My workouts by the numbers

Today's run (street): 3.5 miles

I did my last workout of this vacation today; a mid-morning run around the neighborhood. It was the thirteenth day in a row where I've either run or cross-trained on the elliptical machine. A check on Daily Mile showed that I've done 24 workouts over the last 27 days. You'd think I'd be in better shape!

Although my activity frequency is high (90% days per month), my running distances have mostly stayed under 5 miles over the last few weeks. I blame the heat and some exceptionally busy weekends this summer for that and I know I'll need to get my base back up to 6+ miles as I prepare for the Dirty Sock  and Great Cow Harbor 10K's.

This morning the sun was less intense than yesterday and that helped me move briskly over a route that took me around, and then through, my local streets. I tried to focus on my form and to notice if my arms crossed my chest, which I now know is a sign that I'm reaching the point of fatigue. All systems seemed to be working well today and I finished up with a sprint on the final quarter mile that left me panting and soaked by the time I reached home.

Tomorrow means a return to the train, the subway and lots of meetings. My vacation has been great and, with a diversity of activities that included our visit to New Hampshire and Maine, it felt endless. But there is, of course, an end and I'll experience that when my alarm jolts me awake at 4:00 AM tomorrow.

Emerging Runner's Weekend Video Report

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 3.1 miles

The heat continues into the weekend and although I don't always enjoy the pool as much as my family does, I'm loving it right now. My plans for getting out early for a run got derailed and I didn't arrive at Stillwell until after 10:00 AM. It was hot, but not as bad as yesterday, when the temperature display in the car read 113°. I hoped that the tree cover would make the trails a cooler place to run than the road.

Later, the display showed 114°

There was plenty of activity in the woods as I followed the trails. I had chipmunks and rabbits cross my path multiple times and, at one point, a bird flew in front of me along twisty trail, tracing the ground like a cruise missile. Less engaging were a few mountain bikers who didn't seem to care about others on the trail, flying by without giving any ground to runners.

Even with the coolness of the canopy's shade, the heat and humidity started to get to me and I diverted to a different path on my second loop that brought me back to the trail head after 3 hard miles. I've been thinking about adding the occasional video to this blog and, perhaps, adding video to my reviews on Runner's Tech Review. My first "Weekend Report" is above. We'll see how it goes.

Sweat equity

Today's run (street): 3.4 miles

Nature's sunlamp

"Brutally hot" is the only phrase that came to mind when I stepped out this morning for a run. The sun was baking, the humidity was thick and it wasn't even 8:00 AM. I'd convinced myself that, despite the heat, I could get in a good workout by running at an easy pace.

Anticipating the worst, I wore a Colombia Omni-freeze PFG hat that is both light in color and weight and has sweat wicking technology that helps keep you cool. I also wore my Craft running shirt and Pearl Izumi racing shorts. This combination gave me my best chance at staying comfortable in temperatures that will exceed 100° today. I set out for a three mile (or so) run, looking for shade wherever I could find it.

I made my way up the first long street that rises through its length before leveling off  at the end. I knew I was moving slow and checked my Garmin to confirm that fact. I'd forgotten that today was a weekday until I encountered all the cars, recycling trucks, camp buses and landscapers along my way. I even crossed paths with another runner who looked at me but made no acknowledgment of my presence. I'm not sure if it was rudeness on her part or heat stroke but she looked extremely exhausted.

I felt fine for the first mile and a half but the sun, heat and humidity did start to get to me. By the end my running form felt similar to my last miles on the LI Half Marathon. Unlike that run, this morning I had no knee pain and I still had some energy in reserve. It made me think about the humidity and heat I'll face next month at the Dirty Sock 10K.

The last half mile of my run seemed to take as long as the previous three and I welcomed the sight of my driveway as I came around the final curve. I thought about running into the backyard and jumping straight into the pool but I didn't want to soak my best running gear in chlorinated water. Tomorrow is supposed to be similarly hot so I'll probably go out earlier than I did this morning. Even though I didn't run fast today, I certainly feel I earned the workout.

