For the record

On June 24, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I’m thinking of challenging my distance record today, going for 7 miles which would be .37 miles longer than I’ve ever run at one time. In order to do this within my neighborhood I’ll either need to spread over to neighborhood #3 or figure out a way of covering that distance within the more contiguous areas of my neighborhood or the adjacent neighborhood #2. It’s interesting to note that since I’ve been running distances in the five and six mile range I’ve had trouble finding routes that don’t repeat. Crossing into the 3rd neighborhood would make that a no brainer because, in terms of area, the neighborhood is as large as mine. The gating factor is getting to neighborhood #3 would involve a road that has fast moving traffic. There is a traffic light but still it worries me that drivers are paying enough attention in an area where they don’t expect foot traffic. There are a number of other close but unexplored areas where I could run but they are separated by roads that also have no provision for foot traffic. I do have the option of running the bike trail at Bethpage State Park where I can run over a dozen miles out and then back.

I decided this morning to forgo an early day’s run in order to give my legs a little recovery time. Since Friday afternoon I’ve run over 22 miles and although I feel great, that’s almost 40% more daily distance than I usually run. Another LI runner who I interact with often on the Runners World Loop noted that yesterday’s pre-run icing was inadvisable because that works against flexibility and can hurt my performance. I still have a lot to learn. I’ve just done some light stretching today and I’ll likely go out before dinner to challenge my record.

Adventure Girl is running the 15 mile Shawangunk Solstice run tonight at 6:30 in New Paltz. I’ve seen pictures (see above) and it looks beautiful. I hope she has good weather, as do I, for my planned late afternoon run. It’s been cloudy and rainy on and off today. Come to think of it that’s pretty much perfect running weather.

Me and my running shoes

On June 23, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

To many, gear is gear. A pair of running shoes is merely a tool to faciliate the run. In some cases running shoes are a necessary evil, especially for those who would prefer to run barefoot but don’t do that for practical reasons. I love running, that’s pretty obvious to anyone who reads this blog. But it’s not just running that I love, it’s all the cool things that come with that: new technologies to enhance the experience and the other gear that you need to maximize performance and comfort.

When I first started running I was relatively indifferent to shoes. I had no idea what was important when I went to Foot Locker for my first pair of running shoes. These would actually be my second pair, having bought some in the early 90’s during my earlier running days. I put myself into the hands of the saleswoman who admitted that she didn’t run but said that she fits runners all the time and knows what works for most. I don’t recall every shoe I tried on that day but the Nike Turbulence 13’s that she recommended fitted me the best. I had a great 500+ miles on those shoes but in the end. after inspection, I’d wondered whether their neutral nature played into the upper leg pain I had experienced near the end.

Including those Nikes, I’ve bought a total of four pairs of shoes since my return to running last summer. I bought a pair of Nike Kutu trail shoes that were inexpensive but never felt right. My last run in them was so negative that I immediately put them away for donation. I replaced those with a pair of New Balance 460 trail shoes. I haven’t liked the high-end NB shoes I’ve tried in stores but these 460’s are great. They were inexpensive but they’re solid performers with a good feel and nice response on both street and trail. No Gor-Tex or fancy features but they do the job well. I bought my Brooks Adrenalin GTS-9’s the day after my 5K in May. These are good shoes, not as responsive as the Nike 13’s they replaced but their stability properties have helped my upper leg problems. I’m not sure I’ll get the same shoes next time but I’m pleased so far.

The last pair I bought were Asic Gel-1130’s that I tried for the first time this morning. These are a few rungs down from Asic’s top line but they are far from low end. The fit is nice – more comfort than the Brooks but only by a little. I set out to do a mid length run this morning after icing both quadriceps and I ended up covering 5.13 miles at a 9:19 pace. I thought I might have run a little faster than that but the Garmin doesn’t lie (when calibrated correctly). The Asics felt really good and responsive and compared well against the Brooks. I’s say the Brooks are probably better overall in terms of feel but not by that much. I will enjoy having the 1130’s in the office, ready to take on whatever the streets of New York City can offer.

A new definition of work shoes

On June 22, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I took advantage of being on vacation and set out for my daily run a little after 9:00 AM this morning. I’d considered taking a rest day or using the elliptical as I usually do on Mondays but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to run outdoors. Since Friday’s 6 mile run I’d run 3.1 miles on Saturday and another 3.7 on Sunday. I set out without any planned course or distance and settled into a comfortable pace for the first half mile thinking I’d speed up once I warmed up a bit. I reached the point where I usually turn left into the core neighborhood but I decided today to turn right over to Jericho Turnpike and ran west along the wide sidewalk. I’ve done this route a couple of times but from the opposite direction (uphill) so traveling this way was a lot easier. I actually felt so guilty for following such an easy path that I cut back into the neighborhood a third of the way in to find some more challenging terrain.

