A couple of products I wish I could buy

Today's run (street): 3.5 miles

After yesterday's difficult run that capped a week of tough workouts, I decided to give myself a couple of days rest in the upcoming week. Since today is Sunday, I couldn't resist the chance to go out for a run without the time constraints that I face on workday mornings. You'd think that I'd take it easy today and ease into my upcoming rest period, but that's not the way it went.

I've had some tweaking around my left knee and I felt some soreness when I got up today. I noticed that the pain came from lateral, not straight-ahead, movements. That meant I could run, so I put on my running gear and headed outside.

I thought about my current stamina issues and popped a couple of Sports Beans before I left. I'm not sure if they helped, but I did feel more energy at the start than I did before yesterday's run. It made me think about two products I'd like to see: a time released carb/electrolyte supplement and an electrolyte drink that is neutral-tasting like water.

Right product, wrong geography

I used to buy electrolyte-enhanced water at Whole Foods after runs in the city, but it only solved part of the problem. I looked online and found a product called CNP Pro-Energy bars that supposedly release energy over time. The website is from the UK and I don't know if the bars are available in the US. I think both of these ideas would find a market here.

Today's run went very well. I didn't plan to cover a long distance, so I ran harder than I did Saturday. My speed improved 2 minutes per mile over yesterday's pace. That was good enough for me, and when I finished I was breathing hard but happy to take a break over the next couple of days.

I need to get in at least one 6+ mile run next weekend as I continue to build my base for May's half marathon. In the meantime, I'm hoping to recover my fitness with a little R&R.

Today I ran like a Kenyan

As if...

Today's run (street): 5.4

Don't be impressed by the headline of this post, I wasn't channeling Geoffrey Mutai winning the ING NYC marathon this morning. Quite the opposite, actually. While Kenyan runners regularly hit five minute miles in competition, they tend to do their long recovery runs at an extremely slow pace. That was my plan today and I kept to it.

The training schedule that I've followed over the last few years has been to run five days a week, with additional cross training on a 6th day. I rest on Mondays unless I'm not feeling well or if I'm tapering for a race.

With a schedule like that, I shouldn't have issues with running strength or stamina but I sometimes hit the wall around 30 minutes into a run. Since my policy has always been, "Once I start, no stopping" I run through these low points and will occasionally rebound strongly. People have said that even though my frequency is high, my base is fairly low. This is true. My weekday running distances average 2.5 miles due to time limitations. On weekends I'll go longer, but the shorter runs play havoc on my base.

My monthly mileage numbers this past November and December were down about 10% from the prior year. I know it's because I wasn't consistently doing 7+ mile distances as I had in 2010. I've decided to work on my base with 5 miles being my lower limit for weekend runs. Last Sunday I ran the 5 mile Hangover Run and this morning I did a 5.4 mile neighborhood run.

Five miles isn't particularly long but I needed to motivate myself to get out today after suffering three tough runs since Sunday. I figured that running slowly would make it easier -- and it was --  until I hit 4 miles and started to suffer fatigue. I didn't fully understand why, since I'd run over a minute/mile faster last Sunday. Unfortunately, running like a Kenyan didn't yield the results that I'd hoped to attain.

A week of tough running has convinced me that I need to give myself a two-day break to restore my fitness to normal levels. Since I can't resist running on weekends, I'll target Monday (my usual rest day) and Tuesday as recovery days. I'll see if that does any good when I get back to it on Wednesday.

Workouts, PE and relax-outs

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles
Yesterday's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

My wife and I were comparing notes on our workouts this morning. We'd both had hard runs and I said that's the reason why it's called a workout and not a relax-out. She and I have very different training methods and I would be challenged to follow her routine. In turn, she would probably say the same of mine. But each day we congratulate each other (and ourselves) for getting it done. It's great reinforcement and it motivates us to continue.

Without a running watch I would have guessed that I ran today's route a minute per mile faster than I actually did. My perceived effort was high but I clearly fell short on performance. No matter, I recently read an article that said that perceived effort (PE) is a better gauge of how you should be running than holding rigidly to a targeted pace.

