Why race if you're not gonna win?

Well this is it -- race week. Five days to the start of the Great Cow Harbor 10K. I don't know what it is about this race that fascinates me but I've thought a lot about it since I signed up in August. Racing is a curious thing. Unless you are very fast, the chances of placing overall, or even in your age group, is statistically very low. So if it's not about winning, why do we race? The easy answer is because it's inexpensive fun. You register for a event and you have weeks to enjoy the anticipation. It's all upside until you reach that inevitable part of a race where you are pushing to your limits and questioning your decision to enter in the first place. No matter what, once you cross the finish line everything is fine and the pain is forgotten. Bananas and bagels never tasted so good, water was never so refreshing. Even Gatorade is palatable. I'm sure there are aspects of racing that tie into our natural instinct to compete, although most recreational runners are really competing with themselves. I honestly hope BJS and Dave do great even if that means beating my own time. I'm not just saying that because it's likely that they will.

I was going to do a hard run with a friend at lunchtime but my schedule won't allow it. I'll need to defer that to October. It's just as well on this taper week that I don't push as hard as I normally might. Saturday and Sunday were both great and different workouts. I guess I'll take a page from the quote of the week and savor the rest. My friend FS ran the 18 mile pre-marathon tuneup yesterday in Central Park. She was remarkably unfazed when I saw her this morning. Three times around the park means three times over the Harlem Hills. No matter what I've put myself through of late it won't touch that effort. I'm looking forward to my run tomorrow with JQ. The weather should be cooler than today with less wind. I think we'll keep the pace moderate but the hills on the lower and upper loops will keep it interesting. Today I'll just enjoy my rest.

Back to the track

Good conditions for speed work on the newly redone track

Today's workout (track intervals): 6 x 800 (ave. pace 8:23) plus 1.62 miles of recovery runs (4.62 total miles)

Along with all the distance training that I've been doing over the last few weeks,  it was important to fold in some speed work to my training for next week's race. I headed over to the high school track this morning with the intention of following a Runner's World plan for a race week taper. The track was redone over the summer and recently painted and it looked brand new as I stepped onto the pristine surface to start my warm-up laps. The plan was to run six 800 meter intervals with 2:30 recovery jogs. I was pleased with my energy level at the start. Considering my 8 mile run on Saturday, I was still able to maintain a mid 8 minute pace on the speed sections. As time passed I saw more people on the track, mostly walkers, but a few runners showed up near the end. I ran through my segments, not pushing too hard, but keeping my pace below 8:30.  I wore my Kinvaras and they felt great. I averaged 8:52 overall, with the interval segments averaging 8:23. In the end I felt satisfied with the workout.

In the afternoon we headed over to the outlets and I visited the Adidas store where I tried on a pair of Marathons. The fit was good and they reminded me a little of the Kinvaras but I actually prefered the Sauconys. At the Reebok store I tried on a pair of ZigTech's that just felt awful on my feet. I'm no fan of Nike but since I was at the Nike store I tried the LunarGlide + (not for me) and the Moto 5's that actually felt very good. The wrap at the arch was excellent as was the heel to toe transition. They also had the the 6's and 7's at the same $75 price point. I tried on the 7's and didn't like the fit or the feel at all. That's the problem with Nike's, not a lot of consistency between the fit of the shoes from update to update.

Tomorrow I plan to run in Central Park with my friend CK to put in five hard miles. Tuesday I'm running with another colleague, JQ, who is looking to get back into running. We'll take that slow and I'll look at that as my penultimate workout before the Great Cow Harbor 10K.

Making it through with Hydration and GU

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

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

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

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

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

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

The taper begins

I went to bed last night feeling ambivalent about running this morning. Though I usually run on Fridays I thought that resting prior to the weekend might be a better way to prepare for some long runs. Over the past few weekends I've driven up my distance running and I'm feeling stronger at the 6+ mile mark than I have in a long time. Last Sunday's run in Northport helped me understand my limits and after running the Great Cow Harbor course (supplemented by BJS's notes) I think I'm mentally prepared for the race.

My plan for this weekend, as I begin my taper, is to reinforce my stamina so I can sustain my goal pace throughout the 10K. Besides compiling lots of quality miles I'm going to need to do hill repeats. There aren't too many hills in my area that can stand in as training resources for the James Street challenge but I have some ideas. It may be worth paying the entrance fee at Bethpage State Park to run the hilly bike trail. That trail is long enough to allow me an 8+ mile out-and-back run that culminates with a large hill right before the exit to the trail head. I always dread that hill, especially because it often comes after an hour of running in the heat. This weekend I will embrace the hill knowing that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Or in this case, a ton of prevention for a megaton of cure.

