Peaceful Streets

 I headed out a few minutes earlier this morning. The few minutes difference. There was a nice breeze blowing making for comfortable conditions. I love the dry air this time of year. There will be a few warm days , but not nearly as many. I did the same route as yesterday, but at a slightly quicker pace. I did 8.70 miles in 2:24:22 for a 16:36 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 164 bpm with an elevation gain of 200 feet with an average cadence of 127 spm at 65 overcast degrees. My plan is to take tomorrow off as I have a long trip to Maine following school. I am looking forward to seeing my old church family and my youngest daughter Kim and her family. Of course it’s always great to see my parents. I am also looking forward to the time alone— time to think and pray. Sometimes you get so busy in the day to day that you lose sight of the big picture and other important details. Lord thank you for your guidance and leading.

Tuesday/Wednesday

 Tuesday- I did the Medford/Randall Loop doing 8.90 miles in 2:30:41 for a 16:56 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 161 bpm with an elevation gain of 228 feet with an average cadence of 126 spm at 65 degrees.

Wednesday- I did the Apple Court, Kastal, Ryan , Woodlot and Randall doing 8.68 miles in 2:25:13 for a 16:44 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 81 bpm at an average cadence of 126 spm at a humid 70 degrees.

Besides the workouts life had been hectic. Hopefully I can get a day or two of normal. Doing consistent workouts means doing a lot of workouts not feeling that great. You just do it regardless. Have a blessed day!

Monday at School (PD)

 I woke up and for the most part was optimistic and ready to take on the day. I did the Ridge Loop doing 8.71 miles in 2:26:16 for a 16:47 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 129 bpm with an elevation gain of 205 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at 65 comfortable degrees. I definitely get slower every year. I may have to cut my distance a tiny bit to allow myself plenty of time to get to work. My shoulder is slowly healing, but definitely not there yet. I am just glad that I am able to work around my injuries— that is truly a blessing to continue to train even when injured. 

This weekend, Lord willing, I am headed to Eastport to my friend’s daughter’s wedding. This will give me an opportunity to visit my youngest daughter and her precious family. God is so good. The plans are falling together thanks to him. In some respects the fact that my work and my church don’t expect too much from me , it affords me the ability to look after my family. So many things that I used to do, so many things that I have the ability to do but nobody thinks that I can deliver to do— this position has given me greater freedom. I do feel overlooked down here in New York, but the Lord knows what He’s doing! Praise be to Jesus!

Before the Rain

 Things have been busy and different the past week. We had family fun night at Adventureland on Monday—- my wife has been gone at my in-laws since Tuesday night with my father in law and brother in law coming tonight at two different airports. My brother in law will be staying with us for 4 days. I got out this morning in good season doing the Ridge Loop. I did 8.75 miles in 2:27:03 for a 16:48 per mile pace with an average heart rate of 173 bpm with an elevation gain of 287 feet at an average cadence of 124 spm at 70 cloudy degrees Got my strength in before work. Thank you Lord for your provision!

Back at It : Day 1 & 2

 Day 1: Charlotte is staying with her mother while her father is away, so I’m batching it for a few days. I woke up at 4:15 to start my first day of work of this school year. It was a comfortable start as I did the Longwood Loop. I did 9.21 miles in 2:32:49 for a 16:35 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 107 bpm with an elevation gain of 330 feet at an average cadence of 127 spm at 62 degrees. I saw a couple of walkers out an about.

Day 2: I was very slow today as my knees ached and I was tired from a long day the day before. I did the Medford/Randall Route doing 8.86 miles in 2:30:40 for a 17:00 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 161 bpm with an elevation gain of 219 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at 61 degrees. It takes adjusting to a work schedule. Doing PD’s is a good way to break into the grind. A good amount on my mind, but I’ll save it for later. God bless you!

Slow Moving

 I was out later than usual thanks to the church family night at Adventureland with my grandkids, wife, daughter, and daughter in law. I was so tired, but I kept on moving out of my bed. On another note, my last day before school begins was a long one but a blessed one. I did 9.38 miles in 2:38:45 for a 16:55 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 85 bpm with an elevation gain of 331 feet at 68 degrees. It was fairly comfortable. I had a tear in my shirt that caused an irritation, so I had to take it off. 

Right now my wife has a lot on her plate. It’s weighing on her, but it’s also causing friction between us. Blood is thicker than water, more so with some families. It’s times like this when you need to be selfless. God I commit this to you!

Last Monday of Summer

  Today I headed out thinking back to all the different places this summer that I have done my morning walking workouts. England, Maine, and Pennsylvania have given me a variety of places to traipse around in the mornings. I came to the realization that I workout simply because I know that it will provide good results. These results come with a cost. It’s not always enjoyable and there are unpleasantries , but the results are sure to follow. There are no reminders and there is nobody making sure that I do my workouts—it’s something that I choose to do. I realized that so much of life is the same way. There are things that we must choose to do. There are important things that we must choose to do and nobody else is going to tell us to do them. That is the gift that we all are given. We must see through the mundane and see the important necessary things that only we can do.

