Taper week run

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Since I'm tapering this week I decided to forgo my usual post-weekend rest day. Although I did get out for a bike ride yesterday, I was disappointed that my planned run was cut short due to the weather. Between Friday and Sunday I'd ran a total of 13 miles, two of them as speed drills. It was mostly quality miles and it provided me an opportunity to get used to the Hattori's that I plan to wear during next Sunday's 8K.

The big mistake I'd made prior to my half marathon was over-training the week before my race taper. To prepare for that distance I'd done two 8+ mile training runs, some rigorous cross training sessions and a number of other miles. I ended up with a sore knee or IT band (still don't know which it is) that plagued me through the half. Until recently, the soreness was still making some of my runs difficult.



A Hattori's best friend

 Today's run was my typical weekday workout, 2.5 miles. I'm very pleased with the Hattori's so far, having done two 5+ milers in them. I think I'll be fine in them for Sunday's race. Yesterday I bought a pair of Wigwam Ironman triathlete socks (thin, seamless, wicking, stretchy) that work better with the Hattori's snug fit than standard running socks. I'm hoping that the rain holds off tomorrow morning when I go out for my penultimate taper run.

Cutting it short

Today's workouts (street): 1.2 mile run and 7 mile bike

Happy Memorial Day. I went out for a run early in the morning and timed it imperfectly. What started as a misty drizzle turned into a hard driving rain by mile one. I headed straight home when I started seeing flashes of lightning nearby. Later in the day the skies had cleared and I considered trying another run, but instead decided to take the bike out for a ride. It wasn't the long run I'd hoped to do today but I was pleased to get in a second workout on what turned out to be a very busy day.

Garmin 210 - trouble keeping track on the track

A shot of the track from this morning

Today's workout (track): 8 x 400's plus 3 mile run

Since I'm racing again next Sunday, I wanted to get in a little speed work before I taper my training next week. This morning I headed over to the local high school track to run some intervals. There were a handful of runners and walkers already on the track when I arrived but the lanes were fairly clear. I brought a stopwatch as well as my Garmin and I ended up using the FR 210 to record my runs and used the stopwatch to time my rest periods between intervals.

I didn't run the intervals hard. My goal was to do mile-equivalents a little faster than my 5K race PR and I managed to average 8:06 across eight quarter miles. I hoped that would recruit enough fast twitch fibers to give me some speed when I ran the following three miles (5K actually) and it did. I averaged 8:45 for that run.

A clear margin of error

The Garmin did not do a good job capturing my route. The picture above is a grab from Google Earth using the imported KMZ file. I stayed primarily in a middle lane but the GPS interpreted that much differently. Even though the 210 is always a little off I still like it a lot. It's great to be able to run without swapping the foot pod every time I change shoes. Especially in the case of the Hattori's that don't even have a place to attach a foot pod.

I'm really happy with today's workout. While I'm still not speedy, I've proven to myself that I can run sub-9:00 paces when I need to. The Hattori's were interesting to use on the track and they responded well when I took off in a sprint to begin each interval. I haven't decided what I'll do for tomorrow's Memorial Day workout but I am hoping to fold in a bike ride or two before I return to the office.

First run in the Saucony Hattori's

The Hattori's are a simple solution

Yesterday's run (Central Park): 3 miles
Today's run (street): 5.15 miles

Occam's Razor promotes the principle that we should tend towards simpler theories. William of Okham probably wasn't thinking about running shoes back in the 14th century but the idea still holds. This morning I went for my first run wearing the new Saucony Hattori's and the experience made me really question why running shoes (even some "minimalist shoes) need so much material, cushioning and height. The Hattori is so simple but it lacks nothing.

I put the Hattori's on over my thinnest pair of running socks and wished I had socks that were even thinner. If I were more comfortable running without socks I would have done that. With socks, the fit was tight, even though the shoes were my size - 10.5. But tight in this case means snug. The flexible upper stretches like a SPIbelt so there was no consequence to my toes even though I ran in them for five miles.

Another thought that kept recurring as I ran was the idea of proprioception, an awareness and connection to the ground. Although the Kinvaras are a minimal style shoe, they stand more than 20 mm off the ground and have a difference of about 6 mm between heel and front. The Hattori sits your foot just 4 mm from the ground with zero drop and you notice that right away as you take your first strides. You can really feel the ground so you better be striking forward, lest you land on a piece of gravel on your heel. That will teach you. It's not hard to land forward though, this shoe does that work for you.

