Adventure Girl Needs Your Help!

As I've mentioned before, Adventure Girl is leading a team of 12 runners on a Ragner relay race from Woodstock to the Bronx. This looks to be a great adventure and the race starts this Friday and goes until Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately one of her teammates has been forced to drop out due to an injury and she needs a replacement runner. Each runner will do three legs of the race. The open slot has three segments, one in New Paltz, one in Peekskill and the final leg (which is also the last leg of the race!) is from Yonkers to the Bronx. The total amount of running would be 16.4 miles so if you're training for a half marathon this would be great practice exercise.

If this sounds like something that you'd like to do please contact adventuregirl@emergingrunner.com. Don't delay!

Garmin 50 - quirkiness just isn't cutting it

My Garmin 50 is a quirky device. I had some initial trouble navigating its interface and getting it accurately calibrated. Once I mastered that (no thanks to the Garmin manual and online "help") I was able to capture my run data and study different ways using Garmin Connect. After my prior frustrations with the Nike+ Sportband I thought I'd found a great and inexpensive alternative with the Garmin 50.

My trouble with the unit started about a month a ago when, after running close to a mile, I'd noticed that the Garmin was showing 0.00 miles traveled. A quick stop and restart seemed to fix that problem and it didn't return again until the day of my 5K race. On that day I noticed that distance was not recording and I tried to reset the device as I ran but I quickly gave that up since I knew the race timing chip I was wearing would provide the essential data.

After that race it was clear that something was wrong with the Garmin. The interface on the watch had changed and there was no option for showing distance traveled. I replaced the battery in the foot pod and that allowed the watch to recognize that unit but the interface was showing different combinations of data than before. For example, the display used to prominently display elapsed time, speed, cadence, distance and heart rate with the distance constantly displayed below the bigger numbers. Since the battery change the speed metric has switched to pace (which is actually an improvement) and the constant is now time, not distance. I can get used to this but I don't understand how to change it back. There's no documentation whatsoever and I've tried every sequence of buttons on the watch to no avail.

The real issue is that the foot pod, which was accurate to 1/100th of a mile, is now off by a measurable amount. On Saturday it over-recorded by 4% and on Sunday it under recorded by 5%. Consequently I have needed to Gmap my runs to get my true pace. I could do the same thing with a stop watch. I've been thinking about a GPS running watch because having accurate data when running is important to me. Still, I fear that I'll have trouble with satellite acquisition on cloudy days. I just wish there was an accurate and reliable tracking watch in the marketplace that didn't have these flaws. In the meantime I can always rely on Gmaps and Google Earth to calculate my key metrics.

A weekend of joyful running

I've really enjoyed running this weekend and I'll give much of the credit to my new shoes. The pleasure of running pain-free combined with the feeling of moving efficiently has often eluded me over the last couple of months. I am appreciating the Brooks although I do wish that the tongue extended higher past the throat to provide more padding when the laces are tightened. Other than that they are really great and they have quickly dispatched my leg soreness issues. I thought I might redeploy my Nikes as my office running shoes so I tried them again with the after market insoles I had recently purchased. Wearing the Brooks over the last seven days gave me an opportunity to compare the two pairs and the new insoles in the Nikes exaggerated the pronation and made me realize why I needed a stability shoe. I went back to the original insoles and that stabilized the Nikes enough to use them for another activity: a Mothers Day soccer game with my wife and kids.

As for running, I did more miles over a (two day) weekend than ever before. On top of yesterday's near six I ran 4.6 miles this morning. Like yesterday, I did this distance feeling very strong and I wasn't especially tired by the end. As I ran I worked on my form and stride and played with my pace a bit. I did the first quarter mile along a measured distance and noticed that the Garmin was tracking about 6% short. I knew I would need to Gmap my route against my total time to get my true pace but at least I knew that whatever the Garmin was reporting I had run faster and farther. I mixed up my route and covered some streets I haven't taken in a while. The whole run felt great and, for the second time this weekend, I reached the "zone" that I had heard of and read about but had never personally experienced. Where was the noble suffering that I had come to expect? Was this some great breakthrough that has propelled me from the status of beginner to something more? Had the Emerging Runner finally emerged?

Well, not exactly.

