Runsketeer reunion at the Massapequa Preserve

On September 9, 2019September 22, 2019 By Emerging Runner5 Comments

For the first time in 21 months, the “gang of five” core Runsketeers came together on Sunday to run the Massapequa Preserve trail. It had been a while since we’d gathered for a track workout followed by post-run coffee and snacks at SIORs house. In between then, various Runsketeers had gotten together for runs, rigorous hill workouts (I missed the Selden adventure due to my hill allergy) or the year-starting Hangover Run (that one I did).

The plan was to meet in the lot adjacent to the trail head. We all arrived on time and it felt great to see the ‘sketeers: TPP, SIOR, Professor Mike and KWL, together again. The weather was cool and dry and other groups were also gathering for their Sunday runs. We voiced our planned distances that ranged from three to six miles, and made our way out of the lot and onto the path. We normally go left, but Mike suggested that we take the unpaved trail on the right that follows the side of the lower pond. It was a bit rooty and I worried that I might trip, but it turned out to be fine.

KWL graciously stayed by my side and ran at my pace. Soon we connected with the paved trail where SIOR, TPP and Mike were waiting. They were quickly on their way and out of sight. We saw them next at the Clark Avenue crossing, but not again until we all met up in the lot. KWL and I moved along, covering many different subjects: work, guitars, 3-D printing, glass blowing and driving in the Japanese countryside. When we reached Mansfield Park, I suggested that we turn around in a quarter mile at the Linden Street crossing.

We headed back and added another two miles to what turned out to be a 4.5 mile run. I kept waiting for our speedy run-mates to overtake us along the way, but we arrived first at the trail head. Mike had followed the dirt section at the end and we saw him shortly after we’d stopped. He was coming from the west and may have actually beaten us back. I think he did 6+ miles, SIOR did 6 and TPP did 6.06. She is amazing because she mostly cycles now, yet she did a six miler last week and impressive distance yesterday. SIOR and Mike are the varsity players (to be fair, so is KWL) who can bring it in fast at any distance.

By law, the Runsketeers headed over to the nearest Starbucks which was located on Sunrise Highway a couple of miles west of the trail. TPP thought we were going to the Massapequa Starbucks but she got back on the road and joined us a few minutes later. KWL brought gifts from his various travels and we settled around a long table with coffees in hand.

We talked about a lot of things: CBD and “pharmaceuticals”, books, movies, soccer, academics, kids and parents, and (of course) the sorry state of leadership in DC. As usual, two hours went by like 20 minutes and we all agreed that waiting for months on end to do these runs isn’t acceptable. I appreciate the friendship and fun and I selfishly benefit from the higher bar set by my buddies that prompts me to run a little faster and farther than I would have on my own.

Running in fall with cooler temperatures and low humidity is almost as good as it gets. Running with these guys is as good as it gets.

SIOR and I hit the Massapequa trail

On July 14, 2019 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Well Preserved this morning

Happy Bastille Day! Despite meeting my distance target for June (goal was 65 miles and I actually recorded 66.84, but who’s counting?), this is the first post I’ve written in July. I now have more time to post and I’m running a lot more, but there isn’t a lot to write about when every run is pretty much the same. Today I had the pleasure of running again with SIOR who accommodated my mediocre speed and actually had me pacing at a level I haven’t seen in a number of months, More on that further below.

Back to the monthly mileage goal for a minute. I measure my runs using Gmaps to get a more accurate distance number than the Garmin records. This is because GPS watches have a technical limitation with the way they track vectors around corners and sometimes on straight roads. You can improve the accuracy by increasing the number of GPS “pings” per minute. It would be an easy fix, but battery life would be terrible. I’ve figured out that my watch generally under counts distance by about 2% so (technically) I probably ran 68.17 miles in June. But again, who’s counting?

Today was not about distance or speed, although I ultimately covered 3.4 miles and paced better than my average. It was about getting in an easy run and having good old conversation. I haven’t been able to keep up with the speedy Runsketeers in the past year, but SIOR made it easy for me.

We met at the Massapequa Preserve trail head at 7:30 AM with a plan to do a three mile out and back. After the usual game of Marco Polo (SIOR was in the big lot, I was in the small lot) we found each other. I had a big day Saturday up in Putnam County at Cold Spring and Bear Mountain and wasn’t feeling great. I told SIOR that I’d understand if she wanted to run her pace but she was having none of that and we took off together.

