Shot of the regional path

Surprised to see this big buck along the path

Running with deer in Bear Creek Park

It's our last full day on our Colorado Springs vacation. We head back home tomorrow after what has been a great week. This morning we went to Bear Creek Park which has trails for hiking, running, mountain biking and riding. After speaking with the nice people at the nature center my wife and kids selected a trail and went for a walk. The docents suggested the more "running friendly" regional trail to me so I took that instead. The regional trail's surface started as crushed rock and changed to dirt (both sandy and hard-packed) as I went along. The trail was up and down with some inclines that went on for a while.

Almost immediately I encountered my first deer, a large female that crossed my path near my starting point. I followed the well marked path until I reached a crossroad that went north with a steep incline. At the cross point stood a very large buck that watched me closely as I passed by. I managed to get a shot from my iPhone before heading toward the northeast path and almost tripping on a rabbit that darted in front of me. As I made my way up (and up and up) the trail, a smaller deer jumped out in front of me and gracefully ran ahead of me on the path. I turned around after about 15 minutes and doubled back taking a slight detour to see where the trail led. It lead to a sign that said "Trail Closed" so I headed back to the trail head. I got a rock in my shoe that I was able to coax away from my heel by changing my gait. It made me think about those trail shoes with built in gaiters to prevent trail effluvia from getting in. Along the way back I ran by a creek and took a shot of that before finishing my 3 mile run. I met up with my family at the Nature Center. They had lots of fun and took some great pictures on their walk. But only I saw deer!

The rest of the day was jammed packed and I'll write about that tomorrow. Heading home on Friday. Boy I'm going to miss this place.

Up close and personal with our giraffe friends

Shot of the trail I ran this morning

Boxing rings at the Olympic Training Center

Caves, Olympians, giraffes and waterfalls

Todays run (trails) 2 miles at 10:10
I went straight to the trails this morning and with a couple of exceptions I followed the same route as yesterday. Since I knew the basic direction of the paths, I had less concern about where I was or whether the path I was on would end abruptly -- or worse -- result in a straight drop across rough rocks. I've compared this terrain to Stillwell, but honestly, it's far rougher. Where Stillwell paths may drop off sharply, the trails there are mostly dirt. Here, the trails dip and rise around areas of rock, much of it looking like sand. I've had a few close calls that could have resulted in a turned ankle (or worse) but so far I've been lucky. I did two miles today and it was still very tough. Between the terrain and the altitude I was pretty darn exhausted during the run. In addition, we've gone straight out since we landed and I haven't rested as well as I should.

Yesterday morning we visited the Cave of the Winds which are natural caves that were discovered in the late 1800's. It was fun and freaky to move through these spaces. The caves themselves are situated high in the mountain and the view of the canyon (at the start) was incredible. After that we took a little time visiting Old Colorado City which has lots of interesting stores and restaurants. Then we headed east to the US Olympic Training Center and took a tour. It was fascinating to see the place where so many Olympic athletes and hopefuls train. We saw boxers, wrestlers and swimmers who were doing their training as we passed through. I'll post lots of pictures at a later time and I'll try to put a few up today if the Blogger mobile app cooperates.

After my run this morning we visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo that featured lots of different habitats. My kids got to feed the giraffes and we saw just about every animal you could think of. On our way back we stopped at the Helen Hunt Falls (named after Helen Hunt, an advocate of native Americans in the 19th century, not the movie actress). This is a natural waterfall with a footbridge that runs above the top. We spent time in the nature center where I learned that the dominant species of trees in the area were Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir, Bristlecone Pine, Ponderossa Pine and White Fir. We made one more stop to check out Bear Creek Park, which will be a destination tomorrow. I think I'll do tomorrow's run there unless we decide to return to Garden of the Gods instead. Maybe we'll do both!
I'll try to put up some recent pictures from our trip. Hope it works.

Like Stillwell but with cactus

I headed down to the fitness center at 5:30 AM to run on the treadmill. When I arrived both treadmills and elliptical machines were being used so I decided to take another crack at the local trails outside.