I do think that I've made progress and I'm a far better runner than I was nine months ago but much of this weekend's experience had to do with using the right gear and focusing more on duration and less on speed. My pace for today's run was 9:17 which surprised me because I thought I was moving along at a better clip. But I now know through experience that I can integrate speed into my distance runs every few minutes and gain 20 or more seconds per mile. In the meantime I'll be happy to have run 10.5 miles over two days and loved every minute of it.

So close and yet so far

When I finished my run this morning I was excited for the fact that I'd set a personal distance record. I was even more excited by the distance that my Garmin had recorded: 6.17 miles. Prior to this I had only managed to cover about 5.5 miles so getting past 6 was a big psychological barrier to cross. I took it slowly and didn't care about my pace. I felt very good throughout the run and my last mile felt about the same as my first. I only stopped because it was getting to be close to an hour and I didn't want them worrying about me at home. As I often do after a run, I mapped my course using Google Gmaps and was stunned to see that my actual distance was 5.95 miles. Not even 6! I studied the course I'd mapped hoping I'd left a street or two out but it was accurate. Due to the weather I ran with my New Balance trail shoes (that performed great, best $49 I've ever spent) and I'm guessing that the way I positioned the foot pod on my shoe threw off its accuracy.

So that's a disappointment but the fact remains that I covered more ground than ever before. Better yet, the LSD approach (pace was mid-9's) allowed me to maintain a steady pace and enjoy the ride. I did increase my speed over the last half mile but with a run of that length it didn't materially change my overall pace. The good news is that I could have run another two miles without much effort. I just wish I'd run another 230 feet.

This weekend's Sedentary Man

Sedentary Man has a new time slot with his weekly column starting on Fridays. This week he talks about listening to music which is a relatively easy thing to do, even if you are sedentary. Somehow this relates to his column's mission of chronicling his return to fitness. I think SM wants to spend enough time on "before" before he gets to "after." Read this weeks column...

Keeping my distance

Up until this March I was focusing much of my run strategy on building distance. As a relatively new runner I felt that I needed to establish a baseline for progress and that meant adding more length to my weekend runs. I was tracking very well through February and, though it's the shortest month of the year, I totaled more miles than any previous month. Once March rolled in my strategy changed as I focused on my April race. I put more attention to speed and pace and less on distance. My weekend runs that were averaging between 4 to 5 miles became shorter and faster. Prior to March my average pace was about 9:30 per mile and since April it's been under 9:00/mile. I'm pleased with my progress and with the results. My two races clocked in with pace times well under nine minutes.

Since my next race is 5 miles it's necessary for me to refocus on distance training. I'm okay about giving up some speed to do this but I'm concerned about finding a training route near my home that allows me to cover 5+ miles without the tedium of repeating many of the same roads. The issue is psychological. The farther away I am from the finish, the easier it is for me to run distances. Once I come close to my home I begin to fade in anticipation of stopping. In the past I've been able to will myself to take a longer path back when I'm near home but lately I've just headed in, usually after 3 to 4 miles. I used to trick myself by running up and down parallel streets to build more distance in a tighter area that was relatively far from my endpoint.

The alternative is to go to the track and pre-establish a circuit with no stopping until I hit 20 laps. I have done this a number of times and while it is a solution it can also be mind numbingly boring. I'm thinking that, for tomorrow, I'll map out a route in my neighborhood that will allow me to cover 5 miles without traveling the same road twice that won't come close to my home until the very end. I'll incorporate neighborhood #2 to gain an extra mile or two. As for pace, I'll let nature take its course.

Members Only

I originally assumed I would sign up for my 8K race online since the application says that you can. When I went to the New Hyde Park Runner's Club website I saw that the registration links were still set up for last year's race. I'm sure they'll sort that out somehow and, worse case, I can mail in the application. What struck me about the website were the photos of the happy club members posed in groups or running in events. I've seen similar collections on local club websites like GLIRC and LIRRC. I've seen many club members at both my recent races and was impressed by their community and by the way they clearly supported each other. I then started thinking about whether I should join a running club.

