Erase the Bethpage 5K, bring on the Dirty Socks 10K

On July 20, 2009 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Last night I went online to see if registration had opened up for the Bethpage 5K. This race, held at Bethpage State Park on 7/27, is one of a series of summer races held at state parks on Long Island. I know that participation in this series is high and that people who signed up for the entire series are given priority. The race planners expect so many runners that they’ve asked that people carpool to the event to minimize the amount of cars and traffic. They also said that single race registration for Bethpage would only open up the week before the race. When I got on the website to get information it said “No single race registration.” So, unless that was a placeholder that will be taken down today it looks like I may be out of luck for next Monday. If I am unable to participate in the 5K it will be the first month since March where I won’t be racing. I suppose I could count last week’s Fun Run as my July event.

While I would love to do this 5K it would have required me to rush home early from the office and battle the crowds to make the 7:00 PM start. I think I have found a better challenge: the Babylon Dirty Socks 10K on August 23rd. This event was suggested by one of my co-bloggers on the Runner’s World Loop and it looks very interesting. Most of the course is on trails and the topography is fairly flat so it could be a fast race. I have not yet competed in a 10K event so it’s an opportunity to do that distance plus a trail race, both for the first time.

This also gives me about a month to prepare and train. What better excuse for me to hit the trails next weekend?

First impression – Helly Hansen Trail Lizards

On July 11, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I’ve patiently waited all week for the opportunity to try my new Helly Hansen Trail Lizard running/hiking shoes so I put them to the test this morning. We will be posting a full review in the coming weeks on Runner’s Tech Review but I’ll give some first impressions here.

Today’s run was at Stillwell Woods Preserve that has many different trail conditions and surfaces. I started with a run across grass from where I parked my car to the trail head and noted that although I’d requested size 10.5 shoes they seemed very roomy in the toe box and at the heel compared with my Brooks, New Balance and Asics shoes that are also in that size. The generous toe box didn’t concern me. I’d rather error on the side of it being too large versus being too tight. The heel was a concern because of stability and slippage that could lead to blisters. It wasn’t pronounced and I had good socks so that didn’t prove to be a problem.

I followed the paths I knew but quickly found myself in unfamiliar territory. I skirted some big muddy sections then came upon some steep inclines with large rocks and I put the shoes to the test. The challenge was well met, no issues with traction. I would have liked more support and snugness around the back but the shoes themselves felt more stable than I’d expected. I can also see using these shoes for straight trail hiking. I dodged a number of bikers along the way and encountered some very rough terrain with pronounced inclines and declines, the surface often consisting of rough sand and rock. I had no trouble with that but the shoes really felt good when I found a trail of hard packed dirt. The running there was a pleasure and I think these shoes compared favorably to the New Balance 460’s in that respect.

I had a very small compass (the face was smaller than a dime) so I needed to stop a few times to get a read. I spent some time getting lost and with the hills I got very tired and took a couple of short rest breaks. At one point I crossed paths with a mountain biker who was also a bit lost so I looked at the compass and sent him toward the difficult trails that he wanted and headed off to complete my run. As I exited the trails I ran on grass but then cut over to the pavement to get a feel for running on the street. Here I saw a big difference between these shoes and the NB’s as the Helly Hansens are clearly made for softer surfaces. I ended up running 5.2 miles, much of it up steep trails, and the Trail Lizards handled it all competently. The big test was how I felt after the run and I was happy to note there was no foot or leg pain and my biggest current concern, a slight groin pull, felt much better at mile 5 than it did at mile zero. Trail running is clearly kinder to my body than street running but I love them both. I’ll be writing more about the Trail Lizards, my next test will be to face them off against the NB 460’s over similarly rough terrain.

An all encompassing problem

On July 6, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I like running trails because they provide a constant source of challenge and mystery. What’s around the next bend of this twisty path? What exactly is the source of that rustling sound that follows me along the way? Once I get over this steep hill will the terrain get better? Exciting. The other part of the challenge is navigation. Where exactly am I? Am I heading toward or away from my intended destination? Why did I just come out onto the street? It’s fun to be lost when you know the bounds of your trail area but there are times when I really wished I’d brought a compass.

