What's depriving me from better running

By the way, today is National Running Day!

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I usually take two days off after a race to allow my leg muscles to properly recover. It may be due to my mindset about Sunday's 8K that I didn't follow tradition and skip yesterday's run. I felt like my post race plan didn't warrant the usual rest, because it was a C- effort on my part. I initially congratulated myself for toughing it out and finishing with a respectable time, but the experience was disappointing. The only thing that made it special was having my family with me.

Yesterday's run was good, as is typical after a bad run and a day of resting. This morning I opted for a treadmill workout so I could get started and finished more quickly. That left a little more time to rest before starting my day. I ran fine but without much enthusiasm. My only goal was to finish and check the "workout done" box.

Runner's World tweet this morning: "Chronically sleep deprived? It will impact your running. Try for 8 hours/night." I had to laugh because 8 hours is roughly the amount of sleep I get over two nights. I wish I could do an experiment comparing my running performance after I sleep for 8 hours a night for two weeks. I'm certain there would be measurable improvement. If only I had the time to do that.

Bare feet but not barefoot

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

This morning, as I stood waiting for my Garmin to acquire its signal, I thought about a few things. First thing was the weather. The temperature was hovering around 50 degrees but it felt even colder due to a chilly breeze from the west. Second, I'd noticed the moon was shining so bright that I really didn't need my headlamp, even at 4:00 AM. The third observation was that I felt reasonably comfortable standing sockless in my new secret pair of test shoes, that are designed to be used with or without socks.

There are people who dislike socks (or shoes for that matter) and prefer to be barefoot as much as possible. I'm not one of them. The idea or running without socks has never appealed to me and the one time I tried it (with my Hattori's) resulted in bad chafing from a hot spot on the upper. But on Saturday, when I was selecting the shoes that I'd wear for Sunday's race, I tried on the test shoes sans chaussettes and was amazed by how comfortable they felt.

The test shoes are tight on the side opposite my big toe and I've managed around that by wearing the thinnest socks I have. When I tried the shoes without socks I felt like I'd gained some room. I considered choosing these shoes (sockless) but I didn't want to try something so risky on race day. I decided that I'd try going sockless a day or so after the race.

While my feet felt fine as I waited to run, I knew I wouldn't understand the experience until I put my shoes to pavement. I could tell as soon as I'd taken ten steps that a lack of socks would not be a problem. I made my way up the road feeling both energetic and comfortable.

With the cool air and low humidity, it was a pleasant running experience. I felt like I was moving better than I had on Sunday, and I had no problems with rubbing or chafing. However, even without socks, these shoes still felt a little too tight during the run. It was interesting to run this way and, with the very minimal shoe design and no socks, it's probably the closest I'll ever come to running barefoot. For me, that's close enough.

Reflecting on a mediocre race

The gloom of a dark, rainy Monday matches my mood perfectly this morning. One more weekend day would have been nice, even with this wet weather. Despite an hour's nap on Sunday, I think I need a recharge. I'm fairly certain that yesterday's race-day struggles relate to either a lack of sleep or fighting off a virus. I'm not sure there's anything in my training or preparation that I would have done differently.

While I am disappointed to have missed a PR by a large margin, I'm not down about my performance. One bad race is no longer enough for me to worry about my fitness or potential. I've been fortunate to experience most of my bad runs during training sessions, with the 2011 half marathon being a key exception. But yesterday felt like a really bad run.

I'm wondering if I should plan to go out tomorrow morning or take another day's rest before resuming my training schedule. At this point I'm not sure whether I'm better off getting back on the horse, or letting the horse rest a little longer.

2012 New Hyde Park 8K race report

Crossing the line later than I'd hoped

Today's run (New Hyde Park 8K): 45:30

I ran the New Hyde Park 8K this morning for the fourth consecutive time. It wasn't a disaster, but it could have gone better. No PR today.

I'd done all the right things to prepare -- steady training, speed work last weekend, and two days rest prior to race day.  I wasn't feeling 100% yesterday, but I did some light upper body work followed by some core work that seemed to help. I didn't have a great night's sleep but I felt fine this morning. More rest would have been good.

