Sunday, 11/22/2020 to Saturday, 11/28/2020 --- Virtual COVID-19 Race with Grace 10K

This blog post is saved as I write it to avoid the Blogger "Auto Save" feature. I have found (as have others) that if you accidentally delete your entire blog post before you publish it that "Auto Save" will kick in within seconds to take you to a blank page. I have done this more than once! This feature is turned off once you publish the blog post. Then if you accidentally delete your entire post it is not final until you click Update (so you have a chance to realize that you are about to do something stupid).

I didn't take any walks this week (at least according to Garmin).

I ran 3 times this week for 14.55 miles
I biked 4 times for 55.63 miles.
I took 45,008 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch (up until Friday) / Garmin Venu smartwatch (on Saturday).
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt). My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

RUNNING/BIKING: My left knee has had issues with running. I can walk, bike ... and run. Let's say that I run ... carefully. I wear a Buff when I am out so I can slip it up when I approach someone. BTW, I am on a 151 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday night, 11/21).

Sunday, 11/15/2020

710 steps, 41/109 resting/peak HR, 175.4 lbs, 1 floors climbed

bike: 13.33 miles, 1:00:20, 13.3 avg mph, 18.7 max mph, 151 feet elevation gain, 104 avg HR, 56 avg cadence, 37F, 67% RH, 7 E wind, overcast

I woke up at 4:10 AM according to Alexa ... and didn't go back to sleep. I just lounged in bed and waited for it to get lighter. It was chilly and breezy ... but it was a bike day so I got out on the bike. It was a gray day out on my "Out to East Manitou Rd" route. There was a lot of ducks and swans on Buck Pond.

I was kind of bummed that the wrist band of my Garmin Vivoactive HR was broken. I tried to tape it together with masking tape twice ... but no joy. Then I had a Ureka moment. I needed something to hold the two pieces together. I ended up using a bread twisty that I tied between two holes on each side of the break and then covered it with masking tape. Voila ... I think! I will see how it holds up tomorrow on my morning run.

Monday, 11/23/2020

12906 steps, 44/138 resting/peak HR, 7:58 hrs sleep, 177.1 lbs, 3 floors climbed

run: 5.15 miles, 45:01, 8:45 pace, 52 feet elevation gain, 132 avg HR, 141 max HR, 161 avg cadence, 1.14 meter avg stride, 36F, 85% RH, 6 mph WSW wind gusting to 26 mph, wind chill 31F, overcast

Well ... back to work after a week of vacation so it was back to before sunrise workouts. My first alarm went off at 5:20 AM and my second alarm went off at 5:30 AM. It was like pulling teeth but I got up, got dressed and got out. I felt like a slug but I kept my feet moving forward onward into the darkness all the way out to Island Cottage and back ... 5.15 miles ... done. My splits were: 8:56, 8:49, 8:43, 8:36, 8:31 and 8:36 over the last 0.15 mile.

Tuesday, 11/24/2020

5528 steps, 45/119 resting/peak HR, 8:08 hrs sleep, 175.9 lbs, 2 floor climbed

bike: 13.34, 1:01:44, 13.0 avg mph, 20.8 max mph, 131 feet elevation gain, 106 avg HR, 124 max HR, 60 avg cadence, 34F, 77% RH, 8 mph WNW wind gusting to 19 mph, wind chill 28F, cloudy

I was awake at 4:31 AM ... and couldn't get back to sleep ... so I just laid in bed and waited for my alarm at 5:30 AM. Alexa said it was 34F with snow ... but when I looked outside I saw no snow. So ... I got up, got dressed and got out on my bike. It was windy ... nothing new ... on the way out. Another before sunrise bike ... done.

Wednesday, 11/25/2020

5561 steps, 45/138 resting/peak HR, 7:19 hrs sleep, 174.9 lbs, 9 floors climbed

run: 3.15 miles, 27:05, 8:35 pace, 92 feet elevation gain,131 avg HR, 141 max HR, 163 avg cadence, 1.15 meter stride, 42F, 69% RH, 6 mph SSE wind gusting to 14 mph, wind chill 38F, cloudy

I slept until my alarm at 5:30 AM ... a shocker! I got up, got dressed and got out through sheer force of habit ... not because I wanted to but because it is what I do. I only ran 5K this morning since I am running the virtual Race with Grace 10K tomorrow morning. My splits were: 8:44, 8:40, 8:31 and 7:30 over the last 0.15 mile.

