Successful start to Cow Harbor training

Once again, it's about speed

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Nothing forces a runner to pay attention to their performance as much as a race. Once the registration is completed, the clock begins its countdown to the starting gun. A good outcome is never assured, but preparation is always key. With a click of the submit button on Active.com, I've once again committed to training for the Great Cow Harbor race.

Every race I run fits within an easy/hard continuum. On the easy end are 5K's that are run fast but over within a short time. The hardest effort I've experienced over the last couple of years has been the half marathon, mostly due to covering so much distance with race pace urgency. In between are runs between 4 and 6.2 miles, some harder than others.

Of these races, Cow Harbor is the biggest event by far. With over 5,000 runners invading Northport, NY, on a Saturday morning, it's a race experience that stands out above all others. The energy of the morning, as runners gather at the Laurel Avenue school, grows by the minute as participants move into their designated wave sections. The chill in the air gives no clue to the scorching heat we'll experience along the course.

This morning's chilly air gave me the spark to start my run fast and keep the pedal down until I'd finished. Everything clicked and, despite my harder than usual effort, I felt completely comfortable pushing my speed. I ended up finishing my run three minutes faster than I did last Friday. It was the first time I broke 9:00 per mile in months and I can't remember the last time I did it at 4:00 AM.

One run doesn't make me ready for Cow Harbor, but I'm happy with my performance on Day One of training. I have three weeks until I taper and rest and I'm hoping to continue to perform like this. Lots to do before September 15th, but I'm off to a good start.

Committed to Cow Harbor 2012

What made skipping Dirty Sock so easy for me this year was that I put off registering until it was one week before the race. Since I had no financial obligation, I made my decision to stand down without needing to consider that I'd already spent the money. That worked great for this past weekend, and I'm still happy with my decision. Still, I didn't want the same thing to happen next month so I signed up for Cow Harbor this morning.

With so many people running this race, the Cow Harbor organizers ask registrants to list their expected finish time. This is so runners can be placed into appropriate pace groups, called waves, at the start. It makes perfect sense and I always wonder if I'm under or overestimating my performance when I do that. Last year I finished in around 57 minutes and I'm hoping to do as well this year. I've run 10Ks faster than that, but not ones that have a hill as challenging as James Street.

Bethpage run plan ruined by Barclays

Today's run (street): 6.3 miles

Last night I thought about heading to Babylon in the morning to run the Dirty Sock 10K. I planned to cover the same distance on today's run and thought it might be fun to do my workout as a race. I ultimately realized that signing up for the race but not running it all out would not work for me. And I knew I wasn't ready for either the course or the pace that I'd want to hit.

Instead, I went over to Bethpage to run the bike trail. With just four weekends before Cow Harbor, I knew I needed to work on my base and prepare for the Northport hills. When I got to the gate I was stopped by a guy who told me that there was no access to the parking lot or trails due to the Barclays 2012 golf tournament that's being held on the Black course.

That was disappointing. I thought the parks were for the people, not for the banks that sponsored golf events. It's not as if I wanted to sneak over to watch. The only thing more boring to me than playing golf is watching other people play.

With no opportunity to run at Bethpage, I headed back to my neighborhood. I considered the routes I could follow to cover 6 miles and decided to run to the business park that has a long loop and some hilly sections. After one time around the park, I cut over to neighborhood #3 and made my way through to Woodbury Road where I continued east.

The per capita income of Woodbury NY is one of highest in the country, yet the condition of the sidewalks along its busy main road is terrible. The grass overgrows the pavement, the concrete is uneven and tree branches hang down so low that some sections are barely passable. I managed to get through it without slowing down too much, and I cut north into a neighborhood to bypass the worst sections on the way back.

I was fortunate to have cool temperatures and moderate humidity throughout most of the run, but I ended up soaked with sweat just the same. It was a solid effort and I was pleased to cover the distance this morning. I had no regrets for having missed Dirty Sock after three consecutive years of running it. But I do regret that Bethpage will be closed to runners until after August 30.