The Cross Country Kid

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes - high resistance

My daughter has joined her middle school cross country team and yesterday they had their first practice. The coach had them run laps around a field that I know from personal experience is plenty big. My daughter and I had discussed running strategy in the past and she put it to use at the practice. While the others (especially the boys - it's co-ed) took off fast she stayed at the back of the pack to conserve energy for the duration of the run. Due to her smart running, she ended up finishing with the front of the pack and she's excited to get back out there again today. I honestly wouldn't care if she ended up last as long as she enjoys the experience. Cross country training will get those kids into great shape. How long will it be before she can outrun me?

Speaking of training, I focused this morning's workout on a high resistance elliptical session. I more than doubled my usual resistance level and tried to stay within sight of my usual pace rate. At the 10 minute mark I was soaked with sweat but I knew this low impact workout was exactly what I needed. I ended up going for 25 minutes and I'm sure I did more work than I have on any 25 minute run of late. I'm really looking forward to my long runs this weekend. Maybe I'll do a speed run tomorrow morning. Either that or rest. I'm beginning to believe strategic rest is the best way to hold the gains.

There is an article in today's Wall Street Journal about running in Central Park at night. Some of what's said reminds me of my own 4:00 AM running experiences. As much as I like Central Park, I don't think I'd be willing to run there at midnight. Safety first!

Resisting Paragon's bargains



Running shoes 4 cheap at Paragon Sports

 Today's run (street): 2.6 miles at 9:22

Yesterday afternoon I paid a visit to Paragon Sports in Union Square. They are having a warehouse sale all week long and I thought a trip there would be a nice break from a busy day. I first checked out the running section to see what they had and was surprised to see some brands of running clothing that were new to me. Paragon had some 20% off deals on good stuff from Brooks, ASICS, Adidas, Craft, New Balance and Saucony but I didn't see anything that I really needed. They also had big displays of Nike and UA clothes but I can find that stuff anywhere. The warehouse sale was predominantly about shoes. Bins of shoes separated by gender and size filled up most of the room. The clothing choices were sparse for running although I did see a nice, long sleeved Adidas jersey at a genuine bargain price but I didn't need it. I tried on a pair of Brooks Cascadia 4 trail shoes that were priced low. They fit well except for my left foot where it was snug in the toe box. I knew this would be a problem on the courses I'd run with them so I took a pass. The place was mobbed with people looking for quality stuff at 50% off. Amazing how price drives demand.

This morning I wanted to run fast but I didn't. I felt like I was doing everything right -- urgent pace, good form, mid foot landing, but in the end the numbers told a different story. I read an article in Running Times about recruiting your intermediate fast-twitch muscles to gain aerobic speed but I clearly didn't learn enough. I'll admit I was disappointed today considering I ran with my Saucony Grid Tangent 4's that used to provide some speed advantage. Maybe it was the early morning hour or mid-week fatigue. Tomorrow I'll take on the elliptical and Friday I'll try again for some speed. This weekend will be about distance and hills. My legs are still feeling the effects of the James Street incline from last Sunday.

When negative is a positive

Today's run (street): 2.8 miles at 9:01

Yesterday afternoon I caught up with CK, one of my running advisers, and we talked about what it takes to run negative splits, especially over distance. I've had experiences in races where I'm overtaken on the last mile by people who seem to come out of nowhere. Though I struggle to keep from being passed I'm not usually successful. I told CK that my speed tends to degrade along a linear slope and that my end pace is often 30 seconds (or more) per mile slower than when I start. CK said that if that's the case I'm probably going out too fast and that a slower start on longer runs will provide a stronger finish. He also said that once a week I should do shorter distances (e.g., 2 miles) and run at race pace to build my speed.

I thought about that this morning as I prepared for my morning run. My calf muscles are still very tight from Sunday's practice run and I wasn't sure whether to start fast and finish fast or experiment with the "Start slow, finish strong" idea. About ten steps in I knew that I could handle some speed and after a minute I picked up the pace. My form felt misaligned during the first mile and that prevented me from settling into an efficient rhythm but after about eight minutes things seemed to come together. I planned to run more than two miles so I tried to keep aware of my speed and cadence and, as I moved past the two mile mark, I picked up my pace even more. The result was a credible 9:01 but, better still, I tracked negative splits after the first mile. I don't consider today a speed workout but it was directionally positive. Tomorrow I'll focus even more on my pace and leave stamina building for the weekend. CK and I may do a lunchtime training run in Central Park on Monday -- five miles including those hills above the reservoir. I can't say I love the idea but I need to be prepared for the James Street challenge.

