Wishing for a DVR for running

 

Today's run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

The kids are off from school this week and that can effect the rhythm of my day. I usually see the kids off to school each morning before heading outside (or upstairs) for my run. My timing is often very tight, leaving me just enough time to work out (and shower) before my first business call. When the kids stay home, my schedule tends to slip.

This morning brought distractions, including shoveling a few inches of fresh snow. I lost my running slot and had to start my work day without my usual post run rush. Worse, my missed workout made me feel guilty all morning. I decided then to switch around a couple of calls so I could take a mid afternoon break and do a treadmill run.

I prefer to run in the morning because my body responds better to activity before noon. A mid afternoon run wasn't ideal, especially since I'd had lunch only a couple of hours before. The run was okay, but tedious. I found myself wishing that I could fast forward through it like a DVR. I did get my run in, even though it extended my workday another hour. The temperature rose above freezing for most of the day today and they are predicting rain for tomorrow. An outside run by Friday is a possibility. Can't wait for that.

Run, interrupted

Reset, you bet

Today's run (treadmill): 4.5 miles

My son is hosting a competition with his buddies today and our basement is filled with the loud noises and trash talking that you'd expect from a bunch of 9th grade boys. Due to this, our morning schedule was compressed and I strongly considered skipping today's run. Yesterday's snowfall put four additional inches on top of Thursday's accumulation and I shoveled a lot of wet, heavy snow on Saturday. By the time I finished, it was after 10:00 PM.

I mentioned to my wife that I was considering taking a rest day. She suggested that I do an alternative workout, either a walk or an easy run on the treadmill. With that in mind, I got myself situated. I set the speed a little lower than yesterday's and let it go. Things went well, but I felt the tread slip about halfway through the run and then stop. I checked that my safety cord was still in place and there was no power drop. It seemed like the treadmill console had just spontaneously reset.

This reset wiped my distance off the console's display, as well as my elapsed time. I hadn't been looking at my distance when the machine stopped, but I had an approximate idea where it was. Based on the speed I was running, and the time captured on my Garmin, I was able to back into the number. I restarted the treadmill and kept going until I reached a calculated 4.5 miles. From there, I reduced my speed to a fast walking pace and increased the incline to 2% for a half mile cool down.

It was a good decision to run easy today rather than put off my workout until tomorrow. With two days in the city this week that interrupted my workout schedule, I would have fallen very short on mileage. No more snow today, so my upper body is finally getting some rest. Do I dare hope to get an outdoor run in next week? More snow is expected on Tuesday, so I'm thinking that's not likely.

Forget running shoes, this is what I want

On my wish list

Today's run (treadmill): 4.5 miles

Hey guess what, it's snowing again! I really don't mind all the snow this season, since I no longer need to commute every day on the Long Island Railroad. What I don't like are the limited options I have for running these days. The treadmill is a handy choice, but even with the TV or music on, I find running in place to be tough on the mind.

Last week I was in industry meetings and I had a chance to catch up with my friend (and occasional running partner) KWL. We were talking about how the weather has affected our training and we agreed that snowshoes would be a handy thing to have. I've considered buying them in previous years, but the cost seemed high for the use I'd get out of them.

Now that we're into the last months of winter, I've noticed prices are dropping. But the lowest cost I've seen for adult snowshoes is still over $100 a pair. If I was confident that we'd see similar levels of snow in 2015 I'd certainly consider the investment. KWL, who is a master craftsman, suggested that we build our own. Easy for him to say.

This looks like a lot of trouble

Without snowshoes to get me outside, I wound up on the treadmill again today. It was a fine workout and I went as long I could with the time I had. The light snow coming down right now shouldn't amount to much, compared to everything we've seen this week. My kids go out in the snow at every opportunity. Even without snowshoes, they always seem to have a great time. Maybe that's a workout I should consider.

A Valentine's running treat

I heart insoles

Today's run (treadmill): 3.5 miles

Happy Valentine's Day. This is a nice holiday because it's providing a nice diversion from all the cold, ice and snow we're having. I got some shoveling in today so I can check the cross training box once again. I also ran on the treadmill this morning and can check the running while un-stimulated box. But I did give my feet a Valentine.

A few weeks ago I bought two pairs of gel insoles for my shoes, so my feet wouldn't end up blistered and sore after a walking around NYC all day. They do a good job compared to regular insoles and I've felt much better after covering five or more miles on city streets. My Saucony Kinvaras have about 700 miles on them and they have served as my treadmill shoes for the last 200. The Kinvara 3's have held up very well, but I think the mid-soles have lost a lot of their support. I decided to try the other pair of insoles for today's run and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

I was concerned that the gels would be too mushy, but they turned out to be very supportive. My Kinvaras suddenly felt more like my old Adrenalins which provided a nice combination of cushioning and response. The biggest benefit came from lower fatigue in my calves and less strain underfoot. The tedium of the treadmill was somewhat mitigated by this additional comfort. Why hadn't I tried this before?

