Today’s run: Central Park (planned)
The day before a holiday weekend is usually very quiet. I’d considered working from home today since I’m planning to cut out around noon anyway, but I have some things I need to get done in the office. It isn’t supposed to get that hot by mid day and I’m looking forward to having a workday-ending run in Central Park with FS. It’s budget planning season and that’s adding to our busyness. FS and I have a few business items to discuss so we’re thinking of covering those subjects during our run. Last summer Adventure Girl and I held our weekly meetings while we traversed the west side bike paths, Central Park and the GW bridge. AG would actually carry an agenda as we ran. It usually took about 4 miles to get through it all. The plan today is to go out at a comfortable, moderate pace and stay with that. I’m not sure what we’ll target for distance but we’ll work that out.
Or not! It turns out that FS won’t be joining me today after all so I’ll modify my plan and probably head to the park a little earlier. It’s cool and dry and if that continues it could lead to some great running. I’m thinking I might do a loop that goes past the reservoir and then cut across on 97th street. Or I might follow the path around the reservoir itself which will probably keep my run to a tidy 4 miles. I’m raring to go as it’s been a few weeks since I’ve run in the park. The temperature is beginning to climb into the 70’s. I hope it stays there!
Tag: Central Park
Hoping for a Central Park run today
Yesterday’s workout (elliptical): 25 minutes
Today’s run: Central Park (planned)
For some reason four day work weeks can feel longer than five day work weeks. That certainly wasn’t the case this week as I still can’t believe it’s already Friday. I’ve had so much to do lately that I wasn’t even able to post on Thursday. Not that I have much to report. Yesterday’s workout was very low key, about 25 minutes on the elliptical. The high humidity that morning produced a sweat that made it seem like I was working hard but I wasn’t really pushing it. Today, if I’m satisfied with my progress with my current project I’ll head out for a mid-day run.
I’ve been thinking about some of the more adventurous runs AG and I did last summer; over bridges and exploring places that were new to me. If I had more time today I would consider doing one of those runs. Given my schedule, if I do get out it will likely be the park. With the sun and temperatures in the high 80’s it will be difficult to cover a lot of distance. I may run the bridle path because there are many spots with good tree coverage along that route. If city running doesn’t work today I will probably take off early and do a run closer to home followed by a swim in the pool. I’m going to have a short weekend because I have to leave for a trip on Sunday afternoon. I still hope to get a couple of decent runs in both days.
Last NYC run with AG, at least until August
Yesterday’s run (Central Park): 3.19 miles at 8:41
Today’s run (Stillwell Woods): 4.1 miles at 10:03
I didn’t think I’d be able to do my weekly NYC run on Friday but by 5:00 PM I had finished everything I’d wanted to get done this week. Adventure Girl will only be in the office one more week before she heads for the west coast for the summer. Since I’m traveling much of next week we figured we’d get in one more run before she leaves. We headed up to the park as fast as we could because my window of running was limited. We decided to run about 3 miles by following the east side of the lower loop to the upper loop, across the Great Lawn to the north and then back down to where we’d start. We wore our Sauconys, Grid Tangent 4’s for me and AG wore her new Kinvaras. Those light shoes helped us move along at the fastest pace we’d ever run together, despite the hills we encountered both up and down our route. We ended our run at 5:44 PM and I needed to get back to the office in time to change and leave with enough time to make my train. We arrived at our building at 5:58 PM and I knew I was in trouble, but AG suggested I just commute home in my running clothes. Despite my extremely sweaty condition I agreed and made my way to the train, making it just in time. It was a exciting way to end what will be our last run together for many months. I’ll miss these runs but I’m excited that AG will be running some awesome trails in the northwestern states this summer.
Perhaps as a nod to that I headed over to Stillwell Woods this morning for trail run. It’s been a while since I spent time in the interior of the preserve and I followed a route that is opposite of my usual approach. My plan was to move along but not push it too hard. The many inclines would provide plenty of challenge without worrying about speed. The mountain bikers were out in force. I encountered quite a few riders, all of whom were extremely polite and courteous about sharing the trails with a runner. Along the way I navigated through the Snake Pit, the curiously named but difficult Little Pink Bicycle Path, the Ewok Forest and the UH OH trail. I was plenty tired and 4 miles was tough going but I was distracted by the birds and other animals making such a racket that I actually laughed. So much for the serenity of nature. I’m probably going to run in my neighborhood tomorrow and focus more about miles than speed. So far, counting Friday, it’s been a great weekend of running.
