Sunday, 12/27/2020 to Saturday, 1/2/2021

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 7 times this week for 7.5 miles.

I didn't run this week due to a right glute injury.

I didn't bike this week. 
I took 25,526 steps this week according to my Garmin Venu smartwatch.
My Venu 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 right hip (actually right glute) was injured when I took a trail run in the Lakeshore Country on  12/19. I can only walk/limp which does hurt. I wear a Buff when I am out so I can slip it up when I approach someone. BTW, I am on a 186 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday night, 12/26).

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, 12/27/2020

3165 steps, 48/101 resting/peak HR, 11:11 hrs sleep, 173.4 lbs, 4 floors climbed

walk: 1.05 miles, 22:29, 21:21 pace, 23 feet elevation gain, 89 avg HR, 107 max HR, 89 avg cadence,  31F, 77% RH, 4 mph S  wind, cloudy

I got out for yet another walk/limp. Yes ... it hurt a bit. Yes ... I did it anyway. Yes ... I need to see a doctor. I have a physical scheduled for 1/11/2021. I may go sooner. I had to slow down a bit on the LOSP Trail since it was a bit icy in spots and I definitely did not want to fall and hurt myself further.

Monday, 12/28/2020

2852 steps, 44/101 resting/peak HR, 12:35 hrs sleep, 171.9 lbs, 3 floors climbed

walk, 1.05 miles, 22:24, 21:20 pace, 13 feet elevation gain, 92 avg HR, 106 max HR, 90 avg cadence, 32F, 72% RH, 7 to 19 mph SSE wind, cloudy

I almost didn't get out before dark but I did. Sometimes it feels so pointless going out for a 1 mile walk but I forced myself to get dressed for the cold, get outside and get walking. My right hip felt a tiny bit better. I still limped but not as much. Progress? Maybe ... maybe not.

Later, I watched the Bills - Patriots game, link here. The Bills gave the Pats a 3-0 lead, then it was 3-3, 10-3, 10-9, 17-9, 24-9 at halftime, 31-9 and 38-9 .... yay! Several records fell. The Patriots were swept by a AFC East opponent and have a losing record this year (both since 2000). The Bills improved to 12-3 (first time since 1999), Josh went 27-36, passed for 320 yards, 4 TDs before he was rested early in the 4th quarter. He got his 34th TD pass in 2020 (most in a Bills season, one more than Jim Kelley), Stephon Diggs had 9 receptions, 3 TDs and 145 yards. He has 120 receptions and 1459 yards in 2020 (most for a Bills receiver, better than Andre Reed in both cases and best in the NFL this season). 

Tuesday, 12/29/2020

2713 steps, 50/91 resting/peak HR, 11:54 hrs sleep, 173.6 lbs, 3 floors climbed

walk: 1.1 miles, 21:44, 19:44 pace, 20 feet elevation gain, 78 avg HR, 86 max HR, 92 avg cadence, 27F, 80% RH, calm, mostly clear

My right hip felt a bit worse when I walked around our townhouse during the day. But ... I got out and walked anyway. My right hip did loosen up and I walked with a bit of a limp. There was a bit of crunchy snow and a smidge of black ice on the LOSP Trail so I had to be careful.

Wednesday, 12/30/2020

5419 steps, 47/114 resting/peak HR, 6;21 hrs sleep, 175.2 lbs, 4 floors climbed

walk: 1.0 mile, 25:19, 25:14 pace, 16 feet elevation gain, 97 avg HR, 125 max HR, 69 avg cadence, 43F, 60% RH, 16 mph SSW wind, overcast

OK .. I am f***ing stupid. I am still walking on a right hip has something f***ing wrong with it. This walk sucked. My right hip felt worse than yesterday not better.  It wasn't a sharp pain but I couldn't walk without a limp and worried that I was doing something bad on every step. It felt like someone was twisting a dull knife in my right hip with every step. Whoever was watching the security cameras at L3Harris B601 must have wondered if they were going to have to go out and help me! I have an unrelated doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon. I need him to fill out a Ricoh healthcare form with height, weight, blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol numbers so I can save $300/year on my healthcare. It's due on 12/31 ... nothing like waiting until the last day (I do this every year). I do think I will mention my right hip. I can just feel my lovely wife, Christine, nodding her head if she reads this.

Thursday, 12/31/2020

5525 steps, 

walk: 1.1 miles, 21:13, 19:19 pace, 13 feet elevation gain, 85 avg HR, 104 max HR, 97 avg cadence, 34F, 68% RH, 6 to 24 SSW wind, overcast

I got out early for my walk. My right hip felt better than yesterday. I got it done.

This was my last entry for 7 Races 7 Continents. I have been doing the Individual Run-Bike for this virtual face since 9/1, 122 days ago. My final stats were: 19 walks for 35.68 miles, 1.88 miles/walk; 55 runs for 294.77 miles, 5.36 miles/run and 48 bikes for 657.21 miles, 13.69 miles/bike. Total mileage was 993.1 miles. I would have liked to get to 1000 miles but another run or bike just wasn't in the cards due to injury.

I went to see my PCP, Dr. Lavender at Eastridge Medical Center. Part of the reason was to get my Ricoh healthcare form filled out and the other reason was to complain about my right hip and that I cough a lot. He also talked about my elevated TSH level. He determined that I had a strained right glute, he suggested that I hadn't been taking my Zrtec and I should drink more water. He also prescribed levothroxine to bring down my TSH level.

