An end to tepid hydration

My formally stingy bottle

Today's run (Bethpage bike trail): 5.1 miles

The Dirty Sock 10K was held today, but I opted to go solo with a run on the north end of the Bethpage trail. Last weekend the Runsketeers owned that route, so it would have been redundant to return for the race. Besides that, today's weather was fairly unpleasant for running. Garmin said the "feels like" temperature was 83° with 62% humidity. If it was that hot and humid on the bike trail this morning, the Dirty Sock course must surely have been oppressive.

I didn't feel like doing another neighborhood run, so I headed to Bethpage with no particular plan except to start on Colonial Road. After a mental coin toss, I chose to go north as far as the Washington Ave overpass, that would get me about five miles out and back. It was the usual mix of walkers, runners and cyclists on the trail, although I did see a guy on an ElliptiGO about halfway through.

I carried an 8 oz. bottle of spring water that quickly warmed to body temperature in my hand. I was concerned about dehydration, so I continued to drink from it even though it provided no refreshment. Later in the day, I looked at insulated running hydration bottles in a couple of stores, but I'm always underwhelmed with what I find in stores.

I've been frustrated with my expensive Ultimate Direction bottle that, up until today, refused to give up any water no matter how hard I squeezed it or chomped on the bite valve. I challenged my kids to figure out the problem this afternoon and of course they did. So now I have a great, insulated 21 ounce bottle to take with me on my next long run.

There and back

My five miles went by fairly quickly, probably because I know the path so well I know exactly what's left to cover at any time. I don't need to go into the office tomorrow and I'm hoping to demonstrate some discipline and get out early before the heat comes. Is it time to return to the track for some speed enabling repeats? Probably. Will I? Maybe.

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.

Distance and dehydration

I should have bought water at the farm stand

Today's run (street): 5.75 miles

I managed to get out a little earlier this morning than I did on Saturday and it felt cooler and less humid. That was a good thing, because I ended up doing my longest run of 2015. I didn't really have a distance target, but I knew I would be spending time on  roads east of my neighborhood that would easily get me to 5 miles.

I'd originally thought that I'd cut through the area I call neighborhood #3 to get to the northern point of the Bethpage bike trail in Woodbury. I changed my mind during the run, opting instead to head for the business park to run the main loop. I did one rotation before making my way to neighborhood #3 and then followed Woodbury Road to my usual turnaround spot at Piquets Lane. I tagged the pole and took a selfie in front of a local farm.

By that time, I had passed the 40 minute mark. The heat and sun made me regret that I hadn't brought water with me. I was pretty dehydrated and a little hungry. A gel would have been nice at that moment. I often bring a bottle on my long training runs at Bethpage, but I rarely do that when I'm running on local roads. With temperatures in the 80's, I need to get in the habit of bringing water every time I run.

Today's rambling route

I took it a little easier on my way back and had to be careful to avoid some slippery patches of mud on the sidewalk on Woodbury Road. I was surprised how quickly I made my way back home from there. I saw that I was approaching six miles, which would have been a good distance target. I didn't make six, but I did come close.

I ended up covering 14 miles running this week, and also did a 30 minute elliptical session. It wasn't the 18 miles I've averaged through the years, but I'm gaining distance every week. Next week I'll look to go even longer. The Runsketeers are doing our June run next weekend. It's always easier to cover long miles with my buddies.

Flexr running bottle, I hardly knew ye

Have you seen me?

Today's run (Bethpage bike trail): 6.25 miles

This morning I met up with my running buddies to take on Bethpage's northern bike trail. We haven't run together since the Brooklyn Half (technically, only TPP and I ran together that day), so it was fun to regroup. Now that the weather is warming up, I've been thinking that I need to carry water on longer runs. I've had little luck with running bottles, but a company called Flexr Sports had sent me one that interested me, so I decided to try it today.

SIOR was waiting on the trail when I arrived at our rendezvous spot. I told her I was thinking of carrying the Flexr bottle today (she has one as well) but I was concerned about the weight (my bottle held 21 oz.) and its lack of a hand strap. I tossed it back in the car, but SIOR mentioned the rising heat, so I decided to take it along after all.

