Speed or comfort – choose one

On August 28, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Due to weather and a fairly tight schedule I skipped my workout today. So far this vacation week (since Saturday) I’ve logged 22.5 miles with 6.2 coming from last week’s Dirty Sock 10K race. I’m supposed to run the trails tomorrow with my nephew who is on the local track track team but they’re calling for rain so we’ll likely need to postpone that. If that’s the case I might work in a run a little later or get on the elliptical for the first time in a couple of weeks.

I was hoping to run some intervals today because my speed has been suffering and I’ve recently read in Runner’s World that speed work can be helpful for building endurance. While I have no problem getting out and running, even during hours that people consider more as night than morning, I have been less than stellar in terms of rigorous conditioning. I suspect that’s the reason why I have hit the wall in terms of progress on improving my pace. I know that being a committed runner involves different runs for different reasons. Sometimes it’s about speed, sometimes it’s about hills and sometimes it’s about endurance over long distances. I’ve defaulted to running at a natural gait which appears to be around 9:30 per mile although I know I am capable of sustaining a sub-9:00 pace over four or five miles.

Some of the reason for this default is likely due to a change from running with AG on a weekly basis to primarily running alone. AG is a stronger and faster runner and though she’s never chastised me for my pace I was more inclined to push myself when we ran together than I do when running alone. Another factor is the temperature and humidity. Heat has always affected my performance and, combined with the glaring sun, it can be debilitating. As the summer wanes and the cooler temperatures return I suspect my pace will return closer to 9:00 and below. In the meantime I am committed to working harder to push my pace regardless if I’m running alone or not.

Short and sweet

On July 26, 2009 By Emerging Runner1 Comment

I had hoped that today’s run would be the longest of the weekend and I was aiming to cover 5 miles. I was happy with my weekend runs with AG at Stillwell and around the neighborhood and looked to cap things off with a slightly longer Sunday run. The weather was not looking good and there was thunder but no rain. I was anxious to get out to run before the storm and I hit the street anticipating a fast return at the first sign of lightning. I pushed the pace and went west on Jericho Turnpike so I could make a loop around the neighborhood and cut in towards home if necessary. I decided to run with my NB 460’s today to compare them to the Helly Hansen Trail Lizards and I was once again impressed with the versatility of the New Balance shoes. About ten minutes into the run the sun came out along with the heat and humidity. It quickly became clear that I wouldn’t be covering five miles under those conditions so I made my way back having run a total of 3.7 miles at 8:46/mile.

I finished the three day period with 11 miles, a little short of what I’d done on recent weekends. All the same I felt that Friday’s trail run and today’s brisk pace were worthy of contribution to the Garmin fund. I’m up to $100, a third of the way there. My next goal is to break 9:05 on a 4:00 AM run next week. I may help myself out by running again with the New Balance 460’s. They may be made for trails but they do darn well on the road.

I may be old but I’m slow

On July 9, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

During my Tuesday morning run in Central Park I spent time observing other runners that shared the path along the lower loop. There is no typical runner but there certainly are types: 20 something women running in pairs, weight challenged runners (joggers?) doing their best to move along, hampered by poorly chosen clothing (long sleeves, cotton jerseys) plus a mix of single runners, young and old, purposefully working their way around the path. That’s me.

I mostly held my position during this run and overtook a number of slower runners. At one point I heard footsteps coming up quickly from behind and before I knew it I was passed by two younger guys who were chatting away as they ran by. I tried to keep pace with them but they were tracking at least a minute per mile faster than me. I watched them disappear into the distance, their gait effortless, their nonchalance annoying. I soon forgot them and went back to my normal pace scoping out the other runners, hoping to find someone older and slower than me to pass. Minutes later a distinguished looking gentleman (he looked like one of those guys who plays the president on TV) flew by me going faster than the two young guys before him. Instead of being mad I was pleased. That guy clearly had some years on me and he was moving. There’s hope for me yet!

So the question is how do I do that? If I stay on the same path I’m on (approximately 20 miles/week – average pace around 9:00) will I ever improve? Or worse, will my speed decline as I get older? I know that Tempo runs and intervals can help my speed but I just want my running to be fun and enjoyable.

