Running hot and feeling debris

Sorry, it's not my vault

Today's run: 3.2 miles

I recently looked at an old post about my experience dealing with a herniated disc I experienced a few years ago. That caused me to look at some related posts and then some unrelated ones. I appreciated how Emerging Runner served as a reliable, if narrow, chronicle of my life experience between October 2008 and February 2018. I also felt badly that I had let so much time go by since my last post, which was my only entry in 2018. I'll make no promises about what I do after today, but here is my second post of 2018.

As you'd expect, a lot has happened over the past five months. For one thing, I fixed the hand towel holder in the guest bathroom twice. Actually, that's about it. Last week we decided to replace the slate in our first floor hallway with oak. Between the jackhammer and bandsaw noise, demo debris, dust, stain and sealants, it's been a bit uncomfortable.

Due to its center hall location, the contractor needed to build a platform across the floors while they dried between coats. This created a ninja warrior-like challenge to get from one side of the house to the other. By the time the floors had dried and cured, we all became experts at vaulting from the den to the platform and back. Timing was everything. A misstep could easily land you on the sticky floor.

The other thing to mention, in light of this eponymous blog, is that I have continued to run. I'll give myself credit for lacing up and getting out as often as ever, but my workouts have become rote. I won't dwell on performance, but that hasn't gotten any better. Fortunately, I don't care much about that right now. I'm just glad to be out there, doing my run on my own terms.

That isn't to say that I'm complacent. Due to ongoing issues with my eyes, I need to take drops and, occasionally, other medicines. It's all good, but the drugs can have an effect on my heart rate, making it hard to exceed 75% of max HR. This has been going on for a while and I've adjusted my expectations accordingly. I've recently started incorporating moderate fartleks to keep my HR above a certain threshold, hoping to get closer to 80% at least part of the time.

Post run delirium 

This morning I got out a little after 6:00 AM. Humidity was already 79% and the temperature was pushing 80°. At that hour the trees were still casting long shadows and I took advantage of the shade as much as possible. Conditions were fine for the first couple of miles but the humidity began to get to me. I was sweating so much around my eyes that it was hard to see. I needed to clear them continuously with a cloth to maintain visibility and to minimize the sting from sweat.

I was about 2/3 through my route when my Garmin unceremoniously stopped working. It was my own fault because the battery had been running low and I kept forgetting to charge it. I wanted to make sure I covered at least three miles. Without the GPS for guidance, I quickly thought through a route that would get me my distance before returning home.

The sun had risen a lot in the 20 minutes since I'd started, upping both heat and humidity. I began to feel like I was on the last mile of a 5K. I soon turned onto my street for the final dash to my house and floated to the driveway, soaked with sweat and happy to be done.

I hope to get back to doing at least one post per week. Some changes to my medication may help me move the needle in a better direction for performance. If that's the case, I'll be a lot more motivated to share that progress.

Giving humidity its dew

The muggy trifecta

Today's run (track): 3.3 miles
Yesterday's run (street): 3.4 miles
Saturday's run (street): 4 miles
Friday's (street): 3.2 miles
Last Sunday's run (street): 3.7 miles
Last Saturday's run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

There are two periods during the year when running conditions are consistently good. One of those times is late September when temperatures begin to drop and the stifling humidity starts giving way to crisp fall air. The other time of the year is around April, when spring starts to take hold and I can transition from quarter zips and track pants to lighter gear with fewer layers. But all conditions are temporary. By late June, short sleeves and shorts essentially become survival wear.

This weekend the dew point has been at or above 70°, a point that news stations characterize with words like tropical, uncomfortable and intolerable. Running in those conditions is extremely unpleasant. I suppose there's an actual limit to the amount of moisture wicking fabric can wick and I think I reached that point during each of my last four runs.

Even though I ran early, the temperatures were close to 80° and the difference in feel between shade and sunlight was huge. Some people thrive on these conditions, but to me it's krytonite. Not that I'm Superman or anything. Give me freezing cold temperatures any day. Except not when it's freezing cold and windy because my face hurts. Let's just say late September and April are really good for me.

I ran around the neighborhood Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This morning I needed a change of scenery and headed to the track. It was early enough to avoid the direct sun but not the humidity. I wasn't moving too quickly but speed is relative. A nice couple had started walking around the track and at one point the guy said, "slow down, you've already lapped us twice!" I laughed knowing how abysmal my pace really was.

I've managed four runs over the past four days and I have to admit that my running improves when I run more frequently. I'll squeeze in a fifth run tomorrow morning to celebrate our country's independence and then be back to running on Friday. If the dew point drops below 70, I will be happy but my expectations for that are pretty low.

