NY Marathon Expo – so many booths, so little time.

On October 30, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I was thinking about my progress as a runner over the last year and I’m fairly pleased. I can’t say that I’m completely satisfied with where I am because I think there’s more that I could be doing to improve my level of conditioning. I had little trouble covering my 9 miles last Sunday in the marathon relay but I recall thinking during the race that I’d wished I’d done more hill and speed work prior to the event. I guess it comes down to why we run. There are those who get out and do intervals, tempos, fartleks and hill sprints once or twice a week. These people are probably much stronger for it and it helps them run paces that would seem unlikely or even impossible for a runner like myself. Every time I go out to run I think about training rigorously and while I do occasionally switch up my pacing my primary intention remains focused on the enjoyment of the experience. I went out this morning dressed for cold and I wasn’t disappointed. After a slow start I picked up the pace in the middle and maintained it long enough to average 8:58 over 2.6 miles. It was fun to run at a quicker pace today but at other times comfort prevails.

Yesterday was the first day of the NY Marathon Expo at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. For those unfamiliar with Javits, it’s a huge conference center on the west side in the 30’s that, for some reason, was built far away from any public transportation. The closest subway will still require a 15 to 20 minute walk. The way the event planners get around this limitation is to run busses all day from local hotels. The buses are free and the system works. The only issue I have with it is that buses + mid day traffic = long wait times to get to the place. I anxiously checked my watch concerned that by the time I arrived I’d need to get back on another bus in order to return for a 2:00 meeting. As it happened I was able to spend about 40 minutes at the Expo. Upon arriving I was puzzled to see that the main event was a technology security conference which would normally be of interest. I couldn’t see anything resembling a marathon expo. Finally, another person who was also looking spied the far away entrance and we headed over. The Expo was huge compared with any I’d seen before it. Every shoe, apparal, technology and health/exercise company had booths (although I don’t recall seeing Nike which was fine with me). The ASICS booth was so huge it could have been an Expo on its own. I spent time talking with some people promoting their races, chatted with someone representing Newton running shoes and then headed back to the office with lots of pamphlets and a few samples.

I wish I had more time to revisit the Expo today. I encourage anyone to go – it’s free!

Energy low, three days to go

On October 21, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Each morning when I get up to run it seems inconceivable, in my groggy state, that I could engage in an activity more challenging than sitting up in bed. However, in the fifteen minutes between fetching coffee, putting on running gear and heading out the door I transform from sleeper to runner. Most days things work well and by the time I reach the street I’m usually feeling 100 percent the runner. Today I felt like I’d left the best of me at home. I never felt like I found my stride and though I wouldn’t complain of weakness I lacked the normal energy that I expect at the beginning of every run.

I mentioned yesterday that my aerobic balance has improved and this carries the day for me. My endurance is no longer affected by breathlessness, these days my limit is the range between body strength and weakness. This morning I figured that I just wasn’t up for a hard charging workout and my numbers reflected that: 2.3 miles at 9:19. I’m supposed to be tapering this week but as my weekday runs are already limited by time I don’t see the point in cutting down my running in any measurable way. I’m probably going to rest tomorrow and do an easy 3 or 4 miles in Friday. Saturday is a question – run or rest? AG is planning a run by the ocean and I must admit that has appeal. At the same time I need to do everything I can to be ready for Sunday’s race. I guess I’ll decide what to do closer to Saturday.

One last thing. My colleague KWL is in Hong Kong right now and he sent me his MotionX GPX and KMZ files from his run along the eastern harbor near Sai Wan Ho. He also sent me this picture (left) that he took along the way. I can’t imagine how beautiful that must look in person.

Over the Moon(s)

On October 18, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

This morning I was determined to get out and do hill training despite calls for wind, rain and flooding. I dressed appropriately, including a great ASICS lightweight running jacket that I bought at the Expo before my 5K race in April. It felt much colder than 44 degrees when I stepped out to run. The skies were dark gray and I could not get a lock on a GPS signal with MotionX but I hit start anyway, then pressed go on my Garmin and headed out. I made a bee line to the industrial park and chose the steeper circuit running counter-clockwise which takes you uphill about 2/3rds of the run and downhill the other third.