My 40 minute MVP

Today's run (treadmill): 40 minutes

Weekends are usually busy and today was no exception. Appointments started early and with  intermittent rain, I was relegated to the treadmill. I had to finish my run in time to shower, grab a quick lunch and head to the dentist, so I targeted 40 minutes for my workout. Precision timing, but it worked out fine.

The humidity was higher than I expected it to be. Even though I'd opened windows on both sides of the room and put on the standing fan, it was hard to bear. I regretted having the fan in oscillation mode rather than aiming it directly at me. Blasting the AC would have also been a good idea.

At work we often talk about the concept of developing an MVP, (Minimally Viable Product) and today I started with a "Minimally Viable Pace." That meant, considering the heat, humidity and my general discomfort with the treadmill, it felt hard enough to constitute a good workout.

By the 20 minute mark I was really hating the experience but I had enough energy to bump up my speed by a few tenths. I continued to increase the pace until I was running at 10K race pace for the final five minutes. I was very happy to hit the button to slow down the machine after 40 minutes and the Gatorade that followed never tasted better.

Tomorrow is the Dirty Sock 10K and I'll admit that it feels like I'm playing hookey by not participating this year. I'm hoping to get out for a long run on Sunday as I prepare for September's Cow Harbor race. A little less humidity is all that I ask for.

Why golfers don't get better and runners don't get faster

Working towards the perfect swing

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

When I was a kid, my dad was into golf and he spent a lot of time focusing on technique that would improve his game. I can recall the various devices made up of ropes and whiffle balls (I called them his toys) that he'd swing in the house in hopes of improving his swing. Did they help? I'm not sure, but I should ask him.

Bringing this to today, I know people who are equally focused on improving their golf form. There are numerous magazines, websites and TV shows that provide tutorials and theory on ways to optimize your golf skills. With all these resources, you'd think anyone could measurably elevate their game. Yet, despite this help, most people can't get past a certain level.

Running seems to be that way for me. I read Running Times, Runner's World and Trail Runner magazines and pay attention to articles about technique and performance. I practice some of what I read and occasionally see results from the changes I made. But at the end of the day, I still run about the same race pace as I did three years ago. On a daily basis, I'm a little slower. 

I ran my daily route 19 seconds faster today than yesterday. To get where I want to be requires me to run that course 3 minutes faster than I did today. Until I commit to really doing that core and hill work, speed play, and intervals, I'll never find myself running sub-9:00 paces on a daily basis. Resources are great, but only if you actually use them.

The performance thing I'm actually going to do

There's nothing like the feel of hard plastic against your chest

Yesterday's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

Today's run (street ): 2.5 miles

If I were running the Dirty Sock 10K this Sunday, I'd probably have pushed much harder on this morning's run than I did. Training for a race involves a different approach to daily running, where every workout counts. The Cow Harbor 10K is coming up, but I have over four weeks to get my conditioning right. This morning I moved at my default speed,which gets me around my route about 10% slower than 10K race pace.

In terms of performance, I have a long list of things "I'm going to do." More interval sessions. More core workouts. Increase leg lift when running. Strength training. Like I said it's a long list. While I'm good at getting out every day to do my runs, I'm much less apt to do the things that will move the needle on performance.

One easy thing that may make a difference is going back to running with a heart rate monitor. I'm reluctant to look at my Garmin during a training run because I don't like seeing how slow I'm running. That undercuts my enjoyment of the experience and I'd rather be disappointed at the end. But I have no issues looking at my heart rate while I run and that correlates well with performance. 

I'll make it project for this weekend to put a new battery into the HRM and sync it with my FR210. I don't love wearing the thing, but I will. Perhaps that's the reason I stopped using it in the first place.

I need a change but I don't want to tri

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

My friend and colleague KWL participated in a sprint triathlon on Sunday and placed in the top 20% of finishers. He's training for an Olympic length triathlon that's happening in September and is being coached through a corporate program. KWL is already a strong cyclist and a naturally fast runner. Unbelievably, he only learned to swim in the last two years, but he's doing well in competition.