Cow Harbor 10K -- it's about the experience

On September 25th there will be 5,300 people in Northport, NY, lining up for the Great Cow Harbor 10K race. To date, besides the Cape Cod marathon relay, the biggest fields I've run against have been measured in the hundreds. Cow Harbor has a staggered start to keep things manageable but with that amount of people, all crammed together, I'm wondering how long it will be before the runners in my corral spread out enough for me to run at my planned pace. I imagine that the hill on James Street serves as a natural filter point to hold off the crowds but I could be wrong. Friends who participate in NYRR events in Central Park tell me how the sheer density of bodies often disrupts a well paced run.

The huge field of runners also negates any hope of an age category placement. I've placed second in my category in a total field of 300, but statistically, I have no chance of doing that in Cow Harbor. Last year there were almost 300 runners in my age group and the winner ran a sub-6:00 minute pace. My best hope is to finish within the top 50% of the pack. I don't mean to imply that I'm already giving up or that I'm in any way negative about this race. It's really the opposite. I'm in awe of the scale and thrilled to be.part of it. I love that truly elite runners will be pounding the same pavement as me on that day and will similarly dread the challenge of Widow Hill. My leg muscles are a bit sore this morning and that's telling me that hill practice will be on my training menu next weekend. All the same, I'm looking forward to revisiting the Great Cow Harbor course, surrounded by thousands of others who feel the same way about this event.

The Great Cow Harbor practice event

Cow Harbor 10K challengers (left to right), Ocha, BJS, me, Dave

Today's run (street): 6.41 miles at 9:23 (per Garmin)

Some runs are so tough that from the moment you start all you can think about is finishing. Other runs are just the opposite -- you'd run forever save for the practical need to meet the day's schedule. Today was much more of the latter. I can't remember the last time I've enjoyed a challenging workout as much as today's Great Cow Harbor 10K practice run.

BJS, Dave and I met near the dock in Northport and BJS drove us to the starting point of the race on Laurel Avenue. We began by running south on Laurel at a decent clip. The first mile has a small hill but is predominantly flat to downhill, and by the time we reached the end of Main Street we were moving along nicely. It was at that point where we ran into Ocha who was also doing a practice run for the race and he joined our merry band as we made our way up Bayview Avenue that led to James Street (aka, "Widow Hill"). There's a famous runner's quote that if a hill has a name it's probably a pretty big hill. I'd say this one certainly deserves a name and we made slow but steady progress toward the top. The hill crests and then serves up an extra steep portion before flattening at the 2.5 mile mark. I didn't think that was the biggest hill on the course because I'd thought Widow Hill came later than that. When BJS, who played pace master and course guide for our group said we'd completed the worst part I didn't believe him.

At around the three mile mark I ran with Ocha who had never raced a 10K and claimed to only run 6 miles a week. If that's the case I'd like to see what he'd be like running 20. He led the way during our practice run, including the end when we scaled the final hill challenge, ("Pumpernickel Hill") and then finished the last mile's mostly downhill path. BJS and Ocha both showed some good speed and I watched them grow increasingly smaller as they headed for our endpoint. I came in about thirty seconds behind them with Dave following me closely. We then walked over to the dock area where Ocha ran into a couple of runners he knew and we asked them to take the above photo. It was a great day for running and there were many others out on the road this morning. I was very happy to run with BJS, Dave and Ocha and learn the course. I'm better prepared for what lies ahead two weekends from today, Widow Hill notwithstanding.

9/11

Today's run (street): 5.35 miles at 9:20

Yesterday morning I felt run down so I decided to forgo my run. I thought about a city run later in the day but since I planned to leave the office early I deferred that too. I thought about sneaking in a short run when I got home but ultimately decided that resting when I felt tired was the best thing to do. We had an early obligation this morning so I had to wait until 9:30 before I could go out for my run. I wasn't there mentally and I was still feeling a little tired but I was determined to cover at least five miles.

Today is September 11 and as I ran through the streets of my neighborhood I thought about my experience nine years ago, sitting around a table in my office and seeing my workmates stream by the door on their way to the corner conference room to watch the events on TV. A colleague popped his head in and said "Do you know what's going on right now?" Later I stood in an office on the 40th floor and looked downtown at the surreal clouds of smoke covering the southern end of the Manhattan skyline. I also remembered how sad we all felt a long time after that day. I didn't think things would ever feel normal again.

I wish I was a runner back in 2001 because running would have been a perfect method of sublimating those emotions. I certainly appreciate running today, and no matter how well or difficult a run may be I almost always get something out of the experience. Today was tough from the start but I focused on my form, my stride (using Kenley's can stomping concept to help maintain a mid foot landing) and my pace. I didn't feel very strong so I conceded some speed in the middle of the run. I picked up the pace over the last half mile and was happy at the end with my result. Tomorrow I'm doing a practice run on the Great Cow Harbor 10K course with BJS and Dave, both of whom are veterans of this race. I hope I have my normal energy restored by that time because there's a lot of challenging hills to face.