Thursday, 12/26/2020

9621 steps, 50/143 resting/peakHR, 7:58 hrs sleep, 175.9 lbs, 7 floors climbed

run: 6.25 miles, 53:45, 8:36 pace, 112 feet elevation gain, 135 avg HR, 145 max HR, 160 avg cadence, 1.17 meter avg stride, 56F, 86% RH, 7 mph SSW wind gusting to 15 mph, overcast

Today, I ran the Virtual COVID-19 Race with Grace 10K, link here. I thought about driving out to run on the actual course at the First Bible Baptist Church like a lot of other people did during the morning. But ... I just ran it on my own 10K route. It was warm so I wore shorts, a long sleeve tech and light running gloves. I could have gotten by with a short sleeve tech and no gloves. I felt a bit blah after mile 3 and took 3 or 4 tiny walk breaks. I guess I just thought about COVID-19, all the deaths and the idea of lots more to come. It seems that some of the US is just going about their business and spreading the virus ... hospitalizations and deaths be damned. Over 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day for the past 26 days and 260,000+ total deaths!

My darling wife, Christine, was already busy making our Thanksgiving dinner when I got home. It was just us this year. She made a turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. It was simple ... more than enough ... and excellent.

Friday, 12/27/2020

701 steps, 49/122 resting/peak HR, 9:36 hrs sleep, 175.0 lbs, 0 floors climbed

bike: 13.38 miles, 1:01:05, 13.1 avg mph, 18.3 max mph, 144 feet elevation gain, 104 avg HR, 127 max HR, 60 avg cadence, 89 max cadence, 47F, 67% RH, 3-10 mph WSW wind, cloudy

I slept in until almost 8 AM ... then I got up, got dressed and got out on the bike around 9:30 AM. I had on my bike headlamp and taillight like usual and had on my usual Brooks jacket. I was between Greenleaf Rd and Dewey Ave when I came upon a bicyclist. He yelled out "It's light out so you don't need the headlight". Well ... I wanted to yell back "Says the guy dressed in black without a headlight ... I want cars, pedestrians and bicyclists to see me!" But ... he was already a 1/2 mile away in the other direction when I thought of all that. Whatever ... I rode onward on my usual route in the usual grey cloudiness with the usual wind past the usual Lake Ontario on one side and the usual 3 ponds (Buck, Long and Cranberry) on the other side.

The usual mugs of coffee and the day after Thanksgiving soon ensued. All in all ... a relaxing day. My "new to me" Garmin Venu came today at 5:02 PM. How did I know that? I checked my eBay account while Christine checked for the mail at 5:08 PM. I quickly opened it and set it up. I had a bit of trouble before I remembered that it has a touchscreen ... duh! Here is the dcrainmaker review, link here. 

Saturday, 11/28/2020

9981 steps,

run: 6.55 miles, 55:33, 8:29 pace, 164 feet elevation gain, 136 avg HR, 148 max HR, 162 avg cadence, 1.17 meter avg stride, 42F, 73% RH, 3 mph NNW wind gusting to 21 mph, cloudy

I was up early but didn't get out until after 9 AM. I felt sluggish until halfway and then picked up the pace. I thought about running 5 miles but I ended up running my "A Dewey Ave loop" which is around 10K. I just enjoy running ... every day is fine with me. My splits were: 8:26, 8:34, 8:24, 8:14, 8:22, 8:45 and 8:28 over the last 0.55 mile.

Sunday, 11/15/2020 to Saturday, 11/21/2020

This blog post is saved as I write it to avoid the Blogger "Auto Save" feature. I have found (as have others) that if you accidentally delete your entire blog post before you publish it that "Auto Save" will kick in within seconds to take you to a blank page. I have done this more than once! This feature is turned off once you publish the blog post. Then if you accidentally delete your entire post it is not final until you click Update (so you have a chance to realize that you are about to do something stupid).

I didn't take any walks this week (at least according to Garmin).