Yesterday I made a trip to Dick’s to try and find one that I could wear on my wrist or clip to my shorts. I didn’t have too much luck, the ones that they did have were either too big or limited in other ways. I went online later to see if I could find something suitable. Nothing has jumped out at me. My requirements are simple. The unit must be small enough to be unnoticeable when not needed and large enough to be useful when it is needed. It needs to be easily accessed while running in clothes that have no accessible pockets. It can’t dangle on a lanyard because that will be annoying. I don’t want to spend a lot for a digital compass or a 5-in-1 device that has capabilities I don’t need for recreational trail running.

All I really want is to be able to find my way back to my starting point when the midday sun is directly overhead and it can’t help me navigate. Any suggestions?

Hitting the trail – literally

On July 4, 2009 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

It’s a beautiful 4th of July Saturday and I’m doing today’s post from the back yard. Before our big cookout, my wife and kids have set up a tarp on the lawn and are doing an art project with pasta. Something to do with creating stamps that look like fireworks. It looks like fun.

I’ve been busy over the last two days. Yesterday afternoon I did a short run through the neighborhood, covering 3.18 miles at a moderate pace (9:18). I did about half this run along the outside roads that frame my neighborhood. One road (the sidewalk really) has so many patches of dirt that it’s almost a trail. The other outside road cuts east along the north side and has a hill that looks difficult to the eye but is fairly modest when you run it. I wanted to keep this run short because the previous day’s OCA trail was a fairly hard effort. I came home from my Saturday run and immediately changed into swim shorts and jumped in the pool. I was so hot that it took about a minute in the cold water before I actually felt cooled off.

I wanted to run Stillwell this weekend. The Bethpage trail run last weekend and Thursday’s OCA run have really got me excited about that aspect of the sport. I cannot wait until I get my Helly Hansen Trail Lizards to test. Until then my New Balance 460’s continue to impress, a great value for the money.
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I headed over to Stillwell Woods Preserve this morning and set off on the trails with the intention of expanding beyond the primary loop that I had previously run. I had looked at the area on Google Earth to try to understand the trail layout and I traveled south off the main trail until I started encountering some large muddy patches that were somewhere between the size of a puddle and a pool. I edged along the side of those until I reached a fork where, in one direction, the trail seemed to drop off the face of the earth. I suspected that trail was favored by extreme mountain bikers so I chose the other way and traveled along a series of narrow but interesting paths until I found myself facing a hill that made the ones in Brooklyn and Washington Heights look modest. No matter, I attacked it and did fairly well but with the tree cover I was somewhat disoriented in terms of direction. I picked another trail and ran for about 10 minutes in perfect conditions where I saw and heard a number of animals.

At one point I began encountering bikers which made me nervous due to the width of the trails. I was hoping that I was going in the right direction, based upon the sun I knew I was traveling west. I crossed paths with another runner and immediately came upon some mountain bikers who yelled a cheerful hello. I was feeling good about this run, taking in the cool air, the sun and the interesting sites when I suddenly found myself face down in the dirt. I had tripped on a root that ran across the path and I landed on my forearms which took most of the impact. I stood up and established that I was bleeding and scraped up but nothing seemed broken. I continued for another mile and left the trail, making a loop around the soccer fields before returning to my car. I ended up running 3.61 miles at a mid 9:00 pace. Surprisingly good considering the hills and the falling incident.

When I got home my kid’s faces said it all. My daughter immediately grabbed the first aid spray and my wife took a picture of my damaged body. After a shower I saw that it was all superficial cuts and scrapes so I started thinking about a Bethpage run tomorrow. Stillwell is an interesting and different experience from Bethpage but both are awesome. This trail running is great fun and it seems to be a good way to run without generating leg pain.

Awesome day on the OCA

On July 3, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

From a running perspective, NYC provides many resources either within the city or close by. Between the subways and the commuter train lines a number of great running paths, parks and bridges are just minutes away. While Central Park is a fantastic place to run it’s sometimes a great change to explore other places. Through the spring AG and I have run in some interesting places in and around NYC. We were combining our weekly business updates with our runs but once summer Fridays started we’ve ended that shortened day with more recreational runs. I mentioned in a previous post that AG will be heading to grad school at Yale in August (but happily remaining an integral part of my team in a part time capacity) so we will soon have fewer opportunities to run together.

