain chronic conditions that often appear as we age and become more sedentary.

Global Corporate Challenge is promoting the idea of walking 10,000 steps every day through their activities. They even cite a study that supports the value of this level of activity.

An article on LiveStrong.com says this about 10,000 steps a day:

"According to The Walking Site, sedentary people typically walk between 1,000 and 3,000 steps a day. Walking 10,000 steps a day, which works out to roughly five miles, represents a significant increase in activity level. This kind of regular cardiovascular exercise provides benefits like weight loss, decreased risk of heart disease, a stronger immune system and better mood."

A quick search in Google for the phrase "10,000 steps a day" shows over 2 million pages. Clearly it's a topic with some interest.

I'm no medical professional and I don't give advice on such matters. But I do see great value in the 10,000 steps a day concept. I like that it's a specific, objective number. It can be measured.

That makes it easy to put into a goal.

And when you combine a simple metric like 10,000 steps a day with a technology tool like FitBit, then you have a convenient way to establish a goal and monitor your performance against that goal.

Making a specific goal, measuring it, using a time reference (like "per day") and then keeping track of performance, are all actions that can increase your success rate.

So far, it's working for me. In fact, at this rate I should hit a million steps in April.

Until then, thanks for sharing this journey with me. Stay active and stay fit!

Days 9 to 15: Catching Up and Changing Directions

Kevin Stirtz — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:34:13 GMT

Mea culpa! I have missed the last week of blogging about my walk across the country. Last week I started my new job which kept me busier than usual. And I had a busy week of evening meetings.

So, to catch up, I am combining days 9-15 in one post. And I have some big news. But first...

Let's do the numbers

(Days 9-15)

Miles walked: 35.55
Mileage goal today: 28.7
Difference: 6.85
YTD miles walked: 82.47
YTD mileage goal: 61.5
YTD difference: 20.97

The good news is I am 21 miles ahead of my target for this date. The bad news is we are looking at some cold (meaning normal for January) weather over the next few days. This means most of my walking will be inside which is not as fun. Or I will be freezing if I walk outside, which is not fun either.

My walking over the last week was all around my home town of Burnsville. Some was inside at LA Fitness but most was outside as we had good weather all but two days. On January 13, Debbie and I walked almost 3 miles in the Mall of America. It's .6 miles around each floor so it's easy to rack up a few miles while browsing and enjoying the festive atmosphere.

The Big News - San Diego here I come!

I have made a significant change in my route for my virtual walk across America. My original destination was Zion National Park in Utah. And my route was following the highways across the USA.

But I decided the term "walking across America" would fit better if I actually walk to the end of the country. In this case that means the coast of California. I suppose you could argue it's still not a walk across the entire USA but it's more "across the country" than it would be if I ended in Utah,

Plus San Diego is very recognizable, making it interesting when I tell people what I'm doing. For some reason walking to San Diego seems to be more understandable than walking to Zion National Park in Utah.

Because of this new destination, my virtual route has changed. I am no longer following the highways and other roads. I am literally walking cross country, through fields and woods and streams. I will pass through (or get close to) a few cities like Sioux City, IA, Hagler, NE, Limon, Colorado City and Durango CO, Flagstaff and Lake Havasu City AZ and Borrego Springs and Santa Ysabel CA.

So I hope you continue to travel virtually with me on this journey of fitness and fun. I will keep blogging - mostly daily, to let you know where I am and how I'm doing.

Please drop me a note in the comments below sometime. I'd love to hear from you!

Day 8: Walking through Medford and childhood memories

Kevin Stirtz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:18:10 GMT

Day 8 was a big-miles day. My daily goal is 4.1 miles and I walked just over 10 - almost 2.5 times my goal.

So even with Saturday's rest (only 1 mile that day) I still have a surplus of over 14 miles in my bank account. That feels good!

I started yesterday's walk with Debbie (my wife). She came with me for the first half of my walk. This was a nice change from walking alone. She's a great conversationalist which makes the walk go much faster.

Part of my walk brought me through my old nerighborhood. When I say "old" I mean it. This was where I grew up. Compared to where we live now, the two neighborhoods are only only a mile away but a world apart.

The streets and houses and yards in my old neighborhood look vastly different now than when I was a child. Some have worn well over the years. Others have not.

I got barked at by a mean dog. (No change there.) I took pictures of the house I grew up in. And I found an old path in the woods we used to roam as kids. However, the tree fort we built was no longer there. I guess some things don't last forever.

Let's do the numbers

Miles walked today: 10.01
Mileage goal today: 4.1
Difference: 5.95
YTD miles walked: 46.92
YTD mileage goal: 32.80
YTD difference: 14.12

My virtual walk brought me through Medford, MN, home of the famous Medford Outlet Mall. This is one of Debbie's happy places. (Not the happiest, but it's on the list.)

Medford and its 1239 inhabitants reside in Steele County along Interstate 35 about 60 miles south of Minneapolis. Besides being home to some successful athletic programs, Medford has the interesting distinction of being the second smallest city in the USA to have its own McDonalds (at least that's what Wikipedia says).

My walk brought me into Owatonna, a larger city with much more to write about. But let's save that for tomorrow, shall we?

Thanks for joining me. Make it a great day!

Lose weight in a week?

Kevin Stirtz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:01:08 GMT

Eight days ago I started a journey to walk 1500 miles in 2012. In these past 8 days I have walked 46 miles. And I have lost 0 pounds.

That's right. My weight has not changed. Arrgh!

Part of my motivation for walking 1500 miles this year is to lose weight. Though I've never been obese, I have been above my ideal weight for a few years. And I have decided it's time to get my weight to a healthier level.

That's a tricky goal to have.

Losing weight is almost cliche in the USA. From seasonal goals to physician's annual warnings to new year's resolutions, we spend a lot of time and energy and money focused on losing weight.

There are a variety of reasons losing weight is difficult for many of us. Being a lay person in this area I won't even pretend to know the science behind it. Nor would I presume to give advice. But I will suggest one reason losing weight is so hard:

We focus on the wrong thing.

In the past when I have tried to lose weight, I have focused on just that: Losing Weight.

And that's a problem. Because I do not control my weight. I have no dial I can turn up or down to adjust my weight like I'd adjust the light in our dining room.

Losing weight is not about stepping on a scale and cheering or crying. Losing weight is about doing things that we HOPE will result in a healthy and balanced weight loss.

And, to be clear, my goal is not so much about losing weight as it is about enjoying the wellness benefits that accompany better fitness. Being more fit usually means you weigh less. It's a happy, natural consequence of being in better shape.

I started being successful losing weight when I realized I needed to focus on the actions that could lead to a healthier weight:

Exercising more
Eating less
Eating healthier food

And I needed to start paying attention to how much I exercise and what I eat. When I focus on these actions, I tend to lose weight. That's putting the horse before the cart, where it should be.

By focusing on actions and measuring what I do, I can get healthier and lose weight. That's partly what my 1500 mile journey this year is about.

So, I'm not unhappy that I did not lose weight in a week. Because I know I am doing the right things every day. And before long, these actions will lead me to the outcome I want.

How do you deal with weight loss (or the lack of)? What has worked or not worked for you?