Time for a snow bank withdrawal

Today's weather took a turn for the better and the temperatures finally rose above 32°, allowing some snow to melt. There's still plenty left and the snowbanks along my driveway remain about 4' high. I had hoped this would be enough to clear the roads for weekend running, but today's melt hardly made a dent. Temperatures have dropped again and we're expecting about three more inches tomorrow. So more treadmilling this weekend. At least my feet will be happy.

Hey, remember me?

Hence, the treadmill

Today's run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

It's been a few days since I last posted due to both a lack of time and subject matter. It's Thursday and my grand total for the week is three and a quarter miles. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent in the city. Those days started early and went late and I didn't have an opportunity to work out. I covered plenty on miles on foot, so that counts for something, right? Most of that walking was done at a brisk pace due to the face-freezing temperatures that were caused by head-on winds.

But I write about my running, and not my walking (generally), so I didn't have much to post. I suppose I could have written about my meetings, but this blog isn't The Emerging Business Guy. I've felt weirdly out of the running loop, especially since the Runsketeers were due to dominate on Saturday's trail relay and there were probably things to discuss. We learned that the race was canceled due to the two feet of wet snow that's being dumped on us right now.

I have to admit that I'm partially relieved that this race has been postponed until March. I have not trained well for the Bethpage relay that requires full tilt running for two miles. All the treadmill running that I've been doing has taken away whatever edge I had. My treadmill sessions haven't been as performance oriented as an equivalent run on the road. My experience on Sunday, running on pavement for only the fourth time in 2014(!), revealed a conditioning gap caused by a lack of road time.

Today's run was on the treadmill, due to the foot-plus of snow already we've received. I'd shoveled in the morning and I suspect that explains the lack of focus I had on my run. I ran at my normal speed but I felt detached and unconnected the whole time. On the plus side, I got in my first run after three days off, but I'm definitely not in the zone. I'll blame it on the weather and look forward to the clear roads and warmer temperatures that will eventually come. Unless we've just begun a new Ice Age...

Snowed out at the track, but not at the park

Track was snow go

Today's run (street): 4 miles

I ended up wimping out of the GLIRC run today. I debated whether to head over and see the condition of that route (it would have been a five minute drive), but finally decided to pursue a different workout. I haven't focused much on my speed lately and the Bethpage trail relay is next week. A track workout would be ideal so (after much preparation and stalling) I made my way to the high school track.

I was hoping the track would be clear, but when I arrived I saw that it was covered by at least three inches of snow. It would have been perfect conditions for Yaktrax or snowshoes. I was dressed for a cold outdoor run and didn't want to return home to the treadmill so I thought about my other options. First was the paved area at Stillwell that was right across the street. I knew that I could run a .6 mile loop there. Similarly, I thought about running the half mile route around the driveway loops at the middle school in my neighborhood.

Neither choice appealed to me, so I started to head toward the GLIRC office. I figured that I could park around there and pick up the northern end of the bike trail where the Clubhouse runs start. On my way there, I swung through the local business park and saw that it had clear roads and sparse traffic. I pulled into one of the lots and started a run going clockwise around the loop.

I had put on a lot of layers and immediately noticed how it restricted my stride. The 1.2 mile loop rises and falls with the clockwise direction, providing about 40 feet of elevation gain within a .4 mile section. I usually run it that way, rather than going in the opposite direction where that elevation stretches across 3/4 of a mile.

After so many treadmill runs in the past few weeks, I found the pavement a little jarring. I thought about my blogger buddy SIOR who goes out for runs in the double digits a few times a week (20 miles yesterday!) while I struggled to get my road legs back. Soon enough, the snow will leave us and I'll begin my base training runs for the half marathon that will culminate with 12+ mile runs.

At 2.8 miles I needed to stop at an intersection where a few cars were taking a left toward Jericho Turnpike. I hit stop on the Garmin while the cars went by and (apparently) did not properly restart it. About five minutes later, I heard a beep and saw that the Garmin was shutting down to preserve battery. I restarted the watch and tried to estimate how much further I'd need to run to cover four miles.

Round and round the park

I figured that a side route towards the Route 135 underpass would gain me the distance I'd need to make four miles. I would have aimed for more distance, but my right knee was feeling slightly sore. I finished up fast, with my best pace of the run on the last quarter mile. I knew it was the right time to stop when I reached the lot where I parked. I Gmapped my route when I got home and confirmed my distance.

I only covered about eight miles over the weekend, despite my goal of doing ten. That was fine because my legs got a good workout, especially today. I do need to dial up the speed to help prepare for next weekend. With snow falling tonight, that will probably have to happen on the treadmill.

