New Ranger here

Urban ranger is an inspirational metaphor to get you walking. Warning: there is poetry involved. Discuss it here.
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Williac
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

New Ranger here

Post by Williac » Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:30 am

I have decided to start walking since It seems to be widely regarded as one of the best ways to gain health and lose fat which are two things that are pretty high on my list. I talked to a friend and decided to make a monthly goal of 60(2 a day)miles. If I make it cool, if not try again next month.
I am going to be logging this here. It will be logged as follows.
current mileage total / total mileage goal for the month + or - how many miles I am compared to the 2 mile a day pace(average) I am striving for.
(I am going to just keep editing this post so Its easier to view/update)

I would delete my reply's below but I don't know how to.

December 19th to 31rst. 22/24 miles (-2 miles)

January 71.5/60 miles(+11.5 miles)

February 28th 61.2/70 miles(-8.8miles)

March 11th 30.2/70 miles(+.2)
Last edited by Williac on Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:42 am, edited 63 times in total.

Williac
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

Post by Williac » Tue Dec 25, 2012 3:32 am

went for a 1.5 mile walk tonight. So that puts me at
15.9/24 miles(+3.9 miles)

Williac
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

Post by Williac » Wed Dec 26, 2012 1:24 am

went for a 1.5 mile walk tonight. So that puts me at
19.4/24 miles(+5.5 miles)

Williac
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

Post by Williac » Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:39 am

Made it a total of 2.7 miles today. So that puts me at
22/24 miles(+4.7 miles)

I have been sick for a few days and couldn't walk so I was really glad to get back to it today!!!!!!

Williac
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Post by Williac » Fri Jan 04, 2013 2:12 am

Dang!!!!!!! I was sick the last week of December and fell short of my 2 miles a day goal. I ended 2012 2 miles behind!!

Oh well this is a new month so here I go.


Made it a total of 2.3 miles today. So that puts me at
2.3/60 miles(-3.7 miles)

Williac
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

Post by Williac » Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:14 pm

Made it a total of 4.8 miles yesteray. So that puts me at
7.1/60 miles(-2.1 miles)

My current "pushing it" walking pace is a little under 3.5 mph. I am going to have to start working in more jogging in my walking or I am going to have a hard time keeping the 2 miles per day average I am looking for.

Williac
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Post by Williac » Sun Jan 06, 2013 4:46 am

Made it a total of 3 miles tonight. So that puts me at
10.1/60 miles(+.1 miles)

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Tue Jan 08, 2013 2:14 pm

Belated welcome, Williac! (and happy new year)

I'm impressed at the progress you've made despite the utter lack of any encouragement here (sorry for my negligence -- things have been a little crazy on the domestic front lately).

Best of luck and looking forward to hearing more,

Reinhard

Williac
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Post by Williac » Wed Jan 09, 2013 6:05 pm

Thanks for the reply. I understand domestic craziness. I have 4 kids 7, 5, 3 years old and last but not least 9 month old.

Williac
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Post by Williac » Mon Jan 21, 2013 1:40 am

Listened to ZOMBIES RUN on a friends phone tonight on my 3.3 MILE walk/run. I thought it was a little silly until "WARNING ZOMBIES CLOSING AT 80 METERS RUN!!!!" It got real in a hurry. I made it back to the township with having to drop something twice. That's why I have always liked slow zombies in movies. If the zombie Apocalypse really happens I am going to have to find a good hiding place cause I AM SLOW!!

Williac
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Post by Williac » Mon Jan 21, 2013 11:06 pm

I had the day of from work today and decided to set a personal record. I google mapped a route north of the town I live in that is mostly gravel roads I loaded up my phone with the first season of a really cool radio show called "Were alive" http://www.zombiepodcast.com/ and walked 8.4 miles. With the wind chill it is zero degrees F so I had to wear thermal underwear which rubbed my fat legs pretty raw so I wont be walking tomorrow. But since I have already beat my 60 miles in month goal, that's ok.

Williac
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Post by Williac » Fri Feb 01, 2013 5:14 pm

Well January is over and I did well !!!!!!

Its February 1rst and Its below zero degrees F where I live. I decided to up my mileage goal to 70 miles since I had such an easy time getting 71 miles last month. The reason being I would like to throw in a couple of short faster jogs into my walks to get my heart rate up a little. I figured if I find the right number of miles to shoot for in a month I will feel compelled to throw a couple of those in since I am impatient and being a worker/husband/father I am pressed for "me time" but really feel the "pressure" of the mileage deficit hanging over my head! I am enjoying the whole process the mileage goal/walking program. I am trying to find a method of eating and strength training that I like as well. I really see the sense of systemic moderation but I tend to run Hot or Cold so to speak and I like making up for lacking in an area one day by overachieving the next couple of days. Of course for diet I am sure there are some health problems associated with that. I WILL FIGURE IT ALL OUT!!! or maybe just piss and moan a lot and come back to vanilla NoS!!! Anyway Feb. Here I come.