2010 running goals -- progress report

Today's workout (elliptical): 26 minutes

Somehow it's already September and it has been months since I've done a check in on my 2010 running goals. My year started out tough with my recovery from pneumonia through most of January. I still feel like I lost a month but I'm certainly back into the fold these days. A quick review of my goals that I set in late January shows I'm fairly well on track. I think there's a good chance that I'll make most of them.

Progress report on 2010 goals

1. Fully transition to mid/front foot running style.
I've been spending more time with my Saucony Kinvaras, shoes that help me land on my mid-foot rather than off my heel. Still, I prefer my Brooks for longer distances as well as my Grid Tangents that have a more conventional build. I'd say that my style is generally mid and forefoot oriented but a full transition has not happened and may not by year's end.
2. Raise at least $200 for charitable causes by donating per race mile.
So far I've raised $130 (I've also had an anonymous donator) and I should be adding $30 more after Great Cow Harbor. That will leave $40 to raise (eight more race miles) between then and New Year's. I believe this is highly possible.

3. PR in a race - preferably in a longer distance than 5K (but I'll happily take a new 5K PR!).
Well, technically, my XTERRA trail race in March was a PR because it was a new distance but I won't take credit for it as a PR. This is because the race distance was modified just prior to the start and it's almost a given that I won't run a race with that unique length again. I had my chances on the Marcie Mazzola 5K, the New Hyde Park 8K and the Dirty Sock 10K but didn't do better than last year. Cow Harbor will provide an opportunity to beat my 10K PR although the deck may be stacked because my prior 10Ks have been on a dirt course.

4. Run trails at three or more NY state parks that I have yet to visit.
I guess I can't take credit for my Colorado park running so I'm 1 for 3 having run in Muttontown Preserve. I have my eye on Caleb Smith this fall so that leaves one more -- Bear Mountain or the Gunks in New Paltz would be awesome.

5. Run a continuous 10 mile route under 9:30/mile.
My personal distance record is still 8.15 miles although I have been working toward more frequent long runs that will prepare me for an eventual 10. Ten under 9:30/mile? That's another challenge.

6. Participate in at least 5 races. Bonus points for running one in NYC.
So far it's four with one on the calendar and another planned for November. I'm looking for races in October and December to make it 8 for 2010. Maybe one in NYC?

7. Finish the year as excited about running as I am right now.
Definitely on track for this one!

Memo to self: Check elapsed time on the Garmin

Today's run (street): 3 miles at 10:14

I don't know how it happened but I ended up running for much longer than I'd intended this morning. My heel problem seemed much less noticeable last night and I gave little thought to it this morning until I took my first steps running. Once again I felt the pain -- not sharply -- but there it was. I briefly considered turning back but I chose to keep going at a much slower pace than I normally run. I wore my Brooks that offer great protection and focused on landing on my mid foot and avoiding direct heel strikes. This is easier to do with the Kinvaras that are almost the same height between heel and forefoot but I'd chosen to wear the Brooks  this morning for their superior cushioning.

I knew I was running slower than usual but I didn't want to exacerbate my injury. I mapped out (in my head) the route I would follow and figured that I'd cover a little less distance than usual given my slower speed. Somehow I got caught up in the rhythm of my run and didn't pay any attention to my time or distance. When I finally arrived home I looked at my Garmin and saw that I'd covered 3 miles in a little over 30 minutes. This actually shocked me because I didn't notice that I'd run eight minutes longer than usual. I was not surprised to see that my pace was a minute slower than average. It was the trade-off I made for protecting my foot this morning. I was disappointed that I lost eight minutes of recovery time between my run and my shower but I still had enough time to finish my coffee. I'll probably do an elliptical session tomorrow. That will be kinder to my foot and hopefully I'll recover from this heel problem before the weekend.

Distant thoughts

I'm back to the office today after being away for almost four days. It felt like a mini vacation as we said goodbye to summer. We put away the pool furniture and the kids did their final preparations for returning to classes today. Over the Labor Day weekend I covered 19 miles, the longest distance I've run within 48 hours. When you begin to accumulate distance you start to notice the amount of time it requires. Covering 19 miles took me three hours, plus prep and recovery time. I now wonder how people who train for marathons manage to fit in all the long runs necessary for training. Despite the time it took cover my distance I was pleased by the way I recovered from each subsequent run. No next day aches and pain even though I was running two or three times the length of a normal morning workout.