This looks like a lot more than 3 miles

SIOR claimed she also wasn’t feeling great and we stopped from time to time and walked. That may be true, but I think she may have done that because 12 minute paces hurt her knees. Whatever the reason, today was a throwback to the “early” Runsketeer days when I was better able to hold my own in these group runs. Some pretty funny conversations used to happen back then, with me and SIOR verbally jabbing and counter punching and TPP laughing and encouraging it all.

According to my Garmin, me and SIOR covered 2.6 miles actually running. Since we turned around at the 2 mile mark (SIOR correct me if I’m wrong) I suspect that we ran more than that. After looking at the GPS map that cut out a lot of our route and my step count on my Garmin, I’m sure we covered at least three, if not more. Here’s one example of GPS malfeasance:

I don’t remember running across the water

No matter the actual distance, we enjoyed it. We saw a big dog chilling in a stream and lots of other runners on the trail. I felt 100% better after my run than before it. Then there was only one thing left to do: coffee at Starbucks! You’d think after all that trail conversation we would have covered every possible topic. But you don’t know us. The thing that always amuses me when the Runsketeers get together is how little we actually talk about running. And that’s just fine with me.

I wanted to record at least three miles today so I ran over to the nearby middle school and did 4 x 160 meter repeats and ran back home. That added another .8 miles to today’s total and finished off my week with 16.5 miles. According to Garmin Connect, I’m at 36.26 miles for July which they say is 48% of of 70 miles. But my math (backed up by a calculator) says that’s actually 51.8%. So what gives Garmin? Either way, I expect to reach 70, even with GPS under counting and Garmin Connect’s “math problem.”

Hanging Over with the Runsketeers

On January 1, 2019 By Emerging Runner8 Comments

Flower inserted due to behavioral issue

According to my records, I only had three Emerging Runner posts in all of 2018. That’s pretty pathetic. This was mostly due to the fact that I didn’t post on the other 362 days. However, I am proud to say that I’ve posted every day in 2019. I’ve also run every day this year. Not so pathetic now, huh?!

I give credit for today’s run to my long time running ~~nemesis~~ friend, She Is Out Running (SIOR) who decided that the Runsketeers would return to Eisenhower Park to do the 2019 LIRRC Hangover Run. For some reason we skipped it last year, but now we’re back on track. While some Runskies weren’t able to make it today, they were with us in spirit.

The Hangover Run is a great event because it provides all the great stuff about being in a race (organization, other runners, time clock, free food!) without the pressure of competing. Everyone starts together, but after that you’re on your own to do as many loops of the one mile course as you’d like. Since the event happens on New Year’s Day, it’s usually a chilly proposition, but today’s morning temperature was about 56°, albeit with some stiff winds along the route.

I arrived at the park around 9:20 AM for the 9:30 start and looked for SIOR. I knew TPP needed to work, but wasn’t sure if Professor Mike (PM) or KWL would be joining us. I didn’t see anyone from the crew so I lined up for the start, figuring I’d run into the others along the way. After the LIRRC guy counted down the start, we were off. I knew I’d be running this course a lot slower than in the past due to some medication I’m taking. It was both interesting and a little humiliating to go from being a solid mid-packer to back-of-packer. At least I was passing walkers!

About 3/10ths into the run, a couple of speedsters slipped by and were running directly ahead of me when I realized they were SIOR and PM. I said something snarky, which they ignored, so I tapped SIOR on the shoulder and surprised them. We ran together for a couple of minutes. It was probably my fastest quarter and definitely SIOR’s slowest of the day. She caught up with PM and they resumed their pace. I watched them on the other side of the loop each time I went around, getting ever closer to lapping me. On my third mile, that’s exactly what happened and I ran the remainder of the route with SIOR.

It was the fastest three miles I’ve run since April 1st of last year. Still nothing to write home about in terms of pace, but it underscored how much I’d regressed by running solo much of 2018. We grabbed some coffee and food and then SIOR decided to run one more loop before we headed off to Runsketeer HQ, also known as the closest Starbucks.

Rare pic of SIOR acting like a grownup

PM and SIOR were waiting at a table by the time I arrived. Starbucks was sparsely populated and I gave my buddies holiday presents because last year we skipped the Hangover and I didn’t give them their gifts until July. I grabbed a coffee and we got into it right away — politics, religion, medical issues, work, kids, anything but running. It didn’t matter that it had been months since we got together, it’s always as if we saw each other the day before.

