Sunday, 1/10/2021 to Saturday, 1/16/2021

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 2 times this week for 2.56 miles.

I ran 5 times week for 9.29 miles.

I didn't bike this week. 
I took 35,183 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 glute was injured when I took a trail run in the Lakeshore Country Club on  12/19. I wear a Buff when I am out so I can slip it up when I approach someone. BTW, I am on a 200 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday night, 1/9).

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, 1/10/2021

3741 steps, 49/145 resting/peak HR, 9:19 hrs sleep, 175.9 lbs, 11 floors climbed

run: 1.65 miles, 15:00, 9:05 pace, 30 feet elevation gain, 137 avg HR, 154 max HR, 154 avg cadence, 30F, 89% RH, 5 to 8 mph WSW wind, wind chill 26F, cloudy

I got out on a slightly longer, slightly faster run on my "Out to Ling Rd" route. I could feel my right glute a bit but it didn't bother me so I ran.

I watched a bit of the Browns - Steelers game. The Steelers dug themselves a 28-0 hole in the first quarter and lost 48-37, link here. It turns out that the Browns had also not won a playoff game since 1995 also, link here. The Bills had not won a playoff game since 1995 (first home playoff game in 24 years too), link here. So ... this means that the Ravens will travel to play the Bills on Saturday night and the Browns will travel to play the #1 seed Chiefs on Sunday.

POLITICS ... The far right Parler had been taken down by Amazon Web Services less than 24 hours after Google Play and Apple Pay took their apps to join Parlet down, link here. GOOD! This is not a censorship or a 1st Amendment issue. This is a business decision by the three businesses against Parler enabling violence or hate speech.

Monday, 1/11/2021

7227 steps, 55/114 resting/peak HR, 6:31 hrs sleep, 176.5 lbs, 3 floors climbed

walk: 1.1 miles, 16:40, 15:08 pace, 0 feet elevation gain, 94 avg HR, 112 max HR, 119 avg cadence, 35F, 100% RH, calm, mostly cloudy

I didn't sleep well so I bagged my usual morning walk. I squeezed in a walk around the L3Harris B601 building. I set a fast walking pace ... I could feel my right glute twinge a bit and knew a run was not in the cards. I did want I could. The streak continues!

Tuesday, 1/12/2021

3229 steps, 50/132 resting/peak HR, 9:15 hrs sleep, 178.8 lbs, 3 floors climbed

run: 1.46 miles, 13:47, 9:28 pace, 20 feet elevation gain, 127 avg HR, 136 max HR, 154 avg cadence, 31F, 89% RH, 2 to 17 mph SW wind, wind chill 27F, cloudy

I didn't know whether I was going to walk or run when I stepped outside. It was chilly and windy so I chose to run ... to keep warm! I set up a nice and easy pace. My right glute felt pretty good at that pace. There was a bit of light snow falling in my light of my headlamp ... the joy of running before sunrise! My split was: 9:20 and 9:42 over the last 0.46 mile.

Wednesday, 1/13/2021

2959 steps, 52/134 resting/peak HR, 6:46 hrs sleep, 178.5 lbs, 3 floors climbed

run: 1.46 miles, 14:05, 9:40 pace, 20 feet elevation gain, 131 avg HR, 139 max HR, 153 avg cadence, 32F, 87% RH, 2 to 13 mph SSW wind, cloudy

I heard someone scraping ice off their windshield when I stepped outside. I set up a really nice and easy pace as I looked out for black ice. I found it on the LOSP Trail. I didn't dare run on it so I ran on the grass on the right side. So ... a bit of a trail run this morning! My splits were: 9:35 and 9:43 over the last 0.46 mile. I want to go longer but ... my right glute is still not 100%.

POLITICS ... The House voted to impeach DJT for the second time this afternoon seven days after the Capitol was attacked. I watched some of the House debate. There were 10 Republicans that went along with the Democrats. How Trump will fare in a narrow 50-50 Democrat held Senate during the first few weeks of a Biden Presidency will be interesting.

Thursday, 1/14/2021

7695 steps, 50/108 resting/peak HR, 7:41 hrs sleep, 179.9 lbs, 3 floors climbed

walk: 1.13 (actually 1.45) miles, 15:10, 13:19 pace, 23 feet elevation gain, 96 avg HR, 112 max HR, 121 avg cadence, 39F, 85% RH, calm, cloudy (like usual)

I decided to give my right glute a break ... so I took a fast walk. I'm not sure I agreed later in the day when I limped a bit ... lol! The Garmin Venu was at 10% when I started and died when I had 0.3 mile to go. I guess the GPS tracking my progress and the Bluetooth pumping tunes to my Aftershok Air headphones sucked the battery down to 0% in only 15 minutes.

