Anticipating the weather

On September 23, 2009 By Emerging Runner1 Comment

Every morning when I go out to run I anticipate the weather. As the garage door pulls itself up to reveal the morning conditions I brace for what I’ll see. This morning I saw that the driveway was spotted with rain and the air felt extremely humid. The past two weeks have been cool in the early hours and I’ve enjoyed that. I even needed two layers during a run last week. I set out with no particular route in mind, hoping that the rain had passed for good.

Around ten minutes into my run I began to feel some drops. I laughed about the fact that the rain always seems to come when I’m at the farthest point from home. I didn’t really care as long as it stayed at a drizzle. Anything more and I begin to worry about my watch and my phone. Plus I don’t like to get my shoes wet. I mentioned yesterday that my headlamp didn’t throw enough light to illuminate my path when I’m running in total darkness. I stand corrected, all it took was a quick on-the-fly angle adjustment to solve that issue.

I ended up covering 2.5 miles at 9:08 and considering how slowly I started it turned out to be a decent pace. Worrying about beating the rain can definitely motivate you to hustle. It never really rained during my run so my luck held once again. I’m anticipating the day my garage door opens to reveal a layer of freshly fallen snow. Treadmill or trail shoes? What would you do?

False start for my LIRRC 4 mile race

On September 13, 2009 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

I’ve had some frustrations this weekend starting yesterday when my iPhone, once again, went completely dead. I have the worst luck with Apple products (my iMac has a history of abruptly shutting down with no warning, my first iPhone 3GS arrived D.O.A. from the factory and my
current iPhone has failed twice). I’ve concluded that Apple just makes poorly designed hardware. It’s hard to rely on the iPhone as a business tool when it is so unreliable. I really wish RIM made iPhones (I guess the Blackberry Storm is their equivalent – so no thanks). I traded in my third Blackberry for my company issued iPhone and went from fantastic phone service (Verizon) and reliable hardware to a quirky device with poor integration to email and calendar, a poor texting interface and shoddy construction. Of course the other capabilities that come with the iPhone make up for most of the aggravation. But today I’m ready to throw it out a window.

Compounding my frustration was my race day experience this morning. I didn’t race today because I had too much trouble finding the race. I’m sure that the LIRRC is a fine organization and it is dedicated to the sport and its constituents. I’ve been frustrated with the LIRRC website
because it doesn’t have a lot of the information that I look for when I’m considering a race (e.g., details about the individual races, course maps). What the site lacked today was anything to tell race participants that the directions to the race were wrong because the 2009 Trek Women Triathlon Series event was going on and access to the race was blocked all over the park. Despite multiple attempts to get to the Main Field House I kept running into Park police who were blocking off traffic from every direction. We arrived early enough to absorb the first setback
when my wife dropped me off where we thought the race would start, only for me to discover that it was the triathlon area. The triathlon seemed like a great event. As I looked for someone who could tell me where the LIRRC race was being held I found myself getting screamed at for walking on the running course. I didn’t understand why there wasn’t a single sign showing where to go for my race.

We eventually set off for a different part of the park and encountered another big road block. I asked a Park police officer how I could get tothe location and she said I couldn’t, not by car. We ended up parking far away and started to walk over but by then time was running out and I
decided it wasn’t worth the aggravation. I ended up heading home and running at a local park. I extended my run into neighborhood #4 and into the adjacent industrial park. In all I ran 3.66 miles, not the four miles I would have covered had I raced and I averaged 9:00/mile overall.
It wasn’t my best run and the humidity and sun were in full force. I’m very disappointed with the LIRRC for its lack of communication and signage but I’m sure most people found their way and ran today despite the obstacles. I’m still considering the LIRRC 5K that’s scheduled two Sundays from now. However, if there are any other local races in September I’ll choose them instead. Fool me once…

A PDR for TER

On September 7, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I had read that performance is often tied to attitude and I wondered if there was any correlation between my mental state and some disappointing runs I’ve had over the past three days. Friday was a tough run, mostly due to my physical state. I’m not sure what was affecting me but I was tired and I struggled to cover the 3.9 miles I did in Central Park. The Central Park run should have been a great experience with my side trip through the Rambles but I didn’t really enjoy it and it felt a lot like work. Saturday’s neighborhood run was really just maintenance and I clocked 5K with little in reserve by the time I got back home. I tried to break the streak yesterday with a run at Stillwell Woods. Trail running has become a passion and I anticipated the experience but I lacked strength and feared the hills instead of embracing them. I ended up covering 3 miles but it felt unsatisfying. Later that day my daughter and I ran 1.25 miles and that felt great and I realized that much of the reason was that she was by my side. My head was in the right place for running for the first time all weekend.