Seeing my buddies and running better than I have in a long time was inspiring. I really hope we can get the whole group together soon. I wouldn’t call it a resolution, but I am serious about getting back to 18-21 mile weeks before mid year. I have a strategy to get me there, and running more with the Runsketeers is part of that plan.

The Runsketeers hit the track and the porch

On July 15, 2018 By Emerging Runner7 Comments

Runsketeers™ L-R: KWL, Prof Mike, TPP, SIOR, ER

Today’s run (track & street): 3.5 miles

Happy Bastille Day! In that spirit, the mighty Runsketeers™ got together this morning for the first time since last November. Today’s run was at a high school track in Rockville Center, the same place where SIOR, TPP and I did speed work a few years ago. This morning we were joined by KWL, Professor Mike and a friend of SOIR’s who is training for a big triathlon. SIOR needed to be home before 9:00 AM so our run was relatively short. The Runsketeers mostly ran in circles while the triathlete did ladders. Well that’s what SIOR said he was doing, but I didn’t see anything on the track that looked like a ladder.

When I arrived, KWL and TPP were already running on the track. SIOR and tri-man showed up soon after. They had run from SIOR’s house and had already covered 1.5 miles. Professor Mike recently tweaked his back and was taking it easy and walking. I ran at times with KWL and TPP and with SIOR and Mike who decided to run easy for a while. Even with easy pacing, they broke away from me. I was happy to run at my pace with my buds joining me from time to time. I actually passed Mike on the track once. Full disclosure, he was walking.

Due to time constraints, we finished quickly and convoyed to SIOR’s house. SIOR hosted us to coffee and food on her enclosed front porch that kept us in shade and free of bugs. Happily, it didn’t keep us free of daughters or dogs. Mike brought home baked banana bread and SIOR served melons, grapes and fruit salad. SIOR was having trouble getting the kettle to boil, but managed to get the coffee to us in short order. I, of course, brought my Runsketeer coffee mug.

Couldn’t say it better myself

We hadn’t all gotten together as a group in a long time. Besides being Bastille Day, it was also Christmas in July, as I FINALLY had the chance to give TPP her Christmas present. We covered the usual subjects: jobs, commutes, home improvements, cycling, movies, TV shows, file sharing, cable alternatives, running injuries and, as always, Stew Leonard’s. Interestingly, we hardly talked about running.

I have a picture on my Facebook page that always makes me laugh when I look at it. It’s a Runsketeer selfie where, at the last second, SIOR covered my face with her hand. I always think how that picture visually captures who we are. Today, TPP decided to continue the tradition (below).

The original

It was really great seeing all my buds and running together today. I ran another mile when I got home to get at least three miles in today. Although I’m still pretty slow by Runsketeer standards, I ran over a minute per mile faster than normal this morning. There’s a few reasons why I think that’s the case and I’m planning to continue what I’m doing to keep improving. More running with the Runsketeers will help get me there.

The Runsketeers discuss their interesting ancestors

On November 26, 2017 By Emerging Runner3 Comments

L to R: KWL, PM, SIOR, TPP, ER

Today’s run (Bethpage State Park): 3.1 miles

It has been a month and five days since I’ve posted anything on this blog. I can’t really say why I’d stopped. I’ve continued to run, following the same schedule and covering the same distances, but my interest in documenting those runs had waned. It wasn’t until today that I felt compelled to resume my posting and that’s because the mighty Runsketeers all came together this morning for the first time since July. That’s just crazy.

The last time we all got together, I ended my post with, “I’m looking forward to our next Runsketeer outing. Hopefully the humidity will be a little lower than yesterday’s 89%.” Well, my hopes were realized, because no one was complaining about the humidity today. We were supposed to get a lot of wind but it wasn’t a factor this morning. A little chilly, but overall good running weather.

Shady shot along the trail

We agreed to meet at the Bethpage lot at 8:15 AM. Then it was between 8:30 and 8:45. Then it was 9:00. I won’t say who kept changing the time, but it wouldn’t be hard to guess. SIOR was probably frustrated that the park wasn’t charging an entry fee because she likes to fight with the toll taker there. I always get my fee waved because I’m not pugnacious. Everyone arrived on time and we quickly made our way up the hill, turning left to follow the northern trail. SIOR and TPP took off in a flash while KWL and I ran a lot easier. We kept it to 3.2 miles and had great conversations on the path.

