Elite sale yields bargain Virrata

On August 23, 2013 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

New running shoe day. Guess which ones are mine.

Today’s run (street): 3.4 miles

So far so good on the training front. This morning I went out with expectations of matching my recent pace range and I managed to do that. When I first entered time and distance into the pace calculator, I thought I’d missed the mark. I quickly realized I’d entered the time incorrectly, adding in an extra minute. It turned out that I’d actually exceeded my target and ran today’s distance four seconds per mile faster than yesterday’s.

I assign two factors to these recent gains: a constant focus on pace (via perceived effort, not watching the Garmin’s display) and the continued recruitment of fast twitch fibers in my leg muscles. In other words, I’m thinking about running fast and building fitness. Runners come closest to their potential when racing and an active focus on speed while training does the same thing, to a lesser degree. That’s why I’m not yet achieving sub-9 training runs, but I’m getting closer.

The family went out for a “Next to the last Friday before school starts” lunch and afterward we swung by the Gallery at Westbury Plaza. I wanted to check out Sports Authority’s new SA Elite store that only sells adult size sports apparel and running shoes. I had no intention of buying anything, but they were having a sale, so I checked out the deals.

I’ve been looking for a lightweight running raincoat for a while. My venerable ASICS rain jacket committed zippercide last year and I’ve been on a quest to replace it. SA Elite was light on raincoat options, but they had some genuine bargains in their shoe section.

The store was running a sale, and this was no bottom of the barrel clearance. I did a double-take when I saw a pair of Saucony Virratas priced at $79 with a label next to it saying 20% off as marked. The best price I’ve seen on the web for these shoes has been $78 plus shipping. I asked for a pair in hi-viz yellow, but they only had my size in black. I was disappointed, but I tried them on the treadmill and liked the way they fit.

At the same time, my wife found a pair of ASICS Nimbus-14’s that fit her well and were priced amazingly low with the included discount. I’ve been on her to replace her GEL-2160’s that probably have more than 2,000 running miles on them. I’m serious, you should see them.

I’m thinking about doing a long base run this weekend and a shorter speed workout on the other day. I’m pleased with my progress and excited to be runnning in shoes with less than 500 miles on them. I hope the Virratas feel as good on the road as they did on the treadmill today.

Today’s good run becomes tomorrow’s expectation

On August 22, 2013 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

The daily burden

Today’s run (street): 3.5 miles

I was a little sore this morning, possibly because my last three runs were done at high effort (though perhaps not at high speed). I haven’t put up any sub-9 runs yet, but I’m moving in that direction. My saving grace today was the need to have an early call to Asia. That allowed me an extra hour to loosen up my leg muscles before my run.

Have you ever thought about how great everything seems after you’ve completed a fast run? You can point to it with pride and feel good about what you’ve accomplished. But as they say in Hollywood, you’re only as good as your last movie. And when training for a race, you’re only as good as the last time you ran. Time for resting on your laurels = 1 day. And that day ended for me this morning at 8:00 AM.

I started to prepare for my run after completing my call. Wednesday’s good experience had now become today’s burden. I knew I couldn’t default to my easy running pace and, while I wasn’t planning to go all-out, I had mentally set my target. I was determined not to come up short.

A slight soreness in my legs threw me off on the first half mile. I willed myself to run faster, but I’m not sure the effort fully translated. I do know that when I’m actively thinking about performance, my speed will usually move into the acceptable range. My goal today was to do better than that, so I kept up the mental pressure and hoped that would yield a good result.

I was pleased to see that I ran 5 seconds per mile faster than yesterday. It was great to repeat a good performance and I feel I’m heading in the intended direction. I have the rest of the night to enjoy today’s gains. Tomorrow morning, expectations return.

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.

Race report: 2013 Dirty Sock 10K

On August 18, 2013 By Emerging Runner8 Comments

Final charge to the finish line

Today’s race (Dirty Sock 10K): 6.2 miles (clock time 1:02:57)

This morning I ran the Dirty Sock 10K trail run for the fourth time since 2009 (I skipped it last year). Results have been posted, but they seem to be clock, not net times. Either way, it was the slowest time I’ve ever run this race. But in a race like this, experience is more important than time. As usual, the experience was great.

