Angels, devils and blogger buddies

On January 11, 2014 By Emerging Runner5 Comments

Today’s run (treadmill): 5.25 miles

I looked outside this morning and saw that the wind was blowing hard and puddles were forming on the roads. The rain was moderate, but I was concerned that if I went outside to run, I could get caught in a downpour. I weighed the pros and cons of that situation and decided to take the drier path. A few minutes later, the rain intensified and I felt a little better about my choice.

Wet, wind and fog this morning

Even though I knew it was going to be a soggy day, I wanted to keep an open mind about getting outside. The reason for this came from two blogger buddies whose opinions I greatly value. In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that the rain would probably put me back on the treadmill today. TPP commented that I should face up to it and do at least four miles on the machine. SIOR suggested that the three of us do our runs in the rain. I’m not sure if she meant that as an esprit de corps-type exercise or because misery loves company.

I thought about the image of an angel and devil on my shoulder, with TPP saying, “it doesn’t matter if you use the treadmill, just get in the extra miles” while SIOR counters, “don’t be a wimp, run outside in the rain.” I’m not naming the angel and devil in this scenario.

I ended up on the treadmill and covered 5.25 miles, according to the machine’s display. As much as I disparage the treadmill (I think treadmill bashing annoys my wife, who has no issues running daily on the machine) I’ll admit that it wasn’t too bad today. It may have had to do with my mindset, knowing I’d be covering at least five miles. Unlike my usual treadmill experience where I’m ready to explode from boredom by the three mile mark, I passed through that point feeling good that 2/3 of the workout had been completed.

I’m pleased to have completed my longest run of 2014 and I don’t feel too guilty about avoiding the wet and windy conditions. Tomorrow promises to be a better day, with a high of 43° and sunny skies. That will be perfect weather for my first outside run since New Year’s Day. If the ground is dry, I might even consider a run on the trails.

Wet and chilly, but back to the run

On October 10, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 3.5 miles

This morning I actually felt apprehensive before going out for a run. I was concerned that I hadn’t recovered from two exhausting days that were accompanied by a cold. I still had some symptoms, but felt strong enough to give it a try. The rain seemed to be holding off so I chose the outdoor option.

By the time I got outside, the skies had darkened and I saw that water was collecting on the driveway. I considered heading inside and using the treadmill, but I decided to go for it. After all, what would be the harm of running in chilly and wet conditions while battling a cold? I didn’t really consider the implications, but conceded that I’d head back if the skies really opened up.

Despite having three days off from running, I didn’t feel much energy as I made my way through the neighborhood. This run was about getting back on schedule and I didn’t push the pace. The rain didn’t let up very much, but I dealt with it. By the time I reached three miles, I was ready to head towards home. I may have pushed a little too hard too quickly, but I was glad to be back in running mode.

I’m probably going to be stuck doing indoor workouts over the next two days due to a storm that’s predicted to come through, bringing flooding rains. If I get to full strength by the weekend I’ll work on hills, since the Town of Oyster Bay 5K, with its very long hill, happens the following Saturday.

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.

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.

Rain disrupts my plans, but not my running

On August 2, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Weather fit for neither beast nor trail runner

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

I ended up skipping yesterday’s workout altogether, choosing to wait until this afternoon to run the trails with my friend. The early morning’s weather was perfect, but unfortunately, it was the only good weather we had today. I glanced outside throughout the day and watched the sky grow increasingly darker. It would either clear up, or I’d be looking at rainy and muddy conditions at 4:00 PM.

Around 3:00 PM, my friend Chris called to check in. He was on Long Island for business and preparing to finish a meeting, before heading to my house. The rain was coming down in buckets and any hopes that it would taper off were gone. We decided to postpone our trail run until next week.

With my afternoon freed up, I refocused on a business project. I knew I had the option of running on the treadmill so, by 4:15, I’d decided to do that. In keeping with my plan to train at faster paces, I started on the edge of comfort and increased my speed periodically throughout the run.

Some people find treadmill running easier than outdoor running, but I have the opposite experience. 6.6 MPH (9:00/mile) on my Sole F63 feels like 5K race pace. I was determined get through the run, despite increasing discomfort. I bumped up the pace with a quarter mile to go and held it until I’d “covered” my planned distance.

It was definitely one of the hardest runs I’ve done in the last four weeks and I was glad that I didn’t back off on my speed, even as the run got tougher. I need to maintain that mindset as I go through my Dirty Sock training. Even without Chris to push me or the challenges at Stillwell, I think made some good conditioning progress today.

Run turned back at the driveway

On June 13, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

I watched the garage door rise to reveal a rain covered driveway this morning. It had looked dry from the window, but that was obviously an illusion. I wasn’t interested in running in rain-soaked conditions that would obscure my vision and saturate my shoes and socks. I turned around and headed upstairs to wait for my wife to complete her treadmill workout.

Today’s schedule was tight and I wanted to get in my run before I got caught up in business calls. I’ve been fighting a mild chest cold and could have used that as an excuse to skip my workout. I figured that I should at least try a run and see how it felt. I wasn’t looking to push myself too hard after a couple of hard runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. I did pretty well, but I skipped the progressive speed increases.