After consulting with the sleepy clerk at the front desk about the best way to get to the trails, I set out for a real Colorado trail run. The trail starts out with a steep incline that turns into a steeper 30' drop. At the bottom the trail flattens a bit and then becomes rocky and rolling. As I followed the trail's up and down path I was determined to run the entire 2 mile out and back route despite the rough terrain and thin air. I am definitely getting used to the high altitude conditions and managed a far tougher course today than yesterday's Garden of the Gods run. The trail reminded me of some of Stillwell's rougher sections but the trees and plants (cactus and yucca) were very different. I reached a section with a ridge line that faced Pike's Peak and followed that for a bit. I stopped for a minute to post a picture tweet and soon headed back. The last section, where I needed to make my way up what was a 30' drop at the start was a great challenge at the end. It wasn't a very long run but I felt I finally had an authentic Colorado dirt trail experience. I won't bother with the fitness club tomorrow morning. Instead, I'll be heading directly to the trails.

Running among the Gods

Western view of the Garden of the Gods

Today's run (Garden of the Gods): mileage unknown (approx 2 mile)

The trail behind our hotel turned out to be a bit of a bust. I followed it about a quarter mile before it dropped off sharply near a sign that said private property. I was reluctant to trespass and a little skittish about the local wildlife. The concierge mentioned that there had been a bear sighting in that area recently. I didn't feel brave enough to find out if it was true.

We headed to Garden of the Gods this morning and walked around the Ute/Bretag/Palmer trail and the Perkins Central Garden trail. We watched some brave climbers at the top of a rock face and couldn't believe their bravery or their sanity. I decided to go for a run while my family continued their walk. I followed the same basic trails that we had walked and completed a loop that took me a little less than 20 minutes. The altitude definitely affected my stamina and while it wasn't anything close to rigorous it was one of the toughest 2-milers I've run. The challenge of the run was nothing compared to what I saw -- the most majestic rock formations and views of looming mountains surrounded by forests of Ponderossa pines and juniper trees. Absolutely incredible.

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings

Later we visited the Manitou cliff dwellings where we climbed through authentic structures that have stood for a couple of thousand years. At the risk of sounding like a travel agent it was amazing to experience and lots of fun.We had lunch in Manitou Springs and walked around the town, had lunch at an Egyptian diner (not a typo) and had fun observing all the neo-hippies walking around. We capped the day with a drive up the Pike's Peak highway which goes 19 miles to the top of Pike's Peak. I'll admit that I endured more than enjoyed that drive. The sheer drop off the dirt road measured almost two miles at some points. But it was incredible. Scary as heck but incredible.

Nearing the summit at Pike's Peak

It was a really fun day and more fun will follow tomorrow. We'll return to the Garden of the gods, visit the uS Olympic Training Center and do a few other things. I'm planning to take a trip the the Colorado Running Company at some point. Why not, right?

Rocky Mountain high

We've settled into our Colorado digs and have looked around a bit. The mountains are amazing and I can't wait to do some running. We have trails that start right out the back of the hotel. One leads directly to the Garden of the Gods.Take a look at this tweet to see a picture out our window: http://twitter.com/EmergingRunner/status/18311930370

More tomorrow after I hit the road. or should I say, the dirt.

The Emerging Runner Two-Athlon

Running (top), swimming (bottom), results (middle)

Today's run (street): 4.15 miles at 9:52

Yesterday afternoon the Emerging Runner Family held our first Emerging Runner Duathlon. Or as my kids insist on calling it, a Two-Athlon.  The event pitched parents (The Sunset Swimmers) against kids (The Wave Runners) on a course that included seven laps around a backyard "track" and then three laps across the length of the pool. With temperatures close to 90 degrees the running was hot but the swimming was great. Although we weren't aiming for an Ironman-level challenge, these ten laps weren't as easy as they sound. It was quite an anaerobic workout.

I have no idea of the length of the running course but running at a full sprint in the heat with sharp turns around the pylons was harder than I'd expected. We all stayed within a few seconds of each other in terms of lap times but those seconds added up to make a difference. I'm usually reluctant to jump right in the pool but not during this race. We're all pretty strong swimmers and our times were fairly close on that segment as well. With no handicapping, the Wave Runners took the prize by beating us by a margin of three seconds. It couldn't have been much closer. My son took the overall finisher prize by winning both the running and swimming segments, beating my overall time by 8 seconds. Very humbling. My wife and daughter finished close to us which explains the razor thin margin of victory. So the kids have bragging rights until the next race.