Every workout that I've done since returning to work has generated a high PE but performance on the low end of the scale. It could have to do with my adjustment back to 4:00 AM running because I feel very good overall. Maybe a long slow base run this weekend can get me back on track. Perhaps a relax-out is just what's needed.

Faint praise for the treadmill

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I'm going to blame the transition from vacation to work for my sluggish performance this morning.  Even though I'm an early riser while on vacation, there's a big difference between waking up at 6:00 AM versus 3:45 AM. It probably didn't help that I set a 2% incline for the first 2/3rds of today's workout.

A year ago I probably would have braved the weather and gone outside, despite this morning's 11° temperature. My dislike of the treadmill experience used to outweigh the discomfort of freezing conditions, but I've finally accepted the treadmill for what it is. I even appreciate how I can change conditions like speed and elevation with a single touch. I'll reluctantly admit that, on an extremely cold morning, the treadmill can be the better choice.

Still, I far prefer the trails or the road, and I can't wait to get outdoors this weekend. I may have been better off resting today, but since I started the run I felt I needed to finish it. Around the 15 minute mark I realized I wasn't at full strength. I decided to drop the incline rather than hurt myself further. I did step up the speed a little when I did that, but not by much. Tomorrow, I will do an elliptical workout and (hopefully) on Friday the temperatures will be back in the 30's and I'll take to the streets once again.

Reality check: back to work and 13.1 training

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

As I walked through mid-town this morning, I detected the acrid odor of a cigarette. It reminded me that being on vacation had shielded me from that toxic smell for almost two weeks. Well it's back to work for me today. I'll miss being on vacation but at least I like work.

The alarm jolted me awake at 3:45 and I debated whether to ease back into work mode by skipping today's run. With temperatures in the 20's, it was easy to justify staying indoors. But when you have a treadmill and an elliptical machine, there's really no excuse not to exercise. I did an easy indoor run for 25 minutes which actually helped both mind and body.

I'm trying to decide an approach to training for the half-marathon in May. Last year I think I misunderstood the amount of base training I would need to meet my expectations for a 13.1 mile race. It was the most difficult run I've ever done, but I still felt I that could have done better in terms of finish time. I'm hoping that with a reasonable plan, I can realistically target 2:10. To do that, I'm going to need to do a lot of 10 to 13 mile training runs between now and May.

My 2012 racing calendar is already filling up!

All vacations end, and when they do, the hope is to be fully relaxed before returning to the office. For this vacation, I'd say mission accomplished. I even remained healthy throughout the week. For some reason, over the years, this winter holiday break has coincided with illness. It's mostly been bouts of the flu, but two years ago I was hospitalized  with pneumonia. So far, so good!

I usually rest on Mondays to recover from the prior week's training. I considered doing a run today since I'm still out of the office. I ultimately decided to forgo this workout in favor of today's busy agenda.My only running related activity was snagging two pairs of compression shorts at Marshall's for about $10 each. It was a very good deal.

I've signed up for the RXR Long Island Half Marathon that takes place in May. My friend TC, who planned to run it with me last year but got injured, has also signed up. In the meantime, I'm planing to run the Long Beach Snowball 4 mile race in February and the Marcie Mazzola 5K in mid-April. I may also try to fit in a 10K race as a tuneup before the Half. I need to restart my long base training soon, so I'm hoping for some snow-free weekends this month.

LIRRC 2012 Hangover Run: well done fun

Today's run (LIRRC Hangover Run): 5 miles

47:19 (9:28 pace)

Happy New Year! Last night went later than expected and I didn't get to sleep until after 12:30 AM. I did catch an hour's nap earlier, in an attempt to bank some needed sleep, but I don't think it did much good. Even so, I got up at 6:30 and tried to decide how to dress for this morning's fun run in Eisenhower Park. The NYC news station showed 44 degrees, while our local station showed 32.