This morning I woke up feeling great. Perhaps it was a good night’s sleep or the cool temperature and low humidity but I set out on my run this morning with the right attitude. I didn’t plan my route except for the beginning section that I call neighborhood #4, a departure from my usual course that would provide a good distraction. I’m a bit fed up with the GPS apps on my iPhone so instead I relied solely on my Garmin to track distance and used Pandora on the iPhone for music.

At about the 20 minute mark I realized that I still felt very strong with more energy than I had at the beginning of my last three runs. After covering that initial neighborhood I did a loop around my own, covering the south, west and northern roads until I passed the five mile mark. It was at that point that I realized I could probably do 6 miles for the first time since the Dirty Sock 10K. Once I reached that point I decided to go for a personal distance record which, for me, was 6.62 miles. I re-routed my direction to get another mile between me and home and ended up covering 7.4 miles @ 9:31 (by Garmin) or 7.58 miles @ 9:18 (by Gmaps). Either way it was a personal distance record for the Emerging Runner. Better still, it was validation that my training was going in the right direction and that my conditioning was where I wanted it to be. I guess all it took was a good attitude.

For the love of Sudafed

On September 5, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Things were looking up for running over the long weekend. I anticipated a long city run on Friday to start things off followed by some trail runs on Saturday and Sunday. My plan was to get into the office yesterday and run 4-5 miles in the Park before the workday. The day before a holiday weekend is usually quiet and I thought it would be an easy morning and an early escape home to greet our weekend guests who would be arriving mid afternoon. I felt very tired on the commute into the city and by the time I got in my head was pounding and I feared the worst – Swine Flu or some other debilitating affliction. As I waited to feel better my window of opportunity slipped by and I needed to focus on what turned out to be an unusually busy morning. By noon I felt plain awful and figured that a run might be the only thing left that could help the way I felt. I changed into my running gear and headed up to Central Park to put in a few miles.

My plan was to follow the lower loop and stay straight to the upper loop, cut across the Great Lawn and head back south. Soon after I crossed over I found myself following some of the inside paths and eventually found myself in the “Ramble”, a 36 acre section of the park that consists of paths and trails with stone bridges and great views of lakes and streams. I was working hard to get through my route and although the scenery was magnificent I was growing exhausted. I found my way back to the main route and continued back to my starting point after covering 3.9 miles. By this point I was feeling weak and my headache, while duller than at the start, remained. By the time I got home I was ready to crawl into bed for the evening but I needed to be present for our guests. I did lie down for 30 minutes and that helped quite a bit.

After a difficult night’s sleep I awoke with a splitting headache that I attacked with Ibuprophin and strong coffee to no avail. I had decided that the trail run I’d planned to do before everyone got up for the day was going to have to be postponed. I then took a Sudafed decongestant and 30 minutes later I began to feel like my old self, good enough to try a neighborhood run. The air was relatively cool at 9:30 in the morning when I went out and although I still felt a little weak I decided that I’d do at least three miles. I followed the roads that bordered my neighborhood to the north and west and cut into the internal streets to complete my route. I launched MotionX GPS on my iPhone at the start to track the run but it wouldn’t acquire a signal. I switched to AllSport that also had trouble finding a signal but I hit the ‘go’ button knowing it would eventually begin recording. I also used the Garmin which gave me my accurate distance: 3.14 miles.

So although I’m not feeling my best and didn’t get to the trails I’m glad that I’ve covered 7+ miles since yesterday. If I still feel better tomorrow I’ll head over to Stillwell and get in some hill work. Next time I’ll take that Sudafed a lot sooner.

Close encounters at 4 AM

On September 3, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I was not surprised but still delighted by the cool temperature as I stepped outside this morning for my run. I skipped both running and posting yesterday due to my feeling a bit run down and also due to having an incredibly busy work schedule that cut into my morning commute. That’s when I write most of my posts. As I took off for my run I noticed that I was still feeling a bit sluggish and was glad I’d skipped yesterday’s workout. I struggled a bit for the first half mile but then seemed to regulate to normal. As I covered the neighborhood, quiet but for the spitting of sprinkler systems and free of other people, I actually felt like I owned the neighborhood as I ran through it. My personal playground at 4:15 AM.

