No regrets

On June 6, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Yesterday afternoon’s workout (cycling): 4 miles

When I look back on a race I often think about the things I wish I’d done differently. Sometimes I lament the way I’d paced my run and other times I’ll regret that I didn’t do enough focused training. I can usually identify at least one problem that I wished I’d corrected prior to race day. But, for yesterday’s 8K, I can happily say that I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

The important point I took from this race is the knowledge that I’m capable of running a mid-8:00 pace for five miles. Even at the finish I felt strong. I had been concerned that I was losing some of my edge because my average training pace has degraded some over the last couple of years. I realized yesterday that, for many months, I’d backed off too much on performance in favor of having more comfortable runs. Only recently have I persistently focused on performance, including speed work on the track and extra workouts from cycling.

If yesterday’s performance is an indicator of how I trained then there’s not much I’m going to change. Even so, although I was happy with the way things went at the race, I can’t ignore that I finished solidly mid-pack and toward the back of my age division. There were a number of speedy middle-aged club runners on the course yesterday so I understand why I placed where I did. Maybe next time I can be a little more competitive.

I’m 40% short of "good"

On June 4, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

With an emphasis on “hard”

Today’s workout (core and strength training): 20 minutes

I’m being tortured again by the beautiful weather. Just going outside to put up a new clock in the pool area has me itching to go out for a run. It’s sunny, 64° with 54% humidity today. Maybe I’ll allow myself a very easy bike ride later.

This morning I ran through my standard set of core exercises and added some other elements. I never feel like I work hard enough after completing a core session even though I add more repetitions than what’s specified in my instructions. I started reading the current issue of TrailRunner magazine and saw an article about improving your strength-to-weight ratio. The article includes a chart that lists the amount of push-ups that a person should be able to do based on their gender and age.

The ideal core strength-to-weight ratio (CSSWR) is 4 (or below) with 4+ to 8 categorized as “adequate.” I missed the ideal by quite a bit and while I got close to doing 20 push-ups I’m still about 40% short of being “good.” I’m guessing that these categories are based on tuned, not recreational, athletes like me. But I like a challenge and now that I have a benchmark I’ll see how well I progress against this index.

Tomorrow I’m running the NHP 8K for the third consecutive year and I go into it feeling relatively ready. I’m planning on wearing the Hattori’s for the first time in a race and that will be interesting. In terms of performance I’m hoping that I’ll beat my prior time but I’ll be happy just as long as I enjoy the experience.

Planning my long weekend race training

On May 25, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 2.5 miles

I went back out to the streets this morning after two days of rest. Although the temperature got into the low 80’s yesterday and similar weather is predicted for today, I was happily surprised by how cool it felt when I stepped outside. It took almost a minute for the Garmin to lock onto a GPS signal so I used that time to do a few dynamic stretches.

The two day’s rest definitely helped me at the start. Instead of the early discomfort from transitioning between anaerobic and aerobic running, I was good to go from the start. I followed my basic route and threw in some speedy sections throughout the run. My knee felt fine but I did experience some sharp shin pain a couple of minutes into my run. That went away and didn’t return so I’m not going to worry about it.

I’m beginning to think about my (long) weekend’s running and what might be the best workouts to close my training prior to my taper for the 8K. Right now I’m thinking one long run, one speed session and one shorter, but faster, run. Maybe I’ll hit the trails with the bike as well. Lots to look forward to and hoping for good weather.

Protect the knee and then build the base

On May 6, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Half marathon finish

I went out after work with some friends and got home later than I normally do. That cut into my sleep and I decided to rest instead of running this morning. I’m very close to full recovery from my half marathon last weekend but my knee is still a little sore. I compare it to how it felt last Saturday, the day before my race. I didn’t feel guilty for skipping a workout today because I feel another day without impact on my knee can only help.

I had hopes of going out this weekend and doing at least one heroically long run to mark my post-half arrival. I’m now thinking about a different approach, where I cap my distance at around four miles on each run. That way I can protect my knee as it recovers and add distance each week until I’m back to 10+ mile base runs.

