April fooled by the weather

Wind chilly

Today's run (street): 3.1 miles
Yesterday's run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

It being April Fools day, my daughter offered me a bite of her vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce. That turned out to be mashed potatoes with turkey gravy. Instead of being repulsed, I was inspired to add the rest to my lunch. The real April Fools joke seems to be today's weather trying to make us think it's still winter.

Yesterday started out rainy and cold and I didn't hesitate a moment before getting on the treadmill. That run was fine and I worked my pace into the mid nines by the end. I appreciated having the indoor option, especially on days like that.

This morning I was ready to get back to the road. The local news station was showing 37° and the view outside looked mild. The roads were still wet from the recent rain but it looked pleasant. I had just read an article in Runners World about Iditarod runners who drag their gear behind them along the 1,000 mile route. One runner mentioned the value of keeping your neck warm as that's an area where heat can drain quickly. I took another look outside and saw the trees were swaying a little so I put on my bandito buff to keep that area covered.

It took over five minutes to acquire a GPS signal through the overcast sky but soon I was off and running. I'd worn light track pants and a long sleeve quarter zip. That was fine until I changed direction for the first time and encountered a 19 MPH wind. Those blasts instantly brought the temperature down ten degrees. The buff helped, but my face was freezing. It was so bad that when I finally reach a point where I turned from north to east my glasses immediately fogged up from the sudden warmth combined with 93% humidity.

I took a roundabout route circling the neighborhood and covered my distance at a moderate pace. I was surprised to see that my average heart rate was below 80% max. I really need to look at my Garmin during the run to see if I should be picking up the pace. Tomorrow is supposed to be a lot nicer and, since I have a limited window to get in a run, I'm going to try to do it a little faster.

A bad wind blows my run

I feel so good. Wait, no I don't.

Today's run (street): 3.7 miles
Yesterday's run (street): 3.2 miles
Last Sunday's run (Street): 4.3 miles

As I made my way around my neighborhood this morning, my experience alternated from pleasant to tortuous. It all depended on the direction I was running. As I ran I thought of the song "I Feel So Good" by Richard Thompson that toggles cleverly between nice and nasty. With a 25° temperature as a starting point, and wind making it feel like 17° outside, I prepared for the worst.

I don't know why my face has become so sensitive to the cold this season. I can bundle up for really cold conditions, but unless I wear a balaclava I still have to deal with face freeze. Getting through the first mile was a challenge today and I wished I'd wore the bandito buff that KWL gave me last year. I briefly considered heading home and running indoors, but I figured that only half my run would be into the wind and I'd eventually warm up. I did, but it took a while. With the wind to my back, my running was a pleasure. When it wasn't, it was a pain.

Speaking of pain, I've been dealing with a heel problem with my left foot that may be a form of Plantar Fasciitis. On the advice of KWL I've temporarily switched from my low, flat NB Zante 2's to my well padded Saucony Triumph ISOs that have a more pronounced drop between the heel and forefoot. I think that helped minimize my pain on the run. It also feels a little better after running. I hope it's just an inflammation of the fascia and not something more concerning, like a hairline fracture or a heel spur.

My runs today and Friday were pretty slow. Pre-September slow in fact. I'm not concerned that I'm   backsliding, but it's frustrating in light of gains I'd made during the last three months of 2016. I was running more than 2 minutes per mile faster compared to what I averaged in late summer. I'll conveniently blame today's mediocre performance on wearing too many layers and all that wind resistance. Plus my heel pain and the cold. Let's see how tomorrow goes. I really hope I feel so good.

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.

A great treadmill experience (finally!)

ER and SIOR take the indoor option

Today's run (Lifetime Fitness treadmill run): 4.5 miles
Yesterday's run (treadmill): 3.25 miles
Friday's run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

I continue to battle a tough work schedule that makes it hard for me to fit in a fourth weekly workout. This week was no exception. There's a lot happening at the office and it's causing more meetings to push me past my usual departure time. I don't get home as late as I did when I worked in the city, but post-dinner running doesn't generally work for me. So it was three runs this week. All three on the treadmill.

I planned to run outside on Friday and put on my new running raincoat due to the misty conditions. As I prepared to go out, the skies opened up and my options switched to the treadmill or the elliptical. Since I didn't do a mid-week workout, I opted for running.

I hadn't run since last Sunday and I expected to have a tough time getting going. I was surprised to quickly find my stride and the minutes rolled by faster than my usual treadmill experience. I had limited time and cut it short after 3.2 miles. I played with tempo over the last mile and was able to get down to a decent pace.

