Boston is back and back to the track

On April 22, 2014 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Tracking Marathon friends on BAA.org

Today’s run (track intervals):
6 x 400’s plus 1 mile warm up/cool down

Yesterday was a big day for running, with the 118th Boston Marathon taking place (thankfully) without incident. Both SIOR and TPP’s sister ran great races, and it was fun to watch their progress using the tracker on the BAA website. How perfect that Meb Keflezighi won the men’s race. I’ll never look at Skechers the same way again. I was disappointed when Shalane Flanagan dropped back after leading for so long, but she scored an American course record while finishing seventh overall.

The marathon would have been great inspiration for a Monday run, but I held to my rest day to ensure I’d recover from Sunday’s long distance. Speed work was on the calendar today, and since the schools are closed until tomorrow, I went over to the track to run intervals. I’ve done weekly speed workouts all throughout my half marathon training cycle, but I hadn’t done a single set on the track until today.

The temperature was 55° when I arrived at the high school. Although I was wearing shorts, I was concerned that having two top layers would cause me to overheat. With the 6 MPH wind, it felt chilly enough to keep them both on the entire time. The high school cross country team was assembled at the southern end of the track infield and I wondered if my workout would happen alongside a crowd of much faster runners.

My HRM now takes 5 minutes to sync

It turned out that I didn’t need to share the track at all. The coach was having the team run laps barefoot on the grass, first slowly, then at speed. While that was happening, I started my workout with two laps around the track at around 8:50/mile followed by 6 x 400’s at 8:00/mile. I finished with a half mile cool-down that I ran at a mid-9 pace.

It was good tactical workout. I probably could have added another two quarters, but I wanted to keep it light today. I’ll try to cover much more distance tomorrow. With the race on Sunday, I’m not sure what to do about my weekend long run.

Bethpage run: Making friends along the trail

On April 20, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

I really want that chocolate bunny

Today’s run (Bethpage trail): 9.5 miles

Today is Easter and I hope it’s a good one for those of you who celebrate this holiday. I don’t, but I’m certainly celebrating the great weather we’re having this weekend. Sunday is when I do my longest run and the distance gets extended each week as I build up to half marathon distance. Last Sunday I ran eight miles and today’s plan was for 9. Depending on the training schedule, today could have been a ten miler, but I was reluctant to jump 20% from week to week. Though it was an accident, I ended up with a good compromise distance.

My Runsketeer friends are both in Boston for the marathon that’s being held tomorrow. SIOR will be running it and we are really excited for her. She trains really hard while taking great care of her family (4 kids!) and she has the athleticism to make it a memorable performance on Monday. No pressure, just qualifying for Boston is a victory. TPP is there to support her sister T, who is also running tomorrow. T is another high performer. That, of course, is a prerequisite for getting entry into Boston.

As a native Bostonian, I would have loved to be there to watch them run through my old home town of Natick, but I’ll be here on Long Island tracking their progress through the baa.org site. In the meantime, I have my own race training to do with the Brooklyn Half coming up mid-May and the Marcie Mazzola 5K next weekend. I’m very curious to see how I do in terms of speed in the 5K and whether all these hills I’ve been running will provide a performance payoff.

Today’s run was split into two experiences, one being a pleasant but uneventful solo effort for about five miles and the other a highly enjoyable almost-five with an other runner on the path. I parked near Haypath Rd. again and got right on the bike trail going north. I followed the trail up to Washington Ave and turned around once I reached the underpass of the LIE.

I maintained the easy pace that I need to cover long mileage while I rebuild my endurance. I got to the five mile point and had stopped at Haypath to watch for cars when I saw another runner to my left. We exchanged hellos and crossed the road. I suspected that he was faster than me and was surprised that he hadn’t taken off and passed me at that point. Instead, he (I’ll call him J) pulled alongside me and asked how many miles I was doing. He was planning to do about the same, we’re both training for different long races and his will be in Vermont.

Today’s elevation profile

J turned out to be a very good and interesting guy who also works in the media technology space, but not in publishing like me. He set a slightly faster pace than I was running and I was very surprised that I was able to hold up my end of the conversation. J is a tall athletic guy and I’m somewhat older than him. He could have easily run two or three minutes a mile faster than the pace we held and I was grateful that he didn’t. He really pulled me along, especially on the hills.