  I did the Randall loop doing 9.2 miles in 2:31:16 for a 16:26 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 84 bpm with an elevation gain of 261 feet at an average cadence of 125 spm at 67 degrees. 

   I’m grateful for this summer. I’m not looking forward to my morning commute, but I am looking forward to this 37 th year of teaching. Let’s see what the Lord has in store.

Limbo before Routine

 Often this time of year I question my direction in life. It’s a reaction of going from the flexibility of summer to the routine of school. I would hope that I could do another job before retiring, but retiring seems like it’s not achievable anytime soon. Today I did 9.08 miles in 2;34:12 for a 16:58 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 123 spm with an elevation gain of 334 feet at an average cadence of 124 spm at 73 degrees.

 Looking forward to the weekend. God bless you friend!

It Feels Good to be Home

 This has been a summer of travel. It has been a good time, but I am tired and ready to be home. That said, I truly enjoyed each stay this summer. Each trip was meaningful. Maine is my home still in my heart, but Long Island is the place where I live with my precious wife. The workouts and my living space are catered to my needs at the time. I hope to take this final week before school to recoup and recover. Right now I am just enjoying being home. I did the Longwood Loop at a very leisurely pace doing 9.27 miles in 2:34:59 for a 16:43 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 144 bpm with an elevation gain of 311 feet at an average cadence of 124 spm at a cloudy slightly breezy temperature of 68 degrees. Tired and resting—God bless you!

Finishing Workout in Shawnee Village

 This route is definitely one of the quietest that I’ve ever done. It’s very lush and green, but not the most scenic when comparing it to Maine. It was however, a really nice change of pace that I will miss. I was definitely feeling fatigued, but I had enough juice to get the workouts in. I had one of my better workouts in doing 8.71 miles in 2:18:19 for a 15:52 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 155 bpm with an elevation gain of 487 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at a steamy drizzly 67 degrees along the Delaware River. I stopped to put music on as I was feeling unmotivated. Thankfully I ended my PA workouts on a positive. Right now I am just looking forward to watching some cowboy shows at home. Although I always miss Maine, I am grateful for the nice home that I have on Long Island. Lord willing, one week from today I will be back at school. Thankfully I am working with the younger students at 105 Pleasant. I do miss being treated with the respect that I was treated in Maine— as a teacher, a coach, and in church. I do trust the Lord’s plans— thank you Lord!

Electric Tuesday in the Poconos

 I headed out the door with a lock of enthusiasm, but not a lack of purpose. This vacation I have been a bit tired and not 100%, but I have been serviceable. This is the way life is. The secret is keeping going even when you are less than your best and maybe a bit out of sorts. Char and I have done some effective shopping for school at the Tannersville Outlets. It’s the change of scenery that is the key. There are enough days of the same ole same ole that the changes are important. This morning I did my route and within half a mile I saw a truck with flashing lights in front of a fallen tree and power line. I went passed the truck avoided the power line and dipped under the tree to the other side. At this point one of the “gentleman “ from the truck sauntered out of the truck and told me that he had witnessed the stupidest thing in watching me go under the tree risking electrocution. I thanked him for basically calling me a dummy and warning me and continued on. My thoughts were that I walked right past him with bright orange shirt and hat and he didn’t think to warn me until I already went through— anyway. Just after my turnaround spot of 4 plus miles a truck slowed behind me and passed me slowly giving me the thumbs up. I was preparing myself for a drive by, but thankfully it was a little gesture of encouragement. It was drizzly and around 70 most of the workout. Here are the stats- 8.46 miles in 2:18:35 for a 16:22 minute per mile pace at an average heart rate of 160 bpm. My legs were feeling the combination of my workout, hiking all the steps at Bushkill falls and doing 28, 000 steps plus. Today was a more average type of workout. Tomorrow Lord willing is my last workout here in PA before heading back home. This summer has been full of variety— thank you Lord. It’s been a pleasant time here as I blog on the back porch in the solitude of the backyard.

Friday/Monday

  Friday ( in Calverton)- I was going to do just an easy walk. It definitely was hotter than what I was used to in Maine. I was definitely tired. I have been living out of a suitcase for about 5 weeks this summer. Thankfully I have been blessed to have kept my training up. I usually make things slightly easier when I am on the road. Here are the Calverton stats- 9.35 miles in 2:47:21 for a 17:53 minute per mile pace at an average heart rate of 75 bpm with an elevation gain of 333 feet at an average cadence of 116 spm at 69 degrees. I had a fit old couple make up ground on me and said “Good Morning “ to which I promptly picked up the pace. Shortly thereafter, I had a young lady turn around about 10 seconds ahead of me and she kept going for miles. At first I thought she was a teenager, but I later saw that she was a fit probably 30 something. I tried to maintain the gap without getting closer. There was also a pregnant woman running with her baby in an exercise stroller. So the pace definitely was fast including a sub 14 minute mile.