The weather was perfect when we arrived at the Denton Ave. school where the race begins and ends. There was a little miscue with my registration and they couldn't find my race package. Fortunately, they did have my proper tag and bib number. The crowd seemed smaller than last year, but a quick comparison with last year's results shows there were slightly more people running today. But the feel of the race was different this year, lacking its usual excitement and energy.

Feeling okay after the start

We assembled for the start under sunny skies, I took a position about 20 feet behind the line. After one false start, we were on our way. I was looking forward to running this course and I felt fine for the first few minutes. I started feeling the effort soon after that, far too early in the race. Still, I had little trouble keeping up with the crowd. I was concerned about sustaining my present pace over five miles.

I came through mile 1 at 8:32 and struggled with a couple of small hills before the route spilled onto New Hyde Park Road. I wasn't even near the 2 mile mark when I began to struggle. New Hyde Park Road rises for a while before dropping ahead of the turn onto the service road for the Long Island Expressway. I stopped at the first water station and took water. Usually I'll slow down but keep moving, but in this case, I came to a standstill. That cost me at least 30 seconds, but I'm glad I did it.

The stretch along the service road was tough, but I held my pace for the most part. The shaded stretches were a godsend, but after coming up the hill leading to Shelter Rock Road, it was all sun. I had filled my gel flask with two Roctanes that I took between miles 3 and 4 and I believe they helped get me through the end of the course without a bonk. At mile four I was disappointed to see that my cumulative time was far behind my goal time. I was hoping I might (at least) come close to my prior finish times.

The last part of the course routes through a neighborhood leading to the field behind the Denton Ave. school. By the time I turned off Shelter Rock Road I was ready for the end and was visualizing the green field where the finish line is located. I wasn't struggling by the last mile, but I knew that this race would not go down as a great performance. I was disappointed to see the clock showing 45 minutes when I finally reached the field, and crossed the line at 45:30.

I'm not sure why today's run was so difficult, but I definitely wasn't on my game this morning. I averaged a 9:10 pace which I'd consider good on a training run, but I missed my target of running sub-9:00 race.

Rather than settling the score in 2013, I'm thinking that I might look for a different race next June. I don't have the same affection for this event that I have for some other races, and I'm primed for a new challenge. Still, I got a great workout and I was able to share the experience with my wife and kids. Every race can't be a personal best and I accept my performance without complaint. Racing is about challenging yourself, and today, it was a struggle. But at least I tried and I toughed it out. I win.

Creature of (racing) habit

Crossing the line at last year's NHP 8K

This year I'm running a few races for the forth consecutive time. One of those races is the New Hyde Park 8K that takes place tomorrow morning. Long Island, where I live, offers numerous racing events, mostly 5K's, between March and July. Every time I attend a race I'm handed fliers (or I find them on my windshield) that promote an upcoming race. But for some reason I find myself running in the same races every year.

I suppose this has something to do with the comfort of knowing what to expect from the experience. It also helps that I get to know the course a little better with each race. The NHP 8K is a nice, well organized event with a fast (if unremarkable) course. The first time I ran it, in 2009, I went out too fast and almost bonked around mile 4. Last year was a much better experience.

Running the same races, year after year, has its benefits (including the fact that it provides a way to benchmark performance), it's also fun to try new events. Last year I ran the Town of Oyster Bay and Ho Ho Holiday runs (both 5K's) for the first time. These races were worth repeating and I plan to do that this year. I'd like to try a new race this year, but I'm not sure where or when I could fit another into my schedule. After all, I'm not going to give up my Cow Harbor or Dirty Sock weekends for anything else.

Roctane run at City Sport

I'll defer testing until after the race

Just like last year, the Friday weather before the NHP 8K is beautiful. So once again, I'm missing out on a great city run. However, it's important to stick to what works and that means two day's rest before a race. I'm expecting to get home a little earlier than normal today and I'll probably take time to run through some core and light upper body exercises.