There were many people outside, mostly walkers, and I saw a couple of moms strolling with their middle school age daughters who would be graduating this afternoon. I purposely avoided the distance and pace readouts on my Garmin because I’d decided to run based only upon time. In all I covered 4.13 miles in about 38 minutes for a grand total of 17 miles over the last four days.

Later in the day my wife and I went out to do a few errands and we stopped into Marshalls along the way. Just for fun I looked at athletic shoes and didn’t expect to see much but I tried on a pair of Salomon Tech Amphibian water shoes that looked interesting. The price was right but they didn’t feel that good so I took a pass. The rest of the shoes were basically the same models you’ll typically see at department stores – low end models of good brands. I was about to give up until I saw a pair of Asic Gel-1130’s for under $40. I tried them on and liked the fit so I decided to buy them to keep in my office for both planned and spontaneous runs in the city. I may not have chosen the bright green trim if I had another choice but my daughter pronounced it a cool looking shoe.

I’m going to try the 1130’s tomorrow. I’m curious to see how they stack up against the Brooks GTS 9’s at almost three times the price. New running shoes, what could be better than that?

Father’s Day recovery run

On June 21, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

This weekend has been busy between my daughter’s birthday celebrations and Father’s Day activities. I’m very happy to have found enough time to run on both days. Yesterday morning I got out a little later than normal and I paid for it with the hot sun and the humidity. The 6 mile run on Friday definitely fatigued me and I slogged my way through a 5K distance at a moderate pace and I wondered at the end whether I should have taken a rest day instead. I guess it makes sense that it would be tough going because I was covering 9 miles in a 16 hour span between Friday and Saturday.

There isn’t much to say about that run except to say that I never really felt in synch with my form and pace and I was frustrated that three miles on a mostly flat course seemed harder than 6 the hard way. This morning was a much better experience although at the starting point I had some soreness in my right quadricep and groin area. I did some warm-ups (see the latest Running Gone Wild post for some examples) and that got me on my way. I started slowly to minimize any damage from the injury and hoped that the pain would dissipate with running. I cut over to neighborhood #2 and did a couple of miles crisscrossing those roads. I encountered another runner twice during that time and we remarked as we passed how nice the weather was for running. It truly was, cool and cloudy, just the way I like it.

I ended up covering 3.7 miles at around 9:10 which was fine considering my slow start. I would have run longer but I had an 11 year old at home waiting to celebrate her birthday and some things come first. Took the QStarz Sports Recorder with me and it dutifully recorded my run. One negative was that when I downloaded the data it showed a large margin of error in terms of route run versus route recorded. The QStarz seemed to cut corners, showing sharp vectors around corners rather than the actual rounding that I’d done. That probably accounts for the fact that QStarz recorded 3.3 miles when the run was actually 3.7. Too bad because the unit has a lot of capabilities but its limitations are problematic.

I’m happy to have covered over 12 miles between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning and that my first and last runs were very enjoyable. I’m hoping to do some long runs this coming week. Can’t wait.

SSD: Short slow distance

On June 16, 2009 By Emerging Runner1 Comment

So much of running involves training: intervals, tempo runs, hill work and other exercises that can make you a better runner. Doing these things will help make you run faster and be more competitive and the harder you work (within reason) the better level of fitness you will attain.

I appreciate all that and while my dedication to hard workouts falls short of many I will step it up for a race. In the meantime I’m discovering that recreational running is equally important in terms of self motivation. What’s the difference between recreational running and training? For one thing, when running for fun the only reason I check my Garmin is to monitor the time I’ve been out on the road. I purposely avoid toggling the controls to look at pace, distance or heart rate. In these cases it’s often a surprise at the end to see how far and how fast I ran. Most of the time I’ll see that I’d run slower than I thought. Still, it’s okay because I enjoyed the experience.

After about 10 months of dedicated running I am now able to run for fun. My starting struggles from months past have largely disappeared and I have enough stamina to go some miles before the suffering starts. This morning I awoke with a lot on my mind. I have some stress weighing on me right now. I have tremendous support from my family and that helps a lot. As I prepared to go outside for a run I thought about what I wanted to do in terms of distance and speed. I thought that by running hard I might clear my head of some stress. When I got outside and started to run I noted that my right leg was still hurting and I moderated my pace to minimize strain. I took it easy hoping that once I’d warmed up the pain would go away. The conditions outside were perfect, both cool and dry. My energy level was high and the neighborhood was quiet and peaceful. Although my leg felt better a few minutes into the run I decided to maintain a comfortable pace and just enjoy the ride.

