The Runsketeers discuss their interesting ancestors

On November 26, 2017 By Emerging Runner3 Comments

L to R: KWL, PM, SIOR, TPP, ER

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park): 3.1 miles

It has been a month and five days since I’ve posted anything on this blog. I can’t really say why I’d stopped. I’ve continued to run, following the same schedule and covering the same distances, but my interest in documenting those runs had waned. It wasn’t until today that I felt compelled to resume my posting and that’s because the mighty Runsketeers all came together this morning for the first time since July. That’s just crazy.

The last time we all got together, I ended my post with, “I’m looking forward to our next Runsketeer outing. Hopefully the humidity will be a little lower than yesterday’s 89%.” Well, my hopes were realized, because no one was complaining about the humidity today. We were supposed to get a lot of wind but it wasn’t a factor this morning. A little chilly, but overall good running weather.

Shady shot along the trail

We agreed to meet at the Bethpage lot at 8:15 AM. Then it was between 8:30 and 8:45. Then it was 9:00. I won’t say who kept changing the time, but it wouldn’t be hard to guess. SIOR was probably frustrated that the park wasn’t charging an entry fee because she likes to fight with the toll taker there. I always get my fee waved because I’m not pugnacious. Everyone arrived on time and we quickly made our way up the hill, turning left to follow the northern trail. SIOR and TPP took off in a flash while KWL and I ran a lot easier. We kept it to 3.2 miles and had great conversations on the path.

Once we got back to the lot, we convoyed to Starbucks for coffee and second breakfast (for me anyway). You’d think we would have spent time catching up on everything that had happened in the last five months, but we went right to what was on our minds at the moment: politics, races, racing t-shirts, running magazines, and KWL’s and my long history working together. We also collectively agreed that Yonkers is a dump.

The usual suspects at the usual place

About halfway through our coffee time, we were joined by Professor Mike who had competed in Rob’s Run this morning while we were at Bethpage. Rob’s Run is a trail race that happens at Stillwell Woods. It’s a grueling run but PM looked as refreshed as the rest of us. He had a Rob’s Run thermos that was a giveaway to participants. That’s what started the conversation about race shirts. TPP uses her old race shirts as cleaning rags (blasphemy) and PM raffles them off to his students. I’ve kept every one I’ve earned, even the hideously ugly ones.

At some point conversation turned to almost naked fathers and grandfathers. This started when PM showed us a picture of his dad from the 40’s wearing little more than a loincloth. His muscles had muscles. KWL pointed out that was long before steroids. PM’s dad was a circus performer who was once on the Ernie Kovacs show where he swung on a trapeze while eating pizza. Then SIOR showed us a picture of her half naked grandfather who was a professional wrestler back in the 30’s or 40’s.

Capping that off, TPP told us about her dad who is an amazing engineer who invented the jet ski and developed a bunch of other cool stuff while working for an avionics company. He still creates stuff like 3-D printers and robots. He does all that fully clothed. Amazing accomplishments from the Runsketeer lineage.

It was great to see my buds and get in my fourth run in a row, starting with Thanksgiving day. I may have run on Wednesday, but that was a lot of turkey and pie ago and my memory is shaky. I’d like to continue my streak but the work week makes it tough. I hope the Runsketeers don’t go months again before we run together. We can’t allow that. At the very least, we should all do the Hangover Run on January 1.

The crowded track and the happy trail

On November 27, 2016 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Full house in the Bethpage lot

Today’s run (Bethpage bike trail): 4.6 miles
Yesterday’s run (track): 3.6 miles

I’m very much enjoying my Thanksgiving break that feels a lot like a mini-vacation. I’m happy to have one more day off before returning to the office. We’ve kept busy this week but I’ve done my best to avoid anything resembling a mall or store. If on-line Black Friday sales are legitimate, there are a few running related things I’d like to get. But to do that, I would need to make an effort to look at a bunch of websites to find what I want. Why does this have to be so hard??

I ran in my neighborhood on both Wednesday and Thursday and that was pleasant, but I felt the need to do something different on Friday. Running laps at the high school seemed to fit that definition so I headed over to the track. A second cup of coffee delayed my getting outside and I got to the school a little later than planned. Luck seemed to be with me, because it appeared as though I had the place to myself. Just one other car in the lot and its owner was nowhere in sight.