Running five times a week, averaging 4 miles per run, has been a good formula for building an aerobic base and for keeping me in decent shape. I know now that these shorter runs have prevented me from suffering the injuries that often befall  higher mileage runners. I may have stepped into dangerous territory yesterday when I went for almost an hour wearing my minimalist Kinvaras to cap off my weekend of running. A twinge of heel pain revealed how unready I was to cover so much ground, especially when wearing shoes that provided so little impact protection. It was in that moment that I fully appreciated the statistic that 66% of runners suffered a related injury in 2009. I had thought I was somehow immune to common injuries and that my running style or my shoes would prevent them. My heel pain is almost gone today but it's not forgotten. I'm still going to focus on distance as I train for my next race but I'll be far more respectful of the problems that can come from higher mileage running.

Need some time for my heel to heal

Today's run (street): 5.52 miles at 9:38

Long weekends are always welcome, especially when the weather is as nice as it's been over the last three days. Today is Labor Day and, among other things, it signifies the spiritual end of summer and the emergence of fall. My kids return to school on Tuesday and they're ready for anything. I'm back to work tomorrow and looking forward to taking a rest day from running. Between Saturday morning and this morning I've covered over 19 miles and I fear I may have pushed a little too hard.

The running plan for the weekend was distance and I think I succeeded with that goal.  However, I may have injured the heel of my left foot this morning and I'm hoping that a day's rest (or even two if necessary) will be enough time to restore things to normal. My morning run started well with an easy loop along the service road that borders my neighborhood to the east before heading west and then south until I re-entered along the eastbound service road. I had no particular distance in mind but two miles went by very quickly so I thought I'd keep going for a while. I reached four miles still feeling fresh despite the 13+ miles I'd put in the previous day. Almost as soon as I checked my distance I felt a pain in the heel of my left foot that I hoped would pass quickly. I knew right away that this was more than a temporary jolt due to a misaligned landing and I thought about walking the rest of the way home, a distance of about 1.5 miles.

The pain remained but it got no worse so I maintained my route feeling surprisingly strong. With about half a mile left to go I experienced an interesting dichotomy -- my legs felt tied down with sandbags but my overall energy level was still very high. I forced my speed and picked up my cadence enough to attain my first negative split since mile 1. At the end I still felt fine and if not for concern for my heel I knew I could have gone on for a while. I iced my foot when I got in the house and wore my Brooks with a pair of Smartwool socks for the rest of the day's activities (today's run was in the Kinvaras).  My heel is feeling much better as a result but I'm going to watch it carefully and continue with ice and rest for the next day, at least. Overall I'm very pleased with my Labor Day weekend running and I think I've turned a corner on my stamina issue. This bodes well for the Great Cow Harbor 10K but I still need to do some speed work if I hope to reach my timing goal.

10K morning at Stillwell Woods

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 6.2 miles at 9:35

As soon as I got up I started debating my strategy for today's run -- go out long again or keep it short and treat it like a recovery run from yesterday's 7+ mile workout? I decided that length would still work if I ran on a softer surface like the Stillwell trails and maintained a moderate pace. Still, I didn't intend to run 6 miles, 4 to 5 was more my target, but conditions were perfect and I wasn't under any time pressure today. I wore my old ASICS 1130's that I've used mostly on the elliptical over the last year because I intended to keep away from the technical trails. The 1130's did fine over the root-y and rutty sections and it made me realize how well road shoes work on most trails (as long as you don't mind getting them dirty). Even during some close encounters with fast moving mountain bikers the shoes allowed me to agilely shift to the right without breaking stride.

I reached three miles faster than I expected and felt strong despite the longer distance that I covered on Saturday. Perhaps the spate of 6+ mile runs I've compiled over the last few weeks are contributing to my conditioning. It's all a matter of what you're used to. The Running Geek, who wrote a great review for Runner's Tech Review, considers 13 miles a short run. I still haven't broken ten and when I do, I know I'll feel it for days. I was rolling along through the woods, not looking at my Garmin, but noting the chirp it provides at every mile. For some reason I thought I was at 5 miles and working on 6 (and deciding whether to go for 7) when I glanced at my watch and it said 4.51 miles. Whoops,  delusions of grandeur. No matter, I still felt like I could go for a while longer and I continued on until I reached six miles and added another .2 as I ran out the trail, back to my car.

A perfect trail 10K on a cool and comfortable Sunday morning. I watched a men's soccer game while I re-hydrated and then headed home to shower. Next weekend BJS, Dave and I are going to do a practice run of the Great Cow Harbor course and this distance training should help me keep up with them. They've both run Cow Harbor at speeds faster than I expect to run but perhaps my recent conditioning will make me a little more competitive on race day.

