O Canada and fitting in some running

Land of maple leafs, moose and fun

Today's run (street): 3.3 miles
Sunday's run (treadmill): 20 minutes
Friday's run (street): 3.25 miles
Wednesday's run (treadmill): 30 minutes

My running over the last week has been a blur. The only clarity being today after we returned from a trip. I worked from home on Wednesday and did a treadmill run. I got outside and around the neighborhood on Friday. I needed to fit those workouts into busy work days and didn't do a good job of tracking my treadmill mileage.

View of the Green Mountains

We headed to Montreal on Saturday and made a stop in northern Vermont to see my brother and his family, along with my mother who was visiting from Florida. We were only passing through for a few hours, but we made the best of it and the kids loved spending time with their cousins. All too soon we were on our way to Canada.

Cool happenings at Place des Arts

We stayed near McGill University in area that was adjacent to a lot of nice restaurants and close to the Place des Arts. I did a treadmill run in the morning on a machine that was not up to my standards for a fitness center unit. I was tired from travel and struggled to get through 20 minutes at an easy pace. Well it looked easy on the display, but it felt much faster. I ended up covering 16,000 steps that day, so I didn't mind the short workout.

Swim, Bike, Run in the Old Port

We met up with friends who live in the city and had a great time with them. While we were in the Old Port we stumbled into the middle of the Montreal International Triathlon. There were runners and cyclists flying along sectioned areas and swimmers in the St. Lawrence River. We needed to sprint to get past at the cross points.

Montreal has a lot of energy and it reminds me so much of Europe. My brother had mentioned that Les Habitants "didn't get the memo" that smoking is pas bien. Unfortunately that proved to be true. On the positive side, we covered a lot of interesting ground and had some great meals. We were sorry when we had to head back home.

When we got back, I went out for a run around my local streets to cap off a really nice mini vacation. My running was back to where it was prior to that hotel run and I did well considering the heat and humidity of the day. I really would have liked to run outside when we were away, but the timing didn't work out. The next time we go back - and we will - I'll definitely do my running on the rue.

Berkshires, Vermont, treadmills and loops

Seemed like a good idea at the time

Today's run (street): 6.4 miles

Our treadmill is in tough shape but it still does the job. Our technician recently told us that it could go at any time. My wife depends on the treadmill for her daily workout and I'm a lot rougher on the machine than she is. I only use it as a last resort because I don't want to contribute to its demise. I did use it on Tuesday, because we were leaving on a trip that morning. Time was tight and I wasn't sure how (or if) I'd have an opportunity to run while we were away.

My second run of the week happened at our hotel in the Berkshires. I did a little more than three miles on their Precor treadmill and really appreciated the experience. There's a big difference between running on a mid-range consumer treadmill like our Sole F63 and a fitness center grade treadmill like a Precor. The Precor felt more solid and stable and I seemed to be able to run faster on it than on our home unit.

When the time comes to replace the Sole, I'll consider investing in a brand like Precor. They actually have a few models under $2,000, which is still pricey, but could prove to be a better value when amortized over a longer period. Our Sole F63 was recommended by the leading consumer product rating company, but after four years steady use, it's totally worn out. The Sole can be folded and put away to save space, a feature we've never used. I think we'll go with non-folding unit next time, because those units are probably more durable.

I didn't get a chance to run the rest of the week, but we covered a lot of ground in western Massachusetts. We also spent time in northern Vermont with my brother and his family who took us to (among many places) the Ben & Jerry's factory. It was great seeing them, along with my mom who was also up visiting. Due to all that, I haven't posted since last Sunday.

Loop-de-loop

This morning I got out early in hopes of beating the humidity. I ran six one-mile loops around some adjacent roads because I wanted to be close to home if it started to rain hard. Despite the repetition, this route was perfect for the workout I had in mind. The miles seemed to go by faster than they do on a more spontaneous route. I was better able to focus on my thoughts while I ran on auto-pilot.

In terms of performance, I did much better than expected. The humidity that I'd hoped to avoid was high from the start, but the low clouds protected me from any direct sun. My running volume for the week is even lower than normal, but I will begin to pick up mileage by re-introducing 4:00 AM workouts next week. I'm glad I got out early today. The rain never came, but the humidity has continued to rise.

NE recap and a return to the run

Ambivalence in Vermont (Go Sox, boo Yankees!)

Today's run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

The problem with vacations, even short ones, is that you often end up less rested by the end than you did at the start. This weekend was like that. We returned home exhausted, but for the best possible reasons. Our weekend started with a visit to Vermont, where we were excited to spend time with my brother, sister-in-law and their adorable 6 year old boys. They've recently moved to the greater Burlington area. Besides being visually beautiful (it's adjacent to the Green Mountains) there's plenty of places for trail running. Unfortunately, my injured hip disqualified me from doing any of that this weekend. 

Green Mountain highway view

Green Mountain Coffee HQ

Minuteman Centennial statue, erected in 1875

After spending midday in Stowe on Sunday, we finished up with a visit to the Green Mountain Coffee visitor center in Waterbury. We said our goodbyes there and headed south through New Hampshire, bound for my home state of Massachusetts. The rest of our trip took us to Concord, where we visited the Old North Bridge and battleground and then to Plymouth. That brought back memories of my primary school visits there, many years ago.

I was hoping that I'd make up for a lack of running by walking longer distances while I was away. I fell short of my daily goals, but only by a small amount. My decision to skip my run yesterday morning worked out well. I still felt some residual muscle soreness today, but didn't think an easy run would invite further injury.

I was a little gun shy about running on the road today, since my last two street runs had ended rather abruptly. I compromised by doing a treadmill run and closely monitored my hip for signs of weakness or pain. I set the speed to a moderate pace that didn't cause me to sweat until I'd reached the 15 minute point. Performance was my least concern. I began to feel slight discomfort at the two mile mark and decided to limit my distance to about three miles. I planned to stop right away if the soreness increased.

The good news is that I completed my run without any additional discomfort. It was good to get an aerobic workout done after three days away. I'll probably do an indoor workout tomorrow, either on the elliptical, or on the treadmill again. Either way I'll take it easy. I'm hoping that by Friday I will be back to form. If not, I still have my appointment with the sports doctor next week.

Vermont trails beckon, but Long Island has its charms

State Parks on LI

My brother works for a company based in northern Vermont and he is planning to move up there with his family very soon. They have a new place with plenty of room for guests and he reports that the town is "chock full of trails for biking and running." Having been born and raised in New England, I'm envious of his new surroundings. The opportunity to live quietly among the mountains and trees is appealing and I'm sure the culture change will be fun for them.

It's easy to look at a place like Vermont and imagine an idyllic life filled with long runs through mountain trails. The area seems to embody a lifestyle that is both bohemian and active. We've spent some time in Manitou Springs, Colorado and I imagine their new town will be similar. But what about us suburbanite Long Islanders? Are we excluded from this experience? Surprisingly, I don't think that's the case.

I've been running trails for a few years at this point and most of that has been done in the wooded parks of western Long Island. Stillwell Woods, five minutes from my house, may not have views of majestic 14ers or expansive rivers, but you can lose yourself for hours navigating features like the Ewok Forest, the Viper Pit and the "UH OH!" trail.

In fifteen minutes I can drive to parks like Belmont Lake, Bethpage, Sunken Meadow, Caumsett, Cold Spring Harbor, Trailview and Caleb Smith (to name but a few). Each place offers something both unique and special to runners. Long Island isn't New England, but over the years I've come to appreciate many great things about it. But as much as I love my local trails, I also look forward to exploring the running paths in upstate Vermont.