I had two surprises this morning during my run. The first was an unexpected encounter with a sprinkler that came on suddenly as I rounded a corner. It hit me full on between my neck and legs. A few weeks ago, aside from the disruptive surprise, I would have welcomed being dowsed by cold water during a sweltering run. This morning it was not too fun because the air was cold and the water was colder. All the same I carried on and headed for home. As I made my way towards the middle school I thought I heard something and I came around the corner to see another runner heading in my direction. Unlike me, this runner was without a headlamp or any reflective gear. He (I think it was a he) had on a big gray hooded sweatshirt and his running motion was odd, sort of between running and run-walking. We passed within a few feet of each other and I gave a wave but he (it) didn’t return it. Maybe I scared him with my bright LED headlamp.

I ended up once again with a mid 9:00 pace after covering 2.3 miles. Considering the way I felt at the start and the fact that I built strength through the run I was fine with that performance. I was very surprised to see another runner on the road, a first. I guess it’s nice to have company but I’d prefer the notion that I own the streets between 4:00 and 4:30.

A run most perfect

On August 29, 2009 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

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My plans to run in Stillwell Woods this morning were changed in deference to weather. I had hoped to run the trails with my nephew, a member of the local high school track team who trains there regularly. It had rained a lot overnight and we were concerned about the muddy conditions, especially at Stillwell, where the going is tough even when it’s dry. Instead we headed out for a road run where we ducked into neighborhood #2 for a few miles before exiting back into the main roads nearer to home to complete our circuit.
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We started off in light drizzle and maintained a steady (if modest) pace of 9:30 per mile over 4.3 miles. With the humidity as high as it was that was a smart decision. My nephew was a good sport about keeping my pace although, like AG, his natural pace is faster than mine. What was nice about this morning was that we were both comfortable running and talking throughout the course and that’s what made it such a great experience. He shared a lot of information about the way the track team trains and we talked a lot about my favorite related subjects: running shoes, gear and nutrition. About ten minutes into the run I noticed that my foot pod had not paired with my Garmin so it wasn’t capturing pace or distance but at least it was capturing timing and that’s how we were able to calculate pace, after mapping our route on Google Earth.
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We returned just as my wife and kids were coming back from the local bagel store with plenty of recovery carbs and protein in tow. It was a very satisfying and relaxing run and I’m looking forward to many more runs with my nephew. I think I’ve convinced him to participate with me in the Bridie Goldstein Run for Children 5K that takes place in November. In the meantime we’ll attack the hills at Stillwell and the trails at Bethpage State Park. As much as I enjoy the escape and peace that comes with solo running it’s really nice to run with others. The conversation and the sense of mutual purpose is gratifying. While I’m still not convinced that I want to join a running club I certainly look forward to my next runs with AG, DaveADK, my nephew, my kids and a few select others. One of these days I’ll get to those intervals to work on my speed. In the meantime I’ll enjoy the experience of recreational running.

Post 302

On August 27, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I let an important milestone slip past me on Tuesday by not acknowledging it as the 300th post on emergingrunner.com. since I started the blog on November 18, 2008. At the point I began to write about my running experiences I was about three months into a return to daily activity and about a month into my transition from primarily walking to primarily running. In my first post I said “Actually I’m not much of a runner at this point but I want to be much better.” I’m not really sure what that meant but at that time I was running 11 minute paces and covering distances between one and three miles. I have definitely improved on both pace and distance but over the months my progress has become asymptotic with little difference in average pace from month to month. Distance has continued to grow largely due to a greater focus on outdoor runs including a switch from early morning treadmill workouts to headlamp lit 4:00 AM neighborhood excursions.Also contributing to this has been more frequent trips to the local trails. I’ve found that trail running enables longer distances for me, probably because the landscape is ever changing and keeps me from benchmarking distance as easily as on the street.

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This morning’s run was a perfect vacation workout, about 5.25 miles under overcast skies with relatively low humidity around the neighborhoods. I’m stuck in rut in terms of pace – mid 9:00 today – and I’m thinking of going over to the track tomorrow to do some speed work. I had thought about going for a personal distance record, my next goal is 7+ miles, and I could probably have reached that today had I felt like running another 15 minutes. I was conscious of being back home in time for our morning vacation schedule but I was pleased that I felt more energized today compared with yesterday’s sluggish trail experience. I plan to look back at some early posts to see what my challenges were back then and whether any of them still remain. I’ve pretty much figured out through conversations with long time runners, and now through my own experiences, that emerging as a runner is a lifelong aspiration.