Saturday's weather was equally miserable, so it was back again on the treadmill. I didn't have the same energy level as I did on Friday, but I pressed on. The minutes ticked by more slowly than on Friday and I didn't start my progressive paces until I had 3/4 mile left to go. Still, it wasn't as bad as some recent indoor runs.

This morning's plan was to meet SIOR at Bethpage where she would lead the Lifetime Fitness group run. Unfortunately, the weather had gone from wet to worse overnight and plans were changed to running on the treadmills at Lifetime. As much as I dislike treadmills, there's something I like about fitness center models and something I really dislike about running outside in 50 MPH winds.

When I met SIOR at the gym, she'd already completed a few miles. While she alerted the front desk that the workout was happening upstairs, I went to the locker room to take off my non-running layers. SIOR and I headed upstairs and I saw the huge gymnasium that had basketball courts and a rock climbing wall.

We found side-by-side Life Fitness treadmills and started them up. SIOR resumed watching a Netflix documentary about the Barkley marathons while I tried like heck to navigate to a watchable cable station on the monitor. I really didn't need my screen because there was so much else to look at. The gym is enormous with lots of opportunities for people watching and lots of video screens that provided good distraction.

Treadmills as far as the eye can see

If Friday's running felt easy, then today's run felt effortless. Some of that was due to starting slowly. But even as I blipped up my speed every tenth of a mile, the run never felt difficult. I stopped when SIOR finished her planned ten miles and I ended up covering 4.5. SIOR had more training to do and I had to head out for a brunch. Before we said our goodbyes. SIOR showed me more of the gym, including the area with all the weight machines.

I wouldn't have expected a treadmill workout to be so enjoyable but it was nice to be able to run along with SIOR. I really hope Lifetime gives her more resources to publicize these weekend events because it's a great way to showcase the gym and attract new members. If our schedules work out next time, it will be fun to have the other Runsketeers on the run.

Me and the Tartan track personnas

Counter clockwise and counter-counter clockwise

Today's run (track): 4.1 miles
Yesterday's run (street); 3.4 miles
Friday's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

It was a busy week and I didn't manage to get a workout in before Friday. My Friday schedule was jammed with meetings from 9:00 to 5:30, so I needed to get my run done fairly early. I worked from home on that day and was lucky that I didn't have to do my long commute in falling snow. But outside conditions were slippery, making the treadmill my only option for running.

No surprise to anyone, I found Friday's run almost unbearable and was determined to get outdoors the next day. The snow on the roads had melted, but conditions were still pretty rough. The local news station showed  a temperature of 30°, so I dressed for moderate cold. It was sunny when I stepped outside and I was concerned that I'd overdressed. A few minutes later I was wishing for another layer.

Saturday frozen face syndrome

Feels like freezing

The moment I turned the first corner on my run, I was hit with a blast of numbingly cold air that gave me an instant sinus headache. I quickly thought through my intended route to determine whether I should change streets to minimize the wind. By the time I'd reached my first mile, I'd heated up enough to manage through the cold. It was a low performance run overall, but I managed to get through my miles and I didn't get bit once.

I usually reserve my longest run of the week for Sunday, but this morning I had a serious motivation problem. None of my favorite venues seemed appealing (Neighborhood: ho hum, Bethpage: too many hills, Stillwell: too many mountain bikers) and I wasn't going near the treadmill again. My wife suggested the track and I couldn't find an argument against that. So off I went.

Although running around the track can be viewed as monotonous, I find it much much more pleasant than the treadmill. At least the track provides sensory stimulation through forward movement. On top of that, I always encounter a different cast of characters as I circle the Tartan track. By the end, I've usually monitored their workouts and made up names for each of them.

This morning, it was just me and walking man, a big middle aged guy who was wearing air buds but no hat or gloves. Walking man and I were soon joined by high school running girl who eventually lapped me. But while high school girl had speed, I had endurance, and I noticed her slowing down and eventually talking walk breaks. So I won. Walking man started running, slower than me if that is actually possible. A young guy also joined us, running his laps pretty fast.

I did my first two miles going in the traditional counter-clockwise direction and then did two more clockwise, allowing me to see the faces of the other runners. Most importantly, running that way prevented the humiliation of being lapped by young running man and a young running couple who came by a little later. I did manage to lap the walking-to-running man and a bunch of miscellaneous walkers who'd also come by.

I did a little more than 16 laps and focused on my shortened stride which I'd hoped would enable a higher cadence. It did not, and the end result was an unprintably slow pace. That is, except for the last lap where I said "screw it" and ran about a 9:15. That was when I lapped walking-to-running man.