The time spent with J went by much faster than the previous five miles. Just like when I have group runs with SIOR and TPP. Good company is a runner’s gift. I left J to finish on his own once we returned to Haypath and I felt remarkably good after covering almost ten miles today. All this focused training is making a difference and it demonstrates that there is no substitute for putting in the work. When the work is made easier with friends, it’s simple to understand why we do this.

Runsketeer Sunday on the mountains of Westbury

On April 6, 2014 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

The concrete roller coaster

Today’s run (SUNY Old Westbury): 7 miles

What goes up must come down. That is an apt description of the loop I ran today at the campus of SUNY Old Westbury. SIOR, who discovered this beautifully torturous running venue, described the course as “hilly.” She certainly wasn’t kidding. With the exception of the short drive that connects the campus to Cedar Swamp Road, I don’t think there was a level section on our route today.

SIOR was unable to join us this morning, so it was left to TPP and I to conquer this undulating beast. She wanted to run 11 miles today and I had had 7 scheduled. Our timing was almost perfect. I arrived a couple of minutes before our designated meet time and I could see TPP heading in my direction. She was probably half a mile away, but her neon yellow running jacket made her easy to spot. TPP had already run 30% of her planned distance and would cover the balance while I did my seven miles.

We headed west toward the loop running against traffic. There were a lot of cars on the route because the college was having an Open House. Fortunately there was plenty of room for the many other runners and cyclists we saw today. I followed TPP who is a very focused runner. I had to ~~constantly~~ occasionally remind her to get over to the left when cars were heading in our direction. Apparently her friends from the Selden Hills running club are frequently called on to do this for her during their group runs.

Elevation chart from today’s run

We encountered the first of many hills soon after we’d started. We were running easy and took it on without much trouble. Every hill was followed by an equivalent drop, making it the least fun roller coaster ever. But the run was fun, because our pace allowed us to carry on a conversation most of the time. I’ve never been able to speak when running at my regular training pace, but I did okay today.

I had been concerned about being able to cover seven miles over what turned out to be 600 feet of elevation. We decided to walk parts of some hills, but I stopped my Garmin during those times because I wanted to make sure I recorded 7 full miles of running.

I’m looking at today’s run from a couple of different perspectives. On the positive side, I had a great time running with a friend, made my targeted distance and ran a lot of hills. On the not so positive side, I probably fell short on effort, as evidenced by my heart rate that averaged only 75% of max. I think this is a signal for me to start pushing my speed a little more on my long runs. SIOR suggested running a couple of miles at targeted half marathon pace on training runs and I plan to do that during next Wednesday’s run.

Raising HR should raise performance

I want to get my heart rate up to at least least 80% of max on long runs and average at least 85% on more speed-focused runs. This is a tough change for me because the harder I push, the less I enjoy the run. But I always feel great afterward.

Runsketeer training run at Bethpage

On March 23, 2014 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

Why am I smiling? I’m done.

Photo and artistic effect by The Petite Pacer

Today’s run (Bethpage State Page): 6 miles

Today’s run with my Runsketeer buddies had its ups and downs, and I’m not referring to the hills at Bethpage. The ups came from spending time with two of my favorite people, SIOR and TPP, who joined me on the trail this morning. The downs related to the struggles I had trying to cover 6 six miles today. It was the second Sunday in a row where I went out for a long run with great hopes, but ended up with a disappointing performance.

SIOR was running 17 miles today. She covered all but six of them before rendezvousing with me and TPP on the north trail at Bethpage. TPP and I took off in SIOR’s direction and we both noted that the pace felt challenging. This was not a good sign for me because we were running slower than our normal training paces and I feared that today would be a repeat of last Sunday’s performance. It turns out that it was.

We met SIOR at the one mile marker on the north trail. She had done an out and back from the parking lot and we all decided to head north from there. Both of my group-mates are speedy, although TPP has been hurting a bit and is still dealing with respiratory issues. She took a few moments for recovery (as did I) throughout the run, but when she was in “running mode” she did an impressive job of keeping up with our speediest run-mate.

Much of today’s run was spent watching my buddies progress from a distance. At first my gap was about 30 feet as they tried to keep me included. They both slowed or stopped so I could catch up and participate in the conversation. Unfortunately, I struggled to both talk and run and eventually encouraged them to open up and run their faster pace. They are great people and they followed a “No Runsketeer left behind” policy, so periodically I would spot them waiting for me to catch up.

