Fighting Through

 I have felt nothing less than ordinary and slow these last few weeks. My hamstring issue along with my arthritis just keeps me on the slow side. I did the same loop on Longwood as yesterday doing 8.55 miles in 2:20:05 for a 16:23 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 128 bpm with an elevation gain of 299 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm with a temperature of 32 degrees. Thankfully by keeping moving everything has been falling into place. I just barely made it to the clock in time, thanks to a few guarded risky moves. Have a blessed day friends— tired!

I Was Slow, but that’s OK

 About everything about today was a duplicate of yesterday. I just did a slightly shorter version of my Longwood Loop going down Red Maple Road off from Medford Road. I made it to work about the same time. Today my coworker isn’t here again, so I am flying solo again. I did 8.49 miles doing a 16:33 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 144 bpm with an elevation gain of 278 feet at an average cadence of 125 spm at 33 degrees I’m going to try to be more pleasant at home, since I’ve been told that I’m a grump. Have a blessed day friends!

Another Day in the Rain/Sleet

 I didn’t sleep so well for the second half of the night, but I still managed to do my usual very early morning routine. There is a lot going on with our family right now. There is definitely a lot to overcome— especially concerning my mother in law’s Alzheimer’s. My wife is the fixer and she is doing an incredible amount of work to help out and still maintain everything else. There are things that are bothering me, but should I say anything I could be perceived as being a bad egg. God is helping me . Life is putting up with stuff that you don’t like, but need to grin and bear it. 

I did the Longwood Loop doing 8.57 miles in 2:20:19 for a 16:22 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 144 bpm with an elevation gain of 290 feet with an average cadence of 125 spm at 34 degrees.

Made it to work on time on a rainy day. Thank you Lord!

A Saturday Stroll in the Woods

   When my wife has to work on a Saturday, I usually try to go on a hike. I was tired so I took a shortened version of my Brookhaven long loop. I love the solitude of the woods and the good feeling that I get when my walk is over. We had some housework done on our roof so I headed out as soon as they began. I did a bit of strength work first before heading out. It was a quiet trip through the pine barrens. I did 7.59 miles in 2:43:03 for a 21:28 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 72 bpm with an elevation gain of 332 feet at an average cadence of 108 spm at 39 degrees. That’s all for now friends. Church tomorrow!

Muffled Rejoicing

 Today was a day of advantages and offsets. It seemed for every advantage that I gained, I suffered a minor setback resulting in me just barely clocking in on time. So things worked out, but I had to sweat it out so to speak. I did a shortened version of the Longwood loop doing 8.86 miles in 2:20:18 for a 15:50 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 130 bpm with an elevation gain of 325 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at a cool and rainy 40 degrees. I enjoyed the new route, and thankfully I was faster than what I had been. I also got in both supersets of my main strength work thanks to quick work. Even though it is challenging getting everything done, it is rewarding. I will write more thoughts when I have more time. Thankfully, the weekend is almost here. God bless you !

Skin of My Teeth

  The weekdays are always an adventure. Traffic on this island is always a challenge and traffic always is an issue, even when you wake up extremely early. It means every detail of the morning, has only a small room for error. Thankfully, today it worked out. I clocked in with only seconds to spare. I have found that if you keep pressing in traffic, it is possible to make time up if there are only small mishaps. This morning for my workout, I did the modified version of two laps with a short out and back. I was slow again with my pace on this light rainy morning. I did 8.51 miles in 2:22:16 for a 16:42 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 115 bpm with an elevation gain of 257 feet at an average cadence of 123 spm at a temperature of 46 degrees.

God is doing a work here on Long Island. Last night, the room for our Bible Study was packed. We are studying Rick Warren’s study on the transformed life. I can see that the Lord is definitely at works in the hearts of the good people in our church. Praise the Lord!

Off

 This was a day that a change in course offset an advantage. I headed out early on my workout, so I decided to do a slightly longer route to offset the monotony of doing the same route every day. I was a bit slower in pace and got back a bit later, but headed out for school on the late side of normal— but the commute was slow due to only a couple of small things that added up to an extra 20 minutes. I did the Apple Court, Kastal, Ryan, Woodlot and Randall for 8.73 miles in 2:25:56 for a 16:43 minute per mile pace wan average heart rate of 144 bpm with an elevation gain of 233 feet at a rainy 34 degrees. Days like today really tick me off. God bless!

Peace and Prayer

 Each morning I think to myself how crazy this early workout thing seems. Going out into the dark and cold of the morning passing by the early morning hub bub of the morning. But, as I go about the streets I am greeted by the early morning peace and quiet of the morning. I see deer, cats, and early morning travelers. I use this time as a time of prayer. I know the Lord speaks to me during this quiet time. By the time I arrive at school, quite a bit has transpired already. I did 8.41 miles in 2:19:12 for a 16:32 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 129 bpm with an elevation gain of 236 feet at an average cadence of 125 spm at 33 degrees. Grateful for the ability to keep going. Thank you Lord!

