Waving Goodbye to October

 Today I feel as if a page is being turned. For some reason September and October have been a time of frustration for me. I’ve had a productive time teaching, but yet because of the emphasis of a minute here and there I am being persecuted like a rookie. The challenge just to make it to work is difficult and recently it has been made more difficult. Today I made it very early, but somehow my good just doesn’t seem good enough. Well, my workout was decent. I did the out and back and two loop regular workout doing 8.64 miles in 2:18:18 for a 15:59 minute per mile pace. I got in my strength work with a set of benches added. I had an average heart rate of 153 bpm with an elevation gain of 216 feet at an average cadence of 127 spm at 45 degrees. I have been happy with my workouts. Have a blessed day friends!

Starting the Week …

 …feeling defeated. I got out on time this morning after a good workout. Today I was undone by the weather which slowed things down. I hate this feeling of needing most things to fall into place just to be on schedule. Anyway, I’m grateful for the health to work out over the years. It’s a true blessing. I did 8.47 miles in 2:17:41 for a 16:14 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 86 bpm with an elevation gain of 276 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at a rainy 55 degrees. Sometimes you need a little grace, a little encouragement— looking for it Lord. All said, despite the rigor of my routine, I have always enjoyed my mornings. I had a nice Bible devotional with my wife last night. The Lord has been impressing me with the need for spiritual unity and prayer. Have a blessed day.

Sometimes…

 Today, my schedule was going perfectly. My workout went well. I got on the road in good season, but…. I did my modified two looper doing 8.47 miles in around 2:14 for approximately a 16:09 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 85 bpm.at an average cadence of 127 spm at 55 degrees. I did my strength training and did one set of bench presses in addition to my leg work. Like I said, everything was going perfectly— until I saw a truck go over the guardrail and up in the air landing in the thicket. The people ahead of me stopped to check on the vehicle, so I called 911 and pulled over. After my call I noticed a young man standing alone. He was the victim in the accident. He appeared okay, but I stayed with him until help arrived. The young man had been putting in long days and fell asleep at the wheel. Thankfully he was okay. So I arrived at work late again. I believe that I made the right choice. I am so glad that the weekend is here— a break from the rat race.  Blessed!

Shelter in Place

 My home state of Maine is in the news for all the wrong reasons. A mass shooting took place in Lewiston last night and the murderer is still at large. The residents of Lewiston and Lisbon were told to shelter in place. When things are tough in life it is good to hunker down in prayer and read God’s Word. I believe that God wants us to cry out to Him in prayer as things in this world keep getting worse.

This morning I got out early, but due to slow moving I got back slightly later than I have been. I did the Medford/Randall Loop doing 8.81 miles in 2:27:23 for a 16:43 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 155 bpm with an elevation gain of 226 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at 54 degrees. My workout started with 3 police cars passing me on Smith Road heading to Strathmore. Grateful for another day early to work. God bless you!

No Moral Victories

 This morning, everything went perfectly. I got out the door for my workout on time. I got my strength work done quickly. I got out the door early. My GPS had me arriving early.  But then as with the rest of this year something happened— a major accident. Instead of arriving early, I arrived 9 minutes late. Ugh 😣. At least my principal seemed understanding. This is the year that no matter what I’ve done, I’ve had an obstacle to match it. I’m definitely being taught some lessons and been given some humble pie. I did my usual adapted double loop doing 8.43 miles in 2:14:25 for a 15:56 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 148 bpm with an elevation gain of 222 feet at an average cadence of 129 spm at 51 degrees. I noticed that I sweat up my clothes pretty good. I definitely feel like a rat on a wheel. Everything done is geared towards getting ready for the next day. It doesn’t matter what age that you are, there are things to learn and things that you can do that you didn’t think that you could. Have a blessed day!