Snowbound and demotivated (but still running)

Our snowman is happy, but I'm tired of the treadmill

Yesterday's run (treadmill): 3.25 miles
Today's run (treadmill): 4.3 miles

I've been off the grid since yesterday morning, so I didn't end up posting on Friday. It was a busy day, but I was able to work in a treadmill run in the morning. As much as I would have liked to run outside, the snow has been a barrier. I'd briefly considered running around the clear and relatively safe driveway loops at the nearby middle school, but I determined that would be trading one boring situation for a another.

This morning my motivation meter was very low. The thought of another indoor run was disheartening. I considered doing some type of cross training, but my options were few. On a day like today, having access to a gym would be great. I got on the treadmill and told myself that I'd mix up the workout, either by switching up the program, or folding in an elliptical session.

I ended up staying with the treadmill because I became distracted by Olympics coverage. I made it past four miles, but tedium prevailed and I couldn't convince myself to go a full five. I was happy that I did the run, but I felt guilty for not doing more. I'm debating whether I should do an additional workout on the elliptical. The only problem with that is the need to go through the whole showering process again when I finish.

I saw in Footnotes magazine that GLIRC is doing another Clubhouse run tomorrow, although it's not listed on the events calendar. I check the date again. I don't know if the bike trail I ran with TPP and SIOR during the last GLIRC run are clear of snow and ice. If they aren't, I'm not too sure that I want to risk a slip. But it would be nice to run outside. I'll see how adventurous I feel in the morning.

The freezing rain workout

 

Today's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

Yesterday morning did not work out for a run. The overnight snowfall was saturated with freezing rain and my schedule was too tight to allow time for both shoveling and doing a workout. I was due to give a webinar later in the morning, preceded by some planning calls. Weather conditions were so bad they closed the schools and I figured that was due to the ice covered roads.

We only received a few inches of snow so I thought I could easily push it off the driveway. That was a bad assumption. The weight of this snow made it hard to move it more than a couple of feet. A full shovel's worth of the stuff probably weighed over 30 pounds. I figured out a way to clear the drive and walk, but it took me three times as long as it did during the last snowfall. After about 40 minutes, my wife was able to join me and that cut the time considerably. No run yesterday, but I did get a good upper arm workout.

The still icy roads made the treadmill my only option this morning. I could have also used the elliptical, but I wanted to run. I had an early call scheduled, so I set the speed slightly faster than my comfort level. If everything went according to plan, I'd be able to finish, shower and still have a few minutes before the start of the call. I ended up cutting it close, but I made it. I was very tired by the end.

I'm in there!

Earlier this week I received my first copy of Footnotes, the Greater Long Island Running Club's (GLIRC) official magazine. That, added to my recently received GLIRC 2014 calendar, made me feel like a real member. It was interesting to see that there are group activities listed in the magazine that don't seem to be on the website (if they are they're hard to find). Looking further, I saw that I was mentioned as a new member. Yay!

An amnesiac run

 

Today's run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

I found out this morning that an industry presentation, scheduled for the 14th, has to be given tomorrow. That certainly changed my priorities for the day. Once I learned about the date change, I had every excuse to skip today's workout. I didn't skip the run, but it's almost as if I did.

We got about 8 inches of snow yesterday, so an outside run was out of the question. I organized my materials and took a break at 9:00 AM to start the run. I hopped on the treadmill, set my speed, put on CNN and ran until the display showed 3.2 miles. No playing around with paces or inclines. No last quarter mile at an otherwise unsustainable speed. Just start, run and stop.

Almost as soon as I hit the shower, the run was out of my head. I must have been thinking about the work I'd need to do over the next few hours. On the whole, I guess I'd rather have running amnesia rather than suffer through half an hour of treadmill tedium. Best of all, I won't have to give a presentation on Valentine's Day.

Super Bowl Sunday but not a Super run

Go teams!

Today's run (treadmill): 5.1 miles

Apparently there's some big football game happening today. I'm not much of a sports fan (except for running), especially at the professional level. My youthful obsession with the Boston Red Sox and Bruins gave way to the practical realization that a favorite player's loyalty only extended to the length of his contract. In terms of my interest in today's Super Bowl, I'll go as far as to say that I'm curious to see some of the commercials.

My plan this morning was to get outside and run in my neighborhood, something that I have not done since January 15th. Conditions were okay to do that, with moderately warm temperatures outside and fairly clear streets. There was fog, but it was dissipating. I have some high visibility clothing (and pulsating LED lights) that would have ensured that I'd be easily seen.

I was tired after I'd woken up and I found it hard to motivate myself to get out and run. I knew I'd do it, but as the morning grew long, I decided to follow my wife on the treadmill after she'd completed her workout. I was determined to put in my five miles, even if it was going to happen inside.

