Cutting it short

On May 31, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s workouts (street): 1.2 mile run and 7 mile bike

Happy Memorial Day. I went out for a run early in the morning and timed it imperfectly. What started as a misty drizzle turned into a hard driving rain by mile one. I headed straight home when I started seeing flashes of lightning nearby. Later in the day the skies had cleared and I considered trying another run, but instead decided to take the bike out for a ride. It wasn’t the long run I’d hoped to do today but I was pleased to get in a second workout on what turned out to be a very busy day.

Morning at Stillwell and Caleb Smith at noon

On May 8, 2011 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (Stillwell Woods): 4.25 miles

Today is Mother’s Day and it’s been busy. I wanted to get going early but due to some ad hoc celebrating, I didn’t get out the door at 7:00 as I’d planned. By 8:15 I was at the trail head at Stillwell Woods with temperatures in the low 50’s and bright sun. The holiday had kept most people at home. While I love company on the trails, I was glad to have the place more or less to myself. I saw some bikers staging in the lot but didn’t encounter anyone but hikers during my run.

The woods were alive with birds, rabbits and other creatures and the humidity was so low I didn’t even break a sweat until I’d completed my second mile. I wasn’t paying attention to my pace but knew I was moving well and I managed get through the hills without much trouble. Due to our tight schedule I kept the run to around 40 minutes but that was sufficient for my needs. My knee is much better at this point but I still feel some soreness when I go from sitting to walking. Happily this disappears with activity and I don’t experience any pain when I’m running. Keeping my distances under five miles this weekend was a good move. I’ll look to add more distance next weekend.

Things were ducky on the lake at Caleb Smith

One of our Mother’s Day activities today involved a return to Caleb Smith Park Preserve in Smithtown, NY. We like this park a lot. It has well groomed and well marked trails, good access to its lake and a small but interesting nature museum. Four miles of trail running and then some hiking at Caleb Smith made for an active day. Later we spent some time setting up umbrellas and furniture in the pool area, providing an unexpected but welcomed upper-body workout.

2011 Running Goals

On January 17, 2011 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Here it is, January 17th, and though I’ve already identified my business goals I still haven’t published this year’s running goals. The following items represent my hopes for this year:

1. Run a half marathon

This challenge would have seemed completely out of reach when I restarted running in 2008 but now it feels like a logical and viable step. I don’t have a half marathon identified but I’m likely to run the one during the RXR LI Festival of Races because the timing works and it’s conveniently located.

2. Score settling

Run my best times ever on the Dirty Sock and Cow Harbor 10K’s. Beat my time in the New Hyde Park 8K (44:42 two years in a row!).

3. Running tourism

Run outside of Long Island at least six times. Bonus for competing in a race outside of LI.

4. Hit those trails

Add Caleb Smith, Sunken Meadow and one more state park to my trail running experience.

5. Performance

Run 1 mile under 7:50/mile or 2 miles under 8:00/mile.

Today’s run (street): 5.3 miles

Today is Martin Luther King Day that caps off a very nice long weekend of running. I was again constrained to my neighborhood so I tried to minimize the boredom by changing my route a little. My plan was to run an out-and-back course where I’d go for 25 minutes and then turn around and follow the route back home. Once again I had good energy and was cruising along when I felt a slight pain in my knee at almost the same moment that I was thinking how I never get knee pain. The pain increased and I worried something happened. I was starting to hobble and realized that I was at least two miles from home.

Since I’d done nothing to cause this sudden problem (except to think about knee pain!) I decided that it was likely that it would disappear just as quickly as it came. Every once in while I’ll feel a sharp pain in my ankle when I walk and I just work it out with a few steps. This knee pain seemed to be the same sort of thing and after slowing down a little, the pain passed and didn’t return.

Once the phantom injury was over I re-focused on my route but had gone a little off my planned course that made the out-and-back distances asymmetrical. I ended up adding some extra loops to ensure I surpassed 5 miles and I ended up with another third of a mile as a bonus. I’m hoping to get a chance to run while I’m traveling this week but my schedule is tight. I did cover almost 15 miles over the long weekend and I like the way I’m running right now. Maybe I’ll have a chance to return to the trails next weekend. Hope so.

