Race report: 2011 Dirty Sock 10K

Third time's the charm

Today's run (Babylon Village Classic - Dirty Sock 10K): 6.2 miles (net time 58:26)

Sometimes we anticipate a difficult race experience and hope that we're overestimating the challenge. We do everything we can to mitigate the pain and enhance our performance. That doesn't necessarily make the experience any easier, but in the end the pain is usually forgotten. Not entirely, but enough to make you decide to do it all again.

Today's Dirty Sock 10K was exactly like that for me. It was my third consecutive time running this race and for the third time I wondered, in the end, if I will ever do it again. The course is straightforward, an out-and-back 6.2 mile run, mostly on dirt trails. The heat and humidity determine the level of difficulty and the last mile (for me) is always the hardest part.

Team Emerging Runner arrived a little later than usual but I had plenty of time to collect my race bib, along with my race tee (an attractive faded blue this year) and the requisite pair of socks. When we walked into the registration area I saw a rock band on the stage and that made me and my daughter smile. It was a nice moment and we felt we were at an event. I caught up with Dave who was there with his wife and we all hung out until we were called to the line around 10 minutes before the start.

By now I recognize many people who compete in local races and it's a nicely familiar experience when we congregate behind the faster runners. The trails are wide, but with about 500 people at the start, the runners are pretty crammed together. Soon the horn sounded (oddly it sounded like a ship's whistle) and we moved en masse, somewhat slowly, until the crowd began to break up.

I ran the first mile in 8:46, which was good, considering my initial slow start due to congestion. I knew I couldn't sustain that pace and it was obvious that I was running with a faster crowd when they began to gain ground on me. My buddy Dave, who did very well today, had moved ahead and I soon lost sight of him. I tried to use the runners ahead of me as pacers but, by mile two, I began to feel like I was going to have some trouble getting through the entire distance at a competitive pace.

Dave (left) and me post race

Usually I see the winning runner coming back in the other direction around the 2.75 mile mark, but not today. I'd hoped that meant that I was running better than prior years, because that meant the eventual winner would still be circling the lake. Soon I was on the path around Belmont Lake and it felt hard. I was frustrated by the number of people who had passed me, but I knew I was leaving nothing on the course.

Psychologically, I was pleased by how quickly I lapped the lake and passing under the bridge meant that I had less than halfway to go. I continued to get passed and wondered whether I'd finish last. After the race Dave pointed out that we'd started somewhat close to the line so it made sense that faster runners would make their way past me. For the record, I finished where I usually do, right in the middle of the pack.

I did begin to pass some runners as I made my way between miles 4 and 5 and I took water every time it was offered. I also took sips from my hand bottle that was filled with electrolyte mix. Mile 5 finally came and I prepared for the worst and maintained the best pace that I could. Soon we were following the path along Southards Pond. When we turned right I knew we were about a kilometer from the end, perhaps the longest thousand meters I run every year.

Dave and I ran this course last weekend, so I was familiar with some of the features on this section of trail. When I saw the first foot bridge I knew I'd soon see the clearing and then the finish line. I came around the corner and gave my final push, crossing the line over a minute faster than last year. The race announcer even pronounced my last name correctly.

Team Emerging Runner was waiting for me at the finish line and I grabbed some water and drank the rest of my electrolyte mix. I saw Dave and his wife and found out that he finished about a minute and a half before me. He had told me that he planned to go faster than in 2010 and he was right!

Me with Beth and Paul, after the race

I found Paul, who I had met at the NHP 8K race, and his wife Beth. They both ran today's race and did well. Paul's very fast, he came in more than 10 minutes ahead of me. I mentioned to both Dave and Paul that I didn't think I was going to run Cow Harbor but I was overruled. The pain of today's run has faded to the point where I'm prepared to sign up for the race.

Well another Dirty Sock is on the books and I'm happy to have bettered my previous times. More importantly, I fought off fatigue and pain but I still maintained my targeted race pace. I guess I'd better get started on my Cow Harbor training. Preparation will be the key and I'll try not to think about the pain.