I left work a bit early to do a bit of grocery shopping. I stopped at BJs, Skip's on the Ridge and Wegmans. The longer I was out the worse my right glute hurt. I was limping badly and hurt quite a bit (OK ... A LOT!!!) by the time I got home. It seems that my right glute can only take so many steps during a day. I fought to get my Ricoh healthcare form uploaded to Quest for a bit before I could relax. My lovely wife, Christine, made an excellent New Year's Eve meal of filet mignon, shrimp, baked potato, mixed vegetables and salad. Mmm!

It's the end of the year so it's stat time!

I walked 13 times in December for 18.38 miles, 1.41 miles/walk and 48 walks for 91.26 miles, 1.9 miles/walk for 2020.

I ran 13 times in December for 66.17 miles, 5.09 miles/run and 159 runs for 778.49 miles, 4.9 miles/run for 2020.

I biked 5 times in December for 61.66 miles, 12.33 miles/bike and 98 bikes for 1328.92 miles, 13.56 miles/bike for 2020.

Total mileage was walk - 91.26 miles, run - 778.49 miles, bike - 1328.92 miles for a total of 2198.67 miles

I walked 195,467 steps in December and 2,319,898 steps in 2020.

So ... what to say about December? I was running pretty well until I decided to run in the Lakeshore Country Club on Saturday, 12/19. I put my right foot into a depression and tweaked my right glute. I limped and hoped that it would heal itself. I have walked/limped since then ... just to continue my 191 day walk/run/bike streak. Perhaps not so smart ... but I am not too smart sometimes and stubborn besides.

And ... what to say about 2020? All seemed normal but all races went virtual by early March as COVID-19 spread. Soon I was running virtual races and wearing a buff when I walked/ran/biked so I could pull it up if I got within 6 feet of someone. I ran quite a few virtual races before I went towards the longer multi-month virtual ones. I found that you can injure yourself when you run a virtual half marathon ... namely the Big Foot Virtual Half Marathon on 5/10. Pain in my left knee got worse and worse until I was forced to walk. I started the Summer Around the Finger Lakes 11 Lakes on 6/1 (completed 408.2 miles on 7/24). I walked and biked until I could run again on 6/30. I started a walk/run/bike streak on 6/24. I started the 7 Races 7 Continents Individual Run-Bike on 9/1 (completed 993.2 miles on 12/31). I injured my right glute on 12/19 when I ran in the Lakeshore Country Club but I continue to walk. I finished 2020 on a 191 day walk/run/bike streak (of at least 1 mile). So ... 2020 was a difficult year on the running front ... but I rolled with what life gave me to either walk, run or bike.

My 2020 races (in-person and virtual)

01/01 Freezeoo #2 - 7.5 miles, 1:02:32, 8:17 pace

01/05 Polar Cat #1 - 3.0 miles, 22:36, 7:35 pace

01/11 Freezeroo #3 - 5.0 miles, 40:40, 8:08 pace

01/25 Freezeroo #4 - 4.86 miles, 38:33, 7:56 pace

02/08 Freezeroo #5 - 8 miles, 1:06:09, 8:17 pace

02/16 Polar Cat #2 - 3.1 miles, 23:27, 7:38 pace

02/22 Freezeroo #6 - 4.32 miles, 34:15, 7:56 pace

03/01 Polar Cat #3 - 3.1 miles, 23:48, 7:40 pace

03/15 Virtual Runnin' of the Green -  5.0 miles, 40:18, 8:04 pace

04/04 COVID-19 19K virtual race - 11.78 miles, 1:40:37, 8:32 pace

04/18 Spring Clean Half virtual run - 13.1 miles, 1:55:36, 8:47 pace

05/02 FLRC COVID-19 19K virtual race - 11.78 miles, 1:43:21, 8:46 pace

05/09 Fleet Feet Virtual Mile - 1.0 mile, 7:18 pace

05/10 Bigfoot Virtual Half - 13.1 miles, 1:58:00, 8:58 pace

05/22 Power Hour - 5.52 miles, 1:00:00, 10:52 pace

06/1-07/24 Summer Around the Finger Lakes-11 Lakes 408.2 miles - 16 walks for 30.7 miles, 13 runs for 32.87 miles, 26 bikes for 344.63 miles

06/07 The Big Run 5K - 3.1 miles, 1:20:27, 25:55 pace

09/1-12/31 7 Races/7 Continents Individual Run-Bike for 993.2 miles - 19 walks for 36.4 miles, 55 runs for 297.5 miles, 48 miles for 659.3 miles

11/28 COVID-19 Race with Grace 10K - 6.2 miles, 53:45, 8:36 pace

I could say a bit about politics in 2020. Ok ... let's just say that 81 million voters will breathe a sigh of relief when Joe Biden puts his hand on his Bible on 1/20/21 to become the 46th President of the US! I could type all sort of Democrat talking points but ... it wouldn't change any Republican minds that Trump was the worst "President" in my lifetime. It seems that everyone has their own echo chamber nowadays. I don't frequent Fox News, Breibart or OANN for my news ... just CNN, the New York Times or the Washington Post.