The Saucony Kinvaras make a great first impression
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| Saucony Kinvaras ready for their first run |
Today’s run (Central Park): 3.2 miles at 8:47/mile
My shipment from Saucony arrived yesterday and I’m very excited to put these two pairs of lightweight trainers to the test. Lightweight is the word, the Kinvaras practically floated out of the box when I opened it. The pictures promised a different looking shoe and the Saucony Kinvara is certainly different. The outer layer on the upper is translucent and it looks like it was air brushed. My kids thought they looked amazing and my daughter asked me if they came in kid sizes. But looks are one thing, fit and feel are another and I put them to the test today at noon in Central Park.
The Kinvara is a minimalist shoe that can be used for racing. It’s more flexible on the forefoot than the other running shoes that I own with an extremely small drop off from heel to toe that encourages mid foot landing. When I put them on I had the same reaction that I had when I tried on a pair of Nike Frees – it felt more like a slipper than a running shoe. Once I began to walk in them and got a sense of how they worked with the foot I realized they were nicely responsive. I started my run at the bottom of the lower loop and was happy to note that the ride was no harder than the Brooks Adrenalin’s although the feel was different. I moved along well and passed some runners, even on the hills. The sun was out and it was very humid so the run was already feeling like hard work by mile 2. However, I maintained a decent pace throughout the entire distance and was pleased to average 8:47 per mile. I have to give credit to the shoes for helping me attain that pace since I can’t think of another factor that would explain it.
Over this weekend I hope to test the other pair of shoes I got from Saucony, the ProGrid Tangent 4’s. Like the Kinvaras, these shoes are extremely light and have some stability control for those, like me, who pronate. The fit, like every Saucony I’ve ever put on my foot, feels natural and correct. As much as I’m excited about the Kinvaras I’m thinking that the Tangents may be competition for the Brooks as a daily trainer. I’ll be testing both pairs in the coming weeks. I’m still not sure whether I’ll race on Sunday but if I do I plan to wear the Kinvaras. Since it’s just a 5K on Sunday I’m not too concerned about racing with new shoes. Today’s running experience seems to validate that decision.
Running in the movies
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| Marathon Man 1976 |
Today’s workout: Rest day
Early on Sunday morning I was flipping through the channels trying to find something resembling news when I came across the movie “Marathon Man.” Although I’d seen it before, the thing I’d remembered most about that movie was the famous scene with Dustin Hoffman in the dentist chair being asked “Is it safe?” As I watched it on Sunday I paid more attention to Hoffman’s character as a runner. His training paid off for him near the end when he literally outruns his captors. My obsession with running metrics got the best of me while watching a scene near the beginning when Hoffman runs around the reservoir in Central Park while his girlfriend times him. I was thrilled to see that the reservoir hasn’t really changed since 1976 and I’ll think about the movie the next time I make that circuit. When Hoffman ran by his girlfriend she yelled “11:47, you’re getting faster!” I grabbed my iPhone and, knowing one loop around equals 1.58 miles, calculated that he was running at a 7:27 pace. Not bad.
It was fun to watch a great movie that had running as part of its theme. Besides the obvious, Chariots of Fire, I haven’t connected great films with running. Now, as a runner, I notice things I’ve never noticed before. Thinking about it now, one of my favorite films from the ’80’s was The Big Chill where one of the lead characters owns a running store. I recall a scene where he gives his house guests new pairs of running shoes and most of them go out early on a Sunday morning for a group run. Perhaps I’ll stumble upon that movie again as I navigate the channels on some early weekend morning.
Once around the park (literally)
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| Harlem Meer in north Central Park |
Yesterday’s run (Central Park): 6.15 miles at 9:20
It’s always fun to break new ground in terms of running experience and that was the case for me yesterday. I’ve been getting to Central Park every Friday afternoon for a run and this extra mileage has helped me push closer to my weekly goal of 20 miles a week. I have stuck to the routes I’d learned through running with Adventure Girl last year but prior to Friday I had never braved the territory north of the reservoir. Classes have ended at Yale so AG is back in town for a few weeks. She’ll be heading to the west coast to conduct a graduate research project over the summer. In the meantime we’ll get a few runs in when we can.
We headed up to Central Park under sunny skies and 69 degree temperatures. When we reached the start along the lower loop we did some dynamic stretching before starting off. While that was happening I felt something hit my back but largely ignored it. I figured it was a big bug or something that fell off a tree. Once done we headed north at a sub-9 minute clip that we maintained for the first mile or so. About one mile later we came upon a waterfall tucked in beside the path. We took a brief break to look at it and saw goldfish swimming in the stream fed by the falls. AG said that it’s common and unfortunate that people dump pets like fish, lizards and snakes in Central Park because it’s not ecologically sound to do this with non-indigenous species.