When I got home I saw that I’d covered 2.1 miles at about a 9:40 pace. I’m sure my slow start contributed to that. But it didn’t matter at all. I felt great and was ready to face a tough day. Running short slow distance served me well today.

Going for distance

On June 15, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

After covering almost 15 miles since Friday afternoon I decided to skip my usual Monday elliptical workout and give myself a rest this morning. Between Friday and this Sunday I ran a total of 15 miles, the longest distance I’ve run within that time period. I’ve definitely increased my weekly mileage in the last couple of months but I’m still averaging about 2.75 miles per day. I try to do a couple of longer runs (right now defined as 3 miles or more) on the weekends and my weekday schedule limits my morning workouts to less than 25 minutes. I typically average around 2 miles for those runs.

I’m getting better at running longer distances but the work week doesn’t provide too much opportunity for that. Through city running I’ve been able to incorporate a longer weekday run into my schedule so between that, a rest day and my elliptical workouts I only have two “short run” days. I would be interested in expanding those two milers into three milers but I refuse to get up any earlier than 4:00 AM to do that. The only other way to do it is to run a lot faster!

In terms of distance I’m looking ahead to October when I hope to compete in the Cape Cod Marathon in Falmouth , MA. I’m in no way capable of running a marathon or even a half but they offer a five segment relay and I can probably handle 11 miles when it’s broken up in some way. I have a friend who runs marathons (he did Boston in April) who could possibly join me. AG is game to run some longer routes and she has other friends that are likely to compete. It’s supposed to be a beautiful course. More to come on that.

I’m happy with my decision to forgo exercise today. I don’t want to over-train and I’m expecting to do another Friday through Sunday long distance span. Tomorrow I plan to hit the road at 4:00, headlamp on.

11K is my Sunday best

On June 14, 2009 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

I had high hopes for a 6+ mile run on Saturday but I only had time for 3.8 miles. Still, that meant at least 8 miles covered between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. AG told me she did 7.5 miles on Saturday and that inspired me to try for at least six today. My prior distance record was 5.95 miles, a point of frustration for me because I ran that with a poorly calibrated Garmin and I thought I had exceeded 6 miles on that run. I set off today armed with both the QStarz Sports Recorder and my Garmin 50 with a goal of running more than six miles.

After the first few minutes of slight pain from my right leg I felt good and I had plenty of energy for a long run. I made my way to neighborhood #2 to build some miles, and exited at the 3 mile mark as I made my way along the southern service road. I copied part of my route from Saturday but in an expanded loop and ran along the busy road that frames the western side of my neighborhood and meets Jericho Turnpike that parallels the north side. I intended to exit into my neighborhood at the same place as I did yesterday but as I crested the hill I turned in sooner so I could run some less traveled side roads and accumulate more distance. I was pleased when I reached 5 miles because I knew that it would be at least one more mile until I reached home. I had a fleeting thought about running 7 miles but I thought that would be a fun milestone to break in the future. As I came around toward the middle school I saw that I had gone over a half mile past 6 and I followed a path that I know is exactly .25 miles from my driveway. As I ran by that point I noted my distance so I could benchmark the accuracy of the Garmin on this run. I still had plenty of energy when I reached my house and noted that I had covered exactly .25 miles from my marked spot so I had confidence in what the Garmin was reporting.

As I reviewed the run on the watch display I saw that I covered 6.62 miles (11K) at a pace of 9:12. I was very pleased by that. I did not look at pace data once through my run though I did think about moving along a little faster from time to time. I know I could have run a little faster at the end though I’m not confident I could have broken 9:00. Maybe. Overall it was a great run and I’m icing my quadricep with the Moji that is really a nice thing to have. My data from the QStarz was a little wacky, the GPS was confused at the beginning of the run so the distance didn’t match. The additional data, like elevation is really nice to have. The Imperial measurement and the bias toward kilometers instead of miles is annoying because the interface doesn’t give you good tools to modify these things. The exported XML file uses kilometers so while its great to see your speed every 30 seconds or so on the map you have to translate it yourself into miles.

AG and I are planning on a 6.2 mile run next Friday so I’m glad I got this one under my belt. A new distance record for the Emerging Runner. I’m halfway to a half marathon!

