Over the river (East and Nissequogue) and through the neighborhood

Wednesday run (Brooklyn Bridge/lower Manhattan): 4.25 miles
Thursday's run (Nissequogue River Turkey Trot): 3.1 miles
Today's run (street): 4.5 miles

I took a holiday from blogging yesterday but I've had some interesting running experiences since my last post. Wednesday was a half day in the office and at noon AG and I headed downtown to City Hall Plaza and over to the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge where we crossed over to Brooklyn and back. It's always an interesting and slightly frustrating experience to run that route with so many people strolling along the side of the path reserved for two way pedestrian traffic. It can be tempting to cross the white line over to the bike path but that should be done with multiple checks to ensure no bikes are coming in either direction.

We stopped halfway across on our return to look at the views. Looking south we could see the Verrazano Narrows Bridge where the NYC marathon starts and then leads up the Brooklyn Bridge where we stood. On the other side we viewed the Manhattan skyline that I used to see from different angles; south when I lived on 31st street and later from 74st street with my wife, where we could see west to the Hudson. AG and I resumed our run after crossing back to Manhattan and we covered Chinatown and some of Little Italy until we came to our destination - 6th street - where we stopped into an Indian restaurant for lunch. It was a great kickoff to the Thanksgiving day break. Yesterday AG ran the Prospect Park 5 mile Turkey Trot with our friend FS and her husband. AG then went on to run the route two more times!

Yesterday morning was a big day for Team Emerging Runner. We headed to Nissequogue River State Park where we ran in the 5K Turkey Trot as a family. It was very chilly while we waited for the race to start but we'd dressed well. It was the first race for my wife and my son and the first non-cross country event for my daughter. Everyone was excited as we lined up with a field that was almost 800 people deep. When the horn sounded we trotted along with the pack for a quarter mile before things opened up enough to go a little faster. We all stayed together for the first kilometer and then my daughter and I edged ahead while my wife and son followed at their pace. Shortly before the 2 mile mark we came to a water station where we stopped to wait for the others and then resumed our run together.

My daughter and I were more in running mode than my wife and son so we put a little distance between them and had almost reached the finish line when we stopped to wait for our teammates. We had agreed that we'd all cross the finish line together and I was proud of my daughter who could have beaten 40 minutes but chose to wait for her mother and brother. Once they joined us we all came over the finish line together. My wife realized that her daily treadmill runs have prepared her well for outdoor running and now she knows she can cover that distance running on pavement. 3 miles was a new distance running record for my daughter and for my son who kept moving, both walking and running, until the end. Once we came home and showered we headed over to my in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a long but fun day.

This morning I decided to cover 4-5 miles at an easy pace, faster than yesterday but not as briskly as AG and I ran at times. It was raining slightly so I wore my ASICS lightweight rain jacket that was perfect for the conditions. The air was cold enough that I remained comfortable through the entire 4.5 miles. I followed a course that took me up and down lots of short roads and through one of my standard routes that I use on my 4;00 AM runs. I feel great and I'm hoping to get an 8 to 10 mile run in before the end of the long weekend. Yesterday I wore the Skecher Resistance Runners during the race and I remain positive about them as training shoe. I would never wear them if I was trying for speed. In fact the reason I wore them was to slow me down. I went back to the Kivaras today. Between the Skechers, my compression sleeves and the core exercises, my leg strength and flexibility has improved. That's good, especially if I attempt a personal distance record this week.

Running hot and cold

Yesterday's run (street): 2.4 miles
Today's run (street): 2.7 miles

Both my morning runs this week reminded me that winter isn't too far off. I've gone from wearing short sleeves and running shorts to compression pants, layers and gloves. It's still fairly mild compared to late December conditions but the chilly dry mornings are back. I experienced some throat burn yesterday, the effect of breathing hard through my mouth. This weather tends to exacerbate sinus congestion and I'm dealing with the end of a cold, so nose breathing isn't too easy right now.

Yesterday I ran with my Skecher's Resistance Runners. As I ran it occurred to me why I like them. The instability of the shoe mimics the feel of a bumpy trail surface and the suspension bridge between the mid-sole and out-sole absorbs and dissipates shock as if running on dirt. I'm not saying that the SRRs replace the trail experience in any other way. I'm not even sure I'd consider them legitimate running shoes at this point. However, I have been positively surprised with my running experience so far.

Today I set out with temperatures near the freezing mark but stayed warm throughout the run due to the way I'd dressed. If I ran another 15 minutes I would have got very hot. During yesterday's run my Garmin foot pod's battery quit so I replaced it last night. The calibration was slightly off so after mapping today's route on Gmaps I was happy to see that my pace was better than what the Garmin showed.

I saw this article in the NY Times this morning about barefoot running. Most of these articles say the same thing and this one does too. The most interesting point was the question -- if you run barefoot in a race, where do you put the timing chip?

Cow Harbor, take 2

Today's run (street): 2.75 miles

It's almost November but the experience of September's 10K in Northport still haunts a few of us. Few local races set expectations and cultivate strategic planning like the Great Cow Harbor race. Despite predictions of a cool and dry morning, race day at Cow Harbor was sunny, hot and very humid. You can control a lot of variables when you run but you cannot change the weather. This weekend should be far cooler and drier than it was on September 25th and BJS and I are planning a Cow Harbor do-over on Saturday. No packed crowds, costumes, cow bells and water stations. No coverage on News 12. Just us and the course. Bring it, James Street hill! Waterside Ave., you don't scare me! I really hope I can beat my race time.