Williac
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Post by Williac » Mon Feb 04, 2013 3:13 am

O.k. I now have logged over 100 miles total since starting last December. I would say the next milestone for me will be the 500 mile mark. So far my Personal record is 8.4 miles. Today I walked 5.7 miles and it was easy. I was starting to feel it in my upper thighs where my legs rub but everything else was good. Does anyone else on here enjoy walking long distances(relative to there fitness level. I'm currently 38 yrs old, 6'2" and weight 275 lbs.)? My next goal is a 14 mile walk from my house to a neighboring towns gas station (pit stop and bathroom break most likely) and back home. My walking speed is 3 mph comfortably. Tonight I was able to keep up that pace for the whole walk. So that means the trip would be somewhere between 4.6 and 6 hours depending on how I held up. Recently I have fought congestion and that makes walking in 0 -25 degree F weather harder than it could be. I am going to be working up to the 14 mile distance in the next several weeks and hopefully next month will be a little warmer and by then maybe I will be a little stronger and a few pounds lighter to help. My birthday is march the 13th and I would really like to do it the weekend before that depending on weather. I know this sounds crazy but the distance goal(s) really help motivate me. I would welcome any feedback on this. Thanks

Amy3010
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Post by Amy3010 » Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:42 am

I really admire you getting out for walking in those cold temps! I know what you mean about mileage goals being motivating. I think working up to the 14 mile round trip should definitely be do-able with what you've been logging and your consistency.

I had to switch from running to walking (have a bad hip and running wasn't doing it any favors) and am signed up for a 10K trail walk in April. I miss the endorphin rush I got with running but I am starting to enjoy the walking. I have even thought of taking a train to a nearby town and then walking home, for a challenge. But I will probably wait til the weather improves!

Williac
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Post by Williac » Tue Feb 05, 2013 2:08 am

Thank you for the reply Amy3010. I have ran in the past but my current fitness level make running painful. My logic was that if I started in the coldest months of the year spring and summer would be no problem. By then my habit is formed and I can really enjoy myself. I really like the idea of being dropped off somewhere and then walking back.

I have planned most of my walking routes so that at the midpoint I am roughly half of my intended distance away from my house so at the end I have no choice but to finish my walk home!

I have google mapped my route home from work. It is 10.3 miles and has about 7 miles of quiet 2 lane roads in the countryside. It aslo includes one way of the 14 mile route I want to take. I am thinking about this weekend if the weather cooperates. The only hiccup is that I don't want to have to waste the gas having my wife bring me back to work monday(her van gets a third of my little cars mpg).

Amy3010
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Post by Amy3010 » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:36 am

I love the idea of walking home from work! Could you get a ride in with someone else on Monday?

Williac
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Post by Williac » Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:38 pm

Nope there is no one I can hitch a ride with but I am thinking of doing it anyway. The one thing holding me back is my shoes that I walk in are falling apart. I really hate to spend the money for decent new shoes, but I am going to have to buy a pair or quit my extra walking. And I really like the walking.

Amy3010
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Post by Amy3010 » Wed Feb 06, 2013 8:42 am

Well, if you really like the walking, then getting new shoes is probably a really good investment!

That's the nice thing about walking - no special equipment, no particular clothes, no gym membership, nothing needed except a decent pair of shoes.

Keep up the great work! :D

Williac
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

Post by Williac » Thu Feb 07, 2013 3:39 am

thanks again. I am getting my tax return pretty soon so I think after I pay for all the need to stuff I will treat myself to a decent pair!!! I also decided today that along with longer distance walks short sneaky walks I can manage during the day are also fun. I get two breaks and a lunch at work, and managed to walk 3 miles. Tonight after supper my wife wanted me to go to the store for some paper towels. I decided to walk and she decided to come with me. It was a very nice 4 miles. That made for a 7 mile day and now I am 3 days ahead of schedule on my mileage goals!!!!!!!!!!

Amy3010
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Post by Amy3010 » Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:00 am

Way to go! I always love when I can walk to do an errand. I have to drop some books at the library and pick up the newspaper this morning, so I think I will walk it as well...it will make a nice round trip.

Williac
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Post by Williac » Mon Feb 11, 2013 2:39 am

I really like your idea of making already planned and necessary errands walking opportunities. I went ahead and bought my new shoes today. WOW They feel great. I can't believe how light they are.