The Good , The Bad, makes me ugly

 Today was a day where I thought things were going well. I got out early and got my work done and made it to work in a timely manner. I was setting up when I got a message from the secretary to see the principal. The way teaching is, you can do something wrong and not even realize it. I did think that there was something bad heading my way. I arrived a bit early and Ms. Persad informed me that she was writing me up for repeated tardiness. I told her to do what she had to do. Last month I had a lot of 1 or two minute tardies. I come from the second furthest distance by far. I’m literally coming way earlier than I ever have. I have definitely made big changes and have mostly been on time the last couple of weeks. But there is zero allowance. I’m pretty good at responding under pressure and Lord willing things will turn around. I will just say there are some things that I have changed and other things that I won’t change. I did the modified two loop doing 8.49 miles in 2:16:14 for a 16:02 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 175 bpm with an elevation gain of 209 feet at an average cadence of 129 spm at 40 degrees.  I hope that my day gets better. Kind of feeling defeated right now.

As The World Turns

 This morning things went surprisingly well. There are those times when things just fall into place. Usually the difference maker is something small. I think in this case it was having those three days in a row off of speed walking and a new pair of walking shoes. The extra day off provided the necessary time to get my knees and energy back. I did the modified two loop again doing 8.51 in 2:16:16 for a 16:00 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 124 spm with an elevation gain of 247 feet at an average cadence of 128 spm at 45 degrees. My strength training went in a timely manner as well. 

I actually made it to work early today. The difference of a minute early or late on the road can make a big difference in arrival time. In the world around us there is major turmoil in the Middle East. In addition Russia and China are increasing their involvement in the world stage. I believe that we are seeing things moving towards the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. We don’t know the specifics of the end times, but we know that the Middle East, particularly Israel is the focus of attention. Anyway, God’s people are always supposed to be ready and looking and fulfilling the Great Commission. Lord Jesus give us boldness and discernment in these times.

Reflections(not workouts)

  I took today off from my walk as I used to time to get extra sleep after a late night at the Switchfoot concert last night. I did do my stability bar presses and t-bar rows. I did an almost eight mile hike last Saturday so that I could take Friday off. To be honest, I miss my usual morning routine, but the time off was necessary as I am tired. The concert was fun and it was especially nice spending time with my daughter Rebekah. 

Sometimes I have reason to walk the streets at work In Roosevelt. Sometimes I walk to the store for a coffee. Other times I have to walk back to the school after dropping my car off at the garage. What I notice is that I get a different perspective of Roosevelt. I can see the people that I don’t see when I’m driving. I can see their expressions and get a better feel for the community. I think in part that’s why Christ came to earth. He wanted to experience life the way we do to better understand and better love us.  If this is what the God of the universe does, then shouldn’t we strive for better understanding. May God richly bless you!

Friday on a Thursday

 I usually look forward to Saturday mornings, but tomorrow I get a little break from training. Tonight my daughter Rebekah and I are going to the Paramount to see Switchfoot, Lord willing. Switchfoot was one of the groups that Rebekah liked and we listened to on TVU’s top 10 Christian Rock countdown. God is so good and has given us this opportunity to hear a group that we like. I was a few minutes late again for work. Annoying, but I am giving a good effort. The commute is not easy. This morning I did my usual short out and back and then 2 x Woodlot/Ridge for 8.59 miles in 2:21:30 for a 16:27 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 79 bpm with an elevation gain of 210 feet at an average cadence of 128 spm at 47 degrees.

Bible study was good last night. It’s always good to have Christian fellowship in the middle of the week. Lord willing I will post on Monday or sooner should I decide to try another workout. Have a blessed day!

Going Longer

 I decided to try a slightly longer route just to mix things up, but unfortunately the difference made me two minutes late for work. It’s a tight schedule and unfortunately there is very little give to it. So I guess, some days I just take a little hit. I did the Medford/Randall Loop. There was no breeze at all this morning. I didn’t see a soul out there for the first time in a few days. This is the time of year when the darkness really starts to kick in and lasts for about 4 months.  I did 8.9 miles in around 2:25 for around a 16:19 minute per mile pace. My watch stopped at 7.09 , but my watch still tracks overall distance— so I can make close approximations. I had an average cadence of around 130 spm at a still 48 degrees. 

Through the rat race of life, I endeavor to try to keep my Lord and Savior as my focus. Despite my many failings I am grateful for the grace that the Lord has bestowed on me. It’s my desire that somehow, that people see Jesus through me. 