Yesterday, I went over to City Sport to restock my supply of GU Roctane. I'm planning to mix one or two gels with water and carry that in my gel flask during the race. Last year I carried a small water bottle the entire race, but didn't open it and probably didn't need it. But it will be good to have this at the ready, in case I need some help at the end.

In addition to the Roctanes, I bought a regular GU in the new Peanut Butter flavor. I won't experiment with that until after the race. The Golden Rule: never try new things on race day. City Sport also had GU "Just Plain" flavor that I'm guessing tastes mostly like sugar. I took a pass on that. One more day until the race. It will take more than gels for me to perform to expectations. But every little bit helps.

Self doubt at the end of my taper

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

If this morning's run was a typical training workout, I would have been pleased by my performance. I pushed my speed somewhat, ran well and ended up pacing 20 seconds per mile faster than normal. So why complain about that? While I concede some performance due to the time of day (4 AM), I was hoping to finish this morning's route a full minute faster than I did.

I was speaking to my friend CK yesterday and mentioned the 8K on Sunday. I told him my goal target for time and pace and he said I should do that easily. Easy for him to say, he can run 7:00 miles any day of the week. When I was running this morning, I felt like I could push it another 10%, but after that it would be a challenge. When I returned to my house at the end of my run, I questioned whether I could even sustain the pace I'd run today over double the distance.

Last year I averaged 8:40 per mile for the ~ 5 mile NHP course. It was both a PR and a great surprise, since I'd paced 9:00 the prior two years. I've run well in races this year and did some speed work over the weekend, but I haven't done a run greater than 5 miles since May 19. I'm hoping the energy of race day, plus two days rest, decent weather and a performance mindset, will help me reach my goals on Sunday.

Where can I get a SAG card?

Making the scene, literally

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

Only in NYC can you get to your office and not be surprised to see camera and lighting trucks setting up along the street. They're filming a major studio movie here and the subject matter relates to one of my company's iconic brands. This is the second time they've filmed here in the last few weeks and I have a great view of the action from my office window (see above). Hmmm, I wonder if they need any extras?  

This morning I did a treadmill run because the weather report had predicted rain. I'm not sure it was raining when I got up to work out, but the humidity indoors was extremely high. This was my penultimate run before the New Hyde Park 8K, so I increased my effort by adding some incline through my progressive speed workout.

I felt fine the entire run except for my feet that are still sore at the bottom. In an odd way, the soreness helped, because it took my mind off the hard effort of running in the heat and humidity. As strange as it sounds, I think that made a difference. Despite the hot conditions, my run seemed to go by quickly and it never really felt like it was too much to bear. One more run to go and my taper is complete. Then onto Hollywood. I mean New Hyde Park.

Getting to the bottom of my foot pain

Bottom Lateral Ouchiitis

I wore my new recovery slides yesterday in the hope that they'd help alleviate the persistent soreness I've had at the bottom of my feet. This is not plantar fasciitis, because the pain is specific to the inside lateral part of my feet, just below the toes. I'm pretty sure the cause relates to all the long pounding runs I did at Bethpage to train for the half marathon earlier this month. I've reduced my weekly mileage by 10% since completing that race and have only done one run longer than 8 miles since that day.

The pain is not terrible and it hasn't prevented me from running. But this pain, like the mild soreness that I've had with my Achilles tendon, is persistent and it can be uncomfortable at times. I've looked up my symptoms for lateral foot pain and, for runners, it seems to be a form of tendinitis. I'll continue using the recovery shoes and will also try to be more disciplined about soaking my feet with peppermint oil soap this week. I'm scheduled for a fast race on Sunday and I'm hoping to reduce the negative variables as much as I can.

Hot run before a cool parade

A memorable parade on Memorial Day

Today's run (street): 3.9 miles

We needed to get out a little early this morning to get our son to the staging location for the Memorial Day parade. It was fun to see him come by, playing with the school band. After seeing friends and neighbors, it really felt like a small town event. By the time the parade was done, we were all ready to begin our Memorial Day lunch. Sure feels like summer, even if it hasn't quite arrived.