Homecoming

The Shore Path, a gravel trail that runs north of Bar Harbor

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

We are home after almost six days travel between New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. It was a great trip where we saw and did many amazing things. We originally planned to finish up with a couple of days in Portland but were disappointed with the location of our hotel which was adjacent to art museums (good) but surrounded by scores of seedy looking people (pretty bad). I asked the desk clerk about running in Munjoy Hill and he did a double take and said "I guess you'd be okay if you are running." After realizing that this assessment was based on his thinking that the hotel's location was safer, I decided I'd use the fitness center.

We attempted to walk to the waterfront area on Commercial Street but the parade of inebriated looking people (being kind here) made us reconsider our stay. We ended up leaving the hotel and heading home. An already jam-packed day turned into a longer one. We hit the road around 5:30 PM and reached Long Island about 6 hours later.

Earlier in the day, we'd spent time around Bar Harbor. I did my third run along the shoreline and through the town and soon we were on our way to Portland. Before we reached our destination we stopped in Freeport to visit L.L. Bean and have lunch. I looked around the Patagonia and Horny Toad outlets but didn't bite. I thought outlets were supposed offer bargains, but there were few to be had.

I ran every day while we were away and the change of scenery was welcomed and fun. The hilly challenges of northern New England roads felt motivating and energizing. The hikes and runs in Acadia were incredible and the sights of beaver dams, majestic trees, mountains and ocean were inspiring. We played mini-golf, drove go-karts and hit a water park. We even went to a cheesy (but very fun) lumberjack show.

Portsmouth New Hampshire and Bar Harbor Maine are great places to vacation with kids. I already miss both Acadia and the shoreline of Bar Harbor. I think I'll need a shot of the Bethpage trails before I return to the working world next week.

Another day in paradise (Acadia)

Today's run (Bar Harbor): 3.35 miles

It's been another great day at Acadia. This morning we explored different parts of the park and stopped at Thunderhole where we watched the fascinating rush of water that blows back after being channeled against the rocks through a natural tunnel.

Later we spent time at Jordan Pond where we went out on the rocks and then followed one of the many nature trails. After lunch we went out for a walk along the shore path that runs along the coast. I've included that in my running routes the last two mornings.

I got out early again this morning and started with a run along the shore path before cutting north through downtown and then along some back streets. I went to the eastern edge of Main and came back to the hotel. The streets are gently sloped but it adds up to a pretty good workout.

It's interesting to run around here with such a diversity of things to look at along the way. At 6:15 AM I see merchants readying their stores and smell the coffee brewing from the open-door cafes that are already serving customers. My favorite view is the water, rocks and the mountains across the cove.

Tomorrow we head south for our next adventure in Portland. Hope the running is as good as Bar Harbor.

Bar Harbor running and hiking

Sunday run (Portsmouth, NH): 3.75 miles
Monday's run (Bar Harbor, ME): 3.5 miles
Acadia National Park hike (morning): 5 miles

It's been a busy vacation and I've found blogging on my Android phone almost as frustrating as I did with the iPhone. That said, I'm keeping my entries short and will post pictures when I return. Here's a summary:

Sunday morning: ran a duplicate route to Saturday's in Portsmouth, NH. Enjoyed the trees and New England homes and the very early morning quiet.

Monday morning: ran around Bar Harbor, along the coastline to the harbor and then through the streets of town. Some good hills, excellent views and interesting sites along the way.

Later in the morning we did a family hike at Acadia near Witch Hole Pond. My son and I ran a bunch of that carriage road back to the trail head. The views of Hull's Cove were fantastic. We'll be back later in the day to do more Acadia exploration. Last night we drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain. 1,500 feet never seemed so high!

So far it's been a great vacation. The running conditions have been perfect and the park is even more amazing than I'd hoped it would be.

Portsmouth running

Downtown Portsmouth, NH

Today's run (street): 3.35 miles

I went down to the fitness center at the hotel this morning at 5:45 and saw that it didn't open until 7:00. I went to the lobby and asked to be let in early but the guy had no one to watch the desk so I asked him to plot out a route adjacent to the hotel for an outdoor run. He mapped a course that, out and back would cover about 3.35 miles.

I wrote a long post with pictures but my phone and Blogger managed to lose it so I'll just say it was a great run and we had a great day.