The empty track didn’t surprise me. I figured most people would have either slept in or headed out to the stores. I made my way to my starting point and noticed a stream of athletically suited people gathering along the opposite end of the oval. I took off counterclockwise and, as I approached the crowd, I saw that it was the Syosset girls cross country team getting ready to take over the track. “Oh good,” I thought, “Now I get to be humiliated by 30 teenage girls who will pass me like I’m walking.”

It didn’t actually turn out that way. We managed to coexist perfectly. The runners ran together in a clockwise direction and left an open lane for me. I considered running some repeats but due to the crowded lanes, I elected to stick with laps. Running a flat route with little wind, I averaged a few seconds faster than usual.

Yesterday’s scenic route

This morning felt colder than what was reported by the news. I resisted the temptation to bundle up and wore shorts with a long sleeve shirt. I went over to Bethpage with no particular workout or direction in mind. When I got to the park there were a lot of cars making their way toward the lot which was almost full by the time I parked. A big soccer tournament was going on and I saw a lot of runners standing around in groups. There may have been a cross country meet taking place closer to the woods.

I decided to run north beyond Haypath Road and back. There were many people on the trail and I wondered if some organized event was happening. Every runner I encountered gave me a wave or a hello, as did lots of walkers. It was a happy time for people on the trail.

Today’s more scenic route

I went as far as Old Bethpage Road and turned around. I ran well and while the hills looked big today, they didn’t feel as challenging as usual. My cadence was slightly better than average, so I was a little surprised that my data showed middling performance. That didn’t matter a bit to me, because the run felt solid and it was great to be out among the trees, accompanied by nice people.

I can’t believe I have yet another day before I have to go back to work. I’m looking forward to doing my fifth run in as many days. So far my Thanksgiving to New Year’s streak is 4 days, but it’s likely to stop there. I’ll see how I feel on Monday morning when I wake up many hours before sunrise.

Runsketeers have the run of a "Lifetime"

On November 20, 2016 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

SIOR asked me to substitute her face with the first lady’s

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park Bike Trail): 5.1 miles

After Friday and Saturday’s mild weather, today’s 32° (with wind chill) felt darn cold this morning. I met SIOR and KWL at the lot in Bethpage State Park where SIOR was scheduled to lead a run for Lifetime Fitness. Unfortunately, our stalwart pal TPP was not able to join us today. She does very long bike trips with her cycling friends (I suggest she nickname them the Bikesketeers) and needed some recovery time.

KWL and I hung out in my car while we waited for SIOR to arrive. There was a guy dressed for running who was waiting in the lot, but we couldn’t tell if he was there for the group run. Once SIOR finally showed up, I tried to subtly convey that we were the Lifetime group by saying Lifetime really loud a couple of times. The guy didn’t respond and I’m guessing he looked at us and decided he’d be better off running alone, which he did. That turned out okay because I’d brought fresh pumpkin loaves for my Runska-buddies (baked by Mrs ER and ER daughter) and it would have been embarrassing not to give him one.

With that settled, we decided to run six miles. When I say “we”, I mean SIOR. I wasn’t sure I’d be up to doing six today and as it turned out, I was right. The plan was that KWL and SIOR would go three miles, turn back and intercept me as I progressed to the turnaround point.

The first obstruction to the plan came about a mile and a quarter after we’d started, when SIOR and KWL saw a sign that the bike trail was closed. We decided that meant closed to everyone but the Runsketeers so we kept going. That meant occasionally squeezing through barriers that reinforced that the trail was closed. We weren’t the only ones who ignored the sign’s suggestions.

I saw a few other runners and a father and his pre-adolescent son riding bikes. The bike riders ignored the fact that cars come quickly off the roundabout west of Quaker Meeting House Road and I almost witnessed a terrible accident. Thankfully the SUV’s driver was paying attention and stopped in time to let these oblivious riders cross. I yelled at the father who didn’t stick around to debate me.