I was somewhat concerned that a shoe that offered no real protection and little cushioning would take a toll on me after even five miles but I had no troubles during or afterward. I have been running in the Kinvaras for over a year so perhaps I was already conditioned to a more minimal experience. I loved the feel of these shoes from the first steps off my driveway. I felt like my running was easier than normal throughout my workout.

Yesterday I ran in Central Park with my friend Steve and I wore my Kinvaras. It was sunny, hot and humid and we only covered three miles but it felt far harder than the five miles today. I cannot wait for my next run in the Hattori's but I'll need to get some new socks. Did someone say REI?

It's not summer, but it's Summer Friday

Today is the first of my company’s “Summer Fridays” and it’s appropriate that it falls on the day before Memorial Day weekend. I’m not saying NYC is a ghost town this morning but my office floor is virtually empty. Perfect conditions for a productive morning. Some of my best running adventures have happened on Summer Fridays, including runs across the GW Bridge, the West Side Bike Trails, the Brooklyn Bridge and along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. Today I’m running in Central Park around lunchtime with my friend Steve. After that I’ll head home to start my long weekend.

When I got home last night my Hattori’s were waiting for me and I wasted no time trying them on. My daughter pronounced them “even cooler than the Kinvaras.” High praise indeed. The Hattori does not look like a running shoe and, if not for its sturdy mid-sole/out-sole, I would take it for a slipper with a very over-the-top design. The shoe fit me snugly and was extremely comfortable on my foot. I then tried it without a sock and it felt great. But I won’t run that way. Not my style. I think I’ll need to find thinner running socks though.

I resisted temptation to run in the Hattori’s last night and I’m not wearing them on today’s run because the zero drop and flat platform may take a little adjustment. You can bet I’ll be running in them tomorrow, or maybe I'll take them for a spin this afternoon when I get home. After all it is a Summer Friday.

Even Saucony's website is minimal

Click on picture for larger view

I noticed that Saucony has changed the look of their website to super minimal this week to celebrate the launch of the Hattori. I just looked at a pair at the Super Runner's Shop in NYC. Can't wait to try them on.

Going more minimal

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

The waiting is the hardest part

I've been waiting excitedly for my Hattori's to arrive from Saucony. I was told to expect them early this week but, so far, nothing. I'm curious to see how I'll run in a shoe that provides little in the way of cushioning and with zero drop-off between heel and toe. I've been running in "minimalist" shoes (Saucony Kinvara and now Mirage) for over a year without a problem. The Hattori represents a whole new level of minimal.

Last summer I experimented with pool shoes, running a couple of miles around my neighborhood to see how it felt. Unlike the shoes I was wearing, my pool shoes gave me no option but to land forward in my stride. The downside was that my feet quickly developed blisters. I suppose socks would have helped that but the pool shoes were far too floppy to seriously consider for distance running. I'm hoping the Hattori's provide the same connection to the road that I got from the pool shoes but will also provide the protection and comfort of a trainer.

Planning my long weekend race training

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I went back out to the streets this morning after two days of rest. Although the temperature got into the low 80's yesterday and similar weather is predicted for today, I was happily surprised by how cool it felt when I stepped outside. It took almost a minute for the Garmin to lock onto a GPS signal so I used that time to do a few dynamic stretches.

The two day's rest definitely helped me at the start. Instead of the early discomfort from transitioning between anaerobic and aerobic running, I was good to go from the start. I followed my basic route and threw in some speedy sections throughout the run. My knee felt fine but I did experience some sharp shin pain a couple of minutes into my run. That went away and didn't return so I'm not going to worry about it.

I'm beginning to think about my (long) weekend's running and what might be the best workouts to close my training prior to my taper for the 8K. Right now I'm thinking one long run, one speed session and one shorter, but faster, run. Maybe I'll hit the trails with the bike as well. Lots to look forward to and hoping for good weather.