So, this week it's been three very different runs with the common theme of low performance. I don't really care about that, but I sometimes feel guilty for not going out with the, "All you need is all you got" attitude that I had a couple of years ago. I'm really going to try for four workouts this week and may even stretch it to five if my schedule isn't as insane as last week's.

Reunion with the road and the wind

A sight for sore piriformis

Today's run (street): 3.4 miles

It's been such a long time since I've run outdoors that I was surprised to see that Milemeter has reverted back to being called Gmaps Pedometer. I realize that's an esoteric observation, but it shows that things have changed in the eight weeks since I last did a neighborhood run. Not much changed in the neighborhood except for a whole lot of tar and gravel being laid down to fix this winter's potholes.

I was excited and a little nervous prior to going out this morning. My cold is still present, but it hasn't gained much of a foothold. Despite some sniffles and nasal congestion, I've had no breathing issues doing indoor workouts. My concern centered on my self-diagnosed piriformis syndrome. I already knew what to expect when running on the flat, flexible surface of the treadmill. How would the injury feel when running on unyielding pavement over varying elevations? What will the longer stride do to my form?

The other thing on my mind was the weather. The strong winds were evident and the local station said they'd be increasing throughout the day. I knew I should get out early to minimize that effect. I procrastinated predictably, and didn't start my run until after 9:00 AM. I probably overdressed because of the winds, but never felt overheated during the run.

I knew within ten seconds that I'd be okay once I reached the road. The piriformis/sciatica pain was there, but it didn't bog me down too much. I did notice that it affected my gait and it underscored my need to get to an orthopedist. Overall it was fine and it proved I could run. Not real fast, but it was real running.

The strong winds hit when I rounded a corner around the half mile point. It felt like a huge invisible fan and the mild air suddenly became very chilly. My route soon changed direction and all was well, although half of the last mile was spent running against strong headwinds.

I didn't have my HRM for this run, so I can't gauge my real effort. My perceived effort was moderate and I felt I'd passed my fitness test. That said, I'd purposely kept my expectations low. I'm very aware that I tend to take recovery progress as evidence of readiness and I end up overdoing it the next time I run. Tomorrow I'll aim to go a little longer and, if feels okay, perhaps a bit faster. But not fast. I've learned my lesson with this injury.

Paying the price for running too fast

 

Today's run (street): 4.5 miles

Yesterday afternoon I started experiencing muscle pain from my left side glute down to the hamstring. The pain isn't sharp, but it's noticeable. My first thought and concern was that the new Kayanos were throwing off my gait. I realized that was unlikely because my only prior run in them was on Friday, when I covered a scant 3.3 miles. I took ibuprofen before bed last night and hoped the ache would be gone in the morning.

That wasn't the case. When I got up, the pain was there. No better or worse than last night, but it was enough to notice. I've been injury-free for over a year and I was puzzled by this condition. It felt more like sciatica than a muscle or tendon tear. However, if that was the source then analgesics should have helped.

My opportunities for running are skewed to the end of the week and the weekend, so missing a Sunday run for rest would have an effect on my weekly volume. I decided to go for a very easy run and carefully monitor the pain. The last time I had something like this, it quickly went from moderate discomfort to bad pain. So bad, in fact, that I needed to abandon a run after a quarter mile and limp back home.

I wore the Kayanos again because they have stability features that would provide a correction for a pronator like me. I generally ignore that need because I prefer a neutral trainer. My old Brooks Adrenalins, which had a firm medial post, would do a great job of solving issues related to gait.

I took off with a conscious focus on the sore muscle and soon realized that running wasn't going to exacerbate the problem. At the same time, my quads and hamstrings felt tighter than normal and I knew I had no chance of matching yesterday's speed. It was then when I realized the pain I felt was probably due to those episodes of fast running during yesterday's workout. It's been a while since I've pushed my pace so hard for so long.

Nice weather we're havin'

The other factor that worked against me today was the weather. According to Garmin Connect, conditions during today's run were 37° temps with a 23 MPH wind. The wind chill made it feel like 26° and at times I felt like I was running last year's Long Beach Turkey Trot. I had no illusions of meeting my performance target. Besides that, the purpose of this run was recovery.

I expected to cover about 4 miles - less if my pain grew worse. Since that didn't turn out to be the case, I hung in for an extra half mile. When I was done I was ready for a nap. Hours later, my muscle soreness remains, but it's no worse than when I got up this morning. Rest has always been my best approach to injury, so I'll be doing that for the next couple or days (at least). This doesn't seem to be the same type of pain I had last time. I hope so, because that injury took me off the road for over a week.