Stung by Honey Stinger's energy gel

Today's run (street): 7.4 miles at 9:52

As planned, I went out for a long neighborhood run today with a target distance of at least 6 miles. I've only covered that much distance a handful of times over the summer but I know I need longer sessions to build more stamina. This morning's route included my primary neighborhood, the nearby business park and neighborhood #3.

Hurricane Earl turned out to be a non-event for us and the morning brought in some cool winds from the west. It was neither humid nor hot when I set out for my run and after thirty seconds on the road I could tell that yesterday's rest day prepared me well for today. I purposely kept a moderate pace and I lost about ten seconds per mile between miles 2 through 5. At the five mile point I pulled out a Honey Stinger gel pack that my friend KWL had given me after his 10K race a few weeks ago. I was curious to see if I'd see any benefit from this carb blast and judging by my pace over the last two miles of my run I think it did provide a small benefit. Despite that slight energy boost I found the gel to be problematic as it burned my throat going down. I managed to recover from the shock of that experience but six hours later I'm still coughing from the irritation.

I felt pretty good when I finally reached home and thought I still had a couple of slower miles left in me if I wanted to keep going. It was great to cover the distance but I do regret my experiment with the Honey Stinger gel. After running and showering we headed to NYC to see the Blue Man Group to cap off the kid's summer break. Back to school on Tuesday. But Labor Day provides an extra weekend day for me and I'm hoping to cover 6 or more miles at least once more before I return to the office on Tuesday.

Earl-y day

The weather is unsettled and so are my workout plans today. I decided last night to forgo a Friday morning run even if the skies were clear. For my upcoming race, I'm clearly better off doing more longer distance runs even if my run frequency drops to 4x per week (plus one day of cross training). I'll let the storm decide what I'll do today. I'm forgoing my usual Friday Central Park circuit but if conditions are favorable this afternoon I may go out for a long run nearer to home. If we are seeing driving rain and 30+ MPH winds I'll accept this as a rest day and use that recovery benefit tomorrow morning when I plan to go out for an hour or more.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about ways to facilitate longer runs. Routes that put me on a straight path for long periods seem to work better than those that force me to change course every quarter mile or so. You'd think it would be the opposite because change can help fight off boredom but those long straightaways provide an opportunity to "float" and focus on my surroundings. It would be great to live somewhere like Colorado, California or Oregon that enabled long runs that didn't intersect with traffic. The Bethpage bike path is really the only paved route around here that provides me the opportunity to just run straight ahead. for long distances. Belmont Lake State Park (home of the Dirty Sock 10K) also provides a fairly straight path and it has the extra appeal of being a dirt trail. I'm going to think about my options for longer distance runs over this weekend. Maybe I'll come up with something new to try.

One out of one doctors say running is good for your heart

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I spent much of yesterday at doctor's offices. My appointments were routine (annual physical, etc.) but the process, especially the waiting, can be exhausting. I was glad I ran in the morning because the rest of the day was understandably sedentary. I asked my doctor about an article I'd recently read that said running could pose increased risk to the heart. I wasn't that concerned because the greater risks were with higher mileage, performance focused athletes. My doctor is a nationally ranked cardiologist and I trust his opinion over a newspaper columnist's.  He flatly dismissed the risk and said "running is the single best thing you can be doing for your health." That's good enough for me.

I followed my usual schedule this morning and did 25 minutes on the elliptical machine. It was hot and humid but I didn't mind it much today. I selected a higher than normal level of resistance and was able to maintain my usual pace even with wattage output close to 100 (vs my usual 80). I was well soaked when I stepped off the machine but I felt I'd worked as hard (or harder) as I do on my daily runs. It's nice to engage different muscles and to include my upper arms for a change. That's why I devote one day a week to the elliptical. I should probably use it more frequently but if the choice is between running and the elliptical machine it's rare that I'd choose the latter. I'm hoping to run tomorrow but we're hearing that Earl will come close to Long Island tomorrow and (hopefully) move well off shore by late Friday night. If conditions aren't good I may end up on the elliptical tomorrow after all.

Pre-hurricane run

Today's run (street): 4 miles at 9:20

I'm out of the office today and that allowed me a little more time to run this morning. We're back to seeing temperatures in the high 90's after a string of cooler days but, happily, it was still below 80 degrees when I went out at 7:00 AM this morning. If I had more time to run I would have liked to go out for 5 miles or longer. I'm hoping that the Labor Day long weekend will provide the opportunity for a few longer distance runs but hurricane Earl may get in the way of those plans.