We leave for our trip tomorrow so I thought I'd get one more east coast run in before we head to the Rockies. Just as I prepared to start my run the skies opened up with some much needed rain so I stood in the garage with my daughter and watched it come down. Soon the clouds moved on and I headed out. After a rain the air feels cooler and I enjoyed that for about ten minutes until the humidity came back in force. The heat and moisture in the air didn't make me want to stop running but it definitely affected my speed. I ended up running about 40 minutes and covered a little more than 4 miles. I thought of my friend FS who raced this morning in Central Park and probably experienced both the rain and the humidity over the 10K course. I'm glad I wasn't racing today. I'm going to try to post while I'm away using my iPhone. I hope that works, otherwise I'll be posting a lot of stuff when I return!

Injuries, pains and hot sushi

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles at 9:20
All runners worry about injuries, especially those that happen quickly and interrupt our lives. Even non-athletes experience injuries. My mother is in the process of selling her home on Cape Cod and was preparing for a yard sale when she tripped on a box and fell. This resulted in two broken wrists. She's recovering from yesterday's surgery and is facing weeks of rehab. Our family is fortunate that my brother and his family live in Boston and are taking great care of her. It's scary to think about how something as sudden and unexpected as a fall can change your life so quickly.

I've been very fortunate in terms of injuries over the last couple of years since I've returned to running. I caused my own problems early on when I went to the track for speed work and ran some intervals too fast without properly warming up. I pulled an abductor muscle on my left side and for months this injury acted up like clockwork whenever I'd reach the third mile of a run. I also developed a nagging pain in my right leg that would show up at the beginning of a run but that usually dissipated after a few minutes. I eventually solved that problem by replacing my Nikes with Brooks Adrenalins. Those Brooks cured my pain within a week and have never caused me pain. My original pair have 600+ miles and I can still run in them without a problem. I've been fortunate to have avoided any other running injuries since the ones that I've mentioned. I'm sure sure if I pushed more and did regular speed workouts I'd probably end up hurting myself again. So ultimately, being a lazy runner can be a good thing.

I guess cooked sushi defeats the concept

It's easy to be a lazy runner with the weather this week. The temperatures have dropped to the 70's in the early mornings but the humidity remains high. I got out this morning and did my miles but it was definitely a workman's effort to get through the run. I was amused by the above sign in our corporate cafeteria yesterday notifying employees that "Sushi Thursdays" were cancelled due to the heat. Not being a fan of sushi I was amused by this action. However, there were lots of disappointed people. On the bright side, while the mercury rose outside, the mercury levels of the sushi eaters didn't!

Anticipating altitude adjustment

Today's workout (elliptical): 24 minutes

Despite the heat of the last few days my running comfort has been fine. The old cliche "It's not the heat, it's the humidity" actually makes great sense. While it has been relatively dry this week, this morning's dew point of 70 and temperatures heading to the 90's makes it feel darn uncomfortable. I forgot to set up my running gear last night and when I got up I thought it would be easier and more time-efficient to do an elliptical session. That was a good decision and although the indoor air was plenty humid I had little trouble getting through my workout.

I'm thinking about running in Colorado next week and wondering  how that will go. With altitudes of 6,000 feet and higher I know I won't be running very long. AG wrote about her acclimation to high elevations in Oregon where she's doing a research project this summer. I know she has adapted well -- in fact he'll be running a half marathon there next month, but I won't be on vacation long enough to build much capacity. There is a trail very near where we're staying and I plan to run that first. The main trail is only about a couple of miles but even a four mile out-and-back may be far too much to take on without proper altitude conditioning. I may end up doing most of my workouts in the fitness center and focus my outdoor efforts on hiking. I'll have to see how it goes.

Mid-foot running is great but where's the speed?

Today's run (street): 2.6 miles at 9:32

Stepping out in the Kinvaras for this morning's run reminded me why real running shoes, even lightweight minimalist ones, serve an important purpose. I did well with my pool shoes on Sunday and had no residual aches or pains after my run but my feet felt far better during today's run in the Sauconys. The Kinvaras are almost flat between heel and front foot but they aren't built as low to the ground as some other lightweight trainers. The slightly higher platform allows for a little more cushioning and provides a comfortable ride. My longest run in them so far was 5.5 miles but I have no concerns about doubling that distance (except, of course, for my own limitations). It's interesting that I've lost a lot of speed in the last couple of months. My first runs in the Kinvaras were under 9 minutes per mile. Now I'm averaging closer to 9:30 miles most days regardless of the shoes I wear.