I started my run at a brisk pace, but dialed it down at the two mile point. I wasn't fatigued, but I thought the original pace would be hard to sustain throughout the next three miles. The warmer temperatures outside translated into hot conditions inside. By mile three, it felt as hot and humid as summer. I ended up bringing my speed back up to my original pace for the last half mile. When I finally finished, I debated whether a nap would be preferable to a shower. I went with the shower.

Tomorrow is my rest day and I'm looking forward to some recovery time. I'm debating whether I'll even turn on the game later, but I am interested in the fact that it's taking place in the NY area. Either way, I'll be glad when I'm finally be able to walk through Time Square without dodging Super Bowl events. Even more, I'll be thrilled to get past the ongoing debate between New York and New Jersey on the provenance of the Super Bowl.

Black ice and snowy running at Bethpage

One of the clearer spots on the trail

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

Enough was enough after two weeks of nothing but indoor running. I felt the need to get outside and reacquaint myself with the road. My neighborhood streets have pretty much cleared and yesterday's "warmer" temperatures exposed a lot more of the sidewalks. Safer for running, but not ideal. Assuming the Bethpage bike trails would be similarly clear, I figured that would be a better bet. This is why I don't gamble.

I'd traded Facebook notes this morning with The Petite Pacer (TPP) and She Is Out Running (SIOR) and mentioned my plan to run at Bethpage Park. TPP expressed some interest in running there as well. I wasn't sure I would be heading there, but I hoped I'd see her if I did. When I arrived I was disappointed to see that the trails were covered in white. The only views of the pavement came from the narrow tire-tracked sections.

View of the southern trail head

I parked in the lot and was delighted to see TPP's very distinctive car pull in a minute later. I think I surprised her when I walked over while she prepared her gear. We noted the poor condition of the trails and started our run at the northern trail head along the 4" of exposed asphalt. Soon enough, we reached sections consisting only of ice over snow. This forced us to the edges, that were a more stable crusty snow.

Most of our running required side stepping between tire exposed asphalt, packed (but not icy) snow and compressed leaves flattened by vehicle traffic. I followed TPP for the most part, and she did a great job of guiding us through the more treacherous segments. Every once in a while she'd point to black ice. I did have a couple of missteps along the way, but thankfully nothing that caused a fall.

Can you believe we just ran that?

My plan, after seeing the poor trail conditions, was to cover four miles rather than my original target of five. My reasoning was that every step I took was a potential chance for a spill. That, along with the additional work that was required to avoid hazards, made four miles a great workout. We returned to our starting point where I finished my run and TPP headed off to do another couple of miles.

I would have liked to cover a little more distance today, but perhaps I will tomorrow. The temperatures are supposed to remain above freezing through the weekend, so I may try a neighborhood run on Sunday. With most people staying home to watch Superbowl pre-game shows, the roads may be fairly free of traffic. At the very least, I won't be dealing with the hazardous conditions I saw at Bethpage this morning.

The Federal Reserve workout

Watch your feet

Today's run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

I spent yesterday in the city and covered about 5.25 miles on foot. Most of that distance came from walking from the Financial District back to Penn. I was downtown for a meeting that included a tour of the Federal Reserve Bank, which is located on the quaintly named Maiden Lane. It was an interesting experience that I highly recommend. We got to see lots of gold bars and learned (happily not through this experience) that each bar weighs 12.4 kg and if you drop it on your foot, your foot will break. Apparently the Federal Reserve manages the nation's monetary policy and inflation as well, but I think it's mostly about moving gold bars on a cart between lockers.

Due to my schedule on Thursday, I wasn't able to run, but all that walking provided a good alternative. Today was the first day in a long time where the temperature rose above 40°. Even so, the roads still have snowbanks so I elected to run again on the treadmill.

The warmer weather provided some additional humidity that I appreciated every time I reached for the remote or touched part of the treadmill during my run. Lately the cold dry air has been causing huge shocks from the built up static electricity. It can get so bad that it resets or even shuts down the treadmill's display. Not much to report on today's run except to say it seemed to go by faster than normal. I had a call scheduled close to my projected finish time and, as things got close, I amped up the speed to complete my targeted distance.

I'm hoping to finally get outside for a run tomorrow and perhaps take on the northern section of the Bethpage bike trail. It's been a long time since I've run on pavement, but I'm sure it won't be hard to re-adapt my stride.

History shows that January is treadmill month

 

Today's run (treadmill) 3.25 miles

Today has been an interesting day, due to an odd combination of business and non-business related happenings. Amidst this jumble, I managed to work in a treadmill run. Although the roads are fairly clear, we saw snow overnight that made street running dangerous and sidewalk running impossible.

I've been somewhat frustrated by this January's weather that has forced me off the road and onto the treadmill so often. I looked at Garmin Connect and was a little surprised to see that 70% of my runs this year have been indoors. Curiously, a search of last January showed that I did the same percentage of treadmill runs in 2013. That made me feel slightly better.