Years ago I used to run with one or two people and I didn't love the experience. Part of that was due to a mismatch in conditioning between me and them (I was constantly challenged to keep up) and part of it was environmental as I found running the streets of NYC to be stressful and dangerous. More recently I've run with AG and it's better because I'm in much better shape than I was those years ago and she is willing to stay at my pace. It's also time well spent since we are able to cover the same business discussions while running that would normally occur in my office. Some weeks back I ran with a group in Central Park and that was fun. I didn't do much talking because that's still a challenge for me when running. That's still true when I run with AG but it works fine because the focus of our weekly meeting is an update and I listen more than I talk. During the week I run alone on the treadmill and on the weekends I usually do a solitary run around my neighborhood. I find these runs to be very fulfilling and they serve as an opportunity to focus on things without distraction. When I encounter others on the road, more often than not, my counterparts are also running alone.

On the weekends I sometimes drive to the track to do my runs and I usually see groups of runners heading along the road. I've thought about being one of them rather than being just one of the people sharing the track at the High School. I ask myself which scenario fits me better and every time I conclude that I'm better off by myself. I'll admit that running with others can help you keep a faster pace. In both my races I found that having faster runners in proximity helped me run faster. With that exception I think I'm better off being a lonely runner. Much as I enjoy a community I'm not very good at groups. I enjoyed the Lululemon run and I like the runs I've done in Central Park (and elsewhere - see below) but mostly because they are discreet events: assemble, run, depart. No barbeques, fund raisers, meetings, bylaws or committees. I'm not saying these things aren't great, they're just not for me.

Last night I did my first street run with my new Brooks Adrenaline 9's. AG and I did our weekly meeting while running both directions on the George Washington Bridge which was an intimidating concept to me (fear of heights, bridges, speeding cars) but it was very different than I'd expected. The bridge itself is fairly flat with a gradual rise to the center and than a decline to the endpoints. On each end are areas where you encounter stairs and a couple of places had jogs in the path where you had to be careful not to run into a cyclist coming from the other direction. The cars were far enough away that they didn't factor in the experience and the view of the Hudson on either side was more serene than scary. We only covered about 2.3 miles but I was happy with the run and very happy that the Brooks performed well and felt good. This morning it was back to the treadmill where I ran about two miles at 8:45/mile. I'm looking forward to my Saturday run where I'm hoping to cover at least 5 miles. The Brooks are already helping my leg problem and that soreness was a wake up call for replacement that I didn't answer. Next time I'll be ready.

Next Stop New Hyde Park

It was a bit of beginner's luck that I placed second in my age category in my last race. Considering everything, I did maintain a fairly good pace but with a larger field of runners it wouldn't have been a competitive time. The person that placed first beat me by at least four minutes and with more runners in the mix I would have ended up farther back in the standings. It was a fun surprise to see that I'd placed higher than at least ten others in my age range but I have no aspirations of being a truly competitive runner. I will be happy to continue to improve my pace but I recognize that the only way to measurably increase my speed is to become a "serious runner." By that I refer to the people I often see on weekend mornings at the track doing intervals, tempo runs and long runs. They fly by me so fast that I feel as though I'm doing something other than running. I watch their form as they pass and try to understand how their leg movements are allowing them to move so fast compared to me. Aren't we both doing the same thing?

During the check in to Saturday's race a man handed us a flyer for an upcoming race in New Hyde Park on June 7. The distance is 8K (5 miles minus 53 yards). My wife encouraged me to sign up for it. It will be the longest race distance for me to date. So far I have run a 5K and a 4 miler (6.5K). An 8K would be a logical progression toward my goal of running a 10K this year. I know I can run 5 miles. My longest distance to date is about 5.6 but I haven't run much farther than 4.25 for a while. Time to start concentrating on distance instead of speed. My goal is to run 20 miles per week until the race. This will require at least 10 miles on the weekends. I'm doing a city run this afternoon, probably around 3.5 miles, so that will help since I rarely get past two miles per day during the week due to time constraints.

I'm excited to try my new Brooks for the first time on pavement. I'm pleased with the way my leg felt after yesterday's run and I'm hoping for no surprises today.

The shoe debate has ended

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by the Super Runner's Shop in midtown which is located a block from my office. I mentioned that I bought the Brooks Adrenaline 9's the previous day and was unhappy to later discover that they were a stability model. The man at SRS asked to look at my foot, said I had a low arch and told me that I needed a shoe that managed pronation like the GTS-9 or the Asics 2140. All the same he said he'd be happy to take back the Brooks if I was unhappy with them. I discussed all this later with AG and she said I shouldn't get hung up on whether a shoe is neutral or made for stability. The important thing was fit. I decided that I'd go back today and try on more shoes.