I am still puzzled by my difficulties today. They started early and remained, just like last week. I had really good runs on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday where I maintained my targeted training paces. Wednesday’s run was 4.4 miles where I ran strong from start to finish. Yesterday I did a hard three miles near targeted half marathon race pace. The only variable that could explain it is the weather. Last Sunday’s run and today’s were both around 30° with wind-chill and I wonder if I’ve developed a cold induced breathing issue.

I managed to cover six miles per my training schedule, although there were a few stops for rest and to let traffic pass on Old Country, Old Bethpage and Haypath roads. It was a strange experience to be running with such a high perceived effort, yet not being able to keep up with the continually shrinking silhouettes of my friends as they disappeared over the many hills along our route.

Reunited in the parking lot

Photo by The Petite Pacer

SIOR made it to our end point first, followed by TPP who threw in surges at the end. I rolled in a couple of minutes behind her. One of the “ups” from today was when the three of us took a few minutes to chat at the three mile point of our run. We didn’t get a chance to go for our traditional Starbucks after-run coffee, so this was a nice substitute. We also took a few minutes once we finished, but the combination of cold, sweat and scheduled obligations caused us to cut that short.

I’m trying to look on the bright side. I got to spend time with my buddies and ran my planned distance. After last Sunday’s tough run, I did far better throughout the week. Hopefully that will repeat this week. Eventually I’ll get past whatever it is that’s making my Sunday runs so difficult. It may be something as simple as warmer weather. It’s spring, so theoretically that should come soon.

Running at "pace", as Hal Higdon puts it

On March 22, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Can my training get me here in 2014?

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

Today’s workout, per my training program, was 3 miles at “pace.” I like Hal Higdon’s site because he leaves nothing to interpretation. He explains it clearly on the training schedule page: “What do you mean by ‘pace?'” I mean “race pace,” the pace at which you expect to run the half marathon. That of course prompted me to ask myself, what I am targeting for race pace?

I ran my last Half in 2:08:47 which is approximately a 9:49 pace. In order to break 2:00 I would need to pace 40 seconds per mile faster. That’s a stretch for me, but crazier things have happened. My 2:08 finish in 2012 was a full minute per mile improvement over my 2011 time. Still, I have little expectation that I’ll break two hours this year. As a practical point, I have slipped in my race performance and didn’t break 9:00 on any of my 2013 10K’s. It will be interesting to see if my recent rebound, coupled with a focused half marathon training regime, will make a difference in May.

This morning was busy and that forced me to wait until 10:00 AM to start my run. My wife said that rain was expected mid-morning, so I decided to do my 3 miles @ “pace” on the treadmill. I chose 6.3 MPH which, if sustained for 13.1 miles, would yield a 2:03 finish time. I am feeling much stronger since last weekend, but I still have far to go before I can manage goal pace throughout a long run. The race pace training plus the weekend base runs will theoretically bridge my stamina and endurance enough to at least break my 2:08 PR.

Tomorrow is my second Sunday base run and I plan to meet the Runsketeers for 6 miles of fun. SIOC will be running Boston in April and needs to cover 17 miles tomorrow. We plan to meet at her 11 mile point and do the rest of the distance as a group run. TPP is still battling a respiratory issue and is forgoing a five mile race tomorrow in favor of our easier paced run. It’s supposed to be cold on Sunday, so I need to figure out the right combination of gear. I’m dreading the hills on the Bethpage trail, but I know there’s no easy path if I want to reach my goal time.

Race Report: 2014 GLIRC Runner’s Edge Trail Relay

On March 15, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

First leg off and running (TPP is third from left)

Today’s run (GLIRC Bethpage 2×3 Trail Relay) 2 mile leg (Team finish time 56:05)

The weather finally cooperated enough to allow GLIRC to run the Runner’s Edge Relay this morning. This race was originally scheduled for February, but the unrelenting snow had made the trails at Bethpage State Park unrunnable. A little rain and a few days of 40 degree temperatures cleared out most of the snow, although there were still a number of icy and muddy sections along the path.

As the name implies, this race is a team effort with each member running one 2 mile leg. I haven’t been running well this year, but I did a few speed oriented treadmill runs earlier in the week and figured two miles wouldn’t be much to worry about. I was wrong about that. Today’s two miles didn’t feel endless, but I had much more difficulty that I’d expected. It was too late to help my teammates, but I discovered a large gap in my conditioning that I hope to address as I begin my half marathon training.

