The End of the Fitbit Challenge 9/21

My company's fitbit challenge ended on Saturday, Sept 21. As I've said elsewhere, I was pleasantly surprised at how much adding a vigorous walking program could add to the existing 3-4 YMCA workouts a week. Throughout the challenge, I definitely noted an increase in energy and strength.

Aiming end the challenge with a bang, I started the day with a 9 mile walk around the town of Snohomish, out the Centennial trail and back.

Sights around town.

The haunted Oxford Saloon, which I STILL haven't visited.

The VERY South end of the Centennial Trail.

Walking on out... or maybe back, I'm not sure.

Later in the day, I walked a couple more laps around Tye Lake

Total steps taken during the challenge, from 7/22 to 9/21, were over 1.1 million over a distance of 500 miles.

Sunday morning drizzle by Tye Lake

The work fitbit challenge ends on Saturday, September 22, so I was out walking a bit this weekend to start powering through the last bit. Started out yesterday walking a few laps around Tye Lake before using the elliptical machine at the YMCA. It was a little drizzly but also quiet and nice.

These abandoned toys made me think of Toy Story 2. In the background, there's a guy either using a metal detector or checking for landmines.

Did I mention the drizzle?

Tye Lake in the morning

The original yesterday was to spend a half hour on the elliptical machine at the Monroe YMCA and then walk three laps around Tye Lake. Just for a little variety. As luck would have it, this is the Monroe Y's shutdown week, where they close up for a week to perform maintenance, upgrade equipment and generally spiff the place up a bit. The first hint was the near complete lack of vehicles in the parking lot...this gym is usually packed, even at 7 am on Saturday..

Still, doing one additional lap around the lake on a gorgeous Summer morning wasn't so bad.

I was feeling pretty studly to be out walking 6 miles early on the weekend until I asked this guy running laps around the lake how much his pack weighed and he said 70 pounds. He was there when I got to the lake and still there when I left.

Some more pictures of the lake and the area around the walking path.

This was sad...it looks like somebody passed away here pretty recently.