KWL said that I should do a triathlon but I quickly dismissed the idea because I'm a mediocre cyclist and a slow swimmer. Laughably, running would be my strongest sport of the three. I'll admit that I'm at a low point in terms of competitive motivation for running and a triathlon might be a way to restore my spirit. I'm just not that interested in swimming and biking.

I have been thinking about adding some strength training to my routine because it would probably contribute to better running performance. After looking at a full length mirror in the hotel fitness center last week, I was shocked by how skinny my legs have gotten. The muscle tone is there, but the muscle mass is missing. A little focus on building some bulk may provide a lift, both physically and mentally.

Keeping my socks clean this year

As I was running the trails at Bethpage on Sunday, I thought about the Dirty Sock 10K and the effort required to run that course. Next to the half marathon, Dirty Sock is the toughest race I do each year. This is mostly because it's 6.2 miles of changing terrain, run on the hottest and most humid day of the summer.

I figured that I'd spend next weekend preparing for the race and possibly running the course to re-familiarize myself with the route. When I got home from yesterday's run I asked my wife what was on the schedule for next weekend and she said, "Well you have your race on Sunday." For some reason I thought the race was happening in two weeks. I decided on the spot that I'm just not prepared to run it.

It's fun to follow a tradition like running Dirty Sock every year, as I do with the Marcie Mazzola run, the New Hyde Park 8K and Cow Harbor, among other races. But I'm not feeling the need to run it and I'd rather focus on Cow Harbor that happens a month from now. I'll miss the experience of running the Dirty Sock, but I'm sure of my decision. I can always head to Babylon one of these weekends and run the course on my own.

Twisting and turning on the Bethpage trails

So that's where I ran - thanks Garmin!

Today's run (Bethpage trails): 3.25 miles

I'd hoped to cover more than three miles on the wooded trails at Bethpage this morning, but that distance turned out to be more than enough. I really like Bethpage's trails because they are well groomed and diverse. The terrain varies between mulch, dirt, loose rocks and sand. I don't care much for the sandy parts, but they are just part of the challenge.

In terms of technical terrain, Stillwell has it beat, but Bethpage provides some fun twisty trails that seem to go in circles but really just wind around (see top of picture). I usually get disoriented when running in the woods and today was no exception. I'm always surprised where I come out. Today it was at the top of the big hill along the paved bike trail.

The humidity was high and I felt like the week's activities were catching up to me as I neared the finish of my run. I circled the parking lot before calling it a workout and headed back home to start our day, which is also my last day of vacation. It's been a great week and it's always disappointing when a vacation ends. Even though this turned out to be  a low mileage week for running, it was a high mileage week for everything else.

Running relief from my vacation

View of the Capital from the Newseum building

Today's run (street): 4.8 miles

The idea of needing a vacation from your vacation held true this week. After three days of visiting the sights of DC, including Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian, the Spy Museum, the Newseum, Ford's Theater, the Senate and Capital buildings and Chinatown, I was exhausted. Following that was a day at Williamsburg Revolutionary City and then a day at Busch Gardens. After all that, we still had the long ride back to Long Island. I'm happy to have the weekend to recover!

In the past, I've tried to incorporate a little running tourism into my vacations. However, I didn't feel comfortable being alone on the streets of DC at dawn, so my only choice was to use the hotel's treadmill. Williamsburg offered a safer venue, but the streets didn't have sidewalks so, once again, I chose the treadmill. I didn't run every day but with all the ground we covered walking, I got a good week's workout.

This morning was my first opportunity to run outside since last Sunday, when I covered three miles before we left on our trip. It was no surprise that the humidity was high this morning, but I thought the low cloud cover would keep conditions tolerable. I think the miles of walking this week paid off, because I felt good from the start and covered my distance with little trouble.