Running performance is a weighty issue

Today's run (street): 3.6 miles

There's an article in a recent issue of Running Times that correlates weight and performance. There's nothing surprising or revelatory in the article, but they make the obvious point that carrying extra pounds will not help your speed. I've been exploring every reason why my pace has declined over the last couple of years and have ruled out health issues. After reading this story, I wondered if weight is a factor.

I've kept my weight under control over the last six years and I continue to watch my diet. Running 16-20 miles a week certainly helps. Still, I've wondered if I've become lax in terms of sugar intake and portion control. I hadn't stepped on a scale in months and decided check to see if I'd gained weight. I hoped that I had because I can deal with that. Just lose a few pounds and go back to 26 minute 5Ks!

I pulled out the scale and saw that I was only 3.5% over my ideal healthy weight. That didn't provide much opportunity to trade pounds for performance. I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that the only way to improve is to commit to a higher level of training. Running buddy TPP has proven that really works.

I went out this morning for a cold weather run that felt even colder due to strong winds. I spent almost ten minutes waiting for a GPS signal before the watch showed ready. I took off and noticed that I felt a little stronger than usual. However, I didn't expect a great performance because of the strong winds. The wind chill was in the teens and my face felt frozen.

It wasn't until I got back home that I realized I'd done my fastest run in months. I was happy to see that, but I'm not exactly sure why. I may start paying a little more attention to my diet and bring that 3.5% down to target. Every little bit helps. Especially for those of us who are happy to stick with their current level of training.

Windy run with wildlife

Hi neighbor!

Today's run (street): 3.4 miles

Somehow it's gotten to be November and the weather is beginning to hint at winter. I've already started planning business for next year. This week, in a moment of insanity, I agreed to a new contract with my present employer for 2015. It's not that I don't love what I do. The company is great, the people are wonderful and my work is both interesting and challenging. But the commute is enough to drive a person insane.

All the same, I do enjoy the freedom I have to work from home when it makes sense to do that. Most Fridays I do, including today. Last week I needed to go into the office and that prevented me from getting out for what I think of as my weekend kickoff run. Consequently, I only managed to eke out 12 miles for the entire week. Part of that was because I fell short of my planned distance on Sunday due to the ferocious winds.

Today's weather was more cooperative, but there was still plenty of wind to deal with. I wore layers to stay comfortable and they came in handy while I waited ten minutes for the Garmin to find all its satellites. I don't understand why it has trouble acquiring a signal under a cloudless sky, but that has been happening frequently.

Once the GPS was ready, I was off and running (hah!) and I found myself pushing against a fairly stiff wind from the north. Not as bad as Sunday, but enough to slow me down a little. I wondered if I'd get a speed bump when I reached the top of the road and returned in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, having wind at your back never enables progress the way head-on wind inhibits it.

Nothing remarkable on today's run. The usual negligent drivers and a few dum-dums running with their backs to traffic. I did cross paths with a possum (or is it opossum?) who was waddling across the road as I approached. It looked up at me with its rat-shaped snout and beady pink eyes, but didn't seem too concerned to see me. It scampered off once I got within ten feet. 

This weekend is the Hope for Warriors 10K, a race I would normally run but I'm still stuck in competitive abstinence mode. My wife and kids will be volunteering again at the race, so I feel a little guilty about not participating. I think my running buds are going to do the Hot Chocolate 5K in December. I'm going to join them and I'm hoping it will reignite my interest in racing.

I'm not sure what I'll be doing this weekend in terms of training, but I need to make up for my poor showing last weekend. I didn't even crack 6 miles on Saturday and Sunday was a disappointment. No more admission fees at Bethpage until spring. I may park in the lot and run the southern route tomorrow.

Daunted by the howling winds

Today's run (street): 3.6 miles

I cannot believe that tens of thousands of people ran the NYC marathon this morning. It's not just that the marathon distance (26.2 miles) does not compute to me (it doesn't, but that's for a future post). I'm more amazed that people spent so many hours running the course while facing 20-40 MPH winds. I will admit that those conditions were too much for me to deal with this morning. Feeling like I was running into an invisible wall wore me out and I ended up cutting my run short.

The unrelenting sound of wind whipping through the trees prompted me to dress warmer than I normally would for 46°. Things started out well and I had high hopes for getting in my planned distance. I decided to first run the perimeter of my neighborhood that includes Jericho Turnpike and South Oyster Bay Road. I briefly considered crossing one of those main streets to open up my route to different options.

I ended up staying on South Oyster Bay Road and enduring the cracked and buckled sidewalk that was especially scary because it had a layer of leaves that hid potential tripping points. I made sure I kept my step high to avoid any mishaps. By the time I re-entered the neighborhood from the south, I started to get frustrated with the wind that reminded me of the miserable experience I had at last year's Long Beach Turkey Trot.