Friday, 1/1/2021

2934 steps, 47/96 resting/peak HR, 10:10 hrs sleep, 174.4 lbs, 3 floors climbed

walk: 1.1 miles, 21:33, 19:31 pace, 33 feet elevation gain, 87 avg HR, 106 max HR, 102 avg cadence, 34F, 75% RH, 3 to 11 mph E wind, cloudy

I could have rested my right glute ... but what fun would that have been? I took a walk instead (and extended my 191 day walk/run/bike streak by another day. My right glute felt kind of OK. I walked with a slight limp. Onward!

Eric Eagan took some pictures this morning from his home on Cranberry Pond

I read on Facebook that some runners ran the Freezeroo #2 course that was cancelled due to COVID-19. Others ran trail or ran around the Bay.

Leftover shrimp for breakfast

sausage, baked potato, country spare rib, homemade cranberry sauce, applesauce

My darling wife, Christine, cooked and made an excellent dinner ... Mmm! I gather the food, she cooks it and I do the cleanup ... it works for us.

Saturday, 1/2/2021

2928 steps, 51/103 resting/peak HR, 9:02 hrs sleep, 174.7 lbs, 4 flors climbed

walk: 1.1 miles, 18:39, 16:57 pace, 23 feet elevation gain, 90 avg HR, 111 max HR, 108 avg cadence, 32F, 100% RH, 6 to 22 W wind, wind chill 26F, overcast

I got out for another walk. My right glute felt better good at first so I only had a slight limp. It got slightly worse by the time I got done. Progress ... I guess?

Sunday, 12/20/2020 to Saturday, 12/26/2020

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 6 times this week for 7.48 miles.

I didn't run this week due to a right hip injury.

I biked once this week for 9.60 miles.
I took 26,729 steps this week according to my Garmin Venu smartwatch.
My Venu 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 179 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday night, 12/19).

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, 12/20/2020

3240 steps, 43/105 resting/peak HR, 11:11 hrs sleep, no weight (I must have forgotten), 3 floors climbed

walk: 1.25 miles, 24:35, 19:39 pace, 36 feet elevation gain, 92 avg HR, 111 max HR, 97 avg cadence, 34F, 100% RH, 2 to 12 mph S wind, overcast with light wet snow

My 180 day walk/run/bike streak was at stake so I got out for walk/limp. Why a walk/limp? Well ... somehow I injured my right hip yesterday when I took a really nice and easy trail run around the Lakeshore Country Club behind our Greenleaf Meadows townhouse. Yes ... I walked/limped. Yes ... it hurt. Yes ... I did it anyway. Yes ... another day in the books for the streak. My splits were: 19:30 and 18:38 over the last 0.25 mile.

Monday, 12/21/2020

3782 steps, 43/102 resting/peak HR, 6:18 hrs sleep, 173.2 lbs, 5 floors climbed

walk, 1.25 miles, 24.32, 19:40 pace, 20 feet elevation gain, 91 avg HR, 102 max HR, 103 avg cadence, 35F, 96% RH, calm, mostly cloudy

I got out for a walk/limp. I was stiff for about a half mile. It sucks but I hope I will get better sooner rather than later. But who knows? My splits were: 19:19 and 20:23 over the last 0.25 mile.

Tonight was the "Christmas Star" conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Christine and I both went upstairs to look out our upstairs windows to see it ... but the skies over Rochester were cloudy. We saw it 2 nights before so we did see it.

Tuesday, 12/22/2020

3689 steps, 44/108 resting/peak HR, 7:06 hrs sleep, 172.2 lbs, 2 floors climbed

walk: 1.25 miles, 21:16, 16:57 pace, 13 feet elevation gain, 101 avg HR, 113 max HR, 114 avg cadence, 35F, 100% RH, calm, partly cloudy

I got out for another walk/limp. I was stiff again for a 1/2 mile. I burst for a very slow shuffle for the last 1/4 mile because it hurt more to walk. My splits were: 17:51 and 13:23 over the last 0.25 mile.

Wednesday, 12/23/2020

6077 steps, 44/110 resting/peak HR, 6:55 hrs sleep, 172.7 lbs, 6 floors climbed

walk: 1.05 mile, 18:18, 17:26 pace, 26 feet elevation gain, 97 avg HR, 117 max HR, 109 avg cadence, 34F, 73% RH, 2 mph SSE wind, mostly cloudy

I got out for yet another walk/limp. My right hip still hurts. I can't walk without a limp. I tried an awkward run/limp a few times but it didn't feel good so I went back into my walk/limp. Aarrgghh! Another mile in the book. 

Thursday, 12/24/2020

5542 steps, 42/104 resting/peak HR, 9:27 hrs sleep, (forgot to weigh myself), 10 floors climbed

walk: 1.63 miles, 35:36, 21:54 pace, 43 feet elevation gain, 95 avg HR, 108 max HR, 94 avg cadence, 54F, 71% RH, 13 to 26 mph S wind, overcast

I slept in until about 7:30 AM. I had stuff to do so I got out. First was a blood draw in preparation for my annual physical on 1/11/2021. I had to fast so no coffee before. I brought coffee for after though, lol! Then it was a bit of last minute grocery shopping at Wegmans. The last was a trip to Wendy's for a breakfast treat: a Breakfast Baconator for Christine and I. Mmm!!! I got my blood test results at 12:10 PM. Everything was fine except my TSH level (something to do with my thyroid) is way high. Christine said that it could be why I feel tired all the time. I do have to fight to get going. I still get going though.

