When time is short, make the workout harder

On September 27, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Artist’s Rendering

Today’s workout (treadmill): 12 minutes – 7.5% grade (average)

I usually wake up a few minutes before my alarm goes off so I was shocked to see that it was well past 4:00 AM when I opened my eyes this morning. I’d forgotten to set my alarm and slept 30 minutes later than normal. I’m sure I needed the additional rest, but it threw off my timing for today’s workout.

I modified my plan so that I’d get the maximum benefit from the time that I still had. I chose the treadmill and quickly changed. I started with a moderate pace and cranked up the incline, beginning at 4 percent and moving up to 10 percent after a few minutes. I only had twelve minutes to get it done, so I wanted to make it worth the effort. By the time I completed this workout I felt like I’d pushed hard enough for it to count.

It was disappointing to miss my planned run but the incline workout proved challenging. I was pleased that I was still able to get some activity in this morning. On top of that I got some extra sleep. Always a bonus.

What it takes

On September 8, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 2.5 miles

My favorite running quote, attributed to Marc Davis (an Olympic runner) goes “All it takes is all you got.” Looking beyond the questionable grammar, I find this quote inspiring. I don’t think it means giving all you’ve got all the time. That’s something a jet engine has to do. A person needs balance in their life and most of the time all it takes is what you need. But when you are standing at the starting line, it should be all that you’ve got. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I thought about that quote as I fired up the treadmill this morning. I’d hoped to get outside but the rain changed my mind. Since I don’t like the treadmill, I try to incorporate strategies to get me through my runs. One technique is to start slow and blip up my speed every minute until I reach a brisk pace that I maintain until the end. Other times (like yesterday) I start slow and stay that way throughout most of my run.

Today I decided that I had to give it “all I got” because Cow Harbor is two weekends away and I can’t waste conditioning time on maintenance miles. I started at around a 9:00 pace that felt far faster and thought there was no way that I could maintain that for the duration. After about eight minutes I began to feel more comfortable with the pace and I increased my speed a couple of times until I reached my targeted distance.

I ended up giving it all I’ve got today and I finished feeling, hot, soaking and spent. Exactly how I like to feel after I’ve run a race my way.

Take it easy (at least 70% of the time)

On September 7, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 2.5 miles

I read in a recent Runner’s World that 70% of your running should be done at an easy pace. This was defined as running at a speed that allows you to comfortably maintain a conversation. The concept behind this “Easy/Hard” ratio is that slower running helps build capillary beds within muscles. Hard running tears up muscles and easy running repairs and strengthens them.

With the almost constant rain we’ve had since Sunday night, I planned for an indoor morning run. I really don’t like the treadmill but I planned to focus on easy running and save the harder stuff for the end of the week or the weekend. Since I was indoors I skipped wearing a running shirt and that helped keep me cool. I started very slow (5.1 MPH) and worked my way up by tenth of a mile increments until I reached a 9:00 pace.

In all, I covered my usual morning distance although it did take me a couple of extra minutes to do it. Hopefully the weather will clear and I can get back outside in the morning. Will I run it easy or hard? With my lower back still slightly tender, I’m thinking that I’ll defer to the 70% side.

Kinvara retirement run

On August 14, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

You served with distinction but now you’re hurting my knee

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.15 miles

After yesterday’s long run at Belmont Lake State Park I felt no urgency to get out this morning for my Sunday run. That, and the booming thunderstorms that came through around 4:30 and stuck around most of the morning. While I looked out at the drenching that my lawn and trees were getting, I debated whether I should run indoors, do an elliptical session or do nothing.

It wasn’t until after lunch, that my wife said I should at least do something. She didn’t want me to regret missing my workout after it got too late to do it. She knows me well. I decided to do a mixed session on the treadmill, combining intervals and recovery runs.

The rains have continued all day but it hasn’t helped the humidity level. I wore minimal gear — running shorts and no top. That probably helped, although you couldn’t tell by the amount that I sweated. I began at an easy pace, below 6 MPH and eased up to 6.3 through my first mile. At that point I hit the 8 MPH button and ran a few minutes at that speed before backing down to 6.5.