Workout canceled

I wasn't sure about this morning's weather so I'd planned an elliptical workout in case it rained. When I got up I decided to take an ad hoc rest day instead. No real reason for that except that I got a late start this morning and didn't want to disrupt my schedule. I'm sure my knee won't mind. I just noticed that the New Hyde Park 8K is happening the weekend after next. I'm hoping to beat my 2009 and 2010 race times (which were identical) this year. Even if it's only by a second.

Recovery method: longer running instead of rest

After yesterday's run I was concerned about my left knee and its recovery. It's been almost a month since I aggravated this knee. The injury was probably caused by too much distance and hard training prior to my half marathon. Since then I've kept my runs relatively short and have tried to do more low impact activities like elliptical and biking. That seems to be working.

This morning my knee feels even better than it did before yesterday's long run. There was an article in a recent Running Times that said easy long runs can be preferable to resting for recovery from minor leg and knee issues. Supposedly the easy running over longer distance helps oxygenate muscles. Considering how well I feel today, this method may have merit.

Long run at Bethpage and REI is here!

My run among the bikers

Yesterday afternoon's workout (biking): 5.8 miles
Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 6.6 miles

Yesterday afternoon I had a break in the schedule so I went out for a neighborhood bike ride. I kept it to about 30 minutes. The first three minutes had some stops and starts due to equipment issues that I needed to resolve on the fly. A half hour provided enough time for me to feel like I'd done some work. Still, it was easy enough that I didn't need to disrupt our evening plans with another shower.

This morning I headed over to Bethpage to do my long weekend run. I haven't done much more than five miles on any run since the half marathon. Even though my knee is still tender it's ready for more distance. I targeted 6-7 miles for this morning and ended up running 6.6. When I arrived at the park the parking lot was 3/4 filled and I noticed a lot of bikers gathered near a table set up near the bike path starting point. I learned later that the were holding an event called Bike MS: Traffic Free Family Fun Ride.

I knew then that I'd have plenty of company on the trail and I worried a bit about inexperienced cyclists who didn't understand how to share the road with runners. With one exception, a serious looking cyclist who came up behind me and passed to my left with barely a foot of clearance, the other bikers were extremely courteous. Most experienced cyclists provided the requisite and helpful "On your left" as they approached.

I had a PowerBar Strawberry Banana gel prior to my run and I carried my Amphipod hand bottle filled with G2. Both provided good energy. I ran at an easy pace and was able to manage the frequent hills without much trouble. Near the end of my run I was passed by a young woman who was moving so well that she soon passed me again,  going the other way. I wasn't trying to break any speed records but she was probably running double my speed at that point.

The MS Bike volunteers cheering in another cyclist

Once I crested the dreaded last hill I was ready to call it a run. I was happy to note that my knee held up well till the end. As I made my way to the final downhill that leads to the start of the path I saw the two "cheerleaders" who were waving their pom poms to celebrate every charity biker who finished. The high school aged cheerleader even gave me my own rah! rah! finish that I appreciated. It was a nice event for an important cause and they had a great turnout.

Later in the day we went over to the REI that (finally!) opened on Long Island. I felt like a kid in a candy store and I could have spent the entire day there. We got our daughter a mountain bike and I also picked up some gels and Brooks running shirt that was on sale at a great price. It's been a busy and active weekend. Since noon on Friday I've done almost 14 miles running and another 5.8 biking. I'm looking forward to my weekly rest day tomorrow.

A rigorous rainy run in Central Park

Remember the Maine! Because that where we're meeting.

Yesterday's run (Central Park): 4.65 miles
Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

There's quite a contrast between today's bright sun and yesterday's rainy, cloudy skies. Friday morning had started out dry but, by 10:00 AM, the streets were wet and the umbrellas were open. I mentioned in a meeting that I planned to go out at around noon for a run in Central Park and got the expected "You're crazy" and "Why would you want to do that?" responses. I checked in with my friend CK who was game for a run, regardless of the weather. We confirmed our plan to meet at the statue of the USS Maine at 12:30.

It was chilly and drizzling as I began my walk to Columbus Circle. I wore a short sleeved shirt and running shorts because the humidity was in the mid 70's and I knew I'd get hot while running. I arrived early at the statue and CK was already there. We started our run by heading south along the lower loop,  and then heading east. The rain wasn't too bad and, despite my glasses, I had no problem seeing. My real problem was keeping up with CK.  He was looking to move along at a faster pace than the 9:30 that I was maintaining as we worked on the first few hills.