I ran 4 times this week for 30.8 miles
I biked 3 times for 39.35 miles.
I took 53,335 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt). My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

RUNNING/BIKING: My left knee has had issues with running. I can walk, bike ... and run. Let's say that I run ... carefully. I wear a Buff when I am out so I can slip it up when I approach someone. BTW, I am on a 151 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday 11/21).

Sunday, 11/15/2020

12742 steps, 44;138 resting/peak HR, 9:28 hrs sleep, 175.6 lbs, 22 floors climbed

run: 8:05 miles, 1:11:52, 8:52 pace, 207 feet elevation gain, 132 avg HR, 143 max HR, 151 avg cadence, 41 to 50F, 65% RH, 23 mph W wind, cloudy

It was 41F and windy around when I got out around 9 AM. It tend out that I was a bit overdressed. I put on my CW-X tights, long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I struck up a nice and steady pace. I peeled off my Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover at mile 1 and tied it around my neck. I continued onward. This turned out to be one of those runs where I felt like I could run on and on. It seemed to warm up a bit during the run. I decided to err on the side of caution and just ran 8. My splits were: 8:49, 8:38, 8:45, 8:50, 8:44, 8:58, 8:59 and 9:14.

Monday, 11/16/2020

1823 steps, 47/124 resting/peak HR, 8:18 hrs sleep, 175.8 lbs, 1 floor climbed

bike: 13.31 miles, 1:06:32, 12.0 avg mph, 22.8 max mph, 72 feet elevation gain, 100 avg HR, 135 max HR, 41F, 61% RH, 8 mph SW wind gusting to 28 mph, wind chill 36F, cloudy

It was still chilly and windy when I got out at 9 AM. Why 9 AM? Well ... I am on another week of Ricoh vacation. So ... I slept in until 7 AM. I didn't really want to head out on my bike but ... it was a bike day ... so I did. Yes ... it was chilly and windy.  I dressed for the weather and wind: CW-X tights, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks jacket, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. The headwind on the way out almost slowed me to a stop. I dropped my first gear from the biggest (where it has been forever) to the medium gear so I could keep going into the teeth of the wind. I totally enjoyed the wind once I turned around and it became a tailwind.

I made up a "Things to Do" list for this vacation week. So ... I started to check some easy ones off..

 1. Balance checkbook

 2. Take doors off the pantry I built several years ago

 3. Put cup hooks in my running shelf that I put up 2 weeks ago (I put 10 of them in)

 4. Put new keyboard in Christine's Dell Latitude E6430 laptop (It took a bit of swearing and about 30 minutes until I figured out how to attach the old keyboard cable to the new keyboard. The YouTube video used a keyboard with its keyboard cable already attached and showed how to easily disconnect that cable from the motherboard)

 5. Take a shower (easy checkmark .. I know)

 6. Go to Wegmans

My "Things to Do" list is going to get harder now that the easy ones have been checked off ... LOL!

Tuesday, 11/17/2020

9914 steps, 46/154 resting/peak HR, 7:56 hrs sleep, 15 floors climbed

run: 6.25 miles, 55:04, 8:48 pace, 98 feet elevation gain, 133 avg HR, 161 max HR, 159 avg cadence, 35F, 93% RH, 13 mph WNW wind gusting to 25 mph, wind chill 27F, cloudy

I slept in until 8 AM ... decadent I know. It was chilly and windy ... in couple of months it will seem warm but not today. I didn't get out until almost 11 AM. I was going to do my "Dewy Ave loop" but I turned around after 1/2 mile to pick up the Netflix and Redbox DVDs so I could mail and turn them in respectively. Then I headed out onto the pier on my "Out on the Pier" route. There were 1 to 2 foot wave on Lake Ontario so I got my toes a bit wet when I ventured out on the pier. But ... it's what I do. My splits were: 9:01, 8:57, 8:28, 8:51, 8:51, 8:28 and 8:11 over the last 0.25 mile.

I only got one thing on my "Things to  Do" list done ... I enrolled in my 2021 Ricoh benefits.

