Emotional Comfort

 Some mornings you wake up and feel kind of weak and kind of off. This was one of those days. Sometimes when you get near the finish line, you are tempted to ease up. This was a Friday and is my last fast workout of the week. Little things were irritating me as I try to sneak around and not disturb my light sleeping wife. I also was on the late side of on-time. I decided to do my shortest workout which is the Raynor hill workout( 8 x Raynor hill plus warm up and cool down. I did 6.70 in 1:50:06 for a 16:26 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 115 bpm at an average cadence of 123 spm at an average power of 138w with an elevation gain of 304 feet at an all out effort of 9 at a temperature of 38 degrees. I say my friend the dog walker on reps 7 and 8. I have a physical at 3 today since it was moved from Wednesday.  Looking forward to GoBurger, Lord willing. Have a blessed day and weekend!

Knowing Your Limitations

  Most mornings I’m not sure which rout that I am going to take. As I walked out the door I changed my mind to do the 2 x Ridge/Raynor is I did the first hill and back on my hill workout for 6.99 miles in 1:53:15 for a 16:11 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 111 bpm at an average cadence of 125 spm at an average power of 134w at an all out effort of 9 at a windy 24 degrees. I didn’t see another pedestrian walking about. The streets were quiet and the skies were loaded with morning stars. I had a lot of ideas running through my head. I had a nice talk with my brother on my commute. Have a blessed day!

A Change in Plans

 Today is the Chinese Lunar New Year, which means we’re pretty much the only school open. I was planning on getting out a bit early and doing the 8 plus mile route. Due to a needed delay, I ended up doing the figure 8 route with two out and backs with 4 x Woodlot hill for 7.16 miles in 1:57:30 for a 16:24 minute per mile per minute pace at an average cadence of 123 spm at an average power of 131w for an all out effort of 9 at 37 degrees. I didn’t see a soul. I did see a few deer scampering about. I am tired. Be blessed in Jesus.

Hit the Hill

 Like so many mornings, I was not exactly sure which route that my legs would take me. I finally last minute decided to do the Raynor Hill doing 6.61 miles in 1:47:46 for a 16:17 minute per mile pace at an average heart rate of 91 bpm with an elevation gain of 283 feet at an average cadence of 125 spm at an average power of 140w at a moderate effort of 5 at a windy 32 degrees. I saw the dog walker on rep 7 of 8. Besides praying and listening to Bible teaching, I’ve been giving thought as to speaking at the youth group next month. The Lord will guide me. Have a blessed day.

Back to the Familiar

  This morning was a pretty much right on schedule kind of morning. Getting a head start sometimes allows you to deal with extra things that come up so that you can be on time. I did my 7 mile Raynor, Kastal, Ridge, 2 x Ryan, 2 short out and backs for 7.13 miles in 1:53:43 for a 15:57 minute per mile pace at an average heart rate of 115 bpm with an elevation gain of 220 feet at an average cadence of 125 spm at an average power of 138w at an all out effort of 9 at 25 degrees. For me, it was nice to be able to go on my familiar route. I didn’t see a single soul out there. As a bonus, the sidewalk on Route 25 is now passable. The strength training went pretty well. It will be nice when my torn meniscus is fixed. In the mean time, at least I can walk. Have a blessed day friends!

To the Woods We Go

  I woke up a little bit later and I didn’t feel like rushing around. I decided on doing the just under 4 mile loop at Brookhaven. Sometimes you feel like pushing it and sometimes you don’t. When my daughter and granddaughters don’t come church just does have much pop. I love my wife and think that she’s incredible, but this church just isn’t my style at all. The Lord knows why I’m here. I did 3.80 in 1:17:54 for a 20:29 minute per mile pace with an elevation gain of 157 feet with an average heart rate of 72 bpm at an average cadence of 110 spm at a power of 100w at an easy effort of 3 at 30 degrees. Thanks Lord for a good day!

