Personal distance record on today’s base run

On March 20, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

A Personal Distance Record on the Bethpage trail

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park): 11.2 miles

For the second weekend in a row I’ve followed a dissatisfying trail run on Saturday with a great distance run on Sunday. Rather than over-analyze this, I’ll just assume it had more to do with the time of day that I did these four runs (good runs: early, bad runs: afternoon). With a half marathon coming up in six weeks I’d been working on building up my base with 8.25 mile runs over the past couple of weekends and a personal distance record of 11.2 miles this morning.

I began today’s run at Bethpage State Park at 8:00 AM and I ran well, feeling much better than I did yesterday. The winds were coming from the north and the first half of my out-and-back run was in a southern direction, so I had a little extra help at times. Unfortunately much of the second half included chilly head-on winds that made the tough hills even tougher. But with all runs you take the good with the bad. I just wish I could take the bad first and experience only the good at the end.

There were many people on the trail today; walkers, cyclists and runners in about even numbers. Lots of friendly hellos too. Of all my running venues, Bethpage definitely has the happiest people. I was only passed by a couple of people along my route. One was a boy no older than 18 who ran past me at a pace that I can only sustain for about 200 meters on a track. After my turnaround in Masspequa Preserve he passed me the other way, his speed undiminished even though he had run at least seven miles by then. Unbelievably, this young man passed me in the other direction when I was about three miles to my finish, meaning that he was still charging hard after 11 miles. For the record, I also passed some runners today!

I was glad that I brought along my Amphipod hand bottle, that I filled with Gatorade G2. After mile four I began taking sips every half mile. I believe that was the key to getting past some tough periods, especially at mile 10 when the risk of a bonk was very real. But there was no stopping and no slowing down and I finished my distance in 1:46:34, or 9:31 per mile. That’s a realistic target for race day, which means I’ll need to finish the LI Half under 2:05. I think I’ll fold speed work into next week’s runs and while I’ll target at least one long run, I’m not sure I’ll need to run 11 miles again. But I just might.

LSD at Bethpage, the legal kind

On March 5, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park): 8.25 miles

I wanted to go for an LSD run this morning so I headed over to Bethpage State Park. I’d assumed with the warmer temperatures that the park had finally opened its bike trail. As soon as I reached the golf course saw a runner on the path beyond the (formally) gated entrance. I knew then that I’d be able to get in and run. No one was manning the toll house when I drove up, usually a good thing because it means no park fee, but I’d planned to buy an Empire Passport today. Oh well, free admission at least.

I’d worn shorts for the first time since October, along with a half zip and my lightweight running rain jacket as a top layer. It was 47 degrees with threatening skies so I decided to wear the jacket even though it can get hot. I figured that my plan to run long, but slowly, would prevent me from becoming overheated. I started up the steep hill where the bike trail begins and looked at the Garmin to make sure that I was running no faster than my planned pace. I’ve only averaged 3.75 miles per run since December, primarily due to all the snow we’ve had. I need to build back my base in preparation for my half marathon in May.

Runners outnumbered cyclists on the path although I saw plenty of both as I made my way along the trail. Running slowly was a treat, the hills didn’t matter much and I was able to think about many things instead of focusing on my turnover and speed. I was passed by a few runners and I wanted to shout to them “I’m not really this slow, I’m doing LSD!” Actually that would not be a good thing to yell. Still, I began to feel the workout at around mile 5 of my planned eight.

I gave in to my natural pace and ran the last two miles under 10:00 per mile and completed 8.3 miles averaging 10:10. It was great to run a longer distance after being constrained to the streets of my neighborhood for months. I’m not sure if I’ll do a run of 13 or more miles before the RXR Half Marathon but today’s 8 was a good start.

Catching a break

On February 28, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

It’s always hard coming back to work after a week away. The luxury of sleeping until 6:00 AM gave way to my 4:00 AM wake up time this morning. I finally gave myself a rest from running today and the timing was good because it’s raining hard outside. Looking back on my week of daily workouts I’m pleased with everything I did, but I’m a little disappointed that I had no memorable runs. It would have been fun to go to some new place to run or to get together with a running buddy or two. Still, it was nice to go out each day without too much concern about meeting a schedule.

