Brutally hot running, but my advice was followed

On May 31, 2013 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s conditions (artist’s rendering)

Today’s run (street): 3.3 miles

As I ran along my neighborhood roads this morning I thought about the heat and the fact that summer is still a few weeks away. I’m not sure what the temperature was at 8:00 AM, but with the sun, it felt as hot as a July afternoon. Actually, with the humidity, it was more like late August. I did my best to put one foot in front of the other and questioned how I was able to manage much faster paces a few years ago.

I made my way through my first mile, running the best pace I could maintain, but far slower than the 8-something miles I used to do at lunch in Central Park. I had a couple more miles to cover before I was done, and I worried that the heat and sun would sap all my energy. I thought about the New Hyde Park 8K race on Sunday and the fact that I will miss it for the first time in three years. But the idea of running hard in this type of heat for 40+ minutes reinforced my decision not to participate this year.

I didn’t exactly struggle through the rest of my run, but under those conditions I couldn’t generate too much speed. I crossed paths with some neighborhood women who were out for a stroll, walking on the street with their backs to traffic. I quickly said, “You really shouldn’t run with your back to traffic.” I didn’t hear a response, but I encountered them later in my run and they were walking on the left (correct) side. It made me happy that someone actually listened when I expressed concern for their safety.

It wasn’t an easy three miles, but I was glad to have faced the steamy weather and met my targeted distance. If I can get my act together and go out early tomorrow morning, I may be able to avoid a repeat of today’s heat and humidity.

Running is great when you have fans

On May 30, 2013 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Fan-tastic

Yesterday’s run (treadmill): 25 minutes
Today’s run (street): 3.6 miles

Yesterday was the longest “work day” that I’ve experienced since leaving my company in February. It was a grind, especially due to the oppressive humidity and 80 degree temperatures. I covered a lot of miles on foot, wearing a wool suit and carrying a backpack. By my last meeting, I was a wet noodle. It’s hard to believe that, not so long ago, I was doing that on a daily basis.

Prior to yesterday’s trip into the city, I ran for 25 minutes on the treadmill. I knew I’d be covering a lot of ground during the day, but there’s a difference between running and walking and I wanted that aerobic workout. I used the powerful floor fan that I positioned directly in front of the treadmill and set to the maximum speed. That machine makes a big difference on hot days, and it provides much greater cooling than the fans that are built into the treadmill itself.

This morning I was determined to run outside and I prepared for the high heat and humidity. I wore my Craft running shirt that does a great job wicking and channeling sweat. I tried to be strategic about which roads to follow, preferring those with large areas of tree shade. I ended up covering more distance than I thought I would, because I’d planned to keep it to around three miles due to the heat. In the end I was pretty boiled, but I was happy to be running outside again. However, I did miss my fan.

My 40 minute MVP

On August 18, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 40 minutes

Weekends are usually busy and today was no exception. Appointments started early and with intermittent rain, I was relegated to the treadmill. I had to finish my run in time to shower, grab a quick lunch and head to the dentist, so I targeted 40 minutes for my workout. Precision timing, but it worked out fine.

The humidity was higher than I expected it to be. Even though I’d opened windows on both sides of the room and put on the standing fan, it was hard to bear. I regretted having the fan in oscillation mode rather than aiming it directly at me. Blasting the AC would have also been a good idea.

At work we often talk about the concept of developing an MVP, (Minimally Viable Product) and today I started with a “Minimally Viable Pace.” That meant, considering the heat, humidity and my general discomfort with the treadmill, it felt hard enough to constitute a good workout.

By the 20 minute mark I was really hating the experience but I had enough energy to bump up my speed by a few tenths. I continued to increase the pace until I was running at 10K race pace for the final five minutes. I was very happy to hit the button to slow down the machine after 40 minutes and the Gatorade that followed never tasted better.

Tomorrow is the Dirty Sock 10K and I’ll admit that it feels like I’m playing hookey by not participating this year. I’m hoping to get out for a long run on Sunday as I prepare for September’s Cow Harbor race. A little less humidity is all that I ask for.

Liquid exhaustion

On August 4, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Yesterday’s run (treadmill): 30 minutes
Today’s run (street) 5.25 miles

Circuitous route

I was tired on Thursday morning and (no surprise) my run was slow. Yesterday morning I felt the same, so I skipped my morning run altogether. I’m not sure why I lacked energy on these two days but it definitely affected my motivation to run. After a half day in the office I headed home feeling more inclined to work out, so I took the opportunity to fit in a 30 minute treadmill run.

Despite yesterday’s brutal heat and high humidity, I remained relatively dry during my indoor run. Credit goes to the big fan we’ve positioned directly in front of the treadmill. I didn’t push my pace but, by the time I reached my planned finish time, I was completely soaked with sweat. I’d placed an icy glass filled with Gatorade G2 on the side table of the bed to drink after I’d completed my run. As they say, I was keeping my eye on the prize.