This morning's run felt very different than Tuesday's. Yesterday I ran with the Resistance Runners that are quite a bit heavier than the Kinvaras that I wore today. It's comparable to putting a weighted donut on your bat when you're in the on-deck circle and going to the plate without it. Yesterday's run was all about getting by despite the shoes and today it was only about running. It was a far more comfortable run today and with the temperature in the high 40's I barely broke a sweat for the first ten minutes. I tried to incorporate some strides within my overall pace and felt good in terms of form and energy. It didn't translate into a fast run though. Far from it -- a mid 9 minute pace. In the end I felt really good and that feeling has followed me all morning. I'm planning another Central Park mid day run on Friday with my banker friend. That's always a nice way to bring home the work week. Today was great but I'm going to need more speed this Saturday.

An ambiguously positive run

Today's run (street): 2.35 miles

I'm not sure if there's a term for phrases like "not unpleasant" but there should be. I believe that many would call it negative reinforcement but I'd prefer to call it "positive ambiguity." Actually, That was my thought as I ran through the neighborhood this morning under light rain and cool temperatures. I normally avoid running in the rain because, with glasses, it can be difficult to see. Adding to that is the 4:00 AM darkness. I gave no thought to the weather until I stepped outside and saw that the driveway was wet from a light rain. I wore the Skechers Resistance Runners (SRRs) again to maintain variability in my running conditions and I wasn't about to head back upstairs to run with them on the treadmill. The rain was light and, with no breeze, my hat proved sufficient for keeping moisture off my face.

The SRRs are beefy and you notice them when you run. It reminds me of the articles I've read about soldiers who run marathons with a field pack and combat boots. The shoes are clunky and the stride is a little awkward, yet I found myself appreciating them for this purpose. I could feel the shifting pressure on my legs and calves and I noted that my right upper hamstring did not feel as sore as it has of late. That may not be related to the shoes but it's clear that the SRRs do distribute force differently than a standard shoe. Between the rain and the heavy running shoes I might have expected to dislike this morning's run. Instead, I found the cool temperatures and light rain refreshing, as well as the feeling that I was gaining some additional training benefits from the more challenging footwear. I guess "not unpleasant" is a pretty good way of putting it.

First impression: Skecher's Resistance Runners

Today's run (street): 3 miles at 9:30

I'm working from home today and I thought I'd take a few extra minutes for my morning run. It was dry and clear with no rain in sight so I took the opportunity to wear the Skecher's Resistance Runners (SRRs) for the first time on a run. I walked around with them for about 30 minutes prior to heading out to make sure they felt sufficiently stable. The last thing I need is an injury caused by footwear.  I'll do a full writeup of the shoes on Runner's Tech Review but I'll relate my first impressions below.

When running with shoes of this design it is important to set expectations. The things I'd expect from a conventional running shoe just don't apply. It is as unfair to ask a dog to turn vegetarian as it would be to ask the SSRs to move with the foot like Brooks Adrenalins or Saucouny Kinvaras. The SRRs are designed to purposely introduce unstable movement into the running process. I understood that as I stood in the driveway and felt the gentle rock of the shoes that is caused by the asymmetrical mid-sole. The SRRs are not comfortable but they aren't made to be. They also run a bit narrow and short for their size. It was an odd sensation when I took off on my run. I'm used to the Kinvara's flat, minimal presence and the SSRs made me feel like I was running with half a tennis ball baked into the bottoms. The SSRs are far heavier than the Kinvaras, or any of my other running shoes for that matter. I kept telling myself "It's okay, they're a special training device, think of them that way."

I can't say I enjoyed the ride but I did feel like I was getting a workout. It may have been the design or merely the extra weight but I felt it in my legs. I couldn't tell where my foot was landing but I tried to focus on the mid to front range. I did notice that when I allowed the shoe to heel strike the energy return was pretty good. Too bad I'm trying not to run that way. My pace began to suffer noticeably after the first mile and I'm sure it was due to the extra work the shoes required. I finished after three miles feeling like I'd given my legs a good workout but not feeling like I'd exerted myself too much overall. I can't see ever switching to this shoe as a regular trainer but it may yet provide some training benefit. I'm going to put them in the rotation for a while to see how they feel after a few more workouts. In the meantime, I'm still questioning whether they fall into the category of training resource or gimmick.

Hard to resist trying the Resistance Runners

I don't yet know about the shoes but the packaging was impressive

After regretting my run on Tuesday morning and realizing that I needed some rest, I decided to forgo my planned elliptical session today. I'm glad that I did because I've been dealing with slight pain stemming from either my upper hamstring or my glutes. I don't think I'm hurting it when I exercise but it will heal better with an occasional break from those activities.

The only regret I have today is that I'm going to have to wait to test my newest running technology:  Skecher's Resistance Runners. Despite my earlier post where I poked some fun at gimmicky running shoes including these, Skecher's still offered to send me a pair to test. I'm used to companies that understand runners and running shoes but Skecher's seems to still be on the learning curve. When they asked for my shoe size I told them 10.5, D width. I soon received a call saying that they don't make them in a wide sizes so would I want to go up to an 11? I straightened her out on the fact that D is standard width but I wished I had chosen size 11's after I tried them on last night.

The shoes arrived yesterday in a huge box that was quite impressive. Cool materials, fancy overlays and lots of marketing hype about the benefits of the shoes. I don't know if this what you get if you purchase them retail or whether this is special packing for journalists who test their products. It was very different from the boxes you get from Brooks and Saucony that are made for easy recycling. The shoes aren't as silly to look at as I thought they'd be. I can certainly wear them in daylight hours but I won't be using them in a race. That is, unless they make me an 8 minute/mile runner. My initial impression was that they are snug for their size, especially at the toe box, and that the purposely unstable mid-sole is interesting. Interesting good or bad is yet to be determined. I'm traveling today through tomorrow so I won't have the chance to run with these shoes until Friday. I'll admit to being more curious about these shoes than I'd imagined I'd be.