TPP arrived at that moment and we quickly decided to go north. I wanted to cover six miles today, TPP was thinking 6-8 miles and SIOR, who had already run a mile, was thinking about going beyond the Cold Spring Harbor Labs publishing building. We ran together long enough to hear the details of SIOR's missing kitten saga (everything turned out fine!), but we separated by pace soon after that.

In terms of pace, mine was the slowest. That didn't discourage me, but I wished I could get closer so I could participate in the conversation. Of course, if I did push myself to their pace, I wouldn't have been able to contribute anything but gasps and grunts. My friends waited for me to catch up at the road crossings and that proved valuable for planning the next stages of our run.

The last section of our route, between Washington Ave and Sunnyside Boulevard, is very hilly going north. It's so hilly that I tend to use the LIE underpass as my turnaround point instead of taking on that challenge. But the Runsketeers don't shy away from hills, so I dutifully followed them up and over. TPP has had some recent struggles with endurance and speed (as have I) but today she moved along very well.

TPP and I reached Sunnyside after SIOR, who had continued on further north. We turned around at that point (3 miles) and headed back to our starting point. We knew SIOR would catch up to us eventually. Soon after we crossed Old Country Road, we were all reunited when SIOR ran into us like a freight train from behind. She is very speedy.

Although both of my friends got out in front of me after that, I picked up my speed and ended up covering the last 1.2 miles in a pace range that I haven't seen in a long time. It felt great to run harder as I got to the end and I enjoyed being cheered in by my buddies who had already finished. We took our traditional selfies after that. My skill in that area seems to be getting worse.

Um, how do you use a camera?

I ended up liking the Flexr bottle for its squeezable (rather than rigid) construction and its cap that worked much better than my Ultimate Direction bottle. I did wish it had a hand strap, but the shape helped make up for that somewhat. The bottle retails for about $11 and has disposible liners. I think it's a bargain.

Flexr has removable liners - nice idea

Unfortunately, I had placed the bottle on the back bumper of SIOR's car during our photo shoot and then forgot about it. Too bad, I was really starting to like it. We kept our other tradition of post run coffee at Starbucks and it was great to catch up. Soccer mom SIOR needed to leave first, but TPP and I hung in for a while and talked about running shoes and proprioception, a word I bungled badly, although TPP could pronounce it perfectly.

It was a great day to run and to be with running friends. I wish I'd remembered to take my Flexr bottle, but it won't cost a lot to replace. In the meantime, I'm pleased with my progress. I didn't run fast, but I was faster than yesterday. As long as things keep going in that direction, I'm okay. Speed work soon. I think that's the only way to return to past performance levels.

I really should have thought this through

Accidental self portrait after the run

I was trying to get this shot of the new gates and info kiosk

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 7.4 miles

As I made my way along today's Bethpage route, I came up with various titles for this post. At the two mile mark, it was something like, "Great base run at Bethpage." By the time I'd reached my turnaround point it was, "Oh the humidity!" By the time I reached the end of my run, the above title popped into my head.

Today was a base building run to help prepare me for Cow Harbor. With all the focus I've been putting on speed, I didn't want to neglect the fact that the Cow Harbor course is 6.2 miles and hilly. I thought that Bethpage's bike trail would be a great place to duplicate those properties. Cow Harbor's race day weather can be oppressively hot and humid, so today I hit the trifecta for simulating conditions.

I didn't plan a particular distance this morning, although I knew I'd run at least six miles. Once I arrived at the park, I decided to run a mile on the north trail before changing directions so I could do the bulk of my distance on the older, somewhat more challenging section. I had little trouble getting through this first part. It was cloudy and 73 degrees, so despite the 89% humidity, it didn't seem so bad.

My new-found speed allowed me to pass numerous runners. This was gratifying since I'm often passed by club runners who populate this trail on weekends. My pace for the first couple of miles was on par with what I've been running lately, and I felt encouraged. By the time I reached mile three, I started to feel the effort, especially as I took on a couple of tough hills that come before the Plainview Road roundabout.