Wednesday, 11/18/2020

1053 steps, 46/127 resting/peak HR, 9:15 hrs sleep, 175.3 lbs, 4 floors climbed

bike: 12.74 miles, 58:52, 13.0 avg mph, 26.1 max mph, 187 feet elevation gain, 108 avg HR, 130 max HR, 26 avg respiration, 61 avg cadence, 96 max cadence, 27F, 72% RH, 13 mph NW wind gusting to 31 mph, wind chill 17F, partly cloudy

I slept in until 7 AM ... but it was a bike day ... so I got out, froze my ass off and got it done. It was 25F according to Alexa so I dressed for the weather ... so I thought. I could have used my Brooks beanie on top of my balaclava, better gloves and another pair of socks. Brrrrrrrrrr!!! 

I added some more Garmin tech to my bike the night before so I gave it a test ride today. I found an OK sale on a Edge 530 bundle (Edge 530, speed sensor, cadence sensor and heartrate strap) at biketiresdirect.com. I don't particular like the tedious amount of button pushing to set up the Edge 530. I really wish I had bought a Edge 820 with its touchscreen .... oh well! The Edge 530 adds temperature and cadence to my data.

Thursday, 11/19/2020

12256 steps, 45/142 resting/peak HR, 9:32 hrs sleep, 176.3 lbs, 26 floors climbed

run: 7.05 miles, 1:00:47, 8:37 pace, 177 feet elevation gain, 134 avg HR, 145 max HR, 162 avg cadence, 1.15 meter avg stride, A chilly and windy run. Weather: 42-48F, 33% RH, 9 mph SSW wind gusting to 35 mph, partly cloudy

Well ... the wind was howling but it really wasn't all that chilly out. It was 42F when I headed out a bit after 9 AM and 48F when I got back. Alexa and "Big Sky Weather" told me that the high will be 61F at 2:02 PM today. I probably could have gotten by with shorts but I wore my CW-X tights, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I chose my "A Dewey Ave loop" so I wouldn't be running into any wind for a long time. The wind was out of the south so I only right ran into it until after I was nice and warmed up around mile 5. My splits were: 8:51, 8:33, 8:28, 8:32, 8:36, 9:00 and 8:23. I could have waited until around 2 PM when I could have ran in shorts and a short sleeve tech ... oh well!

Friday, 11/20/2020

1993 steps, 48/127 resting/peak HR, 9:02 hrs sleep, 175.5 lbs, 3 floors climbed

bike: 13.30 miles, 59:13, 13.5 avg mph, 19.2 max mph, 177 feet elevation gain, no HR data (I forgot to put on the strap and deleted my VA-HR log), 62 avg cadence, 84 max cadence, 58F, 33% RH, 12 mph SSW wind gusting to 25 mph, mostly sunny

I slept in until almost 8 AM. I guess I am not the early bird that I thought I was. It was still warmer and windy ... and I was on the bike. So ... I wore my Brooks pants, a long/short sleeve combo and my regular bicycle gloves. It was a bit windy but it was nice to be out on November 20th when it was almost 60F!

Christine and I messed around and straightened her gardening stuff on back patio. I caught the wrist band of my Garmin Vivoactive HR when I lifted something and broke it in two. Crap! I taped the two pieces together with masking tape ... I hope it holds! Well ... what a good excuse to spring for a "new-to-me" Garmin Venu off of eBay, link here! 

I also sprung for a new 28 mm wrist band, link here. I plan on fixing my old Garmin Vivoactive HR so I can give it to Christine. It will be an upgrade from her Vivofit. Now if I can convince her to go for walks outside ...

Saturday, 11/21/2020

13550 steps, 47/152 resting/peak HR, 8:05 hrs sleep, 175.2 lbs, 10 floors climbed

run: 9.45 miles, 1:24:11, 8:48 pace, 164 feet elevation gain, 139 avg HR, 165 max HR, 159 avg cadence, 41F, 71% RH, 10 mph W wind gusting to 22 mph, overcast

I was up around 6:30 AM but didn't get out until almost 10 AM. Fall temperatures had returned overnight so I wore my CW-X tights (could have worn shorts), a long/short sleeve tech combo, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I had in mind to run 7 miles when I started out. I stopped at the top of Greenleaf Rd to peel off my long sleeve tech and take off my Brooks beanie. I put them back on when I got to the end of the pier because the wind had come up in the mile or so between those 2 points. I felt OK so I just kept on running until I got to 9.45 miles. A quick check on my exercise spreadsheet told me that I had not run this since May 10th when I injured myself running the Bigfoot Virtual Half ,,, six long months ago. Wow! My splits were: 8:55, 8:46, 8:41, 8:33, 8:42, 8:48, 8:33, 8:44, 9:12 and 8:34 over the last 0.45 mile.