I finally settled on a long sleeve base layer topped with a short sleeved jersey, along with my new CS running pants. It was a good choice but I may have been fine with only one layer on top. When Team Emerging Runner joins me on cold days, I can wear more layers to keep warm. I just hand off my jacket before the race begins. Today I was by myself, so the extra layer helped while I stood waiting for the start.

I have to hand it to the Long Island Road Runner's Club who put on today's event at Eisenhower Park. LIRRC does it all with a minimum of frills (no race shirts or pre-registration) but they charge very little to participate and they hold many races throughout the year. Today's Fun Run was a gift because the event was open to all. Post-run refreshments were served and not a penny was charged to participate.

It was friendly crowd who milled around near the start area and soon we were off on our 5 mile run. The LIRRC provides a timing clock but the tracking is up to the participants. No one wins this race but I'm sure the swiftest runners compete for bragging rights. The course is five times around a measured loop within the park. Every time you pass the timing clock at the start, you've finished another mile.

It was interesting to run this "Hangover" run. I didn't see too many sluggish runners nursing hangovers. It felt like a race. Since it wasn't actually a competition, I decided to run it a little faster than a recreational run at that distance, but not as fast as my 8K race pace.

It may have been last night's late bedtime, or the fact that I haven't taken a rest day since last Monday, but I couldn't generate a lot of speed. The first mile seemed to take a while and the clock showed 9:02 when I passed it. Miles 2 through 4 were run slower as I settled into a more comfortable pace. At the last mile I decided to step things up a little and passed a handful of runners before crossing the line at 47:19.

Even though I didn't have a hangover, it was a great head-clearing experience. Just think, I've got a perfect streak going this year, running every day and averaging 5 miles each run! Sadly, the streak will end tomorrow when I take a well needed rest.

2011 running is done, now bring on the Hangover!

Today's run (street): 3.4 miles

It's the last day of the year and I had to get in one final run before the ball drops. Since I'm planning to participate in tomorrow's 5 mile Hangover Fun Run, I decided to keep my distance to about three miles. It's unseasonably warm for the end of December and the temperature was at 45° when I went out this morning.

I wasn't the only person looking to end the year with a run around my local streets. I encountered a couple of runners who I'd seen around the neighborhood plus plenty of people who were out walking their dogs. I didn't push the pace but it still felt challenging, even for such a short distance.

It should be fun to run around Eisenhower Park on New Year's day. Were I more adventurous, I'd consider heading into NYC tonight for the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run. That's a four mile race that's run every New Year's Eve. But since that race starts long past my bedtime, I think I'm far better off waiting for tomorrow morning.

Indoors at the outdoor stores

 Today's workout (elliptical): 40 minutes

Today was a busy day that included visits to two of my favorite stores: EMS and REI. I was hoping to find some after-Christmas bargains in running and outdoor wear, but I wasn't compelled to buy. I did get a lightweight reflective vest to replace the tattered one that I've been using. The vest that I'd bought a few months ago at Paragon is a little too bulky for running, but I'm sure it will come in handy for some other use.

My wife picked up a very nice Mountain Hardware sweater at REI at a great price. I also bought three GU gels that were on sale for $0.79 -- Peppermint Stick, Peanut Butter and Mandarin Orange. I hope those flavors taste as good as they sound when put to actual use.

I've decided I will participate in Sunday's LIRRC Hangover fun run. It's a five mile course on the grounds of Eisenhower Park, with no tracking chips. It could be fun to run a "race" without the pressure of the clock. I believe that the race is timed for those who want to know how they did, but no results are posted.

I did 40 minutes on the elliptical machine this morning and set the resistance higher than I usually do. It was a nice low impact workout that still generated quite a sweat. I'll go out for a few miles tomorrow to celebrate another great year of running. On Sunday the 2012 odometer will start!