I had planned on doing a couple of circuits and heading back since the weather was getting worse every minute. I had brought along a package of Luna Moon Energy Chews, described by the manufacturer as “provid[ing] women athletes with essential carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins for increased energy while exercising.” I bought them at Target despite the gender bias of the packaging since the only gender-neutral choice was Sharkies. In comparison, Sharkies Organic Energy Chews contained much more sugar per serving.

I had been thinking about how I typically feel tired and depleted after 30 minutes but usually rebound after five minutes or so. I experimented with the energy chews, trying 3 about midway through my run. I can’t say how much they helped as I felt no energy surge after eating them but I did a third circuit up the hill and I don’t know if I would have been able to do that unaided. I was feeling tired and soggy by the time I finished the third loop but happy the hills were behind me for the day. I headed back home and saw that I’d completed 4.75 miles at 9:09, a good part of that uphill. I used the Active Wrap on my quads this morning (heat) and I’m thinking that helped loosen up my muscles that were still recovering from yesterday’s 6.5 miler. Today was probably the last run I’ll do over 4 miles until Sunday’s race and I feel good about my conditioning going into my final week’s taper. I’m curious to know what weather conditions we’ll face on the 25th. If it’s cold and wet I know I can handle it. Hot and humid, that’s another story.

That’s a wrap!

On October 15, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

The folks at Active Wrap sent me samples of their award-winning heat/cold wraps for knee and leg and for foot and ankle. They are constructed from quality materials and use Active Wraps non-migrating heat/cold packs that distribute their material evenly compared to a typical economy gel pack that pools away from the point of compression. I’m thinking that the heat and compression will be ideal for my layover between legs of my race where I’ll need to stay limber for about 2 hours between my first and second run. Perfect timing to receive these wraps, I’ll experiment with them this weekend before and after my long runs.

I have completed much of the work that’s been taking me away from running this week and I can’t wait to hit the street tomorrow. Despite my toe problem I will run because it isn’t debilitating and I don’t think running hurts it further. My goal for this weekend is two long runs, each over five miles. If I can, I will try another two-fer, with a three mile run, 2 hour rest and second run of five or six miles. I’m hearing that we may get a nor’easter by Saturday so I may have to go back to the dreaded treadmill after literally months away. It will have to be pretty darn wet and cold to get me back running indoors. I’m hoping the weather reports are wrong because I really want to hit the trails at least one of the two weekend days but not if they’re full of mud.

Energetic morning run

On October 13, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I must have had a good night’s rest last night because I woke up ready to run this morning. It’s not always that way. I do end up getting out and doing my mileage each day even as I fight sleep while I change into running clothes. Today felt different and despite what felt like a swelling in my big toe (my son has struggled with that problem for months on and off) I couldn’t wait to hit the street. This weekend I bought a generic version of “Breath-right” strips that are designed to help keep nasal passages open for sleeping or athletics. My sinuses often bother me when I run so I thought this may be a good way of managing that problem. I bought “small to normal” size and it seemed a little small although I don’t think my nose is that big. The adhesive didn’t work as I’d expected and while I did get it positioned and noticed a difference in my air intake the strip eventually detached during my run. I’m thinking I may upgrade to the brand name and go up a size.

As I said above, my energy level was good as I started my run and I tried to keep a decent pace as I varied between normal and fast segments. I tend to run slower at 4:00 AM than I do at 7:00 AM so when I finished 2.5 miles at 8:48 per mile I was pleased with the outcome. My toe problem was not a factor and now feels close to normal. The cold air continues to support my energy level on these morning runs. I’ll continue to experiment with the nose strips and gauge the effectiveness of the energy chews during this weekend’s runs. Anything that provides a competitive edge is worth considering. 12 days and counting, I almost wish the race was this Sunday.

Marathon relay training with 14 days to go

On October 10, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I’m thinking about one of my work colleagues who is running in her first half marathon today in Baltimore. By now the race has already been run and I’m hoping she is celebrating a great experience. Last time I spoke to her she was concerned about an IT band injury. She was concerned about how that injury would affect her performance. She told me that her doctor discouraged her from getting a cortisone shot. The advice was that she should be able to feel the injury and, therefore, know when to stop or protect it if things got worse. I have a feeling things went well.