The weather should stay relatively warm throughout the week and hopefully by Saturday I’ll be able to run at Bethpage again. I’m also thinking that it’s been a while since I’ve tackled the Muttontown Preserve and I’d also like to do that. Today it’s back to work and tomorrow it’s back to running.

All dressed up but no where to run

On February 23, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 3.2 miles

I finally made it to Bethpage State Park this morning but it turned out to be a wasted trip. I had hopes of purchasing an Empire Passport and using it for the first time while I ran a section of the Bethpage bike trail. I knew my bike path run was in jeopardy after I saw that trail access was blocked just south of its intersection with the main road. I decided to continue on, thinking that I could still buy the Passport and possibly run the wooded trails if they were clear. After a quick look I realized that those trails had too much snow cover to provide a stable surface for my Kinvaras. There was no one working the toll station so I continued to the trail head and saw that the entrance was blocked by a gate. Even if the bike path wasn’t gated I could see that it would be impossible to run the trail because it was covered with a thick layer of ice.

I returned home and did today’s run in my neighborhood. We had plans mid-morning so I needed to keep it short. That ended up to be a good thing because I felt tired throughout the run and my fatigue intensified as I went on. Despite my lowering energy level I kept my pace brisk and that resulted in a difficult last mile. At the end I felt like I’d run a 5K race and noted that my pace was over 40 seconds per miles faster than yesterday’s run.

A great addition to the Emerging Runner family

Hoping for better results with a better brand

This afternoon I picked up a pair of New Balance compression shorts to replace a pair of Layer 8’s that ripped all along the waistband after a wash. My wife bought a pair of of ASICS GEL-2160’s to replace her Saucony Fusion 2’s that she’d run in over the last year. I was happy with her choice of the 2160’s and I hope she is too. I’m looking forward to trying my new gear out tomorrow even though, with all this ice and snow, I’ll need to stay local for my run.

Double digit run – a new personal distance record

On December 11, 2010 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park) 10.2 miles

The weather has been freezing this week and Sunday is supposed to be rainy. Although it’s a busy Saturday I wanted to make sure that I took advantage of today’s weather to get in some base-building distance. I briefly considered lots of loops around the neighborhood before heading to Bethpage State Park to run the bike trail. I’ve been wanting to break my distance record for a contiguous run (8.5 miles) and most miles in a day (9). Bethpage was a better place to try that.

It was a chilly 29 degrees at 8:00 AM when I started my run and I was tempted to run at a faster pace than I’d planned. I intended to run down to the Massapequa Preserve to a spot that I’d measured on Google Earth to be five miles from the trail start at Bethpage. That would allow me to complete an out-and-back total of ten miles. Once I’d passed the first mile I had warmed up enough to be comfortable. I kept my pace moderate to reserve enough energy for the final miles of this rolling course. The first four miles came fairly quickly and before I knew it I was crossing over the Southern State where the Massapequa Preserve starts. I ran that part of the trail until my Garmin chirped 5 miles and I reversed direction for the second half of my run.

There were many runners on the path this morning, lots of high school cross country runners in bunches. I noticed that the quarter mile markings on the path didn’t align to my Garmin and after two or three comparisons I realized that my foot pod was off by .08 each mile. Over 10 miles that added up to about .8 miles so I knew I’d need to make that distance up at the end if I wanted to claim a true 10. By mile eight I was really feeling the workout. I had no doubt of the outcome but I was dreading the big hill at the end. I got up the hill in better shape than I’d expected and I finished the run with a few long loops around the lot that brought me confidently past the 10 mile mark. Just for good measure (pardon the pun) I ran until the Garmin read 11 miles, but I’m considering today’s distance to officially total 10.2 miles.

A full day for both mind and body

I was wiped out after that run but today’s schedule had little downtime. My wife, kids and I spent the middle of the day at the Cold Spring Harbor DNA Learning Center where we attended a class on the sense of smell. My son attended camp there this summer and we all had a great time. I’m thinking I’ll sleep well tonight. So now that I’m in double digits for my personal distance record, maybe a half marathon isn’t such an aspirational goal.