First run with the Karhu Fast 2’s plus a Stillwell holiday run

On December 25, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Yesterday’s run (street): 3.5 miles
Today’s run (Stillwell Woods): 6.1 miles

Apparently today is some sort of holiday because Stillwell Woods was pretty empty this morning when I arrived for my run. Just a little seasonal humor folks. Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate and for those of us who don’t, enjoy this relaxing day because tomorrow we’ll all be shoveling snow.

I’ve been off work since Thursday afternoon and have been enjoying the time off with my family. Yesterday morning I went out for my first run with the Karhu Fast 2’s. Based upon wearing them around the house, I had certain expectations for these shoes. The “Fulcrum” technology is supposed to guide a runner’s landing to a spot behind the arch to facilitate forward propulsion. After lacing up the Fast 2’s for my run I noticed a big difference in the feel between the front and back. I assumed that was an effect of the fulcrum and I held judgment until I took off.

My immediate reaction was to compare the shoes to the Kinvaras. While the Kinvaras are light and very flexible on toe-off, the Fast 2’s are very stiff at the front. Far stiffer than any other shoe I own and I own a lot of running shoes. I tried to stay open minded about this difference and moved along fairly well until I reached a slight downhill section and noticed that the lack of flexibility was causing some misalignment in my stride. As I ran further I felt an unusual amount of strain on the ankle area at the top of my right foot. It was making my leg tired and I had barely covered a mile.

I reached a point in my route where I would run straight for a while so I picked up the pace to see how they felt in a full on run. Despite the Fast 2’s promise as a speed and racing shoe I found myself missing the Kinvaras and the Adrenalins, both of which provide a more muscular response to quick turnovers. I plan to take the Fast 2’s out a few more times and try them under different conditions before I judge them too harshly. They are high quality shoes and are probably ideal for runners that prefer a stiffer ride.

It seemed like a good idea to run the trails at Stillwell this morning and it turned out great. Despite 25 degree weather it all felt good. I wore my Brooks GTS 10’s that I’ve neglected lately in favor of the Kinvaras. Even though the Adrenalins aren’t trail shoes they work well on hard packed, non-technical trails like the ones I ran today. Compared to the Karhu’s, the Brooks felt far more natural. I followed a course I knew well, a loop that weaves through numerous sections of the western end of the Woods. Each loop measures about two miles so I ran it three times. I only encountered a couple of mountain bikers today but I did see a surprising number of hikers and a few other runners. I felt great throughout the run and appreciated the short but steamy shower that followed. I hope that everyone is enjoying this holiday as much as I am today.

First run, then party

On December 4, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (mixed surfaces): 4.25 miles

It had been a very busy work week and it seemed to take a long time for the weekend to arrive. Today is also a busy day and it’s going to get busier. We’re hosting our annual holiday party that will start in the early afternoon. Final preparations are going on although most things are done. Happily, my wife doesn’t leave too much for the last minute. I took the opportunity to go out for a four mile run around the neighborhood this morning before I prepared for the day. I began by heading north and following the perimeter road that runs west. A good part of that road is downhill but most of the benefit that’s gained through gravity was countered by stiff wins blowing east. After about a mile I headed south along another busy road whose sidewalks are covered with layers of dried leaves. I normally enjoy running on this type of surface because it’s softer than pavement but the depth of leaves made the terrain unstable and I was concerned about slipping. I ran slowly and carefully through this stretch.

I turned into the neighborhood at the south end and began to follow most of my usual roads. At the 20 minute mark I looked at the Garmin and saw that I was running at about 9:55 per mile. I figured out later that the calibration on the foot-pod was off and I was actually running faster but my reaction was to pick up my speed for the second two miles. I ended up with an overall pace of 9:40. I thought that was okay considering my slow start and the slower speed I maintained when running on the leafy sections. Today’s run felt good and I know I could have gone on for a lot longer but I’m on a schedule today. Pretty soon our guests will be arriving. If all stays on plan I’ll get out for a true long run on Sunday.

Need some time for my heel to heal

On September 6, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 5.52 miles at 9:38

Long weekends are always welcome, especially when the weather is as nice as it’s been over the last three days. Today is Labor Day and, among other things, it signifies the spiritual end of summer and the emergence of fall. My kids return to school on Tuesday and they’re ready for anything. I’m back to work tomorrow and looking forward to taking a rest day from running. Between Saturday morning and this morning I’ve covered over 19 miles and I fear I may have pushed a little too hard.