I was talking to a colleague before a meeting yesterday and he told me he was running in an NYRR corporate run that evening. I said that I ran and that maybe we should run together sometime. He said sure. He then told me he’s training for a marathon and runs 40-50 miles a week in the 7:00 range. I said I usually run between 8:50 and 9:20 so we probably shouldn’t run together after all. He looked at me, smiled and “Yes, probably not.”

SSD: Short slow distance

On June 16, 2009 By Emerging Runner1 Comment

So much of running involves training: intervals, tempo runs, hill work and other exercises that can make you a better runner. Doing these things will help make you run faster and be more competitive and the harder you work (within reason) the better level of fitness you will attain.

I appreciate all that and while my dedication to hard workouts falls short of many I will step it up for a race. In the meantime I’m discovering that recreational running is equally important in terms of self motivation. What’s the difference between recreational running and training? For one thing, when running for fun the only reason I check my Garmin is to monitor the time I’ve been out on the road. I purposely avoid toggling the controls to look at pace, distance or heart rate. In these cases it’s often a surprise at the end to see how far and how fast I ran. Most of the time I’ll see that I’d run slower than I thought. Still, it’s okay because I enjoyed the experience.

After about 10 months of dedicated running I am now able to run for fun. My starting struggles from months past have largely disappeared and I have enough stamina to go some miles before the suffering starts. This morning I awoke with a lot on my mind. I have some stress weighing on me right now. I have tremendous support from my family and that helps a lot. As I prepared to go outside for a run I thought about what I wanted to do in terms of distance and speed. I thought that by running hard I might clear my head of some stress. When I got outside and started to run I noted that my right leg was still hurting and I moderated my pace to minimize strain. I took it easy hoping that once I’d warmed up the pain would go away. The conditions outside were perfect, both cool and dry. My energy level was high and the neighborhood was quiet and peaceful. Although my leg felt better a few minutes into the run I decided to maintain a comfortable pace and just enjoy the ride.

When I got home I saw that I’d covered 2.1 miles at about a 9:40 pace. I’m sure my slow start contributed to that. But it didn’t matter at all. I felt great and was ready to face a tough day. Running short slow distance served me well today.

Thanks coach

On May 16, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Over the past nine months I’ve put some serious time and energy towards running and fitness. It’s been a great experience and the benefits are clear. Although running is a form of voluntary suffering, I’d define it as a good kind of pain. Unlike my first attempt at serious running, I’ve been careful to minimize elements that de-motivate me (unrealistic expectations, unfavorable running conditions, unstructured monitoring of progress) and instead focus on those things that promote my interest. A big part of that is the guidance I’ve received from other, more experienced runners who have helped me set my goals and expectations.

Among those who have brought me along are my friends CK and CMcC who are both accomplished runners who have competed for decades and probably have over a dozen marathons between them. They are both low-key athletes who are long past the surface level fascination with the sport. They don’t need a GPS to tell them how far or how fast they’ve run. They know what works and what doesn’t, how to train and how to avoid injury. They are generous in their advice and I listen closely. I am fortunate to have a shortcut to progress. Another big source of valuable information is Adventure Girl, my work colleague and running partner. Although I have some years on her I am definitely the student when it comes to running. She’s helped me set expectations and has given me great encouragement over all these months. Her guidance on choosing running gear has been extremely valuable, as has the coaching she’s given to me as I prepared for my first races. AG will soon reduce the amount of time she’ll spend at the office as she starts her Master’s studies at Yale in a few months. The good news is that she’ll be part of my team for the next two years. That’s great because I still have lots of learning to do.