Runsketeers pre-race

Our team was called the Runsketeers, consisting of me and friends the Petite Pacer (TPP) and She Is Out Running (SIOR). SIOR had little prior trail experience, but she’s lightning on the road. She qualified for Boston this year and almost always wins or places in her age group. TPP is also very fast (she has racked up her share of podium spots) and takes performance training very seriously. Then there’s me. I used to be competitive in my age group and I’ve done a lot of trail running. These days I struggle to break 28 minutes in a 5K.

With that lineup, we decided to have TPP run the first leg, me the second and have SIOR bring it home. The idea was that TPP would put us in a competitive position, I would do my best to hold that and SIOR’s speed would help gain back minutes and position. We didn’t really discuss it, but that was my reasoning.

TPP has been feeling under the weather this week and is still fighting a fever. She’s a tough competitor but decided to run despite feeling sub-optimal. Our backup plan was either to have Mrs. ER run TPP’s leg or have me or SIOR run two legs. We ended up with the original lineup intact. SIOR’s marathon schedule had her running 10 miles this morning prior to the race. She anchored our team after doing that long run on the hilly Bethpage bike trail. These women are amazing.

Me and Mrs. ER after number pickup

Team ER arrived at Bethpage around 9:00 AM and I collected our bibs and t-shirts. SIOR and TPP arrived about 20 minutes later. It was nice bringing together my running friends and my family. Our talking kept our minds off the fact that it was very cold and we didn’t have any place to keep warm. There didn’t seem to be that many participants, but the crowd grew as we got closer to start time.

We headed over to the starting area a little before 10:00 AM and the race began on time. Each leg started on the open field and led to a path into the woods that eventually connected to the main trail. TPP and the others disappeared into the distance and I was still thinking this would be relatively easy as races go.

First hand-off, from TPP

It wasn’t that long before we spotted TPP exiting out of the woods from the opposite side and soon enough we slapped hands and I took off for the second leg. I made the mistake of starting too fast and I paid for that later in the run. The trail conditions were (at best) wet and stable, and (at worse) muddy, icy, snowy, sandy and slippery. There were plenty of race volunteers along the course to keep us on track and warn us of trail dangers. I was disappointed to feel overtaxed midway through the leg and I slowed considerably when running in areas of deep mud and sand. Bethpage doesn’t have hills like Stillwell, but this course did have its uphill challenges.

SIOR ready to fly

Seconds after the hand-off

I was not in great shape by the time I reached the field. My family described my “sprint” to the relay hand-off as “slow motion.” SIOR took off quickly and gained back some minutes. We all gathered near the finish line chute and saw her come through after covering her leg in about 16 minutes. There are no results posted, but her effort undoubtedly helped our race position.

SIOR brings it in

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMERGING RUNNER JR.

The reward for our hard work was found at the food table where they served muffins and cupcakes as big as softballs. They also offered hot chocolate and noodle soup that was described by my wife and kids as “fantastic.” I had a great time although I am disappointed with the way I ran. I’m determined to get back to my prior level and I have a training plan that I think will help. My Runsketeer teammates both put in impressive runs and I’m honored to be part of that group.

I may return to Bethpage tomorrow to do my first Half training run. It’s just five miles, but today was only two and that was no picnic.

Runsketeer run in Eisenhower Park

On February 23, 2014 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Well at least I can drink coffee as fast as them

Today’s run (Eisenhower Park): 6.7 miles

It took a lot of late night planning to choose today’s running venue, but it paid off for the Runsketeers this morning. With Bethpage’s trails still “out of operation” and the Runner’s Edge Fun Run taking place on public roads, we decided to meet at Eisenhower Park. SIOR qualified for Boston and has been following a training program that required her to cover 14 miles today. She ran 7 miles around her local roads and then met me and TPP at the park to run seven more.

I’ve been dealing with the beginnings of a cold that has sapped a lot of my energy. Yesterday’s run on the treadmill was very difficult and I wasn’t confident that I could run the miles that my Runska-buddies were planning. I was also concerned about maintaining a pace that wouldn’t bore them silly. Their support got me through the distance (I hadn’t run more than five miles on pavement this year). As usual, they were extremely gracious about accommodating my pace.

I don’t know why my stamina and performance have been so poor the last couple of months. I suspect it’s due to my lack of focus and boredom from running on the treadmill. SIOR runs faster on the treadmill to get through her workout faster. I run slower so I can be more easily distracted by the TV. In less snowy times, when I’d run outside every day, it was easier for me to add speed into a run. I would also add chunks of distance by spontaneously choosing different roads to follow. I know I can easily add speed and distance when on the treadmill, but I don’t.