Image

My wife bought a pair of shoes also since they had a buy one reg priced pair and get another at half price. I would like to say I took the waiting for her to make up her mind about what pair she wanted well, but that would be lying!! It's not her fault, we really doesn't get many chances to just walk into a store and pick out anything we want. And this shoe store had an incredible selection to choose from. Her are her new shoes.

Image

My mileage has dipped down the last few days but Its been raining and cold. I am still ahead of the pace so Ill just hope for good weather this coming week.

Amy3010
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Post by Amy3010 » Mon Feb 11, 2013 8:32 am

Good looking shoes you both got! Hopefully it will make your walking all the more comfortable and enjoyable.

I'm looking forward to hear if you do your walk home from work today and how that goes - although perhaps with the bad weather you'll have to postpone?

We just got a bit of snow here overnight - will walk to the closest store to pick up a few things for dinner, so I don't have to drive the car on the slippery roads. Also, shovelling the driveway and sidewalk is also good exercise!

Have a great week!

Williac
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

Post by Williac » Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:26 am

No walk home today. It wasn't so much the weather that caused me to not walk home as much as it was the time it would take. I had a talk with my wife on the way home from buying our shoes and realized I have been spending a lot of time away from her and the kids taking my walks. I am going to have to sit down and really take an inventory of how I spend my time and see how I can fit in all the things I want to do while not shorting anyone. I am going to make the long distance walks I talked about but they are going to have to be planned out in advance. For example if I had walked home tonight It would have probably taken me 3.5 hours. Instead I came home had supper played with my kids for little bit then knocked out a 2.2 mile walk in 38 minutes. That combined with my 17 minute 1.2 mile walk at lunch today put me over the 2.5 mile average I set for myself this month. I really enjoy walking but I am thinking that after this month I may shift my focus from walking longer and longer to taking an enjoyable stroll at lunch weather permitting combined with a 2.2 mile walk/jog after supper (also weather permitting) trying to slowly over time shave a little off of my time each week/month until I plateau and see where I am fitness wise. I will combine that with trying to be a more active person, taking the stairs , parking farther from the store, ect. I have decided that I can only contribute so much time to my health and should probably also work on my diet, since improving that actually saves me time in the long run and will improves my performance of my walking so it will be more effective. I hope you manage getting around in the snow o.k. It is supposed to be windy and in the high 40's tomorrow so I hope I can sneak in my mileage. Thanks again for the feedback and I will post more as It happens.

Amy3010
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Post by Amy3010 » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:39 am

Yes, it is hard to balance all that we want to do with family, spouse, work and other committments. But if you can keep on getting in your shorter walks every day, that is already a good habit to have, and will serve you well as you improve your lifestyle over time.

In any case, good luck and best wishes!

Williac
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

Post by Williac » Fri Mar 01, 2013 1:35 am

Well its the last day of February and I did not make my 70 mile goal. I didn't walk a few days due to weather and a few days due to family obligations. I'm disappointed but ready to tackle it again in March.

Williac
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Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

Post by Williac » Mon Mar 04, 2013 4:10 am

Gave myself a months gym membership for my birthday this month. I ran/walked tonight on the treadmill. I managed to run several laps at 6mph. Any faster and I might have caught on fire from my pants legs rubbing together. I'm not sure how good my gyms fire insurance is so I backed off a little.

Amy3010
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Location: Belgium

Post by Amy3010 » Mon Mar 04, 2013 7:58 am

LOL! :lol:

Williac
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Post by Williac » Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:56 am

I have done some thinking about my goals and how I manage my time and have decided to "unplug" for a while. I have spent more time looking up useless info and reporting on my self improvement than the acts themselves. I appreciate the feedback I have received, and may post an update in a few months. Until then bye.

princesstina
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Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:18 pm

I've enjoyed reading your posts

Post by princesstina » Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:28 am

Thanks, Williac - I know you are taking some time out from posting, but just to say I have just come across your thread and found it very interesting as I am just starting off becoming an urban ranger myself - I was looking to see how others had got on and found your posts really useful. I know what you mean about spending more time analysing what you're doing than actually doing it though. I have found that a problem too. I'm hoping to keep your experiences in mind and learn from them though. Thanks for all the useful info. Hope you are still managing to get out and about.

Williac
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:52 pm

Post by Williac » Sat May 04, 2013 2:11 pm

I am still keeping active but my walking for distance has fell to the wayside. When the weather started getting nice leaving to go for walks without my kids became nearly impossible. The 2 older boys can outrun me but my 3 year old daughter and youngest (15 months) son aren't quite up to it yet. Also the Spring/Summer/Fall season is much more physically demanding at work. I have switched gears into a 14 minutes of anything and No S ing phase.

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