January 30th

Another pathetic day.  We did walk around the pond with the dogs, and I'm not sure how accurately the pedometer tracks those steps-- particularly because we were walking faster than usual (so not my typical stride).  I need to get back on the treadmill!  (Or at least walk around the pond multiple times, at my usual pace that doesn't make me sore and resentful at the very thought of walking the next day, and the next, and the next...)

January 30th:
2914 steps
1.1 miles

TOTAL= 97.5 / 458 miles

Just a half-mile short of Tom Bombadil's house...

January 29th

After a tiring day and sleep-short night, I took a day off the walking, with just a short stint on the stationary bike.  I also did a little yard work (mostly pruning perennials and carting off dead stalks/stems), but not of the type that racked up many steps.

January 29th:
2862 steps
1.1 miles walked
2.5 miles biked (recumbent stationary)

TOTAL= 96.4 / 458 miles

I've met Tom Bombadil and am headed toward his house.  (Nice of him to offer a place to stay!)

January 28th

I was more active than usual, yesterday.  I started with an hour on the treadmill, followed by a little extra time (10 to 15 minutes?) pedaling slowly on the stationary bike.  Later in the day, I did some yard work, which consisted of a fair bit of pushing the wheelbarrow around.  Finally, I spent some time with Donald giving the dogs their daily outdoor fetching session.

January 28th:
13547 steps
5.3 miles walked
2.3 miles biked (stationary recumbent bike)

TOTAL= 92.8 / 458 miles

Walking along the Withywindle.

I'm getting close to the 100-mile mark!  Tom Bombadil is looming, as well.  I don't remember much about Tom Bombadil, except that his was an especially odd part of the book... (I probably ought to give the trilogy a re-read, sometime, but I don't know if I'll ever muster the enthusiasm for it, when there are so many other things I haven't read, yet-- and special favorites I'd rather spend time revisiting...)

January 26th and 27th

January 26th:
9252 steps
3.7  miles

January 27th:
11484 steps
4.5 miles

TOTAL= 85.2 / 458 miles

On the path in the Old Forest, with the path climbing gently.

January 25th

January 25th:
9575 steps
3.8 miles

TOTAL= 77 / 458 miles

I've gone through a hedge tunnel to reach the Old Forest, and the path has disappeared.

January 22nd to 24th

I've been slacking in the record-keeping!

I took a day off the treadmill on Saturday, but on Sunday was back on again.  However, "just" an hour on the treadmill isn't enough to get me much beyond 8000 steps a day-- not if I spend the rest of the day plopped in front of the computer or TV.  If I want to get closer to 10,000 steps a day, I'm going to have to either put in more time on the treadmill (or at a faster pace, which I don't enjoy at all) or make other walks a daily habit.

January 22nd:
9044 steps
3.5 miles

January 23rd:
3258 steps
1.2 miles

January 24th:
8202 steps
3.2 miles

TOTAL= 73.2 / 458 miles

I've left Crickhollow and am riding a pony slowly, apparently.  I don't remember much about this part of the book (and the movie glosses over this part of the tale).

January 21st

Started out on the treadmill, but was eager to stop after half an hour.  (The result of consecutive "lazy days", far too little sleep the night before, etc.)  Moved over to the recumbent bike to extend the "workout" slightly.  The bike was a nice change of pace.  I should use it more often to provide a little variety.

January 21st:
4821 steps
1.9 miles walked
2 miles biked (recumbent stationary bike)

TOTAL= 65.3 / 458 miles

I've made it past Farmer Maggot's to the Causeway to Buckleberry Ferry.

January 20th

Another "off" day.  A few steps accumulated as I did a little yard work, but they didn't add up to much.  Time to get back on that treadmill!

January 20th:
4684 steps
1.8 miles

TOTAL= 61.4 / 458 miles

Well, at least I've finally reached Farmer Maggot's fields!

January 19th

Took a day off pretty much everything, including walking.  (Shame, shame...)

January 19th:
3595 steps
1.4 miles

TOTAL= 59.6 / 458 miles

Still just hovering near the border of Farmer Maggot's fields... Maybe I'm put off by his name.  I mean, really.  Maggot?  He could at least adopt a faux-French pronunciation and drop the 't'! ;o)

January 18th

The treadmill continues to be the key to my getting any "real" walking done (beyond incidental steps taken in the course of an average day).

Lately, I've been reading Passalong Plants while walking.  I don't often read works of non-fiction cover to cover, these days, and I do find my attention wandering a little more than when I read fiction, but it's going pretty well.  The book is interesting-- especially for a Southern gardener.

January 18th:
10185 steps
4.0 miles

TOTAL= 58.2 / 458 miles

I'm nearing the fields of Farmer Maggot!

January 16th and 17th

I took it pretty easy over the weekend.  A short shopping trip on Saturday, then painting a room on Sunday-- and a walk around the pond, somewhere in there-- but not much else.

January 16th:
6709 steps
2.6 miles

January 17th:
3361 steps
1.3 miles

TOTAL= 54.2 / 458 miles

January 15th

January 15th:
8458 steps
3.4 miles

TOTAL= 50.3 / 458 miles

Woo hoo!  Fifty miles walked!

I've been noticing the beginning of a blister on the bottom right edge of my right heel-- caused by some rubbing in my shoe, I guess.  I've bought some slightly more walking-friendly socks that I hope will help, and I'm alternating with another pair of shoes, too.  (And of course I'm also employing the age-old band-aid padding trick.)