Running on a tight schedule beats a lack of sleep

Sleep deprived, heroic running

Today's run (street): 3.2 miles

Today, while my friends were off doing noble things like marching in DC in support of climate protection, I was doing good work much closer to home. By that I mean going out early for a run after staying up past midnight last night. Hitting the road around 7:00 AM this morning was pretty heroic in its own right. The best part was I ended up doing pretty well.

It was overcast and misty when I went outside to start. The local temperature was 58° and though I didn't know it at the start, the humidity was 94%. It didn't take too long to figure that out once I got going. Fortunately, I'd dressed appropriately, wearing one of my favorite short sleeve running shirts and my awesome Adidas Response shorts. I also wore my new super lightweight Saucony running hat that my wife got me for my birthday.

Even though the streets were damp due to mist, I wore my new Brooks Launches because I wanted to see how they performed on pavement. Overall, I liked them a lot, although the flex grooves in the front somewhat undercut the response off my forefoot. The Zantes are definitely a quicker shoe but the Launches' balance of cushioning and mid-foot bounce will be better for longer runs when I finally get around to doing them.

I wasn't going for speed today, which is good because there wasn't a lot of it. I did manage to beat my average pace by about 30 seconds a mile. Given my late bedtime and early rise I was surprised. Was it the shoes or just how I felt today? I'm not sure, but I know the humidity didn't help. My early run allowed me to finish and shower in time to meet a tight morning schedule. Maybe knowing I was time-pressed made me run a little faster than I normally would. I'm sure that's why we tend to achieve our best times when we race.

Denial of both service and stimulation

Treadmill data more stimulating than treadmill

Today's run (treadmill): 4 miles
Yesterday's run (street): 3.1 miles

This weekend's weather isn't great for running, but I managed to get in a couple of workouts today and Friday. Yesterday my friend and portfolio advisor (Steve) came by for one of our periodic financial reviews. Before we got down to business, we hit my neighborhood roads for a tidy 5K run.

Steve is a Crossfit guy whose workouts focus primarily on strength training and high intensity activities. Cross-fitters incorporate running into their training, but it's typically 400 meter intervals between squats, push ups and other dynamic stationary exercises. I imagine it would be hard to adapt from intensely anaerobic workouts to an aerobic training event like running. Steve said the first mile is always his slowest. I'm guessing that's due to the heavy cardio aspect of running.

Steve and I ran my typical Friday route and the pace we set seemed challenging to us both. We were surprised to discover that our speed did not reflect our perceived efforts. After Gmapping the route, I calculated that we'd averaged about 10:30 a mile. We did talk the entire time and that's an indicator that we weren't pushing all that hard. According to Garmin Connect, I averaged 76% max HR which is about nine percentage points lower than what I've recorded on recent high 9:00 runs.

After Steve and I finished up, I settled into my work, only to discover that my company's email system was down due to the massive DDoS attack on Dyn. That was fine as I had plenty of non-email work to do and, fortunately, our other systems were accessible through the VPN. By 5:00 PM, our mail server started pushing through messages. I caught up with the most important stuff and left the rest for Monday morning.

This morning the weather had taken a turn for the worse. I'm willing to run in sub-optimal conditions but the howling winds, steady rain and chilly temperatures forced me to accept the treadmill as my only real option. My enthusiasm for today's run dropped a few levels, but I dutifully got on board.  I set the speed to 5.6 MPH and edged it up to 6.1 throughout the run. Unlike running outdoors where you can see your progress, the treadmill provides very little sensory stimulation. I spent the entire time thinking about the wonderful moment when I would hit the stop button.

With humidity close to 100%, I felt all used up at the end. I've been hoping for more dramatic improvement in my performance but I'm leveling right now. Still, at this level, I'm running almost a minute per mile faster than I did in September. Yesterday's humidity was 94% and today's was worse, so I'll blame that for not pushing any harder.

I'm excited that I'm going to see the Runsketeers tomorrow. Per my opening reference to the weather, the winds on Sunday are supposed to be fierce, with gusts up to 40 MPH and a real feel in the high 30's. Should be fun.

Yelling nice things on my runs

Weekend route triptych

Today's run (street): 3.4 miles
Yesterday's run (Bethpage bike trail): 5.1 miles
Friday's run (street): 3.2 miles

Every once in a while my enthusiasm for running ebbs a bit. I'd guess that most runners experience peaks and valleys over the years but sticking with it is the thing that defines us. I am doing better these days in terms of stamina, but, right now, I view running mostly as a means to retaining fitness. I'm not detached from it, but I don't think about it as often as I usually do. I know my enthusiasm will eventually return.

Even so, I am getting my workouts in. Friday I ran around the neighborhood before my workday started, covering my usual 5K route under very humid conditions. I'd hoped to defray some of the heat by getting out early enough to avoid direct sunlight. Unfortunately, the sun had other plans and it ended up being a hot and soggy run.