The running plan for the weekend was distance and I think I succeeded with that goal. However, I may have injured the heel of my left foot this morning and I’m hoping that a day’s rest (or even two if necessary) will be enough time to restore things to normal. My morning run started well with an easy loop along the service road that borders my neighborhood to the east before heading west and then south until I re-entered along the eastbound service road. I had no particular distance in mind but two miles went by very quickly so I thought I’d keep going for a while. I reached four miles still feeling fresh despite the 13+ miles I’d put in the previous day. Almost as soon as I checked my distance I felt a pain in the heel of my left foot that I hoped would pass quickly. I knew right away that this was more than a temporary jolt due to a misaligned landing and I thought about walking the rest of the way home, a distance of about 1.5 miles.

The pain remained but it got no worse so I maintained my route feeling surprisingly strong. With about half a mile left to go I experienced an interesting dichotomy — my legs felt tied down with sandbags but my overall energy level was still very high. I forced my speed and picked up my cadence enough to attain my first negative split since mile 1. At the end I still felt fine and if not for concern for my heel I knew I could have gone on for a while. I iced my foot when I got in the house and wore my Brooks with a pair of Smartwool socks for the rest of the day’s activities (today’s run was in the Kinvaras). My heel is feeling much better as a result but I’m going to watch it carefully and continue with ice and rest for the next day, at least. Overall I’m very pleased with my Labor Day weekend running and I think I’ve turned a corner on my stamina issue. This bodes well for the Great Cow Harbor 10K but I still need to do some speed work if I hope to reach my timing goal.

Super minimalist running shoes for less than $20!

On July 4, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 3.6 miles at 9:30

What Vibrams should look like

Happy 4th of July! As you’d expect it’s very hot but happily not all that humid. One of my work colleagues was due to participate in a 4 mile race this morning that had a starting time of 9:30 AM. I’m assuming that it was a scorcher and I look forward to hearing how he did when I return to the office next week. We’ve been busy this weekend. Yesterday, after dinner, the Emerging Runner family all went on a run together around the neighborhood. Everyone did well and my son led the way, maintaining a speedy pace under 10 minutes a mile. I’m assuming that because, in a rare moment of practical normality, I decided not to track the run on my Garmin. My daughter will be going out for track next year as a 7th grader and she’s already planning her summer training to be prepared for the rigors of that activity. My son has discovered that playing the trumpet has yielded an unexpected benefit — great lung power when he runs. It won’t be long until I can’t keep up with my kids. That’s okay, I know my wife will still run with me.

We finished our family run and headed straight to the pool. I had already cooled enough to be reluctant to jump in right away (I refuse to put in a pool heater) so I slipped on my aqua shoes and ran around the pool area until I felt hot enough to take the plunge. My kids followed me through that exercise and before long one and then the other jumped in as they ran. I went on a bit longer and discovered (probably due to the Kinvaras) that I was very comfortable running in the pool shoes. The sole is thin enough to protect from rocks and other objects but with no real padding it naturally enabled front foot landing. I think I’ll try to run a mile in the shoes to see whether the experience translates well to the road. If so, I’ll have found a very inexpensive alternative to Vibram 5-Fingers. Although some disagree, I think the Vibrams look too ridiculous to wear in public.

In the spirit of minimal running I wore the Kinvaras on this morning’s 3.6 mile Independence Day run. I thought about running four on the 4th but I decided to cut it a little short because it was getting too hot to run. I went directly to the backyard and stripped off everything but my running pants and dove right in. A perfect way to finish a pleasant run. I have one more day before I return to the office. With Colorado less than a week away, I’m thinking of hitting the trails tomorrow.

Pre-Holiday weekend Central Park run

On July 2, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run: Central Park (planned)
The day before a holiday weekend is usually very quiet. I’d considered working from home today since I’m planning to cut out around noon anyway, but I have some things I need to get done in the office. It isn’t supposed to get that hot by mid day and I’m looking forward to having a workday-ending run in Central Park with FS. It’s budget planning season and that’s adding to our busyness. FS and I have a few business items to discuss so we’re thinking of covering those subjects during our run. Last summer Adventure Girl and I held our weekly meetings while we traversed the west side bike paths, Central Park and the GW bridge. AG would actually carry an agenda as we ran. It usually took about 4 miles to get through it all. The plan today is to go out at a comfortable, moderate pace and stay with that. I’m not sure what we’ll target for distance but we’ll work that out.