Liquid strategy for the Dirty Sock 10K

Performance in a pouch

Tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM I should be off and running on the Dirty Sock 10K trail run. It will be the third time that I participate in this out-and-back race that circles Belmont Lake State Park and passes Southards Pond on the return leg. The last two year's weather was brutal, hot and humid and even some rain. Predictions for tomorrow show 77° and 71% humidity for the start. Not ideal but better than last  year when rain threatened and finally started falling about 45 minutes into the race.

Low cal libation

Favorite fuel

I've trained the best I could with the time I have and I'm planning to use GU Roctane gels for pre-race energy and to help get me through that endless last 2K. I picked up a packet of Gatorade G Series Prime 01 that I will add to my G2 (low sugar) Perform that I'll carry in my water bottle. Both times I ran Dirty Sock I finished low on electrolytes and fairly dehydrated. Generally I prefer simplicity, but if these supplements help me through my expected struggles then it's worth the extra care.

I'll file a full report on the experience. My taper is complete, the race day gear selected and my nutrition plan is set. I'm hoping for the best, but mostly I'm just excited to run this course again and see my family waiting for me at the finish line.

Time for some needed rest

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

This morning I went out for my last run prior to Sunday's race. I wore my Mirages to acclimate to their feel, although the trail surface at the race will be different than pavement. I'll admit that I liked the luxury of this minimal, yet well cushioned, shoe. It's a nice change from the harder ride of the Hattori's.

It's often recommended that runners leave their watches at home and run by feel. I bring my Garmin because I have an irrational need to capture the metrics of every run but I rarely look at the display for anything except elapsed time. I purposely ignored my watch this morning and only checked it at the end when I pulled up by my house and hit the stop button. I saw that I'd averaged 9:14 per mile, which made sense based upon the effort I had made.

I'm still battling the feeling of tiredness and, although I was happy to have run 15 seconds per mile better than my July average, the fatigue was noticeable. Along the way I encountered both a car and a walker at the same intersection -- unusual because I rarely see either at 4:00 AM. That woke me up a bit. I'm done with running until the race, although I may do some less strenuous activities between now and then. Rest, I believe, will be the best thing to do before I line up for the Dirty Sock 10K on Sunday morning.

I did my run, so why do I feel guilty?

Today's run (street): 1.2 miles

I know that I give up some performance when I get up and run at 4:00 AM. I know this because I typically do better on mornings when I put an hour or more between waking and running. There's probably a physiological explanation for that. Let's assume there is. Still, it bothers me when I go out and run at a moderate pace and see that I've averaged on the high side of 9:00.

Since I'm tapering for the Dirty Sock run on Sunday I decided to go out fast this morning. The bargain I made with myself was that I'd only run a mile or so. That got me out the door on a day when I really wanted to remain in bed and finish the sleep that was interrupted by my alarm. I took off faster than normal but not in a sprint, as I would have were I doing intervals. I stepped up my cadence after 30 seconds and tried to generate some speed.

I hit the mile mark at around 8:37/mile which is a 5K race pace for me. I really pushed as I completed the loop back to my house and finished my short run averaging 8:28 overall. Good, not great. In the end my satisfaction with my performance was somewhat deflated by the guilt of running less than half my normal distance. I guess that's why we call it a taper.

The good and bad of late summer running

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I had mixed emotions when I began this morning's run. The air was cool, almost cold, and so different from the humid conditions over the past weekend. I appreciated the energizing weather as I made my way along the route but felt a little sad that the cool conditions and low humidity were signaling the close of summer.

After Sunday's treadmill intervals I found it easier to run with some speed. I knew that I was pacing better than I had in a while. I followed my usual route and moved along at faster than conversational pace. I was trying to imagine if I could sustain that rate over the length of Sunday's race. I pushed hard over the half mile and finished close to 9:00/mile.

One year ago I was averaging about an 8:45 pace on my morning runs but my speed has slipped over the last six months. I'm happy with today's run because (at least) it's an improvement from what is now the status quo.

Singlet minded planning

I need to decide if less is more

With only six days before the Dirty Sock 10K, I'm working out my race day preparations. I've been thinking about whether to buy a singlet to wear as a hedge against the historically high humidity. The idea is sound, having less material on your body will allow more efficient evaporation of sweat. However, I've never run in a singlet and I don't know if I'd like it or if I would find it a distraction.