Yesterday I headed over to Bethpage to run the bike trail. I started about 8:00 AM which was probably two hours later than I should have gone out. Running in shade made it bearable. I've minimized my  sugar intake for over a month now. Besides losing ten pounds, I've also come to expect easier runs. For the most part I have, most noticeably in the way I feel at the beginning (no more starting struggles) and at the end (plenty in the tank for finishing fast). Yesterday, that was the case, except when I had the dual displeasure of dealing with big hills and baking sun.

At one point in yesterday's run, I was coming down past the water fountain south of Haypath when two guys started calling to me. As I got closer I heard one of them say, "Is that Greg? We thought you were our friend Greg." I said, "No, but I'll bet he's a good looking guy!" (yes they laughed).  Later on, after I'd turned around at Bethpage Park, I saw a guy who was dressed like me: white hat, sunglasses, reddish running shirt and gray shorts. I wanted to yell, "Hi Greg!" but I didn't want to freak him out.

This morning I managed to get out a little earlier because I wanted to be back in time to watch the start of the Olympic men's marathon. I was really happy to see Galen Rupp get the bronze, but disappointed for Meb who had an issue mid race that put him far back in the field. The other American, Jared Ward, finished 6th. Go USA!

I stuck close to home for today's run, and changed up my usual route. I was coming down the hill on Jericho, past a Starbucks, when I saw a guy walking out to his car eating a bag of chips. He looked at me as I went by and said, "You're making me feel guilty for eating this for breakfast." I shouted back, "There's no bad time to eat potato chips." I'm such a wit.

I ended up covering 3.4 miles, a little more than I planned. I was also extremely lucky because the moment I finished my run, the skies opened up to a downpour. Like my prior two runs, I didn't know my distance until I'd finished. That's because I have to stow my Garmin in my SPIbelt due to the broken strap. As much as I'd like to continue to run with the FR210, it's impractical. I need to decide whether to replace it with a new Garmin or look at models from the numerous competitors that have come into the market with reasonably priced GPS watches since I bought mine in 2010.

We're supposed to get some relief from the humidity next week and I would welcome that greatly. Perhaps the cooler, pre-fall weather will restore my enthusiasm for all things running.

Running blind to time and distance

One lacks GPS, the other lacks a strap

Today's run (street): 3.75 miles
Yesterday's run (street): 4.5 miles

They ran the Dirty Sock this morning and I cannot imagine how those poor runners managed through 6.2 miles of hot and steamy air. Make that wet air. Air that you can feel without a breeze. The humidity today and yesterday could only be described as brutal. Despite that, I did get out Saturday and today, although there was nothing about my running that could be mistaken for a racing level effort.

Yesterday was the first time I ran without my FR210 on my wrist since I bought it, and it was disconcerting not to be able to monitor time or distance. I put the watch in my SPIbelt and tried to listen for the chirp that indicated mile splits, but I was unable hear them. Without that information, I had to guess my mileage based on the route I was running. I was surprised at the end to see that I'd covered 4.5 miles in sweltering conditions. I got home and jumped in the pool wearing my running clothes. Learning from past errors, I carefully removed my phone, Garmin and Fitbit before diving in.

This morning I'd planned to get out before the direct sun added to the already hot day. Unfortunately, I didn't actually start until 7:40 AM. By then, the air felt like a steam bath. After yesterday's experience  running without either distance or time indicators, I decided to put a new battery in my old FR60. At least I'd have a stopwatch to reference.

Equipped with phone, Fitbit and two Garmins, I set off into the heat and humidity. I still couldn't monitor my distance progress unless I pulled my GPS watch from my SPIbelt, not an easy thing to do while running. I felt like I ran more than 3.75 miles, but in this weather, that was more than enough.

Running with 1 1/2 watches is going to get old real fast. My FR210 wristband has further disassembled past the point where I could repair it with this cool hack. I should probably buy another GPS watch, but that seems wasteful because both the watch and GPS part of my FR210 still works. I'm open to suggestions.

In term of this weekend's running, my paces today and yesterday were glacial. Still, I enjoyed the fact that I'm getting through every run without worrying when fatigue will kick in. Even though conditions were suboptimal, I never once wished these runs would end. If I had run the Dirty Sock today in this weather I would have gotten through it. But not very quickly.

Short and sweat

All the kings horses and all the black tape...

Today's run (street): 2.6 miles

So very hot and humid this morning. I probably should have stayed indoors, cranked the AC, and set the treadmill and floor fans to max. Instead, I decided to brave the mid-August swelter. I can usually endure any type of weather for three miles (or in today's case, something less to that) and would have done 3+ today, but I had very little time to run and shower before my first meeting of the day.

Gimme swelter

Despite conditions, I was eager to get outside,. When I picked up my Garmin, the bottom half of the strap separated from the top, despite the awesome repair work I've been doing with electrical tape. My sister-in-law told me about some material that will fix rubbery plastic like this wristband, but I fear it's too late to save the FR210.

