Trying to Play Catch Up

I'm behind in blog posts. About a week behind. I hope this week to bring everything up to date.

I have past step 1,000,000 in the step program from work. My legs and feet are very tired. But my toe is very slowly getting better. It will probably get better faster when the program stops. Thankfully, Wednesday is the last day of the program.

My Toe is a Mess

My toe is still trying to recover from me running into well whatever I hit when I was near the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria. I thought about posting a picture but that would be way too gross.

It is needless to say a mess. Haven't been able to do much walking at all. Now when I do walk for a while the toe bleeds just a little. Not a whole bunch of blood. Not like it's an open cut. Once I get out of my shoes it stops. I think it is because the pressure the shoe puts on the toe. It looks like the toe nail might come off. I talked to my doctor about it last week. He said to get some first aid tape and tape the hurt toe to the one next to it. That would be the advice he gave if the toe was broken (which thankfully mine is not) and one that was badly bruise (which mine is).

If the toe doesn't get to be at least a little better, I think I'm going to put in another call to my doctor and see what he says. I can also discuss what the ears, nose and throat guy said about my acid reflux. But that's another story and for another post.

Trying to Walk a Marathon

I did my best to complete this but in the end my feet and legs tired out. I did some walking around my neighborhood. I started walking a little after 5 in the morning. I came back to my house had breakfast and headed out. I started out at 7:30 on step 10,237.

From Union Station to My Office

By the time I reached Union Station it was 8:12 and step 13,562. By the time I got to my office it was 8:47 and step 16,679.

Some pictures of the development around Union Station.









































Here's a picture of the Postal Museum and a great statue outside of, I think, the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.




































A view of the Canadian Embassy, the work being done on the East Wing of the National Gallery and a banner touting the Cherry Blossom festival.

Between Key Bridge and Memorial Bridge

In the middle of Key Bridge at 9:41 and step 20,986. Here are some of the views I saw on my walk.

In and Around the Torpedo Factory

The Torpedo Factory is a wonderful place to go in Alexandria. It has a wonderful variety of artists showing off their works. Also it is right on the water. I got there ate 12:23 and step 36,702.

Outside the Torpedo Factory

Outside of the Torpedo Factory was this guy playing these glasses filled with water. It was really cool to see and more important cool to hear.

Lunch

I found the McDonald's a little out of the way. I got my two filet of fish. Lunch was around 1:20 and step 40,432. On the way back to the bike path I happened upon this very cute area in north Alexandria.

At the 14th Street Bridge

Here's a great view from the 14th Street Bridge looking into the District. It's 3:48 here and step 49,272. I will also add that it takes a long time to walk across the bridge.

By the Jefferson Memorial

At the front of the Jefferson Memorial at 4:07 and step 50,383. There was a bridal party there having their pictures taken. Also the buds on the cherry trees are starting to come out. In fact, the blossoms should be out in another week to ten days.








































While not exactly near the Jefferson Memorial, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing had this really cool banner for an exhibit that they have on the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

The Final Total

I have to say the walk from the Metro to my house was hard. My feet were really hurting. Along with my legs. I'd find out later just how bad my left big toe was from when I hit it against a wall in Old Town Alexandria.

Walking Around Alexandria

Almost a Marathon

I was about 1,500 steps short. I also hit my left big toe and really hurt it (it is a very pretty blue color). Photos will be coming shortly.

It's taken me several days to recover. Thus the reason for no posts. My feet besides my big toe hurt and my legs too. Still trying to recover.

Walking a Marathon

Yes, that is what my goal is today. To walk a marathon or to put it another way to walk 55,334 steps in one day.

I've already started. I was up at 5 today well actually I was up earlier than that because Charlies woke me up.

I've put in a total of 10,150 steps so far. I will be heading out shortly to see how far I can get.

Steps Program Starts Again

The steps health program has started up again at work.

It’s about a week and a half longer this time. I did 754,000 steps last time. I’m going to try and see if I can do 1 million this time.

So on Saturday I started on one of my marathon walks around DC.

I started at my gym. I went there for my TRX class which started at 8:30. I’d wanted to get out and do some walking before going to the class but didn’t get up in time to do it. It was also a little rainy then too. Starting at Results right around 9:30 I had 2871 steps.

I stopped off at the CVS at DuPont Circle to pick up provisions. At that point I was at 3889 steps.

I then proceeded up Conn. Avenue, Along the way passed the Melody Record shop which is going out of business. It’s been at DuPont Circle for years. It will be sad to see it go. But it is a sign of the times.

At the Taft Bridge

At 10:09 and step 5795 I crossed the Taft Bridge. Here’s a little information on the lions on the bridge:

The bridge is “guarded” by four large male lions, two on each end of the bridge (each approx. 7 ft. x 6 ft. 6 in. x 13 ft.). Two of the lions rest on all fours with their heads tilted upwards and mouths slightly open while the other pair lie with their eyes closed, apparently sleeping. They were originally designed and sculpted by Roland Hinton Perry in 1906 out of cast concrete (the bridge as a whole is one of the first cast concrete bridges in the country) and were installed in 1907.

A Great Visit at the Zoo

At 10:24 at step 7388 I reached the National Zoo. I saw lots of lions, a couple of tigers and some orangutans. Sorry no bears. I didn’t get to see them. I did get to see the pandas and other animals as well.

A Great Visit at the Zoo, Part II

The Uptown Theater and over to Wisconsin Ave.

Next stop the Uptown Theater at 11:20 and step 12014. Here's a little information on the theater:

Opened by Warner Brothers on October 29, 1936, the Uptown Theater is the last movie palace in Washington, DC still showing first-run films. The Uptown is located near the Cleveland Park subway stop on the Red Line of the Metro. Many restaurants are on both sides of the street.

The theater opened with a seating capacity of 1,364 (914 seats in the orchestra and 450 in the stadium seated balcony). The Uptown Theater was designed by theater architect John Zink, a top designer of Art Deco and Art Moderne style movie houses. In 1939, Zink designed Baltimore’s historic Senator Theatre.

I then used Siri to help me get to Wisconsin Avenue. I took Newark Street. It had some very impressive houses along the way.