Once we got back to the lot, we convoyed to Starbucks for coffee and second breakfast (for me anyway). You’d think we would have spent time catching up on everything that had happened in the last five months, but we went right to what was on our minds at the moment: politics, races, racing t-shirts, running magazines, and KWL’s and my long history working together. We also collectively agreed that Yonkers is a dump.

The usual suspects at the usual place

About halfway through our coffee time, we were joined by Professor Mike who had competed in Rob’s Run this morning while we were at Bethpage. Rob’s Run is a trail race that happens at Stillwell Woods. It’s a grueling run but PM looked as refreshed as the rest of us. He had a Rob’s Run thermos that was a giveaway to participants. That’s what started the conversation about race shirts. TPP uses her old race shirts as cleaning rags (blasphemy) and PM raffles them off to his students. I’ve kept every one I’ve earned, even the hideously ugly ones.

At some point conversation turned to almost naked fathers and grandfathers. This started when PM showed us a picture of his dad from the 40’s wearing little more than a loincloth. His muscles had muscles. KWL pointed out that was long before steroids. PM’s dad was a circus performer who was once on the Ernie Kovacs show where he swung on a trapeze while eating pizza. Then SIOR showed us a picture of her half naked grandfather who was a professional wrestler back in the 30’s or 40’s.

Capping that off, TPP told us about her dad who is an amazing engineer who invented the jet ski and developed a bunch of other cool stuff while working for an avionics company. He still creates stuff like 3-D printers and robots. He does all that fully clothed. Amazing accomplishments from the Runsketeer lineage.

It was great to see my buds and get in my fourth run in a row, starting with Thanksgiving day. I may have run on Wednesday, but that was a lot of turkey and pie ago and my memory is shaky. I’d like to continue my streak but the work week makes it tough. I hope the Runsketeers don’t go months again before we run together. We can’t allow that. At the very least, we should all do the Hangover Run on January 1.

The Runsketeers get schooled

On July 9, 2017 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

If you squint it looks like we’re sitting by the water

Today’s run (street): 3.3 miles
Yesterday’s run (Bethpage bike trail): 4.25 miles
Last Tuesday’s run (street): 3.4 miles

Orthopedists and MRIs, contact lenses, laser surgery, religion and tribalism, genetic testing, cable provider frustrations, camping in France, speaking Italian and tachistoscopes. Those were just some of the things discussed by the Runsketeer gang after yesterday’s Bethpage workout. Despite the steamy weather, we made it through our runs. TPP and I covered 4.25 miles while SIOR and guest Runsketeer, “Mike the Professor” (MTP) ran 7.2. He’s an actual professor who teaches at my daughter’s college.

We met up at 8:00 AM on Colonial, with TPP and I arriving first before SIOR rolled in with her new Jeep. After a few minutes reliving memories (I used to have a Jeep that I loved) SIOR decided that we’d run south because we usually go north. We started off together but soon split, with SIOR and MTP taking the lead while TPP and I adopted an easier pace. I thought I’d be running alone (which would have been perfectly fine) but TPP stayed by my side. That was great because we had some great conversations along the way. She told me about the cycling groups she rides with which go from brisk to insanely fast.

Running and talking made the miles go by fast, especially the first two. By the time we turned around at Picnic Polo Road, the humidity had gotten to me and my pace slowed noticeably on the way back. I managed through the big returning hill, but asked TPP to take a short break with me when we reached the top. Despite the humidity I loved the run, but I was very happy when we finally reached our end point.

My route looked like a 7 but we only ran 4

Once SIOR and MTP made it back, we convoyed to Starbucks for caffeine and food. It was chilly inside so we decided to sit outdoors. I was able to watch a number of dummies crossing Woodbury Road without a crosswalk while cars whizzed by them on both sides. I was amazed no one got hit. The weather, that felt so humid on the Bethpage trail, was really comfortable during our coffee time. I even got to use my cool Runsketeers, “All for One, Run for All” coffee mug that SIOR gave me at April’s surprise birthday party.