Felt like freezing

I decided to run five miles rather than six, and turned around after I’d reached the 2.5 mile mark. I wondered how long it would be until I heard the footsteps of my run mates coming up behind me. I was surprised when I reached the final mega-hill without being overtaken. I made it back to my car and waited for my friends to come in.

It turned out that SIOR had experienced a problem with her toes and needed to walk that off before resuming her run. Soon enough, I saw KWL coming down the final hill into the lot, followed a minute or so later by SIOR. We immediately headed to our post-run coffee spot.

There were no free tables at Starbucks, but SIOR managed to intimidate a couple into leaving. I didn’t complain. KWL, SIOR and I covered a lot of topics including fasting and nutrition, Orthodox practices on the Sabbath and how we will survive despite the awful thing that happened on November 8. We spent time talking about guns and the dumb things that happen when people use them (let me be clear – we are not gun supporters). Without TPP, the technology talk was minimal and we missed her. I’m really hoping the gang can get in another run in December

I ended up having a busy afternoon spending more time than advisable in the windy freezing weather. It’s not getting any more pleasant outside so I’m going to stay in for the rest of the day. A slice of pumpkin bread and a cup of dark roast sound like a good way to round out the day.

A good Bethpage run guided by heart rate

On October 15, 2016 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

85% maxed out

Today’s run (Bethpage bike trail): 4.4 miles

The air felt chilly this morning, but I resisted the temptation to add an extra layer on top. That was a good move, although I do wish I’d run in shorts rather than track pants. I’ve had a good week of running that included spending a little time on dirt trails. Today’s trail was paved, but still preferable to running on the road.

I wasn’t sure if Bethpage State Park is still collecting tolls on the weekend so I headed over to Colonial Road to park. The wind made the 45° temperature feel closer to 41° and that prompted me to go out fast to generate a little heat. My second mile was slower than the first, but I settled down and had negative splits on the miles after that. My overall pace wasn’t in the nine minute range, but it was better than my current average. And that pace is a significant improvement over where I was at the beginning of this month.

The section of the Bethpage trail that runs north of Haypath Road is rolling with a few noticeable hills. Those hills have roughed me up at times and I didn’t enjoy them today, but they didn’t slow me down at all. The weather brought out a lot of runners, many in groups, and I wondered if these people were training for fall races. I’m considering a return to racing this year, targeting a 5K that I’d do with the Runsketeers in December.

From Haypath to Washington and back

That said, my training still has a ways to go. I pushed to stay over 80% HR max throughout most of today’s run and stayed between 83-86% throughout the second half. I ran the last half mile at 9:36. Perceived effort was high considering the unremarkable speed. Still, I’m pretty sure running mid-9’s would have put my heart rate above 90% max a month ago and I appreciate the conditioning gains so far.

I may head to the track tomorrow to do some repeats. I’m hoping that will unlock a little more speed. My first performance improvements happened on the track earlier in the month. Perhaps these intervals will take that a little further.

Running Watchpocalypse on the Bethpage trail

On September 18, 2016 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

Somewhere on that path sits half a Garmin.

Today’s run (Bethpage bike trail): 5 miles (estimate)
Yesterday’s run (track): 3.5 miles

On November 18, 2008, I published my first post on Emerging Runner. Today, almost eight years later, I’m publishing post number 2,100. I’ve covered many subjects over that time, and my tag cloud on the left lists well over a thousand of them. This blog has definitely accomplished my initial objective, serving as my training journal and an outlet for communicating with the running community. Writing 2,100 posts took a lot of time and effort, but it’s been worth every minute. If it wasn’t for this blog I wouldn’t have met my Runsketeer buddies who I both adore and admire. Don’t tell them though. It would only go to their heads.

Running is a simple thing, but it has its nuance. One aspect that fascinates and frustrates me in equal measure is the technology we use to gather running data. I’ve been through three Garmins over the past eight years and most of that experience has been good. My original Garmin, an FR 50, served me well until I accidentally destroyed it while replacing its battery. I replaced it with an FR 60 that improved on the 50 and has a far better battery replacement system.