Although it will be a low mileage week for running, it was great for conditioning and fitness. With the Dirty Sock 10K coming up in a couple of weeks, I may head to the Bethpage trails tomorrow morning to kick off my race training. That is, unless it rains. In that case, it will be back on the treadmill...

Don't tread on me (unless there's no other choice)

Today's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

We've had three days of historical saturation between visits to Ford's Theater, the Smithsonian Museum of American History, the International Spy Museum and Historic Williamsburg. But even with both DC and Virginia offering great running options, I've been relegated to fitness centers for my workouts.

We'll be out all day and evening so, once again, I went for a treadmill run this morning. I like hotel treadmills, although I wasn't familiar with the Spirit brand. It wasn't as solid as the PreCor and Life Fitness units that seem to be the standard for most hotels, but it did the job.

Although I skipped my run on Wednesday, the 20M steps we're covering daily should help make up for that.

Capital running in DC

Sunday's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles Today's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles We left early Sunday morning in order to get to DC in time to see some of the many things we've planned for this trip. An hour and a half spent at Arlington National Cemetery was inspiring and provided a challenging workout, with numerous hills and hot humid conditions. I had thoughts of running the Mall in DC from the Lincoln Memorial to the monument, but it's impractical to do that this trip. So far my DC running has been limited to the hotel t readmill. No problem with that. I'm a fan of fitness center treadmills and I seem to be able to maintain faster paces on them compared with my home unit. Lots of walking yesterday as well, and today is no different. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to run outside once our vacation continues in Virginia.

Liquid exhaustion

Yesterday's run (treadmill): 30 minutes
Today's run (street) 5.25 miles

Circuitous route

I was tired on Thursday morning and (no surprise) my run was slow. Yesterday morning I felt the same, so I skipped my morning run altogether. I'm not sure why I lacked energy on these two days but it definitely affected my motivation to run. After a half day in the office I headed home feeling more inclined to work out, so I took the opportunity to fit in a 30 minute treadmill run.

Despite yesterday's brutal heat and high humidity, I remained relatively dry during my indoor run. Credit goes to the big fan we've positioned directly in front of the treadmill. I didn't push my pace but, by the time I reached my planned finish time, I was completely soaked with sweat. I'd placed an icy glass filled with Gatorade G2 on the side table of the bed to drink after I'd completed my run. As they say, I was keeping my eye on the prize.

This morning I took it outside with no planned route, but an intention of running five miles. The dew point was approaching 70 by the time I set off and I tried to keep a sustainable pace that would allow me to cover my planned distance. I hadn't matched my normal pace since Wednesday morning's run. Today was no different but my focus was on distance, not speed.

The hot sun and the moisture in the air wore me down, mile by mile, but I still had enough in the tank to cover 5-plus miles. I'm accustomed to being sweaty after these long runs, but today it looked and felt like I had stepped out of a lake as I walked into the house. Every square inch of skin was wet and my clothing was completely saturated. Although I felt no aerobic strain during the run, I was still breathing heavily five minutes after the finish. It was more exhausting than I realized.

I'm on vacation this coming week and I hope to get a chance to run in Washington DC while we're there. If that's not practical, I may need to settle for the fitness center in the hotel. It's less stimulating to run indoors. But, with this weather, I'll fully appreciate the air conditioned experience.

A reason to appreciate my next good run

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Tuesday's post contained a quote about relishing bad runs so that you'll appreciate the good ones. I had plenty of reason to relish this morning because I ran my route over a minute slower than yesterday. I knew I was in for a disappointing time from the beginning. I may have improved my pace in the second half, but it was fairly pathetic effort.

Every weekday morning I question my expectations for performance. I'm out of bed at 3:45 AM and standing on my driveway ten minutes later. While I'm definitely a morning person and a morning runner, I understand that my body may not respond as well after abruptly waking up  from a sound sleep. Sometimes it does respond and other times, like today, it doesn't.

Today my legs felt leaden and that affected the fluidity of my form. Affected in the sense that I had no form. The residual tiredness, that I usually lose after a few minutes during these runs, remained. On Tuesday and Wednesday I'd pushed myself at certain times and ended up with decent overall paces. I had no appetite for that today and kept both my effort and heart rate low.