I'd planned to run on the treadmill knowing that we'd be under some time pressure in the morning. But the skies were bright at 7:00 AM, and I knew I couldn't stay inside. Instead, I geared up for an outdoor run and I considered the temperature (67°), but not the humidity (oppressive).

There was a breeze from the north when I started my run, and that made the air feel deceptively cool.  It soon became apparent that it was going to be hot. I tried to follow roads with tree shade on the left side but the sun was strong and so was the heat. I made the mistake of checking my pace nine minutes into the run, and that prompted me to speed up my progress. Normally that's desirable, but with the humidity, I may have been better off maintaining my prior rate.

As bad as it was, I didn't feel it was too hot to run. I capped my distance at 3.9 miles, but that had more to do with my limited time than to the heat. I ended up with an average pace that was 25 seconds per mile faster than my first mile. Since today's a holiday I decided to run today instead of taking my usual Monday rest day. I'll probably rest tomorrow and run on Wednesday and Thursday, before I take my usual two days off before my race.

D'oh, a deer!

Rainy conditions on Stillwell's trails

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 4 miles

Yesterday's workout was focused on speed and intensity so I thought I'd go for an easier run today. It's been a while since I've visited Stillwell Woods and a trail run sounded like a good idea. Just for fun, I downloaded a podcast from 3nonjoggers.com. This is a trio of trail runners who record a weekly hour-long running-related program. I read about them in the April issue of TrailRunner magazine.

I have not run with a music player in years, but, with my new pocket-rich running shorts, I thought I might today. I'm glad I did, as the podcast was funny and interesting and I certainly recommend it. While I feel that listening to music or podcasts is dangerous on the road, at least I won't see any cars on the trail. Mountain bikes, yes. Deer, yes. But no cars.

I mention deer because I had a close encounter with one this morning. I was moving along nicely on a twisty section of singletrack, when my eyes caught a flash of beige about five yards ahead. Apparently I had surprised a large deer grazing in the woods. The deer jumped onto the path in front of me and took off very quickly. I literally said "What the @#$%!" when I saw it. Although I'd seen deer on my runs in the past, I'd never seen one at Stillwell.

Besides the deer sighting, there wasn't much happening on the trails this morning. It was raining lightly when I started and the rain intensified for a while during my run. The canopy overhead protected me, but I still got fairly wet. My only company besides the deer were three bikers who passed me on my way up a steep rise. The tables got turned when they sputtered out before reaching the top and I just kept going. To their credit they cheered me when I went by.

Ready for future recovery

Later in the day I returned some Adidas recovery slides that my wife bought to surprise me. It turned out that she ordered the wrong size, simply because she listened to what I told her. They are Adidas Superstars with a very comfortable foot bed. I look forward to wearing them after my next run.

Tomorrow morning we'll be at the Memorial Day parade to watch my son march with the school band. That will preclude a long morning run, but I'll probably do a treadmill workout as I begin my taper week. I've had some interesting experiences on the road, track and trail this weekend. Might as well add the treadmill to the mix.

Track challenges, real and virtual

Today's run (track intervals): 1 mile warm up, 8x 200's, 1 mile cool down

Since it's a long weekend, I thought I'd forgo my usual Saturday distance run in favor of intervals. I'm running the New Hyde Park 8K next weekend and felt that I needed to put in some speed work before winding down my training. It's been months since I've been to the track, so I was looking forward to a change of scenery.

I started my workout at around 8:00 AM with a mile warm up that I completed in 8:53. The humidity was high and the sun was already hot by the time I'd started. I followed my warm up with 8 x 200's, averaging 6:26/mile and I finished with a mile cool down that I ran at around 8:50. About halfway through that last mile I realized my Garmin wasn't recording properly, so my time so the cool down is an estimate.

The toughest run on the web

As tough as that workout was, I found an even bigger challenge on a different track with QWOP - a video game that you can play online. In this game, the user is challenged to move a track runner 100 meters by controlling only his thighs and calves. It's deceptively difficult, so far the best I've done is 17.4 meters. Before you judge that as lacking, try it yourself!