The good news about frequent use of the treadmill is that it eventually becomes a manageable routine. I've found myself getting more comfortable with the different cadence and a more restricted stride. It's always a good workout and a safer way to get my miles than the road these days. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm liking these workouts, but I have started to appreciate them.

I'm bound for the Brooklyn Half

Got my ticket

Today's run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

I love the idea of running adventures, but nowadays I rarely venture more than a few miles from my house for a run. This is mostly due to time constraints and schedules. I'm fortunate that I live in an area that offers numerous nearby options, especially for trail running. But over the 5+ years since I've become a serious runner, I've only run two races outside of Long Island (NYC and Cape Cod, MA).

Last year was not my best in terms of racing. I only ran eight competitive events and I wasn't particularly competitive in most of them. Unlike the prior two years, I didn't run a half marathon, just three 5Ks, three 10Ks and a 4 mile race. Looking back, I wonder if the half marathon base training I missed last year correlated to my mediocre race times throughout the rest of 2013.

Well that won't be an issue this year because I have registered for the NYRR Brooklyn Half. This is new ground for me and I'm really excited to participate. I tried to get into this race the first time I was ready to run a half, but I was locked out. Subsequent to that, I've run the uninspiring Long Island Half a couple of times. Runner's World called the LI Marathon & Half a "Golden Oldie" that has aged well. I now have to question everything I read in that magazine.

The things that excite me about the Brooklyn Half:

1. It's in Brooklyn.
2. I get to run past the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Grand Army Plaza.
3. I'll finally get to run in Prospect Park.
4. Five miles of the race is a straightaway down Ocean Parkway through the heart of Brooklyn.
5. It finishes on the Coney Island boardwalk.

Both my Runsketeer buddies are running this race along with 20,000+ others. This will be the biggest race I've ever run and my first NYRR event. I'm also excited that I'll have motivation to do those 10+ mile runs on weekend mornings at Bethpage to prepare for the distance. The race is in May so that training will start before spring.

A harder effort, but an easier run

Today's afternoon snowfall

Today's run (treadmill): 3.4 miles

I had some early work that needed attention, so I didn't get to running until late morning. We saw some snow yesterday and I had little expectation that I could get outside for a run. The roads had improved, but not to the point of safety. It was back to the treadmill, once again.

Instead of music, I decided to put on Meet the Press for distraction. That helped a lot, especially the Rand Paul segment that provided some good energy-producing anger. I'd set the treadmill's speed 5% faster than yesterday's pace. It felt about the same and I hoped that would continue. Maintaining the same speed throughout yesterday's run had caused my heart rate to increase 16% by the end. Even with today's more challenging effort, I didn't reach yesterday's 88% of max.

My late start forced a shorter run than I'd usually do on a Sunday. I was fine with it, although I probably would have gone a little longer if I was running outside. Monday's temperature is supposed to rise to 37°. That, along with predictions of rain, could get rid of the snow that's been keeping me off the road for so many days (including today's mini-snowstorm). Clear roads would be a welcome sight, although a return to 11° temperatures is also part of the deal.

Running to positive distraction

 

Today's run (treadmill): 5.1 miles

My hardcore running buddy SIOR was planning a long run today along the Bethpage bike trail. After so many treadmill runs over the past couple of weeks, I really wanted to get out and join her (and possibly the Petite Pacer) for a few miles. Once it became clear that the trail conditions were icy and snowy, I became concerned about slipping. Despite suggestions that included putting Slinkys and Brillo pads on my running shoes, I ended up chickening out.

If Bethpage wasn't going to be an option, I knew my opportunity for an outside run would be low. I finally accepted my fate and prepared for five miles of fun on the treadmill. And when I say fun, I mean horrible boredom. I managed to find a bunch of distractions before I finally acquiesced to the will of the Sole F63.

As it turned out, my run wasn't as tedious as I'd feared. Early on, I switched to the uppermost cable channels (Music Choice) that play music without commercials. This was great because I could listen without needing to wear headphones. I also liked that I could switch back and forth between genres. The only negative is that the names of the artists and songs are displayed in very small text and it was hard to read that from across the room.

I maintained a pace that provided a challenging but sustainable perceived effort. I noted that my heart rate's rose from 73% of max to 88% throughout the span of my run. I'm used to stopping my treadmill runs after 3 to 3.5 miles (due mostly to boredom) so going past 5 today was a testament to good distractions. I don't think conditions will change enough to get outside on Sunday, so I guess I'll do this again tomorrow.

Fighting a migraine to a draw

Helpful, but no cure

Today's run (treadmill): 3.5 miles

I woke up with a dull headache and pressure on the right side of my head. The telltale signs of a developing migraine. On occasion, I've been able to minimize the effect with a combination of Excedrin, Pseudoephedrine and coffee. It's an imperfect solution because, even with all that, there's usually some residual discomfort.