We kept going north until we reached the reservoir and ran around it until we'd reached the west side. From there we exited onto the bridal path and tackled a hilly section before we crossed over to West Drive. We increased our speed from there, running closer to a 8:50 mile, which was a hard pace for me and a relaxing one for CK. Those hills always get to me.

We finished where we started and by then the rain had increased to a steady fall and I felt cold on the walk back to my office. By the time I got there I was soaked, a combination of sweat and rain. I toweled off with Wet Ones and grabbed a quick bite. Though I hoped I could spend the afternoon sequestered in my office, I was pulled into a bunch of meetings. No one seemed to notice that I'd gone without a post-run shower.

This morning I was extremely pressed for time so I went out for a short run. I'm planning to do some biking with my daughter later so I didn't care about distance. Speaking of distance, my friend FS ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon this morning. Conditions were ideal so I'm hoping she had a great experience. That race was my first choice for my first half but registration was closed by the time I tried to sign up.  Maybe next year.

Central Park running on the schedule

If the weather holds through lunchtime I'll be running in Central Park with my friend CK. The last time we ran together was in January along the streets of Naples, FL, in the early morning fog. CK is a far better runner than me but he's very patient and flexes (somewhat) to my pace. It usually becomes a subconscious tug of war between us where he ever-so-slightly pushes us towards an 8 minute pace while I push back in the other direction.

We're targeting about four miles today, or maybe a little longer than that since we plan to run up the east side of the lower loop, circle the reservoir and then head back down. CK has been dealing with a chronic foot injury for a while so his distances are limited. That works for me. Lengthy runs in the middle of the workday can make for an uncomfortable afternoon in the office, especially when there's no after-run shower. If the rains do come that could solve the problem quite nicely.

The Hattori's will show me how much minimalism I can take

The Saucony Hattori - a most minimal shoe

Today's workout (elliptical) 25 minutes

I'll be posting my review of the Saucony Mirages soon on Runner's Tech Review and I'm excited that I'll soon receive a pair of Hattori super-minimal shoes from Saucony. The Hattori are a zero-drop shoe that weigh an unbelievable 4.4 oz and are being marketed as a trainer -- not just for intervals and racing. My taste in running shoes has changed for good since I switched to the Kinvaras about a year ago. The lower platform and a flatter drop (the Kinvara's is ~5.5 mm) feels right to me, more so than the built-up Brooks Adrenalins that had been my gold standard.

The Mirages have proven to be a worthy addition to my collection and I would probably appreciate their minimal features more had I tried them before the Kinvaras. Going from the Kinvaras to the Mirages is a bit like trading up from a fast but simple sports car to high performance luxury GT. It will be interesting to run in the Hattori's which may be more like riding a trail bike. That actually sounds pretty good.



Champion Activeflex - lightweight, cheap and painful!

Related to minimal shoes, I was at Payless this past weekend because my daughter needed some shoes for an event. I checked out the men's shoes and saw this Kinvara look-alike on sale for $29.99. I tried it on and was surprised by the way it fit. Not too bad. The shoe was lightweight (it really did seem similar to the Saucony) and the foot bed felt springy. I trotted across the floor and that was when I felt the difference, the upper flexed in a way that dug painfully into the top of my foot. I couldn't take them off fast enough. Another example of why we pay for quality brands.

Is cadence the key?

Not quite stepping lively

Today's run (treadmill): 2.51 miles

I had lunch yesterday with a friend, TC, who's just been granted entry to the NY Marathon after being accepted as a charity runner by the Boomer Esiason Foundation (Cystic Fibrosis). TC is about to start serious training and he asked me to help him set up his Garmin FR60 on Garmin Connect. Although TC has been using this watch for months, he's never uploaded his runs. I had no idea that the FR60 could hold 90 workouts but that's what was uploaded. It was interesting to see his runs displayed on Connect. I couldn't help but compare his typical pacing and cadence to mine. It wasn't much comparison though. He seems to average 90 SPM while I'm happy when I exceed 84.