It was 85 degrees and humid when I started my run at 4:05 AM today. With no sun and a slight breeze it wasn't bad. For some reason the Garmin foot pod always over-counts distance on the Kinvaras, probably due to the flatter angle of the upper compared to my other shoes. This translates to faster paces on the FR60 display and more distance captured. I always check my route against Gmaps to find the margin of error and saw that the indicted distance and pace (2.67 mile & 9:18/mile respectively) were overstated by 3%. I can rarely tell while running at 4 AM whether I'm tracking mid 9:00 miles or high 8's so I'm often disappointed (and occasionally delighted) when I calculate based on Gmaps. Regardless of pace or distance I got out there in the heat and covered some good ground while reinforcing my mid foot striking style. The speed will come. I keep telling myself that.

The great minimalist experiment

Shoe diversity makes for happy running

Today's run (street): 2.2 miles at 9:38

I've never been much of a barefoot guy and I'm still not likely to walk around with nothing on my feet. But barefoot running and its close relation, minimalist running, remains interesting to me. My experience running with the Saucony Kinvaras has restarted my focus on front foot / mid-foot striking. Yesterday, when running for a short distance in pool shoes, I wondered how well I'd do on a real neighborhood run. I had considered going to Stillwell this morning to take advantage of the shade from the woods but ultimately chose to run closer to home. I decided that I'd conduct the great minimalist experiment by taking to the streets with these un-padded and flat water shoes. I didn't wear socks but I did keep the very thin removable insole which felt good at the beginning but contributed to some uncomfortable friction near the end of my run. I mapped out a 2.2 mile course on Gmaps and went out using my Garmin as a stopwatch. I didn't use the foot pod because I didn't want to deal with attaching it to the stretchy laces. Since I already knew the distance I'd planned to run it was easy to calculate my pace when I got back.

I was pleasantly surprised with the feel of the pool shoes on pavement as I made my way around the route. The small rocks and pebbles that I encountered underfoot did not hurt my feet in any way. I liked that my arches were doing their job without anything to support them.  I knew I was landing mostly towards the front of my foot but I'm not sure if I avoided my heel for all of my footfalls. My stride felt natural and I moved along well without feeling like I was doing too much work. I wanted to keep the run fairly short in case there was an unintended consequence to running with very little protection and no support. The only complaint I had was the insole stuck to my foot due to sweat and that made me concerned that I could develop blisters if I ran much longer. Next time I'll consider leaving the insoles home and see how that goes. Although they're thin they do provide slight protection. Without the insole I'd be running on the same material as the outsole so perhaps I'd be better off with a very thin sock.

So what happens now? I still have well cushioned shoes like my Brooks GTS 10's and Adidas Response 15's. I have supportive and lightweight stability shoes (Saucony Grid Tangent 4's) and minimal but luxurious Kinvaras. Do I stop running with the Brooks and work closer to always running on the Kinvaras (and occasionally my pool shoes)? I'm thinking no. Every shoe I own has its benefit and as long as I feel that's true I'll continue to run with them all. I'm certainly going to keep a focus on the minimalist side because I do think there's something to that. Pool shoes as running shoes? Not as crazy as you'd think.

Super minimalist running shoes for less than $20!

Today's run (street): 3.6 miles at 9:30

What Vibrams should look like

Happy 4th of July! As you'd expect it's very hot but happily not all that humid. One of my work colleagues was due to participate in a 4 mile race this morning that had a starting time of 9:30 AM. I'm assuming that it was a scorcher and I look forward to hearing how he did when I return to the office next week. We've been busy this weekend. Yesterday, after dinner, the Emerging Runner family all went on a run together around the neighborhood. Everyone did well and my son led the way, maintaining a speedy pace under 10 minutes a mile. I'm assuming that because, in a rare moment of practical normality, I decided not to track the run on my Garmin. My daughter will be going out for track next year as a 7th grader and she's already planning her summer training to be prepared for the rigors of that activity. My son has discovered that playing the trumpet has yielded an unexpected benefit -- great lung power when he runs. It won't be long until I can't keep up with my kids. That's okay, I know my wife will still run with me.