All around the park today

Graphic courtesy of The Petite Pacer

Our route today went all around, due to construction being done to build ice rinks in the park. I lagged behind my buddies by a few feet much of the time, but they worked to adjust their speed to keep me within talking distance. There was one point when we followed the same route that we ran on the New Year’s Hangover Run. This allowed me to rest a minute while my friends followed the end of the loop and met me on the other side. So in terms of total distance, I probably ended up covering fifth of a mile less than my running partners.

With the exception of a few parts on the path that required careful stepping (and a short walk) over icy snow, Eisenhower’s trails were fairly clear. I didn’t think I would be able to go more than four miles early on the run, but the fun of being with my little group made the distance fully manageable.

Despite another snowstorm predicted early tomorrow morning and the return to Polar Vortex temperatures, I am hopeful that this snow will soon be gone and I can get outside and resume performance-focused training. I’d like to be able to keep up better with the Runsketeers so I participate more in the conversations during the run.

The good news is that it takes no effort to sit in Starbucks and recount the experience after the run. We were all time constrained today, but we made the best of it. It was so great to see my friends and spend time doing something we all love to do. I almost ran seven miles today after weeks of treadmill 5K’s. I couldn’t have done that without the Runsketeers.

Seven miles of fun on the GLIRC Clubhouse Run

On December 14, 2013 By Emerging Runner9 Comments

Group shot just before the start

Photo courtesy of SIOR and GLIRC

Today’s run (GLIRC Clubhouse run): 7.4 miles

Well the snow came a little earlier than expected, but it didn’t interfere with today’s club run in the least. I arrived at the Greater Long Island Running Club (GLIRC) office just before 8:00 AM this morning and saw that I was almost late to the party. My friends TPP and SIOR were there among the assemblage of colorfully dressed participants. After some quick hellos and a group picture, we were all off and running.

The three of us followed the group and headed out of the business park onto the bike trail. It’s a hilly section from that point to the turn onto Washington Ave. Although I had good energy at the start, I worried about how I’d be feeling after many more miles. SIOR and TPP are both speedy runners, but they maintained a pace that I could sustain with some effort.

We chatted with other runners as we made our way south and came under the LIE overpass at Washington Ave. We crossed the road and found ourselves on a wooded trail that roughly parallels the bike trail. The snow had covered the sidewalk that led to the paved path, so it was confusing where to go. A little diversion into the woods was unexpected and appreciated at different levels by the three of us. The ice and roots on the path made the going treacherous.

We came out at Old Country Rd and continued on the paved path that rose for a while and proved a little challenging for me. Unlike the last time we ran together, today was more of a workout (though not much of a challenge to my friends). I found it hard to maintain a conversation at times, but we did have our moments. We took the run past Old Bethpage Rd and as far south as Haypath. As we drew close, many of the returning runners warned us of black ice further down.

I struggled to keep up with my friends who were gracious about waiting for me to catch up from time to time. They were probably running one or two minutes slower than their normal training pace, except for periods where they opened the throttle for a few minutes. I was challenged but I didn’t reach the point where I felt I was over matched or wished the run was done.

When we turned north from Washington Ave I knew we were close, but I also knew the toughest hills were coming. I took on the first hill with a pace slightly better than a fast walk. SIOR had no trouble burning up that hill as well as the ones that followed. TPP stopped to walk and I stopped with her. She will occasionally do that for 30 second periods and it’s a good strategy. I probably delayed her a little, but once we saw SIOR at the top of a hill we returned to running form.

TPP and SIOR took on the remainder of the hills at a brisk pace and I followed. We reached Sunnyside Boulevard and made our way back to GLIRC HQ where they hosted an amazing spread of post race goodies. After indulging in some high carb treats, TPP, SIOR and I headed over to Starbucks for coffee and conversation. Given the greater effort on today’s run that made it less conversation-friendly, we still had a lot to catch up on.

Post run – (from left), SIOR, ER, TPP

Photo courtesy of SIOR

It was a really fun time and it’s the perfect way for me to do group running. The next adventure for “The Three Musketeers” will be the LIRRC Hangover Run at Eisenhower Park at 9:30 AM. It’s a timed five mile run that goes around a one mile route. No bibs, tracking chips, or winners. In this event, everyone’s a winner. I’m looking forward to this event as I do every year and it will be more special because my friends will be joining me.