A run apart

On September 20, 2014 By Emerging Runner8 Comments

Today’s run (street): 4.8 miles

I didn’t run the Dirty Sock this year and was fine with that. After hearing about the great experiences (and great times) achieved by my running buddies this morning and watching all the Cow Harbor race coverage on News 12, I feel like I missed out. But after a pleasant, but non-competitively paced run this morning, I know I was right to sit it out.

My initial plan was to go to Bethpage and run there. I thought it might be quiet (in terms of runners) because a good percentage of the Long Island running world would be in Northport. Our morning plans required me to get my run done early so I stayed local to save time. I did most of my miles in the neighborhood directly south of mine just for a change of pace. Unfortunately, it didn’t change my pace.

I’ve continued to work standing up since getting my new desk two weeks ago. I use it during the weekend, at night and when I work from home. I haven’t seen any tangible performance benefits from doing this, but I have to believe it’s strengthening something. With so much written about sitting being the new smoking, it’s a good thing to do. I do believe that my running form has improved and my stride has felt more fluid in the past couple of weeks.

I had the same great weather that my Cow Harbor friends enjoyed and that kept my run enjoyable. I forgot to wear my HRM so I don’t know if I exceeded 80% max range but I suspect I did near the end. Interestingly, I kept most of my splits within 10 seconds of each other, with slight negatives each time. My last mile was 30 seconds better than the first four.

I may do a track workout tomorrow to force myself to deal with speed and the harder work that comes with it. I was on the right path back in March and April when I was following the Hal Higdon Half plan that included weekly speed and tempo runs. A little success may go a long way towards breaking out of my current routine of easy runs.

Cow Harbor regrets and race day tips

On September 19, 2014 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

Today’s run (street): 3.8 miles

I expected to feel ambivalent about skipping Cow Harbor this year but I don’t. Racing used to be a big part of my running experience and I typically ran a race every month. This year I’ve only competed three times – a trail relay, a 5K and a half marathon. The excitement of looking at the race schedule and deciding which race to run has ended, at least for now.

Tomorrow is the Cow Harbor 10K and I know a lot of people that are running it this year. I regret not seeing them and having that shared experience, but I’m happy not to have to drive to Northport HS in the dark, take the shuttle to Laurel Ave and spend an hour trying to keep from freezing before the start. As I write this, I’m remembering the fantastic energy and excitement that pervades that event and that is prompting a little more regret.

For those I know who are running tomorrow, I wish you the best. I won’t be joining you, but I’ll share my tips from the times that I have run the race:

1. Find a spot inside the school to stay warm until 20 minutes before the start.

2. Resist temptation to fly down Scudder Ave’s steep hill for the first mile. Save your energy for what lies directly ahead.

3. Don’t underestimate Bayview Ave. It’s a steady uphill section with rough and broken pavement leading to…

4. James Street which surprises first time runners who stop in the middle of the road and start walking. If you aren’t careful you’ll run into someone. Running around these people is like playing Frogger and expends extra energy.

5. Once you get to the top of James St. you still have an incline so you’ll need to wait until you get to Ocean Ave before you can really recover.

6. Mile 4 is mostly flat and downhill. You can recover and still maintain target pace.

7. Waterside Ave seems like an endless upward slope, but it does have a couple of spots where it’s nearly flat. Take advantage of water stops because if the sun is out, this is where you’ll feel it the most.

8. Pumpernickel Hill is a lot shorter than James Street but it’s not a trivial challenge at that late point in the race.

9. After the hill it’s pretty much downhill until Main Street. This is where you can capitalize on an energy reserve (see point #2).

10. Don’t be disheartened when you are on Main Street, see the finish chute, but don’t seem to get any closer as you run. I think it’s the longest quarter mile I’ve ever run.

I’m rooting for you all and a special shout out goes to buddies Aimée and Celia. Can’t wait to read about your Cow Harbor experiences.