My fallback is my Craft Performance running tee that does an excellent job of wicking and evaporating sweat. I'm not sure what conditions to expect on Sunday but, if it rains, efficient evaporation becomes less important and, to the prior point, less material would be beneficial. I'll take a look at City Sports this week to see if there are any summer clearance bargains. If I get a singlet I can try it on one of my morning taper runs to see if I like it.

While I'm in shopping mode I need to remember to pick up more GU Roctane gels for the event. There aren't too many products that I think can make a noticeable difference, but this one does.

Kinvara retirement run

You served with distinction but now you're hurting my knee

Today's run (treadmill): 3.15 miles

After yesterday's long run at Belmont Lake State Park I felt no urgency to get out this morning for my Sunday run. That, and the booming thunderstorms that came through around 4:30 and stuck around most of the morning. While I looked out at the drenching that my lawn and trees were getting, I debated whether I should run indoors, do an elliptical session or do nothing.

It wasn't until after lunch, that my wife said I should at least do something. She didn't want me to regret missing my workout after it got too late to do it. She knows me well. I decided to do a mixed session on the treadmill, combining intervals and recovery runs.

The rains have continued all day but it hasn't helped the humidity level. I wore minimal gear -- running shorts and no top. That probably helped, although you couldn't tell by the amount that I sweated. I began at an easy pace, below 6 MPH and eased up to 6.3 through my first mile. At that point I hit the 8 MPH button and ran a few minutes at that speed before backing down to 6.5.

I repeated that cycle a few times until I passed 3 miles, where I dropped to a sedate jogging pace to cool down. I had worn my Kinvaras for the first time in months and, just like the last time I wore them, I experienced residual knee pain after my run. On top of that, I had a hot spot on my mid-foot that may have been caused by my sock. To be safe, I'm going to officially retire the Kinvaras that served me very well for almost 600 miles.

I'm going into my taper now, in fairly good shape. Today's speed work will - hopefully - help me next Sunday. The chaotic weather wasn't only a factor here on Long Island. My friend KWL and his team did not participate in Gran Fondo bike event in Philadelphia today because they were suffering similar conditions. Must be very disappointing. I have no worries for that next week. The website says the Dirty Sock 10K will happen -- rain or shine.

Pre-race training run at Belmont Lake State Park

2010 Dirty Sock race shirt. They also give you socks!

Today's run (Belmont Lake State Park): 6.2 miles

It's been more than two months since my last race (the NHP 8K) so I'm excited that I'll (once again) be competing next weekend. If we have weather like this weekend's on the 21st I'll be very pleased.

This morning I met up with my running buddy Dave at the south end of Belmont Lake State Park. We decided to do a last long training run along the Dirty Sock race course to prepare for the big event. We had plenty of company on the trails at 7:00 AM when we started. There were people with dogs, walkers, bike riders and a handful of other runners.

We took off at a pace that allowed for comfortable conversation and. before I knew it, I heard my Garmin chime the first mile. We reached Belmont Lake and chose to follow the same route that we'll take on race day. This involves a short section that crosses a highway access road and goes under the LIE. We circled the lake in short order and I was pleased with my energy level at what I knew to be the halfway point.

I never noticed before, but I determined the main trail runs uphill in the southern direction. That may be a reason why I have a tough time in the latter half of this race. Checking our watches we saw that we were coming on the one hour mark and I couldn't believe that much time had passed. Having an interesting guy like Dave as a running partner certainly helps on long runs.

At the last leg of the run, where the trail twists south after paralleling a section of  Southard's Pond, Dave stepped up the pace and I followed. He's a strong finisher and I did my best to stay with him. This last half mile is always tough on race day because it's hard to discern how much more trail is left before the finish line. I know to listen for the race announcer over the PA, that tells me to start my final sprint to the line.

The humidity finally kicked in and at the end we were a pretty soggy pair. I was extremely pleased with our run and I know I could have put another 10% into my effort if I had been competing. I'm saving that for race day. The taper starts tomorrow. Let's hope that the heat and humidity take a holiday next Sunday.