About a year after buying the FR 60, I broke down and bought my first GPS watch, a Forerunner 210. It was big step up from the 60. I liked it a lot, despite occasional issues capturing a signal and the need to replace the data cradle after a while. Recently, the loop that secures the strap broke so I took the intact loop off my retired FR 60 to replace it. Soon after that, the FR 210’s strap broke off making the watch unwearable. I returned the loop to the FR 60 and resumed wearing that watch on my wrist as a stopwatch while I secured the FR 210 to my SPIbelt using a keyring loop. That worked fine until today.

Yesterday’s run – the FR 210’s last map

Yesterday, I went to the local track to get in 14 laps before the sun came up. I had to be somewhere at 8:00 AM, so that was the best way to get in my miles. I ran well and have really taken to the NB Zante 2’s that did great on the track. It was a typical track experience with the usual personas walking, running, sprinting and one guy who was throwing a medicine ball around.

This morning I headed to the Bethpage bike trail. My plan was to run about five miles, which I think I did. I’m not sure, because the god of watches decided to mess with both my Garmins today. My run started fine and I was in a great mood. The clouds hid the sun, but not the humidity. I made my way south from Haypath Rd and ran through Bethpage Park almost to the Parkview Court crossing. There were lots of walkers and it looked like a large group had come out together because many were wearing tees that said, “Move It.” Early in my run, when I was halfway up a short steep section of the path, a runner coming north shouted, “I hear that hill is pretty steep today.” I laughed because it was true.

I ran well despite the humidity and was about a half a mile to endpoint when I reached down to my side to look at the FR 210 and see how much distance I’d covered. There was nothing to grab and I discovered that my Garmin had fallen off the SPIbelt. It was probably sitting on the side of the path somewhere. I doubled back about a quarter mile, but was unable to find it. I was upset, but I’ve been planning to replace it since using it that way was fairly awkward.

Without a GPS map of my run, I figured I’d look at Gmaps when I got home and use the time from my FR 60 to calculate my pace. Annoyed, I ran the final half mile and about a hundred feet from the finish, my FR60 started to beep and the display blinked, “Scale Not Found” and then “Scanning.” I couldn’t turn off the message or get back to the timer (or turn that off for that matter). The watch would not respond to the buttons when I pressed them.

So in the space of five minutes, I went from having two functional running watches to none. When I got home I removed and replaced the FR 60’s battery. That got it working, but I lost all the data from today’s run. Before I could declare even partial victory, the watch started flashing “Scale Not Found” again.

It’s time for a new watch, so my search begins in earnest. I doubt I’ll have a replacement in time for next weekend. Until then, I’ll rely on Gmaps and my $15 stop watch to capture my distance and pace. That should give me something to write for my 2,101st post.

Bethpage’s hills didn’t scare me today

On July 10, 2016 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Where bike trail meets dirt trail

Today’s run (Bethpage bike trail): 4.3 miles

I’m discovering that my new approach to eating has yielded some improvement. As I mentioned yesterday, a measurable reduction in processed sugar intake and longer breaks between meals has given me more clarity and energy. Although it has been less than two weeks, I’m noticing positive changes, physically and mentally. It’s too early to know if these changes are producing real results or if the improvements are more of a placebo effect. It may be a little of both.

I got out to Bethpage this morning and parked at Runsketeer HQ off of Haypath. I usually run north to Washington Ave., but today I decided to go south toward Bethpage State Park. Like yesterday, I felt great from the start to the end of my run and I truly believe it has to do with reducing refined sugar and minimizing insulin response. While this change is exciting, my performance hasn’t improved.

Great run despite 88% humidity

Today’s pace was fairly typical compared to what I’d normally run for four miles. The difference is that maintaining that pace is now far easier. I normally grit my teeth to get through my runs and focus on the end result: finishing. There was none of that today, even though I took on some challenging hills between Haypath Road and my turnaround point on Picnic Polo Road.

So what about performance? If I continue to feel the way I did on my last two runs, I can start focusing on speed. That’s something that I haven’t done in a long time. Either way, I’m enjoying, rather than enduring the experience in way I haven’t in quite a few years.

Lost and found running in the Bethpage woods

On May 29, 2016 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

Excuse me, where am I?

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park trails): 3.6 miles

I really like long weekends that follow a work-from-home Friday. That’s eight times I don’t have to deal with highways, bridges and stop and go traffic. Plus, I get to be with my family. So far, the weather has been clear and that’s allowed me to get in runs over the past three days, including today.