Or not! It turns out that FS won’t be joining me today after all so I’ll modify my plan and probably head to the park a little earlier. It’s cool and dry and if that continues it could lead to some great running. I’m thinking I might do a loop that goes past the reservoir and then cut across on 97th street. Or I might follow the path around the reservoir itself which will probably keep my run to a tidy 4 miles. I’m raring to go as it’s been a few weeks since I’ve run in the park. The temperature is beginning to climb into the 70’s. I hope it stays there!

Father’s Day run at Stillwell

On June 20, 2010 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (Stillwell Woods Preserve): 4.4 miles at 10:06 per mile

Happy Father’s Day to friends and readers (plus my dad and brother). This weekend has actually been 2.5 days because I worked from home on Friday and switched over to leisure time at noon. It’s been a l-o-n-g weekend and I’ve enjoyed every minute so far. I started the day early with a run at Stillwell Woods Preserve. It was a little after 7:00 AM by the time I made my way into the woods and I entered on the northwest side and followed the path whichever way it led. I’ve run in these woods dozens of times and I thought I’d figured out the trails but I was experiencing today’s run almost as if it was the first time I’d run there. After breaking past the “Interpretive Trails” section I found myself on a singletrack path that took me almost two miles before I reached a cross roads and had to choose a new direction. The choice I made led me through some tough terrain, lots of ups and downs with a mix of dirt, scree, sand and rock. I was very glad to have the tree cover that kept the temperature at a tolerable level. Still, the humidity had me sweating so badly that my running shorts and shirt were completely soaked through by the end.

There was a lot of activity in the woods this morning. I saw a hare and some rabbits, chipmunks, and lots of birds. There were a few dogs with their owners and a fair number of mountain bikers, most of whom were gracious and polite. Not all, but most. I’ll admit that after the third steep approach around mile three I needed to stop for a minute to restore my energy level and check my compass. That action prompted a course correction and soon I was on my way through familiar territory and I found my way to the trail head after covering a total of 4.4 miles. The rest of the day has been equally fun and we spent late afternoon in and by the pool until sun showers chased us indoors. It was a good week for running despite some work responsibilities that prevented me from going out on Wednesday morning. I exceeded 20 miles for the week and although I’m not running very fast these days I’m pleased with the way I’ve felt on the roads and trail. I’m looking forward to cooler running at 4:00 AM during the week. Summer is here tomorrow and I’m ready for whatever it throws at me.

A presidential run

On February 15, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Click on picture for larger view

I’m off for the President’s Day holiday today so I needed to decide whether to run or rest this morning. I usually rest on Mondays because I do my week’s longest and hardest runs over the weekend. I thought I’d compromise and do an elliptical session instead but, inspired by my wife’s early morning run, I figured I’d do the same. I had an appointment scheduled for later in the morning so while time wasn’t extremely tight I needed to allow for gearing up, running and showering. My wife thought I could get away with a neighborhood run but I thought it would be easier to jump on the treadmill. Frankly, I didn’t want to deal with the cold and puzzle through the process of selecting the right amount and type of layers to wear to ensure comfort from start to finish. I quickly selected some light clothes and got on the treadmill.

In the spirit of respecting limits I planned to run a distance similar to my regular weekday runs that average 20-25 minutes.. My first bite of the day was a Green’s Plus, Chia Seed Omega 3 Natural Energy Bar that I had with my morning coffee. I found that my last couple of runs went fairly easy after having Chia earlier in the day. It may just be coincidence but I have had two good runs this weekend. Make that three, actually. I started at a moderate pace and felt strong so I gradually increased my speed, dropping from mid-9:00 miles to mid-8:00’s by the 12 minute mark. The time went by quickly, perhaps knowing I was running a third less distance than Saturday and Sunday helped that. My cadence was 82 SPM, up from my average of 80. When I finished I was soaked with sweat, part of that due to running the last couple of minutes at close to an 8:00 pace. I’ve run almost 9 miles over this long weekend and my pace has slid back down to pre-pneumonia levels. I need to get some distance runs in next week as I prepare for my March 5 mile trail race. I think more than ever that I’ll be prepared for whatever Stillwell throws at me. Maybe this Chia stuff is working.