The taped-up wrist band of my Garmin Vivoactive HR fell apart a bit more than halfway into the run. I tried to tape it back together but couldn't get it to held together. Hmm ... 

Christine and I were on different floors of our townhouse at Greenleaf Meadows for most of the day. I was on my laptop upstairs and she was downstairs watching something off the DVR. We did manage to spend a bit of relaxing together before supper ... nice!

A BIT OF POLITICS ... Trump lost and Biden won. COVID-19 is raging out of control through most of the country while Trump golfs and ignores that he lost.while he spreads conspiracy theories about how he was cheated out of a second term. No ... Trump was beat by 6 million votes and lost in the Electoral College 306-232. 

Sunday, 11/8/2020 to Saturday, 11/14/2020

This blog post is saved as I write it to avoid the Blogger "Auto Save" feature. I have found (as have others) that if you accidentally delete your entire blog post before you publish it that "Auto Save" will kick in within seconds to take you to a blank page. I have done this more than once! This feature is turned off once you publish the blog post. Then if you accidentally delete your entire post it is not final until you click Update (so you have a chance to realize that you are about to do something stupid).

I walked once for 3.15 miles (at least according to Garmin).

I ran 3 times this week for 18.75 miles
I biked 3 times for 42.25 miles.
I took 47,518 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt). My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

RUNNING/BIKING: My left knee has had issues with running. I can walk, bike ... and run. Let's say that I run ... carefully. I wear a Buff when I am out so I can slip it up when I approach someone. BTW, I am on a 137 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday 11/7).

COVID-19: I work for Ricoh as a Site Leader. I work mostly from home now. I support the 169 Ricoh printers in the four L3Harris SAS buildings. I can remotely monitor them. I am required to wear a cloth mask when I enter any L3Harris building (actually when I exit my car in the parking lot) and also pass an automated temperature test before I can enter a turnstile. I also wear a cloth mask whenever I enter any public building ... like Wegmans or BJs. I realize that a cloth mask isn't a N95 mask but it's better than nothing. I don't have disposable gloves so I wear light running gloves. News links about gloves and clothing here, here and here. I don't want to spread COVID-19 if I am asymptotic (heaven forbid) nor do I want to catch it because someone isn't wearing a mask of their own. Remember ... wear your mask! It isn't a political statement! We are NY Tough!

Sunday, 11/8/2020

9778 steps, 47/144 resting/peak HR, 8:48 hrs sleep, 175.3 lbs, 3 floors climbed

run: 6.25 miles, 57:37, 9:13 pace, 112 feet elevation gain, 133 avg HR, 147 max HR, 177 avg cadence, 68F, 46% RH, 4 to 13 mph NNW wind, sunny

I waited a lot longer than usual for my run ... past 11 AM. So ... it was already warm (on Novembe 8th!) when I headed out on my "The Island Cottage loop". I struck up a steady pace and overheated after mile 3. I went into a run/walk. I thought about being pissed about this but realized that I was moving and decided to just enjoy the run. My splits were: 9:05, 8:39, 8:40, 9:05, 10:27, 9:12 and 8:48 over the last 0.25 mile.

Monday, 11/9/2020

2519 steps, 45/123 resting/peak HR, 7:32 hrs sleep, 175.2 lbs, 1 floor climbed

bike: 13.31 miles, 58:06, 13.8 avg mph, 18.6 max mph, 66 feet elevation gain, 108 avg HR, 136 max HR, 51F, 72% RH, 2 mphSW wind, clear/sunny

I thought it was a bit warmer than it actually was. I was all set except for leaving my Brooks beanie behind so my ears were cold. I kept on going though ... out and back on my usual route. Lake Ontario and the 3 ponds were all as smooth as glass. The sun was coming up as I was getting closer to home.