Shorts success at the SOHO REI

Shorts but sweet

Today's run (street): 3.6 miles

My office is usually a ghost town on the day before a holiday weekend. Acknowledging that, my company officially closes our office at 1:00 PM. I chose to work from home this morning instead of coming in for half a day. We begin "Summer Friday's" next week, but this was the next best thing.

With no commute to worry about, I had more time to sleep in this morning. I've been feeling sleep debt lately so this additional rest was welcomed. After morning coffee and the news, I changed into my running gear and headed outside. The skies were cloudy, but free of rain. Humidity was high, but I figured that an outdoor run would be far preferable to the treadmill.

My route took me through the top of my neighborhood and then down to the bottom, and back. I ran well and ended up pacing a little better than my average. Since today was a week day, I encountered more cars than on a typical weekend morning. I spent more time than normal running on the sidewalk and was especially careful not to trip on misaligned concrete.

Although I didn't wear them today, I finally found a pair of good running shorts with pockets. Yesterday, me and KWL went downtown to check out REI's new location in SOHO that is having a big sale this week. It's an impressively large store and a good place to waste a few hours if you have them. We didn't, so we split up and headed for our respected areas of interest - cycling for him and running for me.

After considering options from Salomon, Patagonia, Mountain Hardware and REI brand, I bought a pair of Brooks Rogue Runner III's. The shorts have a 7" inseam, two side pockets, a small zipper pocket and an inside pouch. They'll be great for either the street or the trails.

12 steps to changing your mind

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

My sleep was interrupted last night by a phone call from one of my daughter's friends. I had trouble falling asleep after that. My sleep schedule is already tight and, with my early rise time, I often wonder if I get enough rest. I finally did get back to sleep, but woke up a few more times throughout the night. Before I knew it, I needed to get up for the day.

In the minute it took me to get out of bed and make my way downstairs, I thought through the various options I had for my workout. Skipping my run altogether was my leading thought as I stood at the top of the stairs. But by the time I reached the foyer below, I had reconsidered that decision.

It was hot and humid at 3:45 AM and I was very tired, but I felt I needed to compromise. I would run, but instead of gearing up and going outside, I'd do my workout on the treadmill. I figured I could better throttle my speed and pick things up as I went along.

I had no guilt starting at 5.5 MPH because it's generally advised to run slower paces as humidity rises. I notched up my speed every two minutes and, after 15 minutes, turned on the treadmill's fans that cooled my sweat covered body. I eventually got to full speed for the last five minutes and stepped off the machine feeling like I had a great workout.

Despite being tired and unready to run when I got up, I managed to get myself in gear (literally) and ended up happier for it. My walk downstairs changed my mindset. 12 steps made all the difference.

Brooks's PureDrift is good news for minimalist runners

A most minimal shoe - coming Jan 2013

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Last night I predicted that it wouldn't rain this morning, so I set up my gear for an outdoor run. When I stepped outside, I realized that wishful thinking wasn't enough to ensure good weather conditions. I decided on the spot to run, despite the light rain that was falling. I figured, if conditions worsened, that I'd just turn around and head for home.

I didn't know it at the time, but my Garmin showed that I'd covered the first mile extremely slowly. I thought I was moving well, but it's hard to gauge your pace when you're still half asleep. The rain had let up after ten minutes so I guess I'd picked up the pace from there. I ended up averaging 9:50 for the run, which isn't all that bad.

I wore my test shoes again this morning and appreciated their minimal construction, low platform and comfort. However, I wished they were a little roomier on the lateral side, at the top. My toes do get a little squished, but so far, I've had no issues with blisters or chafing. The shoe is pre-market, so the fit will probably change many times before they launch.

Brooks announced a new model this week, with an expected launch date of January, 2013. I'm guessing I'm going to like them ; )

When testing shoes, three can be a crowd

Testing 1,2,3

Today's run (treadmill): 2.5 miles

I'm feeling a little guilty regarding my delay in posting my reviews about the Spira Stingers and Saucony Kinvara 3's. I have written a fair amount on both shoes through this blog, so it's not like I haven't reported on them. Now, with the new shoes that I am testing for the manufacturer, it's even harder to focus on one particular brand.