In the end, I was disappointed to see how slowly I had run. I was secretly hoping that the Garmin would show (despite my less than vigorous effort) that I'd actually flown through the course. The fact is that you get out what you put into a workout, and I contributed very little. So I'll relish this sub-par experience knowing how much I'll appreciate my next good run. Anyway, that's what I'm telling myself.

Gifted with home baked energy bars

Contents: taste and energy

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

When it comes to nutrition, I try to maintain the best possible diet that doesn't impose difficult requirements. By this I mean that most of my food choices are the right ones: vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, tofu, and reasonable portions. Unlike "foodies", I don't really care about what I eat as long as it has some taste. In terms of eating organic or avoiding any type of processed food, I can't be bothered. All in all, I think I do pretty well.

A colleague of mine at work, HB, is a true foodie with an interest in healthy baking. She experiments with food combinations and generously shares the results with her co-workers. I am always happy to provide feedback. She recently started a blog called Oven Notes that's worth a look.

Not long ago, HB asked me whether I used energy bars when I ran. I told her that I do use them and that there's a big difference between a bar you'd consume prior to a run, versus one that you'd eat for recovery. After quizzing me on the taste and ingredient profile, she baked up a batch. Each bar is 126 calories and has a good mix of carbs, protein and fat. The ingredients themselves include bing cherries, almonds, coconut and oats. Date syrup is used as a sweetener and whey powder for protein.

The results were impressive. Unlike Clif bars, which can be a little too sweet, these bars have a nice tart balance. They are packed with good stuff and, considering their low calorie count, are very filling. I haven't used them as a pre-run bar but they've been great with a cup of coffee in the morning. Perhaps tomorrow I'll put them to the test. I'll suggest to HB that she post the recipe on her blog. Otherwise I'll include it in one of my posts.

Appreciating the obvious

Today's run (street): 2.5

In a recent Runner's World's "Daily Kick in the Butt", there was a quote that went, "Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones." I thought about that quote on my run this morning as I made my way along my usual route. The run felt great and I could tell that I was pacing well. It was indeed a "good one."

The trick is to have more good runs than bad ones. I can usually tell within the first 10 yards of a run whether I'm in for a good or bad experience. Sometimes I'm fooled and a good run will turn bad. I've had times when I felt I could run all day but, after a few miles, I was questioning whether I'd make it back home without stopping.

On the other hand, there are times when you get a "second wind" that completely changes how you feel and what you think you can do. I recall a treadmill run a few months ago, when I was self-bargaining to keep going until I hit the 35 minute mark. I had nothing left until - suddenly - I felt boundless energy. I ended up running for over an hour that day. I only stopped because I'd run out of time.

Why are some runs better than others? Sometimes it's circumstantial. You're tired, feeling ill, had too big a lunch, or hadn't properly trained for the workout. Other times the cause is not so clear. While we always look for a reason when a run goes bad, we often just appreciate the ones that go really well.

Nature or nurture? Outgrowing my running shoes

A growing problem

A couple of weeks ago I gave away three pairs of running shoes to someone with same shoe size. My collection of running shoes had reached a point where I needed to store them in four different locations. When I made the exchange I had a total of 13 pairs. Now it's down to 10. I should probably get rid of most of the rest because, remarkably, the majority of them no longer fit me.

When I finished growing (at around 19 years old) I naively assumed that I'd never need to buy clothing again. Over the years I've had to replace worn clothes and buy more occupationally appropriate attire, but I'd always assumed that I would fit into the same shoes forever. Four years ago I started running again and bought a pair of Nike shoes. They fit me well and I liked them.

A lot has changed since that purchase in 2008. I no longer care for Nike's and I doubt I could even fit my foot into those shoes. It's strange, but since I started running, my shoe size has increased a full size and a half. I started at 9.5, moved up to 10's about a year later and, by early 2010, I needed 10.5's. Now most 10.5's are too tight in the toe for me to use, except on shorter runs.