Tuesday, 11/10/2020

10811 steps, 46/143 resting/peak HR, 7:34 hrs sleep, 176.6 lbs, 12 floors climbed

run: 6.25 miles, 54:56, 8:47 pace, 98 feet elevation gain, 133 avg HR, 147 max HR, 160 avg cadence, 61F, 72% RH, 5 mph SW wind gusting to 18 mph, clear

My alarm, stubbornness and muscle memory got me up, dressed and out the door this morning. My walk/run/bike streak was a factor also ... day 140 in  the books. The first two miles were ... why am I here ... the next 2 ... OK, I am here ... the last 2 ... I am glad I am here. My splits were: 8:58, 8:47, 8:40, 8:39, 8:38, 8:59 and 8:22 over the last 0.25 mile.

The last day of the week of Indian Summer was today. The weather in Rochester had been warm and sunny since last Wednesday ... about a week.

Wednesday, 11/11/2020

7028 steps, 46/126 resting/peak HR, 8:39 hrs sleep, 176.7 lbs, 6 floors climbed

walk/run: 3.15 miles, 39:37, 12:34 pace, 69 feet elevation gain, 95 avg HR, 131 max HR, 127 avg cadence, 165 max cadence, 65F, 87% RH, 9 mph SSW wind gusting to 22 mph, cloudy

I heard rain and wind during the night and it was raining when I woke up at 5:30 AM. It had stopped by 7 AM so I decided to get out for a walk before 8 AM. The W/R/B streak had to continue. I started out with a walk and then struck up a slow run at the halfway point. I got the walk/run done well enought before 8 AM so I could log in and start my WFH day at Ricoh.

Thursday, 11/12/2020

5941 steps, 48/123 resting/peak HR, 7:43 hrs sleep, 178.1 lbs, 3 floors climbed

bike: 13.30 miles, 59:35, 13.4 avg mph, 20.4 avg mph, 62 feet elevation gain, 105 avg HR, 144 max HR, 44F, 69% RH, 4 mph W wind gusting to 18 mph, cloudy

I had to be physically at work at 8 AM so I set my alarm at 5 AM to get out earlier on my usual before sunrise bike. It was cold again so I wore what I knew would keep me warm while biking at the mid 40s. There was a headwind heading out and a tailwind heading back ... so I was slow heading out and fast heading back.

Friday, 11/13/2020

10200 steps, 48/148 resting/peak HR, 7:41 hrs sleep, 177.9 lbs, 9 floors climbed

6.25 miles, 55:13, 8:50 pace, 151 feet elevation gain, 133 avg HR, 155 msx HR, 162 avg cadence, 29F, 97% RH, 3 to 9 mph SSW wind, mostly clear

My alarm went off at 5:30 AM. Alexa told me that it was 29F ... brr! It took willpower to get out of bed, get dressed for the weather and get out for my before sunrise run. I was glad it wasn't windy. I wore my winter usual: CW-X tights, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. It was dark so I wore my headlamp and Noxgear lighted vest like usual. I struck up a steady pace. It's kind of tough to know your pace when it's dark. I decided to make up a new route that just happened to be 10K also. It's a bit more scenic ... if there is such a thing at 6:10 AM.

Saturday, 11/14/2020

1241 steps, 45/130 resting/peak HR, 8:18 hrs sleep, 176.4 lbs, 4 floors climbed

bike: 15.64 miles, 1:12:07, 13.0 avg mph, 21,4 max mph, 135 feet elevation gain,  101 avg HR, 203 max HR (a weird spike at mile 3.31), 41F, 73% RH, 4 mph W wind gusting to 18 mph, cloudy

I slept in until 7 AM. I waited until 9 AM before I got out on my bike. It had not warmed any ... it was 41F and windy out of the ... West like usual. I did my longer "Out to East Manitou Rd and around" route. I saw Barry Cherney and 2 other bikers just as I heading down the LOSP Trail. I was more than a bit cold when I got home. Brr! I snuggled under a blanket for a while while I drank a couple mugs of coffee.

Sunday, 11/1/2020 to Saturday, 11/7/2020

This blog post is saved as I write it to avoid the Blogger "Auto Save" feature. I have found (as have others) that if you accidentally delete your entire blog post before you publish it that "Auto Save" will kick in within seconds to take you to a blank page. I have done this more than once! This feature is turned off once you publish the blog post. Then if you accidentally delete your entire post it is not final until you click Update (so you have a chance to realize that you are about to do something stupid).