I'm about halfway through my review of the Spiras, so I decided to wear them on this morning's run. Once again, the rain forced me to stay inside on the treadmill. It was extremely humid at the start, so I moderated my pace to prevent overheating. The treadmill has dual fans that throw a decent amount of air, but that was no match for today's heat.

After running so often in the Kinvaras, and more recently in my test shoes, I was better able to discern key differences between the three pairs. The Spiras, which I sized up by 1/2 to ensure a good fit in the toe box, are flexible at the mid-foot, but the uppers bag when the shoe flexes. I also noticed a little pressure from the wavesprings on the fore-foot, something I hadn't experienced before.

I ended up having a decent run, though I throttled my performance in deference to the heat and humidity. As I ran through my workout, my eyes locked on the the other two pair in my current rotation. If I had to choose only one shoe, which would it be? After today, I think the answer is starting to come to me.

Quest for pockets

Is this too much to ask?

Yesterday afternoon we stopped by Sports Authority to pick up some needed items and I was hoping to find a good pair of running shorts with side pockets. It's always puzzled me why men's running pants and running shorts often lack pockets. Most have a small pouch, but that's useless for anything bigger than a key or a credit card. I'd really like another pair with side pockets, so I can get quick access to my gel flask on longer runs.

The cynic in me thinks that pockets are excluded on running shorts to save manufacturing costs. I'm probably wrong about that. It's more likely that these shorts are designed to be lightweight, and provide maximum freedom of movement. This is true of my two pair of Adidas shorts that I love, despite their lack of storage.

Sports Authority disappointed me because most of their athletic gear is either Nike or Under Armor and I have an irrational dislike for those brands. To their credit, both offered running shorts with pockets. Adidas had no running shorts with pockets, period. The only other brand was New Balance. They had pairs of shorts with pockets, but I've found that NB's liners irritate me on longer runs.

I'm obviously too particular, as I could have bought what I wanted yesterday. Instead, I went online and looked at shorts from RaceReady, GoLight, Brooks, Mizuno, and others. There are also plenty of trail running shorts with side pockets out there, although most are pricey. I may take a trip downtown to REI or Paragon this week to see what they have. Or I can just give in and buy the Nikes.

Running among the bikers at Bethpage

Many riders out for a good cause

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 8.2 miles

Yesterday morning's run was surprisingly difficult. I knew from the start that I was off my game and I hoped that I'd get back in the groove by today's run. Happily, I did. I headed to Bethpage this morning to run the bike trail, with a plan to cover about eight miles.

The weather was fantastic at 8:00 AM, with sunny skies, low humidity and a temperature of 52 degrees. The lot was filled with cars when I arrived at the park, and I saw that an MS charity bike ride was being staged at the trail head. I remembered this event from last year. It's a non-competitive ride that includes cyclists of all ages.

The bike path begins with a short, but pronounced, hill and I could tell right away that I'd have little trouble taking on Bethpage's challenges. I'd run this path numerous times during my half marathon training and could always gauge whether I was in for a good or bad experience within the first half mile. I decided to pick up the pace and see what I could handle.

I'd brought along my gel flask that I'd filled with a GU gel and water. I decided to hold off using that until I'd reached the halfway point, when I would encounter a series of steep rises. My energy was good, but the temperature, with the direct sun, was rising.The first hill was tough and the second two were tougher, but I made it over and back the Southern State in decent shape.

Throughout the run I encountered numerous cyclists, most of whom gave me a wide berth and warned me of their approach. There were a couple of jerks, as usual, who sped closely by, but the majority of riders shared the road respectfully.

I passed a number of other runners along the way, and that told me I was pacing well. I didn't look at my Garmin through most of my run, because I didn't want to be distracted by metrics. I parceled out my gel solution and wished near the end that I had mixed in two GU's rather than just one. But I never reached a point where I was close to bonking. I took on little K2 and Everest (my nickname for the last two hills) feeling quite confident.

I wore my test shoes and they performed really well. By mile seven, the bottoms of my feet were getting sore. I've experienced that with every pair I own of late. It may have something to do with running exclusively in shoes that lack stability control. Too bad, but I'm not switching back.