The Spira's and the Kinvara 3's are both 11's and they fit me well. I was still thinking I was a 10.5 when  Brooks picked me to test a pair of prototype shoes a few months back. I really like the shoes but the fit is annoyingly snug on the outside toes. Had I asked for 11's, I'd probably be rotating these shoes with the Kinvaras on almost every run. Happily, the Saucony's provide me with a quality running experience and I appreciate them more every day.

Outgrowing shoes gives me an opportunity to buy new ones (and as my wife would point out, a reason to get rid of old ones). I'm wondering why this has happened. Is running flattening or spreading the volume of my feet? More importantly, when does it stop!?

Good running follows a tough trail workout

Today's run (street): 3.9 miles

I was surprised to wake up today feeling ready for a run. After yesterday's tough trail run, I expected to feel sore and exhausted this morning. Perhaps it helped that I knew the hardest running of the weekend was already behind me. Either way, I was out of the house before 7:00 AM for a run around the neighborhood.

Lower humidity made a big difference compared to Saturday. The first couple of miles went by quickly and, without yesterday's hills, the run felt easy. I started feeling like I could run forever at that pace, but a glance at my Garmin told me I needed to step it up. I picked up my speed and that's when I started to feel the effort. By the time I finished I felt like I'd done a pretty hard run.

This has not been a typical running week for me. Due to Wednesday night's 5K, I'd rested on Tuesday and Thursday, putting me 5 miles behind where I'd normally be on a Friday. Since then I've covered almost 13 miles, totaling about 17 for the week. With both Dirty Sock and Cow Harbor happening soon, I'll need to work on my base and get my weekly mileage back up to competitive levels.

Trail running at Hook Mountain State Park

Hook Mt. trail head. Humidity fogged the lens!

Today's run (Hook Mountain State Park trail): 6.1 miles

The weather report called for thunderstorms today, but we kept our plans to meet friends for activities around Hook Mountain State Park. Happily, the storms didn't materialize, but the humidity certainly did.

We arrived at our friends home in Nyack around 9:00 AM and then headed over to the park. My wife and kids charted a hike on the blue-green trail while me and my friend Chris drove over to the trail at Nyack Beach. This trail runs along the Hudson River and provides a rolling route. According to my Garmin, we experienced 509 feet of elevation gain (and the equivalent loss since we ran it out and back).

The highs and lows of the Hook Mountain trail

We started our run at a brisk pace. The breezes off the water prevented us from feeling the humidity and it wasn't until the path moved inland that I noticed how muggy it was. We moved well considering the heat and moisture, but the constantly changing elevation sapped some of my energy. After a couple of  hills that rivaled James Street in Northport, my sweat level moved to "extreme."

Despite all that, I didn't want the run to end. The scenery was beautiful and the conversation was great. I didn't dread the frequent hills as much as I do at Bethpage. In fact, I had more problem on the steep downhills than on all but the toughest climbs. We made the turnaround after reaching the three mile point, despite Chris's suggestion that we go another half mile.

The second half of the run went by quickly. Before long, we were back to where we'd started. I had the same light-headed reaction to the heat and dehydration that I usually have after the Dirty Sock 10K. That meant I needed lots of hydration and electrolytes and Chris gave me a banana and a water bottle. That helped, as did the cooling breezes coming off the river.

After a quick shower, back at the house, we went into town to meet our wives and the kids for lunch. Pizza, followed by home made ice cream, was the perfect restorative. After 6 tough miles on the trail, I had no guilt whatsoever!

Are you getting your runner's daily requirement?

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

One thing I learned from Wednesday's race is that I'm not working hard enough during my regular training runs. Over the past four years I've had phases where I've focused on performance and/or distance. That type of running has always paid off during races. Running fast workouts will usually produce decent finish times for 5, 8 and 10K's. The same goes for long base training runs used as preparation for a half marathon.