I walked 1 time this week for 3.15 miles (at least according to Garmin).

I ran 3 times this week for 17.65 miles
I biked 3 times for 42.38 miles this week.
I took 50,226 steps this week according to my Garmin Vivoactive HR (VA-HR) smartwatch.
My VA-HR gives me steps, heart rate, hours slept and floors climbed (take those last 2 data points with a grain of salt). My Withings WS-50 Smart Body Analyzer scale gives my weight.

RUNNING/BIKING: My left knee has had issues with running. I can walk, bike ... and run. Let's say that I run ... carefully. I wear a Buff when I am out so I can slip it up when I approach someone.

Sunday, 11/1/2020

6758 steps, 46/117 resting/peak HR, 8:41 hrs sleep, 175.3 lbs, 9 floors climbed

walk: 3.15 miles, 48:50, 15:30 pace, 121 feet elevation gain, 82 avg HR, 97 max HR, 48F, 68% RH, 18 mph SW wind gusting to 28 mph, overcast with sprinkles.

The clocks were turned back so it was already light when I woke up around 6:45 AM. It was windy and looked crappy so I asked Alexa to open "Big Sky Weather". It was a bike day ... but it told me that light rain was coming in 30 minutes. I didn't really like the idea of biking into a wind driven rain so I opted for a walk since I do NOT run two days in a row. It seems to have worked all summer so I am sticking to it. It was certainly windy when I got out and it started to sprinkle about 5 minutes into my walk. I decided to not push my walking pace since I have a run scheduled tomorrow.

I watched the Patriots - Bills game. It was touch and go. The Bills built a slim lead 24-21 in the waning minutes. The Patriots were driving but someone punched the ball out of Cam Newton's arms at the 10 yard line and an alert Bill fell on it with 30 minutes to go. It's a win.

Monday, 11/2/2020

12920 steps, 46/137 resting/peak HR, 6:44 hrs sleep, 176.0 lbs, 18 floors climbed

run: 5.15 miles, 45:29, 8:50 pace, 56 feet elevation gain, 132 avg HR, 142 max HR, 161 avg cadence, 30F, 72% RH, 13 mph NW wind gusting to 40 mph, overcast with a few snow pellets

The wind woke me up during the night and I was awake when my alarm went off at 5:30 AM. I thought about a bike but went with a run instead. I dressed warmly with CW-X tights, a long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve, balaclava and heavy running gloves. This is probably the earliest that I have worn tights (10/31) and balaclava (11/2). I just went out nice and easy to Island Cottage on the LOSP Trail. I thought that the trees would block most of the wind. I was correct except for the open areas where the wind really kicked me in the teeth on the way out. It wasn't so bad on the way back though I did see ice pellets for a couple of minutes. My splits were: 9:05, 8:55, 8:48, 8:38, 8:43 and 8:11 over the last 0.15 mile.

Tuesday, 11/3/2020

2944 steps, 44/125 resting/peak HR, 8:04 hrs sleep, 176.3 lbs, 1 floors climbed

bike: 13.35 miles, 1:02:24, 12.8 avg mph, 23.4 max mph,  59 feet elevation gain, 108 avg HR, 142 max HR, 41F, 66% RH, 6 mph NW wind gusting to 28 mph, partly cloudy

I went to bed early last night so I was awake around 4:50 AM. I caught up on email and Facebook while I heard the wind. It wasn't as bad as the morning before but it was a bike morning. It took a lot of willpower to get dressed, get ready and get out there. The cold around 40F and the wind chill from the wind wasn't that bad because I was dressed for it. The headwind going out slowed  me down but the tailwind on the way back was sweet! My high speed was 23.4 mph on level ground!

POLITICS ... prepare for a rant! Today is the day that the USA finally decides whether or not Trump can continue in his job as President. I know how my lovely wife, Christine, and I voted. I hope that I can look forward to Biden as the 46th President. He has failed on every level ... take your pick ... COVID-19, tax cuts for the rich, tweets, over 20,000 lies .. there are lots more!

I avoided most of the 2020 election return reporting by watching 4 ST-DS9 episodes off the DVR and then went to bed with just a bit of Facebook checking.