My route around the neighborhood was similar to my daily course but I ran a little longer today and there was enough light to see without a headlamp. I saw many neighbors out walking or riding bikes and had to remind myself that it was the middle of the work week and not a Saturday morning. Although it was 77 degrees and rising, I didn't feel at all uncomfortable during my run.

I wore my Saucony Kinvaras as a change from the Brooks and I'm beginning to favor them over most of my other running shoes. Still, on runs greater than 6 miles, I'm concerned that the Kinvaras will provide enough protection for my feet. I'm still dealing with the effects of the Dirty Sock race from two weeks ago that left my feet swollen and the tip of my left-middle toe black. I've been primarily wearing the Brooks since then and that's helped my foot to recover. The Saucony's uppers are gossamer thin and the toe box has enough volume as not to create further problems on shorter runs like today's so I'm now rotating them with the Adrenalins.

I want to get in a few long runs between Friday and Monday but with the storms coming through I'm not sure that will be possible. I don't mind running in a little rain but I'm going to stay indoors if I see "Hurricane Warning"scroll across the bottom of my TV this week.

Okay soldier, give five happy baby poses!

Today's run (street): 2.7 miles at 9:38

Most mornings I wake up before my alarm goes off and that makes it easier to get up. The vestiges of sleep are already gone by the time I make my way down to the kitchen for my coffee and I'm already thinking about the route I'll run. Today I needed the alarm and as I poured my cup, my still-sleepy mind lobbied for just another rest day. The thought of returning to bed was tempting but I view ad hoc rest days warily. Too many of them could lead to a permanent change to my running schedule. It's a slippery slope. I just called on my favorite motivator, guilt, and was quickly out the door.

When I stepped outside I saw that conditions were good, with cooler air and low humidity. I'm not focused on speed right now so I felt no pressure to push my pace (and I didn't.) I did a variation to my normal route and that kept it interesting. At the two mile point I actually felt stronger than when I'd started and I took a slightly longer route to finish my run of 2.7 miles. The lengthy run on Saturday with 15 total miles over the weekend put me in a different state in terms getting through today's run. I found it easy to go on auto pilot and think about other things as I went along and this made today's run even more enjoyable. Tomorrow I am out of the office and I plan to run a little longer in the morning and build some more mileage.

There was an article in today's NY Times about the Army's new methods of training that involve less traditional exercise like sit ups and more yoga and Pilate's. It's not about the Army being more new age-y, it's a necessary change to accommodate the more out of shape recruits that are coming on board. The article also had this quote: “We haven’t eliminated running,” General Hertling said. “But it’s trying to get away from that being the only thing we do.”  I hope they don't continue in that direction. Yoga and Pilate's may be beneficial, but for a soldier, running is essential.

The incremental distance conundrum

I covered more than 20 miles last week, putting me about three miles ahead of my normal weekly total. The long run on Saturday accounted for almost a third of my week's distance and it really underscored the fact that while I run often, I usually don't run that far. I've concluded that the progress I've made on speed has not helped to increase my stamina. I really need to improve my endurance if I want to run well at my next race. Looking at my history on Garmin Connect I see that my average run length is about 3.5 miles but my median distance is slightly less than three. This is no surprise because many of my runs happen in the early morning hours when I hit the streets at 4:00 AM and have no more than 25 minutes to get in a run. Best case, were I to push my speed to 8:30 (a reasonably fast pace at 4AM) I would only cover 2.94 miles within that time. I do want to increase mileage and I think it will take some combination of the following:


- Earlier rising to get out sooner, providing more time to run.
- Sleeping in my running clothes to reduce amount of prep time before I run.
- Running faster.
- Giving up some post-run recovery time in favor of more run time.
- Running on my rest day (Monday).
- Running on my cross-training day (Thursday).
- Doing no less than 5 miles on my weekend runs.
- Focusing on adding a mile every week from my prior week's total.

I'm sure doing these things will help increase my weekly distance total but not every option is practical. In reality, it's not adding the incremental fractions of a mile that will make a difference, it's increasing the frequency and distance of my longer runs. My friend FS said that a focus on time running, rather than specific distance or speed, may be the key. That's good advice. I'm hoping to get three 50+ minute runs in this week. It's a start.

Running and sailing redux

The Emerging Runner runs along the pond at Eisenhower Park

Today's run (Eisenhower Park): 3.75 miles at 9:10

After putting in twelve miles of running between Friday noon and Saturday morning I went for the weekend trifecta with another run with my friend KWL. It's been an active couple of days. Besides my running, we spent a good part of yesterday at a waterfront festival in Sayville (where we met senator Chuck Schumer!) and the kids got another chance to sail KWL's RC boats this morning.