No power leads to unexpected power

Note to Sports Authority: sale items are supposed to cost less

Today's run (street): 3.2 miles

I worked from home this morning which allowed me to sleep in a little later. Sort of. At around 4:00 AM our house alarm started bleeping, indicating a loss of battery power. I noticed that the digital clocks had no display and that we were having a power outage. I went back to sleep for an hour, but when I got up for good, I was suffering a bad headache. The power had come back on, so I had a couple of strong cups of coffee and headed out for a neighborhood run .

The humidity was low at 6:30 and the temperatures were in the 60's, so my run was pleasant. I started slowly because my headache was sapping some energy. I picked up the pace and covered a little more than 5K. I was moving steadily but it didn't feel especially fast. I lamented the fact that I hardly ever manage paces faster than mid-9:00 these days and I expected today's to be even slower.

I finished my run and was surprised to see that I almost hit 9:00 overall. It may be that I'd had about an hour between getting up and running or that the weather helped me. Probably a little of both. Either way it was nice to break out of my normal metric and show some better performance.

I had much to do between 11:00 and 5:00 and, throughout the day, I had periods where my headache made me want to lie down and take a nap. Ibuprofen helped a little but, once again, it was Sudafed that did the trick. Pseudoephedrine is wonderful thing. I take it sparingly and I'm always happy when I do.

At one point this afternoon, we stopped into Sports Authority to get my son a new pair of water shoes. I'm very disappointed in their decision to drop brands in favor expanding their floor space for more Nike and Under Armor clothing. I guess people like that, but I don't. My son and I were amused to see this great deal on Adidas running shoes in the kid's section (above). I think their marketing people need to rethink both their merchandise lines and their pricing

The thing about the Dirty Sock course...

Link to picture at Bill McBride Photography

Today's workout (elliptical): 28 minutes

I'm thinking of heading to Babylon this weekend to run the trails in Belmont Lake State park. This is the location for the Dirty Sock 10K that's being held next a week from this Sunday. The course itself is straightforward, mostly flat and non-technical, and, unless it's been raining, well groomed. The thing about this race is the weather. On a cool fall morning it's as good as trail running gets: picturesque woods, a beautiful lake and some interesting sections with that cross over brooks or pass by another lake. But the weekend of Dirty Sock can show a different side of this course - the heat and humidity envelope you and the last mile of the race is plenty tough.

The last time I ran this course was in the spring when I closed out my half marathon training. I wore my Kinvaras on the trails and thought all was well but that night I awoke to significant knee pain that followed me for months. I've since gotten past that problem but I'm a little concerned about a recurrence of this problem. In truth, I had probably over trained the week that I did that run and the knee pain was likely a result of running 30% more mileage than normal.

I'm planning to run in the Mirages, a minimal stability shoe, this weekend and for the Dirty Sock race. I've been running almost exclusively with the Hattori's but I seem to adapt well between those shoes and Mirages. This will also be a big weekend for my friends who race. KWL will be competing in the Philadelphia Grand Fondo bike race (108 miles) and FS is due to run a race on Cape Cod. However, she is "day to day" on deciding whether to participate, due to an injury. I hope everything lines up for both of them this weekend (including good weather) and that we all have great experiences.

A run without purpose

Today's run (street): 2.25 miles

Runner' World has a story in the August issue that suggests that you have a purpose for every running workout. Examples include building endurance, getting faster and simulating race conditions. This morning the purpose of my run was simply continuity.

It's been a taxing week in the office and I count on my daily run to bring balance to life's pressures and stress. Some mornings I get up and run hard, usually when I'm training for a race. Other times I'm happy to complete my route after averaging a mid-9:00 pace. In both those cases I usually feel like I've contributed to my fitness.

Today's run was more obligatory than tactical. I started out slow, almost as a concession to my begrudging agreement to run. I reached my first mile two minutes later than I normally do and that prompted me to step up the pace. As much as I'm told to run without a watch, seeing my performance playing out on the digital display can motivate me to work harder.