 Monday at Shawnee Village, PA on the River Road I did 8.43 miles in 2:15:36 for a 16:04 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 90 bpm with an elevation gain of 356 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at a temperature of 63 degrees. This was one of the quietest workout spots that I’ve ever done. I’m actually looking forward to tomorrow. I saw a bunch of deer roaming the steep banks around me. This summer has been a wonderful adventure of variety. Such a blessing. Variety is helpful in the long-term of training. Stomach was a bit off and seem to be fighting off a cold. So far taking it easy is helping me cope. Thank you Lord for giving me more than I deserve.

Finishing Off this Visit in Eastport

  This was a good trip and a productive trip. I was too tired to feel nostalgic, but was alive enough to feel grateful for my whole visit.

  A few thoughts. My parents are very productive for their ages, but I notice little changes and little declines, just like I notice in myself. I treasure the time with my parents as well as the opportunity to help them. Second, I didn’t have comparatively as much “free” time as usual—- but I did have the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my grandson Keon. We did a variety of everyday sort of things that I think real life is made of. So many people try to do special outings in order to say that they have had some sort of special experience. These experience can be good, but sometimes we ignore the blessing of the everyday.Thirdly, being a parent is scary. As adults your children make changes and you wish that you had the power to make everything okay— but you don’t. Even if you had that power it would interfere with God’s working in their lives. Learning to really trust the Lord is an ongoing thing— and we mature, but never truly arrive on this side of eternity. Fourth, each year I continue to slow down. My workouts are slower, but through the Lord’s grace I continue on and am so grateful for the good health.

 Today, I did a variation of the usual loop for this visit adding a little Loop down County Road and Stevens Avenue. There were so many walkers out, many more than in Ridge. I was actually annoyed to see so many people out. At one point I stopped to take a couple of pics and let another walker pass. I was surprised to see her also go up the very steep Adams Street hill. I did pass her, but what a labor. I am not what I used to be. I did 9.02 miles in 2:22:44 for a 15:49 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 104 bpm at an elevation gain of 537 feet at an average cadence of 129 spm at a comfortably cool 58 sunny degrees. There was a one lane road near the opposite side of Redoubt Hill, increasing my degree of annoyance. Despite my propensity and “gift” of complaining Ian truly thankful. I am grateful for my many opportunities and now I am ready for Char, my own bed, the comfort of familiarity of my home, and overall the routine of home— at least for a bit longer. God bless my good friends who take the time to look at my blog which I do not advise. I hope that some day, my loved ones may stumble upon this and learn a little bit about me. It’s not all about discovery , but partially about being discovered and known. The give and take of life:)

Thunder and Rain in Quoddy and Eastport

    I headed out kind of tired and glad to be here— but yeah, I’m tired. I did the same rout basically, but went a bit further up Kendell’s Head and went Clark Street to Boynton Street instead of down Washington Street for 9.1 miles. My watch paused so it didn’t record all the stats, but it was definitely 9. 1 according to my watch overall stats. I am blessed to be able to go along these familiar roads. I’ve noticed more walkers in Eastport. Today is my second oldest daughter Katie’s birthday. May God bless her mightily this year!

Day 2 at Quoddy Village

 I had to get out in decent season as Katie had to go to work early. I definitely slept better with a couple of adjustments. I am a bit lethargic after my workout, but

Thankfully I have the luxury of taking it easy. I did the same workout, but added a minute distance on a couple of my hills. This area has the most peaceful and beautiful places to go outside and walk or run. I am enjoying the fact that Katie will be moving out of this area shortly. I did 8.73 miles in 2:21:32 for a 16:13 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 162 bpm with an elevation gain of 610 feet with an average cadence of 126 spm at 58 breezy cloudy degrees. Taking life at a slow pace at the minute. Tired yet I realize the importance of being here at this time. God bless you!

Camp, Hope, Quoddy Village

 I am going to provide an accurate approximate on my workouts here in Maine. At this point of the summer I have been away from home more than I have been home. Considering how often I am home, this is a good refreshing change. 

July 30–August 4, Sunday- 5 miles, Monday- 5 miles, Tuesday- 5 miles, Wednesday- 5 miles, Thursday- 5 miles, Friday- 5 miles. I would do 3 miles before camp devotions then 2 miles during my break period . It was a gentle nice quiet time. I was able to meet my exercise and movement rings on my watch. On Sunday I did the out and back on the pastor’s road and then 2 loops on the Barnestown loop for 8.4 miles at a sub 16 pace. This morning I went through Quoddy Village and towards town then up Estes Head hill and then up Redoubt Hill then to town up Adams Street hill out Clark Street and back to Quoddy Farms for 8.61 miles in 2:14:58 for a 15:40 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 121 bpm at an average cadence of 128 spm at an elevation gain of 517 feet. 

It’s been an adventure. Kind of relaxing then doing stuff trying to make the most out of things, but looking forward to going home. I do miss Maine, but I also miss the convenience of home. This trip is a blessing though— thank you Lord!