I have a new coach and he is very focused on my training program. He’s my 9 year old son and he’s taken it upon himself to design a daily training program for me. On his own he’s structured a schedule that includes tempo runs, cross training and distance runs. He tells me things like “Daddy, if you want, you can trade a distance run for a trail run next weekend.” When I come home from a long run and tell him I ran 4 miles he’ll say, “That’s very good, next time you can do 5.” He’s tough but fair. If I follow his program I’m sure I’ll be in great shape for my June 7th 8K. In addition, both my wife, who’s been active since I’ve known her, and my daughter, who is a natural athlete and runs with me occasionally, have been there for me throughout my return to running. They encourage my activity and indulge my interest. Most importantly, they always make sure I never leave the house for a run dressed too weird for public viewing.

This morning I ran 5.3 miles (Gmap verified) at 9:08 although my Garmin under-counted by almost 5%. I can accept the variance but it’s annoying that sometimes it over counts and other times it under-counts within a 5% range. I guess I’ll need to put it through the manual calibration process to get it as close as it was prior to the battery and shoe switch.

I’ve been monitoring Adventure Girl’s progress through Twitter and they are on the last cycle of the race (12 runners each running 3 legs). The last Tweet is from an hour ago when she was about to start her third and final run, 6.7 miles, just in time for rain. Sounds like the team is doing well and tracking to pace. 182 miles in 24 hours. That will be something to reflect on when they’re done. For now it’s probably just a lot of work.

Keeping my distance

On May 8, 2009 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Up until this March I was focusing much of my run strategy on building distance. As a relatively new runner I felt that I needed to establish a baseline for progress and that meant adding more length to my weekend runs. I was tracking very well through February and, though it’s the shortest month of the year, I totaled more miles than any previous month. Once March rolled in my strategy changed as I focused on my April race. I put more attention to speed and pace and less on distance. My weekend runs that were averaging between 4 to 5 miles became shorter and faster. Prior to March my average pace was about 9:30 per mile and since April it’s been under 9:00/mile. I’m pleased with my progress and with the results. My two races clocked in with pace times well under nine minutes.

Since my next race is 5 miles it’s necessary for me to refocus on distance training. I’m okay about giving up some speed to do this but I’m concerned about finding a training route near my home that allows me to cover 5+ miles without the tedium of repeating many of the same roads. The issue is psychological. The farther away I am from the finish, the easier it is for me to run distances. Once I come close to my home I begin to fade in anticipation of stopping. In the past I’ve been able to will myself to take a longer path back when I’m near home but lately I’ve just headed in, usually after 3 to 4 miles. I used to trick myself by running up and down parallel streets to build more distance in a tighter area that was relatively far from my endpoint.

The alternative is to go to the track and pre-establish a circuit with no stopping until I hit 20 laps. I have done this a number of times and while it is a solution it can also be mind numbingly boring. I’m thinking that, for tomorrow, I’ll map out a route in my neighborhood that will allow me to cover 5 miles without traveling the same road twice that won’t come close to my home until the very end. I’ll incorporate neighborhood #2 to gain an extra mile or two. As for pace, I’ll let nature take its course.

Product review – MixMyGranola

On April 25, 2009 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

After putting it to the test, the Emerging Runner Advisory Board has reviewed MixMyGranola, a website that allows customers to custom blend their granola mixes. MixMyGranola can be described as Web 2.0 for food. Consumer generated content on the web that you can eat. Interesting yes, but is it a good experience? I took it to the Emerging Running Advisory Board to see what they thought about this product. The raters were me, Sedentary Man and Adventure Girl and our rating criteria were based on quality, taste, freshness and value. You can read the full review here on the Emerging Runner Laboratories product review page.

I’m looking to do a couple of training runs this weekend. Last night AG and I had a great run in Central Park after work covering about 3.25 miles. The weather was perfect and there were a lot of people in the park. We hit traffic at spots, between the pedicabs and roving bands of clueless walkers who obstructed the running paths, we had to slow down and even stop for a second at a few points in our run. But we kept a good overall pace and we both felt it it was a great workout. I’m a week away from my next race so I hope to make some progress on speed today and tomorrow.

Hot weather, cool advice

On April 24, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

This weekend is supposed to be very warm and temperatures are expected to reach the 80’s. I’m hoping that nature will come to its senses for the following weekend so I won’t need to deal with those conditions for my race. Of course, with an 8:00 AM start, there’s a chance it will still be comfortable for running.

