The race is run: 8K – 53 yards = 9:00/mi

On June 7, 2009 By Emerging Runner3 Comments

I’m happy to report that this morning I completed my third race in as many months. The race distance was 8K (53 yards short of 5 miles) and it really pushed the limits of my stamina. I’ve regularly run 5 or more miles over the last six months but usually at a comfortable (non-competitive) pace. I did well through most of the race but I did find myself questioning this whole running thing at one point. I’ll get to that further below.

Now that I’ve experienced racing a few times I know better what to expect. I arrived early to ensure a good parking spot and to allow enough time between check in and the start of the race. Despite my concerns about the planning (online registration was not enabled until the week of the race) the event was well organized and check in was orderly and efficient. I got my number, timing chip and t-shirt and got myself set up. I was alone so I stowed the non-essential items in my car and then did some stretching and warm up exercises. There were a number of people doing warm up runs but with the sun and the 65+ degree heat a warm up did not seem necessary. Most participants belonged to running clubs and there were many of those. Each club seemed to establish a base camp where they stood around and talked as we waited for the start. I was one of the odd men (and women) out but I chatted with a few people. I even showed another runner how to attach his timing chip and that made me realize that I’m no longer a complete newbie.

We began lining up about ten minutes prior to the start. I stayed on the sidelines where there was some shade as the sun was already bearing down at 9:05 AM. When I did get into place I was behind 30 or 40 other runners. Once the starting horn sounded we were off and, with the crowd ahead, it took me at least 15 seconds to pass the starting line. My plan was to start fast so I had to maneuver around some slower runners to get a clear area for running. I was pleased with my pace and very happy when I passed the display at mile 1 which showed 8:25. The course was balanced between hills and downhill stretches. I’d guess that overall it was balanced neutral to downhill. There were no killer hills but there were a few stretches where I had to put my head down and just push on for a distance. I was still tracking below 9:00/mi after mile 2 and, like the 5K in May, the time between miles two and three seemed to go very fast. I must have started to lose speed after the third mile because I had managed to hold off from being passed until then. I even passed a number of other runners after the second mile but as I headed toward mile four I got passed by at least five runners. I tried to maintain some speed on the downhill sections but I wasn’t feeling all that strong and started “borrowing” those stretches for recovery from the hill segments.

The last mile was the hardest and I seriously felt like I couldn’t maintain my pace too much longer. It felt a lot more like suffering than fun at that point. There were many people cheering as I got close to the finish and all the volunteers who were passing out water along the route were very gracious and encouraging. I felt slightly more energized once I saw the green field ahead that told me the finish line was close. Once I reached the grass I gave it everything I had and sprinted the final few hundred feet and noted that I had finished at 44:42 which meant that I beat 9:00 per mile.

Except I didn’t…

When I looked at the posted results near the finish line I was disappointed to see that I ran a 9:00 overall pace and it hit me that the 8K course was 53 yards shy of 5 miles! I started thinking about the crowded start and the fact that I probably would have beaten 9:00 if my starting position was closer to the line. But that’s an excuse, if I’d maintained the same pace for the last mile that I’d run for the first 4 I would have made my goal. It was my conditioning that prevented that and now I know that I have to train better for longer distances. I can only be grateful that it wasn’t a 10K!

Despite not beating 9:00/mi I’m happy that I came as close as I did. The post race experience was a blur. I remember having a banana, an orange slice and a bottle of water and I tried to keep moving to allow my heart rate to drop slowly. I was happy with the race I ran but I know where I need to improve. I’ve emerged a little more. So what’s next?

Giving in to low tech

On May 28, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

During the check-in for my 5K race there was a man handing out flyers for the New Hyde Park 8K race that’s scheduled to be held on Sunday, June 7. The race is only a few towns away from where I live and my wife encouraged me to sign up. Although the application says you can register online at http://www.nhprunners.com/ the site is still set up for 2008. I tried to find more information online but everything kept pointing back to the New Hyde Park Runner’s Club website. I started wondering if the event was even going to happen and I was concerned that with no online registration there would be few people participating. The race is nine days away and although I have been training for it I started thinking that it might be a good idea to start looking around for another race.

As it happened, I tried one more time to find information and saw a link to the Runner’s World Racefinder. The listing had contact information, including a phone number, so I called and spoke to Harold Axelrod who told me the race is very much on but their website is having problems. I asked him how many runners he expected for the race and he said 350 to 400. That sounded good to me. Harold offered to send me an application but I already had one in paper form. I told him I’d send it in and he wished me well in the race.

I’m excited that I’m back on track for this 5 mile race. I’ve been running about 20 miles per week over the last month and have been focusing on both pace and hills. The race starts at 9:15 on the 7th and I’m hoping that the sun won’t be too intense at that time. Tomorrow AG and I are planning a long run along the Hudson (weather permitting) with a goal pace of under 9:00/mile. She’s just had two consecutive weekends of highly intense competition and this will be her first run since the Patch Sprint. I’m looking to cover 12-15 miles between tomorrow and Sunday, perhaps starting with 5 or 6 on Friday.