Surprised

  This week I was a bit apprehensive due to the ice on the roads and the cold temperatures. As I get older I find that cold temps kind of turn me into a baby. When I get in a difficult situation in working out, I try to simplify and make it easier. This week I stayed with the 2 x Raynor/Ridge even though I was getting out a few minutes earlier. The buffer created by the easier route allowed me a pleasant week. Getting my strength work in and getting to school on time was pleasant. My pace was faster than I expected. The knee injections have helped really well with reducing the pain. Here are my stats: 6.81 miles in 1:48:48 for a 15:58 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 74 bpm with an elevation gain of 182 feet at an average cadence of 125 spm at an average power of 137w at an all out effort of 9 at 19 degrees. What I thought was going to be a bad week turned out to be a pretty good week. Both of my shoulders are sore from my pneumonia shot and my CSV shot. Lots of sickness going around, so I am attempting to keep my immunity strong. Have a blessed weekend friends.

Good Morning

  I woke up early and just gradually started my day early meaning that I didn’t have to rush around that much. I was able to read a couple of morning devotions. I did my regular route for this week, 2 x Ridge/Raynor. The bottom of Raynor road was less icy due to all the salt that they put down yesterday. Here are my stats: 6.80 miles in 1:47:39 for a 15:49 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 120 bpm with an elevation gain of 192 feet at an average cadence of 125 spm at an average power of 139w at an all out effort of 9 at 12 degrees. I was able to put the old dressers out by the road and to get my strength work in . I had a nice talk with my brother Todd this morning. Thank you Lord for a good start!

Good Start

 My day started off decently on this cold morning. It all started with a tipped coffee cup, which I thought that I cleaned up—but it turned out to be a bad thing. Anyway, I got out the door on time and headed down the road for my bad roads 2 x Raynor/Ridge workout doing 6.80 miles in 1:48:51 for a 16:00 minute per mile pace at an average cadence of 124 spm at an average power of 136w at an average heart rate of 119 bpm at an all out effort of 9. Praying for a good day!

Changing Plans

 Ice can cause injury for winter workouts. Not just falls, but also muscle pulls can happen from a slip. With this in mind, I changed my workout route. Woodlot and Raynor Road have numerous places where the road is completely iced over. To allow me extra time and to take advantage of mostly bare roads on Ridge Road I plan on doing 2 x Ridge/Raynor starting down Ridge and up Raynor. This way I am going uphill on the icy spots meaning I don’t have to worry about bracing on ice as I descend down the hill. Here are the stats- 6.81 miles in 1:50:08 for a 16:10 minute per mile pace with an elevation gain of 180 feet at a cadence of 125 spm at an average power of 134w at an average heart rate of 106 bpm at an all out effort of 9 at a calm but chilly 12 degrees. I think this is the perfect route for these conditions. Have a blessed day!

Grace Along the Ice

  Today on this MLK and Presidential Inauguration Day, I lay in my bed looking for the right moment to leave the comfort of bed for the cold icy streets of Ridge. I read my Bible and gathered my phone, watch, and coffee cup before carefully launching out of bed into the kitchen. I had a couple of routes in mind. I was thinking of flat routes and passable roads. I decided on the Medford/Randall route. The most precarious part of the route was the downhill slope on Red Maple Road . I walked on the dirt off the road until the slope was mild. Thankfully I made the entire route without a fall. I did 8.44 miles in 2:27:42 for a 17:29 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 84 bpm at an average cadence of 123 spm at an average power of 119w at a moderate effort of 4 at a temp of 20 degrees. I shoveled out the driveway when I arrived home. It didn’t take long to shovel. Looking forward to a restful day , Lord willing. God bless you!

Back at It

  I was blessed to be back at walking after having the stomach virus. My last heading was not really feeling it and the reason was that I was sick. I was out a day and a half. Yesterday, I just did strength work to get back at it. Today I headed down the Greenway trail from Rocky Point to Mount Sinai. It was icy the first 4 miles plus. This prevented me from walking at a good clip. There were a few people out, but mostly on the way back when the trail was wet and not frozen. I was glad that I persevered. My daughter ended up canceling out on church so I had a little extra time to get ready for church. I did 8.24 miles in 2:40:07 for a 19:25 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 87 bpm at a cadence of 113 spm at an average power of 105w at a hard effort of 8 at 34 degrees. I’m just so blessed and thankful for the time and health to do my workouts. God you are to be praised!