A funny thing happened when I got home and started packing up the Brooks for return. I'd thought about what the salesperson said about pronation and I looked at my Nikes to see if I could find evidence of that. I was very surprised to see that the outside edges of both soles (at the back) were worn quite a bit. I compared the back view of the Nikes with the back of the Brooks and saw how the Brooks were built to counteract that wear. Instead of boxing up the Brooks I tried them on again and then tried the Nikes. The fit of the Brooks was actually much better and my only issue was the tightness at the tongue. AG had told me that sometimes changing the lacing helps the fit of a shoe and I noticed that, unlike the Brooks, the Nikes did not have laces in the top holes. I took the laces out of the top holes of the Brooks, re-tied them and decided that they felt good enough for me to give them another chance.

This morning I gave the Brooks a true test on the treadmill. I changed the battery on the Garmin foot pod last night and was happy to see the 50 was once again recording distance so that wasn't going to distract me like it did on Sunday. I started at a comfortable pace and increased speed as I went. The Brooks felt very good, no complaints. I ended up running a couple of miles at an 8:39 pace. I didn't really push my speed during the run, if I had I'm sure I could have taken down the pace by ten seconds/mile.

So after all that I've decided to keep the Brooks. I told my wife this morning and she smiled and shook her head but supported me completely. I think I drove her a little crazy over the last couple of days obsessing about this purchase. I want to take the GTS 9's on a long run outdoors to really understand how they fully perform. Right now my feet and my leg feel pretty good. Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9's, I'm sorry what I said about you before. You're more than okay.

Give me the old soft shoe

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My Nikes served me well for Saturday's race and it was almost with regret that I set out on Sunday to find their replacements. On the advice of experienced runners I decided to visit a local running store in Huntington where I could get some informed opinions on the right shoes to buy. The woman who helped me certainly had the right attitude and she looked at the way I walked and confirmed that I have a neutral stride. I told her I wanted a neutral cushioned shoe with a good response for a front foot runner.

I was given a number of shoes to try from Saucony, Asics, Brooks and New Balance. They all felt okay although I found one pair a bit unbalanced. After some trying and re-trying it came down to the Asics 2140's versus the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9's. After some debate I chose the Brooks and took them home.

When I got home I looked up the shoes online and confirmed that the Brooks are more of a stability shoe for pronators (AG had warned of this) and the Asics 2140 had similar characteristics. I was deeply disappointed that I was steered toward this type of shoe despite my request for neutral cushioning. I spent the rest of the day deciding whether the Brooks, which felt okay, would be worth keeping. I ran with them on the treadmill and they felt fine but their responsiveness was not what I was hoping for. A big issue is the way they fit at the tongue, too tight against the front of my ankles. I felt like I couldn't have the laces any looser without feeling some slippage. I also think I've diagnosed the problem with my Garmin, a low battery in the foot pod. I'm hoping to find a replacement for that today.

I tried the Adrenaline GTS 9's again this morning and decided that I should be 100% happy with a pair of running shoes that cost twice what I paid for my trail shoes. Super Runners has a number of stores in NYC and their policy is to take back or exchange shoes if you're not happy. I'm going to take back the Brooks and try on true neutral shoes until I find a pair that feels as good as the Nikes did when I first brought them home.

Emerging Runner named #3 all time Runners World Blog

I'm proud to report that Emerging Runner has been reported as the #3 blog in the 100 most popular bloggers of all time on RunnersWorld.com! You can see the full list here.

5 kilometers of fun

5K UPDATE - Official Results are in: 26:34 (8:33 Pace). Finished in top 20% and placed 2nd in my age division.
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I've completed my second race in as many weeks and I'm very happy to report that it was another great experience. They haven't posted the official results but (by my calculations) I finished with an 8:31 pace. There was some drizzle about 30 minutes before the start but by the time we took off it was dry and clear. I wore a very light, waterproof but breathable running jacket that my wife encouraged me to buy at the Super Runners Shop booth at the Health and Fitness Exposition. The Expo was located adjacent to the race check-in area. I decided to wear this jacket even though it wasn't raining at the start and I regretted that near the end of the race when I started to get hot. It didn't make any difference in terms of my performance and I was relatively strong by the end of the race, much more so than the 4 mile race on the 19th. The differences between those races explains that as the 4 miler had some formidable hills and was a mile longer. Rounding out my gear, I wore a dry wicking running hat, my Pearl Izumi running shorts and a couple of items that AG gave me, some Merino wool socks that provided the extra cushioning I needed for my aging Nikes and a Nike Fit jersey that did a great job of keeping me dry.