With icy roads and 12° temperatures this morning, I returned to the treadmill. I gave myself enough time to metabolize the Excedrin (analgesics can do damage when used during a run) but the decongestant had a tiring effect that discouraged me from pushing too hard. I didn't finish the run with my usual sprint at and beyond anaerobic threshold. Still, it was the right workout for the way I was feeling.

The endorphin response temporarily quelled the migraine's mild, but still present symptoms. I had a fairly easy business day today, which allowed me to catch a 15 minute nap. That got rid of any remaining pain, although the pressure remains. I'm hoping a good night's sleep will get me back to normal. I'd like to go for a long outside run outside this weekend, although predictions are for wind chill temperatures in the low teens. Even so, I'd rather deal with the cold than go through another migraine.

When hearts attack

 

Today's run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

It was 8° outside when I was ready to run this morning. Between the extreme cold and roads that were coated with icy-snow, I had no choice but to use the treadmill. I have accepted that I'm no longer hardcore and I'm okay with that. My workout today was nothing special: A moderate start and a hard finish. But by the end, I was glad to have run for the first time since Tuesday.

After I finished my workout, I looked at my email and saw a note from my friend M. I was shocked to read that he'd suffered a heart attack the weekend before New Year's. M is a runner and triathlete and the day before this attack he'd played two hours of full court basketball. I immediately thought of Dave, an occasional running partner, also fit, who had a heart attack during a race a couple of years ago.

Interestingly, I had introduced Dave to M at the Dirty Sock 10K that we all ran last August and we talked about Dave's experience. Dave had recovered so well by then that he beat my time by almost seven minutes. M has quickly bounced back from his heart attack. Unbelievably, he is running again. In fact he's planning to compete in this weekend's Winter Run Series at Caumsett State Park.

It's scary to think that dedicated runners like Dave and M would be candidates for a heart attack, but it's also reassuring to see how quickly they were both able to recover. We tell ourselves that an active lifestyle will keep us healthy and I have no doubt that's true. But other factors can tip the scales and these things sometimes happen. Even so, I firmly believe the reason why M and Dave came through their experiences so strongly is because of the conditioning they got from running.

An unwanted source of running energy

 

Today's run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

When people talk about sources of energy for running, it's usually framed in terms of nutrition or rest. Supplements like gels can give you incremental energy while on a run. A good night's sleep can take away built up fatigue and tension. A far less considered (but equally effective) source of energy is anger and frustration. Case in point, today.

Although it's Martin Luther King day and my kids are off from school, not every business observes this holiday. This is especially true for those based outside of the US. Because of this, I needed to field a few calls, one of which generated a lot of frustration at my end. As I worked to address and resolve the issue, the level of stress built to a point where I needed to take a break.

Today is my usual rest day, but I have a big day tomorrow that starts very early. So early in fact, that I won't have an opportunity to run in the morning. Swapping my rest day made sense and the timing seemed right. Although the skies were clear and the temperatures weren't too bad, I didn't want to deal with gearing up for an outside run. Instead, I quickly changed into indoor workout clothes and hopped on the treadmill.

I had just come off two hard running days so my plan was to run at a more moderate pace today. Just hard enough to get my heart rate up, but not to the point where I could further stress my body. I found myself thinking about my last call and the result was faster stepping. This caused my foot to land frequently on the kick plate in front of the tread. In response to that, I incremented the treadmill's speed until this stopped happening.

The good news was that my frustration got channeled into a quick source of energy. The bad news was that all the hard running quickly drained this energy. The faster pace became increasingly difficult to sustain. I ended up backing down to my original speed but returned to the faster pace for the last quarter mile.

It turned out to be a harder workout than I would have tried under normal circumstances. The residual effect was a significant reduction in my level of stress. I returned to my business problem and satisfied the issue, at least for now. The frustration fueled a higher intensity run and the workout took the edge off my frustration. I don't want to depend on (or even invite) stress as a source of energy. But when frustration happens, I'm glad to have running to to manage that stress.

At Stillwell, tie goes to the runner

Lots of time spent in the zone today

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 4 miles

Back in the days when running Stillwell Woods meant seeking out the most technical and challenging trails, I would measure my performance in terms of who got the best of whom (me versus Stillwell). Prior to my bout of pneumonia in early 2010, I was dedicated to hard running on trails and I looked for the most difficult terrain wherever I ran. Two months after being hospitalized for pneumonia, I ran the Xterra race at Stillwell as a way to prove that I still had it.

While my performance in the Xterra race was very good, I found myself less inclined to take on Stillwell's steeper inclines and treacherous drops. I still ran there frequently, but I'd usually follow a loop that presented far fewer obstacles. Sort of a bunny trail, compared to sections of the black, yellow and white trails that have signs saying, "Most Difficult." I told myself that my loop was better, because I never lost my way on it. Deep down I knew I was avoiding the unrelenting challenge of Stillwell's inner paths, which I had nicknamed the "The Zone of Intensity."