My increased focus on speed allowed me to make up for that first mile pace and I completed the last third of a shortened course at 10K race pace. In the end I was glad to have run and satisfied with my performance recovery. Still, I'm hoping for a more purposeful attitude when I go out for my next run.

Runners: know thy enemy!

Today's run: 2.6 miles

Hoping to keep my cool

Like most runners, my performance degrades with a rise in temperature. Adding humidity makes it worse and it all makes sense scientifically. If your body needs to cool itself, it will deplete your body's fluid level through sweat. This leads to a loss in plasma volume and a reduction in oxygen to muscles because blood low is being pushed to the surface of the skin. Humidity prevents efficient evaporation of sweat that dissipates heat and helps regulate body temperature.

It seems like every running magazine I read has an article or two about running in the heat. They all say basically the same thing -- that proper hydration (including electrolyte balance) is key. They are also pretty clear that running in extreme heat can drive your body temperature up to dangerous levels. At that point it goes from bad to worse.

I'm thinking about this because I'm two weekends away from the Dirty Sock 10K trail run. It's a great race that goes through the woods and around a lake. It's always held the third weekend in August and the two times I've run it conditions ranged from high heat and humidity to high heat, humidity and rain. Last year I drank 24 ounces of water after I finished and still felt depleted. It wasn't until my daughter brought over an electrolyte drink that I finally felt restored and balanced.

This morning's run did not feel humid (though it was) and I appreciated the temperatures that were still in the 70's. I had a decent run and by the time I came home I was drenched with sweat but I didn't feel overheated. I'm looking for a singlet to wear on race day. Despite the "wife-beater" look that I've always avoided, that may be a good tool for keeping my body temperature down. One thing I'm counting on is that Dirty Sock will fall on a hot and humid day.

Puzzling find beneath my Hattori's

Hey, that's nowhere near my mid-foot!

I did both of my weekend runs on the treadmill and used my second pair of Hattori's that have yet to see pavement. Out of curiosity, I looked at the bottoms to see if the tread picked up a wear pattern from the belt and noticed some evidence of impact on the front medial side. That looked like I may still be pronating, even with a mid-foot strike. I also thought that it may just be belt dust that attached to the out-sole.

When I looked at my primary pair of Hattori's I was quite surprised to see that both heel pads showed clear evidence of wear towards the outside edge of the shoes. These are outdoor shoes and there's no other explanation except that I'm still pushing off the heel at some point in my strike.

This is puzzling because I know I'm landing on my mid-foot when I run in the Hattori's and the white EVA shows an imprint that supports that fact. Clearly there are two points of contact when I land and I'm guessing that I glance off the heel and then strike ahead of the arch. No too bad but not what I want. Perhaps I'll make a trip to a local running store in the next couple of weeks and ask to have my gait videoed. Even if my theory is confirmed I'm not sure if there's much I can do unless I want to go back to a lightweight stability shoe.

Dirty Sock prep: 60 humid minutes on the treadmill

Today's run (treadmill): 5.5 miles

The rain was coming down hard at 6:30 AM and the frequent thunder told me that the storm was close. I hoped that it would move through quickly so I could go out for a long run later in the morning. A check on weather.com showed no hope for a letup so I changed my plans in favor of an indoor workout.

If I had gone to Bethpage State Park I would have targeted 8 miles, but I knew that spending that much time on a treadmill would make me a candidate for the insane asylum. I decided that I would run for 60 minutes, including some time for warm-up and cool down. At the start, the temperature in the guest room seemed pleasant, and I had my trusty water bottle to help keep me hydrated. At the ten minute mark I still felt relatively dry and I wondered how long I would go until the sweating began.

By the time I reached the 15 minute mark I felt like I was in a sauna and I questioned whether I could really go the full 60 minutes. By 20:00 I noted that I was 1/3 my planned time and my running shorts were just about soaked through with sweat. I didn't bother wearing a shirt because I could get away without one indoors. I regretted that I'd forgotten to wear a HRM. It would have been interesting to record my physical response to the heat and humidity over the duration of my run.

I kept drinking water and by the 30 minute/halfway mark I knew that I'd be okay for 30 more. Passing 40 minutes was a welcome milestone and I reached five miles a little before the 50 minute mark. I continued for another 5 minutes and then dropped my pace and finished with a five minute cool down at around 11 minutes per mile.