I thought about cadence this morning as I ran on the treadmill. I'm past thinking that any one thing (core exercise, LSD, tempos, Chia) will produce measurable improvement. However, it seems logical that an increase in cadence would align with an increase in running speed. As I worked my way up from my easy start, I was curious to know if my cadence would increase as I moved my pace from 9:50 to 8:50 over my run. After the run I realized that the FR 210 doesn't capture cadence data off the foot pod so I'll never know how I did for SPM today. I guess I'll need to revert to the FR60 for treadmill runs in the future.

The FR 210 and foot pod: challenges and results

Today's run (treadmill): 2.5 miles

Foot pod, meet FR 210

I planned for rain this morning and set up my gear for an indoor run. It would be my first time back on the treadmill in almost a month and a return to using the Garmin FR60 watch for tracking performance. I attached the foot pod to my Mirages (I'm already spoiled by the pod-free FR 210) and reached into the drawer for my FR60. It then occurred to me that the 210 also syncs with the foot pod so I chose that watch instead. After a couple of cycles through the menu, the 210 was paired with the sensor.

I started my run at a moderate pace, which is my method of choice for tolerating the treadmill. Start it easy and end it hard. I had a scare at the beginning that my knee would act up but after a moment of pain it was fine and three hours later it's still fine.

I hit start on the 210 and glanced down after a minute to verify that it was capturing my pace. It wasn't until I'd reached the six minute mark that I looked again at the watch to see that, while it was displaying pace, it wasn't recording time. I don't know why that happened but I hit start again and this time noted that the stopwatch was running.

I used the time display on treadmill and the average pace captured by the Garmin to calculate my actual distance (the treadmill does not do that accurately). It was a pretty good workout and I didn't find the treadmill as tedious as I usually do. Perhaps all that biking this weekend helped my running. If that's the case I'm thrilled to find a cross-training workout that's both fun and beneficial.

Running in the morning and biking after noon

Yesterday afternoon workout (bike): 3.5 miles

Although I only logged seven miles running this weekend I felt like I made progress. I rode my bike on both Saturday and Sunday and added ten miles to my weekend total. In terms of conditioning and recovery, this was a good thing. To be sure, biking miles are not running miles, although the work that KWL and I did trail riding on Saturday definitely contributed to my strength and stamina.

After my Sunday morning run the rain came back and I was glad that I got out ahead of it by running early. By late afternoon the sun was shining and the air felt cool so I took a leisurely bike ride around my neighborhood for about 20 minutes. Just like at Stillwell, it's a different experience when on a bike. You go twice as fast with half the effort. The best part is that biking provides a way to work on leg turnover without impact. My knee has improved well and I attribute that to this weekend's mix of shorter runs and biking. I don't expect to increase the length of my rides but I plan to take the bike out more frequently. It's great to have another non-impact option for cross training. But in the end, the goal is to make me a better runner.

Garmin FR210 - your mileage may vary

Example of 210 cutting corners, under counting distance

Today's run (street): 3.92 miles

As expected, the rain started last night and continued into the morning. At 7:00 AM I was considering doing an extended elliptical session rather than suffering a soaking run. By 7:30 the rain had slowed to a drizzle and I went outside in hopes of running 30-40 minutes before the next deluge. Yesterday's Stillwell workout was rough, in the best of ways, but I felt no residual effects of it this morning.

It didn't take too long to acquire a signal on the Garmin and I took off after a couple of minutes of dynamic stretching. I still had some pain in my left knee but it wasn't too bad. At this point it's an irritant more than an injury and it usually goes away after a few minutes.  I felt that I was moving fairly well at the beginning but according to the Garmin I was running slightly over 10 min/mile. By now I know the difference between a 9:30 and 10 minute pace and I also know that the Garmin, at best, under-counts my speed by 3%. I didn't worry too much about my pace but I began to pick things up by mile 2.

After verifying my true distance on Gmaps I saw that the Garmin had under-recorded my run by 6.8%. An examination of my route recorded on the 210, using Garmin Training Center, showed the many variances from my actual route that added up to that margin of error. I'm guessing the heavy cloud cover may have interfered with the GPS sampling frequency. I was hoping that this watch would provide a closer margin than -3%, which seems to be the average variance. I'll just expect to have an even greater variance on cloudy days.