Trail conditions were rough at first, due to the deep grooves left by mountain bikers that had frozen as hard as stone. This always makes for tricky footing and the lack of a rock plate in my Helly Hansen Trail Lizards made for some uncomfortable landings. As I moved deeper into the woods, the trail conditions improved greatly. This is probably because the trails I was taking on would have been too hard for bikers to manage during yesterday's rain, hail and snow.

Instead of my standard loop, I made a point of turning onto paths marked as more or most difficult. Yesterday's hard running and today's frigid cold had an energizing effect on me and I wanted to take advantage of that as long as I could.

On the tougher trails, very little time is spent on level terrain. You are either facing a series of climbing switchbacks or you're looking down at them. Some descents are scary and slowing down or stopping could cause you to tumble down backward. It was just like old times! I was glad to maintain so much energy throughout these sections. By two miles I felt like I'd run more than double that distance.

The only way out is up

Perspective showing steepness

At one point I found myself at the bottom of a section where all trails out looked like 20% grades or more. I took a few seconds to assess which hill to climb. I didn't want to pick the wrong one and find myself on the wrong side where I'd need to go through that exercise again. It turned out I chose wisely (I used the direction of the sun as a guide) and soon was on my way. A few minutes later I found myself in familiar territory outside the "Zone of Intensity."

The rest of the run was far easier and I encountered many more people hiking and running on the flatter trails. Looking at my data on Garmin Connect, I can see that my pace outside the the "zone" was two minutes faster than when I was running through the tough sections. It was hard to believe that whole run took me less than 50 minutes.

Today and yesterday were great workouts that tested me in very different ways. I'm happy with my conditioning, but I'm not quite at target in terms of speed. I'll continue to focus on that in the coming weeks and will continue to get trail runs in when practical. In the old days, I would usually report that Stillwell got the best of me on runs like this. Today, I'd call it a tie. And a tie at Stillwell is basically a win.

Graupel and snow, the track and the treadmill

Waiting for the skies to clear

Today's run (track & treadmill): 1.5 miles - track, 2.5 miles progressive speed run

My goal was clear this morning. Go out before the rain and do speed work at the high school track. Before I did that, I decided to finish up a small business project so I wouldn't have to think about it over the weekend. While I was pleased with the progress I'd made, the time had slipped and I was scrambling to get out of the house.

I noticed a few scattered drops on my windshield during my short drive to the track. I'd left under sunny skies, but five minutes later conditions had changed to cloudy and gray. Even so, I felt that the slight drizzle would pass and I set out on my first warm-up lap. There were a few walkers on the track and a guy I recognized running in the opposite direction. He seemed to recognize me as well and we exchanged hellos the first time he came around. I felt really good and ready for the intervals I had planned for later in the workout.

During the New Year's Hangover run, Runsketeer teammate TPP had showed me a technique for lengthening my stride while keeping a proper center. She demonstrated that form with an impressive burst of speed and I've tried to duplicate it for short periods during every outdoor run since then. I used the technique today and marveled at the effect. It is a far more potent method for rapid acceleration than what I've previously relied upon. I looked forward to using that on my repeats.

I'd planned to run six laps at around a 9:00 pace and then run a series of 100's and 200's followed by some cool down laps.  Once I was into my fifth lap, I started hearing what sounded like BB's hitting the ground. Later I heard on News 12 that this is called graupel, or small hail. I figured that if this was happening, I didn't need to worry much about rain. Wrong.

By my sixth lap the graupel had given way to wetter stuff and, when I ended the lap, I headed to my car to wait out the rain. My late start had put some time pressure on me and I knew I couldn't wait too long. Once I could see that this rain was not letting up, I decided to cut my losses and head home.

I changed out of my wet shoes and put on short sleeves to continue my workout on the treadmill. My new speed plan was to start fast and go faster. Since the treadmill's idea of speed is different than mine, I focused on perceived effort (PE). I'd just run my track warm up at a low 9:00 pace, so I was familiar with how that felt. The initial setting of 6.5 MPH felt much more challenging than the 6.6 MPH that I'd just run at the track.

I incremented my speed every quarter mile until I was running an 8:20 pace that felt like sub-8:00. I really should calibrate my foot pod and measure my true speed on the treadmill. Once my heart rate went over 90% Max, I held that speed for a quarter mile. I then began incrementally backing down my speed until I completed my run.

Second workout: view from the treadmill

The second workout of the day was pretty intense and I was pleased that I could maintain a high PE over a couple of miles. That was my goal today, as I prepare for February's trail relay. My wife had walked into the room during my treadmill run and opened up the shade to reveal heavy snowfall. I guess I made the right decision to come home. Tomorrow might be a good day to try some speed on the trails, though with this rain and snow it could get muddy. It was nice to be outside today but, surprisingly, my best running happened indoors.