Joining me this morning was my friend RDV who was running in his first race. My wife and kids served as the cheering section for both of us and there was a lot of excitement as we waited for the race to begin. There were a couple of short speeches and then we were sent off at the sound of an air horn. I started faster than I'd thought I'd go but I felt good and I was still cool so I figured that I could dial it back if I felt like I had been too aggressive. I passed a lot of people over the first half mile and most of them stayed passed throughout the race. Unlike the 4 mile race I also passed a few runners near the end. I was surprised when I saw the mile 1 clock reading 8:25 and I worried about sustaining that pace. My Garmin failed me again and for the second time it recorded time but did not display distance. I tried to start and stop it which had worked once before but it was a lost cause today. There was no clock at the two and three mile marks so I didn't know my splits but I had a feeling that I was doing well.

As I came around the final bend and saw our starting point I began to really enjoy myself knowing that I was about two or three minutes to the finish line. The race ended with a run through the stadium at the Mitchel Athletic Complex and I was pleased that I still had enough energy to push my speed for the last 100 meters. Looking up at the clock I was surprised to see that I came in well under 27 minutes which was my goal for the race. My friend RDV finished a couple of minutes behind me and he also exceed his pace goal.

So that was the day and I am happy to have completed one of my 2009 race goals (running at least 3 miles under 8:40/mile) and I'm halfway through my goal of completing four races this year. I want to start working on distance now so that I can run a 10K and be more comfortable on longer runs. But that will have to start next week, I'm going to relax the rest of today and maybe even tomorrow. I want to thank my family, my friends and my my blog mates who have been so supportive. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning. I'll post the official results when I get 'em.

The clothes make the runner

If you know me or follow this blog then you are aware that I'm running in a 5K race tomorrow morning. I'm excited because racing is fun and every experience is different. This morning's temperature, despite the weatherman's claim of 56 degrees, is chilly. The intermittent rain is making the skies gray, dark and gloomy. I'm wondering if it's a sneak preview of tomorrow's weather.

As I stood on the platform this morning, waiting for the train, I imagined that I was standing at tomorrow's starting line. What would be the right clothing for those conditions? Would it be better to run without a rain jacket to stay cool? Would wearing a hat help keep the rain off my glasses? Are gloves a good idea? It's always hard to know. I've made some bad choices over the past months wearing too many layers and overheating or not protecting my face during runs in 12 degree temperatures. One thing I've learned is to error on the side of being too cold at the start because you're likely to get warmer as you run. But what's the threshold? I once got everything right except that I'd forgotten gloves and had miserably cold hands for miles. I'm definitely bringing gloves tomorrow.

As planned, I skipped my running this morning to give myself a day to rest up for the race. My leg feels good and hopefully that will continue. Later today I'll go the LI Marathon Health & Fitness Expo to check in and get my timing chip. That makes it real. Once the race is through I'll be half way through my goal of competing in at least four races in 2009. I'll also know if I chose the right gear for the race.

One other note: I was amused by a picture that my brother sent of my nephew reading my blog. Apparently he's a fan. I'd like to think that he likes the writing but I suspect it's more about the funny pictures.

Rain, rain come and stay

If I could choose the weather for Saturday's race it would be just like today's: cold and dry. Unfortunately the extended forecast is indicating wet conditions for Saturday with rain storms likely. The good news is that the day's predicted low (usually the morning temperature) is below 50. So at least it should be cool.

People have told me that they hate running in the rain. I actually think it's fun (within limits) and preferable to oppressive heat and humidity. The last time I ran in rainy conditions I made the mistake of wearing a light waterproof jacket that did a good job of keeping the rain off me but also trapped heat and moisture which made me very uncomfortable. No matter what, I will not be wearing rain gear during Saturday's run.

This morning I concluded my training for the 5K with 21 minutes on the elliptical using moderate resistance. My intention was to keep a relatively fast pace without straining. While I did build up a sweat by the end, I considered today to be a light workout. My leg pain is still present but dissipating and I wanted to minimize impact but also work on flexibility.