Star Treks - biking and running at Stillwell Woods

Twin Treks - two times the fun

Today's workout (Stillwell Woods): 6.5 miles (bike), 3.15 miles (run)

I'm no longer plagued with noticeable knee pain but the problem hasn't fully disappeared. I'm looking at lower impact workouts to help facilitate recovery. One way to do this is to incorporate more elliptical workouts and to do some biking. This morning KWL came by at 7:00 AM and put on a bike repair clinic, making me and my wife's (15 year old) Trek hybrids trail-worthy in less than 30 minutes. KWL rode one of the Treks instead of his high end Scott mountain bike to keep things even.

Once we made the 5 minute drive to Stillwell we unloaded the bikes and it was strange being one of the "bike guys" rather than solely a trail runner. After a couple of last minute adjustments we headed into the woods with my Garmin 210 and KWL's Garmin 800 recording our progress via GPS. It's been years since I've done more than a cursory bike ride around the neighborhood so after finding myself on hilly and rooty single-track I was a little bit nervous. I was surprised how well I was able to move along and quickly gained the confidence to pick up my speed. The trails at Stillwell were whizzing by, much different from the way it looks when I run them.

KWL demonstrated techniques for navigating rough sections and he taught me optimal body position and when it was best to rise from my seat. This helped a lot when we were going over roots, rocks and other obstructions. KWL also guided me on what gears I should use when going up a rise or negotiating a steep descent. We followed my standard running route that is mostly packed dirt but there is one section that's a mix of sand and gravel and two consecutive gravel and sand covered hills that required a lot of speed on run-up, lest you fall back or stop.

We rode for about 50 minutes and then quickly changed to running gear and headed back into the woods for a 5K trail run. It seemed much different running those trails after flying along them minutes before. I felt as though I was running in slow motion but we actually covered the first mile in under 10 minutes. By mile two the hard work of the ride was catching up with me and I looked forward to finishing. We came around for our last loop and my right quad was complaining loudly. I told KWL that I felt the same as I did at the end of the half marathon. He completed a 120 mile ride last Sunday with 102 miles done during the GrandFondo challenge and had no problems with our ride but he also felt the run.

I'm finally able to upload my activities on the Garmin to both Connect and Training Center and I've enjoyed the mountain of data that you can analyze. One feature that I like about Training Center is the capability to overlay two runs and directly compare progress via two small circles that move along the path relative to their speed on the course. It's me vs. me. I like those odds.

I loved this morning's bike-and-run combo and I know I made progress on my fitness. Mountain biking is a blast, even when you're riding on a bike that weighs twice as much as its modern day equivalent.

Blogger troubles and Garmin struggles



The lost post is still lost. Note today's date

 Yesterday's run (street): 2.5 miles
Today's run (street) 2.3 miles

It looks like yesterday's post may be gone forever. According to the status reports from Blogger, I should have seen my last post restored when the system was brought back up. This has not been the case. It's frustrating and a little scary. You assume that Google would have been competent enough to back up its servers or cache recently posted content before taking down the system for "maintenance."  I may reconstitute Thursday's post using both my original draft and a prematurely published version. Or maybe I'll just let it go and call it the Great Lost Post. Although I should say it wasn't all that great.

Editor's note: Missing 5/12 post has been restored by Google

My post: "Garmin 210 -- Upload troubles but consistent inaccuracy" referred to an unsuccessful attempt to upload run data from the Garmin 210 to Garmin Connect. I'm hoping to resolve that issue this weekend. Wednesday and Thursday the Garmin under-counted my runs by about 3.5%. This was a disappointment, but not entirely unexpected, since my prior experience with GPS tracking on my iPhone showed substantial inaccuracies. I want to see what the Garmin recorded in terms of route vectors compared to my actual path so I can better understand where the 210 came up short.

This morning I went out for a run and I followed a different route from Wednesday and Thursday's. This time the error was only 2.2%. I had discussed the accuracy issues with FS who suggested that this morning's route may have had less curves and turns which would explain the higher accuracy. I believe she has a point. I'm really hoping I can get the Garmin to actually connect to Garmin Connect so I can upload and analyze my runs. Tomorrow morning KWL and I are  planning to do a mountain bike ride and follow it with a 5K or 4 mile run. It will be the first time trying the 210 in the woods. Should be interesting.