To Cow or not to Cow

On August 16, 2014 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Today’s run (street): 3.4 miles

Running conditions this morning could not have been better, and I am not exaggerating when I say that it felt like autumn. When I stepped out a few minutes before 8:00 AM, it was 60° with very low humidity. I was so comfortable that I didn’t break a sweat until after my first mile. With only 25 minutes on the treadmill since last Sunday’s six miler, I had been looking forward to getting out and running today.

The route I followed intersected three times with a middle aged man, his college age daughter (I’m guessing), and a dog (definitely a dog). They walked along the right side of the street when they weren’t walking right in the middle. I saw a FedEx truck nearly drive over the left curb to avoid hitting them from behind, although they appeared oblivious to the whole thing. I probably should have said something, but I’ve learned by now that people don’t want my safety advice.

Despite my continued frustration with those risk-taking fools, I really enjoyed the run. I thought about performance training, versus plain old running. These days, I’m far more interested in the health aspect of running compared to the idea of competition. I’m sure my decline in speed over the last couple of years is a factor. If I don’t focus on pace and just run hard enough to feel like I’m making a good effort, I enjoy the experience a lot more.

Which brings me to Cow Harbor. One one hand, I consider the Great Cow Harbor 10K Long Island’s premiere race. Plus, I’ve never run it with my blogging buddies and I know they’re in. On the other hand, I can’t commit to that race without also committing to doing some serious training between now and September 20. SIOR said that the entry fee rises to $40 on September 9, so no matter what I decide, I’d better do it before then.

The recovery day that wasn’t

On September 23, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Glider launch at Stillwell

Yesterday’s recovery day didn’t turn out to be all that relaxing, but it was fun. This morning I am feeling a little sore. The soreness came from a few different sources, ranging from residual race effects, an impromptu hike and a much needed upper body workout.

I’d considered doing a shakeout run on Sunday morning to loosen up after a fairly intense Cow Harbor run. Instead, my son and I headed over to Stillwell Woods, so he could get some pictures for a school assignment. His focus was on getting some shots of a rusted Oldsmobile that has served as a landmark on the Trailview path for as long as I’ve visited the preserve.

While we made our way to the car, we noticed a number of cars parked along the edge of the big field with a group of people with model glider planes. One of the people invited us over to see what they were doing. It was a competition put on by the Eastern Soaring League. These $2,000 planes, with what looked like 8′ wingspans, are launched into the air and remotely controlled. The goal is to land them close to a one hundred inch target. It was fun to watch that for a while.

My son doing some technical trail running

Look closely, there’s a snake in there

We eventually reached the car and my son got his pictures. We decided to go deeper into the woods and found ourselves in more technical territory where we made our way up some steep rises and down sharply angled cutouts. On our way back we encountered a snake (I may have stepped on it) that was scurrying across the trail. We got some pictures before it disappeared back into the woods.

For all intents and purposes, this is my gym

Later in the day, the family headed to a food pantry in East Northport where we volunteer (via Island Harvest) every few months. It’s always a great experience. My wife and kids focus on distributing small items to recipients who come through, while I carry packed boxes to people’s cars. It’s a lot of up and down steps and a very good upper body workout.

After all that, I needed a recovery day for my “recovery” day. That’s fine, I’ll focus on business today and resume my run training tomorrow. I may sneak in some core work later, because stretching might help get me back to shape. It was a great weekend and a little Monday soreness actually feels pretty good.

Race report: 2013 Great Cow Harbor 10K

On September 21, 2013 By Emerging Runner23 Comments

See, some people finished after me!

Today’s race (Great Cow Harbor 10K): 6.2 mile – (9:53 pace)

Another Cow Harbor race has come and gone. Just like the three that I’d run prior to today, I’m incredibly impressed by both the effort and the execution. It’s a massive undertaking, with many moving parts. Cow Harbor relies on a well organized army of dedicated volunteers at every stage, and they make it one of the greatest races in the country.