Cold and wind can't keep a winter runner down

Today's run (street): 4.5 miles

Conditions were dry, cold and windy this morning but that didn't dissuade me from going out for a run. I far prefer 25° plus wind chills over 80° with high humidity. The trick is to bundle up enough to make the first mile bearable, without becoming overheated by the third. I wore my new half-zip over a long sleeved tech shirt and my new CS running pants below. These pants do a very good job of blocking wind.

I wore my Saucony Mirages that felt 100% better than the Karhu Fast 2's that I wore on yesterday's run. The Mirage's low stack height and minimal ramp angle enable a natural mid-foot fall. This is very different from the Karhu's thick mid-sole that seems to get in the way of leg extension. It's as if the road is an inch higher when your foot hits the ground -- both jarring and disconcerting.

The chilly air was energizing and the wind at my back helped to propel me. Head-on, the wind felt uncomfortable, especially where my glasses touched my face. Fortunately my route didn't have too many roads that faced west so it wasn't really an issue. My strength had improved from yesterday and my run was mostly pleasant. I had enough strength coming up on my last mile to pick up the pace considerably.

After yesterday's tough going, I'd expected today's run to be better. It turned out to be a lot better and I was pleased with my performance overall. If the rain holds off tomorrow I may go for a trail run with a friend. If not, I may spend some quality time on the elliptical machine.

Stacking the deck the wrong way

Karhu Fast 2 - a contributing factor

Today's run (street): 3.4 miles

This morning's temperature was a mild 44°, but the winds from the west made it feel much colder. I decided to run with my new Alpine Design half-zip that I hoped would block wind. I was pleased that it did, although I would have been better off had I just worn a couple of shirt layers. I was sweating profusely by the end of my run.

I'd inadvertently stacked the deck against having a good run by choosing the Karhu Fast 2 running shoes that I'd relegated to elliptical duty a while back. When I did a quick run in the Karhu's the other day they'd felt okay, so I thought I'd give them another try.

Other factors in play were a depleted blood supply (from my doctor's visit yesterday) and a very large, calorie-laden meal at our friends last night. This included a Guinness stout and my system isn't used to alcohol. I've only had the equivalent of five beers in all of 2011.

My route was through the neighborhood and I didn't plan to run it fast. I figured 3+ miles would be an easy workout. By mile I realized it would be difficult to get through the entire run but I was determined to do it. The wind didn't help and I felt hot and very tired. The Karhu's high platform made it difficult to maintain a fluid stride.

By the time I'd finished, I was surprised by my level of exhaustion. I guess if I'd thought about it I would have chosen different gear and charted an even shorter route. But good runs usually follow bad ones, so I'll hope for better experiences throughout the week.

Indecision leads to a workout choice

Today's run (treadmill): 23 minutes

Sometimes, if you wait long enough, your decisions will be made for you. I had an 8:00 AM doctor's appointment this morning and got up at 6:00. I thought I had plenty of time to run, shower and then get to my destination. I knew that the weather was due to change today, with driving rains expected this afternoon. Given that possibility, I figured I'd get in a neighborhood run while I could. 

Two hours is a deceptive time span. It seems like all the time in the world until there's no time left. I had a leisurely cup of coffee while I watched the news. I checked the time and felt I was on track. Suddenly it was 6:30 and I realized I needed at least 10 minutes to get my outside running gear prepared. That would leave me only 45 minutes to run, shower and dress in order to get to my doctor's office by 8:00.

It was clear that the window for an an outside run had closed, so I ran upstairs and quickly dressed for an indoor workout. With limited time I cranked up the speed, averaging about 7 MPH, per the display. By the time I was done, I was ready for rest, but there was no time left to do that. A quick shower followed and off I went. I walked into the office at 7:58.

I regret missing out on an outside run today and next time I'll be more aware of just how short two hours can be. Still, I had a vigorous (if short) workout and may not have gone as hard as that if I'd had more time. Did I make to right decision? Or was the right one made for me?

100% workout using 50% of the machine

Today's workout (upper body elliptical): 21 minutes

Monday's are normally a rest day for me so I skipped my morning run. I thought I might do a workout later, depending how the day went. When my wife started on her treadmill run I was inspired to join her on the elliptical. I wanted to focus only on my upper body so I needed to get creative.