Team Emerging Runner arrived about 35 minutes before the start under overcast skies and fairly cool temperatures. Far better than in 2010, when the heat, humidity and occasional rain created sauna conditions on the course. After getting my bib number, along with the traditional pair of “Dirty Sock” sweat socks and race shirt, I regrouped with my family. Shortly after that, I ran into my friend Mike who was running the race with his brother Paul.

Paul, Mike and me

We walked together toward the western trail head, and told my wife and kids, “See you at the finish line.” Mike, Paul and I continued toward the starting line and found a place to wait. At 7:55, I turned on my Garmin, thinking five minutes would be enough time to acquire a signal. I was wrong, and it took about 23 minutes for the signal to lock in. My hope of capturing full race data was lost, but I was getting my heart rate in real time and the watch came in unexpectedly handy near the end of the race.

A video on the Dirty Sock Facebook page confirms that it took about a minute for me to cross the starting line after the horn. I’m hoping they post the net times, because this would make a difference in my overall time, bringing my pace into the 9:00 range (if only by 5/100th of a second!). I felt good at that point (although frustrated by my Garmin’s signal failure), and moved through the crowd of runners until I found a spot where I could open up my stride.

The first two miles went by fast, and I was beginning to think I might do well today. Like other times when I’ve run this race, the lead runners (winner set a course record of 32:48) were coming back after circling the lake, just as I prepared to turn right toward the Southern State underpass. It was a psychologically positive moment that confirmed my performance was on track. The transition from trail to pavement felt jarring, and I struggled a little as the course rose to the path that goes around Belmont Lake.

The three mile point comes about halfway around the lake and the clock showed that 29 minutes had passed. Thinking that we’d be measured by net time, I was feeling encouraged. But soon after that, I began to feel depleted. I took a sip from my gel flask where I’d mixed some Roctane with water. That helped a little, but I needed to adjust to a more sustainable pace. As we crossed under the low viaduct that leads back to the dirt trail, I thought about what I needed to do to get through the rest of the miles.

Without my GPS to tell me where I was in my progress, I tried to remember landmarks that I’d seen on the way up. I wanted to know how much trail I had left to cover. I started to get passed, indicating that I was running slower than I’d hoped. I finished the Roctane and soon saw the five mile clock that showed 50:40. I put everything I had into it, but still couldn’t generate the speed I needed. Not long after that, my Garmin beeped that a new mile had started. Although it didn’t correlate to the course, I used it as a rough estimate for the remaining distance.

Knowing that I only had a mile left put me in a state of hope. When I passed Southards Pond, I knew I was about to turn right for the final kilometer of the race. Halfway along that section of trail, my Garmin showed I had a half mile to go. I prepared for that, but when I saw a familiar landmark I realized the watch distance was off (compared to the course). I was really much closer. I put everything into my effort and soon heard the race announcer’s voice. I only had a few hundred feet to go, so I accelerated once the finish line (and my wife and kids) were in sight.

Cool-down with Dave

I was fully depleted when I finished and my kids quickly brought water and bananas to aid my recovery. I was wishing for some electrolyte drink, but there wasn’t any available. Although my heart rate dropped quickly to normal, it took about 30 minutes before I was feeling like my old self. Mike and Paul finished just a few minutes after me, and I was happy to run into Dave, who ran the course in the mid-50 minute range.

Award ceremony

We waited around and watched the award ceremony which was followed by an endless raffle where a hundred or more people won prizes. By then it was raining, but we hung in because my daughter was convinced I’d win the large screen TV (sadly, I didn’t). One of the other big prizes was a $2,500 gift certificate from a hair graft surgeon. That was won by a high school-aged girl, who accepted it with good humor.

Although I would have liked to run today’s race a few minutes faster, I was completely satisfied with today’s effort. My first half performance compared to the second indicates that I need to work on my base, especially if I expect to be competitive at Cow Harbor in September. Five weeks should be more than enough time to prepare for that course, but I’ll need to do plenty of hill, speed and distance training to get where I need to be.

