Okay, today is the last run of the year on the last day of the year!!!!

A fitting way to end the year 2018, with a run during midday around the neighborhood (Baldwin/Oceanside/Baldwin). This time I had the company of my youngest daughter, who's getting physical condition for the upcoming Long Island State Park Winter Run Series. The first 5 kilometer of the series will be at Hecksher State Park on the south shore of Long Island, across the bay from the Fire Island Lighthouse.

This course will be flat and fast, and depending on the wind off the water, very cold. But, we will see in a few days if there's a change in the temperatures. Today, the temperature was relatively warm for a December month in Long Island, in the mid 40's. There was a chance of rain, which we beat before returning home.

One of the small inconveniences of running around midday is that most motorist are in a hurry to get their lunch or other motorists are running between errands. This means more cars to interrupt the possibility of a continuous jaunt around the neighborhood. But this will suffice for what's intended to be, a chance to get out of the house with my cabin fever reaching close to 100 degrees. Another observation of running with more daylight is that every sidewalk and street imperfection is more pronounced, and extra awareness is taken as to not trip and fall. It is a challenge to trip and not fall, which raises the heart rate in a micro-second and lifts the nerves on the tip of the skin pore.

According to the measurement using Google Maps, my daughter and I ran today approximately 3.75 miles. For short distance events, I like to overtrain to have the ability to throw in some speed at the end of the run. For long distance events, for me at this point the limit is a Half Marathon, I tend to train up to 10 to 11 miles with the expectation that the adrenaline from the day's event will propel me to the Finish Line.

Well, in other parts of the world the year 2019 has already made an entrance. Here in the East Coast, we are less than 6 hours to go.

If I was in Ecuador, we would be getting ready to burn stuffed effigies with fire crackers to see the year to a fitting end.

Last run of 2018???

Sunday morning -

Time to jot down some thoughts on this morning's run, perhaps the last one of 2018. Here in front of me is a blank screen, and blank canvas, to leave some words behind.

One of the main motivators to finish a run is to go home, and turn on the coffee machine, ready to percolate some hot java. Sometimes I wonder if it is healthy at all to drink coffee literally after run, considering that the caffeine will be injected and spread throughout a very fast blood stream. But so far, I do not have any jitters or obvious post effect impact on the afternoon nap or the nighttime sleep.

I switched sneakers from the last run, the Brooks GTS Adrenaline to the Blue Suede Classic Reeboks, my all time favorite pair of running sneakers. These sneakers besides being lightweight, and brutally comfortable, regardless of what distance I run.

This morning I ran 7 miles under the secrecy of the morning darkness. No cars, no pedestrians, a few bagel and donut stores already open. One of the things that surprised me when we moved to Long Island is that there are no stationary stores or newspaper stands opened early in the morning. The only store open other than the bagel stores are the 7-11 Franchise Stores. I realized early that I needed the convenience of a newspaper delivered on the driveway. To date, no one can convince me that ready a newspaper on line is better than having a hard-copy on one's hands. Yes, I know the graphics on line are better, but the ability to hold the paper in front of me and pick any story for either side equals choices, and not dictated by the width of a computer screen.

I really didn't set out to run 7 miles this morning, but when I have ample time, with not having to hurry up to go to work, or bring my daughter to the Sunday morning orchestra rehearsal, means I have a canvas of routes to choose from. And I am runner that doesn't use a clock, watch, timer, chronometer, Smart Phone, Fit Bit, or whatever gadget is in style today, so I don't care how fast or slow I am running. I run based on breathing and heartbeat, and of course, leg comfort. Of course, if I am under-dressed for the winter temperatures, I pick up the pace which results in a shorter distance jaunt.

As I run early in the morning, most Christmas lights are out, and inflatable figures are laying flat on the lawn like wrinkled skin milk.

The year 2019 is a few hours away, and I am looking forward to participating in the Long Island Winter Run Series, and get ready for the New York Road Runners NYC Half Marathon in April, which for years I didn't get in via the lottery entry process. I am still on the fence about running the Kings Park 15km the week after the NYC Half Marathon, and I need to look at the calendar to see when the St James 5 Mile race is scheduled for.

Second to last run for 2018

Friday, December 28, 2018

I don't know why, but I woke up a little after 4:00 a.m.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to run in the morning rain. I pondered this decision while I had two cups of coffee with no sugar.

The rain is usually sufficient justification to stay back inside, and then the right knee was also chiming in to the chorus of excuses.

I looked back on what I did yesterday, or actually didn't do yesterday, and began to feel antsy. I couldn't fathom another day of inactivity, sitting on the couch most of the day, searching on YouTube for anything that could catch my short attention span.

I looked outside to see how bad rain was, or wasn't.

Still dark outside and mild for a December, I headed out and felt the drizzling rain on my face, which really doesn't matter, but on my prescription glass yes. I took them off and ran with the blurry view of ill defined shapes and figures.

The right knee was talking - Go back inside, I am hurting. I kept going, and the knee pain actually disappeared.

I ran with the bulky GTS Adrenaline Brooks sneakers, really tight laced to feel a closer impact to the feet.

The rain kept falling and I didn't care. I was happy to be outside, stepping on puddles, avoiding uneven sidewalks and tree roots. I was in my world, step after step, one step at a time, making progress of moving along.

I no longer care what motorists or people say when they see me running early in the morning. I only care that I am moving, breathing, feeling the heart beat, and the contraction-expansion of the lungs.

I don't know why I often think about how the homeless literally survive nature's elements, and ask myself how would I cope if places were traded.

I didn't care that the sneakers, pants, gloves, head cap were wet. However, I did care that I tamed the beast in me by simply going outside for a few minutes in the dark temple of the dawn. and completed a 4.5 mile run.

I will attempt one more run before the clock runs out on 2018/