Three years ago, when we first got the elliptical machine, I was much better at balancing my cross-training. I incorporated core exercises far more often than I do today and lifted hand weights once or twice a week. Today I revisited one of the techniques that would do using the elliptical, that involves standing in front and moving the poles using only my arms.

The action of pushing and pulling the poles, with moderate resistance, reminds me of my old karate workouts alternating punches and blocks. In that case, there was no resistance unless we were doing ippon kumite, that involved a partner blocking or punching back. Seven hours later I'm still feeling today's upper body workout, and that tells me I need to do it more often.

Imagine this in black

Earlier in the day we stopped into Sports Authority and I bought an Alpine Design (a Sports Authority house brand) running half zip. It's a mid-weight layer that promises to wick sweat and it looks (and feels) similar to a $40 half-zip in the new Balance section. Except that mine was discounted to $19.99. I can't resist a bargain. Especially if it's on an item that I actually need.

Xmas Stillwell run

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 3.4 miles

Today is Christmas, and though there's no snow outside, it's plenty cold. I thought about doing a neighborhood run to take advantage of the quiet roads. My wife reminded me that snow would be here before I knew it, and suggested that I run at Stillwell while I still could. That made sense to me so I geared up and headed over to the park.

It was quiet when I got there, but soon a few runners appeared, all heading toward the woods. After some dynamic stretches, I followed the runners and chose a different route than usual. This path runs along the southern part of the woods and it connects to my normal route via a steep uphill section. I'd had about five minutes to get loose enough to attack this climb and I came over it without much trouble.

From there I locked into my familiar course and encountered a few people running their dogs. I also crossed paths with a couple of runners I'd seen at the trail head. Although it was just below 30°, I was beginning to get hot. I'd worn layers anticipating wind and chillier temps within the woods, but I began to sweat after I'd covered my first mile.

I ran along the eastern side of the big field and ducked back into the woods to start my main loop. A little further in I saw the same couple running from the other direction. The woman, who I initially viewed with sympathy because she was only wearing running shorts, seemed a lot more comfortable than her partner, who was dressed more like me.

I reached the point where I needed to decide whether to wind down or add a couple more miles to my run. Although I had no time constraint, I chose to cut it short and headed west along the northern path towards the main trail head. There will be lots of opportunities to run this week and I didn't want to overdo it today.

It was a decent run and a nice break from the road. I'm not sure where I'll run in the coming days but I would like to put in at least one hour-plus run in the next few days. Happy holidays!

Pushing the pace without really trying

Today's run (street): 4.3 miles

Was today's run hard because I was tired, or because my pace was 20 seconds per mile faster than than it felt? I'm not sure, but today's run, that I planned do do s-l-o-w-l-y, didn't end up that way.

The temperature was in the high 20's when I went out at 7:30 AM. I'd had a decent night's sleep and the chilly air felt good. Yesterday's long elliptical session had me thinking about a recovery run today. I usually dislike the first couple of minutes of every run, until my aerobic breathing kicks in, but this morning I had no such issues.

Since I had no time constraints, I followed a different route than normal that had slightly more uphill roads than usual. My stride felt fluid though my legs felt a little heavy. I planned to cover about five miles but I began to feel a little fatigued after covering just a couple. I thought, perhaps, that the full week of workouts, plus last weekend's race, were catching up to me.

I modified my course and headed back towards home after passing three miles. I picked up my pace as I got closer to the end and reached my driveway after covering 4.3 (Gmaps verified) miles. I must have run harder than I realized to attain a pace in the low 9:00 range, but it probably contributed to my lagging energy.

We have a family get-together later today, and I plan to go out for an early run tomorrow. Christmas morning is a great time to be out, since most people stay around home and the streets are clear. I don't celebrate the holiday, but I do love the peaceful time. 