We were soon on our way past the Meer and I got to experience the famous “Harlem hills” that weren’t all that steep but they went on for a long while. Once we got past them it was a bit easier going although there were few noticeable hills just north of the reservoir as we headed south. By the time we reached the southern end of the reservoir I was back in familiar territory and the last few miles were more downhill than up. Despite that, I was pretty exhausted and when we finished I saw that we’d covered 6.15 miles. When we arrived back at work AG followed me into my office and saw that the thing that had hit my back before we started our run was a “gift” from a bird overhead. I was lucky it hit my back and not my head and very glad that I didn’t know what happened at the time.
It was great to run again with AG in the city. It was the first time since last August that we’d run in NYC and longer still since we’d run in Central Park. I’m happy to have finally run the full loop and I plan to do it again this summer. Those hills are plenty tough but after yesterday’s experience they just don’t scare me anymore.
Two good runs: one fast, one slow, both hot.
Yesterday’s workout (Central Park): 3.25 miles at 8:52 per mile
Today’s workout (street): 5.48 miles at 9:21 per mile
In terms of effort I’d say both today’s and yesterday’s runs were about even. It’s hot today and it was hot in NYC yesterday when I trekked over to Central Park. I much prefer the cooler seasons for running but I also appreciate the way the trees and plants bloom in late spring and summer. The Park was filled with runners, cyclists and walkers when I arrived and I made my way over to the bike path on the lower loop to start my planned 3 mile run. My friend Steve had a conflict so he couldn’t join me today so I decided to go it alone for a run that followed the lower and upper loops below the reservoir. I knew that the hardest part of the run would happen in the first half because a good part of that route is uphill.
Surprisingly, it took me about a mile to break a sweat but once I did I got REALLY hot. I cut across the Great Lawn and headed back down, hugging the shade and happy to know that a few downhills awaited me. I’d maintained a decent pace even with the uphill challenges and I passed a number of runners although I also got passed a couple of times near the end. By the time I returned to my starting point I was glad to finish, cool down and head back to the office. A meeting had spilled into my planned running window that caused my run+lunch timing to be very tight. I quickly changed, grabbed a fast bite and finished a minute before my 2:00 meeting. I was glad that I’d run an 8:52 pace or I might have ended up being late!
This morning I headed out for a neighborhood run with no planned route in mind. I intentionally ignored the Garmin because I didn’t want to influence my pace in any way. Although it was hot and sunny I figured that I could a cover some good distance as long as I didn’t push too hard. I did check my heart rate throughout the run to ensure I was keeping to around 80% of max. I traveled through my neighborhood roads and cut across to neighborhood #2 at the 2.5 mile mark. I chose some different streets that I hadn’t run before, just for a change. I wound up covering 5.5 miles and finished feeling like I’d done a lot of work this morning. I need to work more on distance so I’m considering heading to Bethpage tomorrow to run the bike path where I can cover 8 to 10 miles out and back. Either that or a return to Stillwell to begin training for the next XTERRA race.
A tale of two 3.5 mile runs
Yesterday’s run (Central Park): 3.5 miles at 9:12/mile
Today’s Run (street): 3.5 miles at 8:45/mile
Yesterday I was excited for the chance to do another run in Central Park. It was a busy Friday and I managed to wrap up morning meetings in time to change and meet up with my friend Steve for the jog up to the park. The skies were bright and the sun was out but the 57 degree temperatures felt cold on the building-shaded streets. We started our run at the 6th Ave. entrance on Central Park South and made our way to the lower loop to run counterclockwise to the north. Steve admitted to really feeling last Friday’s workout for a couple of days after our run but he said he could do six today. I told him that he may feel differently once he started to encounter the hills. We set off at a decent pace, low 9’s, and enjoyed watching all the activity in the park. At one point we were set upon by a group of tourists on bicycles who didn’t seem to understand the concept of sharing the road with pedestrians. We also saw a person running around wearing Kangoo Jumps that look like in-line skates with elliptically shaped spring devices on the bottom. He certainly got some energy response from the shoes. Looked like fun but I’ll stick to my Brooks for now.