I repeated that cycle a few times until I passed 3 miles, where I dropped to a sedate jogging pace to cool down. I had worn my Kinvaras for the first time in months and, just like the last time I wore them, I experienced residual knee pain after my run. On top of that, I had a hot spot on my mid-foot that may have been caused by my sock. To be safe, I’m going to officially retire the Kinvaras that served me very well for almost 600 miles.

I’m going into my taper now, in fairly good shape. Today’s speed work will – hopefully – help me next Sunday. The chaotic weather wasn’t only a factor here on Long Island. My friend KWL and his team did not participate in Gran Fondo bike event in Philadelphia today because they were suffering similar conditions. Must be very disappointing. I have no worries for that next week. The website says the Dirty Sock 10K will happen — rain or shine.

Dirty Sock prep: 60 humid minutes on the treadmill

On August 7, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 5.5 miles

The rain was coming down hard at 6:30 AM and the frequent thunder told me that the storm was close. I hoped that it would move through quickly so I could go out for a long run later in the morning. A check on weather.com showed no hope for a letup so I changed my plans in favor of an indoor workout.

If I had gone to Bethpage State Park I would have targeted 8 miles, but I knew that spending that much time on a treadmill would make me a candidate for the insane asylum. I decided that I would run for 60 minutes, including some time for warm-up and cool down. At the start, the temperature in the guest room seemed pleasant, and I had my trusty water bottle to help keep me hydrated. At the ten minute mark I still felt relatively dry and I wondered how long I would go until the sweating began.

By the time I reached the 15 minute mark I felt like I was in a sauna and I questioned whether I could really go the full 60 minutes. By 20:00 I noted that I was 1/3 my planned time and my running shorts were just about soaked through with sweat. I didn’t bother wearing a shirt because I could get away without one indoors. I regretted that I’d forgotten to wear a HRM. It would have been interesting to record my physical response to the heat and humidity over the duration of my run.

I kept drinking water and by the 30 minute/halfway mark I knew that I’d be okay for 30 more. Passing 40 minutes was a welcome milestone and I reached five miles a little before the 50 minute mark. I continued for another 5 minutes and then dropped my pace and finished with a five minute cool down at around 11 minutes per mile.

I wasn’t delirious when I stepped off the treadmill but I was sweating profusely and I made a beeline to the refrigerator and grabbed some Gatorade G2. The very humid conditions, heat and 60 minutes of motion were exactly what I was after today. The conditions at the Dirty Sock 10K are usually brutal, not unlike today’s. It occurred to me near the end of my run that I must be in decent shape to have gone through today’s workout without quitting or collapsing in exhaustion afterward. I’m hoping that hard workouts like the ones this weekend will yield a good result on race day.

A different type of workout today

On June 24, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s workout (treadmill, various speeds/elevations): 35 minutes

I was on the fence about today’s workout and considered taking a rest day this morning. I’ve only skipped one day over the last ten so it wouldn’t have been a bad thing to take some recovery time. My wife got on the treadmill for her daily run and I kept her company while I decided what to do.

As much as I prefer outdoors to indoors for my workouts, I decided to follow my wife on the treadmill for a low speed run, using different levels of elevation. I started slowly with a 2% incline. After three minutes I started increasing my speed every two minutes and my elevation almost as often. By the time I reached the 15 minute point I was running at a 6% grade at around 6 MPH. I maintained that balance for 15 more minutes and then dropped the incline to 2% and increased the speed to 7 MPH for the last five minutes.

By the end of the workout I was soaked with sweat. I was happy to have met the challenge of maintaining my run with a decent incline for over 30 minutes. One benefit of running with elevation is that it takes some pressure off the knees. I’m noticing it hours later. Tomorrow morning I’m running with a friend at Stillwell Woods, my third trail run of this vacation. It’s been a good week for running, with some interesting variety along the way.

The FR 210 and foot pod: challenges and results

On May 17, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (treadmill): 2.5 miles

Foot pod, meet FR 210

I planned for rain this morning and set up my gear for an indoor run. It would be my first time back on the treadmill in almost a month and a return to using the Garmin FR60 watch for tracking performance. I attached the foot pod to my Mirages (I’m already spoiled by the pod-free FR 210) and reached into the drawer for my FR60. It then occurred to me that the 210 also syncs with the foot pod so I chose that watch instead. After a couple of cycles through the menu, the 210 was paired with the sensor.

