Stretch

 On certain days I decide to push things a bit. This morning I woke up a few minutes early and got out the door a few minutes early. I just felt like I wanted to try the 8 mile Longwood Loop. I knew that I might have to cut things out of my strength work if I got back too late. Sometimes you have to just go for it(just not too often) and trust that things will work out. I did 8.27 miles at a 16:04 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 135 bpm with an elevation gain of 273 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at an average power of 136w at an all out effort of 9 at a breezy 29 degrees. A cop stopped me on the Smith Road to warn me that traffic went fast on that road. I also so the dog walker on the Raynor Hill so I guess you could say this was a very social workout. I have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, so it is half a day for me. Looking forward to Go Burger. Have a blessed day friends!

Relentless

 Here on Long Island the winters are typically mild considering my background of living in Maine. The past week however, has been extremely cold with a relentless wind making the cold temps feel freezing cold. I keep thinking back to the decision I made on Saturday to get a warm coat. It was a fortuitous decision. I did the 2 x Raynor/Ridge with 3 x Ryan Street, with two short out and backs for 7.10 miles in 1:55:50 for a 16:18 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 86 bpm with an elevation gain of 275 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at an average power of 135w at an all out effort of 9 at a very windy 22 degrees. I saw the dog walker as I was heading up Raynor Hill on the final stretch. Lord willing, one more day!

Dress for Success

  This morning the whispers of stay in bed continued. Some battles are every day. Experience and discipline help, but they do not eliminate the conflict. As mundane as the status quo can be, sometimes it’s a very good thing. The benefits of getting out into my morning routine are plentiful. The secret is just to keep doing it. The morning walk is a time of listening to Bible teaching and prayer as much as it is physical exercise. This morning I did the figure 8 plus 2 short out and backs and 4 x Woodlot Hill for 6.79 miles in 1:50:44 for a 16:18 minute per mile pace at an average heart rate of 87 bpm with an elevation gain of 257 feet at an average cadence of 126 spm at an average power of 137w at an average effort of 5 at 22 degrees. Off to today’s adventure. God bless!

Experience

 This morning I could hear the wind howling and noticed that the temp was 19 degrees. Looking out the window the snow seemed to whisper “Stay inside where it is warm “. My wife got up to use the restroom and went back to bed and fell asleep. My experience, especially all those years in Maine, that if I dressed right I would be fine. Experience payed off. I did the 8 x Raynor Hill for 6.6 miles in 1:48:40 for a 16:28 minute per mile pace with an average cadence of 126 spm with an average heart rate of 93 bpm with an elevation gain of 364 feet at an average power of 141w at an all out effort of 9 at 17 very windy degrees. Had a good strength workout. Have a blessed day friends!

Solitude of Winter

  The worse the weather, the fewer people that you see out and about in the morning. That said, at about 4:15 I spotted a light and a runner at the bottom of Raynor Road. He had a lamp on his head. I said “Good Morning “ as we passed paths. It was hard to leave my bed as my wife was snuggling up close to me, but habit drew me out and I to the morning darkness. I did the figure 8 with two out and backs and 4 x Woodlot hill for 6.88 miles in 1:53:54 for a 16:33 minute per mile pace at an average heart rate of 110 bpm with an elevation gain of 224 feet at an average cadence of 124 spm at an average power of 135w at an all out effort of 9 at a cloudy 26 degrees. I didn’t feel anything special today, but I know that it was beneficial in many ways. Praise the Lord 

Sunday 10 K on a Cold Morning in Rocky Point.

 I was discouraged that I didn’t get out earlier, but tried to make the most of it. Sometimes you just go for it. I know that on cold mornings that you will probably have the trail to yourself. The skies were sunny and the air was cool. I did 6.28 miles in 1:50:01 with an average pace of 17:31 minutes per mile at an average cadence of 118 spm at an an average power of 119w at an average heart rate of 77 bpm at an moderate effort of 4 at a sunny windy 27 degrees. Things ended out working pretty well! Thank you Lord!

Calling an Audible

 This morning my stomach was suffering from the antibiotic that I am taking for my sinus infection. This put me behind getting out, and it forced a few pit stops during the workout. I was getting behind on my interval training and I had to add a trip back to the house to take care of an issue. I ended up doing 7.0 miles in 1:56:38 for a 16:40 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 83 bpm with an elevation gain of 271 feet at an average cadence of 124 spm at an average power of 138w at a moderate effort of 6 at 29 windy degrees. I ended up doing only a slightly shortened version of my strength workout. Thanks to many schools not being in session, I made it to school early. Kind of glad to be back in the groove. Have a blessed weekend!

Back at Early

  Being a person that thrives on routine, I was glad to be back at the early morning routine. I did enjoy the vacation of getting up later and doing a lot of trail walking. Included were a couple of workouts in Maine including a workout in good ole Machias. A lot is happening in our family, but this mainly involves my wife having to deal with her parents’ health struggles. I did the 2 x Raynor/Ridge with 2 different short out and backs for 7.09 miles in 1:57:25 for a 16:33 min per mile pace with an average heart rate of 105 bpm with an average cadence of 125 spm at an average power of 130w at an all out effort of 9 at a windy 34 degrees. Seeking the Lord on a few issues. Have a blessed day friends. It was nice listening to my early morning Bible stations.

On the Trail, Twice

 On Tuesday, I headed east on the Greenway trail. I have been fighting a cough for around 12 days and it didn’t seem to be improving. On my walk I set up a doctor’s appointment. I was pleased as it was the day before New Year’s.  The weather was beautiful on this pleasant early winter day. At first there wasn’t much traffic, but it gradually picked up though never too much. I did 8.45 miles in 2:38:45 for an 18:48 minute per mile pace at an average heart rate of 77 bpm at an average cadence of 114 spm at an average power of 110w with an elevation gain of 169 feet at a moderate effort of 4 at 41 degrees.

 On Wednesday I did 4.01 miles in 1:11:34 for an average pace of 17:50 minutes per mile at an average heart rate of 74 bpm with an elevation gain of 114 feet at an average cadence of 116 spm at an average power of 117w at 45 degrees with Char.

 This vacation I did a lot of walks on local trails. I enjoyed the extra sleep and the easier pace. I am grateful for the workouts at a time when I was a bit worn down. This has been a trying time, especially for my precious wife. This has been a good vacation. I am grateful that the medicine that the doctor prescribed is helping my cough go away. School tomorrow for me. God bless you!