Where angels fear to treadmill

On February 4, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill intervals): 30 minutes

When two unpleasant things, like sodium and chloride, are combined, the resulting substance can be quite palatable (like salt). More often, combining two disagreeable things will just amplify their unpleasantness. One great example is running intervals on the treadmill.

My plan for this morning was to head out early to the local track to run 4 x 400’s and 100 meter sprints. I ended up sleeping to 6:45 AM, which set my schedule back an hour, so I changed my plans to run 200 meter intervals at the adjacent middle school. Due to circumstances, my time got too tight to do even that, so I elected to do my speed work on the treadmill.

Honestly, I don’t always find the treadmill disagreeable, but I far prefer to run outside. Intervals on the treadmill spook me because the faster the machine goes, the more concern I have for my safety. When the Sole is cranking over 8 MPH, it provides a scary display of motion and power. A 7:30 pace on the road feels very mild by comparison. The whole time I’m running fast on the treadmill my primary concern is a misstep that will cause me to fly off the machine.

Since I don’t really trust the recorded distance on the Sole’s display, I went by time for my fast running. I started off with three minutes of easy running and then hit the 8 MPH button, holding on for dear life. I’m sure there are many people, some who read this blog, that might look at 8 MPH as brisk, but not especially fast. I guess it’s all relative, because that first 3 minute cycle was a heart racing experience.

I switched between 3 minute cycles of 8 MPH (truth be told, I dialed back to 7.5 MPH after completing the second interval) separated by two minute recovery cycles. The first three recovery periods were done at 4 MPH, and the rest were at 6 MPH. I ended up running a total of 30 minutes and I stepped off the treadmill thinking:

OMG I’m exhausted
I need electrolytes
I wish I was already in the shower
I need to be ready to leave the house in 30 minutes and all I want is a nap

When I came out of the shower I was still sweating, and I knew I accomplished my goal of getting an effective speed workout completed today. I’ll go out for a very easy run tomorrow and start my taper for next Saturday’s race. Now that enough time has passed, I’m already forgetting how hard today’s workout felt. Like sodium and chloride, treadmill intervals do yield some benefits when they’re combined, but it’s hard to appreciate that at the time.

Want to take it easy? Run a little faster.

On January 18, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 25 minutes

If not for the 50 MPH winds this morning, I would have been happy to get outside for my run. It was 49 degrees (and dropping) at 4:00 AM and I was already on the treadmill. After Sunday’s full hour run on this machine, I had no problem returning for another round. I got up to speed quickly and followed my normal practice of increasing speed throughout the run, so that I would finish my run about an 8:30 pace.

A week ago Saturday I went out for a run with the intention of running slowly as a way to facilitate recovery. I feared that I’d finish feeling like the easy effort had made no impact. In reality, I had the opposite experience. Running slowly turned out to be harder than running fast.

I’ve applied that lesson in every run I’ve done since then. Perhaps the momentum of an efficient stride helps me move along better. The energy created by faster leg turnover certainly seems to fuel my effort. Of course once I’m running at threshold speed it becomes a whole lot harder. But right now, as counter-intuitive as it seems, working a little harder is making for easier running.

A superstitious run

On January 13, 2012 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (street): 2.5 miles

Ha! You don’t scare me

Happy Friday the 13th! It’s easy to laugh at superstitions but we all have them. Personally, I’m fine with it being the 13th because I’ve had some nice things happen on this date.

That said, I thought my luck had run out a few minutes into this morning’s run. Although the news station said the temperatures were in the high 40’s it felt chilly when I stepped outside. I could even see vapor when I breathed. That didn’t matter because I was dressed for cold. I set out feeling energized and stepped up the pace when I realized I could sustain a harder effort. About a half mile in, I felt some drops of rain that soon became a steady downpour. I strongly considered heading back home to finish on the treadmill.

The winds were also strong and the combination of wind, cold and rain was unpleasant. I decided to press on as long as I could see (with glasses, that can be an issue) and continued to run fairly hard. I was disappointed that the weather might interrupt what was turning out to be a strong run, but after a mile the rain reverted to a drizzle.

I was surprised by how fast I could run without feeling the lactic acid burn that I always associate with a harder effort. Some days, for no reason, a run turns out to be a slog and you do what you must to get through it. Maybe it was the luck of Friday the 13th that helped me today, but I finished as strong as I started, with my fastest overall pace in memory. So much for superstition.