We decided to have at least one more running adventure before her new schedule takes over and we jumped on the Metro North commuter train to Irvington, NY with a plan to run 5 miles along the Old Croton Aqueduct. The trip from Grand Central Station was quick and we got off the train and walked a few blocks to the entry point of this trail that runs 26.2 miles (interesting that it’s the same length as a marathon) from Van Cortlandt Park at the Bronx County/City of Yonkers border to the Croton Dam in Cortlandt. The trail is mostly hard packed dirt and fortunately the hard rain held off and that kept it from becoming too muddy. We both brought our trail shoes and they came in handy through some wet patches that we did encounter. In less than 5 minutes we had our first wildlife sighting, deer that were scattered on both sides as we ran by.

We saw many birds and at least one rabbit. The trail is basically flat which makes sense because the original use of this trail was to convey water to NYC. There were some uphill stretches and we wondered how they transported the water along those areas. Our plan was to run the trail south from our starting point to the Greystone train station and hop on the train back to NYC. We thought we’d built enough time into our run but near the end we found ourselves racing the clock and we covered the last segment at a faster pace before heading off to the street to run to the station. We made it with less than 5 minutes to spare and it was a bit of a shock to go from our hot, soggy, humid state to the refrigerated train car. Felt pretty good though.

I had forgotten to transfer the Garmin foot pod to my trail shoes so I had no way of judging distance or pace except to estimate that 50 minutes would approximate to five miles. AG wore the QStarz device and hopefully that will provide more data for us. It was a great start to the long weekend, a tough but exhilarating run that was exactly what we’d hoped for. I’m not ready to hit the street yet this morning but hopefully I’ll be up for nice recovery run this afternoon. I might hit the trails at Stillwell or Bethpage some time this weekend. I definitely have less leg pain after running trails compared to running on pavement. Maybe it is the shoes.

Trail running as painkiller

On June 29, 2009 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

As I prepared for this morning’s elliptical workout I thought about all the mileage I’d put in over my vacation. I also thought about how it may have contributed to my nagging leg pain that started earlier this year. I’m still unsure of the cause of this pain, it may be a hamstring pull or something else entirely. I’ve thought numerous times about making an appointment with an orthopedist to figure it out. In the mean time it’s probably a good idea to do more cross training to rest whatever gets aggravated when I run.

I checked my workout list before I stepped up on the elliptical machine and saw that I hadn’t logged a session on it since June 11. I’ve taken every opportunity to run outdoors over the last few weeks and my early morning headlamp runs have contributed to that. I thought that an elliptical session this morning would be a nice way to use different muscles that could help strengthen my leg and lessen the pain. I then realized, for the first time in memory, that I had no pain. I was understandably happy but that made no sense to me. I ran a tough 4+ miles yesterday on the trails to top off a record mileage week. I should be hurting more, not less.

Perhaps it was the trails that made a difference. The softer surface absorbs the impact differently than running on pavement. If that’s the case I wonder if I should be considering an even more cushioned shoe than the Brooks. The Asics are comfortable and it’s my understanding that they represent the high end of the cushioning scale. Hard to know if it’s a coincidence but I will plan more weekend runs at Bethpage and Stillwell if that’s the case. Reminder to self: buy a compass.

A trail adventure with AG

On June 28, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

My excellent vacation was topped off today with a Bethpage trail run with Adventure Girl. We decided to run the trails instead of the bike path and set off without a map relying solely on our sense of direction. We started the run by discussing the Garmin 50 and the QStarz Sports Recorder and how annoying it is when you do a run and forget to turn the thing on or off. After we ran a little more than half a mile (at one point through a barely-there trail with snakes!) we saw that our trail ended at the edge of the woods. I looked at the Garmin to see how long we had run only to discover that I failed to turn it on. That was indeed annoying but we turned back in the direction we’d come, a little more knowledgeable about the layout of the terrain.