8 miles at Bethpage, NYC Marathon Expo visit

On November 6, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Fun time at the NYC Marathon Expo

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park): 8.34 miles

After two days off from running I returned to Bethpage State Park today for a morning run with Dave. I had battled a cold over the last couple of weeks but I did run a number of times while I went through it. I chose to rest on Thursday and Friday to prevent a relapse. We met at the start of the bike trail and noted the chill. I wore my Champion pants that offer slight compression and my Thriv short sleeve running shirt. I wasn’t comfortable as we began but I knew it wouldn’t take long until I warmed up. We both wore gloves because it’s hard to keep them warm even as your body heats up from the run.

We adopted a comfortable pace, neither brisk nor slow, and moved along the route feeling good. The fall air is a runner’s gift and we both appreciated it. We reached the 4 mile mark before we realized we’d covered any significant ground and continued over the Southern State to Linden Street where we turned around for the run back. At around the 6 mile mark Dave started getting stronger and I started feeling the effects of the run. That’s the difference between us in terms of base. About .75 miles before the end Dave went for the hard finish and I set my mind on getting past the hill at the end. I ran hard considering my level of energy and I came in about half a minute after Dave. It was great to run for the first time since Wednesday and we covered over 8 miles in the process. Next week we’ll both compete in the Run for Warriors 10K.

New Balance Minimus

Philip Hahm, Puma Faas designer

Yesterday I made my way to Jacob Javitts Center to experience this year’s NYC Marathon Expo. It’s a running geek’s dream, the hall is HUGE as is the variety of vendors. After checking out the Brooks, NB, Mizuno, Adidas, Saucony, Newton and Paragon booths (plus the ASICS booth that is not much smaller than our local Target store) I sampled PowerBar, GU, Odawalla, Gatorade and other energy snacks. I stopped by Puma and spoke with Philip Hahm, the designer of the new Faas 500 running shoe. Interesting design, but it seemed more for a heel striker than mid-foot running. At the NB booth they showed a prototype of their new Minimus, a version created with Vibram (maker of the 5 Fingers sock-shoes). I like the Vibram concept but dislike the look of the separated toes. The Minimus looks like the perfect alternative.

Bart Yasso (l), Matt Long (r)

Grete Waitz (center in blue)

Sarah Stanley speaks

Untramarathoner Josh Cox

At the Runner’s World booth I met Bart Yasso, Chief Running Officer for the magazine and author of the book “My Life on the Run.” I read that book this summer and found it a good read. I also met Matt Long, author of “The Long Run”, a book about his experience recovering from a near fatal accident (he was hit by a bus while riding his bike in NYC) and came back to run the marathon. I listened to ultramarathoner Josh Cox speak and also heard ultrarunner Sarah Stanley talk about her mission to educate kids on living a healthy life. Just before I returned to the office I met Grete Waitz, 9 time winner of the NY Marathon and silver medalist in the 1984 Olympics. It’s a big bang for the buck — free shuttle buses between mid-town to the Expo, free admission, lots of cool stuff to see and sample. I only wish I was part of the crowd that’s there to run in the big event on Sunday. I probably won’t ever get there, but at least I can get to the Expo.

Two park runs: Central and Bethpage

On August 28, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Yesterday’s run (Central Park): 3.6 miles at 9:07
Today’s run (Bethpage State Park): 7.9 miles at 10:00 (approximately)

It had been over two weeks since I last ran in Central Park and I was looking forward to returning there on Friday. The temperatures in the morning were cool (60’s) but as the noonday sun moved overhead the heat came out with strength. I started my run at the 7th Ave crossing on Central Park South and followed the lower loop, moving along well despite the heat and the hills. Along the way the trees provided occasional shelter from the sun and, as usual, the park provided a broad array of stimuli: sights, smells (good and bad) and sounds. Touch too, if you count the feel of the hilly roads under my feet. I was so distracted by the experience that I continued to follow the lower loop until I reached the western side where I redirected north along the upper loop. I continued around the great lawn and followed that north and then east where I switched to the upper loop going south. That series of maneuvers added almost half a mile to my usual route so I was pleased at the end with the extra distance.