This morning I took it outside with no planned route, but an intention of running five miles. The dew point was approaching 70 by the time I set off and I tried to keep a sustainable pace that would allow me to cover my planned distance. I hadn’t matched my normal pace since Wednesday morning’s run. Today was no different but my focus was on distance, not speed.

The hot sun and the moisture in the air wore me down, mile by mile, but I still had enough in the tank to cover 5-plus miles. I’m accustomed to being sweaty after these long runs, but today it looked and felt like I had stepped out of a lake as I walked into the house. Every square inch of skin was wet and my clothing was completely saturated. Although I felt no aerobic strain during the run, I was still breathing heavily five minutes after the finish. It was more exhausting than I realized.

I’m on vacation this coming week and I hope to get a chance to run in Washington DC while we’re there. If that’s not practical, I may need to settle for the fitness center in the hotel. It’s less stimulating to run indoors. But, with this weather, I’ll fully appreciate the air conditioned experience.

Trail running at Hook Mountain State Park

On July 28, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Hook Mt. trail head. Humidity fogged the lens!

Today’s run (Hook Mountain State Park trail): 6.1 miles

The weather report called for thunderstorms today, but we kept our plans to meet friends for activities around Hook Mountain State Park. Happily, the storms didn’t materialize, but the humidity certainly did.

We arrived at our friends home in Nyack around 9:00 AM and then headed over to the park. My wife and kids charted a hike on the blue-green trail while me and my friend Chris drove over to the trail at Nyack Beach. This trail runs along the Hudson River and provides a rolling route. According to my Garmin, we experienced 509 feet of elevation gain (and the equivalent loss since we ran it out and back).

The highs and lows of the Hook Mountain trail

We started our run at a brisk pace. The breezes off the water prevented us from feeling the humidity and it wasn’t until the path moved inland that I noticed how muggy it was. We moved well considering the heat and moisture, but the constantly changing elevation sapped some of my energy. After a couple of hills that rivaled James Street in Northport, my sweat level moved to “extreme.”

Despite all that, I didn’t want the run to end. The scenery was beautiful and the conversation was great. I didn’t dread the frequent hills as much as I do at Bethpage. In fact, I had more problem on the steep downhills than on all but the toughest climbs. We made the turnaround after reaching the three mile point, despite Chris’s suggestion that we go another half mile.

The second half of the run went by quickly. Before long, we were back to where we’d started. I had the same light-headed reaction to the heat and dehydration that I usually have after the Dirty Sock 10K. That meant I needed lots of hydration and electrolytes and Chris gave me a banana and a water bottle. That helped, as did the cooling breezes coming off the river.

After a quick shower, back at the house, we went into town to meet our wives and the kids for lunch. Pizza, followed by home made ice cream, was the perfect restorative. After 6 tough miles on the trail, I had no guilt whatsoever!

Bugs, sun, hiking and running

On July 7, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Mislead by the map, much more to the east

Yesterday’s activity (Stillwell Woods hike): 2.2 miles
Today’s run (street): 4.4 miles

Surprise! It’s hot in July

Despite the popular idiom, it really is the heat (but the humidity doesn’t help). People talk about the heat like it’s some sort of unusual phenomenon, but every July it’s just like this. Today’s temperature should get close to 100° F, so I got outside relatively early. Even at 7:50 AM, the thermometer was edging towards 80°.

Yesterday was equally hot, so after a morning of working from home, my son and I headed over to Stillwell Woods for a hike. A midday hike on a hot summer’s day may sound like torture, but we knew that the tree canopy would keep the sun off our heads. For the most part, that was true, but we didn’t count on the clouds of bugs that we encountered as we moved deeper into woods.

Despite the heat, gnats and occasional hard climbs, we had a great time looking for the elusive Ewok Forest section on Stillwell. I used Endomondo to record our hike and I referred to its real-time map a few times to help locate our position. The simple graphics on the map led me to believe that we were further east into the woods than we really were, so we never reached our intended destination.

My son did a great job tracking our direction and, when were ready to go, his compass skills led us straight back to our stating point. We headed home and cooled off in the pool with my wife and daughter. Our serenity was interrupted when a town worker in a lift truck surprised us by swinging over the tree line to trim around some adjacent telephone lines. Surprise!

I took it very easy on this morning’s run. I briefly considered turning off the GPS so that I wouldn’t track my pace. I tend to be self-competitive when I know I’m being recorded and I didn’t want to move too fast in increasingly warm conditions. I ended up recording it, but I didn’t look at my time until the end.

I needed to keep reminding myself that pace didn’t matter, and that this workout was just about maintenance miles on an extremely hot and humid morning. The run never felt hard but I was glad to end it. I’m pleased that I put in a few miles today and I’ll look forward to some easier activities in the pool this afternoon. Before too long, the T-storms will be here to finally cool things off.

The holiday is over but the humidity remains

On July 5, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 2.5 miles

The city is so quiet today it’s almost like working on Saturday. Yesterday’s holiday was short, but sweet. We had a nice 4th of July lunch and spent an active day outside, including a lot of pool time. I think all that fun, plus my surprisingly difficult treadmill run in the morning, has made me tired today. I’m not sure how I did it, but managed to get out for my run this morning.