We ran a number of trails, staying primarily with the wider cinder covered paths, until we reached a clearing and took what I believed to be a northern route. That trail eventually ended along a road and we soon figured out that we’d been traveling west. Instead of heading back on the same trail we hit the road (actually the sidewalk) and ran north to where we could get back onto the trails from a neighborhood entry point. We followed that trail and switched over to others that looked interesting as we went. It was a great experience, our pace was moderate and the tree cover was good. The path began to get sandy which was tough for running (for me, AG never ever complains) and we reached a point where we weren’t sure where to go. The goal was to head south but AG thought it was one way and I thought the other. The sun was directly overhead so that gave us no help. I decided to go AG’s way because she’s more experienced and, well, she ended up being right.

We followed the trail south until it intersected with the bike trail allowing AG to experience my hated run-ending hill with me. We flew down the final hill and headed to my car for water and then to the shaded benches for shelter from the sun. We were very hot and sweat-soaked and splattered a little with mud but we agreed it was an excellent run. We headed back to my house and AG enjoyed some swimming races with my son in the pool before we shared a high carb lunch with my wife and kids.

We downloaded the QStarz GPS data, which was wacky because it not only recorded our run but everything afterward including the drive home. That certainly helped our overall pace! The QStarz again failed to export the real time recorded data and even after a reset and re-test it still fell short. Too bad – so much potential but so many problems.

It’s been a great vacation and today’s 4.x mile run puts me very close to 30 miles since I’ve been off. Tomorrow and next week I go back to the normal routine but I look forward to my early morning runs in the dark. Today was a blast and I couldn’t imagine it any better.

Trailing off

On May 25, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

It’s been an activity-filled long weekend and we’ve taken great advantage of the sunny weather. The pool has been well used and the new Aquabot has shown to have a great work ethic. There was too much to do this morning for me to work in a run so I decided to wait until late afternoon to head over to Stillwell Woods for a run on the dirt trails.

At 4:00 PM it was still very hot and sunny so I wore my new “Boston Marathon” AdiStar tee that is supposed to have superior cooling and wicking properties. I’ve learned that not all technical shirts are alike and that you do tend to get what you pay for. My Nike Sphere Dri-Fit shirt keeps me much drier than the Champion jerseys I use for everyday workouts. The Adidas performed very well and I was glad to have worn it.

I purposely parked at the street end of the lot to give myself a quarter mile of paved road to run before hitting the entrance to the trails. I wore my NB trail shoes that work very well on dirt and pavement and I was glad to have them once I started on the first path. Like last time I ran Stillwell there were a number of people staging for riding but I didn’t encounter any hardcore bikers throughout my run. I did face a handful of casual bikers and had some tight spots where we practically brushed arms as we passed. Stillwell’s main trails are wide enough to ride (or run) two across but the feeder trails are barely wide enough for one. It was almost claustrophobic in parts but I appreciated the respite from the sun and I was amused by the number of rabbits and other small creatures I saw scampering across the path. My plan was to run no more than 25 minutes and I ended up running 2 1/4 miles in a little less than 21. I came home, quickly changed and dove right in the pool. While in the pool I tried “running in place” holding on to the side in the deep end. It felt like I’d had a good post run stretch by the time I came out.

Overall, it was a great long weekend with lots of different activities and some really good runs. I think I’m in good shape for my June 7 race. Still waiting for them to put up the online registration!

Bikes, at least, have gears

On May 25, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

This morning I drove over to Bethpage State Park to check out their trails. I had read a lot about the bike trails that begin in Bethpage and reach as far south as Sunrise Highway allowing a person to ride (or run) 13 miles. You could conduct your own personal marathon by turning around at the end and running back! The cost to park was $6 and I hesitated for a moment thinking that there are plenty of places to run for free. My curiosity got the best of me and I drove on and parked in the main lot which is situated north of the paved trails and golf courses (including the famous Black Course which will host the US Open this year).