I struggled to make it to the mid point of my neighborhood and planned to make a beeline home. Along the way I saw a yellow recycling bin being blown across multiple yards, trash cascading from containers and leaves flying in every direction. Despite that, I decided to take a detour that added another half mile to my distance. I was disappointed to fall far short of today's goal, but I didn't see the sense in battling the wind monster any further.

As I ran, I thought about friends who were waiting on Staten Island for their wave to be called. The news showed thousands of people patiently huddling under makeshift blankets trying to remain warm. Once they were able to go, they faced the same conditions that I did, but would need to run over seven times the distance that I covered today.

Congratulations to my friends who braved the weather and the marathon course. You are probably very tired, but you did an amazing thing. Even under perfect conditions, this would be a tough race. I hope the celebrations will far exceed the pain.

Raw, dark, windy, rainy run

Rain puddle running

Today's run (street): 5.6 miles

Last night the kids hosted a Halloween party and I did my best to avoid all the holiday related food and the tray of candy by the door. This resulted in a late night, but I wasn't able to sleep later than 5:30 this morning. I only had a small cup of coffee when I got up, because I expected to be out running in short order. I looked outside and saw torrents of rain hitting the deck and decided to wait it out rather than do a long run on the treadmill.

The time went from 6:30...7:30... and on, but the rain continued to come down. When my wife got on the treadmill to start her run I saw that the rain had slowed down. I took advantage of this break and put on a few layers of running gear. Based on the weather report that said 40° temps and 14 MPH winds, I went for track pants and a long sleeve top.

Before I headed outside, I added my ASICS lightweight running rain jacket. I was sure that the rain would return at some point and I wanted to minimize soakage. It took forever to get a signal on my Garmin - the progress bar kept stopping short by a millimeter before dropping back to the halfway point. After 10 minutes of that nonsense, I decided to start without the GPS locked in, since I could capture distance later with Gmaps.

The combination of thermal and waterproof layers worked well and I followed a loop that was never more than a half mile from my house. I figured that if the skies opened up, I could get back in 5 minutes or less from any point. I know my neighborhood well enough to estimate distance without looking at my watch and I noticed that it took longer than expected to record the first mile. I guessed that the problem locking in all the satellites was affecting accuracy.

It was cold, dark and gray and the rain gained intensity as I went on. The jacket's hood did a good job of keeping me dry, but it kept slipping forward and blocking my peripheral vision. I stepped in a puddle and was glad I wore Smartwool socks which are still thermal when wet. The winds grew stronger and it started raining harder. I was determined to complete at least five miles and ignored everything except the road ahead and any signs of approaching cars.

Looping the loop

I moved along fairly well considering the conditions and debated whether to add another loop to get me over six miles. Instead, I stretched out my last two loops into connected streets and ended up covering 5.6 miles before returning to my warm dry house. I was a little disappointed in my performance. After measuring my true distance and calculating pace, I had hopes that I broke 10 mins/mile but that didn't happen. I guess I can blame the wind and the rain, but I know it was really my stride and cadence.

According to the weather reports, tomorrow will be cold, but at least the rain will be gone. I'd like to get out earlier than today and do at least six miles. I probably won't make 16 miles for the week, but at least I'll be getting in a couple of decent base runs.

I'm sending my most positive thoughts to friends KWL, NL, FS and other friends who are running the NYC Marathon tomorrow. I hope you all have great races and fantastic experiences. Enjoy every moment, stay hydrated and don't over-layer!

A chilly, windy, wonderful run

Circuitous route

Today's run (street): 5.6 miles

Yesterday's steamy treadmill workout reminded me that we're not quite done with humid days. All I hoped for this morning was clear skies so I could get outside for my run. What I didn't expect to see were temperatures in the mid 40's -- cold even for early October. Goodbye humidity and hello dry air. I was thrilled.

45° is chilly enough to wear long sleeves, yet warm enough for shorts. Since I'm more concerned about comfort than fashion, that's the combination that I went with. The stiff wind from the west made things occasionally unpleasant. Changing direction along today's circuitous route helped to keep things manageable.

Unlike last Sunday's long run, I didn't encounter too many oddities along the way. I did notice that the Justice Monkey sign was replaced by a small kick board that someone had hung in its place. Once again, puzzling and strange. I also followed a skateboarder down one of the longer roads. I tried to stay with him, but was never able to catch up. How fast do skateboards go?