Pre-trip run

Today's run (street): 3.3 miles

We're on our way to New England to spend a little time in New Hampshire and Maine. I'm looking forward to the experience, too bad it takes hours of tedious driving to reach our destination. Hold on, I need to get around this car. Just kidding, my wife is driving.

I got out early this morning and covered a little more than three miles. I wanted to get some exercise in before today's long journey. The weather was perfect, cool and dry, and I ran well. I would have liked to cover a few more miles but I didn't have the time.

Unlike Colorado, I didn't research trails or running routes at any of our destinations except Acadia. I'm hoping there are some traffic free areas and off road options. We'll soon see.

Acadia dreaming

Today's workout (elliptical) 25 minutes

Take me home country roads

The temperatures and humidity have dropped and today would have been a good day for a run, but I opted for cross training in preparation for vacation next week. We're heading north, to Maine, where we'll spend time at Acadia National Park on Mount Desert island near Ellsworth. There are great carriage roads for running and places to hike along Cadillac mountain. I think we'll forgo the bikes but we'll get plenty of exercise on this trip.

It was a year ago that we visited Colorado and I had the opportunity to run at altitude for the first time. I had some good experiences running in foreign terrain, the hotel had some rocky trails behind it that were lined with cactus scrub. Garden of the Gods had paved trails that wound through magnificent sandstone rock formations. We also visited Bear Creek Regional Park where I was able to run beautiful green trails accompanied by deer and other indigenous animals.

We'll also visit Portsmouth NH and Portland ME on the trip and I'm sure there will be great places to run at those locations. My biggest concern is packing enough running gear to make it through the week.

My Runner's World moment

Emerging Runner: "Don't quit your day job"

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Besides my occasional Central Park runs, my "day job" has nothing at all to do with running. Yesterday these two worlds collided (or at least touched) at an industry lunch event. A small group of us had been invited to discuss digital media and sitting across the room from me was David Willey, the editor of Runner's World magazine. Despite the temptation I didn't ask him if I could write a guest column.

My run this morning went fine. The humidity is supposedly lower today, and that may be true, but lower is a relative term. I was already drenched in sweat by the 1.5 mile mark but in certain directions the cooling breeze worked as effectively as an air conditioner. I chose a completely different set of roads to run, yet completed today's run in exactly the same time as yesterday's. I am consistent if nothing else. C'mon Runner's World, give me a shot!

Should I release my inner Tarahumara?

What Hattori's aspire to be

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I received an offer to test a pair of  huarache running sandals whose design is based on the shoes worn by the Tarahumara runners in Mexico. My first reaction was "Why not?" since I'm a fan of minimal shoes. I would like to try these shoes that got so much play in the book "Born to Run" but I am definitely not a sandals kind of guy. I would never have made it as a gladiator. I'm still deciding and if I go for it I'll write up my experiences on this blog and on Runner's Tech Review.

This morning I got back out on the road and probably had one of the best running experiences a person will have today. It's not that I ran especially well (though I didn't do badly), it was the cooling breeze and temperatures that were still in the low 70's. It is supposed to get oppressively hot so if you were hoping to run today you probably should have done it by now. Perhaps it would be a little more pleasant if you were running in sandals.

Hard on the body, easy on the mind

Yesterday's run was really therapeutic, yet I almost missed out on it because I was so exhausted from the weekend. We'd had a special event for our daughter that involved many visitors from out of town and much entertaining around the house and pool. My stamina for running far exceeds that of talking (and worse, listening) so, after the last of our guests headed home, I debated whether to run or rest.

Since I didn't have time to run on Saturday I felt a little guilty about resting, yet again. Guilt won out and I made my way out the door with a target of covering about 3 miles in the hot and humid late afternoon air. The difference in temperature between sections of tree covered road versus areas without shade was noticeable. I tried to pick roads where the shade was predominant on the left side and had no illusions that I'd have a high performance run.

By the time I made it home I felt energized and the stress of the weekend and the upcoming week was far offset by a feeling of relaxation and accomplishment. It's sometimes counter-intuitive to force yourself to do something taxing when you are already feeling stressed. However, when you do it, the end result is almost always positive.