It was nice having MTP with us. He’s an interesting guy who usually races once or twice a weekend. TPP and I had met him at SIOR’s BBQ a few weeks ago. We missed our buddy KWL but he was doing his final training for a triathlon that’s happening next weekend. Like always, it was great hanging out with SIOR and TPP who bring the perfect balance of intellectual challenge and absurd humor. I’m looking forward to our next Runsketeer outing. Hopefully the humidity will be a little lower than yesterday’s 89%.

Runsketeer birthday surprise at Starbucks

On April 22, 2017 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Happy birthday to me!

Today’s run (street): 3.3 miles
Yesterday’s run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

Last weekend the ER family celebrated my birthday with a dinner, even though my actual birthday was this past Wednesday. Mrs. ER informed me that we were going to bookend things with a walk on the trail in Bethpage today. What she didn’t tell me was that she and the Runsketeers had concocted a plan more devious than you could ever imagine. Actually, it wasn’t devious at all. It was really very nice.

Knowing that we would be heading to Bethpage fairly early, I got out at 7:30 AM for a neighborhood run. Yesterday’s rain kept me indoors on the treadmill. Despite this morning’s threatening skies, I wanted to run outside. The weather was a mild 50°, with enough wind to cool things into the 40’s. Humidity was high, but with the low clouds blocking the sun, it didn’t feel uncomfortable. I added a little more distance to my standard 3.2 mile route and felt great throughout the entire run. Friday’s treadmill session was similarly positive and I’m hoping this trend will continue.

Pre-surprise walk on the Bethpage trail

We made our way to the Bethpage trail and parked on Colonial Road, just north of Haypath. I knew that SIOR was leading a Life Time run on the bike path this morning and wasn’t all that surprised to see her and TPP bounding down the path. They were in quite a hurry and TPP was uncharacteristically impatient to go. I wouldn’t have noticed at all if SIOR was the impatient one. I learned later why, and that the ER family was in on what was to come.

We finished our walk and made our way to Starbucks. Mrs. ER told me that she and the kids wanted to us to visit Bethpage and Starbucks just as I often do with my running buddies. I was happy to comply. When we approached the shopping center that houses Runsketeer Starbucks, Mrs. ER’s phone beeped and my daughter grabbed it before I could see it. That turned out to be SIOR texting her to say that they had arrived. While the ER family made their way into Starbucks, TPP and SIOR were right nearby, sneaking behind pillars and garbage cans to hide their presence. There’s even a video of that. I’m surprised it wasn’t Livestreamed.

Starbucks was packed and there wasn’t even room for the four of us to sit down. I popped into the men’s room and when I came out I saw TPP and then SIOR who yelled “surprise!” It turned out that Mrs. ER had been planning with these two since February to arrange coffee with my Runska-friends. It took me a moment to figure out that this was not a coincidence. We arranged ourselves around a table that had opened up when its occupants saw that the Runsketeers needed it more. We have that kind of power.

I was really happy to see my friends. SIOR was wearing her 2017 Boston Marathon jacket that she earned on Monday, completing her second Boston effort and qualifying for yet another Boston race. Check out her entertaining race report to get the whole story. TPP has recently started a new job and I was very glad that she was able to join us. The D’Artagnan of our group, KWL, also ran Boston last week. He’s in Hong Kong right now, but he was with us in spirit.

The official Runsketeer coffee mug

While Mrs. ER collected coffee and food orders, TPP and SIOR presented me with birthday cards and presents. I loved the cards and TPP gave me a potential fortune (lottery tickets) and SIOR gave me an awesome coffee mug with my favorite Runsketeer picture. Emblazoned on the other side was the motto, “All for one and Run for all!” It will be my post-run Starbucks cup going forward. I’d been too intimated to scratch off the lottery tickets because I hadn’t held one since the 1980’s and wasn’t sure how they worked. I let my daughter do it. Despite some close calls, I will not be winning $1,000 a week for life.

Once coffee was served (along with that chocolate cake that I’ve been thinking about since SIOR and TPP ran on goat-less mountain a few weeks ago), the six of us spent a couple of hours talking and laughing non-stop. As much as I like the running part, it’s the post run time that I value the most. We covered an awful lot of subjects and I took advantage of the fact that SIOR is a certified elite running coach and trainer. I interrogated her about the best approach to getting back into racing shape and will probably do a 5K with this crew in July.