I’m less than 15 days from my marathon experience in Cape Cod. Not quite a half but longer than I’ve ever run in a single day. I keep thinking about the pluses and minuses of running two legs totalling 9 miles versus running that distance at a single time. I’m starting the race with a three mile leg and then running the fourth leg (six miles) after my teammates complete about 12 miles in between. Depending on how quickly they cover their distance I’m guessing I’ll have 1:30 to 2:00 hours in between my runs. While I’m happy to have a rest in between I’m worried that my endurance will be affected by the lapse. The concern is that I will build up so much lactic acid after the first leg that my legs will be dragging halfway through the second. I suppose there is a strategy to help lactic acid dissipate sooner, probably through stretching or massage. I’ll happily take guidance and suggestions.

I was feeling a little weak yesterday after my run and throughout most of the day. I had hoped to run five+ miles today on the street to ratchet up my conditioning as I move closer to race day. I’ve averaged 20 miles a week over the past couple of months but I’ve stepped it up to 23 miles the last couple of weeks. I felt okay when I went out this morning and headed straight for the industrial park because I need to train for “memorable hills” and there are some long steep ones there. I split off into neighborhood #4 and then tracked further east into the next town. I felt good although I did hit the wall somewhat at 33 minutes but I knew that I could endure it. Since I’m going to be on the trails at Stillwell Woods tomorrow I didn’t want to burn out today so I redirected home and finished with 4.75 miles at a Gmap verified 9:09. I felt good about today’s effort because my level of conditioning transcended the weakness and fatigue that I’m experiencing today. I hope this continues tomorrow, it’s been weeks since I’ve been on the trails and Stillwell is no place for weakness.

Two a day, but not running

On October 4, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I ended up only running once today. There was too much that needed to get done this morning for me to run, wait and then run again. But I am posting twice! Yesterday I covered 6 miles with a run that started in neighborhood #4 and then moved along to neighborhood #2 before I did a few loops within my own neighborhood. Today I set out for a run around the perimeter of my neighborhood, first tracking west along Jericho Turnpike and then south on the main road that borders us to the west. It was a fast run and I covered 4.25 miles at 8:58. Both runs this weekend totaled about 10.25 miles and my average pace overall was under 9:00. I am pretty happy about that since I’m in the final weeks of training prior to my marathon relay.

The cooler weather definitely helps my effort. My Runner’s World co-bloggers have convinced me that a hot and sweaty run of the same distance and speed of a cool and dry run is more work. That means I need to up my game as fall progresses and not accept the status quo of summer performance metrics. I purposely looked for challenging elevations today in anticipation of what the marathon website calls “memorable hills.” This morning there was a segment on the news about the ING half marathon and they had a sports doctor who was promoting plyometrics as a training technique. I tried a few activities in my den until my son pointed to the mini trampoline that was sitting a couple of feet away. Sometimes I miss the obvious. I’ll try to incorporate that into my training as well. I’m looking forward to continued coolness for my morning runs although you’d never know it was fall today with temperatures hitting 76 degrees.

Six miles in the morning, party in the afternoon

On October 4, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I heard from Fred Haslett, the president of the LIRRC, the running club that organizes many races on Long Island. Fred said that they had sent out email and set up a hot-line as well as putting information on their website to tell participants how to deal with the triathlon that interfered with access to the 4 mile race on September 13. I guess once I participate in an LIRRC race I’ll get put on that email list and get a heads up on conditions. I appreciated Fred’s comment and I look forward to participating in their run series.

Last week I received my SpiBelt (SPI = small personal items), a runner’s version of a fanny pack. It’s a nice design, basically a zippered compartment made of stretchy material that can hold money, keys, ID, or even a cell phone. The SPIbelt is built to hug the runners body at the belt line and does not interfere with running motion or balance. I took it with me during a six mile run yesterday and included some cash and my identification card. I completely forgot about the SPIbelt while I was on my run. That’s certainly the idea. I was thinking that I may put some GU in it for a boost during the second leg of my relay at the upcoming Cape Cod Marathon. I’ll be covering my experience with the SPIbelt in greater depth on Runner’s Tech Review after the marathon.

