Road running reunion

On March 8, 2014 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

On the road again

Today’s run (street!): 4.2 miles

Spring must finally be coming. I looked in the backyard and could actually see parts of our deck that weren’t completely covered in snow. It was 41° this morning when I prepared to run in my neighborhood for the first time since January 12. This winter’s snowfall has not been good for outdoor running. In the nine and a half weeks since New Year’s, I’ve only run outside seven times, including today.

Spring is on deck

Running indoors is mostly about fitness while outside running widens the experience to include far more stimuli. The smell of a backyard barbecue in summer or new construction on a house a few blocks over can positively distract from the rigors of the run. Not to mention the great sensory overload you can get from trail running. I was excited to be able to run outside today, but I’ll admit to being a little nervous about breaking from the comfort of my normal routine.

It was an easy transition to my neighborhood streets and I felt stronger than I expected as I came up on my first mile. Unlike many who perceive the treadmill as an easier workout than running on the road, I have the opposite view. I suspect my treadmill speed is actually faster than what is shown on the display. I fell into a comfortable pace today and every once in a while it would occur to me to add a little speed. At one point I was overtaken by another neighborhood runner, but that didn’t bother me too much.

I ended up averaging a little under ten minutes per mile. Not good compared to my normal outdoor pace, but far better than the speed I struggled to maintain when I ran with my friends at Eisenhower Park a couple of weeks ago. My cold is gone, but some chest and sinus congestion still remains.

I want to go out and do another easy run tomorrow and try to push the distance a little more. I may put that off until Monday and take advantage of having access to the high school track on Sunday. Last time I tried the track it was covered with snow. I hope today’s thaw helped to clear it. If it looks like my backyard deck I’ll head back to my local streets.

Runsketeer run in Eisenhower Park

On February 23, 2014 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Well at least I can drink coffee as fast as them

Today’s run (Eisenhower Park): 6.7 miles

It took a lot of late night planning to choose today’s running venue, but it paid off for the Runsketeers this morning. With Bethpage’s trails still “out of operation” and the Runner’s Edge Fun Run taking place on public roads, we decided to meet at Eisenhower Park. SIOR qualified for Boston and has been following a training program that required her to cover 14 miles today. She ran 7 miles around her local roads and then met me and TPP at the park to run seven more.

I’ve been dealing with the beginnings of a cold that has sapped a lot of my energy. Yesterday’s run on the treadmill was very difficult and I wasn’t confident that I could run the miles that my Runska-buddies were planning. I was also concerned about maintaining a pace that wouldn’t bore them silly. Their support got me through the distance (I hadn’t run more than five miles on pavement this year). As usual, they were extremely gracious about accommodating my pace.

I don’t know why my stamina and performance have been so poor the last couple of months. I suspect it’s due to my lack of focus and boredom from running on the treadmill. SIOR runs faster on the treadmill to get through her workout faster. I run slower so I can be more easily distracted by the TV. In less snowy times, when I’d run outside every day, it was easier for me to add speed into a run. I would also add chunks of distance by spontaneously choosing different roads to follow. I know I can easily add speed and distance when on the treadmill, but I don’t.

All around the park today

Graphic courtesy of The Petite Pacer

Our route today went all around, due to construction being done to build ice rinks in the park. I lagged behind my buddies by a few feet much of the time, but they worked to adjust their speed to keep me within talking distance. There was one point when we followed the same route that we ran on the New Year’s Hangover Run. This allowed me to rest a minute while my friends followed the end of the loop and met me on the other side. So in terms of total distance, I probably ended up covering fifth of a mile less than my running partners.

With the exception of a few parts on the path that required careful stepping (and a short walk) over icy snow, Eisenhower’s trails were fairly clear. I didn’t think I would be able to go more than four miles early on the run, but the fun of being with my little group made the distance fully manageable.

Despite another snowstorm predicted early tomorrow morning and the return to Polar Vortex temperatures, I am hopeful that this snow will soon be gone and I can get outside and resume performance-focused training. I’d like to be able to keep up better with the Runsketeers so I participate more in the conversations during the run.

The good news is that it takes no effort to sit in Starbucks and recount the experience after the run. We were all time constrained today, but we made the best of it. It was so great to see my friends and spend time doing something we all love to do. I almost ran seven miles today after weeks of treadmill 5K’s. I couldn’t have done that without the Runsketeers.

An amnesiac run

On February 5, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

I found out this morning that an industry presentation, scheduled for the 14th, has to be given tomorrow. That certainly changed my priorities for the day. Once I learned about the date change, I had every excuse to skip today’s workout. I didn’t skip the run, but it’s almost as if I did.