The humidity at 4:00 AM was already insufferable and the breezes that pushed air from the south were not cooling. My legs felt heavy and I suspect that was due to lactic acid buildup from yesterday. I was able to maintain a steady stride but I knew I wasn’t moving very quickly. I remember reading that high humidity will erode your pace measurably. I took comfort in that when I saw that my elapsed time was a full minute longer than usual.

I’m hoping this weekend’s weather will be more conducive to running. The heat is fine but this humidity has got to stop. Of course it’s great training weather for the Dirty Sock 10K that always seems to happen on a weekend when the dew point approaches 80. But it’s a long time until that race. If conditions are hot and sunny on Saturday, I may head to the trails where the tree canopy provides some relief from the sun and the heat.

Chocolate #9 seems to deliver

On June 20, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 3.5 miles

It’s going to be a hot and soggy day today, so I got out at 7:00 AM to try to beat the heat. Over the weekend we had stopped into REI, where I picked up some gels that I had not previously tried. REI offers one of the best selections of gels and performance foods I’ve seen and they usually offer deals as an incentive to try new items.

I tried one of the new gels, called Chocolate #9, before my run. According to the company website, this gel:

is sweetened only with organic agave.
contains no refined sugar or other HIGH glycemic index sweeteners.
has been tested and certified as a “LOW” glycemic index (GI) item.
reduces the negative effect of repetitive insulin “spiking” during sustained exercise.
won’t cause a sugar high or a sugar low – bonk.
is an excellent energy choice for endurance athletes.
is suitable for most diabetics.
is an excellent choice for those not wanting to eat refined sugar.
is vegan, low fat and gluten free.
contains no synthetics – no unpleasant aftertastes – tastes great.
contains no “mystery” ingredients, colorings, or preservatives.
is easy on the stomach.

The gel tasted fine and I felt stronger than usual as I set out on my run. It didn’t translate into any great speed, but that wasn’t a priority today. Despite the humidity, I didn’t start to sweat until the second mile. My pace was easy but my form was good. I ran seven miles yesterday so today’s 3+ miles seemed to go by fairly quickly.

I don’t know how much credit I should give to this gel for providing me consistent energy throughout my run, but it certainly didn’t hurt my performance. I’ll try it again to see if the benefit is consistent or if today’s experience was a fluke. For now, I’ll give Chocolate #9 the benefit of the doubt.

An easy seven at Bethpage

On June 19, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Ongoing work near the Bethpage trail head

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park): 7.3 miles

I finally made it back to Bethpage this morning to get in some distance without being confined by the borders of my neighborhood. Bethpage provides a paved trail that reaches as far south as Massapequa Preserve. The out and back is over 13 rolling miles and this provided a great practice course for the LI Half. There are some sections that involve crossing roads, but normally there is little traffic to consider.

It felt cool and the park was virtually empty when I arrived at 8:00 AM. I noticed that the construction fences were still up since the last time I’d run there. I still don’t understand exactly what they’re doing, but I’m curious to see how it turns out.

My plan was to run easy today. Despite the cool air, I could tell that it was going to be humid and I wasn’t looking to set any records. I set off in a trot and soon the first hill was behind me. I’d brought a gel and a small bottle of water, but didn’t use either on the run today. There was no point where it got so hard that I felt that I needed them. If I was pushing my speed, it would have been a different story.

The part of the Bethpage path that I always dread comes near the end, with two hills that can really test my stamina over the last 1.5 miles. Today I approached them like any other challenge on the route, keeping my stride short and my speed at a manageable level. I was soaked with sweat by the time I finished, but I still felt strong. It was the longest I’d run I’d done since the LI Half in May.

I’m hoping to cover over 20 miles this vacation week. That will help me reach my monthly target. I’ve run more than 80 miles in each of the last three months and I’m hoping to continue that for June. It’s supposed to get very hot and VERY humid as the week goes on. That could curb the length of my runs unless I drag myself outside early and beat the heat.

Where can I get a SAG card?

On May 30, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Making the scene, literally

Today’s run (treadmill): 25 minutes

Only in NYC can you get to your office and not be surprised to see camera and lighting trucks setting up along the street. They’re filming a major studio movie here and the subject matter relates to one of my company’s iconic brands. This is the second time they’ve filmed here in the last few weeks and I have a great view of the action from my office window (see above). Hmmm, I wonder if they need any extras?

This morning I did a treadmill run because the weather report had predicted rain. I’m not sure it was raining when I got up to work out, but the humidity indoors was extremely high. This was my penultimate run before the New Hyde Park 8K, so I increased my effort by adding some incline through my progressive speed workout.

I felt fine the entire run except for my feet that are still sore at the bottom. In an odd way, the soreness helped, because it took my mind off the hard effort of running in the heat and humidity. As strange as it sounds, I think that made a difference. Despite the hot conditions, my run seemed to go by quickly and it never really felt like it was too much to bear. One more run to go and my taper is complete. Then onto Hollywood. I mean New Hyde Park.