After yesterday’s long run we headed to out to Adventure Girl’s housewarming party in New Haven and had a great time. With the kids, we arrived early and left early but by the time we left the place was filled with Yale grad students, good friends and family (some four legged). Quite a few runners in that group. The great food and home-made desserts will hopefully power me through my runs today. My plan is to try a two-fer again, but not too long in terms of distances. I’m feeling a little sore after yesterday’s run so a little stretching is probably advised before I head out for today’s workout. Only 21 days to the marathon relay…

Two-a-day training for my marathon relay

On September 24, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Back when I started running I would often go out two or three times a day. This activity was performed primarily on weekends as my daily run was often limited to 15 minutes on the treadmill. On weekends I’d go out early and do a mile. I’d often try to stretch that to two miles but it took some time before I got there. Later in the day I’d do another short run (or two) so that I’d cover a total of 3 miles on Saturday or Sunday. Stretching out the time between runs was essential to that because in my early running days I’d need a lot of rest between activities. More recently, as runs have become longer and my conditiong has improved, I’m less apt to do multiple runs in one day unless the second run is a modest two mile jog with my daughter on a Sunday afternoon.

Training for my marathon relay brings back the idea of two-a-days and in my case that means two runs within two hours. Last Sunday was an interesting experience because it revealed my limits very quickly. My first segment went fine, a 3.1 mile run that would normally serve as a typical weekend distance (at the shorter end). I stayed in my running clothes to simulate the conditions for the race. I’m not expecting that I’ll have access to a changing room during the actual event although I may change into a clean jersey in the team car. After toweling off I did swap shirts and then had a bowl of cereal with dried fruit as I waited to run my next segment. Exactly 120 minutes after I finished my first run I set out again for the second leg. The lesson I quickly learned was that two hours rest allowed me to recover well enough to go out with some energy but the wall comes up hard 30 minutes later. I struggled to continue at that point and came up short of my 9 mile total distance goal.

I have about four weekends left to train with these two-a-days. The biggest concern I have for the race relates to the unknown elevations of the course and the level of heat and sun that day. I’m going to assume it will be hot and hilly but I really hope I’m wrong. 9.05 miles, even broken up into two segments, would still be a record distance for a single day. I’m up to the challenge and hoping for the best.

Who put that 5K in the middle of my run?

On September 20, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I’m training for the Cape Cod Marathon that takes place on October 25th. Impressed right? Barely a year under my belt as a runner and I’m already tackling 26.2 miles! Well, the race itself is that long but my participation is limited to two legs out of five and I’ll be sharing the course with three teammates. I’ll be the starting runner covering 3.05 miles before handing off to a teammate who will be facing 6.15 miles. The next leg is 5.7 miles then the baton comes back to me for six more before I hand off to the last runner who needs to cover 5.3 miles to finish. The course winds around Falmouth and appears to have sections near the water so it could be a visually beautiful race. As a matter fact the website states that “Runners’ World called this race one of the ten “Most Scenic” marathons in America.” I’ve got concerns about covering my distances competitively so I officially started my training today.

My plan was to simulate the effect of doing two runs within 2 hours of each other. Based on a nine minute pace I’d have about an hour and forty-five minutes to rest between legs. I went out around 8:30 AM and my plan was run the nearby industrial park because it has a long uphill stretch. From what I saw of the elevations of the course it looks to be hilly and I want to be prepared. I had a surprisingly difficult time during my first race, a four miler, that had a long hill near the beginning of the run. That challenge took a lot out of me and I never want to be caught like that again. I made my way to the Park and as I came around the corner towards the main road I saw a row of orange cones and a bit further on were people setting up what seemed to be a water station. As I got closer I saw signs that the “Angels on the Bay 5K” was happening this morning starting from Sysosset-Woodbury Park. I was tempted to see if I could sign up but there really wasn’t time and I wanted to follow the training plan I’d worked out. I was frustrated that with all the time I spend looking for local races this never came to my attention. I think some better marketing would draw a bigger crowd next year.

I ended up covering 3.4 miles for my first “leg” this morning and came home to re-hydrate and have a small breakfast. I went back out at 11:00 hoping to cover at least 5 miles and I felt good at the start save for some sharp pressure on the top of my ankle from my Brooks. I stopped to re-tie that shoe after a quarter mile and reset my Garmin and my MotionX back to 00:00. I ran with the Nike+ chip on my earlier run but I hadn’t calibrated it so it thought that I was running 20 minute miles. I decided to leave it home for the second run. Once I restarted I took off in a different direction than this morning and felt very good until I reached the 3 mile mark when I started to fade. Fortunately I was far enough from home that I was forced to extend the run and I ended up covering 4.55 miles (not counting the .25 before my reset) for the second leg. All totaled it was 8.2 miles, not the 9 I’d hoped to cover today. I’m still pleased with the training and I’ll build on it over the next month. I feel very good after all that but I’m looking forward to bedtime tonight.