We finished our family run and headed straight to the pool. I had already cooled enough to be reluctant to jump in right away (I refuse to put in a pool heater) so I slipped on my aqua shoes and ran around the pool area until I felt hot enough to take the plunge. My kids followed me through that exercise and before long one and then the other jumped in as they ran. I went on a bit longer and discovered (probably due to the Kinvaras) that I was very comfortable running in the pool shoes. The sole is thin enough to protect from rocks and other objects but with no real padding it naturally enabled front foot landing. I think I'll try to run a mile in the shoes to see whether the experience translates well to the road. If so, I'll have found a very inexpensive alternative to Vibram 5-Fingers. Although some disagree, I think the Vibrams look too ridiculous to wear in public.

In the spirit of minimal running I wore the Kinvaras on this morning's 3.6 mile Independence Day run. I thought about running four on the 4th but I decided to cut it a little short because it was getting too hot to run. I went directly to the backyard and stripped off everything but my running pants and dove right in. A perfect way to finish a pleasant run. I have one more day before I return to the office. With Colorado less than a week away, I'm thinking of hitting the trails tomorrow.

Two good runs: Central Park then closer to home

Yesterday's run (Central Park): 4.9 miles at 9:20
Today's run (street): 4.25 miles at 9:40

Things started out very comfortably at noon on Friday as I started my run in Central Park.  The temperature was rising about one degree every 20 minutes and by noon it was up to 73. Humidity was relatively low as I set a course that started from the 7th Ave. entrance to the park and then followed the east side of the lower loop. I continued on until crossing to the upper loop at 72nd street where I encountered another set of hills. I felt good having had a few strong cups of coffee earlier in the morning and running before (rather than after) lunch.

When I reached the reservoir I ran up the steps to run the dirt path that runs around the lake. I traveled counterclockwise and was heading toward the point where I usually jump off and return to the running path on the west side. Before that I abruptly reached a barrier that forced me onto the path at 90th street. That disoriented me a little and I headed north instead of south for about two blocks until I saw my error and reversed direction. The route back is more downhill than up (I already had plenty of hills coming north) but even the southern direction has its uphill spots that were harder to breech as the sun got hotter. I got passed by a few runners in my last mile and ended up covering about 4.9 miles without feeling too exhausted.

This morning I went out for a neighborhood run a little later than I'd planned. I woke up with a sinus headache for the second day in a row and waited for the coffee, ibuprofen and Sudafed to kick in before going out at 7:40 AM. It was only 67 degrees when I left and there was plenty of shade on the streets. I let my comfort dictate my stride and maintained a mid-nine minute pace through most of my run. I covered about 4.25 miles without working too hard. I'm saving some energy so I can put in more mileage tomorrow and Monday. I know that if I want to do more distance per run I should take more days off from running and run longer when I do. It's hard not running on both weekend days because they are my fun runs that are usually not constrained by time. I haven't decided whether I'll follow through on my plan to run against a set time this weekend. If I'm feeling ready to start early tomorrow I may just try to do that.

Pre-Holiday weekend Central Park run

Today's run: Central Park (planned)
The day before a holiday weekend is usually very quiet. I'd considered working from home today since I'm planning to cut out around noon anyway, but I have some things I need to get done in the office. It isn't supposed to get that hot by mid day and I'm looking forward to having a workday-ending run in Central Park with FS. It's budget planning season and that's adding to our busyness. FS and I have a few business items to discuss so we're thinking of covering those subjects during our run. Last summer Adventure Girl and I held our weekly meetings while we traversed the west side bike paths, Central Park and the GW bridge. AG would actually carry an agenda as we ran. It usually took about 4 miles to get through it all. The plan today is to go out at a comfortable, moderate pace and stay with that. I'm not sure what we'll target for distance but we'll work that out.


Or not! It turns out that FS won't be joining me today after all so I'll modify my plan and probably head to the park a little earlier. It's cool and dry and if that continues it could lead to some great running. I'm thinking I might do a loop that goes past the reservoir and then cut across on 97th street. Or I might follow the path around the reservoir itself which will probably keep my run to a tidy 4 miles. I'm raring to go as it's been a few weeks since I've run in the park. The temperature is beginning to climb into the 70's. I hope it stays there!

How far can you run in 80 minutes?

Today's workout (elliptical): 24 minutes

Back in the early '90's I was running three or four days a week on average. My runs took place primarily on the streets of NYC and, with no technologies to track my distance, I never really knew how much ground I covered. After tracing my typical route in Gmaps I now know that it wasn't much. My average run was probably two miles (if that) and progress was frequently interrupted by stops at crosswalks.