I ended up taping the watch all the way around and that secured it well enough to get through 2.63 miles. I really don't want to do that every time I want to take it on a run. The watch itself works fine so I guess, for now, I'll stick it in my SPIbelt. There is a hack to fix a Garmin that suffered wristband failure, but it requires that the first two loops that connect to the watch case be intact. One side is beginning to rip, so maybe not.

So what to do? I can continue carrying it with me or I could buy another watch. I've had this Garmin for about five years and it has served me well. I don't like replacing technology that still provides utility, but in this case it wasn't the technology that failed me.

Giving unwelcome advice on a humid run

Bravely enduring high humidity in the business park

Today's run (street): 5.2 miles

Today's humidity reminded me of the last time I ran the Dirty Sock 10K, a trail race in mid August where the temperature and humidity often exceed 90%. I knew conditions would be unpleasant, but I wasn't about to run five miles on the treadmill today. My objective was to cover more distance than yesterday. In these conditions, I acknowledged that I wasn't going to do that too quickly.

I did a loop within my neighborhood before heading to the business park for the bulk of my run. I was surprised to see that other runners had come out on such a humid morning. Later, I crossed paths with a few more runners, none of whom seemed friendly. Perhaps they were using everything they had just to get through their miles.

I had no problem with the weather, but I didn't push myself much today. The air was extremely moist and the heat really started to rise as the clouds burned off. An occasional breeze provided a little relief but it didn't last long. I was making my way around an adjoining neighborhood when I saw a couple taking up half the road, pushing matching strollers. When I ran by them I said, "You shouldn't walk on the street with your back to traffic." I encountered them again about ten minutes later and they were still walking on the right hand side of the road. People never listen.

Sure didn't feel like 75°

Today was an absolute sweat-fest and my running clothes wouldn't have been any wetter had I jumped in the pool before I ran. Not long ago, I would have finished exhausted, but not today. An increase in stamina is the biggest change I've experienced over the past three weeks. It's making running fun again and I'm very happy about that.

A good day to have run with water

This seemed more organized while I was running it

Today's run (street): 4.4 miles

I've been trying to get out early on weekends and managed to do that most of the time. I wish I got an earlier start this morning. By 7:45 AM, the heat and humidity were already raging. I'd considered trail running which is generally cooler, although it can be very buggy on days like today. I ended up staying local, but mostly avoided my neighborhood. My route ended up looking a little strange.

I thought about taking water with me, but my Ultimate Direction water bottle is cumbersome and has a tricky valve. I should get another Amphipod Hydraform bottle. My old one got me through many training runs at Bethpage. According to Garmin Connect, the temperature was 81° during the time I was out. It didn't show the humidity level, but I'm guessing it was about two thousand percent.

Although I did my best to choose shady sections of road, there was a lot more sun. I was surprised to see a lot of other people running this morning. Most were moving quickly, at least compared to me. But that didn't bother me because I was getting in my miles. I'd hoped to run four and, despite conditions, I covered even more. By the time I got home, my clothes were completely soaked.

The torture continues

You'd have thought I'd learned my lesson about connected home technologies, but I went to Home Depot this afternoon and bought the Wink hub. The setup went much better this time and I'll know at dusk whether the programming worked. Even so, with this morning's tough run and a better experience with the lighting system, I feel like I accomplished something.

A little tradition and a lot of food

All I want for Christmas is a towel

Today's run (street): 3.5 miles

'Tis the day before Christmas, one of my favorite days of the year. Office worries are set aside as people look forward to a few days of fun and family. Although the holiday falls on Friday, we celebrated today, with a special lunch and our annual viewing of the movie Elf. Christmas isn't a religious holiday for us, but we love it all the same. There's still more to come with dinner, however, I'm not sure I'll be ready for another meal until tomorrow's breakfast.

I'm not due to return to the office until January 4th. That seems like a long time from now, but I know it will go by quickly. It's only Thursday, but I've managed to get in three workouts already this week. I was on the fence about my run this morning, thinking I'd keep it to just a couple of miles. I know I'll have plenty of opportunities to run during my break. I ended up covering more distance than I planned because it felt easy. The weather (61° and cloudy) would have been perfect for running but the humidity bordered on oppressive. That's something I've rarely experienced on December 24th.

I'll get out for an early run tomorrow morning. It's a tradition I started in 2008 and I always look forward to it. My neighborhood is usually so quiet that I cover my entire route without seeing a car. My other Christmas day tradition is to remind people I encounter on my run to be careful if I see them walking with their back to traffic. That didn't turn out so well last year so I may give into the scrooges this year. In the meantime, I wish my friends, family and awesome Runsketeer buddies SIOR, TPP and KWL a wonderful holiday tomorrow. I hope Santa brings you great running in 2016.