Some runners that I know enjoy the challenge of running fast. They approach every workout as an opportunity to test their performance. They enjoy the work that it takes and that's why they run.

Me? I like to run fast (or my version of fast), but mostly I like to enjoy the experience of moving along, outside, preferably along a wooded trail. Long slow distance is both a technique and a way to define the way I like to run. LSD is invaluable when doing base training, but it is only part of the runner's daily requirement for race preparation.

If race training was defined like a food label, recommended weekly percentages would probably look something like this:

Speed runs:               15%
Tempo runs:              25%
Hill training:               10%
Base runs:                 25%
Easy/recovery runs:   15%
Cross training/core:   10%

I fall short on everything but easy runs. It's the same thing as eating too many carbs and not enough protein. You just won't perform as well.

This morning I decided that enough was enough so I cranked up the treadmill right away, to a speed that felt similar to my race pace on Wednesday. It wasn't easy, but I was able to sustain it. That was probably because my last two runs were a speed workout and a race. Can I maintain this type of running going forward to the point where I'm getting my recommended doses of speed and hill training? Maybe not all at once, but a little harder training might be doable.

Race report: Corporate 5K

Registration check in. Sign those waivers!

Yesterday's run (Corporate 5K): 3.1 miles - 26:22 (8:30 pace)

I like to keep my running life and my work life separate in this blog, but every once in a while they'll come together. Back in June we had a summer picnic in Central Park and I organized my colleagues for a 1.6 mile fun run. Last night I participated in a 5K race that was put on by my company as part of a corporate wellness program. It was an interesting experience and a lot of fun.

This 5K consisted of employees from four of our corporate divisions that have offices in NYC. The company is holding 5K's in other cities for other divisions based in those locations. A group of us left the office for the 1 train that took us uptown to Riverside Park, where the race was being held. The registration process started out a little bumpy but they did get through the 170 or so runners (and walkers) reasonably fast. We were all asked to sign waiver forms even though we'd already done that online.

Pre-race warm-up

Before the race, the organizers had participants run through some dynamic stretching exercises. Soon after that, we assembled behind the starting line for the race. There were a few speakers who talked about the event, the importance of fitness and how our company is contributing to charitable causes that support this initiative. This went on so long that my Garmin turned off its GPS and I had to scramble to reacquire a signal before the start.

Our course was interesting. We started at 108th street and headed north about eight blocks before turning south. This turnaround put us on a secondary path that was, at different times, packed dirt and broken pavement, with lots of twigs and branches from the trees. I gingerly avoided those branches since I was wearing my very minimal Hattori's. There were a number of rises throughout the course and some were fairly challenging.

Our route took us by the river where we did a couple of out and back loops before heading north again toward the finish. This was my first evening race and I expected to struggle but I didn't feel much different than I normally do. The out and backs provided an opportunity to see my position in the race because I would pass the the leaders going the other way. At other times, I could see those who were behind me.

The race ended with a straight section of recently paved blacktop and I ran hard to the finish line. A number of us questioned the length of the course because our GPS watches showed it to be less than 3.1 miles. I looked at my run in Garmin Connect and saw that the signal had drifted in a number of spots. That usually accounts for distance loss since the GPS often "cuts corners" due to sampling frequency.

After crossing the line, we spent a few minutes recovering. After that we claimed our bags and headed back to the subway to get us to our trains and buses. Others stayed for drinks and hors d'oeuvres but most of just wanted to get home. I have to say that all my colleagues did well. KWL finished in the top 10% and FS also finished high. Everyone else came in around mid-pack, as I did. With the majority of runners in the 20-29 age category, I think we did just fine.

Dirty Sock and Great Cow Harbor are coming...

It's not yet the end of July and I'm already thinking about the two late-summer races that I look forward to each year: the Dirty Sock and the Great Cow Harbor runs. Both races are 10K's but that's where their similarities begin and end.