I would have liked to do a full six miles this morning, but I needed to get back in time to meet our day's schedule. Even so, it was great to be outside and running in the crisp fall air. A review of the run data shows that, despite replacing the battery in the foot pod, it didn't record my cadence. That was disappointing because I tried to work on that and would have liked to see the results. I'll probably have to re-link the foot pod to my Garmin 210 to make it work again.

Hoka Clifton (top), Saucony Kinvara 5 (bottom)

Today's run was a nice antidote to yesterday's treadmill slog and I hope this cooler weather sticks around until next weekend. I'm starting to think about replacing my Virratas and I'm on the fence on whether to stay with a minimal platform (i.e., Kinvara 5) or join the new wave of cushioned running shoes that Hoka started. After running in Hattoris, Kinvaras, Pure Drifts and Virratas over the past four years, I'm open to a change.

Winter running in mid April

Thick frost on the lawn this morning

Today's run (street): 6.25 miles

Yesterday's schedule was rough and it involved an early morning drive to a client north of the city. This meeting and other obligations disrupted my training schedule and they caused me to miss my weekly speed work. I considered doing those repeats today and moving my long run to Thursday, but I didn't want to space my base training runs too close together.

I was surprised to see that the temperature was only 32° when I got up. At least yesterday's driving rains were gone, so it was just a matter of bundling up. I've gotten used to running in 40 degree weather so I was concerned about a possible recurrence of cold-related breathing issues, but they didn't materialize. I dressed for the frigid temperature and set out to cover 6 miles or so.

Complex route

Longer runs in my contained neighborhood are hard to do unless you don't mind covering the same streets multiple times. I mentally mapped out a route that would minimize these redundancies and took off running at an easy pace. I knew that it would be cold, but I didn't count on the stiff breezes that accompanied it. According to my Garmin data, the winds were at 14 MPH, making it feel like 24° outside. Nothing like pushing your way up a long sloping road with freezing wind buffeting you the entire way.

The run itself was fairly easy. I have no doubt that the Brooklyn Half training is contributing to my endurance. I picked up the pace on the last mile and ran it almost a minute faster than the previous 5. That told me two things: I can run faster when I need to do it and I can find speed at the end of a middle-long distance run. Speed is a relative term of course. My "fast" pace today did not match race target. But it is progress and I'm all for that.

High winds and slow paces

 

Today's run (street): 3.1 miles

There was a point in this morning's run when I told myself, after calculating my final pace, to remember how windy it was today. I know from many track workouts how wind can restrict speed. I once ran 400's where my pace varied by over 15 seconds depending on which direction I was running. Today's run, in terms of perceived effort (PE), felt much harder than Thursday's, but I ended up running 10 secs per mile slower.

The purpose of today's run to was to maintain my targeted half marathon pace over the prescribed three mile workout. That's exactly what happened on Thursday's 3 miler, but I barely broke a 10 minute pace today. During the few times on this run, when the wind was at my back, I felt like I was moving. That made me feel good about my form. I'd like to be running the easy 3-milers at around a 9:20 pace, but I'm not there yet.

The Runsketeers are doing a long run tomorrow morning. For me it's seven miles, TPP is doing 11 and SIOR is doing 16. We're trying to coordinate our rendezvous so we can all run together. Between our different paces, start times and meeting points, it's an interesting math problem. The route we chose will be hilly (I'm told). Seven miles of that should help me make progress on my endurance, but I'm expecting to be sore by the end.

Wind induced Turkey Trot flashback

Wind chilly

Today's run (neighborhood): 5 miles

This morning I saw that the temperature was 33°, but the wind was making it feel like it was 19° outside. I weighed the pros and cons of going out or staying inside. I decided that I'd rather endure challenging winds than five mind-numbing miles on the treadmill. In retrospect, I'm not sure that was the smartest way to go

One of the reasons I chose to run outside was to confront this cold weather breathing issue straight on. By coincidence, the first three base runs I've done since starting my half marathon training have happened on the three coldest days. The theory I'm exploring is that cold air is affecting my ability to breathe efficiently and causing me to struggle far below normal lactate threshold. Interestingly, I found something online that said facial cooling triggers the vagus nerve (grow up, it's located in your face) which can slow up heartbeat.

I've had trouble getting my heart rate above 80% of max on these cold runs, so the answer may be in there somewhere. My plan this morning was to run fairly easy, since I did intervals yesterday. I started out feeling okay, but not speedy (which was fine). I was also wearing more layers than a pâte feuilletée and that was probably slowing me down. The wind was brutal and running directly into it practically stopped my forward progress. It was like a flashback to the Long Beach Turkey Trot last November, but happily without the sandstorm.