I had lunch with my friend CMc yesterday and he reinforced the need to do training runs at (or longer) than my targeted race distance. This makes sense since I’d never run 13 miles before Sunday and my performance took a tumble after 11. A steady diet of 10+ mile runs at least once a week will put me in good shape to run another half, should I choose to do so. Even if I stay primarily with 10K’s I’ll see great benefits from that type of training. I really want to be better prepared for my next race.

A last long run before the half

On April 22, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Trail head to Southards Pond

Today’s run (Belmont Lake State Park): 8.35 miles

After yesterday’s tough hike (on top of a truncated morning speed session) I really wanted to give myself a day to recover. The weather for Saturday is not promising. It’s supposed to rain the first half of the day and I wanted to get in one more long run before I tapered for my upcoming race. I decided to run the trails along Southards Pond and Belmont Lake in Babylon. These trails make up the Dirty Sock 10K course, one of my favorite places to run and a perfect spot for a training run.

I started at the trail head that serves as the exit to the Dirty Sock finish line and as I ran I thought about how two of my four hardest races were run on this course. Part of that related to the late August dates of the Dirty Sock race and the heat and humidity that comes with that. Today it was cool (42° F) and dry, so I had little concern that the weather would affect my performance.

I reached Southards Pond quickly and soon connected to the main trail that took me under the RT 27 trestle where a flutist was playing the Hollies’ song “Bus Stop” (Bus stop, wet day, she’s there, I say / Please share my umbrella). It’s not the first time I’ve run through there accompanied by flute music but it was still an unexpected pleasure.

The path winds quite a bit from there and eventually goes under the Southern State Parkway that sits just south of Belmont Lake. I ran around the lake taking in the water view, trees, ducks, swans and geese. I was feeling good so I ran a second time around the lake before heading south on the trail. When I reached 4 miles I took my first sip of Gatorade G2 and continued to do that every half mile from then on. I’ve discovered that this technique works well for me and I plan to do this during the half marathon.

My run back to the trail head was unremarkable and I felt that my conditioning was adequate for 13 miles. The only concern I had today was with my feet — my small toes got mashed in my Kinvaras and I worried about how they’d do if I had to run another 5 miles. I plan to run in the Mirages during the race which will help in terms of support and structure but I need to figure out a way of protecting my toes.

Now it’s time to step down the rigor and prepare for the 13.1 miles that lay ahead on May 1st.

Training to be part of the 3.6%

On March 24, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

It’s amusing to see people on television shocked by the snow this week. As if the change to spring automatically triggers mild weather. I will admit to being surprised by the cold today and the snow on my driveway was a harsh flashback to winter. But unlike December, January and February, this snow is short-lived and hopefully by tomorrow I’ll be back running on the road.

I’d expected bad weather last night and planned to work out indoors today. Since it was Thursday I chose to do an elliptical session. My energy was below its usual level so I kept resistance in the medium-low range and did the workout by rote. As I plowed through my minutes I thought about the amazing fact that I was training for a half marathon. I read recently that about 1.3 million people finished half marathons in 2010 so I’ll have plenty of company. But doing the math, that’s only .04% of the US population and, notably, just 3.6% of people in the US who run one or more days per year (according to RunningUSA). By May 2nd I’ll know if I’m part of that enviable number.

The treadmill is part of the plan

On March 11, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Rain has recently replaced snow as a persistent inhibitor to my outdoor running. I wear glasses and they don’t mix well with rainy weather as both fog and rain impair my vision when I run. The effect can be disorienting and sometimes downright scary. So with last night’s storm extending into the morning, I knew that the treadmill would be my only choice.

Every run I do these days connects to my need to be ready for my half marathon. In between now and then I’ll run a 5K but my raison de courir, as my aunt would put it, is to do well at the RXR LI Half. My biggest issue with the treadmill experience is that it’s the opposite of peaceful. When I’m on the road or the trail I tune into my surroundings and my favorite runs are those where the sound of my footsteps is the loudest thing I hear. I further appreciate that I own the run and choose where and how I’ll run. Our treadmill is quieter than its predecessor but it’s still an aggressive machine that forces me to conform to its limitations.