Stacking the deck the wrong way

On December 28, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Karhu Fast 2 – a contributing factor

Today’s run (street): 3.4 miles

This morning’s temperature was a mild 44°, but the winds from the west made it feel much colder. I decided to run with my new Alpine Design half-zip that I hoped would block wind. I was pleased that it did, although I would have been better off had I just worn a couple of shirt layers. I was sweating profusely by the end of my run.

I’d inadvertently stacked the deck against having a good run by choosing the Karhu Fast 2 running shoes that I’d relegated to elliptical duty a while back. When I did a quick run in the Karhu’s the other day they’d felt okay, so I thought I’d give them another try.

Other factors in play were a depleted blood supply (from my doctor’s visit yesterday) and a very large, calorie-laden meal at our friends last night. This included a Guinness stout and my system isn’t used to alcohol. I’ve only had the equivalent of five beers in all of 2011.

My route was through the neighborhood and I didn’t plan to run it fast. I figured 3+ miles would be an easy workout. By mile I realized it would be difficult to get through the entire run but I was determined to do it. The wind didn’t help and I felt hot and very tired. The Karhu’s high platform made it difficult to maintain a fluid stride.

By the time I’d finished, I was surprised by my level of exhaustion. I guess if I’d thought about it I would have chosen different gear and charted an even shorter route. But good runs usually follow bad ones, so I’ll hope for better experiences throughout the week.

Pushing the pace without really trying

On December 24, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 4.3 miles

Was today’s run hard because I was tired, or because my pace was 20 seconds per mile faster than than it felt? I’m not sure, but today’s run, that I planned do do s-l-o-w-l-y, didn’t end up that way.

The temperature was in the high 20’s when I went out at 7:30 AM. I’d had a decent night’s sleep and the chilly air felt good. Yesterday’s long elliptical session had me thinking about a recovery run today. I usually dislike the first couple of minutes of every run, until my aerobic breathing kicks in, but this morning I had no such issues.

Since I had no time constraints, I followed a different route than normal that had slightly more uphill roads than usual. My stride felt fluid though my legs felt a little heavy. I planned to cover about five miles but I began to feel a little fatigued after covering just a couple. I thought, perhaps, that the full week of workouts, plus last weekend’s race, were catching up to me.

I modified my course and headed back towards home after passing three miles. I picked up my pace as I got closer to the end and reached my driveway after covering 4.3 (Gmaps verified) miles. I must have run harder than I realized to attain a pace in the low 9:00 range, but it probably contributed to my lagging energy.

We have a family get-together later today, and I plan to go out for an early run tomorrow. Christmas morning is a great time to be out, since most people stay around home and the streets are clear. I don’t celebrate the holiday, but I do love the peaceful time.

Hard runs are only fun once you’re done

On December 21, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 2.7 miles

I elected to run indoors again this morning since the rains had moved in last night. I got a jump start on my morning run because I woke up six minutes early and started on the treadmill at 3:50 AM. That allowed me to get in a hard run and still have time to relax with coffee before heading to the shower.

After yesterday’s easy run with a 2% incline, I decided to push the pace today. I never re-calibrated the treadmill after replacing the console, so I don’t really trust the treadmill’s speed readout. 6.3 MPH on the machine feels more like a 9:00 mile on the road.

I started at 6 MPH and blipped the speed control every couple of minutes until I reached 7 MPH. I stayed with that throughout my 25 minute run. Easy runs feel good while you are doing them, but hard runs feel great when you finish. I chose to defer my enjoyment until after my workout and I’m glad I did. I’m hoping for some decent weather this weekend so I can get in some sorely needed distance runs.

Of treadmills and laziness

On December 20, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill – 2% incline): 25 minutes

I never thought that I’d consider myself lazy for getting up at 3:45 AM and running on the treadmill. But that’s the way I felt this morning as I followed my indoor routine. There’s no doubt that I prefer running outdoors to indoors, and ideally on trails. But the treadmill provides something that is irreplaceable at 4:00 AM — time savings.

The amount of time it takes me to prepare for an outdoor run in cold weather is almost twice that of a treadmill run. With the additional gear and waiting for my Garmin to acquire a signal, I can easily lose 10 precious minutes. Surprisingly, my unabated hatred for the treadmill has given way to a qualified respect for its versatility. I’ve come to appreciate the capability to vary speed at the touch of a button and switch elevations on command.

So maybe laziness is the wrong word to describe why I chose the treadmill today instead of an outdoor run. Maybe practicality was the reason. All the same, If there’s no rain tomorrow, I’ll be back to the streets in the morning.