A perfect running gift

Energy for the holidays

Yesterday afternoon my friend and colleague KWL presented me with a thoughtful holiday gift: GU and Roctane gels plus Kind bars.

I really appreciated it and loved the presentation. The banner at the top says "Happy Running in 2012!" That's the spirit! I'm hoping that next year KWL and I will match or exceed our running and biking adventures of 2011.

An unexpected sprint

Today's workout (elliptical): 36 minutes

It's day one of my year-end break and I started it with a longer than usual elliptical workout. It's a busy day today so I started early. This allowed me to extend past my standard 25 minutes. I put on the TV and picked one of the music channels on the cable box. Before I knew it 36 minutes had passed and I needed to move on.

I felt so good during that workout that I could have easily gone for an hour or more.  When I came downstairs my kids were about to leave for school. I said goodbye but after they'd left, my wife discovered that my son had forgotten his phone. He is getting together with a group of friends after school so we felt he needed to have it. Since I was still dressed for a workout, I grabbed the phone and ran to the school. I caught him just before he and my daughter went inside.

That sprint to the school provided a nice second workout and I sprinted home because I was cold. The temperatures were in the 40's and I was wearing shorts and a short sleeved jersey, already sweat-soaked from my elliptical session. I'm looking to cover some quality miles this weekend and throughout next week. Vacation running is the best.

News flash - GPS watches aren't accurate



Graphic from 12/19 NY Times article
Photo credit: Martin Strauss, via Garmin and Microsoft

 Today's run (street): 2.5 miles
There was an article in Tuesday's New York Times about the accuracy (or should I say, inaccuracy?) of GPS watches. The writer made the same point that I've been making for years, that GPS technology does not provide exact measurement. The same can be said for smartphone GPS apps that show lots of metrics and graphics, but also under-count distance. The thing is, if your distance is off, so is everything else, including pace.

I'm a bit of a belt and suspenders guy when it comes to tracking my runs. I use a Garmin FR210 GPS watch to capture my run metrics and route. But later, I usually measure where I had run using Gmaps to get the most accurate distance. This way I can calculate my true pace. Why use the Garmin if I know it's inaccurate? Good question. But just try taking my Garmin away from me...

This morning I got back outside for my early run and was rewarded with dry roads and mild temperatures. There was wind coming from the north that, when traveling head-on, made things chilly. Most of my route went either south or east so it wasn't a problem. I managed an average pace, though my PE (perceived effort) was higher than that result. Then again, when you get your performance information from a GPS watch, you never know what to believe!

Hard runs are only fun once you're done

Today's run (treadmill): 2.7 miles

I elected to run indoors again this morning since the rains had moved in last night. I got a jump start on my  morning run because I woke up six minutes early and started on the treadmill at 3:50 AM. That allowed me to get in a hard run and still have time to relax with coffee before heading to the shower.

After yesterday's easy run with a 2% incline, I decided to push the pace today. I never re-calibrated the treadmill after replacing the console, so I don't really trust the treadmill's speed readout. 6.3 MPH on the machine feels more like a 9:00 mile on the road.

I started at 6 MPH and blipped the speed control every couple of minutes until I reached 7 MPH. I stayed with that throughout my 25 minute run. Easy runs feel good while you are doing them, but hard runs feel great when you finish. I chose to defer my enjoyment until after my workout and I'm glad I did. I'm hoping for some decent weather this weekend so I can get in some sorely needed distance runs.

Of treadmills and laziness

Today's run (treadmill - 2% incline): 25 minutes

I never thought that I'd consider myself lazy for getting up at 3:45 AM and running on the treadmill. But that's the way I felt this morning as I followed my indoor routine. There's no doubt that I prefer running outdoors to indoors, and ideally on trails. But the treadmill provides something that is irreplaceable at 4:00 AM -- time savings.