We got about 8 inches of snow yesterday, so an outside run was out of the question. I organized my materials and took a break at 9:00 AM to start the run. I hopped on the treadmill, set my speed, put on CNN and ran until the display showed 3.2 miles. No playing around with paces or inclines. No last quarter mile at an otherwise unsustainable speed. Just start, run and stop.

Almost as soon as I hit the shower, the run was out of my head. I must have been thinking about the work I’d need to do over the next few hours. On the whole, I guess I’d rather have running amnesia rather than suffer through half an hour of treadmill tedium. Best of all, I won’t have to give a presentation on Valentine’s Day.

The Federal Reserve workout

On January 31, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Watch your feet

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

I spent yesterday in the city and covered about 5.25 miles on foot. Most of that distance came from walking from the Financial District back to Penn. I was downtown for a meeting that included a tour of the Federal Reserve Bank, which is located on the quaintly named Maiden Lane. It was an interesting experience that I highly recommend. We got to see lots of gold bars and learned (happily not through this experience) that each bar weighs 12.4 kg and if you drop it on your foot, your foot will break. Apparently the Federal Reserve manages the nation’s monetary policy and inflation as well, but I think it’s mostly about moving gold bars on a cart between lockers.

Due to my schedule on Thursday, I wasn’t able to run, but all that walking provided a good alternative. Today was the first day in a long time where the temperature rose above 40°. Even so, the roads still have snowbanks so I elected to run again on the treadmill.

The warmer weather provided some additional humidity that I appreciated every time I reached for the remote or touched part of the treadmill during my run. Lately the cold dry air has been causing huge shocks from the built up static electricity. It can get so bad that it resets or even shuts down the treadmill’s display. Not much to report on today’s run except to say it seemed to go by faster than normal. I had a call scheduled close to my projected finish time and, as things got close, I amped up the speed to complete my targeted distance.

I’m hoping to finally get outside for a run tomorrow and perhaps take on the northern section of the Bethpage bike trail. It’s been a long time since I’ve run on pavement, but I’m sure it won’t be hard to re-adapt my stride.

I’m bound for the Brooklyn Half

On January 28, 2014 By Emerging Runner10 Comments

Got my ticket

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

I love the idea of running adventures, but nowadays I rarely venture more than a few miles from my house for a run. This is mostly due to time constraints and schedules. I’m fortunate that I live in an area that offers numerous nearby options, especially for trail running. But over the 5+ years since I’ve become a serious runner, I’ve only run two races outside of Long Island (NYC and Cape Cod, MA).

Last year was not my best in terms of racing. I only ran eight competitive events and I wasn’t particularly competitive in most of them. Unlike the prior two years, I didn’t run a half marathon, just three 5Ks, three 10Ks and a 4 mile race. Looking back, I wonder if the half marathon base training I missed last year correlated to my mediocre race times throughout the rest of 2013.

Well that won’t be an issue this year because I have registered for the NYRR Brooklyn Half. This is new ground for me and I’m really excited to participate. I tried to get into this race the first time I was ready to run a half, but I was locked out. Subsequent to that, I’ve run the uninspiring Long Island Half a couple of times. Runner’s World called the LI Marathon & Half a “Golden Oldie” that has aged well. I now have to question everything I read in that magazine.

The things that excite me about the Brooklyn Half:

1. It’s in Brooklyn.
2. I get to run past the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Grand Army Plaza.
3. I’ll finally get to run in Prospect Park.
4. Five miles of the race is a straightaway down Ocean Parkway through the heart of Brooklyn.
5. It finishes on the Coney Island boardwalk.

Both my Runsketeer buddies are running this race along with 20,000+ others. This will be the biggest race I’ve ever run and my first NYRR event. I’m also excited that I’ll have motivation to do those 10+ mile runs on weekend mornings at Bethpage to prepare for the distance. The race is in May so that training will start before spring.

When hearts attack

On January 23, 2014 By Emerging Runner20 Comments

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

It was 8° outside when I was ready to run this morning. Between the extreme cold and roads that were coated with icy-snow, I had no choice but to use the treadmill. I have accepted that I’m no longer hardcore and I’m okay with that. My workout today was nothing special: A moderate start and a hard finish. But by the end, I was glad to have run for the first time since Tuesday.

After I finished my workout, I looked at my email and saw a note from my friend M. I was shocked to read that he’d suffered a heart attack the weekend before New Year’s. M is a runner and triathlete and the day before this attack he’d played two hours of full court basketball. I immediately thought of Dave, an occasional running partner, also fit, who had a heart attack during a race a couple of years ago.