Slower Moving but Still Grooving

 Thankfully that despite slow moving, I have done alright as I’ve gotten out in good time in the mornings. I’ve also been don’t shortest route. In the past 8 months I have been satisfied to check off the training boxes without try to be a world beater. I’ve slowly been working on recovering from my shoulder injury and have tried to keep my legs strong. My training has been moderate, but frequent. Today I did 8.43 miles in 2:20:15 for a 16:38 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 142 bpm with an elevation gain of 228 feet doing 129 spm at 49 clear degrees. I only saw the dog walker out. There was good music playing on the Blast.fm.com this morning. Have a most blessed day!

Saturday/Monday

 With Thursday night being a concert night, I tried to get a workout in on Saturday so that I won’t have to workout on Friday. It was light raining on Saturday and Char had to marry a couple at church. I took this as an opportunity to get to Brookhaven park and do my series of loops. 

Saturday- slow but beautiful. I did 7.98 miles in 2:47:53 for a 21:02 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 71 bpm with an elevation gain of 522 feet with an average cadence of 110 spm at a rainy 56 degrees.

Monday- I did 8.43 miles in 2:17:24 for a 16:17 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 160 bpm with an elevation gain of 226 feet with an average cadence of 128 spm at 47 degrees. For the second week in a row I had a couple of young ladies coming behind me on a jog on Ridge turning off on Kastal. It’s a bit annoying, but so should be prepared for it.

It’s my oldest daughter Ericka’s 30 the birthday today. God bless her and her daughters richly.

Crazy World

 Today as I hit the road I like millions of other people are under a terror alert. The Hamas terrorist organization has picked today as a day to threaten its targets which includes the US. I decided on doing my usual two loop route. I was slower today, I think because of the mowing the lawn last night. I did 8.51 miles in 2:22:22 for a 16:43 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 149 bpm with an elevation gain of 206 feet with an average cadence of 129 spm at 53 degrees. I most likely will take next Friday off due to going to the Switchfoot concert next Thursday. Lord willing, I will try to get in an extra workout somewhere to make up for no Friday workout. This has been a good week. God bless you my friends!

Insanity

 I did not sleep well last night. I had a cup of coffee at Bible study which made me stay awake a good portion of the night. In addition, my right shoulder was a bit achy making it more difficult to sleep. When you wake up very early, any major aberrations make a major impact. Fortunately, I’ve had the ability to drag myself out of bed on almost zero sleep and function. I did the same loop as yesterday, I just was slower today. I did 8.54 miles in 2:19:52 for a 16:22 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 122 bpm with an elevation gain of 206 feet at an average cadence of 130 spm at 48 degrees. I made it to work on time. Thank you Lord!

The Right Track

 Sometimes you have to accept the little victories in your life. The truth is that although I am grateful for my job, it is not an encouraging environment. I got out in good season and had a better than usual pace which put me ahead of schedule. A few extra minutes makes all of the difference. I was able to get in my a work as well as leg work before heading to work and making it on time again. This is the third time in a row. I did the two loop and short out and back version of my workout. I did 8.59 miles in 2:15:36 for a 15:47 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 105 bpm with an elevation gain of 187 feet at an average cadence of 132 spm at 47 degrees. I heard a couple of ladies walking or jogging behind me on Ridge road, which is highly unusual for around 4:30 am— I guess I’m not the only nut up and out early. 

I have Bible study tonight. We have nice people in our church. I do enjoy my discussion group. It’s a long day, but it’s only once a week. I’m so glad that the Lord is in control. I don’t have to strive on my own I just need quiet obedience to Him.

Reinventing Slow

 I felt slow today and I was alright with slow. At this point I am satisfied to fill my circles on my watch five days a week maybe 6 on occasion. The speed of such I am not as concerned with. The one thing that I am especially grateful for, is despite being slow, I made it on time to work. I’m grateful for that. I did the usual loop doing 8.44 miles in 2:23:09 for a 16:57 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 85 bpm with an elevation gain of 213 feet at an average cadence of 129 spm at 50 degrees.

I am thankful for good Christian teaching that I get on my radio on and from work. It’s so important to get good teaching to stay grounded in God’s word!

Out of Bed

 In the morning when you first wake up, the bed seems so incredibly comfortable. On this Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day I have the luxury of taking my time. I usually compromise by starting an hour later than usual which is around 5 o’clock am. There is usually that underlying feeling that enjoys the security of home, but the benefits of working out don’t come without the workout. So also it is in life, without taking a step of faith and leaving the comfort of the known there will never be anything worthwhile accomplished. God is always taking us to someplace, He loves us too much to leave us as we are. 