The amount of time it takes me to prepare for an outdoor run in cold weather is almost twice that of a treadmill run. With the additional gear and waiting for my Garmin to acquire a signal, I can easily lose 10 precious minutes. Surprisingly, my unabated hatred for the treadmill has given way to a qualified respect for its versatility. I've come to appreciate the capability to vary speed at the touch of a button and switch elevations on command.

So maybe laziness is the wrong word to describe why I chose the treadmill today instead of an outdoor run. Maybe practicality was the reason. All the same, If there's no rain tomorrow, I'll be back to the streets in the morning.

Looking for my winter running shoe

Perhaps I need some (new) balance in my running

After trying on the Kinvara 2's only to realize it wasn't the shoe for me, I'm back to rethinking my winter footwear. I really loved my original Kinvaras. In fact, I'd still be running in them except that I wore out the Kinvara's mid-sole to the point where I began experiencing knee pain. That breakdown coincided with the timing of my half marathon that I ran while injured.

Green Silence - an opportunity lost

A couple of years ago I anticipated Brook's launch of the Green Silence, their first "minimal" shoe not made specifically for racing. I couldn't wait for them to go on sale. I ended up being dissuaded by the salesperson at Jackrabbit who steered me toward the Brooks GTS 10's, a great shoe but it rides too high. I ended up switching to the Saucony Kinvaras midway through 2010.





The Hattori - great except on really cold days



The Mirage - a really good shoe but the fit is narrow



Earlier this year I tested the Saucony Mirage, a Kinvara-like shoe with some stability features. It's a great shoe and I've put in a few hundred miles in them, but the toe width is a bit narrow. I was hoping that Brook's new Pure Project line would provide a shoe that met my needs. I tried on the Pure Connect and really disliked the fit that was narrow and very tight in the arch. The other models weren't much better so I decided to look elsewhere.

After looking at many reviews, I am thinking that the New Balance Minimus MR00 may be a "good fit" for me. My hope was to find a minimal, zero-drop, road shoe that will give me a little more insulation that the Hattori's for winter running. Given that the MR00's aren't due in stores until March, I may need to get through most of winter in the Mirages on cold days and the Hattori's on more moderate days and races.

I heart my City Sports running pants

Today's run (street): 5.25 miles

I've been very happy with most of my race performances this year, including yesterday's 5K where I came within seconds of breaking 25 minutes. The biggest change in my training in 2011 has been less focus on speed during training runs and more focus on quality. While my average pace for recreational runs has slowed by about 15 seconds per mile, my average pace in races (the half marathon being a significant exception) has improved by about 10 seconds per mile.

I gotta say they fit me better than this

On Friday I walked a couple of blocks to City Sports on 48th and 6th and bought a pair of their house brand (CS) performance running pants. These pants are usually $60 but were on sale for $39.00. I compared them to similar, but higher priced, running pants from Brooks, Saucony and Adidas and saw little difference. If anything, the CS pants were heavier and better for winter temperatures.

I wore these pants at yesterday's race and loved the fit. My wife liked the way they looked on me and I didn't feel self conscious wearing them, as I sometimes do in running tights. These pants were a definite improvement over sweats and I was happy to find them on sale.

This morning the temperature in my town was 23° so I dressed in layers and wore a fleece wicking cap and my mitten-gloves. I was a little cold at the start but the new running pants did a good job keeping my legs warm and my Layer 8 thermal zip, with a layer beneath, kept me comfortable up top.

The wind was coming from the north and it was brisk at times. This created a situation where my body stayed comfortable because it was warmed by the run, but my face was freezing from the wind. Having glasses touching my face didn't help me any. It was a little uncomfortable at times, but not so bad that I needed a balaclava.

Ford GT: a cool surprise

I ran slowly to stay below my lactic threshold and give my muscles an opportunity to repair themselves. I criss-crossed the neighborhood, changing directions on a whim and totaled 5.25 miles. As I was running my final steps prior to turning onto my street, I noticed a Ford GT making its way in my direction. The driver was driving slowly but the engine was purring. As a person who loves great engineering and style, I was thrilled to experience it. The same may be said for my new running pants!