Atone deaf

It's not kosher to sample this artwork

Today's run (street): 3.25 miles

This seems to be the week for religious observance and celebration. Apparently the pope is in Washington D.C. today (you'd think the news would cover that). Today is also Yom Kippur, a holiday dedicated to self reflection and atonement. I don't personally subscribe to any religious dogma, but I do think there's value to taking a day to appreciate what you have. My kids have the holiday off from school, so I took the day off as well. Not that I've done much reflecting or atoning.

I suppose I did a little of the former during my morning run. It was a cool 64° with low humidity. I miscalculated on my gear and wore a long sleeved shirt with running shorts. I was comfortable at first, but began to regret my clothing choice after a half mile. Fortunately, there was a strong breeze coming from the northeast that kept it tolerable most of the time.

Given the holiday, I had the roads pretty much to myself. I gave thanks for the lack of school buses and maniacs driving sanitation trucks and atoned for not doing speed work on a day that would have been perfect for it. I didn't push too hard, but still ran a little faster than my current normal. The low humidity probably helped there.

Yom Kippur is a holiday where observant people fast until sundown. I broke that rule about fifteen minutes after waking up this morning. Maybe earlier, if drinking coffee is also out of bounds. In between not reflecting and atoning, we took a drive over a nearby college to see a great exhibit by the artist Kevin O’Callaghan. The above picture is an example of his work. In the spirit of fasting, I didn't take a bite.

Happy on the Bethpage trail

Trail appreciation day

Today's run (Bethpage trail): 5.4 miles

The best part of today's run came during the last half mile. I'd spent the previous five moving at my usual pace (slow) but opened up the throttle on the last stretch of the path. I ended up with a final split in the range of my old normal pace. That contrasted with the rest of my data and really highlighted how much my performance has dropped off over the past few years.

I wanted to break out of my typical 3 to 4 mile rut and I knew the best way to do that was to run the Bethpage bike trail. There was partial sun breaking through the clouds and the humidity didn't seem too bad. But humidity can be deceiving and, a few miles in, I began to regret leaving my water bottle in my car. Garmin data says humidity was 83%. On the other hand, there was a steady breeze coming from the west that acted like a cooling fan, especially when I was heading south.

Rather than go north as usual, I decided to run south to Bethpage State Park, turn around there and head north to Old Country Road. I figured that would get me my targeted five and then some. Soon after I'd started, I saw a couple of people running ahead of me at about the same pace that I was running. Well the guy was running my pace and the woman was running faster and looping back periodically to run with him. It reminded me of running with TPP and SIOR!

I eventually caught up to them, but they kept going south while I turned around. I was feeling good and took the time to look around and appreciate how fortunate I am to have this beautiful trail ten minutes from my home. The abundant trees and well maintained paths make it a happy place. I noticed that they've put in water coolers near the end of the first section of the northern path. Very civilized. I wish I'd drank from it when I had the chance.

For some reason, I expected that my run north would feel short because I'd covered 2.75 miles by the time I'd looped back to where I'd started. It wasn't a slog covering the remaining distance, but it seemed to take longer to cover slightly less distance. As it turned out, I went much faster during the second half. That was probably due to my more urgent pace towards the end.

The fact that I could hold a much faster pace for a fairly long stretch reinforced that my speed issue isn't physical. I've definitely fallen into the habit of running comfortably rather than with a performance goal. My absence from racing explains that to some degree. I'm not sure that I want to start folding in faster paces in all my runs, but with cooler weather coming, it might be a nice thing to try.

Finally, I want to give a shout out to SIOR who finished in the top 8% of the Suffolk County Half Marathon this morning. It makes me proud to be a Runsketeer. Even if I'm the slowest one.

Thankful for the weekend

 

Today's run (street): 3.5 miles

This was a weird week and I'm glad it's finally Saturday. Although it was one less work day due to Labor day, the next four days were among the longest I've ever endured. Some of that related to business and some was due to ridiculous traffic on Thursday and Friday that resulted in 2 1/2 to 3 hour commutes. On top of that, I received tragic news yesterday about a close colleague and needed to pay a condolence call last night. That yesterday was 9/11 did not help my mood at all.

It was difficult to find time to run this week due to the above. I usually work from home on Fridays, but I had so much going on I needed to go into the office. That eliminated the opportunity to do my usual Friday morning run. The upside to that exhaustion was that I managed to get a full eight hours of sleep last night. I needed that badly and looked forward to getting back on the road this morning.

It took an extraordinary amount of time to get myself out the door today. My watch said 10:00 exactly when I hit the start button. With the low sun, 72° temperature, and still-green trees, it felt more like an early summer morning than almost fall. It didn't feel humid at first, but the skies soon began to darken and I started feeling more moisture in the air. I wasn't aiming for much distance and hoped I could get through my planned 3+ miles before the predicted downpour.