 I did the Longwood Loop doing 9.33 miles in 2:36:49 for a 16:48 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 84 bpm with an elevation gain of 222 feet at an average cadence of 127 spm at a temperature of 45 degrees. I had some one fall in behind me on Wading River Manor Road. I maintain my lead until we separated on Niewood Street. 

Watching cowboy shows now. Have a blessed day!

5 Hour Energy

 I have had a tradition of using 5 hour energy and a small cup of coffee on Fridays since my energy is usually so low at the end of the workweek. Last night was the first night back in my room since my wife has had Covid. It was definitely nice to have her company once again— even though I fall asleep in like 2 minutes. I stuck to my same loop of Ridge, Woodlot, followed by a shorter loop with 2 short hill out and backs on Raynor and Kastal. I did 8.50 miles in 2:18:07 for a 16:15 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 95 bpm with an elevation gain of 252 feet at an average cadence of 128 spm at a foggy and slightly warmer 63 degrees. My wife is heading to Montauk with her longtime friend Lyn for the night. So it’s cowboy shows and wrestling tonight:).  Have a blessed weekend!

Fog

  You never know what will happen with the weather. I was awoken by my alarm this morning thankfully. My new route is compensating for my slowness. It’s slightly shorter which allows me to get back at a decent time. I am no longer operating at the level of a youngster. I cannot make up time by running. A later night tires me out. Thankfully I can still get the work in . I did 8.50 miles in 2:22:28 for a 16:45 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 123 bpm with an elevation gain of 248 feet with an average cadence of 128 spm at a foggy 57 degrees. 

The commute to work has been a challenge. It is difficult to make it to work on time. It seems as if my progress is usually countered by another commute problem. I’m glad that at least it’s a three day weekend. Thank you lord for your many blessings!

The Success of Failure

 I set my alarm at 3:33 which is two minutes earlier than usual. So when I looked at my phone and noticed that it was 3:47 I was shocked. I quickly drank my coffee and headed downstairs. I made it out the door on time and earlier than the rest of the week. I decided not to listen to music which save’s about a minute of time. I did the same route as the other days doing 8.45 miles in 2:21:20 for a 16:43 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 85 bpm with an elevation gain of 243 feet at an average cadence of 128 spm at a slightly warmer 60 degrees. I was nervous about doing my stability bar presses and rows due to my sore lower back. I had two plans when I got back to put in place. 1- do my usual presses and rows, 2- do my fabulous 40. I decided on doing the presses and rows. Thankfully my back was no worse for wear.  Despite getting a good workout and getting out early, I arrived at work 1 minute late. The stupid bridge construction is slowing things down again. We have Bible study tonight, so it will be a long day. I am thankful for the many blessings that the Lord has bestowed on me. Praise His name!

Inspiration

 Each morning I try to think of some thought that will inspire me. It’s usually not anything too superfluous. Usually a thought about an acquisition of one of my favorite sport’s teams, or getting excited that I have all my supplements in stock, or that I have a day off from school, etc., etc. I set goals , but inspiration is different— it’s an emotional impetus to motivate. Each day on this planet is an opportunity provided by God that not all people get. One day my own number will be called, but until then let Jesus be served in and through my life.

I did the same route this morning. I’ve altered my workouts a little bit because my lower left back has been kind of stiff. It is a bit better today thankfully. I did the same workout doing 8.52 miles in 2:23:48 for a 16:52 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 101 bpm with an elevation gain of 221 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at 59 degrees .  I felt slow and achy, but by His grace I was able to get the work in. Have a blessed day!

Gravity is not My Friend

 Today was a day of playing from behind. After a day of energy, I followed it with a day of lethargy. Sunday night I had trouble falling asleep. Tonight I think I’ll sleep just fine. I did the same rout as Friday doing 8.52 miles in 2:23:48 for a 16:52 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 101 bpm with an elevation gain of 221 feet at a cadence of 126 spm at 59 degrees. 

Our church celebrated 25 years of existence. It was a big affair: My connection is with my wife serving as pastor. I do not feel connected to our church. Thank you Lord for your goodness.