Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Happy Leap Year Day

No, it's not March 1.
Every four years, we add an extra day to the calendar to keep in sync with the Earth’s revolutions around the sun. It takes 365.242199 days for the earth to complete a full rotation around the sun.
Our calendar, however, marks out a mere 365 days a year. If we did not add a day every four years, we would lose six hours from our calendar every year. That would add up to the loss of 24 days in the course of 100 years! I don’t know about you, but I can use all the extra time I can get.
(Google source)

In the course of reading a number of different running blogs I found one in particular that was hosting a virtual 2.9 run today on the 29th of February. I thought it would be fun to participate and so I got on my treadmill and ran as fast as my heart could go.  28:10 was as good as it was going to get for me today.  
Last night as me and hubby were getting ready for bed I was telling him about this virtual run I was doing and he thought it was a little odd to be only run that far.  He said "why not run 29 laps around a track?  THAT would be more significant."  Well, that got my wheels turning a little bit.  I didn't want to run 29 times around a track so I decided to try a few of my own ideas of 29.  So this is what my little brain came up with.
*Ran 2.9 miles in 28:10
*29 flights of stairs
We have 3 sets of 7 stairs for a total of 21 steps in our house.  I ran up and down them 29 times. (took me about 15 minutes)
*29 sit-ups-2 sets
*29 push-ups 2 sets (girl type-I'm so weak in the arms)
*29 jumping jacks 6 sets
*29 second planks 2 times
*29 lunges 
Then I was spent!  I cleaned up and got ready for my grandson to come play with me.  I was still thinking along the 29 lines and thought maybe I would give Miles 29 kisses!  Ha ha, that was a joke.  He wanted nothing to do with this endeavor of mine.  I think I got about three kisses and it was over.
My thoughts will still be swirling today as I try to come up with other 29 items I can pursue. 
What are your leap year traditions?  Do you do 29 of anything on this day?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think I've yawned 29 times (at least) today. Maybe I should have spent my extra day getting a little more rest. Just reading all of your ideas today made me additionally tired!!!!! Only joking. Love, M.

Erica Gorman said...

I love it! I think you just got 29 laughs from me!

wendy said...

Oh my gosh...you have my head spinning about now.
29??????????
That whole number of 365(point) whatever else all those numbers were
kinda had me in a fog
loose 24 days in 100 years.
I DO INTEND to live 100 years, just to "spite" people (tee,hee)
so 24 days would just be that many more days to irritate people (tee,hee...agaiin)

ok. back to 29
I don't think I have ever given it 29 seconds of thought.!!???