I wasn't delirious when I stepped off the treadmill but I was sweating profusely and I made a beeline to the refrigerator and grabbed some Gatorade G2.  The very humid conditions, heat and 60 minutes of motion were exactly what I was after today. The conditions at the Dirty Sock 10K are usually brutal, not unlike today's. It occurred to me near the end of my run that I must be in decent shape to have gone through today's workout without quitting or collapsing in exhaustion afterward. I'm hoping that hard workouts like the ones this weekend will yield a good result on race day.

Weekend video report: The Emerging Runner Hill Challenge

Today's workout (treadmill): 24 minutes

Saturday has been a busy day and an early morning appointment prevented me from getting out for my run. That was too bad as conditions were perfect at 8:00 AM when I would have run. By the time I got free, it was already well after lunch. I had just read about TrailRunner Magazine's Hill Challenge that is going on at the Outdoor Retailer show right now in Salt Lake City. I thought that might be the perfect workout for me, given my limited time.

The TrailRunner hill challenge pits two people against each other on treadmills where they compete to see who can cover the most distance in 15 minutes while running at a 10% incline. 15 minutes seems like a short enough time to endure almost anything but I'm not a 20-something super athlete and I know my limits. Instead I did the Emerging Runner Hill Challenge which involved running 24 minutes with increasing speeds and inclines in the first half, followed by decreasing speeds and elevation during the second.

I began the run at 4 MPH with a zero incline and at 00:59 bumped to 1% and 4.1 MPH respectively. I continued this way until I reached 10% and 5.1 MPH which I held for a couple of minutes. After that I decreased by .1 MPH and 1% incline until I finished. I kept my Amphipod hand bottle filled with icy water at the ready and drank liberally throughout my workout. I was sweating profusely by the 10 minute mark and, despite the increasingly easier conditions the run still felt like hard work. 

It was great to complete a hard workout in less than 30 minutes -- perfect for the time I had. Thanks to my daughter (and camera person) I was able to file this weekend's video update. I hope to get out for a long run on Sunday. Let's see if the rain will hold off, at least throughout the morning.

A change of course, ever so slight

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I've been working half days on most of the Fridays this summer. It's a great way to extend the weekend and since many people don't even come in on Friday, I find these mornings especially productive. The only issue I have is whether to run early or wait until noon and run in Central Park. We're having an impromptu pizza party at noon so I opted to go out for my run this morning.

I just couldn't bear to run the same route that I've fallen into over the past couple of months. The advantage of repeating this course is that I can know instantly, after I finish, how well I did compared with other days. I also know that following this course will get me back home in time to stay on schedule. But after a while the same course grows tedious, so I set out on a different path and chose streets randomly.

I ended up covering just about the same distance as I do on my regular route but at least the scenery was different. I came home a few seconds later that I had on runs earlier in the week, but overall I was running the same. I'm looking forward to a run without time restraints tomorrow and I hope to cover at least 8 miles on one of the days. In the meantime, this morning's route was a nice change from the usual roads.restraints

Why runners should be kookoo for Coco Puffs

Probably too processed to deliver epicatechin - but yummy!

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I know that they don't sell Count Chocula at Whole Foods but maybe they should. According to an article in yesterday's NY Times, epicatechin, cacao’s primary nutritional ingredient, has been identified as a factor to measurably improve athletic performance. In a study with mice who were tested using epicatechin against mice that didn't, "The fittest rodents...were those that had combined epicatechin and exercise. They covered about 50 percent more distance than the control animals."


Now mice and people obviously differ but the findings were that epicatechin facilitated the creation of new capillaries and new mitochondria. The study said that the combination of exercise and epicatechin yielded the clearest benefits. This morning I had a small piece of dark chocolate before my elliptical workout and I did well, although there are multiple reasons to explain that. The fact is, epicatechin is a flavonol, and, as the Times puts it, "a class of molecules that are thought to have widespread effects on the body." 