I think I accomplished my mission and by taking a rest day tomorrow I should be set for Saturday's 8:00 AM start. So what if it rains that day? It may give me a competitive advantage against my hydrophobic rivals.

Turbulence about running shoes

I've been paying attention to running shoes lately because I know I need to replace my current pair. Despite my attempt to preserve my Nikes by substituting the insoles I've learned (thanks to some helpful advice via the Runner's World Loop) how to assess a shoe's true condition. I've moved past the denial stage and have gone back to my original insoles. Although the Turbulence 13's felt great with the replacement insoles (after I cut them to fit) the difference in heel height made me worry about the possible effect on my knees since I'm a mid/front foot striker. I'm hoping that I can get one more great run out of these shoes at Saturday's race.

With the original insoles intact I did what should be my last run before the 5K. I started at a moderate speed because I still have some upper leg tightness and wanted to warm up before stepping up my pace. I increased the treadmill speed every minute until I reached my target. Overall I covered 2 miles at 8:41, a pace I attained by running the last few minutes at about an 8:00/mile.

I've decided to go somewhat high end for my next pair of running shoes. Adventure Girl and others have advised me to look for shoes at running stores because those places carry better performing shoes than retailers like Foot Locker. My wife found some very good shoes at a Foot Locker as did I with my original Nike purchase. AG also told me that sometimes higher priced shoes cost more because of non-functional design elements. I don't care what my shoes look like but if I can get 5 seconds per mile faster on them I'm happy to pay.

This weeks's Sedentary Man

This week Sedentary Man writes about inefficiencies related to the way dogs drink water and the way humans hit golf balls. SM only has a solution for the latter. Read it here...

Not exactly heart insole

I was really hoping to publish today's post with the headline "Heart insole, I fell in love with you" after running with a replacement pair of insoles for my Nikes. I've been concerned that my shoes have accumulated too much mileage and that has contributed to the leg pain I've experienced over the last six weeks. The shoes still look pretty good so I don't know how to ascertain their true condition. Since the insoles, which take direct impact with every step, are easily replaced, I did just that.

The insoles I bought are Spenco Poli-Sorbs that retail for about $20. They come in size groupings so you can cut the extra material for a custom fit. I didn't do that and I suspect that's part of the reason I was disappointed.

Though I wear a 10 1/2 shoe and these insoles fit up to size 11's I was able to fit them into the shoes fine. The shape of the replacements are different than the originals but they're close. When I put them on they felt good, the extra padding at the heel was welcomed. There was slightly more material at the top but it didn't seem like it would get in the way when I ran.

I had a hard run covering 2 miles at about 8:52 per mile this morning. It was extremely hot and I suffered a bit until getting an energy boost at around 1.5 miles. The shoes felt okay as I ran but my upper leg pain was noticeable. Unlike when I ran with the other insoles, the pain persisted even after I'd warmed up. After I'd finished I noticed that the extra material had put enough pressure on the top of my foot to cause some slight abrasion and blistering. I can take care of that by trimming the insole but the real problem was that my leg hurt a lot after my run. I ended up wrapping a compression brace around my upper leg and that helped quell the soreness.

Now I'm wondering whether I'm better off cutting the insoles for a perfect fit and trying another run or just reverting back to the old insoles and hoping for the best. The race on Saturday is only 5K so it's not like I need to prepare for an arduous distance. The other choice is to run in my NB trail shoes. That's starting to sound like an interesting idea.

Running shoe anxiety

I have 5 days until my next race and I'm beginning to worry about my shoes. I mentioned yesterday that I've had some issues with my feet that seem to relate to my Nikes. This morning I switched to my New Balance trail shoes for the elliptical and they were much more comfortable. I really don't want to race with trail shoes on pavement but I also don't want to continue pushing my luck with the Turbulence 13's.

I have a busy schedule at work this week so it will not be that easy to get to a store at lunch to look at new running shoes. I want to avoid buying a pair in haste without considering other options just because of Saturday's race deadline. I have been reading reviews and talking to friends and I'm thinking this is the time to invest in a higher end pair. AG told me about a few stores in the city that have treadmills so staff can watch you as you run and help recommend the best shoe choices for your running style. If I'm looking to pay a lot for a pair of running shoes I don't want to buy the wrong thing and be disappointed.