Friday, 1/15/2021

3607 steps, 48/131 resting/peak HR, 7:59 hrs sleep, 177.2 lbs, 4 floors climbed

run: 1.46 miles, 13:31, 9:17 pace, 26 feet elevation gain, 128 avg HR, 135 max HR, 154 avg cadence, 36F, 94% RH, 5 to 13 mph E wind, wind chill 31F, cloudy (like usual)

I got up a bit earlier ... 5:40 AM versus 6 AM. I thought about walking again but decided to run instead. I thought about 2 miles or even 3.1 miles but kept it to 1.45 miles. My right glute will probably thank me later in the day. My splits were: 9:10 and 9:22 over the last 0.46 mile.

Saturday, 1/16/2021

6725 steps, 47/145 resting/peak HR, 10:17 hrs sleep, 175.7 lbs, 12 floors climbed

run: 3.46, 31:13, 9:02 pace, 102 feet elevation gain, 137 avg HR, 150 max HR, 155 avg cadence, 36F, 90% RH, 6 to 16 mph W wind, wind chill 31F, mostly cloudy

It was sort of sunny after many days of running when it was overcast so I celebrated by running a bit longer. A run out to the Ontario Beach Park fill the bill. I could feel my right glute bark a bit about my run but I kept on running. Boom ... done! My splits were: 51 58, 9:06 and 9:24 over the last 0.46 mile.

I watched the Raven - Bills game. It was a low scoring game. The Bills were up 10-3 and the Ravens were driving when the game changed. The Ravens QB, Lamar Jackson, passed into the end zone and was picked off by Taron Johnson who ran it back for a 101 yard pick 6! Lamar Jackson was knocked out of the game on the last play of the 3rd quarter. The Bills won 17-3 and advance to the AFC Championship game next Sunday, link here. 

Sunday, 1/3/2021 to Saturday, 1/9/2021

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 6 times this week for 7.3 miles.

I ran once this week for 1.05 miles due to a right glute injury.

I didn't bike this week. 
I took 34,863 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 glute was injured when I took a trail run in the Lakeshore Country Club 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 193 day streak of either a walk, run or bike (as of Saturday night, 1/2).

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, 1/3/2021

2826 steps, 53/107 resting/peak HR, 7:01 hrs sleep, 174.7 lbs, 5 floors climbed

walk: 1.1 miles, 17:35, 16:57 pace, 26 feet elevation gain, 93 avg HR, 116 max HR, 111 avg cadence, 34F, 100% RH, 2 mph SE wind, overcast

I got out a walk. My right glute felt better. I almost didn't limp at first when I walked. I was walking with a slight limp when I got done. Progress!

I watched the Miami Dolphins - Buffalo Bills game. The Bills spotted them a 3-0 lead and then Josh Allen went to town with 3 passing TDs in the first half. The Bills lead at half, 28-3 due to a 74 yard punt return TD. The Bills didn't let up and won 56-26 to secure the #2 AFC seed, link here. The Cleveland Browns won their game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers by the score 24-22, to get into the playoffs as a Wild Card, link here.

Monday, 1/4/2021

6138 steps, 49/143 resting/peak HR, 6:18 hrs sleep, 176.5 lbs, 3 floors climbed

walk: 1.1 miles, 17:40, 16:02 pace, 26 feet elevation gain, 83 avg HR, 99 max HR, 108 avg cadence, 34F, 96% RH, 5 to 11 mph W wind, wind chll 26F, cloudy

I stayed up late to watch "Avengers: End Game" and got up early to take a walk ... ugh! But ... I got up, got dressed and got out there. My right glute was a bit worse that yesterday at the start and was a bit worse when I got done. So ... I limped a bit more than yesterday. Oh well.

Tuesday, 1/5/2021

9447 steps, 46/98 resting/peak HR, 9:31 hrs sleep, 175.6 lbs, 7 floors climbed

walk: 1.45 miles, 22:10, 15:08 pace, 26 feet elevation gain, 92 avg HR, 110 max HR, 113 avg cadence, 34F, 100% RH, 5 mph W wind, overcast with flakes of snow

I decided to change it up and went out a bit farther to Ling Rd. I almost fell when my left foot slipped on some uneven ground near the railroad tracks. That would have hurt! I had to walk quite a bit during the day at Ricoh ... I limped quite badly by the end of the day. Aarrgghh!

Wednesday, 1/6/2021

5888 steps, 49/104 resting/peak HR, 9:09 hrs sleep, 174.6 lbs, 6 floors climbed

walk: 1.1 miles, 16:47, 15:16 pace, 30 feet elevation gain, 94 avg HR, 112 max HR, 112 avg cadence, 34F, 100% RH, 3 to 12 mph NNW wind, overcast

I went back to my usual "Another mile" route. I threw in a few running strides but I felt some tightness in my right glute so I went back to walking immediately. Better safe than sorry. I also knew I would be doing more walking at my Ricoh job. I found that the more I walked around during the day the worse my right glute felt and hence the more I limped. But I limped less than yesterday ... it's progress.