I don't believe in supplements but I do think it makes sense that better nutrition will lead to better performance. If that nutrition comes in the form of dark chocolate, who am I to complain?

Seven seconds separates two runs

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

This morning's run was almost exactly like yesterdays. In fact, the only difference was that today's run took me seven seconds longer than on Tuesday. Same route, same weather conditions, same start time. I think my seven second difference happened in the first few minutes when I got off to a slightly slower start. My standard practice has been to start at a moderate pace and gradually increase my speed so that I attain negative splits on every mile. I try to throw in some anaerobic sprinting at the end of my last mile which, at the end, tells me a lot about my state of conditioning.

Although Sunday's 6+ mile run would have been a typical weekend distance for me a few months ago, it was a noticeable jump in length compared to my recent runs. I was glad not to have suffered any ill affects from going 30% longer than usual. No second day hamstring or calf aches like I'd get following a 10K race or a 10 mile recreational run. I'm thinking about upping my distance even further this weekend and targeting 8 miles of LSD. I think if I reestablish my long run base to the level I maintained in winter I'll do okay at the Dirty Sock 10K later this month.

Listen to your body, not your mind

Today's run (street) 2.5 miles

I suspect that I'm behind on my sleep since I've been depending on my alarm to get me up every morning. It's funny how the same thought plays in my head every morning as I pour my coffee: "You're obviously tired so why not rest today?" Somehow I manage to ignore that suggestion and head back upstairs to prepare for my run. I'm learning that the voice in my head has no credibility.

I always turn on bright lights when I'm getting ready for my morning workout. I've read that light signals the brain to stop producing melatonin and that seems to work as I'm generally alert by the time I've dressed. A couple of bites of an energy bar tells my body that I'm fueled and I top it off with a few ounces of coffee.
 
My Garmin found its satellites quickly this morning which saved me some valuable minutes. I took off expecting my legs to feel less than responsive after doing a long-ish run on Sunday. That wasn't the case and by mile one I was cruising. I didn't break any speed records but I did maintain my target pace without much trouble. It's going to be very humid today but at 4:00 AM the air felt a little chilly. That surely contributed to my positive performance. I completed my run feeling as though I could have run for hours. Unfortunately, I had a train to catch.

I've found my minimalism threshold

Dare I say "a little too minimal"?

It wouldn't meet the definition of a "Two-a-day" but I did get out late in the afternoon on Sunday for a bike ride. My wife and daughter had gone over to the middle school to play tennis and I thought I'd surprise them with a visit. After I saw them I did a ride around the neighborhood and followed a route that I commonly run. Once again I was amazed how quickly I covered the roads on my bike compared to when I run them. It's also a lot easier to ride these roads, especially the hills, but there's something about the simplicity of running that I far prefer. Must be this minimalist mindset I've adopted.

Regarding minimalism, I made my second attempt to run in the Invisible Shoes huaraches yesterday and it didn't go well. I tried the sandals with socks (much to wife's horror) but kept in the backyard to prevent her any further embarrassment. I'd hoped the socks would protect my toes from the lace but it actually exacerbated the discomfort. I shed the socks and tried another run but it was so uncomfortable I had to stop.

I really wanted to reach the point of minimalism where all that existed between my bare foot and the road was a thin layer of rubber. The Hattori's get me very close to that and it feels correct and natural. The huaraches may be a good solution for others, but I know I'd need to invest a lot of time acclimating to the feel of these "shoes." The Hattori's work for me already. I think I'll stick with them.

Me and Dave on the Bethpage trail

Start of the Bethpage bike path and its first big hill

Today's run (Bethpage bike path): 6.3 miles

This morning I finally caught up with my running buddy Dave, who I haven't seen since the winter. He'd just come back from a long vacation in Greece with his family where he had many opportunities to run. We had decided to cover about six miles today, the first time I've done a run over 6 miles since mid-June.

We started at 7:20 AM while it was still fairly cool. The humidity hadn't risen much and we were sheltered by the bike path's tree cover that starts about a mile into the route. We maintained an easy pace and, before I knew it, we'd passed the 30 minute mark. We then turned around to complete the second half of the run.