This morning I met my friend Dave at Bethpage State Park with a plan to run seven miles on the bike path at a leisurely pace somewhere between 10:15-10:30. Dave’s Garmin GPS watch and my Garmin FR60 with foot pod differed in terms of measurement. Mine showed us covering about .4 of a mile longer than his. I have a native distrust for GPS measurement of this type after measuring runs using AllSport, MotionX and other GPS apps on my iPhone. When the data from these runs is compared to the actual measurement (via Google Earth or Gmaps) the GPS usually under represents by a little (or often) by a lot. I can see on the MotionX maps why this is the case, the GPS works in straight line vectors that often cut corners that can add up to less distance. My Garmin has actually been under-counting when paired with my Brooks so we may have actually reached 8 miles today and broken 10:00. I wouldn’t be surprised because even though we weren’t burning up the road we were moving along well.

Unlike most of my runs at Bethpage, today the runners outnumbered the bikers, although there were a enough bikers to keep us alert when they came up quickly from behind. Dave ran on the inside lane and kindly took the brunt of the bike traffic. We are both running the Great Cow Harbor 10K next month and Dave provided some insight from his experience with that race. Between Dave and Brian I feel very fortunate to have so much prior knowledge of what promises to be a tough course. I’ll see for myself in couple of weeks when I do a practice run there with Brian. At the end of today’s run I felt very good and took to heart Dave’s advice that the best way to increase my stamina is to put in more distance. Distance first, speed second. I hear that. Tomorrow I’ll do less distance when I run with KWL. I’ve covered a lot of miles over the last few days and I need to be kind to my legs. I hope I have enough energy left for Sunday’s run as keeping up with KWL can be a challenge. I’m hoping his 10K/100 mile bike ride last weekend will even us up in terms of energy levels.

1,000 calorie run at Bethpage State Park

On May 2, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s workout (Bethpage bike trail): 8.15 miles at 9:10 per mile

Not counting last year’s Cape Cod marathon relay in Falmouth where I ran 9 miles across two non-consecutive legs, I established a personal distance record on today’s run. Unlike Falmouth, today was an uninterrupted run that covered over eight miles in an hour and fourteen minutes. I’d made the decision not to run this morning’s RXR 10K and, perhaps out of guilt for not racing, I decided to do a long distance run on my own. In order to break out of my usual 5-6 mile doldrums that have been standing in as my long weekend runs over the last couple of months, I knew that needed to leave the neighborhood to help frame out a longer run.

I headed to Bethpage State Park and paid my fee at the gate. I tried to buy an Empire Passport on the spot but they only accepted a check or cash and I only had a little cash and some credit cards. I began my run at the end of the bike trail and immediately met the sharp but mercifully short initial hill. Once level I knew that I’d enjoy a long downhill at the half mile mark. The enjoyment was bittersweet because I knew I’d need to climb that long hill upon my return when I would be depleted from an hour-plus of running. I followed the trail for four miles and passed a number of runners and walkers and winced each time a cyclist whizzed by from behind a little too close for comfort. At one point two cyclists, who were riding side by side, came toward me and would have run me off the path but I stood my ground. Unfortunately for the closer rider, the end of my elbow struck his arm and produced a yelp. I apologized by yelling “share the road!” I think they learned their lesson. At least they didn’t come after me.

A funny thing about the Bethpage bike trail is that it often gives the illusion that you are running uphill even when you’re not. As I made my way for the 4 mile out segment I kept thinking how I’d enjoy the downhill side of the hills I was encountering. I turned around shortly after crossing the overpass to the Southern State Parkway and was dismayed as I headed back for the second 4 miles that the path seemed to run uphill. I still had plenty of energy at the midpoint so the hills were easily met but in the back of my mind I was dreading the long uphill stretch I’d encounter between miles 7 and 8. I caught and passed a few more runners and walkers and monitored my Garmin to make sure my heart rate was staying within range. I managed to keep my pace around 9:00 per mile for most of my run but by mile seven I slowed down to the mid-9:00 range, especially on the run-ending hills. The only time I questioned whether I could finish what would be a personal best for distance was leading up the big final hill. When I got there I just dug in, took smaller steps and hoped it would soon be over.

In the end I covered 8.15 miles and when I looked at the run summary on the Garmin I saw that I’d expended exactly 1,000 calories over the course of my run. I’m pleased that I’ve broken the 8 mile single run barrier and I feel better than I thought I would after all that work. Some day I’ll run 9 but for today, the record stands at 8.15.