I’m getting closer to my next race and I know I should begin tuning my runs towards speed. I’m not sure which approach to take: intervals or tempos. I can’t really do speed work at the track during the week because school is still in session. If the weather is clear over the weekend, I may head to the high school. I think all the hill running I’ve been doing is helping to build my fitness, but I don’t know if it’s also helping my speed.

Using guilt, once again, to jumpstart a run

On May 28, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I didn’t expect to run this morning when I got up. For no reason I could identify, I was too tired to do my planned workout. I drank my coffee, watched the news and hoped my energy level would rise enough to get me on the treadmill. Time was growing short, because I needed to head to the city for a meeting. I decided to start my run and hope for the best.

The reason I was determined to run was simple — I didn’t want to feel guilty for skipping my workout. It’s been said that the hardest thing about running is starting. I’m not talking about those runs that happen on a perfect spring morning. It’s days like this, when the “rest” option is so tempting. But guilt can be a powerful motivator and today it won out.

Rain dampens demand

While I was in the city, the weather quickly changed from sunny and bright to damp and dismal. I saw a number of Citi Bikes racked in various places, as I made my way through NYC (I took this pic near Grand Central). With the pouring rain, there were many bikes to be had. The idea of a Citi Bike is good. I try to avoid taking the subway unless I need to be someplace far sooner than I could possibly travel by foot, and I would consider a Citi Bike as an alternative. But I’m a long way from trusting that NYC drivers will safely share the road.

Rainy day running gets you nowhere

On May 19, 2013 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Get it?

Today’s run (treadmill): 4.1 miles

Rain is a funny thing for me. I generally don’t mind when I’m caught in a storm, as long as I have a decent umbrella. I like the experience of reading a good book indoors when it’s pouring outside. But when it comes to running in the rain, I would rather endure freezing temperatures, high humidity and scorching heat than be subjected to pluvial conditions. Some of this is due to my difficulty seeing in the rain with glasses, but the whole soaking shoes, socks, shirt and shorts thing really undercuts my enjoyment of a run.

This morning I prepared to run outside under a dark gray sky. As much as I abhor running in rain, my favorite conditions are cool and overcast weather. I was dressed and ready to head out when my daughter looked up from her homework and said, “Dad, do you know that it’s raining outside?” I didn’t know, but I decided to walk down the driveway to see if it was rain or just light drizzle. It was rain.

I came back inside and headed upstairs to wait for my wife to finish her treadmill run. I changed into a lighter running shirt and removed my RoadID but kept on the other gear. As soon as my wife finished her workout, I fired up the floor fan, put on the news and set a brisk pace on the treadmill. The rainy conditions outside created humid conditions indoors. I prepared for 16 tedious “laps”, the most I thought I could endure this morning.

It was disappointing to be stuck on the treadmill after expecting to run outside. Yesterday I experienced some fatigue after negotiating the long uphill section along Sunnyside Boulevard. Today I felt like I had more energy, but the lack of perceived progress I get during treadmill running was mentally wearing. I focused on .25 mile increments and eventually got to my targeted “distance.”

I was glad that I didn’t let the weather prevent me from putting in the miles today. However, after four miles of humid treadmill running I’m reconsidering the merits of running in the rain.

Posting short

On April 23, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill) 3.2 miles

I’ve been swamped since yesterday and that’s why I didn’t post on Monday. In fact, I barely have time to post today. I wanted to get my run done before a morning meeting, so I tried to go out early. My timing couldn’t have been worse. The rain started falling, just as I was ready to go outside. So another treadmill run was in order. Better luck tomorrow, I guess.

Hesitation forces a Plan B run

On April 12, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

The soggy price of procrastination

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

All of today’s business related activities could be managed by emails, calls or virtual meeting rooms, so I didn’t need to go into the city. Knowing that, I took my time getting ready for my planned outside run. The weather was cold and the skies were overcast, but the local news channel was saying we’d see no rain until noon. I waited until both kids had gone off to school and headed upstairs to change.

The reported temperature was 43 degrees, but it felt colder than that. I put on two long sleeved shirts and a pair of medium weight running pants. I took my time getting dressed, including HRM strap, GPS watch, RoadID and SPIbelt. I was just about to head outdoors when I heard my wife call from upstairs, “Do you know it’s raining!?” I looked outside and saw the water coating the back deck. Ugh. I headed back upstairs to implement Plan B.

Some people don’t mind running in the rain, but I really dislike it. Besides the visibility issues that come from wearing glasses, the experience is worsened by soaking wet pants, jerseys and socks. Plan B is usually the treadmill, unless I feel like a change and use the elliptical. Today I wanted to run, so after a quick change into running shorts, I was on the treadmill once again.

There’s never much to say about a treadmill workout unless something unusual happens, and today nothing did. If I had spent less time on my laptop this morning, and instead, headed out by 7:00, I would have enjoyed a refreshing outdoor experience in dry conditions. And if that was the case, I’d probably have something more interesting to write about today.