AllSport GPS thinks I’m a slacker

On August 20, 2009 By Emerging Runner1 Comment

I’m in taper mode as I move closer to Sunday’s race and I’m also experiencing some discomfort with the outside toes on both feet. I decided that I would get a run in today but take it easier than I normally would. I brought along my iPhone and selected the AllSport GPS app to track my run and took the Garmin 50 along as well. I now have five GPS apps on the iPhone: Allsport and MotionX (paid apps) plus iMapMyRun, Run Keeper Free and RunGypsy (free apps) and they all capture data about run speed and distance. What separates these apps is what else they track and how they report data. The free apps generally give you pace and distance information and some rudimentary resources to store that data. The paid apps have lots of features, MotionX really provides a lot of utilities for the running experience including compass, mapping and music integration. AllSport generates an excellent report that shows many metrics including elevation (as does MotionX) and both paid apps export KMZ and GPX files that overlay on Google Earth.

The thing that these apps all have in common (though I have not yet tried RunGypsy) is a dependence on the iPhone’s GPS service which has proven lacking. Each time I have captured a run with one of these apps I’ve seen differences between what’s reported and what was actually run. My baseline is Google Earth where I can trace my route to the inch and compare it to the route created by the GPS apps. This morning I verified on Google that I covered 2.15 miles and the Garmin confirmed that. The AllSport app reported that I ran 1.98 miles and I can understand why after reviewing the route it displayed. There seemed to be some weak links from the signal (that were shown as yellow lines on the map) and the lines veered off the road enough to explain the shorter distance. What puzzles me is AllSport’s insistence that I rested for 7:17 of my run.

Now I know I wasn’t pushing too hard today (my actual pace was 9:39) but I don’t recall resting during the run. It’s not clear if that was a result of a weak signal or if AllSport was judging me for not picking up the pace (yes, I’m kidding). I sent them a note asking about it and I expect that I’ll hear back. To their credit they’ve been good about responding to my questions. I like this app a lot but I want to rely on it and at this point I don’t think I can. I’ll try to use it on Sunday so I can capture the route but I’ll have my Garmin 50 along to keep things honest.

Cool running

On August 6, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Unlike the last couple of days, the temperature outside at 4:00 AM this morning was cool and the humidity was minimal. I almost decided to take today as a rest day but I’m planning a long trail run on Saturday and wanted to use Friday for rest instead. I decided to go simple this morning and leave the iPhone behind. My experiences with the GPS apps have been disappointing and while I’ll continue to use them I didn’t see a need today.

Equipped solely with my Garmin 50, I made my way out to the neighborhood. Over the past few months I’ve become impatient with my progress while running, feeling like I’d covered some real distance only to see elapsed time of 7:55 on my watch. You’d think it would indicate that I was running a fast pace but you’d be wrong. I think the issue is simply that I’m outgrowing my neighborhood and the familiarity of the route distorts my sense of distance. Or something like that. I returned home wishing I had another 15 minutes to run so I could extend the enjoyment of the experience. I was feeling fine, the air was still cool and there was a nice tang of ocean breeze in the air. Unfortunately I had run out of time and needed to make my way back upstairs to prepare for the work day. This was the first time I’d ever strung together three consecutive 4:00 AM runs during the week and I was pleased to have done that. I can only hope that I do as well on the trails this weekend.

Expectations for my 10K trail race

On August 3, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I’m three weeks away from my first 10K and I’m having some anxiety about how well I’ll perform. I’ve run 6.2 miles and longer in recent months but that isn’t a regular distance for me. Lately my runs have been shorter owing to weather (hot, sunny, humid), available time and tough trail conditions. My Friday city run was exhausting and not quite five miles. I’ll admit that I sabotaged myself by running on an empty stomach and ran out of energy near the end. Perhaps with more nourishment I would have been able to go all the way to South Ferry as originally planned but I’ll never know. Saturday was a relatively fast run over 3.8 miles so I understand I traded distance for pace. Yesterday’s four mile run in the heat and humidity had similar conditions to Friday’s, the difference being I had a carb-rich breakfast an hour before I ran so I couldn’t blame a lack of food on my performance.

The heat seems to affect me more than any other factor and the Dirty Sock 10K is due to start at 8:00 AM rain or shine. The combination of a a fairly early morning start, trail conditions that promise to be easier than Stillwell Woods ands the shade provided by the trees may just give me the boost I need to get through this race. In the meantime I’m going to concentrate on distance, perhaps running double my morning distance tomorrow and repeating that later in the week. I’m planning to meet another 10K participant on Saturday morning to run the 10K course. That will give me some familiarity and hopefully some confidence that I can perform credibly on race day.