Along the way we saw a number of people running in groups, perhaps in training for an upcoming race. There were the usual cyclists, most of them polite, but one rider overtook us on the final hill and screamed "Move over!" before he passed. Not too cool since there was plenty of room for him already.

Between the relaxed pace and the interesting conversation the hour-plus run went by very quickly. I had brought my Amphipod hand bottle, filled it with crushed ice, for hydration. The contents stayed cold as the ice melted and it provided a cool supply of water throughout the route. We finished the run feeling like we'd had a good workout and had the sweat to prove that. I was really pleased to break the 6 mile barrier after many days, along with great company, a nice course and near perfect weather.

Weekend video report: running huaraches

Today's run (street): 3.55 miles

No, I didn't do today's run using the Invisible Shoes huaraches but I did manage to get them laced up for a short run in the back yard. The website for the shoes provides videos with detailed instructions on how to prepare your huaraches. You can choose between full DIY, where they send you a square of Vibram Cherry material that can be cut to size, semi-DIY where you receive shaped soles based on a supplied foot measurement, or custom made huaraches created from a tracing of your foot.

I went the middle direction and had to punch a hole for the toe area and then lace up the shoes using the supplied material. Adventure Girl went with the custom options and she and I will be putting up our review of the Invisible Shoes huaraches on Runner's Tech Review in the coming weeks.

After preparing the huaraches, I made a few rounds in the yard, running on grass. I think I understand why this form factor would appeal to barefoot wannabe runners, the 4mm soles deliver plenty of ground-feel while providing some protection from things that you may want to avoid with bare feet. While this is almost as minimal as you can go, I couldn't get comfortable with the feel of the laces between my toes. I will do some runs in these huaraches to inform my review but I'm probably not a candidate for transitioning from running shoes to this platform.

When I put on the Hattori's I couldn't believe how luxurious they felt compared to my run in the huaraches. An ASICS Nimbus couldn't have provided a better sensation of security and cushioning. The funny thing is that the Hattori's actually provide no cushioning, but the way they hold and guide my foot makes it feel as though they do. The Hattori may seem to be a very simple shoe, but Saucony has put a lot of engineering into that design.

I did a relatively short run around the outside of my neighborhood, going clockwise to maximize the hill challenges I'd meet. Much of the run was shaded by trees and this was good because it was hot (82 degrees) and humid, according to the electronic sign at the local fire station. I'm planning on a long run tomorrow morning and, since we're going out early, I'm hoping we'll miss some of the heat. I'll write more about the Invisible Shoe huaraches when I try more runs in them. But tomorrow, I'm going out with my much more comfy Hattori's.

30 more minutes of sleep yields a better run

Today's run (street): 3 miles

I'm going in a little later this morning and bringing my son with me. Both he and my daughter have been doing this since they were about two years old. They get their own workstations and they even get work assignments. It's fun for them and they get an understanding of business life. We have some interesting things planned for the day, both in the office and at the local museums.


Since we took a later train I gave myself an extra 30 minutes of sleep and was still able to cover three miles on this morning's run. I was determined to beat Wednesday's pace by a minute per mile and I managed to accomplish that. It was humid at the start and lightly raining at the finish and I tried to maintain a decent speed by thinking about my cadence and stride. It felt faster than what the Garmin showed to be a mid-9:00 pace.
I'm hoping to take the new Invisible Shoes huaraches out for a run tomorrow and I'm meeting my running buddy Dave on Sunday morning, for what should be my longest run in many weeks.

I've talked about 600 things

600 words about one thing

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

As unbelievable as it seems, I'm coming up on my one thousandth Emerging Runner post. Based on my publishing frequency, that milestone should be reached some time in mid-September. What's interesting is that post number 1,000 will also coincide with the third anniversary of my return to running. I guess that makes sense since I started this blog as an online journal to record my new experiences as a re-engaged runner.

A quick review of the site's subject categories shows approximately 600 descriptive terms for the 950 posts to date. The most frequently applied tag is (no surprise) pace. 600 tags is a lot, and I think it shows that running is surely not a one dimensional subject. It would probably be interesting to create an actual taxonomy to reveal the true richness of the sport. But then again, I'd rather spend my time running.