I lucked out with the rain and didn't notice the effect of the humidity until I'd finished. It took a lot of water and electrolytes to get me feeling back in balance. Tomorrow is supposed to be less humid and I may head over to the Bethpage trail to pick up some longer distance.

I continue to like the Kinvaras and I'd like to see how they do on a five-plus mile run. SIOR is running the inaugural Suffolk Marathon tomorrow. I think she's doing the half because she's got a destination marathon happening in less than a month. I'm curious about the route and I'm looking forward to reading her race report.

End of the road of my favorite street

The long and potholed road

Today's run (street): 4.6 miles

It felt cool this morning when I stepped outside, and I looked forward to a comfortable running experience. That was a miscalculation. Still, the still-high humidity and some rough road conditions did not prevent me from enjoying my workout. There was plenty of shade throughout most of the run and I wore the new Kinvara 5s for the first time. I'm happy to report that they exceeded expectations.

The long weekend gives me an extra day for a run, so I didn't feel pressured to extend my distance beyond the 4.6 miles that I covered. I went south to neighborhood #2 for a change of scenery. I've always liked to run the long stretch along Elderberry and Ashford Drive. This is a straightaway that seems to go on forever (it's actually .67 miles) and that lets me zone out for a while. But today I realized that there's some real problems with that road.

The winters are harsh on Long Island streets and new potholes are always showing up. The town usually repairs them with patches until the roads begin to resemble the surface of the moon. Eventually they resurface the street and the cycle starts again. Elderberry/Ashford has reached lunar territory and I worried about tripping on the broken pavement with every step. Suddenly my favorite road was feeling like a safety hazard.

Most of the broken pavement was on the left side of the street, so I looked forward to a less treacherous experience coming back on the other side. The road back was smoother, but it had some hidden dips. I had a few scary moments when my foot kept going after I expected to reach the pavement. I've decided to avoid that section until new blacktop is laid.

I'm planning to do an early Labor Day run tomorrow to complete five consecutive days of running or cross training. If I can get out early, I may get out of the neighborhood and head to the track or the trails.

Sidewalk running on a busy Friday morning

Hurry home K5s

Today's run (street): 3.2 miles
Yesterday's workout (elliptical): 30 minutes

It's Labor Day weekend and the end of the first week of school. Despite the heat wave we've had over the past few days, I know that fall weather will soon be here. I'm pretty excited about that. This morning's temperature was closer to 70 than 90, but it was still extremely humid when I stepped outside. I patiently waited for a phalanx of buses to go by and then I was off.

I knew it would be humid, so I kept a low effort for the first ten minutes. I've been eagerly anticipating the arrival of my Kinvara 5s, but I had to go with the Triumph ISOs today. That turned out to be a good choice because the high volume of traffic forced me onto concrete slab sidewalks a few times. The Triumphs provided a nice cushion from the extra hard surface, but I was still concerned about the possibility of tripping on the uneven sections. Halfway through the run, it seemed like all the school drop-off traffic was finished and it felt a little safer to be on the street.

Along the way, I ran by one of my wife's friends who was chatting with a neighbor in front of her house. We exchanged quick hellos, but I didn't have time to stop because I was on a split second schedule. I needed to be showered and dressed in time for a video call that was happening in 30 minutes. I got ready with only seconds to spare and did the call wearing gym shorts. Since my colleagues could only see my top half, that will remain a secret unless they read this post.

I did pretty well today despite the humidity and the fact that I haven't taken to the Triumphs. My new Kinvaras are due to arrive by 8 PM tomorrow, so I may not get to run in them until Sunday. I think it will be a little cooler on Saturday and plan to cover a little more distance.

Pouring without raining

 

Todays run (street): 3.5 miles

 As expected, I woke up around 5:30 AM to the percussive sound of rain on the skylight. This continued for at least an hour, but by 8:00 AM, conditions had improved enough for me to venture outside. The skies were dark and overcast and I couldn't tell whether the rain had completely stopped. Surprisingly enough, my Garmin grabbed a signal almost instantly and I was off.

I hadn't gone more than a few tenths before I felt a cascade of water drops as I rounded the first corner. Despite the rain, I decided to keep going. Interestingly enough, the "downpour" stopped as quickly as it came, and I realized the "rain" was merely droplets of water shaken off the trees overhead. I continued along, getting intermittently splattered every time I ran under a group of trees.

My route today was three 1.15 mile loops that started and finished in front of my house. As time went on, things began to dry and the tree showers became less frequent. The sun started showing through the clouds, but not enough for me to regret leaving my sunglasses at home. It was a decent run and I was pleased that the weather hadn't relegated me to the treadmill today.

Tomorrow is supposed to be dry all day and, if I get out around 8:00 AM, the humidity level should be a tolerable 52%. That would be a big improvement compared to all my other runs this week. If I get in eight more miles over the next couple of days, this could be my highest mileage week this year.