Despite growing evidence that my smooth base run was about to get rougher, I tried to maintain a brisk pace. The trail between miles three and four trends slightly down, so I was able to keep going without a lot of extra effort. By the time I passed four miles, it became clear that my glycogen level was depleted. I did my best to hold on while my body figured out what to do next.

Between a lack of fuel and the overwhelming humidity, I was hurting. Why, after seeing the weather report showing close to 100% humidity today, did I forget to bring a water bottle? My pace had slowed 90 seconds per mile compared to the start, and I switched to a more mechanical stride in an effort to just keep going. I nearly bonked at mile six, but instead slowed my pace even more. I needed to prepare for the dreaded hills that make up most of the last mile leading to the trail head.

By the time I reached the biggest and longest hill, I was moving slowly. But I was moving. I even passed a woman on a bike who was struggling to get up the hill. About 4/5ths of the way to the top, my energy began to return and I stepped up my pace enough to put me back into target range. I was thrilled to run the final section of trail leading to the lot. Stopping never felt so good.

It was a very tough workout and I'm still feeling the effects seven hours later (although I did participate this afternoon in our family's annual obstacle race - a summer tradition). I don't know if today's experience was due to fitness gaps or if it was more about the weather. Last weekend I ran almost the same distance and performed much better, so it probably had more to do with conditions than conditioning. Next time I'll think about going out so fast on a base run and I'll definitely remember to bring along water.

Fast Draw water bottle is leaving me dry

Stingy valve

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I tend to over-plan for races, sweating the details a week or so ahead of time. I do this in order to minimize race day surprises. Detailed planning generally works out for the best when I do this, and the bigger the race, the more I plan. One area of focus this week is hydration. Should I carry water? Gatorade? Nuun electrolyte mix? Should I use water stations instead? After experimentation, I've decided to go with water + gels. That seems right.

Still, the method of water conveyance remains undecided. After my Amphipod handbottle began to leak, I replaced it with an Ultimate Direction Fast Draw unit. It has an insulated wrap, gel pocket and rubber bite valve. When I put it in my hand, it seemed enormous, but that also meant I would be able to carry five more ounces of water than I could with my Amphipod.

I thought I'd try a test run with the UD bottle, in experior, as I wound down my training this week. When filled, the bottle seemed even more massive, but I kept an open mind. I ran on the treadmill this morning because of the rain, and carrying this water bottle made things slightly more complicated. The weight of the bottle concerned me, and I began to wonder if I'd want to carry it for two-plus hours on Sunday.

About a minute into my run I took a sip of water. Actually, I tried to take a sip, but I couldn't draw much water from the opening. I became concerned thinking, "How hard should it be to get water from a device that's specifically made to deliver water?" The answer was very, very hard. I put the bottle aside for the remainder of the run and decided on the spot to use water stations, rather than carry water, during the race

When my wife came in to use the treadmill, I mentioned my trouble with the UD bottle and she promised to look at it. She tends to do better than me with mechanical challenges. Since then, she has figured out the method to get water from the bottle (not so easy, actually) but I am sticking with my decision. As I recall, there are numerous water stops along the way, so I'm not risking much by running bottle-free.

I'm disappointed with my experience this morning but this is why we test!

Empty bottle syndrome

Amphipod Hydroform: leaky top

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 9.1 miles

This has been a tough week by any measure, and I'd hoped to address my sleep debt by getting eight full hours last night. I didn't quite make that, but I did manage seven. Even so, I still felt a little off this morning. I was glad this wasn't my half marathon weekend because it wouldn't have gone well.

My plan was to run 12 miles today. Over the past six weeks I've done base training at Bethpage on Saturdays, going from 7 to 11 miles by adding a mile every week. Last weekend I broke that cycle, because I was resting on Saturday for Sunday's 5K race. With only two weekends left to train for the LI Half, I knew I needed to go out for long run today. Sunday is likely to be a washout with heavy rains expected.

I had a late morning appointment so I tried to get out early, but I didn't quite succeed. I determined that I'd run out of time if I stuck to my original plan, so I cut my distance goal to 9 miles. I had bought some Gatorade G Series Prime Fuel, it's sort of like a gel in liquid form, and added it to the water in my Amphipod hand bottle. I wanted to test that combination for use during the half.