In the long run

On February 28, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I look forward my weekend runs because, weather permitting, I can run outdoors and enjoy some actual scenery. Weekends also provide an opportunity to run greater distances since I’m limited to about 20 minutes in the morning during the work week. Over the past few months I’ve made it a goal to increase my average distance during my weekend runs to help prepare for two races, the first coming in 49 days and the second two weeks later. I am careful to track my pace and I collect a lot of data about my runs. It’s a bit belt-and-suspenders but I use and used the Garmin 50 and the Nike+ Sportband respectively to capture real time information. Since I don’t trust (for good reason) the distance accuracy of these devices I usually map my actual run against Gmaps or Google Earth to determine actual pace.

In studying what is now 6 months of run data I see a clear pattern in terms of distance covered by day. Saturdays are by far my best distance days and all my personal distance records have been made on those days. Although my intentions are always to meet or exceed Saturdays on my Sunday runs I usually fall short and I’m sure this relates to the fact that while I’m dedicated to running I have not reached a level of conditioning that allows me to complete back to back runs over four miles.

This morning I ran 4.3 miles at a 9:26 pace. Good for me but not where I want to be in 49 days when I compete in a 4 miler. The good news is just a few months ago my pace was 30 sec/mi slower on average and my top distances were in the low 3 mile range. So progress is being made. I’ll see how tomorrow goes. We’re due for some snow on Sunday but hopefully it won’t start coming down until later in the day.

The tail and the dog

On February 11, 2009 By Emerging Runner3 Comments

As I edge closer to my April race date I find myself tuning my runs for greater speed and distance. Knowing that these upcoming races are looming creates an urgency to my training. Four miles on April 19. No big deal for most runners but it’s still a challenging distance for me. I have exceeded the four mile mark a few times and I could probably even run five now but I wouldn’t be too happy by the finish.

I recently ran into a friend who I haven’t seen in a while. Like everyone who knows me but hasn’t seen me for six months he looked concerned and asked warily if I’d lost weight. I told him yes, that I’d been running. He told me that he runs and has been running for years. I asked him about distances and he said he runs six miles during the week and over ten miles on weekends. We compared paces, etc. and once again I was humbled in the presence of a real runner.

I told him that I was signed up for a couple of races in the spring and I asked him how often he competed. He surprised me by saying he didn’t race. In fact he had never raced and didn’t see the point of it. To him running, not competing, is the point. When you’re competing you spend your time focusing your activity on a single event – not on the enjoyment of the sport. Running is the dog and the race is the tail. Most people chase the tail and miss the fun. He said he’d rather just run. I asked him then why he tracked distance and pace and he laughed and said it was a force of habit.

I’m not sure that I agree with my friend on this. Training for a race can be fun. Making goals and training to exceed them can be an enjoyable experience. I don’t expect to win on April 19th but I’m going to try. There are worse things to do on your birthday.

Is it too early to think about Thanksgiving?

On February 4, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

As I’d expected, yesterday’s snowstorm delayed my train commute home. There was a lot of snow on my car when I got to the station and I had to climb in through the passenger side because the driver’s side door was frozen shut. You might think that all this would get me down but I was too excited by an email from my wife telling me that our town is planning to hold its first annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day.

I haven’t been able to confirm details but I did see it listed on the town’s Chamber of Commerce website. The site didn’t list the distance or whether they will offer multiple races but I’m hoping there will be a 10K because that distance would align with my 2009 running goals. If it’s anything more than 6.2 miles I don’t know if I could be ready in time. Right now I’m focusing on getting through my upcoming 4 mile race. I know I can handle that distance but anything over that is fairly intimidating at this point.

Unless it’s a half marathon or more (highly doubtful since my town isn’t that big!) I’m going to enter the Turkey Trot. After all, what fun would running be without a big challenge once in a while?

Running resolutions at the 8% mark

On February 2, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today is Groundhog Day which means little except that January has come and gone. Given that it’s February 2nd, we are already 8.7% through the year. I thought I would take a look at my progress against my 2009 running goals to see how I’ve done.

1. Participate in at least four local races.
Not achieved but that’s okay. I’m training for two upcoming races in early spring and (barring injury) I’m expecting to beat this goal by year’s end.

2. Run a complete 10K course (individually or in a race). This is achievable but probably not until the second half of the year. I’m averaging about 3.25 miles for my longer runs and my best distance so far this year has been 4.4 miles. I haven’t been pushing too hard to regularly reach 4 miles but that needs to happen soon. Running 6.2 miles isn’t crazy when I consider that I’ve already run 70% of that distance. But I just couldn’t do it today.