Redemption run gives hope for Dirty Sock

On August 16, 2013 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

The Garmin doesn’t lie

Today’s run (street): 3.25 miles

With the Dirty Sock trail race happening on Sunday, I had one more run to go before I finished my taper. Yesterday’s run was disappointing and Tuesday’s was similarly mediocre. I’ve recently committed to pushing harder on training runs and that paid off last week with a few decent runs. When I say decent, I mean closer to last year’s average pace. Certainly not as fast as the paces I used to hit while training for a race.

The Dirty Sock is a tough course. The terrain isn’t especially bad for trails, but the steamy weather conditions and muddy paths make the last miles difficult. My time expectation for this race is about 59 minutes, which is five minutes slower than my 10K PR. I’m usually happy to run it in under an hour. Actually, the way I’ve been running, I’m concerned about breaking 62 minutes.

Hope came this morning with a run that redeemed my spirit. The difference today was that I kept a steady focus on speed. It wasn’t an impressive pace for many readers of this blog, but it was almost a minute per mile faster than what I “achieved” yesterday. I’m not going into Sunday’s race with a string of fast runs under my belt, but at least I ended training on a good note.

My Garmin speaks the ugly truth

On August 15, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

It’s a match

Today’s run (street): 3.25 miles

I’m incredibly annoyed with my Garmin today. I did this morning’s run and, as always, recorded my distance using GPS. I always assume the watch will under-count my distance, so I wasn’t upset to see the indicated time and pace. Usually, after Gmapping my route, I’ll need to add about 3% more mileage to the calculation. That often makes the difference between a good and mediocre pace. Today, both the Garmin and Gmaps said exactly the same thing, and what they said wasn’t good. I missed my targeted pace by 23 seconds per mile.

There’s no reason why I ran this slowly today. I’d tried to focus on form and turnover. The weather was perfect, so heat and humidity were not a factor. Perceived effort was on par with my better runs and I even ran the last quarter in a semi-sprint. But in the end, my performance did not match up to expectations. Tomorrow is my last run before Sunday’s race, so I need to make it count.

Zeotrope concept (left), example (right)

I took most of the day to be with the family and we spent it at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. The experience was great, and I even got to play with a nineteenth century zeotrope of a man running. But instead of marveling at this 100 year old wonder of technology, I was watching his form and thinking how he should shorten his stride.

Memories of a rainy run

On August 13, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Soggy and humid morning, or so I remember

Today’s run (street): 3.1 miles

This morning’s run seems so long ago that I’m thinking about it like it was yesterday. I wanted to go out very early to beat the rain, but my stalling worked against me. I walked outside and felt a few light drops. The sky was uniformly gray and I didn’t see any dark clouds that might drench me. Despite my aversion to running in rain because it distorts my vision, I couldn’t face a treadmill workout today.

My weekend of hard running has taken its toll. Even with a rest day on Monday, my leg muscles felt tight. Although I had no issues with either anaerobic or aerobic energy levels, I couldn’t generate the speed I was hoping to maintain. Exactly one mile into the run, I felt a pebble that had landed in my shoe. I tried to ignore the problem, but I finally gave in and stopped to clear it. By then, the light rain had become steadier and I wondered how bad conditions would get.

I had the opportunity to head directly to my house at that point, the loop I was on took me within a block. Instead, I decided to run my route regardless. I hoped that the rain would lessen, or at the very least, that it wouldn’t turn into a thunderstorm. Lightning is scary when you’re out running on the street, miles away from shelter.

The rain did get worse, but the thunder held off until I got home. The rest of the day was spent either on the phone or staring at my laptop. I’m glad I got out today, but I didn’t get through the conditioning run I’d originally planned. On the bright side, the humidity was extreme and that provided some good preparation for next Sunday’s race.

When pacing average is better than average

On August 7, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 3.5 miles

I spent most of the day in the city, but I managed to get out for a run around 6:30 AM. I always walk down the driveway to get the paper while my Garmin acquires its signal. This morning I was struck by the pleasant coolness in the air and the soft light from the sun that would feel much hotter in an hour. The difference between running at 6:30, versus 7:30 AM, when I usually go out on weekdays, is measurable.