Then it was out yet another walk/limp. The right hip pain was still there ... just slightly less. Progress, I guess. I walked a bit farther ... seeing the world on my "Out to Ling Rd" route at a slower pace. 

Friday, 12/25/2020

634 steps, 45/113 resting/peak HR, 10:56 (?) hrs sleep, 174.3 lbs, 0 floors climbed

bike: 9.60 miles, 54:24, 10.6 avg mph, 24.8 max mph, 99 avg HR, 121 max HR, 59 avg cadence, 31F, 93% RH, 11 to 25 mph SSW wind, wind chill 22F (or less), overcast

I slept in until 8:45 AM on Christmas. It was just my darling wife, Christine, and I like usual. I wanted to change things up so I chose to ride my bike. It was just above freezing so I dressed warmly. I chose my CW-X tights, Craft long sleeve tech, Brooks jacket, balaclava, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I chose a loop, "Out to Island Cottage and around" so I wouldn't ride into a headwind for a long period. I still froze my fingers in my heavy running gloves. I did get in 9.6 miles and 98 rides for 2020. It did take a couple mugs of coffee and my new slippers to get my feet warm again.

Christine and I lazed around and ate Christmas cookies. Who knew that Wegmans sold cut-out Christmas cookies by the pound?

Saturday, 12/26/2020

3765 steps, 

walk: 1.05 miles, 24:07 (estimated), 22:58 pace (estimated), 46 feet elevation gain, 82 avg HR, 97 max HR, 87 avg cadence, 21F, 92% RH, 10 to 30 mph SSW wind, wind chill 8F, overcast

Yet another f***ing walk. It has been a f***ing week since I injured my right hip when I taking a trail  run in the Lakeshore Country Club behind our townhouse at Greenleaf Meadows. I have no f***ing idea what I did but it is really pissing me off! 

Anyway ... I went out. It hurt to walk/limp but I did because I am stupid cuss or fool ... I am not sure which one. My Garmin is only for 0.83 mile. Why? I accidentally set off my Garmin Venu Incident Alert when I stepped off the road to let a car go by. I was bent over and must have pressed one of the buttons more than for 5 seconds. I really need to read the manual on how that part of my Venu works.

Sunday, 12/13/2020 to Saturday, 12/19/2020

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 this week for 2.45 miles.

I ran 5 times this week for 22.08 miles
I biked 1 times this week for 13.34 miles.
I took 58,351 steps this week according to my Garmin Venu smartwatch.
My Venu 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 172 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday night, 12/12).

Sunday, 12/13/2020

1107 steps, 46/105 resting/peak HR, (no sleep data since the Venu was charging downstairs), 173.9 lbs, 2 floors climbed

bike: 13.34 miles, 1:12:04, 11.1 avg mph, 20.4 max mph, 161 feet elevation gain, 93 avg HR, 113 max HR, 56 avg cadence, 86 max cadence, 37F, 13 to 25 SSW wind, wind chll 28F, overcast

Brr! I went out on another December bike ... and froze! I wore what I usually wear except for another pair of socks but the wind as I headed out seemed to just cut through me. The wind seemingly slowed me down to a crawl on the way out ... and I froze. It was a bit better as I headed back with a tailwind. It took me a couple of hours with my toes until the blankets to warm up. A hot shower might have helped but we got involved in watching "Olympus Has Fallen".

Later I watched most of the Steeler - Bills Sunday Night Football game. The Steelers came in 11-1 (lost last game) and the Bills came in 9-3. The Bills were favored by 2. Well .. the game started slowly with a 0-0 tie after the 1st quarter. The Steelers scored first and led 7-0. Then the Bills scored 23 straight points to lead 7-23. The Bills won 15-26, link here. The Bills QB, Josh Allen, went 24/43 for 238 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT. Stefon Diggs (quickest to 100 receptions in the NFL) continued his tear with 10 receptions for 130 yards and 1 TD.

Monday, 12/14/2020

14964 steps, 41/139 resting/peak HR, 5:39 hrs sleep, 174.4lbs, 24 floors climbed

run: 6.67 miles, 57:25, 8:37 pace, 184 feet elevation gain, 132 avg HR, 146 max HR, 160 avg cadence, 1.16 meter avg stride, 35F, 83% RH, 7 mph W wind, cloudy

My latest week of Ricoh vacation was over so it was back to my before sunrise runs and bikes (if anymore in December). I ran my "A Dewey Ave loop" route. It was dark and it felt like I was running slower than I was. I remember looking down after mile 1 and thinking "I'm not running 8:32". I kept on running ... a metaphor for life perhaps. My splits were: 8:32,  8:32, 8:27, 8:25, 8:24, 8:36 and 9:32 over the last 0.67 mile. I forgot to turn off my Garmin while I was on my cool-down walk.