After I crested the final hill, I enjoyed the last downhill section that leads to the head of the path. The bike event volunteers were standing at the end waving pom poms and cheering the cyclists as they finished. They all gave me a big cheer as I crossed and I yelled, "Did I win?!" That was fun.

I did well today, 8 miles at a mid-9:00 pace. I was pleased, especially compared with yesterday's performance. My friend TC, who ran the LI Half with me, ran a 10K this morning in 49 minutes. Congrats to him. Also impressive was my friend KWL, who rode the 103 mile Grand Fondo from the GW Bridge to Bear Mountain (and back) today.

Quite the weekend for activity. Another colleague ran the Brooklyn Half yesterday. It's the season for racing. NHP 8K is happening in two weekends. Hope I feel as strong on that day as I did today.

Half listening to my body

Today's run (street): 4.2 miles

So much for focusing on speed, at least for today. Despite getting almost eight hours of sleep last night, I woke up with little energy. I considered listening to my body and skipping my workout, but I thought that was too extreme. As a compromise, I decided to forgo my original plan to do tempo run to start my training for the June 3rd NHP 8K. This run would have to be short and easy. 

Things started out fine and I had no expectations about my performance. I kept my pace moderate and, with the cool temperature and sunny skies, I should have enjoyed the run. I planned to keep it under 45 minutes so, by mile three, I was ready to turn toward home. It was surprisingly hard to cover that final mile. I finished feeling more tired than I should, for a four mile run.

I'm hoping that I recover sufficiently by tomorrow so I can go out for more miles. I don't regret my decision to run, but I'm glad I kept it short.

Treadmill theory disproved

Cadence is key

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I counted my steps during a recent treadmill run to confirm a theory I have about cadence. My hypothesis was that I typically achieve a higher cadence when running on the machine (compared to the road), because the restricted area of the treadmill forces a shorter stride. I thought that might be the reason why a moderate pace on the road feels much faster indoors.

The results of my test surprised me. At 6.5 mph on the treadmill, my strides per minute (SPM) count was 166. That was based on counting steps for 30 seconds and doubling the result. The ideal SPM number is 180 and that explains why I'm not that fast. I was a little surprised to see my theory disproved, but I also felt that my turnover was fairly rapid, considering the results. But the stopwatch doesn't lie.

I took my new test shoes out on the road for the first time today and really liked the experience. Despite feeling great throughout my run, my time was solidly average. I thought about focusing on cadence, but honestly, I didn't feel like pushing very hard at 4:00 AM.

I'm finally realizing that if I want to go faster I have to do the work. There's no easy trick for increasing speed and cadence. It's not better engineered shoes or energy supplements. It takes interval training sessions and frequent workouts that push me past my comfort zone. Some people see those things as part of the fun of running. I'm not quite there yet.

I've got a secret (running shoe)

Yesterday's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I'm having another busy week that has caused me to miss two blog posts and today's workout. I'm hoping to get back on track tomorrow. In the meantime, I've been enjoying the experience of testing a new pair of running shoes for a company that I cannot name. In the past, I've been provided a good number of running shoes for review, but these models were already available in stores. I did receive my Kinvara 3's a month before retail launch, but had no influence on their design.

The shoes I'm evaluating are a work in progress and they will surely change before hitting the stores. I've done two runs in them (both indoors) so I'm curious to see how they feel on the road. They happen to be the type of shoes I'd consider as a primary trainer, and that makes the testing especially interesting. I filled out my first feedback report yesterday and liked being able to share my opinions with those who can shape the final product. I'll provide all the details once the testing is done (and I get an okay from the company to do that).



This video ad from Nike has been going around for a while, although I only saw it this week. I'm not a fan of Nike running shoes (my test shoes are not Nikes) but I really liked this commercial. It made me laugh when I watched it.

Run a cold, rest a fever

Not for fevers!

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I'm battling a head cold and I think I might actually be winning. I'm not sure if it's true, but I've always followed the common wisdom, "Feed a cold, starve a fever." Although it's a bromide, it does seem to make sense. But, is it okay to run when you have a cold? How about when you have a fever? My guess is that the same concept works for both eating and running.