Interestingly, I had introduced Dave to M at the Dirty Sock 10K that we all ran last August and we talked about Dave’s experience. Dave had recovered so well by then that he beat my time by almost seven minutes. M has quickly bounced back from his heart attack. Unbelievably, he is running again. In fact he’s planning to compete in this weekend’s Winter Run Series at Caumsett State Park.

It’s scary to think that dedicated runners like Dave and M would be candidates for a heart attack, but it’s also reassuring to see how quickly they were both able to recover. We tell ourselves that an active lifestyle will keep us healthy and I have no doubt that’s true. But other factors can tip the scales and these things sometimes happen. Even so, I firmly believe the reason why M and Dave came through their experiences so strongly is because of the conditioning they got from running.

Boredom is punishment for the medium-core runner

On January 4, 2014 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

Don’t let the smile fool you

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

Whenever I have to run on the treadmill, I feel like I’m agreeing to a compromise. Were I truly hardcore, I would be out in every kind of weather. I used to be much more willing to run outside under bad conditions. In fact, in 2011, I did every run between April 13 to August 7 outdoors, despite rain, snow, ice or darkness. I’ve been less inclined to run in ice and snow over the past couple of years, mostly due to safety issues. Have I mentioned that the drivers in my neighborhood are careless maniacs?

My dilemma, besides feeling that I’ve slipped from hard to medium-core, is how to write an interesting post about a treadmill run. Here is a description of every treadmill run I’ve ever done:

“I turned on the treadmill and hit start. I set the speed to x. I set the incline to x (optional). I ran for a long time and looked at the the treadmill’s display and saw that only a minute had actually passed. I ran for five more minutes and wondered if I could ever be more bored. I ran more and realized that, yes, I could be more bored. I continued until I had a quarter mile to go and increased my speed to race pace. I finished the run and immediately forgot how much I hated the whole experience.”

There really is something to the “runner’s high” concept, when your system releases endorphins after the workout is done. It’s a good thing that happens. Can you imagine if you felt worse after a run? This morning I did my 3+ miles (I could only stand it for 30 minutes today) and felt great once I was able to step off, relax and shower.

I loved that I had the option of running indoors today when the roads were icy. Treadmills are boring and can be hard to write about. But unless I’m willing to harden my core, I’ll be forced to use this machine. And you’ll be forced to read about it.

LIRRC Hangover with the Runsketeers

On January 1, 2014 By Emerging Runner7 Comments

Hangover gang (from left: L, ER, TPP, SIOR)

Photo courtesy of LIRRC.ORG

Today’s run (LIRRC Hangover Run): 5 miles

It’s always great to start off the year with a good run and that was certainly the case today. For the third consecutive year, I participated in the LIRCC 5 Mile Hangover Run. Unlike the past two years, I was accompanied this morning by running buddies SIOR and the Petite Pacer (TPP). We even had a guest Musketeer, L, who SIOR knew from a prior race. Even though we ran at different paces, it was fun to do this together.

The Hangover event consists of five laps around a one mile course. Although the four of us started at the same time, SIOR and L quickly put some distance on me and TPP. Left to run her own pace, TPP could have easily kept up with the other two (no one was focusing on performance this morning), but she stayed with me through the first couple of miles.

It was very cold, but we all dressed for that. The wind from the south chilled my hands and face, but after a couple of miles of running, I was sufficiently warm. TPP picked up her pace and then waited for me to catch up a couple of times, but then switched to overdrive for the remainder of the run. It was fun to see SIOR and L gaining ground the other side of the loop. By time I completed my fourth mile they were coming up on 4.5 miles.

My fastest laps were my first and fifth, both done around 9:20. My overall time was 48:34, just a few seconds off last year’s finish time. The others had finished a few minutes before me and when I crossed the line, TPP asked if I wanted to go around again. I was pretty much done with running at that point. We headed toward the New Year’s cake which, combined with a cup of instant coffee, tasted like heaven.

Post run refueling

After that, the four of us visited Starbucks, the official clubhouse of the Runsketeers (I just renamed us). As much as I loved the run, the après-run conversation was the highlight of the morning. All too soon it was time to leave. When I got home, my wife and kids had prepared all the fixings for tacos. It was a perfect way to refuel from a great New Year’s Day morning. Happy New Year!