Race fitness: It's just a matter of Venn

The two main objectives to my training are to increase my endurance well enough to cover 13.1 miles and improve my stamina to allow me to maintain a targeted pace over that distance. I'll be honest and say that today's run did not provide any sign of improved speed, but I was able to handle the mileage better than on Sunday.

Tomorrow's weather is supposed to be much like today's. If that's the case I'm going to stay inside and run my three miles at "pace" on the treadmill. I'll plan to run longer distances outside and keep the speedier workouts indoors until the weather gets warmer. If that's what it takes to bridge stamina and speed, I'm willing to spend a little time on the treadmill.

Angels, devils and blogger buddies

Today's run (treadmill): 5.25 miles

I looked outside this morning and saw that the wind was blowing hard and puddles were forming on the roads. The rain was moderate, but I was concerned that if I went outside to run, I could get caught in a downpour. I weighed the pros and cons of that situation and decided to take the drier path. A few minutes later, the rain intensified and I felt a little better about my choice.

Wet, wind and fog this morning

Even though I knew it was going to be a soggy day, I wanted to keep an open mind about getting outside. The reason for this came from two blogger buddies whose opinions I greatly value. In yesterday's post, I mentioned that the rain would probably put me back on the treadmill today. TPP commented that I should face up to it and do at least four miles on the machine. SIOR suggested that the three of us do our runs in the rain. I'm not sure if she meant that as an esprit de corps-type exercise or because misery loves company.

I thought about the image of an angel and devil on my shoulder, with TPP saying, "it doesn't matter if you use the treadmill, just get in the extra miles" while SIOR counters, "don't be a wimp, run outside in the rain." I'm not naming the angel and devil in this scenario.

I ended up on the treadmill and covered 5.25 miles, according to the machine's display. As much as I disparage the treadmill (I think treadmill bashing annoys my wife, who has no issues running daily on the machine) I'll admit that it wasn't too bad today. It may have had to do with my mindset, knowing I'd be covering at least five miles. Unlike my usual treadmill experience where I'm ready to explode from boredom by the three mile mark, I passed through that point feeling good that 2/3 of the workout had been completed.

I'm pleased to have completed my longest run of 2014 and I don't feel too guilty about avoiding the wet and windy conditions. Tomorrow promises to be a better day, with a high of 43° and sunny skies. That will be perfect weather for my first outside run since New Year's Day. If the ground is dry, I might even consider a run on the trails.

A little Xmas contribution to my 2013 mileage

A white-ish Christmas

Today's run (street): 3.3

It's Christmas day and even though it's a Wednesday, it really feels like a Sunday. That being the case, I was prepared to go out for a long run this morning. When my wife mentioned the combination of 20° temperatures with a wind chill making it feel like 11 degrees, I considered an indoor run. But I had counted on running outside today along the quiet, snow-dusted roads, and I decided to deal with the cold by adding extra layers.

I thought about how wearing compression pants under track pants, along with three upper layers, might slow me down. Since I wasn't planning to go out for a fast run today, a little speed restriction didn't bother me at first. I made my way through the first few roads at a jogging pace and encountered some bundled-up couples who were taking a Christmas morning walk. They greeted me happily when I went by. My present was not giving them a lecture about walking on the wrong side of the street.

The conditions made the going tough and my face was beginning to freeze. It can be very uncomfortable running with glasses in the cold, especially when the wind is hitting head-on. I own a balaclava, but it restricts my breathing and traps moisture that causes my glasses to fog up. Besides that, the tightness at the sides creates a fit issue at the temples that can tilt the lenses and distort my view. I haven't worn contact lenses in 20 years, but days like today make me miss them.

At around the one mile point I began to tire. I was running easy so I didn't understand it, but I definitely lacked energy. It could have been the cold or the extra weight of so many layers, but I just couldn't generate much speed. I toughed it out and ended up covering 3.3 miles. I'd planned to go longer but I was glad to finish when I did. It was nice to run without needing to share the road with cars, trucks and buses, but I was somewhat disappointed with my performance.

Mileage history (2013 projected)

My speed and stamina have taken a dip since the Hot Chocolate 5K and I wonder if I need to take a few days off to rest. I may do that tomorrow, but I need to get back to schedule after that. I'm 12 miles short of hitting 900 miles for the year, which means I'll need to cover at least that distance in the next week. Even so, I'll end up running 41 less miles in 2013 than 2012. But that would still be 100 more miles than I ran in 2011.

Oh, possum! A return to the road

Today's run (street): 4.3 miles

Today was my first run since Saturday, when I suffered through a few miles with a pounding headache. A couple of day's rest followed and I felt I was ready to head out again this morning. We're supposed to get some very cold weather by Christmas day, but News 12 was showing 34° when I went outside this morning. That temperature was misleading because the wind chill took that down another ten degrees.