Tuesday, 12/15/2020

11681 steps, 42/151 resting/peak HR, 9:43 hrs sleep, 174.5 lbs, 14 floors climbed

run: 4.75 miles, 42:58, 9:02 pace, 115 feet elevation gain, 132 avg HR, 168 max HR, 161 avg cadence, 1.11 meter stride (shorter because of the snow), 27F, 83% RH, 6 to 29 mph W wind, wind chill 20F, overcast with light snow

I went to bed last night at 7 PM and was asleep by 8 PM. Why? Well ... I only got about 5 hours of sleep the night before and was really tired. So .. I got up at 5:30 AM and got out for a run. The temp was in the high 20s so I wore my CW-X tights, long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. There was a light snow falling and it was accumulating so I took it nice and easy. The reflection of the snow was pretty in my headlamp. I chose my "Out to Stutson St Overlook" route and added a bit more to it. I tried to keep off the streets as much as I could ... no need to add a runner to the eyes of the before sunrise drivers. I didn't see a single soul out ... what's up with that? LOL! My splits were: 9:01, 8:53, 9:19, 8:56 and 9:01 over the last 0.75 mile.

 Wednesday, 12/16/2020

5769 steps, 43/133 resting/peak HR, 6:47 hrs sleep, 173.8 lbs, 12 floors climbed

run: 3.15 miles, 28:03, 8:54 pace, 102 feet elevation gain, 126 avg HR, 137 max HR, 159 avg cadence, 1.14 meter avg stride, 19F,58% RH, 6 to 20 mph SE wind, wind chill 11F, cloudy

It was cold so I broke out my Craft baselayer long sleeve and long sleeve tech along with my usual CW-X tights, balaclava and heavy running gloves. I set up a nice and steady pace. I have gotten used to not pushing. I want to continue to run ... I think pushing all the time injured me way back in June. I kept it short since it was my third run day in a row. I could feel the cold while I ran but the only parts that were really cold was my face and the area around my wrists that were uncovered. No worries ... just my "Out to Stutson St Overlook" route. My splits were: 8:58, 8:54, 8:49 and 8:51 over the last 0.15 mile.

Thursday, 12/17/2020

9633 steps, 42/123 resting/peak HR, 7:53 hrs sleep, 173.4 lbs, 24 floors climbed

walk: 2.45 miles, 36:19, 14:50 pace, 98 feet elevation gain, 108 avg HR, 126 max HR, 111 avg cadence, 22F, 99% RH, calm, cloudy

I walked today to rest my legs after 3 days of running. I chose my "Out to Stutson St Overlook" route to keep me off as many streets as possible since it had snowed overnight. There was only one inch of snow up by Lake Ontario. I wore my Salomon SpeedCross 4 trail shoes so I had no issue with traction. Another day ... another day out there! My splits were: 15:04, 14:38 and 14:39 over the last 0.45 mile.

A fast moving N'Easter had been forecast with more snow the farther south and east, CNN link here. The WHEC-10  weatherperson, Stacey, said that Newark Valley NY (NW of Binghamton NY) got 44.8 inches of snow! I saw a Facebook picture of a tape measure hidden by 20 inches of snow from Nate Baush, who moved to Binghamton a couple of years ago. Wow!

Friday, 12/18/2020

9971 steps, 42/136 resting/peak HR, 7:26 hrs sleep, 173.0 lbs, 17 floors climbed

run: 4.66 miles, 42:55, 9:13 pace, 102 feet elevation feet, 127 avg HR, 140 max HR, 158 avg cadence, 1.10 meter avg stride, 25F, 89% RH, 4 to 13 WNW wind, mostly cloudy

I was undecided on my route but I ended up on my "Out by the pier" route. The inch of snow on the LOSP Trail and sidewalks was crusty in spots so I aimed my feet at virgin snow as much as I could. My splits were: 8:09, 8:23, 8:25, 8:55 and 9:02 over the last 0.66 mile.

Saturday, 12/19/2020

5496 steps, 43/126 resting/peak HR, 8:51 hrs sleep, 171.9 lbs, 10 floors climbed

run: 2.85 miles, 33:40, 11:49 pace, 72 feet elevation gain, 119 avg HR, 130 max HR, 138 avg cadence, 0.98 meter avg stride, 24F, 84% RH, 3 to 14 mph S wind, cloudy

Well ... I had an idea. Why not put on my underused Salomon SpeedCross 4 trail shoes and do a wee trail run around the perimeter of the Lakeshore Country Club that just lies unused behind our Greenleaf Meadows townhouse? Well ... it turned out be a freaking stupid idea!!! I set up a really nice and easy trail pace. There was only one to two inches of snow so I took short steps and was just running along. Well ... I stepped my right foot into an uneven spot of ground and went farther down than I had planned. I felt an awkward twinge but thought nothing of it. I continued on. But ... soon I was limping with a severe ache behind my right hip. I stopped to read a new sign and then had trouble starting back up to a run pace. I limped for a bit before I found that a limping run hurt less than a limping walk so that's how I got home. JOY .... NOT!!!!! Anyway ... my splits were: 10:06, 11:04 and 14:36 over the last 0.85 mile.

My darling wife, Christine, heard my groans of pain when I came inside. She made up a homemade bag of rice and heated it in the microwave. I tried to make it lukewarm and placed it against my right hip as many times as I could remember the rest of the day. I plan on taking at least a mile walk tomorrow to keep my walk/run/bike streak alive.

