Holiday stalking run

On March 31, 2013 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

I do celebrate these

Today’s run (street): 3.75 miles

Today is Easter Sunday, a religious holiday observed by a majority of the population. Happy Easter, if you celebrate. I don’t, so I tend to look at the day a little differently. I had considered a morning run at Bethpage State Park, but I was concerned that the main gates might be locked due to the holiday. It occurred to me that the neighborhood might be quieter than usual this morning so I opted to stay local.
Though sunny, it was a chilly 32°, so I added an extra layer and hoped I wouldn’t regret it later. I was doing some pre-run stretching when I noticed a runner going by my house. A moment later, the GPS signaled “ready”, so I set out behind the runner. I’d planned to run slightly faster than yesterday and thought this fit-looking guy could pace me. After a few minutes, I realized that I was gaining on him. When he looked back, I think I spooked him. I should mention that I was dressed in bright yellow and black, and he may have thought I was a really large bee.

I ran straight when the other runner turned right, and noticed a couple of runners coming from the other direction. As I made my way further through my neighborhood streets, I saw four more runners. Lots of runners and very few cars. I liked that ratio. I did have one car related incident, though incident is probably too strong a word. There was a Lexus RX 350 driving along the route I was following at approximately the same speed that I was going. It may have been a mother teaching her daughter to drive, but I couldn’t be sure. I felt like I was being stalked. Perhaps they were curious beekeepers.

I accomplished my goal of a faster run and I’m feeling ready to start introducing more speed to my training. With all this stalking, I had completely forgotten about my sore hip. That’s because it was no longer sore. It was an Easter day miracle! Okay, maybe not, but I celebrated just the same.

Why golfers don’t get better and runners don’t get faster

On August 17, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Working towards the perfect swing

Today’s run (street): 2.5 miles

When I was a kid, my dad was into golf and he spent a lot of time focusing on technique that would improve his game. I can recall the various devices made up of ropes and whiffle balls (I called them his toys) that he’d swing in the house in hopes of improving his swing. Did they help? I’m not sure, but I should ask him.

Bringing this to today, I know people who are equally focused on improving their golf form. There are numerous magazines, websites and TV shows that provide tutorials and theory on ways to optimize your golf skills. With all these resources, you’d think anyone could measurably elevate their game. Yet, despite this help, most people can’t get past a certain level.

Running seems to be that way for me. I read Running Times, Runner’s World and Trail Runner magazines and pay attention to articles about technique and performance. I practice some of what I read and occasionally see results from the changes I made. But at the end of the day, I still run about the same race pace as I did three years ago. On a daily basis, I’m a little slower.

I ran my daily route 19 seconds faster today than yesterday. To get where I want to be requires me to run that course 3 minutes faster than I did today. Until I commit to really doing that core and hill work, speed play, and intervals, I’ll never find myself running sub-9:00 paces on a daily basis. Resources are great, but only if you actually use them.

A recovery run on a recovery day

On July 16, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 3.3 miles

I took today off to recover from the hectic weekend, but I spent most of the day working from home. That was partly by design and I was able to make progress on a few items that need to be completed before the end of the week. I was still able to spend some time with my family and get in a morning run that wasn’t constrained by my usual morning schedule.

Yesterday’s run was difficult due to the hot weather and the timing of my workout. Today’s conditions were much more positive. Although it was hot at 8:00 AM, neither the heat not the humidity had reached unbearable levels. It was early and I was not weighed down by a big meal so I moved along much better. I wasn’t sure where I was on pace and I chose to ignore my Garmin so I wouldn’t feel compelled to push harder.

My route followed the perimeter of my neighborhood and I ran on the sidewalks along Jericho Turnpike and South Oyster Bay Road before turning east onto the service road. The sidewalks along these roads have broken sections, so I frequently needed to watch my step. On the positive side, I had more tree cover than when I continued through the main neighborhood.

I covered about the same distance as yesterday, but I beat Sunday’s time by almost three minutes. It wasn’t the easiest run, but I finished feeling strong. I need to get back to longer distances next weekend and my schedule should help me do that. In the meantime, I’m off to a decent mileage week with 3+ miles on my usual rest day.