When I left my sedentary life in 2008, and took up running with a vengeance, I went months without taking a rest day. The sudden focus on diet and exercise probably supercharged my immune system. I don't recall getting sick once throughout that period. Eventually I caught a cold and established my policy for running when feeling ill. It's "Run with a cold, rest with a fever."

After my bout of pneumonia in late 2009, I learned to listen closely to my body. On Saturday morning I awoke with a sore throat. I didn't have a fever so I hit the trails and felt none the worse for it. On Sunday the cold remained, but I still put in some road miles. My fear that this hard running over the weekend would weaken me. Instead, I think it's helped to minimize the symptoms of this cold.

My sore throat has moved to my head, resulting in sniffles and an occasional cough. Still, I felt good enough today to do a brisk morning run on the treadmill. I've been waiting for my cold to increase its intensity, but so far it's remained mild. I guess you can't go wrong if you always follow the policy.

Hitting my goal with a rebound run

Today's run (street): 5.8 miles

I had two running goals coming into the weekend: a run on the trails, and covering at least 10 miles overall. Happily, I succeeded at both, although last night I was on the fence whether I'd even do a Sunday run. Throughout the day on Saturday, my throat became increasingly sore. By evening I felt very tired and I feared that I was coming down with strep throat. I put odds below 50% that I'd be in shape for a run when I got up today.

In the morning I felt a little better, and I took stock of  my illness. My throat was still a bit raw, but I decided that I had enough strength to go out for a few miles. My wife had been planting flowers in the backyard since 6:30 AM (we're early risers). When I went out to see her progress, I noticed that conditions were ideal for a run.

I had no route in mind for today, though I hoped to cover at least five miles. I was concerned about pushing too hard, as I was was wary of a relapse. I took off and knew right away that I'd have no issues with stamina or energy. I charted a course that wound through every part of the neighborhood.

It actually bothered me that, by the two mile mark, I was hardly sweating. I don't subscribe to the "no pain, no gain" school of exercise, but I want my run to feel like a workout. I stepped up my pace using arm speed to drive cadence, and by mile four I was feeling the effort. I stretched out my route to ensure I'd cover at least five miles, and I added another .8 by the time I made it home.

My base training has certainly helped me cover middle length runs with little fatigue. Perhaps I'll put a base run at Bethpage into my monthly rotation to preserve some of that base. It will be helpful as I go into 10K season near the end of summer. Next weekend I'll start focusing more on speed as I get closer the the New Hyde Park 8K. There's always something to train for. I guess that's the point of racing.

Back to Bethpage and into the woods

Up and down and all around

Today's run (Bethpage State Park trails): 4.3 miles

My reward for all my half marathon training the past eight weeks was a trail run at Bethpage this morning. As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that a lot of landscaping work that's being done at the park. I was curious to head towards the bike trail to see what was going on, but I was anxious to begin my run. I'll check that out next time.

For the first time in months, I headed to the trails on the northern side of Bethpage State park. As usual, the surface of the trail was well groomed, with a layer of wood chips across a very wide path. I followed the main route for a third of a mile before ducking into a side trail. I had little sense of direction as the trail wound through a series of twists and turns. The path went on and on and it made me wonder if I was just traveling in a big circle. I was really enjoying this section but hoping for some sign of a larger trail so I could get my bearings.

I finally broke away from that path and found my way toward the northernmost part of the woods. I turned south and headed along the western side of the woods for a while, before following a loop that (eventually) brought me close to where I'd started. I was close to my car by then, but I decided to run a loop around the parking lot before ending my run. After so many weeks of 10+ mile runs, 4 miles seemed very short.

Being back on the trail was a great experience. No thoughts of pace or mileage. I often lose my bearings when I run trails and that makes me feel both anxious and adventurous. I know I can't get too lost, but I often wish I had a better sense of where I am when I'm in the woods. I suppose I could carry a compass or my smart phone with GPS, that shows positioning in real time. But what fun would that be?