I think we could have gone on for two more hours, but practicality prevailed and we needed to say our goodbyes. We did remember to get our selfie, using my daughter’s new iPhone that takes much better pictures than my Android phone. I had a great birthday, thanks to Mrs. ER, and it was fun to be surprised twice by my Runsketeer buddies.

A thousand runs within a mile

On April 16, 2017 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Didn’t seem like the same old route when I ran it today

Today’s run (street): 4.3 miles
Yesterday’s run (street): 3.2 miles
Tuesday’s run (street): 3.2 miles

Last weekend’s run ~~with goats~~ was an unusual break from my quotidian weekend workouts. I always appreciate the runs I do that go beyond the constraints of my local roads, trails, parks or the track. More often than not, I find myself running on the same streets I’ve covered a thousand times before. So far this week I’ve managed to get in three runs, all within a mile of my house.

Sometimes I ask myself why I used to be so quick to jump in the car and head out to Stillwell Woods, Bethpage, Eisenhower or Belmont State Park every chance I had. I do that occasionally, but usually it’s because I’m seeing my buddies. That ~~trumps~~ tops any laziness that keeps me neighborhood bound. This morning I ran through all the possible venues, but ended up taking the easiest route. That was the one that begins at the end of my driveway.

Besides expanding my running geography, I also need to work on increasing my distances and consistently getting my heart rate into and above the 80% max rage. I didn’t make much progress on any of that today. I went out in 50° weather to run close to my home. My one concession to the mundane was to follow a new route. On the map, it may look like every other run I do. But today I ran it in a different direction.

Tomorrow is supposed to be another nice weather day. It’s Easter and I’m hoping that will mean quiet roads and empty trails. I may run outside my neighborhood this weekend after all. Meanwhile, Runsketeer buddies KWL and SIOR will be in my hometown to run the 121st staging of the Boston Marathon. I’m excited for them. They have both trained hard and I’m hoping that they have great experiences. If I were ever to run a marathon, it would be that one.

The Runsketeers fail to see goats

On April 9, 2017 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

ER, SIOR (with Easter Bunny), B, S, TPP

Today’s run (Norman J. Levy Park): 3.2 miles
Yesterday’s run (street): 3.2 miles

According to Google Maps, getting from my house to Norman J. Levy Park (NJL) in Merrick, NY is fairly straightforward. Three short highways and then a right off a local road. Just to be sure, I used Google Maps navigation to ensure that I’d get there without a problem. However, when I got close, the navigation started to panic: “turn right, make a U-turn, turn left, take the ramp to the Meadowbrook…” and I ended up missing the entrance. I made the further mistake of letting navigation take me through the back streets that led nowhere. I ended up arriving fifteen minutes late after SIOR talked me through the landfill.

That’s right, NJL is on a landfill. More specifically, it’s landfill adjacent. The park itself is a circle within a circle of paths with 360° views of NYC, eastern LI and the ocean. Reaching the best view takes a little work. I’ll get to that in a moment.

Today’s run was organized by SIOR who is a run leader for Life Time Fitness. Today we were joined by a very nice couple, S and B, who have recently returned to running. SIOR and Runsketeer buddy TPP had been to NJL before, but the other three of us had never been there. SIOR promised us that we’d see goats, but none were around today. I wonder if they are used to trim the grass at the park.

S and B took off before I arrived, and SIOR, TPP and I proceeded south where we caught views of the Stadium Park Canal in Freeport before rounding back north. I was doing well and mostly keeping up with my buddies (or at least keeping them in sight). At one point the path split with the right trail following a downward direction and the left trail going up. And up. And up. I wasn’t really expecting that and TPP assured me that the incline would end soon. I have a different definition of soon. We did finally reach the top, shortly after meeting S and B on the trail.

Middle loop is the highest point

There is a spot at the park’s highest point (115 feet) where you can see for miles in every direction. That was cool and I wish I took a picture when we got there, but I was too concerned that SIOR was going to find an even bigger hill. For some reason, both TPP’s and my Garmins registered the peak elevation at only 23 feet.

Happily, the route back was mostly downhill, although it did rise up again near the end. We covered about three miles, not the four that I expected we’d do. All the same, it felt like a good workout. That was due (I think) to keeping a faster pace than I’ve been running these days. Depending on if you accept my Garmin’s read or Gmaps, I ran slightly more or slightly less than 10 minutes a mile. Given my frustrating experience with GPS navigation this morning, I’m going to give it Gmaps.