I dressed lightly for the low-50's temperatures, but I should have worn an even lighter top layer because it was HUMID.  Almost immediately after I started my run, I noticed that the hand bottle was leaking and sploshing red-tinted liquid all over my hand. I had wrapped a paper towel around the bottle for insulation and dryness but that quickly soaked through. I wasn't even a half mile into my run when I decided to dump some of the contents to minimize the spillage.

I wore my Brooks Adrenaline to help prevent further aggravation to the sole of my left foot. Prior to putting on my sock, I had rubbed some capzasin cream onto the area that has been giving me trouble. I don't think it did much to help, but it didn't hurt to try. By the time I finished mile one I knew that my foot wouldn't be my biggest problem on the run.

There were many runners, mostly in pairs or groups, along the trail today. Almost everyone greeted me as we passed. I had hoped that all my base running and recent speed focus would make today's run easier, but I really struggled throughout most of the way through. By the time I reached the steep incline leading over the Southern State, I was concerned about having the strength to complete the entire out-and-back.

I only went .75 miles into the Massepequa Preserve before turning back and facing the climb over the parkway from the other direction. Once I came down I knew I had less than 4 miles to go, but I knew the last two miles would be very difficult.

By the time I was ready to drink from my bottle I saw that there was nothing left to drink. This was a disappointment and the lack of hydration, combined with glycogen and electrolyte depletion, made me grateful that I didn't attempt the full 12 miles, as originally planned.

I ran the first half of today's run a minute per mile faster than the second half. The humidity didn't help an already tough situation. As I slogged through the last two hills, I kept visualizing the final downhill section that would lead me to my car. Nine miles this morning was far tougher than the eleven that I ran two weeks ago.

Due to the Amphipod's failure, I wasn't able to assess the effectiveness of the G Series Prime Fuel as a supplement to my water supply. Worse, I am now without a useable water bottle for the race. I hope to find something this week that I can test next weekend. I'm traveling next week so I'm not sure when I can do that. One more week to train and then it's time to run the LI Half once again. At least I've trained hard for it, so far.

Liquid strategy for the Dirty Sock 10K

Performance in a pouch

Tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM I should be off and running on the Dirty Sock 10K trail run. It will be the third time that I participate in this out-and-back race that circles Belmont Lake State Park and passes Southards Pond on the return leg. The last two year's weather was brutal, hot and humid and even some rain. Predictions for tomorrow show 77° and 71% humidity for the start. Not ideal but better than last  year when rain threatened and finally started falling about 45 minutes into the race.

Low cal libation

Favorite fuel

I've trained the best I could with the time I have and I'm planning to use GU Roctane gels for pre-race energy and to help get me through that endless last 2K. I picked up a packet of Gatorade G Series Prime 01 that I will add to my G2 (low sugar) Perform that I'll carry in my water bottle. Both times I ran Dirty Sock I finished low on electrolytes and fairly dehydrated. Generally I prefer simplicity, but if these supplements help me through my expected struggles then it's worth the extra care.

I'll file a full report on the experience. My taper is complete, the race day gear selected and my nutrition plan is set. I'm hoping for the best, but mostly I'm just excited to run this course again and see my family waiting for me at the finish line.

Runners: know thy enemy!

Today's run: 2.6 miles

Hoping to keep my cool

Like most runners, my performance degrades with a rise in temperature. Adding humidity makes it worse and it all makes sense scientifically. If your body needs to cool itself, it will deplete your body's fluid level through sweat. This leads to a loss in plasma volume and a reduction in oxygen to muscles because blood low is being pushed to the surface of the skin. Humidity prevents efficient evaporation of sweat that dissipates heat and helps regulate body temperature.

It seems like every running magazine I read has an article or two about running in the heat. They all say basically the same thing -- that proper hydration (including electrolyte balance) is key. They are also pretty clear that running in extreme heat can drive your body temperature up to dangerous levels. At that point it goes from bad to worse.

I'm thinking about this because I'm two weekends away from the Dirty Sock 10K trail run. It's a great race that goes through the woods and around a lake. It's always held the third weekend in August and the two times I've run it conditions ranged from high heat and humidity to high heat, humidity and rain. Last year I drank 24 ounces of water after I finished and still felt depleted. It wasn't until my daughter brought over an electrolyte drink that I finally felt restored and balanced.