I remember once having dinner with my running partner and another couple who were also runners. The guy told me that he ran about 25 miles a week and that amazed me. I'd responded by saying that was practically like running a marathon every week. I recall wondering how he found routes that were long enough to compile that distance. Today I typically run 20 miles per week but my average distance per run is only about 3.75 miles. I do more distance on weekends with my longest run (to date) being 8.15 miles. I ran that in 74 minutes.

I'd like to push my distance further and have decided to see how far I can run in 80 minutes. I just need to find some place where I can do that without traveling the same ground over and over. I can get about seven miles out of running within my neighborhood and the two others that border it but breaking out further requires crossing some major roads which I'm loathe to do. It would be fun to run with some destination in mind but that will take some planning and coordination. With the three day weekend coming up I'm hoping to find an hour and a half to try the 80 minute plan. Even after almost two years I haven't run nine miles straight. My run-against-time plan could help me reach that goal.

More things that glow at 4:00 AM

Artist's rendering

Today's run (street): 2.4 miles at 9:14 per mile

I was hoping for some relief from the heat after yesterday and the weekend but I wasn't prepared for the blast of cold air that I felt when I stepped outside this morning. I'm not complaining -- it was fantastic. The change in weather inspired me to take a different route than usual. For the first half of my run I chose some different roads and also followed streets in the opposite direction than I usually run them. That small change makes a big difference in terms of novelty. I fixed my headlamp problem so that was one less issue to address today and I felt more energized in my run than any other in recent memory. Unless you count my last race.

I encountered three cats and two rabbits along the way, but with the temperature at 63 degrees the fireflies weren't glowing this morning. I did see a strange sight along one street though. A house that was under construction had one of those large storage containers parked in the driveway. All four corners of the container had segmented lights running top to bottom that emitted an eerie glow. It looked like a spaceship sitting there among the houses. About halfway through my run I glanced at the Garmin and saw that I was tracking at about a 9:30 pace and I knew I could do better than that. I picked up my speed and ended up gaining back enough time to push my overall pace to 9:14 which is (according to Daily Mile) the fifth fastest run that I've done over the last four weeks. I'm not sure what that means except that I haven't run below 9:20 too often in recent days. If tomorrow is equally comfortable I'll look forward to pushing even harder. There's a long weekend coming up and I'm hoping to accumulate some good mileage during my days off.

Who needs a headlamp when you have fireflies?

Today's run (street): 2.42 miles at 9:23 per mile

One benefit of high humidity

There's no relief from the heat and humidity this week, even at 4:00 AM. On occasion I'll catch a break when a slight wind pushes the mist from a lawn sprinkler towards the road. This is akin to walking along the streets of NYC on a hot day and feeling the cold blast of conditioned air from an open door. Most of the time it's just hot and humid and you appreciate that there's no sun to add to the misery. Running and discomfort go together like politics and blame so runners suffer through the tough parts and enjoy the good. Or as Haruki Murakami says about running: "Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional."


Despite the weather, I was pleased with how I ran this morning. I still cannot understand how running the same way on different days yields such different results. I definitely did not slack off during my workout this morning and I consciously focused on my cadence. I may have moved the needle a little in terms of overall pace but not by much. At one point in the run I was traveling down a dimly lit street and noticed something shining back at me. I first thought it was a cat or small animal whose eyes reflected light from my Petzl headlamp. I then discovered that my lamp was off so it couldn't be that. I've been having trouble with the unit switching itself off for no apparent reason and I'm wondering if a replacement is needed. The light wasn't a reflection after all, it turned out to be fireflies. I soon saw a bunch more and also noticed the air was fragrant with the smells of honeysuckle and dogwoods. I forgot the heat and the discomfort for a few minutes and focused only on the scene before me.  Soon I was back to the job at hand, finishing my run and starting my work day. It would have been nice to experience cooler conditions this morning but overall it was darn good run.