We finally gathered at the starting point and decided to head to Starbucks on Merrick Road. I drove the mile it takes to get there, while SIOR tricked the others into running there by saying it was only a half mile run. She also lied about the goats. Just saying. I got to Starbucks first and the others soon followed. We grabbed coffee and pumpkin bread, which TPP supplemented with a piece of chocolate cake that tasted amazing. Next time I’m getting that.

The Bethpage/Massapequa Preserve trail

We had our usual wide ranging and often ridiculous conversations that included city running, Brooklyn hills, scary Jeep stories and the origin of the name “Dirty Sock” (don’t ask). Before we left for Starbucks we talked about the length of the Bethpage and Massapequa Preserve trail. I said the distance top to bottom was about 14 miles and SIOR said it was 7. TPP suggested I map it and saw that it’s about 10 miles. So I was right.

I played Uber driver after Starbucks and dropped everyone off back at the park. Next weekend is Boston and SIOR and KWL will be running it. I’m going to get out tomorrow in what should be very nice weather. I’m taking Tuesday and Wednesday off next week and hope to get in a couple of runs on those days. It will be nice to run again sometime at NJL park, especially now that I know which entrance to use.

The Runsketeers add a new member

On March 18, 2017 By Emerging Runner16 Comments

L to R: ER, KWL, Bossy McBossy, AA

Today’s run (street): 3.75 miles
Yesterday’s run (treadmill): 3.4 miles
Last Sunday’s run (treadmill): 3.4 miles

Spring is just around the corner, that is if you consider Sunday a corner. But you’d never know it from the weather we’ve had this week. The “biggest storm of the season” turned out to be about 5″ of snow that transformed into 3″ of heavy slush once the rain came into the mix. The town plows turned that into a thick wall of ice that took us over an hour to clear. We’re getting more snow today, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to stick.

Yesterday I worked from home and had a great run on the treadmill. I’ve definitely made my peace with the machine, but I far prefer running outside. This morning I participated in the Syosset Life Time group run that is led by Runsketeer SIOR. I was looking forward to running outside for the first time since late February and excited to see my buddies. We missed TPP who had to work today, but we were joined by a great guy (AA) who fit right into our group.

The plan was to meet at Life Time Fitness at 9:00 AM, but SIOR and KWL, who are training for Boston, were finishing up their “pre-run” at SUNY OW and were running to the gym from there. AA and I arrived at 9:00 and, after we met, I told him that our run leader was on her way. That gave us about 30 minutes to chat before SIOR and KWL arrived. After quick introductions and a hydration stop for SIOR and KWL, we were off.

My Garmin had a little trouble acquiring a GPS signal but our bossypants run leader had us running through the lot and into the adjacent neighborhood before I could start recording my data. I finally began capturing distance, pace and HR after going half a mile. SIOR and AA took the lead and KWL and I followed. Even after running 14 miles earlier (they ended up doing 18 miles today), KWL and SIOR were still raring to go and I appreciated that he hung back with me.

Today’s full Life Time route

Although KWL was taking it easy, I was actually running 84% of max heart rate which resulted in a pace in the high 10:00 range. I never felt overworked but did fade a little close to the end. I managed to spring back enough to finish the last quarter mile in the 9:00 range. Once we’d all arrived at the gym, we made the decision to break tradition and have coffee at Life Time’s café rather than Starbucks. It was a perfect place to cool down with plenty of space and good coffee.

Runsketeer graphic by KWL

It turned out that AA is an experienced marathoner and he has done three of the US majors (Chicago, NYC and Boston). KWL has done NYC, Berlin, London and Tokyo and will add Boston to the list in April. SIOR has done Boston, Philly, and a couple of others and is on track to meet her NYRR 9+1 to gain entry into NYC next year. I’m not in their league but I have done three halfs. I’m thinking of doing one race this year to see if I’m ready to return to competition.

One other positive today, besides getting to run and hang out with three great people, is that my plantar fasciitis seems to be abating. I ran in my Kaynos today and used the PF orthotics I bought a few weeks ago. No pain during the run and only mild soreness afterward. I’m hoping that conditions are okay for another outside run tomorrow, but if today’s light snow makes for icy roads tomorrow, I’ll be back on the treadmill. But as I said earlier, I’m good with that.