My current approach to treadmill running is to begin more slowly than when I run on the street. Rather than begin with a frenzied pace, I work my way up by starting at around a 9:50 pace and finishing closer to 8:50. That seems to work and I am getting to fold in some speed into the run. I think the two keys to a successful race on May 1st are: 1) Continuing to build my base closer to 9 or 10 miles, and 2) Working on strengthening my core, especially the glutes and hamstrings that will help me maintain my speed. Hard work to be sure, but at least I have a plan.

Training for the half marathon with strategy in mind

On March 8, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 2.55 miles

Training was on my mind this morning when I went outside for my run. My plan was to do a tempo run and focus on sustaining a faster pace than I’ve averaged over the last couple of weeks. It’s been warm the last few days (if you call 40 degrees warm) but this morning it was a frosty 27. I started my run at a moderate pace and brought up my speed after the first mile. I ran my remaining distance around 30 seconds slower than my 5K pace and I finished running at about a 9:15 pace.

Many half marathon plans I’ve seen mix together a combination of short runs, intervals and long runs in addition to cross training. I know myself well enough that I’m not going to do intervals on a regular basis but I will consciously work to include farleks and tempos. By running on the treadmill I adopted a habit of starting slowly and working my way up to faster paces and I’ve been doing that on my street runs although faster is a relative term.

I think it really comes down to building up my base to the point that I can draw upon any competitive tools I have later on in the race. That strategy seemed to work last fall when I successfully attained two consecutive 10K PRs. My running buddy Dave suggested that I focus on base during one of our runs and he was right. I think I’ll see if he has any other ideas to help my training.

When a routine run is a good thing

On February 8, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 2.55 miles

I have been using the treadmill so often this winter that it’s starting to seem like a routine. I far prefer outdoor running but with the snow and ice it’s been impossible to do that safely at 4:00 AM. My new comfort with the treadmill is a positive and though I don’t love it I’m also not using, “I hate this, I hate this” as my running mantra. A quick check on Garmin Connect shows that my longest gap between treadmill sessions last year was almost five months — May 19 to October 14. That means that every run in that period (typically five runs per week) happened outdoors. I was clearly lucky with the weather during that span. I probably ran through a few rainstorms but I recall that most of the time conditions were clear. I guess I’m now paying for that streak of run-friendly weather.

My session on the treadmill this morning was energizing. After a moderate start I began to blip up the speed every few minutes, finishing my run at an 8:30 pace. My overall pace was in the low 9:00’s and I felt strong throughout the run. It was like Saturday’s race when I cruised along below 9:00/mile feeling like I could sustain that pace for a long time. Getting to this level of stamina is important to me because I’m beginning to think about my time targets for a half marathon. If I could start another five month streak of outdoor running I’d be happy. But I’ll settle for decent indoor runs like today’s for the time being.

An unscheduled skip and an unexpected run

On February 3, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill) 2.45 miles

I’m not sure why, but whenever I work from home I never seem to find the time to fit in a workout. The snowy weather has interfered with my commute this year and, as a result, I’ve had to work from my home a couple of times. Yesterday was one of those times and it was ice, not snow, that kept me home. I made it to the train station extra early but the cancellations and delays sent me back home. I thought I’d have a chance for a lunchtime treadmill run but I ended up too busy to fit it in.

I expected to finish my race training on Wednesday but since I skipped it I used this morning to end my taper. I usually like two days rest prior to a race but one will do in a pinch. I took it easy and started off at a very easy pace. A run two days before a race is not going to help my conditioning but it might keep me tuned and flexible. As I ran I increased my speed in small amounts and finished the last few minutes at a 7 mph pace. The products of a good workout are a heavy sweat and the endorphin buzz that follows, both of which were attained today. I am happy with the way my training has gone and I feel good for Saturday. With snow, rain or a “wintry mix” on the way it could be a challenging race. Running the boardwalk, with views of the water sound good to me. I’ll deal with the weather stuff when I have to.