Later, I watched the Bills - Denver game off the Yahoo! Sports app. Why off the app? The game was on the NFL Network on Saturday night as their first game at 5 PM. What was at stake? A Bills win and the Bills win the AFC East for the first time in 25 years. Well? The Bills kicked ass, chewed bubble gum and they were all out of bubble gum (reference to They Live)! The final score was 48-19, links here and here.

Sunday, 12/6/2020 to Saturday, 12/12/2020

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 ran 5 times this week for 28.75 miles
I biked 2 times this week for 24.63 miles.
I took 51,243 steps this week according to my Garmin Venu smartwatch.

My Venu 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 165 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday night, 12/5).

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, 12/6/2020

2445 steps, 43/114 resting/peak HR, 8:34 hrs sleep, 174.3 lbs, 10 floors climbed

bike: 11.33 miles, 57:54, 11.7 avg mph, 26.5 max mph, 82 feet elevation gain, 57 avg cadence, 98 max cadence, 30F, 84% RH, 4 to 18 mph W wind, wind chill 26F cloudy

Well ... it's December ... it's another bike day ... so I got dressed, got out and got my bike done. It was cold and windy. I put on another pair of socks along with my usual cold weather biking clothing: CW-X tights, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks jacket, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I was still cold on the bike as I headed west on Edgemere Drive. I decided to turn around at Long Pond so I could have a tailwind. I saw Barry Cherney and 2 other bicyclists on Stutson St. I was almost done with my ride. I learned later on Facebook that Barry went on a cold 45 mile ride (though he has a warm pair of bicycle boots and toe warmers).

Monday, 12/7/2020

9678 steps, 44/136 resting/peak HR, 9:35 hrs sleep, 175.6 lbs, 20 floors climbed

run: 5.65 miles, 51:39, 9:08 pace, 91 feet elevation gain,127 avg HR, 141 max HR, 151 avg cadence, 1.17 meter avg cadence, 28F, 82% RH, 6 to 16 mph WNW wind, wind chill 21F, cloudy

Another week of Ricoh vacation ...I could get used to this! I puttered for a while before I got out for my run around 10 AM. It was cold so I use my winter running gear: CW-X tight, long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. But ... brr ... it was cold! I decided to do my "Out on the pier" route backwards so I could head downwind when I got to the LOSP Trail instead into the west wind. When I got to the pier I could see that it was wet out on the end. Well ... that wet was actually a film of ice. I had to walk and grab the cable on the fence to avoid falling on my ass for 100 yards out to the end and back. I didn't want to fall since there wasn't anyone out there. I was cold whenever I ran west into the wind. But ... I got it done. My splits were: 8:49, 8:37, 11:25, 8:38, 8:38 and 8:28 over the last 0.65 mile.

I watched the Bills kick the 49ers ass, link here. The game started slow with a 0-0 tie at the end of the 1st quarter but the Bills built a lead 34-17 and won 34-24. The Bills QB, Josh Allen, 32/40 for 375 yards and threw for 4 TDs. The Bills won on MNF for the first time in 21 years when Doug Flutie was their QB. The Bills have also clinched a winning season for 2 years in a row since ... Doug Flutie was their QB in 1998 and 1999. Then ... the Bills rested Flutie for the last game of that season and then benched him in their playoff game for Rob Johnson, link here. The Bills lost to the Tennessee Titans due to the Music City Miracle on a kickoff return with the Bills leading 16-15 with 16 seconds left in the 4th quarter, wiki here and proof it was a lateral (not by much) pass here. A big OUCH that lives on in Bills football lore to this day.

Tuesday, 12/8/2020

11095 steps, 43/145 resting/peak HR, 8:52 hrs sleep, 179.1 lbs, 21 floors climbed

run: 7.25 miles, 1:02:45, 8:39 pace, 190 feet elevation gain, 133 avg HR, 152 max HR, 161 avg cadence, 1.16 meter avg stride, 28F, 79% RH, 9 to 18 mph WNW wind, wind chill 20F, partly cloudy

Brr! But .. it was a run day ... so I got up, got dressed and got out there. I joined the 7R7C run-bike virtual race way back on September 1st and I have been putting in my walk,  run and bike mileage day after day. Well ... today I need just 6.1 miles to put in over 124 miles on all 7 continents. So ... I put in 7.25 miles on my "A Dewey Ave loop". Just nice and steady. My splits were: 8:39, 8:46, 8:32, 8:36, 8:32, 8:48, 8:32 and 8:45 over the last 0.25 mile.

Wednesday, 12/9/2020

5582 steps, 42/137 resting/peak HR, 9:46 hrs sleep, 173.6 lbs, 9 floors climbed

run: 3.25 miles, 28:26, 8:45 pace, 72 feet elevation gain,129 avg HR, 140 max HR, 159 avg cadence, 1.16 meter avg stride, 34F, 100% RH, 5 to 15 mph SW wind, cloudy with light wet snow

Well ... 3 running days in a row so I kept my distance short today. I ran a steady pace on my "Out to Dewey Ave" route on the LOSP Trail. I had thought about riding my bike so there was a real light wet snow falling ... and then I saw a bicyclist on  the way back!

Thursday, 12/10/2020

1046 steps, 42/116 resting/peak HR, 10:03 hrs sleep, 173.5 lbs, 3 floors climbed

bike: 13.30 miles, 1:02:47, 12.7 avg mph, 16.6 max mph, 60 avg cadence, 41F, 83 % RH, 4 to 14 mph W wind, cloudy

I went out on another December bike ride. It was relatively warm. I expected to get chilly but didn't.