I've looked at the removable soles in my Nikes and, while they look okay, I have no idea how much cushioning and flexibility they've lost in the eight months that I've had them. I'm thinking about trying a pair of cushioned replacement soles to get me through the race on Saturday. If they do the job, great. If not I'll be paying a visit to a running store on Sunday.

Not so Long Slow Distance

I must have slept through spring because summer is here on Long Island. Actually the temperatures are very summer-like but happily the air is still spring dry. I'm a cold weather person and a morning runner but yesterday was busy and I wasn't able to get out until 5:00 PM when the thermometer read 84 degrees. I ran late afternoon on Friday so this was similar in terms of timing. However, our Central Park run was much cooler.

I made the mistake of not properly wrapping my small toes prior to the Friday run. This is a technique I started over a decade ago when I lived in the city. Those days it wouldn't be unusual for us to walk from Battery Park to the Upper West Side, across town and then home to Murray Hill, all in one day. I used to get tremendous blisters from this and discovered that wrapping a small piece of plastic wrap around my first and second toe would ward off most of the damage. I'm beginning to suffer from this problem with my Nike Turbulence 13's and it's making me think that they're due for replacement after over 400 miles of excellent service. By yesterday morning my feet were hurting pretty good and although I wrapped them for Saturday's and today's runs they are a little raw. Tomorrow I'm planning to elliptical which has far less impact on my feet and I'm hoping they bounce back quickly.

My running over the past three days has been a mixed bag. I thought Friday was a very good run although the numbers don't reflect that. Yesterday's afternoon run was about the same distance (3.2 miles) with a pace just under 9 minutes. This morning, with only 15 hours separating me from yesterday's workout, I took the LSD approach (you can argue whether 3 miles should be considered "long") and my pace reflected it, closer to 9:20. But let me tell you it was hot and, in terms of conditioning, a real workout.

Overall, I covered close to 10 miles between 5:00 PM Friday and 9:00 AM Sunday. The weather reports are encouraging, predicting closer to 60's than 80's for next weekend. I'm pleased that I was able to manage some taxing runs late in the day with some heat and I'm happy that I'm only covering 5K and not 4 miles at Saturday's race. I'm excited about this race because I know more about what to expect. After all, you only experience your second race once!

Product review - MixMyGranola

After putting it to the test, the Emerging Runner Advisory Board has reviewed MixMyGranola, a website that allows customers to custom blend their granola mixes. MixMyGranola can be described as Web 2.0 for food. Consumer generated content on the web that you can eat. Interesting yes, but is it a good experience? I took it to the Emerging Running Advisory Board to see what they thought about this product. The raters were me, Sedentary Man and Adventure Girl and our rating criteria were based on quality, taste, freshness and value. You can read the full review here on the Emerging Runner Laboratories product review page.

I'm looking to do a couple of training runs this weekend. Last night AG and I had a great run in Central Park after work covering about 3.25 miles. The weather was perfect and there were a lot of people in the park. We hit traffic at spots, between the pedicabs and roving bands of clueless walkers who obstructed the running paths, we had to slow down and even stop for a second at a few points in our run. But we kept a good overall pace and we both felt it it was a great workout. I'm a week away from my next race so I hope to make some progress on speed today and tomorrow.

Hot weather, cool advice

This weekend is supposed to be very warm and temperatures are expected to reach the 80's. I'm hoping that nature will come to its senses for the following weekend so I won't need to deal with those conditions for my race. Of course, with an 8:00 AM start, there's a chance it will still be comfortable for running.

One of my friends, CK, is an accomplished runner who has given me great advice and encouragement since I started running again last September. After I'd debriefed him on my 4 mile race he gave me the following advice for training for the 5K:

1. Stay on the road as much as possible (if not all the time) when training for this next race.


2. Start your runs faster than normal, but slow down after two or three minutes to a comfortable pace.


3. Push hard the last ½ mile (or 4.5 minutes) during training to acclimate yourself to race conditions.


4. Consciously push/kick off hard during the last part of the run (last minute or so).


5. Try to incorporate some hills.


6. Stretch before and after (especially if you are doing hills).

Some of this differs from other guidance I've received. For example, in item #2, he advocates a fast start leading to a comfortable pace. I've usually assumed the opposite; start slow and build speed as you go. A couple of months ago I started a run at a much faster than normal pace. After about a quarter of a mile I felt spent and feared that I would not be able to make my planned distance. I did recover and it turned out to be one of the longest runs I've done to date. I'll try that technique this weekend and see how I do.