Just Enough

 The older I get, the more I have to accomplish just through planning. I don’t have the ability to make up a lot of time by running or picking up the pace— I just don’t have it in my toolbox. This morning pretty much everything went to schedule, but I was not able to get ahead like I like to do. I did the modified out and back and two loop workout doing 8.48 miles in 2:20:20 for a 16:33 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 141 bpm at around 20 degrees. I was not able to access all of my data this morning. I was consistent, just not fast. My strength work went on schedule and I made it to work on time— PTL! I’m grateful that the Lord meets my needs. I pray that the Lord will use me today and that my family will discover the Lord’s will in their lives.

A Game of Inches

 Each day begins with a little bird pressure as things have to fall in line to get things done before work so that I can arrive on time. This morning, all the work got done, but I forgot to record the workout. Looking at my watch, I went approximately 8.4 miles, doing the modified, double loop. I’m guessing that I went at about the same pace as the rest of the week. I felt decent, but I just can’t move fast. We are supposed to get some light snow later today. Thankfully I got my scheduled strength work in as well. I made it to work on time again PTL. 

I’m grateful for Christian radio. I am able to get the teaching and encouragement of the faith to keep going in the Lord. My church seems to be a place of activity, but not a place of building up in the Word of God. It seems as if we talk a lot about church and not so much about Jesus. Have a blast!

Keep it Going

 I woke up this morning out of a stupor. I felt so relaxed and comfortable and for a second I felt like going back to sleep. This was a Thursday, which means that tomorrow is my last workout day. This thought quickly roused me into morning action mode. I got out on time, but I was definitely on the slow side of things again. Thankfully it all worked out and I made it to work on time again. I did the shortened version of my two loop course doing 8.51 miles in 2:23:19 for a 16:51 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 84 bpm with an elevation gain of 225 feet at a cadence of 126 spm at 19 degrees. Though tired, today is working out okay. Have a blessed day!

Let’s Get a Physical

 This morning, I just couldn’t get out of my own way and started my workout later. To further exasperate things, my pace was slow again. The sidewalks were mostly iced over and unusable. Thankfully, there was not a lot of traffic as most schools had a two hour delay. When I got back, I hurried to get my strength work in. Despite being behind in every way, I clocked in on time thanks to open roads. I did 8.37 in 2:20:50 for a 16:49 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 130 bpm with an elevation gain of 230 feet at an average cadence of 127 spm at 20 degrees. Tonight I have my annual physical after work. Have a blessed day all!

Obstacles/Out of Synch

 Today was a good day, but it came at a cost. First of all, it had been snowing so the road was snow covered. My right hamstring has been a bit irritated, so I had to tread carefully. I figured that we would have a school delay, but that proved to be a false hope. I was just plain slow because of the conditions and just because. I did the Raynor hill workout— a bit modified because of the time crunch. I did 9 hill sprints doing 8.17 miles in 2:22:51 for a 17:29 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 91 bpm at an elevation gain of 274 feet at a Caron 125 spm at 26 degrees. I tripped over my wife’s treadmill bringing her tea to her. I also arrived a bit late to work. Today I let frustrated and out of sorts. Thank you Lord for your strength!

Just Under 3

  I had the luxury of sleeping in and starting out the day like a weekend. I decided on doing a hike at Brookhaven after picking up a coffee and firewood. I figured in the long run, getting some extra sleep and going at an easier pace would save my body. I did the combination of the medium loop and the long loop coming back on the blue or short trail. I did 8.92 miles in 2:59:20 for a 20:06 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 70 bpm with an elevation gain of 313 feet at an average cadence of 111 spm. Strength work and a few chores are finished. Hoping for snow tonight and at least a delay for school. Have a blessed MLK day!

Getting the Worm

  I decided on getting out early so I could do a different longer route. I like my standard loops, but sometimes you need a change. I did the MedfordRandall Loop. I was also able to get in my strength work with just the supplemental work to do when I get home. Fridays are usually the day that I have a 5 hour energy drink to give me the extra boost needed at the end of the week. I did 8.82 miles in 2:21:11 for a 16:00 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 142 bpm with an elevation gain of 231 feet at an average cadence of 128 spm at a temperature of 36 degrees. This was a fatigue filled week, but thankfully I was able to cope. Looking forward to the weekend and a potential snow storm on Tuesday. God bless!

Obstacles

 This week I have been successful despite not really moving quickly. My muscles are a bit stiff and I’m a bit tired, the secret is to keep moving in spite of it all. I did the modified 2 loop plus doing 8.46 miles in 2:17:02 for a 16:12 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 114 bpm with an elevation gain of 244 feet at a cadence of 127 spm with a temperature of 41 degrees. I will have to track my rings with my iPhone today as I left my watch at home. Bill Belichick no longer coach of the Patriots. God bless you!