What it takes

On September 8, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 2.5 miles

My favorite running quote, attributed to Marc Davis (an Olympic runner) goes “All it takes is all you got.” Looking beyond the questionable grammar, I find this quote inspiring. I don’t think it means giving all you’ve got all the time. That’s something a jet engine has to do. A person needs balance in their life and most of the time all it takes is what you need. But when you are standing at the starting line, it should be all that you’ve got. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I thought about that quote as I fired up the treadmill this morning. I’d hoped to get outside but the rain changed my mind. Since I don’t like the treadmill, I try to incorporate strategies to get me through my runs. One technique is to start slow and blip up my speed every minute until I reach a brisk pace that I maintain until the end. Other times (like yesterday) I start slow and stay that way throughout most of my run.

Today I decided that I had to give it “all I got” because Cow Harbor is two weekends away and I can’t waste conditioning time on maintenance miles. I started at around a 9:00 pace that felt far faster and thought there was no way that I could maintain that for the duration. After about eight minutes I began to feel more comfortable with the pace and I increased my speed a couple of times until I reached my targeted distance.

I ended up giving it all I’ve got today and I finished feeling, hot, soaking and spent. Exactly how I like to feel after I’ve run a race my way.

Perceived effort high plus "impossible" obstacles

On September 4, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 4 miles

More ow, than ouch!

I’ve been fortunate to avoid injuries that prevent my running, but lately I’ve experienced some painful tweaks in my knee, shin and Achilles tendon. These tweaks are mild and happily intermittent, but they make me wonder what’s behind them. I was reading an article on Runblogger (a very nice running site) about Achilles problems and, while I don’t think I have “Hagland’s structure”, I wondered if running in the Hattori’s is creating my Achilles issue. I began to think about running in a different shoe.

At the recent Dirty Sock 10K run, Paul mentioned that he trains in heavier cushioned shoes and races in lighter shoes. Right now he’s running in Saucony Mirages, a shoe I occasionally use for training and racing. The Mirage is a luxury ride compared to the Hattori’s, but it’s still low and relatively flat. I decided to dust off my Brooks GTS 10’s, a terrific shoe that I’d shelved for running due to their built-up platform.

Chicken soup for the foot

I went out purposely slow on this humid morning and intended to keep it that way. I know that an easy run should follow a hard run and yesterday’s speed work was just that. The Brooks felt really good and I cruised along for a couple of miles but picked up the pace after the second mile. By the time I reached 3.25 miles I was feeling a little fatigued. I thought about the idea of running to perceived effort versus a time goal. Over the next quarter mile I perceived plenty of effort as I approached the hilliest part of my route.

When I crested the highest section I took off fast and finished my run breathing hard and sweating heavily. I knew I’d probably pushed too hard and possibly invited further injury. My Achilles felt slightly sore and my right knee felt tender. But overall, I think I’m okay. My perceived effort certainly exceeded my performance metrics, but so what? As long as my injuries got no worse and my training advanced, I feel that I’m going in the right direction.

We’re getting close to the end of summer so, today, the Emerging Runner family held our “Impossible Obstacle Course” in the backyard. Due to the effects of hurricane Irene that landed lots of branches and leaves in the pool, we didn’t include a swimming portion. The event consisted of activities like soccer ball dribbling, basketball shooting, hockey stick bowling (don’t ask), a lacrosse throw and some running. It was a nice second workout and we all had fun. Best of all, my knee and Achilles felt fine, both during and after.

Thoughts on yesterday’s race

On August 22, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Yesterday’s race wasn’t the toughest run I’ve faced this year, but in some ways I consider it my best effort. That’s true, even with the LI Half Marathon I ran in May that was both difficult and humbling. On that race, I missed my performance target by a significant sum, but I am proud that (even with an injury) I didn’t walk a single step over its 13.1 miles. Still, I feel that yesterday’s Dirty Sock 10K represented my competitive best. There wasn’t a single moment when I backed off the throttle, even as my energy levels dropped sharply near the end.

You’d think I would have done better than I did with the effort that I put forth on Sunday. I’ll admit that I felt dismay at the hordes of people who caught up and passed me at various times during the race. I thought, “Why are they all running faster than me? How have they trained compared to me?” The answer is probably a mix of things. First, I’m no longer in my 20’s or 30’s. Second, I suspect that many participants in yesterday’s race probably train regularly at 10K-plus distances with an effort that I usually reserve only for race day.

With that, I’m pleased with the work I did on Sunday to achieve the best time I’ve ever attained in that race. Like this year’s NHP 8K, I’ve done better the third year than in any previous year. As long as I can hold the gains I feel that I’m on track with my training. It will be interesting to see how I do at the Great Cow Harbor 10K. I don’t know if I’ll improve over 2010’s time, but I know I won’t regret my effort.