Once we reached the reservoir we followed the path on the southern edge and then headed south. Steve was very glad at the 2 mile point that we weren’t really going to run six. He did a great job keeping up with me and I told him his reward would be downhill running to balance all the hills we’d hit on the way up. We ended up covering 3.5 miles and felt fresh, even at the end. Good thing too because we both had long afternoons ahead. We walked south back to our offices, energized for the rest of the work day.
I woke up this morning with a headache that I attributed to sinus pressure. Rather than hoping it would just go away on its own I took a Sudafed and ibuprofen and chased them with a strong cup of coffee. I headed out around 8:00 AM for my run. I warmed up after about a mile and covered a route that took me first around and then through the neighborhood. I was concerned that the effects of the Sudafed would impact my running and while I felt tired I still managed to keep a decent pace. I originally thought I’d go 40 minutes but I cut it short to ensure I’d be ready in time for this morning’s activity, an Arbor Day festival at a local preserve. I was pleased with today’s run. I’ve programed the Garmin to automatically roll through the various metrics as I run such as pace, distance, time and heart rate. I used the heart rate numbers rather than speed to guide me in terms of effort to expend. It paid off with a decent pace, close to what I achieved recently in a 5K race.
Tomorrow I have plans to meet my friend KWL at a local park for a run at 6:30 AM. The weather is supposed to be pretty bad so chances are we’ll need to postpone. That would be too bad but I can’t complain about all the great running weather (and great runs) I’ve enjoyed this week.
Central Park: once around for good measure
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| Central Park Reservoir (1.58 miles around) |
Yesterday’s run (Central Park): 4.8 miles at 9:18/mile
Today’s run (street): 2.16 miles at 9:37/mile
Yesterday afternoon I ran in Central Park for the second time in less than a week. I met my friend CK at the statue of the Maine in Columbus Circle and we set off with a vague plan to cover the distance to the reservoir and back. CK is still dealing with a foot injury that has forced him to scale back on his running in favor of other sports and activities. Like the last time we ran, he said he’d need to take it easy due to the foot injury. This time I knew not to believe him. CK laughed at me as I prepared the Garmin for the start. He’s more old school, relying on time from his stopwatch rather than using an over-engineered running watch that captured distance, pace, etc. However, I noticed that he asked me more than once how far we’d gone during the run.
The sun was high in the sky but the heat was moderate. By the midway point I did find myself gravitating to the side of the road that had the most shade. By the time we reached the reservoir I began to feel the effort. CK managed to subtly push the pace past my default comfort zone. I wasn’t exactly hurting but I felt like I was running at race pace although the Garmin’s display did not reflect that. By the time we’d circled the reservoir and headed toward the east side of the upper loop I was ready to slow down. We ended our 4.8 mile run near the outlet to Central Park South and then grabbed some water to cool down. Once again I had a great Central Park run and CK pushed me hard, as always.
I tossed and turned last night and I believe that related to being so wired from the midday run. My plan for this morning was to cover two miles at an easy pace to balance the hard work from yesterday. I was suspicious that my recent recalibration of the Garmin led to under-counting my distance so I used this morning’s run as a benchmark, comparing the Garmin numbers to Gmaps. Both came out exactly the same: 2.16 miles. I was hoping the Garmin was off which would explain why I felt I worked so hard yesterday and only managed a 9:18 pace. I guess I need to work a little more on speed. The hills didn’t help but I can’t blame them. What goes up one also comes down and it probably evened out in the end..
Keeping up with the older crowd
Today’s workout: Central Park run (scheduled)
Yesterday was a busy work day but I’ll admit to occasionally checking updates on the Boston Marathon during the race. An amazing record breaking run for Robert Cheruiyot and two Americans finishing in the men’s top five. Later I looked at the searchable results to get a sense of the paces that people were maintaining over 26.2 miles. It’s a given that the elites can run 5 minute miles all day but I was surprised to see how many “regular” people were hitting paces that I can’t manage at a fraction of the distance. I looked at my own category and saw that age is no excuse for slowness. Seeing what my contemporaries did was in equal parts inspiring and intimidating. Then again, a couple of weeks ago, a 73 year old man beat my 5K finish time by 37 seconds.
I’m heading out at lunch to run with a friend who has a few years on me but can outrun me any day of the week. We’re going to Central Park to run about 4 or 5 miles. Temperatures will be in the low 60’s with sun. I’m hoping I can keep up and I’m glad I’ve made progress on the hills because there will be a number of them. My friend has been plagued with a foot problem and he claims that will force him to hold back a little. I’ve heard that one before!
Emerging Runner 