Race report:Bethpage Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5K

32° at start time, I was tempted to wear the race sweatshirt

Today's run (Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5K): 3.1 miles - 26:06 (8:24 pace)

I wanted to finish up the year with a December race because I've never competed in this month. Not counting the Nissequoge Turkey Trot that I ran for fun on Thanksgiving, today's race was my tenth of the year. I had no idea of the scale of the Bethpage Ho Ho Ho Holiday Run, but there were well over a thousand people milling around when I got there.

Our weekends can be busy and today my daughter was hosting a holiday party for her friends. Due to that, I went solo, but I did see some people I knew once I got there. I received my sweatshirt after picking up my race number and dropped off some toy donations. After that I walked back to my car to attach my bib and store the race shirt.

It was 32 degrees when we assembled on Broadway and waited for the start. I tried to get closer to the front, but the masses of people prevented any further progress. Santa is the theme of this race and at least half the runners wore seasonal clothes with Santas and elves being the costumes of choice. I had no idea that Under Armor sold running tights in red and vivid green.

As expected, it took about three minutes before I could get up to my planned speed. There were so many people on the road I was afraid of tripping. In fact, I almost stumbled over an elf who cut in front of me just as I was about to zip by two runners.

With no chip sensor at the start, I thought my first mile split time would suffer because I didn't get to full speed until I'd covered a quarter mile. When we reached the first mile I could see the split clock, but with the crowd in front of me I could only see the two numbers to the right of the colon.The numbers were just rolling past :00 and I figured that meant 9:00, but in fact it was 8:00. That was a happy surprise.

Race course: twice around with a loop in the middle

I figured I'd keep the hammer down as long as I could and the flat course helped. Our route was basically a rectangle of wide streets with one small loop that diverted us through a neighborhood. We ran the rectangle two times and passed the Middle School twice. I would have liked a more scenic route but the lack of distraction helped me focus on my speed and form.

Since we did two laps around the course, I knew where we were when we reached the final section that diverted from Broadway into the school driveway. I sprinted the last tenth and crossed the line a few ticks past the 26 minute mark for an overall pace of 8:24. It wasn't a PR but it was my fastest 5K this year and I ended up in the top third rather than my usual middle pack position.

I congratulated a colleague from the office who crossed the line a couple of minutes after me, but I couldn't find a couple of other people who I'd hoped to see. I headed home soon after, rather than wait for the awards ceremony.

Later in the day, while the party was raging at home, my son and I went to Dick's sporting goods to get a requested item. While we were there I saw that they had the Kinvara 2's on sale for $59.00, an incredible bargain. I asked for a pair in my size and tried them on to confirm the fit and was disappointed with the feel. I ran around the show department "track" a few times and decided, bargain or not, the shoe didn't work for me. Oh well, the search continues.

Tomorrow I plan to do a longer run, very slow, to help me recover from today's intense race. This was a great event and I'll plan to run it again next year.

Help! I can't find my strong

I need to find my strong¹ and just do it,² because impossible is nothing³. After all, a sound mind is a sound body⁴. I just want to run happy⁵ and keep running⁶.

These inspiring phrases from running shoe companies simply aren't working for me this week. I have only run 2.6 miles since last weekend, less than a quarter of my usual distance leading up to the weekend.

My lack of mileage wasn't planned. Monday I took my usual rest day and Tuesday I did a treadmill run. Wednesday I felt like I was getting sick so skipped the day to help prevent that. Yesterday I'd planned to run in Central Park with AG, but the timing was a little tight so we took a pass. This morning I decided not to run because it's the day before a race.

Okay, it's only a 5K and 2.5 miles of running or 25 minutes on the elliptical today wouldn't have hurt me tomorrow. I just couldn't find my strong. I'm hoping that my commitment to tomorrow's race will serve as a finial to stop my downward slide. I don't care about my time on Saturday morning, only that I'll be back to running.

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¹Saucony
²Nike
³Adidas
⁴ASICS
⁵Brooks
⁶New Balance