A day late and a mile short

Avoid at all costs

Monday's run (street): 3.25 miles

By a day late, I'm talking about posting today about a run I did yesterday. I broke up my vacation with a trip into the office this morning to attend a meeting that I probably could have done as a conference call. But success in business often comes from just showing up. I have no regrets except for my decision to take the Clearview to the Grand Central on my way home. If you live in the NYC area you'll understand exactly what I mean.

My running buddy TPP is back to blogging and her post today reminded me of Monday's super-humid running experience. Although I got out before 8:00 AM, the temperature was just shy of 80° and the humidity was a solid 80%. I'm often fooled when I go out on humid days because the moisture in the air, combined with a slight breeze, can feel cool if you're not sweating. It doesn't take long before reality hits.

I had a decent 5 miler on Sunday and an almost 5 miler on Saturday, so I decided to be kind to myself and forget my four mile target. I took the best route I could to get me through my minimum run distance (MRD) of three miles with a quarter mile to spare. Although the air was heavy with moisture, I did manage a decent pace that was faster than my two prior runs.

I'm back to being on vacation and though the days are are busy, I plan to get in a couple more mid-week workouts. Having a heat wave during your vacation week isn't as bad as having to go into the office on your vacation week. But it's not too great either.

First foray up and down the Massapequa Preserve trail

Uphill in both directions

Today's run (Massapequa Preserve trail): 6 miles

This morning the TV weather people were having a field day about how hot and humid it would be today. Hot and humid are two of my least favorite words when it comes to running weather. It was no surprise, since they'd been talking about that since Friday because of the the NYC Triathlon that was happening today. I knew I'd also need to deal with those conditions, as I planned to meet up with SIOR to run the second half of my six miler in the Massapequa Preserve.

Running with SIOR, even when she's doing her easy long runs (14 miles today), is really more like running after SIOR. Still, misery loves company and it was fun to meet up on the trail and run for a few moments together. She waited up for me a couple of times and we had a nice recovery pause at one point. Although we only talked for a few minutes, we managed to cover some pretty gross subject matter. You have to know SIOR to understand that's not at all unusual.

During my half marathon training periods, I would frequently run as far south as the Preserve, but I'd never made it to the start of the trail head. Today, that's where I started. I parked in the Massapequa train station lot and quickly got onto the bike trail. My hope was that the expensive Ultimate Direction water bottle I'd bought a couple of years ago would be just the thing to keep me hydrated. I remembered having trouble with the bottle's bite valve when I first got it and tested it today before I left the house. FAIL. I brought along a couple of Poland Springs water bottles instead.

The start and finish point

The Massepequa trail is verdant and has lots of dirt side trails. It also has tenth of a mile markers, unlike the Bethpage trail. I started my run shortly after 9:00 AM and the trail was already full of people. Many more cyclists than I'm used to seeing on the northern end. The trail seemed pretty much uphill until I reached Linden street, located just south of the Southern State overpass.

Once I cleared that challenging rise, I ran another half mile until I saw SIOR coming from the other direction. In order to get her full 14, we ran north another quarter mile and turned around. SIOR said the last three miles were mostly downhill and that made sense because it seemed pretty much uphill until that point. Here's the thing I noticed about Bethpage (and apparently the Preserve): it always seems uphill, no matter which direction you run.

On the way back, I kept expecting to see the path sloping down gently and easing me through my final three miles. Strangely, the trail seemed mostly uphill the whole way back. It was like an MC Escher painting come to life. I knew there was nothing to do but run until I came to the end of the trail. Once I saw the bridge over the pond, I knew I was getting closer. When I saw that I was mere tenths away from the trail head, I was thrilled.

SIOR was already in her aircraft carrier-sized SUV when I caught up with her. She offered to drive me over to my car and the blast of AC that hit me was extremely welcomed. I must have looked like hell because she kept asking me if I was alright. She and her family were heading to the beach and I was heading home to spend time with the family in the pool.

TPP was in NYC because her paramour/trainer JC was participating in the NYC Tri (as was our friend KWL). Both of them did really well. We missed TPP, but then again we always do. I'm hoping the Runsketeers can all run together soon. It's almost August and we agreed to do it once a month. So far so good.

Crabby on Friday, better today

Don't eat at Joe's

Yesterday's run (street): 3.5 miles
Today's workout (elliptical): 40 minutes

I work from home most Fridays and that experience (no commuting or multiple meetings) usually provides a nice segue to the weekend. My responsibilities have ramped up in recent weeks and Fridays have become a blessing in terms of catch up time. Except for yesterday, where I started at the crack of dawn and didn't stop until close to the crack of dusk.

My one concession to the Friday workday madness was to break away for a short time to do a neighborhood run. Once I was satisfied that I addressed some overnight business issues, I quickly changed into running gear and headed out the door. The humidity and temperature were both surprisingly low and I looked forward to a pleasant experience.