Garmin 210 -- upload troubles but consistent inaccuracy

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Yesterday's run, as recorded by the Garmin 210, came up short when compared to route mapping on both Gmaps and Google Earth. The variance in distance was about -2.5%. That seems close when viewed reciprocally (being 97.5% accurate) but I commonly saw less than +/-1% variance with a calibrated foot pod. I tried to upload my run to Garmin Connect so I could view the GPX and KMZ files that would show the recorded vectors against a Google map and, perhaps, reveal where the GPS capture cut corners. Unfortunately that attempt didn't work within the time I had to try it so I'll fight that battle this weekend.

I went out today and followed the same route as Wednesday, using yesterday's distance as a benchmark. Both runs felt about the same but I ran about 39 seconds longer this morning. The Garmin recorded the route .01 miles less than yesterday's distance so at least the 210 is consistent in its inaccuracy. I'm disappointed with Garmin for having such poor documentation related to uploading runs and I'm also disappointed to discover that the GPS is under-recording my distance. But I do like the watch and I'm certain that I'll get it all figured out eventually.

First run with the Garmin 210

Now it's just me, the road and 10 satellites

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Last night UPS delivered my new Garmin 210 and I was excited by the prospect of doing my morning run free of the foot pod and calibration concerns. The foot pod wasn't necessary but after the watches' first use I do question the overall accuracy. I bought the watch online this weekend -- the basic 210 without the foot pod/HRM bundle. I got a great price and free delivery two days later. I un-boxed the watch and plugged it in to charge the lithium battery. Setup took seconds and the watch automatically acquired the date and time via satellite signal.

This morning I was excited to try the watch. My only experiences with GPS tracking were with various GPS apps on my iPhone (bad) the QStarz Sports Recorder (worse). I stepped outside and activated the satellite receiver and the 210 grabbed its connection in seconds. My iPhone usually takes minutes to get a GPS signal. I hit the start button and off I went. My knee is still bothering me but after getting the "okay" to run from the doctor yesterday I accepted the mild pain. Three minutes into the run the pain disappeared and I was able to focus on my form. I think my stride was a little unbalanced at first but I managed to pick up my pace without a problem.

I passed mile one a short distance after my known benchmark but it was close enough to think the GPS's accuracy was in the ballpark. I covered the first mile in 9:27, mile 2 at 9:01 and the last half mile at an 8:50 pace. Those were my calculations based on careful retracing of my route on Gmaps. The 210 recorded my distance .07 miles (2.8%) less than that. I'll be curious to see if the accuracy varies consistently. I'm hoping that an examination of the GPX file overlay on Google Earth will show where the 210's GPS cut corners to end up short. Unless of course, it's actually Gmaps that's off...

Time for my knee to see the doctor

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I'm still paying the price for over-training prior to my half marathon. I obviously aggravated something in my left knee that got worse as a result of the race. Since then I've tried to minimize impact on my knee by keeping my runs below 5 miles. Despite that, my knee continues to feel sore and I'm now experiencing pain in the heel of my left foot.

I iced my knee for about 90 minutes last night and took Aleve before I went to bed. It felt okay when I got up and though I planned to do my usual 2+ mile run this morning, I decided that a no impact workout would be a better choice. I pushed as hard on the elliptical as I would have if I'd ran and in the end I knew I made the right decision. Later today I'm seeing the company doctor (who I understand is also a runner) to get his opinion on whether my injury should be looked at by an orthopedist (please say no!).

Running difficulty? It's mostly in your head

I reached a point in both my runs this weekend where I thought "Gee, this is hard." But when I thought about it I couldn't really identify the thing that was making my run feel difficult. I wasn't having trouble with my breathing or my knee. My legs were beginning to lose energy but they weren't painful. I realized that the run felt hard because I had covered a certain distance and assumed that's how I should be feeling.

The mild discomfort I felt after four miles of steady pacing was nothing compared to the "I just want it to stop!!" feeling I'd experienced during last Sunday's half marathon. I tried to think about how I'd felt four miles into that 13.1 mile race. Four miles represented only 30% of the distance I'd prepared to cover, while on Sunday it represented my full distance. Had I previously decided to run five miles instead of four would my discomfort have started later? It's clear to me that the hardest part of running (until you reach your physical limits) is preventing a perception of difficulty from undermining a good run.