Faced the past, had a blast

On June 13, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Yesterday me and AG did our usual end of the week run in Central Park. We returned to the Bridle trail in Central Park that we ran a few months ago. That previous run was difficult for me. I wore a non-breathable rain jacket and between the heat from that plus the very giving mud-caked trail I had a hard time with pace and distance. Much has improved since then, the weather was cooperative but very warm and the trail was in much better shape than before. We ran the trail and circled the reservoir for a total distance of 4.6 miles (per Garmin) and 4.2 miles (per Central Park map). It was a great run. We didn’t push ourselves and while our pace was moderate we had quite the workout. I was also able to carry on a conversation with a minimum of huffing and puffing. That may have had more to do with our pace than my fitness but I’ll take it. Near the end AG decided to step up her pace and I watched her take off at a speed I could not match. I did try to keep her in my sight and though she finished well ahead I didn’t embarrass myself.

This morning I switched my plans for a Bethpage run because the US Open has taken over that location. I was pressed for time so I did a 3.8 mile run in my neighborhood. I took a different route than normal and followed the western and northern boundaries of the neighborhood running parallel to a couple of major roads. The northern section has a decent hill that gave me pause but turned out to be much easier than I’d anticipated. I tested the QStarz sports recorder for the first time and was knocked out by the rich amount of information that it provided (click on the above picture to see an example of how it interfaces with Google Earth). I’m going to live with it for a couple of weeks and then post a full review on Runner’s Tech Review. I’ll use it again tomorrow when I hope to cover at least 5 miles.

Mid year goals check

On June 8, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

After yesterday’s race I started thinking about my progress this year and how I have done against my running goals. In business it is common to set goals early in the year that become irrelevant by years end. Sometimes new objectives surface months later. In terms of running I’m pleased that the goals I set in late December remain valid. I suppose I could add a couple related to specific conditioning needs but those are really on the tactical side. Here’s my mid year report card:

1. Participate in at least four local races.

As of yesterday I am 3/4 through this goal. I’m hoping to participate in a Summer Series run in July and I have targeted a few fall races including a local Thanksgiving race in my town.

Score: Ahead of pace

I have run 6 miles (actually, due to a Garmin calibration error it was 5.95 miles) but I haven’t made 6.2. I was going to run the Great Cow Harbor 10K later this year but I have a schedule conflict. After yesterday I realize I’m not ready to be competitive at that distance so I’ll likely hit that goal this month in a training run.

Score: On track

3. Run three miles under 8:40/mile.

I ran the LI Marathon 5K at 8:33 and have beaten 8:40 a few times on longer runs since then.

Score: Completed

4. Incorporate one rest day into my weekly training schedule.

I didn’t take too many rest days until my first race in April when I forced myself to take a couple before that event. I’ve been taking them most weeks since then and I’ve also incorporated a light elliptical workout once a week.

Score: On track

The only goal I would add for 2009 is to run at least 20 miles per week. I’ve averaged 19.2 miles since the beginning of May so this is possible. I plan to do more outdoor early morning runs which will push my daily average higher than I’ve been attaining on the treadmill.

A penultimate pre race run

On June 3, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I took the day off today and sneaked in a longer than normal week day run. I’m in taper mode and wanted to get one more 3+ mile run under my belt before Sunday’s 8K. Like other times when I’ve run during the work week morning I was cautious about sharing the road with cars and school buses and I stayed on the sidewalks more than I normally do. Sidewalk running has its own risks, especially when you encounter buckled or broken sections. But compared to a steady stream of cars making their way to the local school and landscaper’s trucks maneuvering through the streets it’s a better way to go.

I gave myself a quarter mile to work out the leg stiffness that remains on my right side and then focused on keeping my pace steady and brisk. I felt good and the weather was cooperative so I expected that I’d end up pacing below 9:00 minutes overall. I was a little time pressed and needed to return home within 35 minutes of departure so I knew I’d probably run less than 4 miles. I purposely kept the Garmin in time mode rather than pace or distance. I wanted to see how I would run if I concentrated on speed without knowing how much distance I’d covered or what speed I was running. As I came upon the last segment of my route I tried to run faster, lengthening my stride and quickening my cadence. I finished and saw that I’d covered 3.6 miles at 8:54/mile. I was happy that I broke 9:00 but I’m still wondering why I’m not in the 8:30 range at this point. Oh well, I plan one more run on Friday and perhaps I can again push the speed and get ready for a faster pace on Sunday.

I will soon announce a new section/site related to the Emerging Runner that focuses on running technology: Runner’s Tech Review. The first review will cover the Moji knee icing wrap which I am wearing as I write this. AG field tested it with her team during her recent Patch Sprint mountain race. I am also starting to work with the QStarz GPS Sports Recorder and will report on that soon.

Stay tuned for lots of new stuff on emergingrunner.com including “Running Gone Wild” and, every week, “Sedentary Man.”