Friday, 12/11/2020

12095 steps, 40/144 resting/peak HR, 9:01 hrs sleep, 172.5 lbs, 21 floors climbed

run: 7.25 miles, 1:03:56, 8:49 pace, 197 feet elevation gain, 136 avg HR, 147 max HR, 159 avg cadence, 1.15 meter avg stride, 38 to 48F, 58% RH, 3 to 15 mph SSW wind, mostly sunny

It was 38F when I checked the outside temperature but was forecast to raise to around 50F. Well ... I overdressed with my CW-X tights, long sleeve tech and Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover. I ended overheating around mile 3. I could have gone with shorts and a long sleeve tech. But ... I got it done. My splits were: 8:33, 8:38, 8:33, 8:48, 8:45, 9:31, 8:52 and 8:56 over the last 0.25 mile.

POLITICAL RANT: TRUMP &*$#ING LOST!!!! His court cases against the election on 11/3 are 1 for 55 (or so at last count) including the latest SCOTUS loss. I don't think he will concede. I think he will have to dragged out of the White House on 1/20/2021 and will not attend the inauguration of the duly elected 46th POTUS, Joe Biden.

Saturday, 12/12/2020

9302 steps, 46/153 resting/peak HR, 6:41 hrs sleep, 172.8 lbs, 21 floors climbed

run: 5.35 miles, 46:37, 8:43 pace, 157 feet elevation gain, 136 avg HR, 157 max HR, 159 avg cadence, 1.16 meter avg stride, 42F, 97% RH, 2 mph ESE wind, overcast

Well ... I just had to get out ... before I got into more trouble. It was 42F so I resisted the urge to wear my CW-X tights. I wore my shorts, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover (my go-to winter shirt), Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I decided to go a little short with my "Out by the pier" route. I warmed up and wished I had just done with a long sleeve tech. I did have a minor peeve on the run. I was heading down the Secret Sidewalk when I saw a runner ahead. I wear a Buff around my neck on my runs that I pull up if I ever get within 6 feet of anyone. I very rarely do since I give everyone at least 6 feet of space. I couldn't get off the sidewalk due to scrubs until I was almost upon him. He had a lot of room on his right to move off the sidewalk but did he? That would be a big fat NO! I yelled something as he passed ... I didn't hear his response. Idiot! Anyway, my splits were: 8:50, 8:38, 8:32, 8:43,8:36 and 8:48 over the last 0.35 mile.

Sunday, 11/29/2020 to Saturday, 12/5/2020

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 times this week for 3.15 miles.

I ran 3 times this week for 14.63 miles
I biked 1 times for 15.58 miles.
I took 54,589 steps this week according to my Garmin Venu smartwatch.
My Venu 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 158 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday night, 11/28).

Sunday, 11/29/2020

1036 steps, 45/121 resting/peak HR, 8:43 hrs sleep, 177.0 lbs, 1 floor climbed

bike: 15.58 miles, 1:12:04, 13.0 avg mph, 24.7 max mph, 103 avg HR, 122 max HR, 60 avg cadence, 89 max cadence, 42 to 49F, 55% RH, 9 to 19 mph SSW wind, sunny

I got out on my bike on my longer than usual "Out to East Manitou Rd and around" route. Nothing exciting happened ... which is usually a good thing. The usual headwind out and the usual tailwind back. It was chilly, a bit windy and sunny.

Later, I watched the Chargers - Bills game. The Bills won 27-17 to go to 8-3 on the season, link here. The Browns won 27-25 to also go to 8-3 on the season, link here.

Monday, 11/30/2020

14083 steps, 46/140 resting/peak HR, 7:19 hrs sleep, 

run: 6.35 miles, 54:38, 8:36 pace, 111 feet elevation gain, 135 avg HR, 142 max HR, 162 avg cadenece, 1.16 meter avg stride, 41F, 94% RH, 2 to 8 SE wind, overcast with light rain

Willpower and force of habit got me up, dressed and out the door this morning shortly after 6 AM. Alexa's Big Sky Weather told me that light rain was coming and then it would rain the rest of the day. I wore my winter usual: CW-X tight, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I wasnt't too surprised when it started to sprinkle halfway through. It had turned into a light rain by the time I got done. I was just damp ... it wasn't too bad. My splits were: 8:29, 8:30, 8:23, 8:39, 8:30, 8:47, 9:03 and 7:26 over the last 0.35 mile.

Today was our wedding anniversary! My darling wife, Christine, and I got married at the Rochester City Hall eight year ago! How time flies! Christine made Lloyds ribs for our anniversary supper ... mmm!

It's the end of November 2020 so it's stat time!

I took 2 walks for 6.3 miles, 3.15 miles/walk. I have taken 35 walks in 2020 for 72.88 miles, 2.08 miles/walk

15 runs for 94.65 miles, 6.31 miles/run. I have taken 133 runs in 2020 for 712.32 miles, 5.36 miles/run

13 bikes for 179.64 miles, 13.82 miles/bike. I have taken 93 bikes in 2020 for 1267.26 miles, 13.63miles/bike.

I took 211,096 steps and 2,124,431 steps so far in 2020.