It was probably due to the speed work I did on Sunday that I took off with an energy that I haven’t felt in many weeks. My stride was smooth and I felt the sensation of moving. That might sound funny, but my runs can sometimes feel static and plodding. I guess that happens when you run faster. I should probably do it more often.

My overall performance was right around my average training pace. My 2012 average, that is. This year I’ve been averaging 15 seconds slower than that. But that’s about to change. I don’t know why my focus on speed tends to drift over time, because I generally enjoy running fast tempos and intervals. I guess I should try to remember that more often.

Perpetual motion running at Bethpage

On August 3, 2013 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Perpetual force plus PureDrift

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park): 6.1 miles

Not that running six miles is particularly challenging, but when you add Bethpage’s rolling bike path, the going can get tough. With a 10K race looming, I felt that I needed to break out of my 3 to 4 mile run habit and push my base closer to race distance. I expected today’s run on the Bethpage trail to be difficult, but it wasn’t. In fact, I could have easily added a couple of more miles when I got to the end.

Things didn’t start out well this morning. I dressed for my run before noticing a steady rain outside. The weather reports indicated that things would clear up in an hour so I waited. It was drizzling when I left my house and the intensity of the rain increased along the way. When I arrived at the park, it was back to a drizzle and I was fine with that. I decided to follow the older path south – three miles out and three back.

I had trouble generating speed as I took on the first hill after the trail head. Even during the long downhill section that followed, I felt constrained. But shortly before the one mile point, I literally “hit my stride”, taking on the rolling hills with little trouble. I wasn’t moving that fast, but the activity felt friction-less. I remembered that Adventure Girl called this “perpetual motion running.”

I kept waiting for my energy to drain as I burned off glycogen, anticipating the struggles that would come when my system turned to alternative sources of fuel. It began to rain at the same time that I started to tire. Perhaps it was the practical need to get out of the rain that changed my energy, but I stepped it up and returned to the perpetual motion stride.

The last mile of this route has a few short steep hills and one long one. I focused on shortening my stride length and maintaining my cadence. I wouldn’t say it was easy, but after 5.5 miles I still felt strong getting through the last section. Once I crested the dreaded last hill, I realized that I was feeling strong enough to keep going.

I ended up turning left to return to my starting point. I’d cover my planned distance and confirmed that my conditioning was on track. My trail run with Chris will happen on Thursday and Mike and I are doing a Dirty Sock course practice on Saturday. Those workouts will help fine-tune my race readiness. I hope that perpetual motion stride will return when I need it.

DNA extraction and the dog that didn’t bite

On August 2, 2013 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

My morning encounter

Today’s run (street): 3.4 miles

For some reason I had it in my head that yesterday was Friday. When I got up this morning I started thinking about where I’d go for my first weekend run. The rain had moved out, and it looked like nice weather to be outside. I started going through my options for running venues when I realized that it wasn’t Saturday and I had to get some work done.

My business schedule is less structured than when I worked in an office in NYC. I can now start my day with a run after the sun has come up, or work for a while and run later in the morning. My schedule also gives me the flexibility to do things I used to miss because I’d be in the city. Today I was able to attend my son’s presentation on gene extraction methodologies at the Cold Spring Harbor DNA Learning Center. The most impressive thing I ever did at summer camp was make a lanyard.

Saying goodbye to his Beijing camp mates

Before all of that, I went for a run. Since I didn’t have the time to cover much distance, I stuck to the neighborhood and followed one of my usual routes. A few minutes into the run I was accosted by an unleashed dog whose owner called to me, “He’s only going to follow you to the end of the street.” This annoyed me. Recently, I read a quote by Peter Magill, a Running Times columnist, who said, “Every dog that has bitten me was a dog that didn’t bite.”

The dog kept its distance and it stopped as the owner had predicted. I was soon past my first mile, enjoying cooler conditions than I’d expected. I tried to carry over the intensity of yesterday afternoon’s treadmill workout into today and was only partially successful. I ended up pacing in the acceptable range. If the weather holds tomorrow I’ll probably return to Bethpage and do a hybrid run on both the dirt and the bike trails. I need to build my base in preparation for the upcoming 10K that happens in just two weeks.