Wednesday, 11/4/2020

10421 steps, 46/139 resting/peak HR, 7:03 hrs sleep, 8 floors climbed

run: 6.25 miles, 53:39, 8:35 pace, 92 feet elevation gain, 131 avg HR, 146 max HR, 162 avg cadence, 50F, 59% RH, 7 mph W wind gusting to 19 mph, sunny

A bit of politics. I was a bit out of sorts this morning. I had gone to bed a bit sad since it looked like a lot of the USA had continued to vote for their Republican senators and that the US Senate was still in play. I was gladdened that Biden and Trump were fighting it out in 6 battleground states. So ... I was thinking about that while I ran. I stopped three times to get pictures. My pace was a bit quicker than I thought. My splits were: 8:45, 8:35, 8:27, 8:39, 8:31, 8:32 and 8:13 over the last 0.25 mile. 

POLITICS ... COUNT. EVERY. VOTE!!!

Thursday, 11/5/2020

4410 steps, 43/116 resting/peak HR, 7:07 hrs sleep, 175.3 lbs, 2 floors climbed

bike: 13.41 miles, 59:36, 13.5 avg mph, 20.1 max mph, 92 feet elevation gain, 105 avg HR, 127 max mph, 57F, 45% RH, 3 mph SSE wind gusting to 20 mph, sunny

It was a bit warmer but still windy this morning. I had a bit of trouble deciding what to wear. I finally decided on Brooks pants, long sleeve tech and Brooks jacket. There was a bit of cool breeze as I got near the lake and ponds so I was glad that I went with the jacket and not an additional short sleeve tech. Today there was a tailwind on the way out and a headwind on the way back.

More POLITICS ... COUNT. EVERY. VOTE!!!

Friday, 11/6/2020

12223 steps, 47/144 resting/peak HR, 7:25 hrs sleep, 176.1 lbs, 8 floors climbed

run: 6.25 miles, 54:55, 8:47 pace, 98 feet elevation gain, 133 avg HR, 146 max HR, 160 avg cadence, 57F, 57% RH, 3 mph SW wind gusting to 19 mph, mostly clear

I was up as usual at 5:30 AM. I did the usual things ... caught up a bit on email, Facebook, went down on weighed myself, had 3/4 of a donut and a bit of OJ, got dressed for a run and got out. It was a bit cool and windy so I wore shorts, long sleeve tech, Buff and Brooks running gloves. It was going to get light soon but I still had my headlamp and Noxgear lighted vest. I set up a steady pace on my "The Island Cottage loop" route. I didn't stop or slow down much on the 2 mini-hills on that route. I just powered up them. I got it done. My splits were: 8:53, 8:47, 8:49, 8:46, 8:36, 8:53 and 8:31 over the last 0.25 mile.

Then I got about my day ... working remotely on a Friday for Ricoh looking after the network printers at L3Harris SAS. I went onsite for a couple of hours in the afternoon to look after the printers in person.

More ... POLITICS ... COUNT. EVERY. VOTE!!!

Saturday, 11/7/2020

440 steps, 46/108 resting/peak HR, 8:25 hrs sleep, 175.7 lbs, 0 (sure!) floors climbed

bike: 15.62 miles, 1:10:24, 13.3 avg mph, 20.7 max mph, 157 feet elevation gain, 99 avg HR, 121 max HR, 50F, 47% RH, 3 mph WSW wind gusting to 18 mph, mostly sunny

I slept in until 6 AM. I puttered around a bit while I caught up on email and Facebook. It was around 50F and windy. I had a bit of trouble trying to decide what to wear. I went outside and decided on my Brooks pants and Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover. I thought about a long sleeve tech and Brooks jacket but I figured I would be too warm. I headed out and I was a bit cold at first but I warmed up ... like usual. What can I say about this particular bike ride ... one of the 83 I have taken in 2020? It wasn't too much different. I did look around ... I like riding along Lake Ontario on one side and the three ponds (Cranberry, Long and Buck) on the other.

POLITICS: Well ... enough votes were counted to allow CNN, AP, Fox News(!) and others to call it for Biden. Trump is still pledging to fight "all the illegal votes" in court and not concede the election. He will not go gently in that good night (the SDNY awaits him, his family and his minions). I predict that he will fight this at the way to the mat. Someone will have to intervene ... but who? Most of America says "Biden won, You're fired, Trump!"