The flow of a Cow Harbor morning has a certain familiarity. First you have to find the high school (I often miss that tricky left on Old Pine lane), find a parking spot (easy at 7:00 AM) and get on a shuttle bus. The ride from there to the Laurel Ave school takes me back to junior high (do we have gym today? I hope we don’t have to run!). The walk from the bus to the school provides time to evaluate your level of energy and to gauge weather conditions.

Starting line an hour before the race

Every time I’ve run Cow Harbor, the heat and humidity have been a factor. However, before the start, it can feel chilly. I usually head into the building to maintain warmth and people watch and then go outside to get in line for the Porto’s before they stretch as far as the starting corrals. I ran into some friends this morning who were also running the race, although I didn’t see everyone I’d hoped to see.

Elite runner registration desk

I found my place in the 9000 section and made small talk with my corral-mates while we waited. After the playing of the national anthem the announcer started the first wave, that consists of elite and semi-elite runners. A minute later the 1000’s went, and eight minutes after that, my group was unleashed. I never really know how ready I am until I’m actually on my way. Those first few minutes told me that I might have some problems today.

Scudder Ave is the first main component of the course and everyone talks about the temptation to run it full tilt because it’s pretty much down hill. What I always forget is that Scudder starts out with a noticeable uphill, and today it felt difficult just getting past it. Uh, oh. If that was hard, how would I do on Bayview and James?

Once Scudder began to slope down, I felt some rhythm return to my stride. We reached Woodbine and then passed Main Street to big crowds and bagpipers. Bayview is mostly uphill, but mildly so, and I was doing okay, although I definitely wasn’t feeling my best. I was amused when a spectator yelled, “You guys look great!” and the runner behind me yelled back, “Thank you for lying!” We all knew what was in store for us in a couple of minutes.

As I rounded the corner onto James Street, I thought about whether I’d like Cow Harbor more if this hill wasn’t part of the route. In that moment, I realized that “Widow Hill” was the defining element of the race. Today it defined me as well.

I’ve prided myself in races past, on my ability to take James Street at a steady pace and make it through, sweating but unscathed. I really struggled this morning and was tempted to walk, but I never had before and I wasn’t going to today. I kind of wish that I had, because it took me another half mile before I felt my strength return. I lost at least a minute off my overall race time as I worked back to race pace.

Coming down Ocean near Eatons Neck turn

I was doing okay at three miles and was delighted to see an ex-work colleague at the point where Ocean Ave meets Eaton’s Neck Rd. I told her that I’d be coming through around 9:15 but it was closer to 9:05. She yelled, “You’re doing better than you predicted!” Sadly, no. I just got the math wrong.

The rest of the race was a puzzlement. While I wasn’t feeling my best, I was running credibly and attacking every downhill I could find to make up some time. Waterside Rd, with its long uphill slope, can hit you hard in the later miles of the race. I felt that I was maintaining my targeted cadence and speed and the split announcements made me think I was tracking for a mid-9:00 time or better.

There was no point in the race where I felt overwhelmed by the effort and I remained hopeful that I’d match or exceed last year’s time. The last big challenge of the race is Pumpernickel Hill and I found it slightly tougher (and seemingly longer) than in past years, but I got over it and put everything into the remaining distance (about .9 miles). I didn’t back off the throttle until I crossed the finish line.

When I looked at my Garmin and saw that it took me 61 minutes to get through the course, I was a bit disappointed. I couldn’t understand why I missed my target, especially after the speed, hill and base training I’d done. At the same time, I was thrilled to have completed the race and managed an average pace within the nine minute rage (if just barely).

The thing about racing is that you can do everything to support your success but it all comes down to how you feel on race day. I’ll admit that I’ve been tired this week and, in retrospect, I may have been better off not walking the hilly Bethpage trail for 80 minutes yesterday (although I enjoyed spending that time with my wife). My taper-ending five mile run on Wednesday could also have contributed. Today’s shortfall may have had to do with other factors, like not enough sleep. I really wanted to hit 58 minutes.

After the race, Cow Harbor puts on a great finish line festival. It’s like Woodstock for sweaty, emaciated people. I skipped all the carb snacks and flavored juice bottles and went right to the banana truck and then over to the Poland Spring truck. The band they hire to play is really good and the crowds, energy, music and harbor view reinforce that you are participating in something special.