The key to keeping my cool

Brooks Rev-T

It was already 83 degrees at 5:00 AM this morning and I was glad that I usually rest on Mondays. On my way to the train I saw some runners out for their workouts and was surprised to see one guy in sweats and a woman running in a long sleeve tech top. It often puzzles me the way some people dress for their runs. I often see people running with what look like cotton sweatshirts even when the temperature is above 70 degrees. These people either don't sweat much or they think that wearing heavy layers will generate more heat and burn more calories. My preference is to wear as little as I can, even if it's very cold when I start. On 25 degree days I warm up sufficiently within ten minutes with only a long sleeved jersey, compression pants and a hat. Once temperatures get closer to 40 I switch to short sleeves and generally wear compression shorts. Any temperatures warmer than that will move me to regular running shorts.

I've come to appreciate the differences in wicking efficiency between the shirts I own. The Champion C9 shirts do a credible job but the quality isn't great and a few are starting to fray at the seams. I bought a Zoot shirt that should be great. It's constructed of ultralight material with fine mesh in areas that need extra ventilation. This shirt does a good job but, perhaps due to its lack of material mass, it gets overwhelmed fairly quickly. I also have an ATAYNE shirt that's made from 100% recycled material. It's great for spring and fall but a bit too heavy for humid summer days. I've had less success with shirts that have a tight weave and satin-like texture (e.g., Old Navy REC shirts and cheap tech tee's from races) than with shirts with more open weaves and a little more material. My three best shirts, by far, are my Nike (Sphere), Adidas ClimaCool 365 and Brooks Rev-T. These shirts meet my needs very well in almost any weather. I've learned that the cooler I run, the better I perform. That's why you won't see me in a sweatshirt, even when the mercury hits 20 degrees.

Summer running will take some patience (and better conditioning)

Today's run (street) 3.82 miles at 9:43

Shady activities

It's been a fun weekend with our guests. The weather has been hot and sunny and the kids have owned the pool. I even accomplished a chore; assembling one of those new offset swing umbrellas that can tilt and move laterally. That created a perfect place for the grownups to sit poolside while we watched the kids in perpetual motion in the water. Yesterday was a hot and humid five miles and this morning it was even more humid. I got out before 7:00 AM but it was already uncomfortable. I was glad to be wearing my Adidas AdiStar running shirt that does an excellent job of managing moisture. Eventually the shirt reached 100% saturation but I was fairly comfortable throughout the run. I wore my Brooks because I wanted maximum comfort on what I knew would be a difficult run.

I did a mile loop near my house and then headed to neighborhood #3 for a change of scenery. By the time I reached my second mile I was hot and tired and focused only on finishing my planned route. Although my leg turnover felt fast my Garmin told me otherwise and I knew I would need to work to keep my overall pace within the 9:00 range. I returned to my neighborhood for the final mile and a half and, like yesterday, finished hot, panting and soaked. I've run every day since last Monday and I'll rest tomorrow after covering about 20 for the week. We were discussing the runner's high this weekend and one of our guests mentioned that he's never finished a run and then felt a rush of euphoria. I usually feel good when I finish and, depending on the run, I can carry that feeling throughout the day. The last two days have only brought relief that the runs were over. I keep telling myself that it's good practice for hot conditions and high elevations in Colorado Springs. That said, I'm still looking forward to Tuesday morning when I get out there again.

5 humid miles

Today's run (street): 5.2 miles at 9:31

I intended to get out before 7:00 AM because I knew the heat would be intense by mid morning. It took longer to get out than I planned and I hit the road at 7:18 under sunny skies. It took me about a half mile before I started feeling the humidity but, bam, there it was. I decided to give myself a gift and followed the road along Jericho Turnpike that runs downhill for about a quarter mile before leveling off. At the next crossing I headed south along South Oyster Bay Road where the sidewalk runs the gamut between level concrete to broken up cement with overgrown grass. I continued across the LIE overpass and entered neighborhood #2 from the west side. By this time I was feeling the effort but I knew I wanted to get a couple of more miles in. After a run around the western loop I headed east and extended my normal route by hitting a few extra streets.

I ended up covering about 5 miles with the last mile proving a major challenge. I often think, at the end of a run, how much farther I could have run. Sometimes the answer is "a few miles more" but today the answer was "not one foot more." The humidity was overwhelming and an extended run was not in the cards. Tomorrow I'll aim for an earlier start to avoid the heat and the storms that are predicted for Sunday. Our guests will probably leave by midday tomorrow so I'll want finish up in time to spend most of the morning with them. I wouldn't mind a cooler experience tomorrow but I'd settle for a lower dew point.