Politics ... what can I say? I knew that Trump would go off unhinged at his "LOSERS" rally before the Congress started to certify Biden as the President-Elect. But I totally didn't expect that his domestic terrorists would march on and then occupy the Capitol Building for several hours or that 4 (1 more the next day) people would die. Trump was locked out of Twitter for at least 12 hours and by Facebook and Instagram for 24 hours due to violation of their violence standards. However ... ultimately democracy and the rule of law won and Biden was certified by outgoing Vice President Pence certified Biden as President-Elect. Still over 100 House Republicans and 7 Senate Republicans voted against the certification.

Thursday, 1/7/2020

2765 steps, 45/102 resting/peak HR, 7:51 hrs sleep, 173.9 lbs, 4 floors climbed

walk: 1.1 miles, 16:19, 14:50 pace, 30 feet elevation gain, 95 avg HR, 114 max HR, 115 avg cadence, 31F, 86% RH, 3 to 15 mph NW wind, wind chill 28F, overcast (yet again)

I got out another before sunrise walk. My right glute felt well and I walked without a noticeable limp. I could feel a bit of an ache so I didn't try a run ... I thought about it though. Progress. 

Friday, 1/8/2021

5202 steps, 45/107 resting/peak HR, 8:06 hrs sleep, 176.4 lbs, 3 floors climbed

walk: 1.45 miles, 19:53, 13:44 pace, 30 feet elevation gain, 94 avg HR, 121 ma HR, 121 avg cadence, 26F, 9% RH, 2 to 13 mph N wind, overcast.

It was a bit colder this morning so I put on my Craft long sleeve pullover. I don't generate as much heat when I walk so I have found that I have to dress warmer. I walked with a fast stride but I could feel a "catch" in my right glute. I tried a bit of a run but the "catch" got worse so I stopped and satisfied myself with a fast walking stride. Progress.

POLITICS ... Twitter permanently banned the #RealDonaldTrump account in the evening and then removed several obvious posts that Trump made from the @POTUS account. Google Play and Apple Pay pulled Parler. Wow!

Twitter Safety: After close review of recent Tweets from the

@realDonaldTrump

account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence. - link here. Huff Post, link here. Hillary Clinton reacted to it was a single check emoji along with a retweet of her June 2016 tweet asking Trump to delete his account, link here.

Saturday, 1/9/2021

2597 steps, 

run: 1.05 miles, 10:22, 9:50 pace, 20 feet elevation gain, 136 avg HR, 147 max HR, 148 avg cadence, 29F, 75% RH, 3 mph NW wind, overcast

I slept in and then puttered around for a while. But I got up, dressed and go out for a walk. I had dressed for a walk so I had put on my CW-X tights, long sleeve tech, Brooks 1/4 zip long sleeve pullover and Brooks jacket. I started out walking ... and started a slow run for about 100 feet. My right glute felt OK so I turned around, went back to the townhouse, ditched my Brooks jacket. Then ... I set out for a really nice and easy run on my "Another mile" route. My right glute felt about 95%. I could feel it but it was barely an ache and certainly not a pain ... so I ran a mile. The discomfort was gone with a hour.

I watched (and endured) the Colts - Bills NFL Wild Card game. This was the first Bills home playoff game since 1995. NYS had allowed 6700 season ticker holders in that had won a lottery and passed a COVID-19 test. The Bills spotted the Colts a 3-0 lead and Jost passsed for a TD, 3-7. The Colts scored a TD, 10-7. Then a twist ... the Colt went for a TD instead of the FG on 4th and goal from the 4. The Bills drove down 96 yard and Josh passed for a TD. A 10-14 lead instead of 17-7 deficit. The Colts scored a TD and it was 10-14 at HT. The Bills hit a FG and then Josh ran for a TD very early in the 4th quarter for a 10-24 lead. The Colts scored a TD at 4th 11:32 and then a twist. The Colts went for 2 points instead of the PAT and didn't make it. The Bills kicked a54 yard FG at 4th 8:08 for a 16-27 lead. The Colts scored a TD at 4th 6:13 and complete the 2 pt conversion, final score 24-27. But ... the final 6:13 took a long time. Josh fumbled when he was being chased and hauled down but a Bill grabbed it. The Colts had a pass at the end zone at the end since the refs didn't see any obvious fumble and Bills recovery. But ... the Bills won, 23-27, box score here and news story here! They will play the Steelers if the Steelers win on Sunday or the winner of the Titans -  Ravens game, link here.

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.