I happily avoided the baggage check this year

I may have placed mid-pack, but I was the first one on my bus!

I ran into a few people I know who had also raced, and then headed over to the bus line. The transportation process is well managed and, without a long wait, we were on board. A woman who’d run the race for the first time today sat next to me and we talked about our favorite races on Long Island. Her son won the 2K fun run! I don’t know if her husband ran the 10K as well, but I’m guessing he did, because the whole family looked athletic. She was a really nice and funny person and it was a great way to cap off my Cow Harbor day.

My next race will be the Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor’s run in October. It’s a 5K and the first half is a steady incline while the second half is equally downhill. The challenge doesn’t match James Street, but I’ll still have to train. In the meantime, I’ll be taking a couple of days to recover from Cow Harbor. I hope my friends who ran it had good experiences today. No matter what, it’s hard not to have a good time at this race.

Minor taper violation at Bethpage

On September 20, 2013 By Emerging Runner5 Comments

Today’s workout (Bethpage bike trail walk): 4.4 miles

Tapering is harder than you’d think. Not hard in the sense that it takes any effort. It’s really the opposite of that. Even someone who embraces downtime (like me) can find it difficult to be completely inactive. After focusing on training for a month, our bodies are tuned for action. At least they should be.

The morning was quiet on the business side, so my wife and I decided to head over to Bethpage State Park for a low impact walk on the bike trail. I figured that level of activity wouldn’t significantly violate my taper, and it might just help shake out some built up lactic acid in my leg muscles. The weather was cool and sunny and we went south on the trail as far as the Beach St. exit. We’re both brisk walkers, but we kept it at a comfortable pace today.

On the trail back, we talked about the number of cyclist we’d seen who weren’t wearing helmets. I noticed the sign above that encouraged the use of helmets with the plea, “Do not lose your head.” Good advice.

We’ll be heading to the Laurel Ave school in Northport a little later today, so I can pick up my bib number and race bag. My family won’t be joining me tomorrow, so I won’t have any place to stow my race shirt in the morning. I could do the UPS baggage check but, with 5,700 other runners, the wait for pickup can take a while. It’s hard to believe that it’s just hours until the start of Cow Harbor. I hope I’m ready.

Last run before the Cow

On September 19, 2013 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Today’s run (street): 5 miles

Training is over and now it’s time to rest. Everyone has their own way of finishing a taper and mine is to put two full days between my last workout and race day. Some people I know don’t even take a rest day before a 5K. I learned my lesson a few years ago that running close to race day doesn’t yield a benefit. But pushing too much will definitely hurt you.

Today’s run was an easy semi-base run done a minute slower than targeted race pace. I had a deadline to meet in the morning and didn’t get outside until after 10:00, so I had more warming sun than usual. At that pace, it didn’t matter. Aside from running face first into an overhanging branch that looked like it should have easily given way, it was a pleasurable experience. I felt a little guilty for not pushing my speed, but there was no upside to doing that.

I didn’t use GPS to track my performance because I didn’t want to be conscious of my pace while I ran. I didn’t Gmap the route until an hour later and was hard pressed to remember all the streets I covered on my route. I did finally figure it out, and it was interesting to see the distance. I checked my time and saw that I’d met my targeted pace to the exact second.

I got a note that Cow Harbor online registration ends tonight and the site shows that over 5,000 people have already signed up. Participation is capped at 5,600 runners. Between now and 8:30 AM on Saturday, I’ll be thinking about this race and its unique challenges, along with the experience of being joined by thousands of runners and tens of thousands of spectators in Northport. I look forward to seeing my friends and I can’t wait to cross that finish line once again.

I think, therefore I pace

On August 21, 2013 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Today’s run (street): 3.4 miles

Okay, now we’re talking. After two days off from running, I went out this morning for the first time since the Dirty Sock race. I recognized the need to keep my focus on speed, despite having come off a fairly hard run. It’s always a lot easier to do that if you’re energized from the start. I was pleased that my legs responded to the challenge.