This morning's run did not feel humid (though it was) and I appreciated the temperatures that were still in the 70's. I had a decent run and by the time I came home I was drenched with sweat but I didn't feel overheated. I'm looking for a singlet to wear on race day. Despite the "wife-beater" look that I've always avoided, that may be a good tool for keeping my body temperature down. One thing I'm counting on is that Dirty Sock will fall on a hot and humid day.

Making it through with Hydration and GU

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 8 miles at 9:49 (variable terrain)

I wanted to put in some mileage this morning but I couldn't face another long run around the local roads. I'll probably be back on the street tomorrow but this morning I needed a break. I set out for Bethpage early under cloudy skies that felt like they could give way to rain. I decided that was fine because much of the bike path has decent tree cover. By the time I arrived, the skies had cleared but not to the point where the sun came out. I was happy for that. Running with sun is fine in winter but this time of year I prefer cool and dry with gray skies above.

There were numerous walkers on the bike path at the start of my run. I made my way up the short steep hill that gives way to a long downhill section that almost catapults you through mile one. But it's a little like having desert before your meal. Easy as they are to manage at the start, those hills are a bear to address at the end. Soon enough, I was into the wooded part of the trail, trying to gauge my readiness to complete an eight mile circuit. I brought along my Amphipod water bottle to see how things would go with some in-run hydration.

I'd also brought along a GU energy gel (Mandarin Orange flavor) that I plan to have for next week's race. My last experience with a gel pack (Honey Stinger chocolate flavor) did not go well but I still like the idea of having restoring carbs during the second half a longer run. I still don't love the Amphipod bottle because it's very cold to hold at the beginning (filled with ice) and it sloshes as the water supply depletes. Still, having water made a difference and it made my gel experience much better than last time. I ate the gel at the 4 mile mark and it helped me enough to maintain my first half pace over the last four miles. I took a few side trails that run parallel to the paved path. My turnaround point at four miles went around a small pond that was also ringed by a dirt trail.

There were numerous runners along the way wearing team shirts and on my return leg I noticed mile markers along the bike path. It wasn't until I was near the Bethpage Parkway circle that I realized the Ocean to Sound Relay routed through this course. I really wanted to participate in that race but I couldn't get a team together. That's probably for the best because I'd prefer to focus on the Great Cow Harbor 10K next Saturday. About a mile from my end point I was surprised and happy to see Dave coming from the other direction, one mile into his run of the day.

Later this afternoon my daughter and I did a run around the middle school field. She really ran well and maintained a decent pace throughout our run. I think her training is making a difference. I'm hoping mine is too.

I'm balking on sunshine

It occurred to me this morning as I stood freezing on the train platform that I have yet to run in the blisteringly hot summer heat. I (re)started running last year in late August and did most of my runs before 6:30 AM, before temperatures climbed well above the 70's. By now I've experienced running in temperate, cold and really cold weather and I'm trying to figure out how to handle the coming days of high humidity and heat. With the cold you can always dress warmer with more layers and thicker vests and jackets. Although you do need to fight dehydration when running in the cold I'm guessing the requirement for proper hydration in the hot weather is much different.

I'm running in two races between April 19 and May 2nd and according to some data I've seen (based upon the above chart) the apparent temperatures could be in the 90's. I've read that it's important to run in similar weather conditions two weeks prior to a race to acclimate yourself to the heat or cold. I'm thinking that I can use indoor running as a way of controlling my environment as I move closer to those dates. In terms of gear, I'll use any excuse to buy more technical shirts.

Trying something new

I've been reading about the importance of proper hydration and eating to support running. Up until yesterday I would do my 1 - 2 miles each morning fortified with nothing but a half cup of coffee. I've been experimenting with small snacks, yesterday I had some wheat crackers before my run and I felt much more energized. Today I drank some extra water before my run and ate half of a low fat low sugar granola bar before running. I ate the second half after with the rest of my coffee. I think there is a difference in terms of the pace I can maintain.