I'm surprised to be getting a blister, because it doesn't feel like I'm walking that much more than usual, but it would seem that I am... and that's a good thing!  Even if it's not a monumental achievement, a slight improvement is still an improvement (and may lead to bigger changes, eventually).

January 14th

January 14th:
11315 steps
4.5 miles

TOTAL= 46.9 /458 miles

We're headed toward Buckleberry Ferry. (And we're about to see a Black Rider at our just-vacated camping site!  Yikes!)

January 13th

January 13th:
9169 steps
3.6 miles

TOTAL= 42.4 / 458 miles

January 12th

Treadmill-- plus we took the dogs walking around the pond.  It was nice, and Trixie in particular could use the extra exercise, but soon after we returned home, I found a tick (unattached) on Luna.  Ugh.  I hate hate hate ticks.  They make me dislike walking the dogs in the woods, because though they sometimes get ticks just out in the yard, they're even more likely to pick them up out on the trail.  

January 12th:
10238 steps
4.0 miles

TOTAL= 38.8 / 458 miles

According to the guide, I'm walking in twilight and singing.  That's a bit of a mixed bag, as I love twilight-- and enjoy singing, sometimes-- but remember finding the songs in the books... well, boring, to be honest.  Maybe I'd like them better if I re-read them as an adult, but I doubt it.

January 11th

Back on the ol' treadmill for an hour.

Just before sunset, I did a little walking in the process of cutting back a few frost-bitten plants and applying a slap-dash "winter mulch", in anticipation of another cold night.  Afterwards, Donald and I went for a quick walk around the pond, and for the first time since she was a puppy, we left Luna in the (fenced) yard while we walked.  (The last time we tried, she squeezed under a gate and caught up to us.)  Now that she's full-grown (and that particular gap is blocked by a post), we thought it might be okay.  Nope; just a few minutes into our walk, a joyous Luna came bounding along the path behind us!  (Fortunately, she came to us easily enough.)  We took her inside, then went out again for our little walk. (Phew.)

January 11th:
12416 steps
4.9 miles

TOTAL= 34.8 / 458 miles

After a frightening brush with a Black Rider, I'm keeping a stone's throw to the left of the road.

January 10th

This was a lazy Sunday; I took a day off the treadmill and didn't even walk the trail.  We spent a little time organizing the garage, but it didn't add up to many steps, because we were tidying the tool bench, mostly-- a few steps here and there, doing this or that in the garage and house, but never enough to activate the pedometer.

Possibly as a consequence of my extremely sedentary day, I didn't sleep that well the following night.  I think I'm much better off if I at least put in an hour walking on the treadmill and reading.

January 10th:
2483 steps
0.9 miles

TOTAL= 29.9 / 458 miles

January 9th

January 9th:
7760 steps
3.0 miles

TOTAL= 29 / 458 miles

According to the "Bag End to Rivendell" description, I "can see across Woody End to the River".  (The terrifying encounter with the Black Rider is coming up next!)

January 8th

January 8th:
8368 steps
3.3 miles

TOTAL= 26 / 458 miles

January 7th

January 7th:
9506 steps
3.7 miles

TOTAL= 22.7 / 458 miles

January 6th

January 6th:
9273 steps
3.7 miles

TOTAL= 19 / 458 miles

Trees from My Walk

Walked around the pond a couple of times, but stopped to take photos on the first half of the first circuit, so didn't do much aerobic walking until after that.

January 5th:
5380 steps
2.1 miles

TOTAL:  15.3 / 458 miles

Photos from the walk:

January 4th

Read Airs Above the Ground on the treadmill for just over an hour.  Played with the dogs outside (fetching frisbees and the jingly ball).  Brisk twilight walk on the pond circuit with Donald.  Plus some incidental walking while hauling laundry to and fro.

January 4th:
11316 steps
4.5 miles

TOTAL= 13.2 / 458 miles

January 3rd

I skipped the treadmill and walked to/around the pond, instead.  My legs always seem to get sore when I take that walk by myself, though when I'm with someone else, it's not as likely to bother me.  I'm probably starting out too fast (for my current level of walking stamina/strength).

Before taking my walk, I changed the stride setting on the pedometer, and though I only adjusted my stride down by a couple of inches, I think it was too far in the other direction, because I'm pretty sure it under-reported the length of my walk.  I know for a certainty that I walk differently (pace, stride) when I walk outdoors compared to on the treadmill, but I'm not willing to fuss with switching it back and forth based on where I'm walking on a given day...  Anyway, I ended up switching it back to the original setting.  If it's slightly overestimating my mileage on treadmill days, so be it!

January 3rd:
3669 steps
1.4 miles

TOTAL= 8.7 / 458 miles

First Two Days

I'm seeing some discrepancies between my pedometer's calculated mileage and that on the treadmill.  The first day, the difference was minor, but on the second day it was more noticeable.  I'll try to tweak the stride length setting on the pedometer, but it's probably impossible to get it perfectly accurate all the time, as my stride changes according to where/how/when I walk.

In any case, it doesn't matter, as this is all done in fun, anyway.  If the challenge gets me walking more, it's done its job, even if I'm not walking exactly as many miles as I think I am.

- - - - - - -

January 1st:
8911 steps
3.5 miles

January 2nd:
9618 steps
3.8 miles

TOTAL: 7.3 / 458 miles

According to the Éowyn Challenge site, I've entered Tookland and am just about to take one last look back at the lights of Hobbiton...