The freezing wind made running north uncomfortable and caused my eyes to water. I followed a different route than usual, cutting around the middle school before reconnecting to my local roads. Even though Christmas Eve day isn't a holiday, it was very quiet throughout my neighborhood. I enjoyed the lack of cars and especially the lack of school buses.

Two day's rest and recovery from my headache should have provided some extra energy, but it only helped get me through the run. After a while I got used to the cold and I settled into my stride feeling a little stronger. My reverie was disrupted when I came upon a dead possum laying in the road. I gingerly sidestepped that horrific scene that resembled a gray feather duster with a pale pink tail.

The rest of my run was marsupial-free and I ended up covering 4.3 miles, the longest I've run since the the GLIRC event I did with my friends on the 14th. I'm looking forward to getting out tomorrow morning when it's likely to be even quieter. It's supposed to be chilly and possibly even snowy on Wednesday, so I'll need to plan accordingly. A run at Stillwell may be a nice place to spend the morning.

Happy resolution, happy morning run

I should design a route that spells out my name

Today's run (street): 4.5 miles

The outcome of the manhunt for the surviving Boston Marathon bomber ended with a live suspect and no further casualties. As good as that is, it's important to remember that lots of innocent people were killed or maimed this week in the name of religious zealotry and hate. The Boston Marathon's joy was hijacked for the benefit of no one. I only hope the city's powerful reaction to the senseless acts this week will ultimately strengthen the event.

There are a couple of high profile NYC races this weekend and I fear that some weak-minded fool will try a copy-cat attack. I also worry that the London Marathon will have similar threats. I'll never cease to be amazed by the level of depravity that exists in the minds of some people. Cowards will always look for easy targets.

Okay, back to talking about running! Less than half of my workouts over the past seven days have happened outdoors and I was determined to run outside today. It rained overnight and into the morning, so I waited until the skies cleared before going out. The temperature was 48° around 9:00 AM, so I dressed in shorts, but wore a log sleeved running shirt. That turned out to be a good decision, because the winds were strong from the south and the extra warmth was appreciated.

My Garmin annoyed me (once again) by taking over five minutes to lock into its signal. Standing in the shade of my garage was a chilly experience, but once I got moving I felt comfortable. I elected to run south on Jericho for a change, but the stiff winds forced me to duck back into the neighborhood. It was one of those situations where conditions were perfect in some directions and awful in others. Despite that, I felt great throughout the run.

I didn't have a distance target, so I just followed roads until I found myself heading in the direction of home. I could have easily run a few more miles, but my son and I are planning to hike later and I wanted to keep some energy in reserve. It was a completely pleasant experience today and, for the first time in days, I was able to think of things other than the events that have played out around Boston. I'm really hoping that this weekend the races will be about the runners, and the stories will be all be happy.

One last run before rest and race

Not exactly an ocean side paradise

Today's run (street): 3.65 miles

I'm no longer getting up at 3:30 AM. On average, I'm getting an additional two hours of sleep every night. That means seven to eight hours, versus the five or six I had before. I would often supplement my sleep with a 20 minute nap on the train in the morning, but all together, my net rest time is far improved. The downside is that I'm still getting to bed around the same time as before so it's been taking me longer to fall asleep.

Mornings feel very different these days. Instead of the blur of activities that began with the bleating of my alarm, followed by a fast change into running clothes (and then a run), I can enjoy the morning at a leisurely pace. The quiet darkness at 5:30 AM goes well with a cup of coffee and the local news. The only downside is that it takes me forever to actually get outside or on the treadmill if I don't have the pressure of the clock.

This morning I spent a long time preparing for what was my last run before my race. My wife couldn't believe how much I was stalling. It wasn't that I didn't want to run. It was just so cold and windy that I didn't want to go outside. I decided that I'd finish the taper with an easy run and I used that as license to wear extra layers to stay warm.

Running the neighborhood at 8:00 AM is a different experience than when it's still dark. There are far more cars and school buses to avoid. I took it easy from the beginning and ran my distance at a fairly slow pace. The battery in my HRM must have run out of power, because I wasn't getting any readings. I sweat a minimal amount across the almost-four miles, but that may be due to the near-constant winds. I am glad that I'd bundled up and worn a wind-blocking layer.

I'm finished with running until the race, and I'll enjoy resting until then. I may do a light elliptical workout and/or a core session during this period, but I'm done with hard stuff until I'm at the starting line. Right now, they're predicting 25 MPH winds and a 70% chance of rain in Long Beach on Saturday. Cold, wet and windy. Sounds like fun.