Oh, possum! A return to the road

On December 24, 2013 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

Today’s run (street): 4.3 miles

Today was my first run since Saturday, when I suffered through a few miles with a pounding headache. A couple of day’s rest followed and I felt I was ready to head out again this morning. We’re supposed to get some very cold weather by Christmas day, but News 12 was showing 34° when I went outside this morning. That temperature was misleading because the wind chill took that down another ten degrees.

The freezing wind made running north uncomfortable and caused my eyes to water. I followed a different route than usual, cutting around the middle school before reconnecting to my local roads. Even though Christmas Eve day isn’t a holiday, it was very quiet throughout my neighborhood. I enjoyed the lack of cars and especially the lack of school buses.

Two day’s rest and recovery from my headache should have provided some extra energy, but it only helped get me through the run. After a while I got used to the cold and I settled into my stride feeling a little stronger. My reverie was disrupted when I came upon a dead possum laying in the road. I gingerly sidestepped that horrific scene that resembled a gray feather duster with a pale pink tail.

The rest of my run was marsupial-free and I ended up covering 4.3 miles, the longest I’ve run since the the GLIRC event I did with my friends on the 14th. I’m looking forward to getting out tomorrow morning when it’s likely to be even quieter. It’s supposed to be chilly and possibly even snowy on Wednesday, so I’ll need to plan accordingly. A run at Stillwell may be a nice place to spend the morning.

Race report: 2013 Seaford Hot Chocolate 5K

On December 7, 2013 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Post-race with SIOR

Today’s run (Seaford Hot Chocolate 5K): 3.1 miles (8:54 pace)

Today’s Seaford Hot Chocolate 5K was my last race of the year and I wanted to make it count. After some disappointing racing experiences throughout 2013, I was happy to cap off the year with some decent results.

I had never run the Hot Chocolate race before, but I heard it was big. With over 900 participants, numerous volunteers and a large group of Seaford HS band members playing in the main hallway, it felt like an event. I ran into a few people I know along the way and found my buddy SIOR at the registration area that was set up in the main auditorium.

The plan was for the “Three Musketeers” to run this race together, but unfortunately the Petite Pacer was dealing with both a bad cold and an overheated car. We were disappointed that she couldn’t make it today, but after running four races in the last month, resting was a smart move.

SIOR and I got to the starting line and before we knew it, it was 9:00 AM. I was so caught up in our conversation that I didn’t experience my usual starting line race jitters. Soon enough, the start was called and we were on our way. I tried to match SIOR’s cadence for the first minute, until she disappeared into the distance like a royal blue apparition.

I felt good at the start and hoped that I would be able to maintain a decent pace throughout the run. The Hot Chocolate course is a big rectangle and the first mile comes up near the corner of Mill Rd and Washington Ave. I was a little surprised to see the first mile clock showing 10+ minutes when I passed it. For a moment, I questioned my ability to judge my own performance. A look at my Garmin showed I’d covered the mile in 8:33. Apparently that clock time reflected the earlier start of the physically challenged participants.

Washington Ave seemed to have a slight slope and I tried to take advantage, but lost about 20 seconds on mile two. I was surprised to see us passing the rear of the high school so soon, until I remembered that this was a 5K. After two recent 10K’s, it was nice to know that I’d be getting through this course a lot quicker.

I did something today that I’ve rarely done this year – pass a lot of people. I was able to maintain my speed fairly well and, before I knew it, I came to the turn onto Seamans Neck Rd. At that point I said to myself that SIOR had probably just crossed the line. Still, it was the last, straight shot to the finish line and I worked hard to stay on pace.

I thought I was tracking toward a 27 minute finish when I saw the chute far off in the distance. I stepped up my effort and even passed a few people as I drew closer to the line. Once I could see the clock, it was already reading 27:xx. I thought I had a chance of keeping it under my targeted 27:50. I was pleased when I crossed the line and saw that the timer read 27:37.

Post finish “action” shot

Photo courtesy of She Is Out Running

SIOR greeted me after I’d crossed the line. She finished four minutes earlier than me and picked up yet another age division podium spot. We looked at the readouts posted on the timing truck and then headed into the high school to get some hot chocolate, the real purpose for running this race. We were hoping that the award ceremony would begin soon after so she could collect her medal while I cheered. Unfortunately, we both had family obligations that required us to leave before the ceremony started.

Nice race shirt

I had a really nice time this morning and was happy with my performance today. It was great to hang out with SIOR and to experience a new race under good weather conditions (I’m still slightly traumatized by the Long Beach Turkey Trot experience). My next event will be the LIRRC Hangover Run that takes place in Eisenhower Park on New Years Day morning, followed by the Long Beach Snowflake run in February.