Dirty Sock is a trail race that begins at a small park close to Southard's Pond. The course takes runners north around Belmont Lake and then back down again. If it's raining, your socks will get dirty, and it has rained two out of three times I've run it. The race is held on the third weekend in August and conditions are usually hot and humid. I like this race a lot, but the last 1.2 miles always seem as long as the first 5.

This morning I got an email from the Cow Harbor race organizers saying that the 2012 event is 8 weeks away. The message was all caps and it carried some amusing urgency, especially this line that I pasted from the email: DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE.  THERE MAY BE NO ROOM FOR YOU! This race is run through and around the town of Northport, NY, and attracts over 5,000 people. The course isn't as tough as Dirty Sock, except for the James Street Hill that looms like a mountain at mile 2.

I'm hoping we'll catch another break in the weather (as we did last year) when conditions on both race days were considerably cooler and drier than the prior year. Speaking of weather, the forecasts are still calling for tomorrow to be the best day of the week. I'm hoping for low humidity when we line up at 6:00. THAT WOULD BE GREAT!

Will a late day start ruin my race?

I woke up with some calf soreness and I figured it related to yesterday's running in the Hattori's. Although I've been running in low shoes like the Kinvara 3's and my Brooks test shoes, neither pair offer a zero drop experience like the Hattori's. The difference is only 4 mm, but that could be enough to aggravate my calves. After thinking about it more, I've concluded that the soreness actually came from running at speeds I haven't attempted for well over a month.

I'm curious to see how I will do during Wednesday afternoon's race. I can't think of a time when I've run late in the day and thought I'd performed particularly well. I've done all that I can to maximize my readiness, including Saturday's 6 miles and yesterday's intervals. Two days of recovery from my weekend running will get me to Wednesday. Since the race is at 6:00 PM, I'll get another half day's rest. Perhaps that additional recovery time will counter-balance the performance hit that I expect to take from that late day start.

Wackos and backward walkers at the track

Round and round (and round) we go

Today's run (track): 1 mile warm up, 8 x 220 M, 2 mile run = 4.15 miles

I finished my training for this week's 5K with some speed work on the local high school track. I'm always ambivalent about track running because I find the experience excruciatingly boring. At the same time, with its precise measurement and flat surface, the track is a great place to run intervals. Plus, there's always an interesting cast of characters to help distract me from the tedium.

The temperature was in the 70's and the humidity was moderate when I started my workout, with a warm up mile that I completed in 8:19. I wore my Hattori's that I've kept in the closet over the last few months while I ran with the Spira's, Kinvara 3's and my Brooks test shoes. The Hattori's felt fantastic and I'm tempted to go back to them as my regular trainers.

My track-mates included a guy who had about a decade on me, running shirtless. He was covered in sweat and moving at an impressive pace. I wondered how long he could keep that up. Pretty long, it turned out. I suspect he'd been at it for a while when I arrived, and he continued for the first 20 minutes of my workout.

Also on the track was an older Asian woman whom I'd seen before. She circles the track walking backwards. I'm not sure why, but that's her thing. There was a stocky guy with long hair and a beard walking the whole time I was there. I noticed that he'd switched to a trot around the time I was leaving. I also saw two or three other fitness walkers, some fast and some slow, whose orbits coincided with my laps at various points on the track.

One of the walkers was a guy in his 40's who I first noticed when he ran the steps in the grandstand. I expected to see him run when he got to the track, but he walked. He did a couple of sprints and, oddly, it was only when our paths crossed (I'd reversed direction on the track). Was he trying to prove he could run as well? He looked angry the whole time he was there and I noticed that he sped out of the parking lot in his big BMW, with gravel flying, after he'd finished his workout. What a wacko.

I felt good running the 220 splits and averaged 7:01 for that mile. I know I could have done better than that, but my goal was to generate some speed without injuring myself. It had been a while since I did any speed work. I did the last two miles closer to a 9:00 minute pace and I was satisfied with what will be my last training run before Wednesday.

While I'm ambivalent about the track, I can almost guarantee my runner's high after a workout like that. I count on that to help me through the less-than-stimulating experience of running in circles.