3. Run three miles under 8:40/mile.
I think this one will be tough. I’m told by experienced runners that simply running in a race helps your pace. I guess it’s the adrenalin rush or keeping up with the other runners. An 8:40 5K pace would be great but I’d be pleased with 8:59.

4. Incorporate one rest day into my weekly training schedule.
I have not taken any rest days but I am incorporating two non-running days into the week. On Mondays and Thursdays I do about 25 minutes on the elliptical machine in the morning. Not exactly rest but I don’t consider elliptical work equal to running in terms of effort.

I’m also doing core a few days a week and will be integrating more upper body work into my routines. I’m also thinking about adding some of the forms from my old Uechi-ryu training. I haven’t done much with that since I achieved shodan rank.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional

On December 29, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

My wife got me Haruki Murakami’s book “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” and I started reading it yesterday. I am a fan of Murakami’s novels and short stories and I’ve read many of his books. Unlike his fiction, WITAWITAR is a memoir about his running life. It would be delusional (on my part) to compare this book to my daily posts but there is similarity in that he wrote the book in “real time”, recording his daily experience without the usual filter of book writing. Murakami is very quotable but I was amused by a sentence he attributed to another runner: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” What’s meant by that is when you start every run it’s a given that you will reach a point of discomfort or pain. But how you choose to proceed (or not) after that is your choice.

The decision to suffer played out in a low key way this morning when I went to the track to do a light run. I usually do a lighter workout on the elliptical on Mondays but I’m off from work this week so I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to run outside. The weather was perfect when I got to the track and after a good night’s sleep I was expecting a strong start. However, starting off, I felt tight and a little tired and I questioned whether I should have taken this as a rest day. I did my usual self bargining (“Okay, just two miles and I’ll see how I feel”) and I really wasn’t enjoying it. After about fifteen minutes I started feeling a little stronger and by then there was another runner who proceeded to follow me and then match me stride for stride until he pulled away slightly. I was happy to have him in front of me because I could follow his pace. He looked experienced and I thought I might learn something by watching the way he ran. I was able to stay with him but after a few laps he stopped. Maybe he was just warming up or maybe he wasn’t feeling it today. Perhaps he chose not to suffer. I chose to keep going and ended up running 4.4 miles finishing pretty strong. That made me happy because I’m training for a 4 mile race and I’ve been wanting to extend my weekend and vacation runs to at least 4 miles and/or 40 minutes.

A new challenge

On December 24, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I looked at the 2009 race calendar and saw that while a number of races are scheduled in January, none were listed for February and only one race was listed for March and April. The calendar will get updated as the year goes on but right now those are my choices. January is out – I have too much planned already and won’t have time to properly prepare. The event in April looks interesting, a 4 mile run on the 19th, which happens to be my birthday. It’s a USATF sanctioned event for a good cause and it also includes a kids fun run. I really didn’t want my first race to be a 4 miler but I’m up for the challenge.

In that spirit I had a fairly intense workout this morning running 3.62 miles at a decent pace. I was working on distance more than speed and was pleased with the way I felt. I could have gone another mile but since I run almost every day I don’t want to push myself into injury territory. In the January issue of Runner’s World there’s a Q&A called “Ask Miles” where someone asked how many runners there are in the US. I posted on this subject but from a different source a couple of weeks ago. Miles’ answer was different, but amusing:

“…About 16 million of us are “frequent runners” (we run 100-plus days per year). Those who run 365 days per year are called “injured runners…”

I like Runner’s World. What other magazine would have this headline on it’s cover?

I’m hoping to hit the street or track tomorrow if the weather cooperates. Should be pretty quiet out there on Xmas morning.

Coming soon to the Emerging Runner

On December 23, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Tomorrow I will add a new feature to this site called “The Sedentary Man” by a writer whose focus on fitness is also emerging. He offers his readers some unhelpful advice. No, that’s not a typo.

I heard today from another friend and runner who is challenging my 130 day ramp-up to my first 5K. He included a link to a website listing a number of races in my area that will take place between now and May. I’m going to find one that works so I can start training for it. Then I’m going to reprogram my countdown clock.

143 days and counting…

On December 10, 2008 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I officially registered for the 5K race so there’s no turning back now. The cost to enter was modest but the psychological cost (should I end up not participating) would be much greater. So I’m committed. Plus I’d get a t-shirt! I was very happy to see that the race starts at 8:00 AM so it should be relatively cool in early May.

I mentioned this race at lunch today to a friend who happens to be an accomplished runner. He was surprised that I’m not doing a race sooner than May. His point is that I am capable of runnning a 5K now and there are a lot of other races between now and May ’09. He made a good point. If I come across a local 5K in early 2009 that looks interesting I may be tempted to do that. In the meantime I’m focused on May 2nd, 8:00 AM.