I started my run at the beginning of the paved bike trail that starts immediately with a sizable hill. There were a number of bikers and walkers out at that time but it wasn’t so crowded that I had to avoid people or slow down at any time. Once I crested that hill I ran on a mostly downward slope. The whole time I was on that part I was thinking how hard it would be tailing in with that long incline. There were other hills and descents over the first mile and a half and I mentally banked the work I’d be doing upon my return. My plan was to run about 20 minutes and then turn back. The paths ran parallel to both highways and streets but the trees blocked most evidence of civilization. I started seeing runners from the other direction and figured most people start from the southern part of the trail and then run north. Everyone was courteous and despite all the bikers I never felt that I was in danger of being run over. I reached a point where the trail was marked “4.0” and turned around to come back.

I felt good throughout the run. The trees provided good cover from the sun and I moved along pretty well. Having just run the trail from the north direction I had a sense of progress coming back. I did start to tire at mile 3 and winced at the thought that I’d be hitting the biggest hills near the end. I passed a number of walkers along the way and waved to a couple of bikers and other runners that I saw earlier from the other direction. I encountered a few up and down spots and tried to conserve energy on the declines, taking shorter strides on the hills. The last hill was as long going up as I’d remembered it coming down. I wasn’t going to stop and I didn’t. Once I realized I’d crested I knew that the only thing ahead was running down the big hill to the end. In all I covered 5 miles and probably would have gone a little further had the trail extended another mile.

Later that day we took a quick trip to the outlet stores so I could get a couple of needed items. While there I went into the Adidas store to look at running shorts. I have about a dozen pairs of shorts but, besides my Pearl Izumi’s, most aren’t made for running. I ended up getting a great deal on an expensive jersey that reminded me a little of a Zoot shirt that I covet every time I visit City Sports in NYC. After that we hit the pool and then headed back to Bethpage to walk the cinder trails. Those trails are really well maintained with lots of different routes to choose. I wore my NB trail runners for that walk and my daughter and I did a little running together so I could get a feel for the trail. I’ll be back soon, dressed fully for running.

I loved my experience at Bethpage but didn’t love the parking fee. The guy at the gate said I could buy an Empire Passport for $65 that allows access into any NY state park. Seven visits to Bethpage alone would pay for it so I think that will be a good family investment

A fun new world very close to home

On March 15, 2009 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

I’m still experiencing some soreness off my right hip and, based upon reaction to pressure, I’m wondering if it’s due to an aggravated sciatic nerve. This soreness makes walking and running uncomfortable for the first ten or so steps but it goes away after that. I almost decided to rest it but instead headed over to Stillwell Woods, a local preserve that sits across the street from the High School track. I figured that running trails would have a lesser impact on my injury and if the soreness continued I could just return knowing that I tried.

Access to the trails is fronted by a large complex of athletic fields and as I ran past I saw many other early birds gathering to play football and soccer while others were unloading trail bikes. Those people scared me because I figured we’d be competing for trail space and they didn’t look particularly courteous. As it happened I didn’t encounter a single biker on my run but I did see a couple of other runners. I entered the trail and instantly found myself in another world. I’d run a little at the Planting Fields but that is a not really set up for trail runners and mountain bikers. There was nothing but high brush on the sides and a flat trail in front with other trails connecting right and left. The elevations varied every hundred feet or so and, in the narrow parts, it felt a little like riding a roller coaster. The trees prevented a line of site to give any true perspective on where I was relative to anywhere else so I just let the trail take me where it would. It was really fun.

The temperature was in the low 40’s and I wore less layers so I had no issues with the heat. The trails were muddy but the cold kept me from sinking in. Any colder and it probably would have hurt to run on it, any warmer and some sections would have been just too mucky. Perfect. I learned that trails are harder to run than pavement or track and I know this because I could barely maintain a high 9:00 pace but my heart rate was showing that I was putting in a strong effort. When I finally came out at the other side of the athletic fields I was at 2.5 miles and I decided that, with respect to my injury, it was enough for today.

I’m looking forward to returning to Stillwell to explore the many trails not taken this morning. It’s literally five minutes from my front door but it feels like it’s a million miles away. I’m betting that this change from road running can only help with my training as I approach race day.