Not Quite Feeling It

 This week I have been feeling a bit off. Today, my stomach is a bit quirky and not quite right. My workouts have gone true to form , but outside of that I have not felt my best. Yesterday, I thought that J had turned a corner. Today I realized that I am back to 50%. I did the 2 x Raynor/Ridge , 2 x out and back, and 3 x Ryan Hill for 7.13 miles in 1:56:23 for a 16:19 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 103 bpm at an average cadence of 125 spm at an average power of 134w an an all out effort of at 21 degrees. Lord give me strength today!

The Blessing of Easy

 Today I woke up with a diminished enthusiasm compared to yesterday. I wasn’t tired, just not overly jealous. I decided to stick with one of my sub-seven mile workouts. It turned out to be a perfect call. The weather was cooler this morning and the breeze was picking up. My deposits had tipped over, so I stood it up on the beginning of my walk. I originally was going to do the hill workout, but I decided to do the figure eight, plus two short out and backs, plus 4 x Woodlot hill for 6.83 miles in 1:49:48 for a 16:04 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 114 bpm at an average cadence of 126 spm at a power of 137w with an elevation gain of 223 feet. I was pleased to be a bit ahead of schedule. Have a blessed day friend!

Challenge /Adventure

  I woke up early to use the restroom, and rested, but did not go back to sleep. I felt rested, and decided to start my morning routine a bit early. I quickly decided to go with my instinct and try the Longwood 8 miler. I managed to get out a bit early and started out on the Longwood Loop. At about mile two I had to make an unscheduled pitstop to use the restroom. What I didn’t see was that my spot was across the road from a driveway. I suddenly noticed headlights pointed in my direction. At this time I realized that they were intentionally pointing in my direction. I suddenly pulled up my pants as he started to drive down his driveway. I darted across the road and lied  down underneath a fallen tree while the gentleman stopped at the end of his driveway and lingered . I was worried that he might be suspicious that I was present. After a bit, he took off and headed down the road. I waited a second, and then took off running down the road. It was an adventure that I unexpectedly had to deal with early in the morning. Now for the stats, 8.28 miles in 2:10:59 for a 15:48 minute per mile pace at an average heart rate of 139 bpm at an average cadence of 127 spm at an average power of 140w at an elevation gain of 277 feet an all out effort of 9 at 30 degrees. Thankfully I got my strength work in and made it to school on time. Thank you Lord!

Normal is Good

  If you can go through a day and it seems quite ordinary, that is a distinct blessing. Normal is good. So many people long for having a normal day. I decided with my first instinct to do the 8 x Raynor Hill workout. I woke up and just sort of started on my morning routine without trying to think too much. I also did my strength training and just have abs and a set of curls to do when I get home. I’m a bit tired and a little off this morning. You just have to keep battling. Here are the stats: 6.60 miles in 1:49:05 for a 16:32 minute per mile pace with an average heart rate of 93 bpm at an average cadence of 125 spm at an average power of 139w with an elevation gain of 295 feet at a hard effort of 8 at a comfortable temp of 30 degrees. This is a day when I feel like going home and taking a a nap. I’ll be alright thoughts. God bless!

Up and Adam on Sunday Morning

 My wife’s alarm went off at 6 am. I was rested and decided to hit the trail out of Rocky Point. It’s a relaxing time for me. I listened to Christian radio for about half of the walk. It’s an opportunity to pray and listen to God’s voice as I head down a mainly solitary trail. Most people are friendly and will greet you . I was somewhat disappointed that my daughter Ericka texted me and told me that she and the girls couldn’t go to church, even though it gave me more time to get my strength work in and get around to church. I’m trying to take advantage of the time that I have before my knee replacement surgery this summer. Here are my stats: 8.21 miles in 2:26:30 for an average pace of 17:50 at an average heart rate of 78 bpm at an average cadence of 116 spm at an average power of 116w with an elevation gain of 144 feet at a moderate effort of 4 at a comfortable 29 degrees. I’m a bit tuckered now. Have a blessed week friends.

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!