I was fairly exhausted when I got home from yesterday’s run. My wife was in the backyard painting the deck in the blistering heat. She asked me to run to Home Depot to pick up another can of paint. I heroically got back into my air conditioned car and drove over to get another gallon. Our deck now looks brand new, thanks to me. She washed the shed and deck around the pool area today and I would have gone back to Home Depot if she needed anything, because that’s who I am.

Mrs. ER’s masterpiece

I was ready to help at a moment’s notice

This morning I drove over to Colonial Road so I could run the path to the trail head at Bethpage. I cut in near the new building that has a water fountain and also appears to have rest rooms. Those facilities must be extremely clean, because I’ve never seen the gate open to the public. I paid careful attention to the trails I was on because I usually get lost when I run there. Within twenty minutes I was lost, but I knew I’d eventually come upon familiar terrain.

That was actually true. I did not one, but two loops that landed me in the same spot close to the big field. It didn’t really matter, but my random direction running looks a little crazy on the route map. It’s ever crazier when you look at the animation in Google Connect that traces the route you ran from start to finish. Besides going in circles, there are a few abrupt changes in direction and one dead end at Plainview Road.

I didn’t realize the Greenbelt ran through this park

Bethpage’s trails are well groomed and the running experience is less treacherous than at Stillwell. Like Stillwell, there are lots of little critters running around the woods. In one case, a cottontail rabbit jumped into the path directly in front of me. Instead of darting into the woods, mister bunny stayed the course, zig-zagging from one side of the trail to the other for a few hundred feet until he cut away into the bush.

Once I felt I’d spent enough time in the woods, I looked for the route that would connect me back to the bike trail. This wasn’t as easy as I hoped and I ended up doubling back a few times until I found my path. The last half mile on the paved trail was rough, as the sun was beating down and the route was mostly an incline. It wasn’t my best run, but I enjoyed the experience.

Tomorrow I’ll probably be stuck indoors on the treadmill. But due to the holiday, at least I’ll have an extra day to run.

Run, hike and Fitbit

On April 27, 2016 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

ER and ER Jr taking on the trails at Bethpage

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.3 miles
Yesterday’s run (street): 3.25 miles
Sunday’s run (street): 3.5 miles

It’s nice to be out of the office this week. We’ve had some great days so far. Since work often gets in the way of my weekday running, I try to take advantage of off days to fit in extra workouts. That’s been the case so far on this vacation. I’ve been able to run every day since Saturday.

I can barely remember Sunday’s run around the neighborhood, other than that it was windy and a little cold for the short sleeves and shorts I wore. Like Saturday, I had good energy and I felt I moved well. Yesterday I got out fairly early and enjoyed the quiet roads, courtesy of school vacation that kept both buses and parents off the roads.

Yesterday afternoon, my son and I decided to do an impromptu hike in the woods at Bethpage. We parked in the northeast corner of the lot and entered at the trail head at the far end of the picnic area. We followed the main trail that parallels the bike trail and then cut to a path that led us to the big field. We ducked back into the woods and began to take side trails, one of which led us to the paved path where the short but very steep hill begins.

We stayed on the bike trail for about three quarters of a mile before going back into the woods. We followed a winding path that eventually brought us back to where we’d started out. It was a good hike with some nice climbs and I was glad to get a second workout in on Monday.

Post-run selfie, Sunday or Monday. I’ve lost track.

We had buckets of rain this morning starting at around 4:00 AM, but conditions cleared up by about 9:00 AM. Even though the rain had stopped, I decided to save a little time and stayed inside, covering 3.3 miles on the treadmill. It was a good progression run and, like the three before it, I finished my last mile running a fairly fast pace (for me).

I’d given my wife my Fitbit a couple of years ago because I got frustrated with it. Not that it didn’t work, it was just that I’d frequently leave it on my dresser instead of transferring it to my next pair of pants. And everyone knows that a run or walk that wasn’t captured by a device technically never happened.