It's much nicer running on Fridays without  buses and school drop-off traffic. But the recycling manics remain. These guys drive their ten ton truck around my neighborhood streets like it's a Porsche, exceeding the posted speed limit by 20 MPH and ignoring stop signs. Whenever I hear the roar and rattle of the truck, I make a beeline to the sidewalk. Even though there are 5+ miles of road in the neighborhood, I always end up encountering them at some point on my route.

Except for the truck, the run went fine. I had some slight breathing issues when I tried to push my pace, and I'm thinking that my aerobic threshold may have dropped over the last couple of years. If that's the case, it would explain my measurable reduction in speed. I had hoped last weekend's intervals would have gained me some improvement, but perhaps a mile of repeats at around 92% of max heart rate was not enough to make an impact.

Even with decent weather, I ended up feeling depleted. I had a fast shower and then it was back to work for the rest of the day. We had planned a family dinner last night at Joe's Crap Crab Shack which recently opened in our area. We'd gone to one in Orlando years ago and had a great time. We all looked forward to this dinner.

I don't know if I happened to be getting sick (perhaps my hard run and the long day standing in front of my laptop were responsible), but by the time we left the restaurant, I was feeling awful. The experience at Joe's was interesting. Here is my recommendation: Don't eat at Joe's Crab Shack. At least don't eat at the one in Westbury, NY.

We arrived at the place before the busy hour and although the room was more than half empty, we were told we'd have to wait for a table because they didn't have enough servers. My wife wanted to leave, but we were all hungry and chose to stay, since they managed to "find room" for us in the back. This back area resembled the dining room of a highway truck stop circa 1973. The photo at the top shows the room full of invisible diners we needed to walk through to get to our table.

The greasy fish I had was terrible and no one else liked what they'd ordered. By the time we got home, I was feeling sick and had to lay down for a few minutes. I rallied enough to go out back for our Friday night fire pit and even managed enough of an appetite for a S'more. We have seen some interesting things on these nights, like an extremely porcine raccoon "sneaking by" atop the fence. Last night we were again dive bombed by a bat, who perhaps thought the pool was a pond.

This morning I was time-pressed because we had an early appointment at a local college. I probably could have fit in a short run, but I was still feeling iffy and decided to do today's workout on the elliptical. Despite my opening windows on both ends of the room for air flow, it was humid as heck. Even so, the workout was pleasant. Some people don't like the elliptical, but I do, mostly because it's not a treadmill.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Massapequa Preserve to meet up for a Runska-run. I'm hoping that I'll be in ready shape for the six miles I plan to cover. The heat and humidity are supposed to be off the charts, so I'm not planning to do these miles very fast.

Hills, heat, humidity and a failure to Triumph

The route

Today's run (Bethpage trail): 5 miles

Yesterday's track workout inspired me to get out for another "destination" run this morning. By that I mean a run outside the confines of my general neighborhood. Since I pushed my efforts on Saturday, I figured today would be best spent running easy on the Bethpage trail.

ISOs: pretty, but not this editor's choice

I decided to try the Saucony Triumph ISOs again to see how they perform now that my stride has begun to normalize. While I was recovering from the disc issue, my left foot would mash up toward the front of my running shoes and the ISOs seemed to do it the most of any of my running shoes. These highly cushioned trainers won the Runner's World Editor's Award and I had high hopes that they would become my primary shoes. I'm concluding that, for my arch type, lower is better. That's why I've reverted back to using my Vitarras even though they have a sizable amount of wear on the out-soles.

The cyclists were out in force this morning with less runners than I usually see on the bike trail. My hope was that I'd feel energized from yesterday's intervals. That wasn't the case, but I said, "What the heck" since I planned for this to be a recovery effort. I cruised along the sparsely populated path and at one point I was passed by a fast moving runner with whom I tried to match strides. No such luck. She quickly disappeared into the distance.

There's usually a lot of fauna on the trail, mostly birds and bunnies. Today I saw an actual jack rabbit crossing the path about 20 feet ahead of me. In silhouette it looked a lot like the eponymous character in the Jackrabbit Sports logo. Although the humidity was supposedly low, it didn't feel that way to me. The temperature was 81° and the sun was baking down. The combination of weather and hills on the north end of the trail did me in and I was ready to throw in the towel once I reached 5 miles.

A towel would have been great to have when I finished. When I looked at the Garmin's stats and saw it report 51% humidity I shook my head. The work week starts again tomorrow, and I hope to get in some type workout before next Friday. I was glad to get away for a couple of non-neighborhood runs this weekend and pleased that I finally worked in a speed workout. As for the Triumphs, I don't think I'll ever be happy with them. That's unfortunate. I could always wear them as weekend casual shoes, but they are a bit too vivid to wear in public unless I'm running.