Back at it. In May 2013 my company, Dolby, started its annual "Global Corporate Challenge". During the next 16 weeks, you are supposed to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. I did this, (averaged more like 13,000) and it really made a big difference (lost 45 lbs so far, much healthier.) So, I've started trying to get a little faster. I have taken to walking very fast (I can easily do 12 min/miles walking) and am trying to run now as well. Last weekend I mostly-walked-with-some-running 13.2 miles in about 2 hours 30 minutes. Today I went on my usual 5-mile morning trip, running about 1/3 the time, ended up with 10:13 miles. I hope tomorrow to get under 10 minute/miles on average!

Day 9

Great day. 1/2 hour at 4 and 4.1 mph, going up to 8% grade, 400 cal on the treadmill. Really felt good. Ankle feels amazingly better, but I think that's the motorcycle therapy :)

Days 6, 7, 8

Saturday was a big day, I went an hour on the treadmill, 725 calories on its counter. Sunday was a hard 3 mile walk in the mountains. Monday I skipped, might be coming down with something. Still, a great weekend.

Days 2,3,4,5

Had good workouts on Days 2, 3, and 5, but didn't go on Thursday. Every day feel a little stronger. Tomorrow I hope to go maybe a bit slower but for a whole hour -- trying to build up a little more endurance on the weekend. Next week going up to 8% grade, trying to increase the effort without increasing the strain on the ankles. It's all good!

Day 1, Try 2

Well, the first attempt ended with just pretty severe constant pain in my ankles. I've thought about it, and decided that the thing to do would have been to first lose some weight, and second walk on a treadmill for the first few months, to take advantage of the cushioning it provides. I had to modify our tired old treadmill somewhat to allow for more cooling...and I have to run it at an incline of at least 6 percent to assist it in pulling the belt around, but if I do that I go at least 40 minutes without popping its circuit breaker.

For the last two weeks I've been going every other day on the treadmill for half an hour at 4 mph and a 6 percent incline. Today is the first day I went at 4.1 mph and 7%, and I'll do that every day for a week.

I've managed to get down to 275 lbs. I'm only weighing myself every month...every day just got a little too weird, and really the weight is more of a side effect to the fitness.

So...

Day 1, Try 2.

30 minutes
4 and 4.1 mph
7 % grade
felt completely awesome!

Day 17

Had a good day. Felt very good walking hard, not much stiffness. Took the ibuprofen and chondroitin at night -- I had some coughing and throat roughness in the middle of the night, I'm going to do the chondroitin in the mornings from now on, see how that goes.

Felt a little bit bad running the first downhill, but ran the second third and fourth with no drama. Did the first have in 16:01 (rats!)

Whole thing was 2.5 miles in 33:50. avg speed 4.5. Not bad at all. Pretty stiff here at work, even taking ibuprofen before coming out there. A few minutes of stiffness and pain after sitting down any time at all.

Feel good about a least going out the first 4 days this week.

Day 16

Much much better than yesterday. Taking ibuprofen and chondroitin before bed, perhaps coincidentally, left me with almost no pain in the morning. Went 2.5 miles in 35:34, avg speed 4.4mph. Not great, but not bad. Ended up feeling pretty good, not too winded, not in any kind of distress going up the final hill. So much better than yesterday it was like night and day.