My company just did a wellness challenge and every participant got a Fitbit to track their contribution to their team. I didn’t participate, but I became envious of people when they’d announce their step count. I decided to get back into the Fitbit game and ordered a new one. The building where I work is humongous and every meeting I’m in seems to be as far from my office as physically possibly.

I’ll be curious to see how much I actually travel during the workday. I wish I had it now so I could track my progress during this vacation week.

Running miles and talking cars at Bethpage

On January 18, 2016 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Me and “M” chillin’ near the trail head

Today’s run (Bethpage Bike Trail): 5.2 miles

I’m usually ambivalent about getting out for my longer weekend runs because it involves organizing my gear and driving somewhere. I woke up this morning feeling energetic and ready to break out of the bounds of my neighborhood. It was chilly, so I wore what I hoped was the right gear to keep me comfortable through my entire run. I headed to Bethpage and parked in the lot.

I decided to run the northern part of the bike trail. I have different experiences with that path, sometimes it feels flat, and other times (such as today) the hills really feel like hills. I rolled along and reached my turnaround spot faster than I expected. There were a few groups of women walking from the other direction, and when we crossed paths I heard snippets of their conversation. Every conversation was either about their job, their kids college plans or how a woman (who wasn’t with them) doesn’t understand something.

I came back from my run feeling a little overheated. As I was cooling down, a guy (“M”) came over and asked me about my car. He was considering the same model for his wife, and we talked about the merits of my SUV versus other models. We covered a lot of other stuff in the 15 minutes that we spoke. He was a really nice and interesting guy — a former runner who still volunteers at races. M has a disc injury that sounds more serious than mine. He mostly does long walks at Bethpage to stay in shape. I’ll look for him next time I run there.

Later in the day the snow began to fall and it’s supposed to continue through morning. I really hope the roads are clear tomorrow, otherwise I’ll have to face the treadmill once again.

The dirt trails at Bethpage

On January 9, 2016 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

The path is clear

Today’s run (Bethpage dirt trails): 4.1 miles
Yesterday’s run (street): 3.2 miles

Back to work this week. I’d hoped to get a workout in on Wednesday or Thursday, but my @#$%& schedule got me home too late both nights. I know I used to rise and run almost every day in my previous job, but I can’t seem to get back in that mode. The best excuse I can think of is that my old commute allowed me to rest and recover on the train ride in. My current commute involves driving, and I try not to sleep during that time.

I worked from home yesterday and, although I had early meetings, I was able to get in a few miles before I started my work day. I didn’t go out in the dark, but it was before the school bus parade had begun. After last week’s springtime weather, the cold and windy conditions reminded me that it is January. I’ve been wearing fewer layers lately and using my lightweight ASICS running jacket to help cut the wind chill.

This morning the temperature was 10° higher and I decided to break out of my neighborhood and head over to Bethpage to run the dirt trails. I get to Stillwell frequently, but it’s been a while since I’ve done anything at Bethpage besides running the bike trail. With no once collecting admission, I breezed in, parked in the lot, and started my run on the paved path.

I wore my Brooks Cascadias because I knew I’d encounter dirt, mud, sand, leaves and rocks. I also figured I’d use the bike trail to get me to different cut-ins to the woods and the Cascadias are very runnable on pavement. I reached the trail at the half mile point and followed the marked trail north and then east, using the color codes to choose a direction when the path split. That worked well until I found myself near the intersection of the northern bike trail and took a hard right to stay in the woods.

Bethpage runaround

The trails were in great shape despite some muddy sections and there was a lot of elevation to test my hamstrings. Bethpage’s trails are rolling like the bike path, but they’re not as technically challenging as certain parts of Stillwell. The main trails are wide enough to accommodate a dump truck and are as pristine as any I’ve seen on Long Island.

I saw a lot of other trail runners today and it was nice to run without fear of being mowed down by a mountain bike. Bikes are not allowed, although I did see a few tire tracks in the mud. I ended up covering four miles, but with tired legs and all the ups and downs, it felt a lot farther.

Tomorrow we are supposed to see torrential rain in the morning and I suspect I’ll be doing my run on the treadmill. I’m glad I got out for a stimulating and surprisingly taxing workout today. Winter trail running is always a pleasure, especially this season, when the trails are free of snow.