KWL and I got started early, first with a side trip so I could show him the trail head to Stillwell Woods, and then over to Eisenhower Park for our run. We'd both done a lot of running over the past two weeks and looked at today as a recovery run that we planned to do at an easy pace. We started off slowly but very soon defaulted to a faster pace. Our circuit included a few loops around the fields and finished with a couple of loops around the pond. On the last loop KWL picked up the pace and put some distance between us before he circled back and we finished our 34 minute run at the same time. The difference between us in the last lap was echoed in our overall pace: his, 8:50 and mine, 9:10. I was very pleased with today's run because it showed I could string together three runs at some length without any aches, pains or noticeable fatigue. Dave's advice about doing more distance runs is my strategy for now.

We finished the morning with more remote control sailing on the pond. My kids have become more adept on the controls which helped because there were a lot of other boats in close proximity on the water today. I know that I'll need to return my focus on speed at some point but for now I'm enjoying my training for the Great Cow Harbor 10K.

Two park runs: Central and Bethpage

Yesterday's run (Central Park): 3.6 miles at 9:07
Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 7.9 miles at 10:00 (approximately)

It had been over two weeks since I last ran in Central Park and I was looking forward to returning there on Friday. The temperatures in the morning were cool (60's) but as the noonday sun moved overhead the heat came out with strength. I started my run at the 7th Ave crossing on Central Park South and followed the lower loop, moving along well despite the heat and the hills. Along the way the trees provided occasional shelter from the sun and, as usual, the park provided a broad array of stimuli: sights, smells (good and bad) and sounds. Touch too, if you count the feel of the hilly roads under my feet. I was so distracted by the experience that I continued to follow the lower loop until I reached the western side where I redirected north along the upper loop. I continued around the great lawn and followed that north and then east where I switched to the upper loop going south. That series of maneuvers added almost half a mile to my usual route so I was pleased at the end with the extra distance.

This morning I met my friend Dave at Bethpage State Park with a plan to run seven miles on the bike path at a leisurely pace somewhere between 10:15-10:30. Dave's Garmin GPS watch and my Garmin FR60 with foot pod differed in terms of measurement. Mine showed us covering about .4 of a mile longer than his. I have a native distrust for GPS measurement of this type after measuring runs using AllSport, MotionX and other GPS apps on my iPhone. When the data from these runs is compared to the actual measurement (via Google Earth or Gmaps) the GPS usually under represents by a little (or often) by a lot. I can see on the MotionX maps why this is the case, the GPS works in straight line vectors that often cut corners that can add up to less distance. My Garmin has actually been under-counting when paired with my Brooks so we may have actually reached 8 miles today and broken 10:00. I wouldn't be surprised because even though we weren't burning up the road we were moving along well.

Unlike most of my runs at Bethpage, today the runners outnumbered the bikers, although there were a enough bikers to keep us alert when they came up quickly from behind. Dave ran on the inside lane and kindly took the brunt of the bike traffic. We are both running the Great Cow Harbor 10K next month and Dave provided some insight from his experience with that race. Between Dave and Brian I feel very fortunate to have so much prior knowledge of what promises to be a tough course. I'll see for myself in couple of weeks when I do a practice run there with Brian. At the end of today's run I felt very good and took to heart Dave's advice that the best way to increase my stamina is to put in more distance. Distance first, speed second. I hear that. Tomorrow I'll do less distance when I run with KWL. I've covered a lot of miles over the last few days and I need to be kind to my legs. I hope I have enough energy left for Sunday's run as keeping up with KWL can be a challenge. I'm hoping his 10K/100 mile bike ride last weekend will even us up in terms of energy levels.

Long runs and minimalist shoes

Today's run: Central Park (planned)

It's only been one day since I've run but two mornings in a row without a workout seems too long. Tomorrow's planned run will be relatively long but we'll be keeping the pace moderate. Today I'm going to Central Park to put in a few fast miles. The weather predictions are making me think it will be cooler and drier than my last CP run and I'm hoping that's the case. I'm not all that pleased to see the summer coming to a close but as a runner who prefers cooler conditions, I am looking forward to the fall.

I have my Brooks today but I may wear my Kinvaras tomorrow because I'm curious to see how they feel after seven miles. The longest run I've done with these shoes is 5.25 miles and I had no problems on that day. Adventure Girl ran a tough trail half marathon in Oregon earlier this month while wearing her Kinvaras. She liked them a lot, even over that long distance. Today on Runner's Tech Review we're posting an article from a runner who has been deployed in Iraq and has put many miles on a variety of minimalist running shoes. It's a great piece because his impressions are based on miles of running, not just the initial test findings you'd get from most shoe reviews.

Should be a good weekend of running starting today. Only 28 days to the Great Cow Harbor 10K so my focus is turning to distance and stamina.