One of my friends, CK, is an accomplished runner who has given me great advice and encouragement since I started running again last September. After I’d debriefed him on my 4 mile race he gave me the following advice for training for the 5K:

1. Stay on the road as much as possible (if not all the time) when training for this next race.

2. Start your runs faster than normal, but slow down after two or three minutes to a comfortable pace.

3. Push hard the last ½ mile (or 4.5 minutes) during training to acclimate yourself to race conditions.

4. Consciously push/kick off hard during the last part of the run (last minute or so).

5. Try to incorporate some hills.

6. Stretch before and after (especially if you are doing hills).

Some of this differs from other guidance I’ve received. For example, in item #2, he advocates a fast start leading to a comfortable pace. I’ve usually assumed the opposite; start slow and build speed as you go. A couple of months ago I started a run at a much faster than normal pace. After about a quarter of a mile I felt spent and feared that I would not be able to make my planned distance. I did recover and it turned out to be one of the longest runs I’ve done to date. I’ll try that technique this weekend and see how I do.

Also related to training, my dad sent me a link to an interesting article that ran in the NY Times this week about using a trainer as a way to improve speed. The article states that “..training, if done right, is the ultimate performance enhancer…”

This afternoon I’m participating in an end of the work week run in Central Park. It will be warm by then so I’m hoping for the best.

State of my weight

On April 23, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

I weighed in today for the first time in weeks. I’d assumed I stabilized but the scale showed I’ve lost almost three pounds since last month. I’ve been disappointed with a number of technologies that I’ve used for quantifying status and/or performance (inaccurate HRMs, failed displays, etc.) and I’ve discovered that my digital scale falls into that category. I’ve learned not to trust the first result but instead step off it and allow the scale to reset before stepping on again. Most of the time the first result will under count and I sometimes repeat my weighing 4 or 5 times before I’m confident that it’s returning a consistent number.

After all that weighing I determined that I’ve actually lost about a pound since the last time I measured. I’m really fine with that although I don’t want to go much lower since I’ve already been through a round of suit tailoring and clothes buying. I’ve reduced my weight significantly since September (when I took up running again) and I can roughly correlate my weight reduction to pace time improvements. I’m not interested in losing any more weight simply to improve my speed so the next wave of performance will have to come from strength and speed training.

This morning I did a 20 minute workout on the elliptical using one of the built-in training programs that simulates big hills. It was tough at times but, unlike running uphill, I was able to use the arms of the machine to help my progress. I mapped the upcoming 5K on MapMyRun and it doesn’t seem to have elevations like my last race. All the same I figure that hill work can be helpful for endurance and leg strength.

Training as the clock runs down

On April 22, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

It’s less than 10 days to my next race so I’m pushing as much as I can to prepare. I had a shorter window to run this morning so I tried to make the best of it. I’ve declared a goal of running my upcoming 5K under 26 minutes and since I don’t have very long to prepare for that I’m focusing every workout on a specific aspect of the race.

Today I focused on speed – not tempo level speeds – but I tried to maintain a faster pace than I normally achieve during my weekday workouts. I only had 18 minutes to run this morning and I needed to build in a few minutes for cool down so I ended up running 15:22 for 1.79 miles for an overall pace of 8:35. It wasn’t as hard to do this as I thought it might be. My first 5 minutes were actually a little slow, closer to a 9 minute pace, but I ran the last mile around 7.4 MPH. I’ll admit that running fast for less than two miles on a flat surface is not the same as running a 5K under road conditions, but I think I can build on that.

Tomorrow I plan to follow the hill climb program on my elliptical. I don’t know how the grades will be on the 5K course but I don’t want to find myself struggling on hills like I did last Sunday. This weekend I’m thinking about a long street run on Saturday, perhaps expanding to neighborhood #3 for the first time and attacking those hills. On Sunday I’d like to go to Stillwell Woods and run the trails to take advantage the softer, more challenging surface.

AG said that Lululemon is sponsoring another group run in Central Park on Tuesday so that may be a good opportunity for a post-weekend long run before May 2nd.