Everyone has a different default running pace. By that I mean the speed that you’d run if you didn’t care about performance. It’s probably what people think of as their easy pace. For some, “easy” is 8 minutes a mile. For me, it’s much slower than that. When I need to run faster, I know I need to think about running fast. No zoning out and letting my legs carry me along. I’ve read that running performance is largely mental and my experience supports that.

Today I put priority on cadence and form. I focused on holding a faster pace than my body naturally wished to run. At times, my mind would drift and I’d detect a little deceleration. I dialed back up to “urgent” and tried to reengage my focus. This was not running at 10K race pace, but it was much faster than I’ve been averaging.

For all that work, I’m still worrying about my readiness to sustain that pace for 6.2 miles in Northport next month. With James Street, Waterside Ave. and Pumpernickel Hill in the mix, I’ll have to do a lot more than I did today. But it was a start.

To whom the Cowbell tolls

On August 21, 2013 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Pointing out James Street after last year’s race

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. After some high mileage training weeks leading up to last weekend’s Dirty Sock race, I haven’t run a step. Mondays are my usual rest day, which works out great when I race on Sundays. Today started early because I had to get into the city for some morning meetings. I went to bed thinking I might run today, but I slept until 5:15 AM, which didn’t give me enough time.

Even without running, I still managed to meet my daily requirement of Fitbit steps. Between my backpack and sports jacket, combined with 81% humidity, I worked up quite a sweat. So it was sort of like a workout, but I really missed the part where I get to shower.

Tomorrow I’ll officially start my Cow Harbor training. The good news is that I’ll be starting on two days rest. My plan right now is to go out early enough to minimize the heat. If I’m training for this race, I’ll need to start pushing the pace right away. As for the hill training, that can wait another day. But not too long, James Street looms large.

Sharing Stillwell with a friend

On August 9, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Tough trails on the northern route

Thursday’s run (Stillwell Woods): 3.4 miles

Yesterday brought good news on a few fronts. First, my headache finally went away. Second, I made some good business progress during the day (although it interfered with my ability to generate a Thursday post). And third, I had a great run with my friend Chris at Stillwell Woods.

I’m definitely a morning runner, so the idea of going for a high energy run at 4 PM concerned me. The weather had looked threatening all day and thunderstorms were predicted for later. When Chris arrived, we decided to head to Stillwell rather than Bethpage, because Stillwell is closer and has excellent tree cover. I was glad to be going to Stillwell and happy to show off the trail running paradise that’s located five minutes from my house.

Before we headed over to Stillwell, Chris gave me another good piece of news. He’s going to be running Cow Harbor this year for the first time. Chris lives in Westchester and does races up there, but he’s never raced on LI. I filled him in on the Cow Harbor experience and he’s excited. He’s not intimidated by the James Street hill either. But I won’t be running alongside him that day. Chris runs the NY Marathon faster than 3:30 and will probably finish Cow Harbor ten minutes before I do.

But on the trails I can can keep up with him, at least for a while. We followed my usual route until peeling off onto the “Most Difficult” trail. Chris was amazed to see such tough terrain and said that if he lived here, he’d run Stillwell every day. We stayed on this steeply climbing and dropping trail until I redirected us back to my usual, but less challenging loop.

With Chris pacing, I was able to run faster than I probably would have gone if I was running alone. We did an extended loop and then another smaller loop before we reached the main trail. Just as I was feeling relived to be close to the end, Chris innocently asked, “Do you want to go around again?” I answered, “I’m done, race you to the car!”

Although yesterday was mostly good news, I was disappointed to hear that my friend Mike won’t be able to run the Dirty Sock course with me on Saturday because he’s been delayed traveling back to LI. I’m debating whether to run it alone, or go over to Bethpage and run the wooded trails there. It’s always helpful to practice on the course that you are racing, but I might get some extra hill work done if I go to Bethpage.