Also related to training, my dad sent me a link to an interesting article that ran in the NY Times this week about using a trainer as a way to improve speed. The article states that "..training, if done right, is the ultimate performance enhancer..."

This afternoon I'm participating in an end of the work week run in Central Park. It will be warm by then so I'm hoping for the best.

State of my weight

I weighed in today for the first time in weeks. I'd assumed I stabilized but the scale showed I've lost almost three pounds since last month. I've been disappointed with a number of technologies that I've used for quantifying status and/or performance (inaccurate HRMs, failed displays, etc.) and I've discovered that my digital scale falls into that category. I've learned not to trust the first result but instead step off it and allow the scale to reset before stepping on again. Most of the time the first result will under count and I sometimes repeat my weighing 4 or 5 times before I'm confident that it's returning a consistent number.

After all that weighing I determined that I've actually lost about a pound since the last time I measured. I'm really fine with that although I don't want to go much lower since I've already been through a round of suit tailoring and clothes buying. I've reduced my weight significantly since September (when I took up running again) and I can roughly correlate my weight reduction to pace time improvements. I'm not interested in losing any more weight simply to improve my speed so the next wave of performance will have to come from strength and speed training.

This morning I did a 20 minute workout on the elliptical using one of the built-in training programs that simulates big hills. It was tough at times but, unlike running uphill, I was able to use the arms of the machine to help my progress. I mapped the upcoming 5K on MapMyRun and it doesn't seem to have elevations like my last race. All the same I figure that hill work can be helpful for endurance and leg strength.

Training as the clock runs down

It's less than 10 days to my next race so I'm pushing as much as I can to prepare. I had a shorter window to run this morning so I tried to make the best of it. I've declared a goal of running my upcoming 5K under 26 minutes and since I don't have very long to prepare for that I'm focusing every workout on a specific aspect of the race.

Today I focused on speed - not tempo level speeds - but I tried to maintain a faster pace than I normally achieve during my weekday workouts. I only had 18 minutes to run this morning and I needed to build in a few minutes for cool down so I ended up running 15:22 for 1.79 miles for an overall pace of 8:35. It wasn't as hard to do this as I thought it might be. My first 5 minutes were actually a little slow, closer to a 9 minute pace, but I ran the last mile around 7.4 MPH. I'll admit that running fast for less than two miles on a flat surface is not the same as running a 5K under road conditions, but I think I can build on that.

Tomorrow I plan to follow the hill climb program on my elliptical. I don't know how the grades will be on the 5K course but I don't want to find myself struggling on hills like I did last Sunday. This weekend I'm thinking about a long street run on Saturday, perhaps expanding to neighborhood #3 for the first time and attacking those hills. On Sunday I'd like to go to Stillwell Woods and run the trails to take advantage the softer, more challenging surface.

AG said that Lululemon is sponsoring another group run in Central Park on Tuesday so that may be a good opportunity for a post-weekend long run before May 2nd.

Goals for my 5K

Today was Day 1 for training for my 5K run on May 2nd. The 2nd is a Saturday and the start time is 8:00 AM so I only have one more weekend to focus on long runs. I haven't seen an elevation map of the race course so I don't know what I'm up against in terms of hills. I'm glad for the early race start because I suspect it will be warm. From what I see on the website map it will be mostly open roads with little shade.

My pace goal for the race is 8:39 per mile. It is definitely a stretch for me as I rarely beat 8:45, even on shorter runs. The reason I picked this target relates to one of my 2009 running goals: to maintain that pace for at least 3 miles. If I get a good start and the course is fairly flat I do think I have a chance at a sub 8:40 time. Like I said, 8:39 is a stretch. My other goal is completely ego driven: to pass more runners than I get passed. I'll start the count after a couple of minutes to let the 5, 6 and 7 minute speedsters get by. In truth, I mostly care about those who pass me near the end, a mile or less before the finish.

I ran a couple of miles at 8:48 this morning. It was a relatively hard run considering I'd taken Monday as a rest day. The warm weather is already noticeable and I remained concerned about running in real heat this summer. Later this week I plan to do some speed drills on the treadmill and do some high resistance workouts on the elliptical for hill training.

I also realized I have no races scheduled after the 5K. I need to do something about that!