The Other Side of the Storm

 The forecast was perfect as the heavy rains stopped in time for the morning workout. My first thought upon waking was that I can’t wait until bedtime tonight. Kind of humorous really. I had to be careful as there were places where the water covered the walkway. As I headed out the door, I noticed that the gait to the Harvard was open. So I went over and shut it. When I looked down I noticed a small masked face staring back at me. Somehow, I had managed to shut the critter in. Thankfully, by the time that I returned, he had managed to get out. I did the short out and back and two loop workout doing 8.60 miles in 2:21:38 for a 16:28 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 84 bpm with an elevation gain of 401 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at a temperature of 56 degrees.

Thankfully the travel has been good as I always seem to be in my car by 6:49. Have a blessed day friends!

Tired and Slow

 Today I was just slow thinking and slow moving. I just couldn’t do anything fast. I did the modified two loop workout doing 8.44 miles in 2:20:52 for a 16:41 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 125 bpm with an elevation gain of 245 feet with an average cadence of 127 spm at 23 degrees. Have a blessed day!

Praise God for the Ordinary

 Each day we are blessed to get through the day. It takes a lot of things working out to get through a day. A simple pain in your foot, back, shoulder, neck, etc. can put you out of commission and make your day much tougher. I am thankful that God is in control and can change the things that I cannot. He may not lighten my load, but may give me the strength to endure the load. Yes, sometimes the Lord does remove obstacles for us. He is the good Father and knows what we need. This morning I was on the later side of on time. I did the modified 2 loop workout doing 8.45 miles in 2:19:49 for a 16:32 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 139 bpm with an elevation gain of 229 feet at an average cadence of 127 spm at 32 degrees. There was a coating of snow on the ground making it seem winterish, but the wind did not have a chilling bite to it. Today is the first work Monday in three weeks. Strangely, it seems good to be doing the old routine. God bless you friends!

No Time for Reflection

  Things are going well, it’s just that you have to keep your focus and keep things moving. There is not much extra time. You must take advantage of your time so that you do not feel rushed and overwhelmed. There has been a pleasantness to my workouts. Right now, there is a nice rhythm to life. I did the modified two loop workout doing 8.45 miles in 2:19:15 for a 16:29 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 114 bpm with an elevation gain of 247 feet at an average cadence of 129 spm at 25 degrees. 

On a good note, my doctor let me choose an alternative treatment for my plantar wart. The frozen nitrogen would leave my toe in agony until the morning. I’m glad that my doctor listened to me. We have mission trip supper tonight. God bless!

Smooth Sailing

 This morning was one of those rare days where the energy was there, the good thoughts were there, and there were no doubts. Even with goals there are obstacles. Fortunately, today things went well. I did the modified two loop workout doing 8.38 miles in 2:16:12 for a 16:14 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 121 bpm with an elevation gain of 268 feet at an average cadence of 129 spm at 35 degrees. The commute to work was very smooth. My strength workout also went smoothly and well. I have a dermatologist appointment tonight. I’m going to ask for no more frozen nitrogen on my toe tonight. Have a blessed day!

Grace

 Today I was not so fast and a bit behind. Despite that, I managed to be on time at work and to get the work done. This was a leg and bench day— morning part, done. I don’t have much time for reflection as I’m focusing to get stuff done so that I can still get to work on time. The time and focus is worth the effort. I did the two loop workout with a short out and back doing 8.54 miles in 2:20:46 for a 16:29 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 106 bpm with an elevation gain of 360 feet at an average cadence of 128 spm at 29 degrees.

It occurred to me that here in New York I have been exposed to alcohol more than anytime in my life and all because the Christians that I know down here drink. It is surprising that they rarely ever think to not drink in deference to me. For me, alcohol is wrong. It makes me feel unconscious, but I often have to ignore my own feelings so as not to cause a scene. Anyway, God bless you all!

First workout of 2024

  It was a good start to 2024. The morning work routine went pretty well. I got out the door slightly later, but the traffic was light and I made it in plenty of time. I did the usual modified 2 x loop with a short out and back. I did 8.49 miles in 2:17:00 for a 16:07 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 131 bpm with an elevation gain of 233 feet at an average cadence of 129 spm at 29 degrees. I’m a bit tired now, but I am looking forward to the day and the year. God bless!

Reflections

  I didn’t do any walking today. Yesterday I did 3.76 miles in Brookhaven. I was making up for my missed morning walk. Today was a very slow day for recuperation. I did my strength and core work as well as putting clothes away and other odds and ends. Jace and Waylon made a surprise all afternoon visit.  Last night we saw the new year come in for the first time in awhile with friends. I posted about considering not drinking for New Year’s Eve on Facebook. I just have felt strongly about putting my opinion out and hopefully encourage others not to feel like they have to drink to have fun. I knew that some folks wouldn’t like the post. Strangely only one family member liked the post with a few pastors not having any reaction. It’s interesting to see the areas that people love to have an opinion and others they just go ghost. 

 I had good workouts last week. With a couple of days off I am looking forward to my standard routine. It’s interesting to see how relax and work complimented each other. The Lord has given me hope and expectation. I’m grateful for His presence in my life. Happy Year and God bless you my friends!