A bit of analysis. I started the 7 races, 7 continents run-bike virtual race on September 1st, https://www.7r7c.com/. So all my miles (walk, run and bike) for the past 3 months have been entered into that. You could finish it by entering 50K for each continent. I did that around October 23rd but you can max out each continent with 100K. I am just about done with only 40 miles to go. I am also on a 160 day walk/run/bike streak. There were several days early on that I could only walk 1 mile. My left knee just wouldn't let me run. But ... I slowly healed ... got back to running ... and have slowly worked my running mileage back up to a nice and steady 10K per run. Years ago I would have pushed myself and my body to get over 100 miles for this month. But ... this month I didn't. I am happy just getting out there every day and doing what I can. I ask myself ... will I enter a real "in-person" race again? I miss everyone that I knew but I honestly don't know. Racing does cost money ... running from your front door doesn't.

Tuesday, 12/1/2020

9456 steps, 44/108 resting/peak HR, 6:58 hrs sleep, 177.3 lbs, 11 floors climbed

walk: 3.15 miles, 45:22, 14:23 pace, 79 feet elevation gain, 98 avg HR, 120 max HR, 117 avg cadence, 38F, 100% RH, 7 to 9 mph SW wind, overcast with drizzle

It was drizzling when I woke up at 5:20 AM so I opted for a walk instead of a bike. I got up, got dressed, got out and got walking. I was the one out on my "Out to Stutson St Overlook" route ... strange ... lol! I could see the drizzle in my headlamp but it didn't get me very wet and the drizzle had almost stopped by the time I got done. My splits were: 14:06, 14:28, 14:24 and 15:36 over the last 0.15 mile.

Wednesday, 12/2/2020

8303 steps, 44/130 resting/peak HR, 7:06 hrs sleep, 176.4 lbs, 9 floors climbed

run: 5.13 miles, 45:36, 8:54 pace, 41 feet elevation gain, 132 avg HR, 142 max HR, 160 avg cadence, 1.13 meter avg stride, 30F, 100% RH, 3 to 16 mph SW wind, overcast with light snow

Well ... the first run in December didn't disappoint! It was cold, windy and snowing when I woke up. It was a run day so I got up, got dressed and got there. I wore my CW-X tight, long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover, Brooks beanie and heavy running gloves. I added my Noxgear lighted vest and eBay headlamp. I wore my Salomon SpeedCross 4 trail shoes for added traction. I always head west when I start and the snow was reflected in my headlamp as I ran into the west wind. It was pretty ... and also cold. The roads were almost clear of snow and the LOSP Trail varied between clear and 1 inch of wet snow. I had no issues with traction but I didn't push the pace either. I chose my out and back "Out to Island Cottage" route. I really wanted to turn around when I got to Dewey Ave but I toughed it out until Island Cottage. There were actually 2 walkers out ... wow! My splits were: 8:47, 8:58, 8:53, 8:50, 8:56 and 8:06 over the last 0.13 mile. 

Thursday, 12/3/2020

5462 steps, 42/139 resting/peak HR, 7:41 hrs sleep, 9 floors climbed

run: 3.15 miles, 28:01, 8:53 pace, 37 feet elevation gain, 131 avg HR, 151 max HR, 158 avg cadence, 1.14 meter avg stride, 38F, 81% RH, 5 to 19 mph SSW wind, partly cloudy

I don't usually run 2 days in a row but I didn't want to walk and I didn't want to chance a bike on any ice that may still be on the LOSP Trail. I kept my pace nice and easy. I also ran just a 5K for my before sunrise run. My splits were: 8:54, 8:56, 8:46 and 8:35 over the last 0.15 mile.

Friday, 12/4/2020

5427 steps, 44/135 resting/peak HR, 8:25 hrs sleep, 175.8 lbs, 7 floors climbed

bike: 14.09 miles, 1:08:37, 12.3 avg mph, 17.2 max mph, 36 feet elevation gain, 103 avg HR, 117 max HR, 58 avg cadence, 42F, 61% RH, 1 to 20 mph S wind, cloudy

Well ... it was December, it was cold, it was a bit windy ... but I hadn't rode my bike since Sunday so I rode my bike. I got out about 15 minutes later than usual so it was pretty light when I got back. Nothing unusual ... the usual headwind and tailwind with a wind out of the south.

Saturday, 12/5/2020

10822 steps, 44/139 resting/peak HR, 8:26 hrs sleep, 175.6 lbs, 26 floors climbed

run: 7.07 miles, 1:01:15, 8:39 pace, 143 feet elevation gain, 129 avg HR, 143 max HR, 159 avg cadence, 1.17 meter avg stride, 37F, 97% RH, 10 to 15 mph N wind, cloudy

Well ... staring out the window around 10 AM after you have been up since6 AM doesn't get a run done. So ... I got dressed and got out there. It was just under 40F. I overdressed with a long sleeve tech and Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover. I set up a nice and easy pace on my "A Dewey Ave loop" and headed west. I warmed up after ... wait for it ... a mile. I didn't peel off my top layer until mile 5 though. I didn't stop for a tiny walk break when I went up the hill to the Stutson St Overlook like I usually do! Yay! A minor accomplishment. My splits were: 8:41, 9:04, 8:42, 8:31, 8:30, 8:32 and 8:30. I feel so much better after I run ... a sense that my body can do what I want it to do.

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!"