Paging Dr. Bronner, stat!

 

Today's workout (elliptical): 40 minutes

I spent yesterday in NYC and ended up covering a number of miles on foot. I traveled crosstown for meetings and then WAY downtown for a lunch with friends. I'd bought some gel insoles over the weekend, because I knew I had some city walking planned this week. The bottom of my left foot was still raw from the previous week's high volume walks and I was hoping the gel liners would provide some protection.

Considering that my foot was sore from the start, I came through the day with far less damage then I'd feared. Still, I hadn't helped it in any way. By the time I got home I was walking with a limp to keep pressure off the bottom. I immediately pulled our "foot spa" out of the closet and filled it with warm water. This was a lifesaver the last time I did half marathon training. My feet would be sore from 90 minutes of pounding the Bethpage trail every weekend.

A foot bath is certainly beneficial, but the most therapeutic part comes with the addition of Dr. Bronner's Magic Peppermint Liquid Soap. My old running partner, Adventure Girl, gifted me a bottle a few years ago and I always add a half ounce of it to the water. The peppermint oil did an amazing job of calming the pain and, even hours after I finished, the cooling effect remained.

I soaked for about 20 minutes last night and that allowed me to walk without limping. My foot still hurt a bit this morning, so I opted to do an elliptical session, which put less pressure on the sore area of my foot. Even with resistance set to medium-high, I feel like an elliptical workout is far easier than a typical run. But by the time I finished my 40 minutes, my heart rate was at target and my clothes were satisfactorily sweat-soaked.

They are predicting a 30% chance of rain for tomorrow morning. I hope the odds are in my favor because I really want to get outside for a run. I want to do some intervals so I can support the Runsketeers in a few weeks during our trail race. If I do get rained out, I'll look to the treadmill to do some speed work, provided my foot can take it.

Foggy sidewalk running

View at the end of my run

Today's run (street): 4 miles

Procrastination might have been a better strategy today than getting out early. I've been busy since the holiday break, but this morning was relatively open. I thought I'd take advantage of that and go out for a run before the streets became clogged with school buses.

The news stations were reporting 32° temperatures, but there was lots of moisture in the air, causing foggy conditions. I'd prepared for the cold, but I had no idea that when they said fog, they were talking about the pea-soup variety. Visibility was limited to the distance between houses. I decided that in the interest of safety, I'd do most of this run on the sidewalk.

I started out on a long road that borders the eastern edge of my neighborhood. This street only has houses on one side and it is often used as a service road by buses, town trucks and commercial vehicles. Running north on this road, I noticed that even without wind, the cold air felt freezing on my face. Not only that, the fog was so thick that cars, trucks and buses were nearly invisible, unless they were using their headlights. Even so, it was nearly impossible to see anything more than 20 feet ahead.

I don't love running on the sidewalks in my area, but it I was glad to have them. Not only is the concrete surface hard on my legs, but careful attention must be paid to avoid the many uneven or broken sections. Catching a toe is easy to do. There was no question that if I was going to run outside today I'd need to stay off the road. Even crossing the street gave me pause. I was disappointed to see half the cars driving without lights. I was even more disappointed to see a man walking in the road with his dog with traffic at his back.

I had hoped to work on speed today, but the sidewalks slowed me down. Also, even after a week, the bottom of my left foot is still a little sore. So this run will go down as another maintenance workout. No matter, it was fun running through the fog and the necessarily slower pace kept things comfortable.

It's official!

My GLIRC welcome packet came in the mail today and it included my membership card, along with four pages of information about volunteering at club events. That's a dimension I haven't experienced but I plan to participate in at least one race as a non-runner this year. It might be interesting to be the person on the other side of the table sometime.

Call me mister social

All for one, one for all, gluten-free! 

Today's run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

Groucho Marx once said, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." Perhaps that's been my policy as well, because I haven't been a member of any social group since Economics Club in college. After five years of talking about running clubs, I finally took the plunge this week and joined the Greater Long Island Running Club (also known as GLIRC).

My running buddies and race teammates SIOR and TPP are far more social than me and both are GLIRC members. They get a lot of value out of the club and have encouraged me to sign up. Every interaction I've had with GLIRC members has been positive and the Clubhouse Run that they held in mid-December (open to non-members) was great. I finally ran out of excuses and joined. I'm already benefiting from my new membership by getting a reduced entry fee in an upcoming race.

Our relay team, the Runsketeers, will be competing in the Runner's Edge 2x3 trail relay, held at Bethpage State Park on February 15th. I am the most experienced trail runner, but by far the slowest. TPP is quick and nimble and did really well in the Rob's Run Cross Country race back in December. SIOR is seriously fast and can probably do her entire leg as a sprint. I plan to put it all out there that day. It's Bethpage and it's trails, so what's not to love?