I started my run at a moderate pace, which is my method of choice for tolerating the treadmill. Start it easy and end it hard. I had a scare at the beginning that my knee would act up but after a moment of pain it was fine and three hours later it’s still fine.

I hit start on the 210 and glanced down after a minute to verify that it was capturing my pace. It wasn’t until I’d reached the six minute mark that I looked again at the watch to see that, while it was displaying pace, it wasn’t recording time. I don’t know why that happened but I hit start again and this time noted that the stopwatch was running.

I used the time display on treadmill and the average pace captured by the Garmin to calculate my actual distance (the treadmill does not do that accurately). It was a pretty good workout and I didn’t find the treadmill as tedious as I usually do. Perhaps all that biking this weekend helped my running. If that’s the case I’m thrilled to find a cross-training workout that’s both fun and beneficial.

Charles River run washout

On April 13, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Gloom and doom in Cambridge this morning

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

My hope for a morning run along the Charles River was dashed when I looked outside to see dark skies, pelting rain and heavy winds. Instead I walked down the hall to the fitness center that was conveniently located on my floor. More often than not, the treadmills are taken when I get there but at 5:30 AM I had my choice of machines. Although I’m no fan of treadmills I do appreciate the high end models, in this case LifeFitness, that provide some entertainment while you run along, going nowhere.

It’s been two days since my last run (Sunday’s race) so I felt good at the start. I chose an interactive map of a trail course and I watched my progress along that route. There was nothing trail-like about the experience but it was nice to see something other than the usual track oval that we have on our treadmill at home. Per my usual method, I stepped up the speed every five minutes and finished with a pace under 9:00. Given my still present cold I thought I did well on the run. I’m optimistic that the bad weather will move out by tomorrow morning, providing better conditions for a Charles River run.

A step in the right direction

On April 5, 2011 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (treadmill) 2.45 miles

I had to make the call last night whether I’d need indoor or outdoor gear for the morning. News 12 Long Island’s weather report last night predicted rain overnight so I prepared for a treadmill run. The skies seemed clear when I got up but since I hadn’t laid out the proper gear for the street I did my run indoors.

Yesterday I did some research on performance related to blood donation and there’s ample evidence that my difficult workouts since last Wednesday are directly related to giving blood. I rested on Monday and anticipated tough going this morning but my run wasn’t as hard as I’d expected it to be. After starting at a pace that matched my best efforts from the weekend, I increased speed throughout the run and finished up running close to 9:00 per mile. My overall pace was in the high 9:00’s but I was fine with that. I felt much more like my old self by the end. I have two more runs planned before I finish my taper. I’m hoping to get at least one more run on the road before the race and to maintain a speed that’s close to my 5K race pace.

I blame the burger

On April 1, 2011 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Today’s run (treadmill): 2.3 miles

I’m a little more than a week away from my next race. It’s a 5K, a distance I’ve raced a number of times over the last couple of years. I’ve come to prefer 10K’s for their combination of speed and distance but the Marcie Mazzola Memorial Run is special to me because it was my very first race as “The Emerging Runner.” That year the race was 4 miles in length and it has since been shortened to a 5K to increase participation. I know the course fairly well having run it a couple of times. I have great respect for the big hill that runners encounter just minutes after the start. I haven’t been training for speed or hills but my base runs at Bethpage have brought up my level of conditioning. Perhaps some speed work is in order for this weekend.

You were no help

I used the treadmill today even though the great storm predicted to pass through this morning turned out to be more April Fools than April showers. Yesterday’s elliptical session was uncharacteristically difficult, due perhaps to my blood donation on Wednesday. I thought I was back to full strength and even had a burger at lunch with an old friend yesterday to top off my iron level (sure – that’s why!) so I thought I’d have a fairly easy time today. I can’t complain specifically about the way I felt, only that the effort felt hard even at the beginning when I was pacing around 6 MPH. The effort didn’t get easier but not noticeably more difficult as I blipped up the speed throughout my workout. I ended up with a respectable (albeit short) run and afterward felt like I’d expended some good effort. Besides the speed work I’m aiming to get back to the 8+ base runs I’ve been doing on the weekends. I’m hoping that those April showers keep holding off until next week.