$2.22 per mile and worth every penny

On April 4, 2010 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (Bethpage trails): 3.65 miles

I was hoping that there would be no parking fee to Bethpage State park this morning because of the holiday but the guard was there to collect my $8. In truth, I’m happy to pay for access to this park, especially with all the talk about cutting back on funding to Long Island’s State Parks because they don’t make enough money. I can’t believe the hypocrisy in that. Parks aren’t supposed to make money, they are there to provide people with a higher quality of life. Using the same logic perhaps we should close the schools because they are really unprofitable.

I paid my fee and parked in the nearly empty lot. There were a few people out running on the bike paths but I headed straight for the trails. What I remembered about Bethpage was how well they kept the trails and as I entered the main trail head I appreciated the expansive, flat and groomed path in front of me. I initially followed a marked trail that took me in a circle back to the start. I knew that would likely happen but I held hope that this trail would bring me east and north but instead it did the opposite. After entering the woods for a second time I locked onto a trail with blue markings that I followed for close to a mile. This trail was narrow but flat and it twisted and turned a number of times. Along the way the arm band that I’ve used to carry my iPhone finally gave way and I needed to stop for a moment and fish the device out of clump or sprouting plants. The only other interruption was when a mountain biker came up from behind and I paused to let him by. He was polite and apologetic about it and he should have been since bikes are not allowed on those trails.

I eventually locked onto a trail that I followed along the western perimeter all the way south to the bike path. AG and I had followed part of this trail last summer and exited at the same point, right before a steep hill that goes on for about a quarter mile. I was both annoyed and happy about this. Annoyed because I wasn’t pleased to do the work but happy because the rest of my run had taken place on flat terrain and this gave me another chance to practice hill running for next Sunday’s race. Once I’d crested the hill I jumped back on the dirt trail and finished my run through the woods. It was a great experience, perfect weather over really fun trails. It’s back to business tomorrow but it’s been a great week for running. Our treadmill is scheduled to be repaired on the 8th and I’m expecting a new running toy as early as tomorrow. Can you guess what it is?

The toughest seven miles so far

On October 31, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Last week’s relay had me thinking a lot about both my potential and limits for distance running. This weekend’s NY Marathon has me thinking a lot about the fact that around 40,000 runners will start that race on Sunday morning. I don’t think runners need to qualify for NY like they do for Boston but I suspect that most people who go through the process of signing up (there’s a lottery that limits the number of entrants) probably have designs of at least finishing the race. That’s a lot of people who can run 26.2 miles in a single day, usually within 4.5 hours. During last week’s Cape Cod Marathon relay I was observing the marathon runners (who could be differentiated from we relay runners by the color of their numbers). When I resumed the race for my second leg at mile nine I looked for signs of fatigue amongst those committed to the full course. I couldn’t imagine needing to cover another 17 miles (I got to roll off after 5.7) and I wondered what goes through the head of person who knows they’ll be running for three, four or more hours without stopping. I guess it all comes down to expectations and conditioning. I knew after my 9 miles last Sunday that even doing 13.1 would be a struggle. As for running 26.2 miles in one shot? Unlikely.

All the same I really do want to break the ten mile barrier so upon AG’s suggestion I decided to focus one weekend day on distance and location and the other on either speed or recovery. In terms of location, the idea is to get out of the neighborhood and see more interesting things than houses and cars. I headed over to Bethpage State Park that has long paved bike paths, trails and a cross-country course that overlaps through soccer fields and (possibly) golf courses. When I arrived I saw numerous yellow buses and groups of high school age students running in packs. There was some sort of XC meeting happening so I decided to head to the bike paths because the crowds seemed to be avoiding those. The entrance to bike trails starts with a steep but short hill and I felt fine through the first few miles of rolling hills. I’d decided to run about 30-40 minutes in one direction and head back at that point. The first 3.5 miles were fairly easy despite some frequent hills at the beginning. Most of the rest was either level or downward-sloping. I appreciated that in the moment but dreaded the hills for the return. I passed most runners that I encountered on my southern leg but on the way back I was passed by three very fit (and friendly) runners, one of whom I encountered again upon his out-and-back as I was coming in near the finish.

I averaged 9:20 for the first half and 9:40 for the return, covering 7.1 miles around 9:30/mile. With all those hills I was happy to make the pace that I did and I was exhausted from the workout. As far as being able to cover 10 miles in single run I still have work to do. When the time comes to tackle that distance I hope the route is less challenging than today’s tough run.