Rainout workout

On November 27, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s workout (elliptical): 1 hour

Today was halfway between work and play. Like most of my office colleagues, I decided to work from home. That kept my calendar relatively clear and I’d hoped I could work in a morning run before I got down to business. We heard that we’d be getting some weather, but I didn’t expect it to start so early. I was willing to run in light rain but not in the frozen mix that was coming down.

I had hopes that the rain would stop long enough to let me get out for 30 minutes, but it eventually became clear that wouldn’t happen. Instead of digging into some of today’s objectives, I’d remained on hold. I thought about deferring my run, but the hourly weather report confirmed that the rain wasn’t going to stop. I considered and rejected the treadmill and opted instead for the elliptical.

It had been a while since I’d done an elliptical workout. Although I appreciate the quietness of the machine compared with the treadmill, I’m always somewhat ambivalent about it. I usually end up feeling like I got a good workout but I’m never sure how an elliptical session compares to a run. Our Pro-Form doesn’t provide a lot of information on its display and the little data it does show has no context in terms of performance.

I finally got some work done after that long elliptical session but we had a family friend come by and that put an early end to my workday. He’s a nationally ranked power lifter and has more muscle in one forearm than I have in my entire body. Our friend has a background in physiology. As always, I took every opportunity to get advice on sports nutrition. It was a nice start to the Thanksgiving long weekend.

The rain should be gone by tomorrow though there’s a chance of snow showers. No turkey trot this year but I’m going to get out unless conditions are too treacherous.

Escape from a neighborhood run

On November 22, 2014 By Emerging Runner8 Comments

Après run selfie

Today’s run (Bethpage Trail): 6.25 miles

It took me a while to decide where I’d run this morning. The easy choice was to stay in my neighborhood but I’m getting bored seeing of the same roads, houses and cars. I considered Stillwell Woods because I haven’t been on the trails in a few weeks. My goal was to run at least six miles today, so I figured I’d go to the Bethpage trail where I do better on longer runs.

It was “wicked cold” this morning (as we’d say in Boston) so I needed to gear up properly. Running in cold weather usually doesn’t bother me except in cases when the wind chill causes my glasses to freeze on my face. Today’s weather was fairly calm and I wore plenty of layers. That included my new Opedix Knee-Tecs that I scandalously wore without a top layer of shorts.

I parked in the Bethpage lot and ran up the hill toward the trail. I then decided to head north so I could follow the mile markers to the 5K point. Turning around there would get me my planned six-plus mile distance. I didn’t have the same level of energy today that powered me through yesterday’s surprisingly good run. Even so, I felt strong enough to take on the ribbon of hills that awaited me.

The temperature during my run was 34° with a 10 MPH wind from the west. Since I traveled north for the first half and then south for the second, I didn’t experience much in the way of resistance. It did feel chilly and I didn’t see a single runner, cyclist or walker until I reached my second mile. I run at Bethpage so often that I recognize a lot of people on the trail now, and based upon their greeting when we pass, I assume that some of them recognize me back. There’s one woman I see every time I run there who always gives me a big smile and wave.

Today’s route

Today’s run was more LSD than PDQ so I wasn’t disappointed that it took over an hour to cover my route. Overall, I was pleased with the run and happy that I didn’t settle for another workout around my neighborhood roads. I may do that tomorrow, but at least today I got to experience some hills and look at scenery that didn’t include a bunch of boring houses and cars.

Layered up for a surprisingly good run

On November 14, 2014 By Emerging Runner8 Comments

Today’s run (street): 3.25 miles

I had the opportunity to get out early today, but I squandered my time and ended up sneaking in a run between business calls. I got a lot done before I went out, but came very close to missing my window for a morning run. I’m an early-bird and really didn’t want to have to go out late in the day. After seeing that the current temperature was hovering around 35°, I piled on the layers and scooted out the door.

It was chilly, but not freezing, when I finally got outside. I was afraid I’d dressed too warmly and would later regret the hat and gloves I was wearing. I ended up keeping them on and (happily) never felt overheated during the run. It’s supposed to get even colder this weekend.

It wasn’t until I reached my first quarter mile that I realized I had decent energy. I spotted a runner a few hundred feet ahead and realized that I was going to pass her quickly. I wasn’t setting the world on fire this morning, but I was moving faster than usual. I ended up improving 40 seconds per mile over Tuesday’s run. A couple of fartleks near the end helped that along.

I considered wearing my new Opedix Knee-Tecs today, but I’m saving them for tomorrow when I meet my buddies to take on a particularly hilly course. My friend KWL, who ran a strong race at the NYC Marathon two weeks ago, will be joining SIOR, TPP and possibly others. I know it will be a challenge for me to stay with this fast crowd, but I’ll try my best.

Garage squatter and Knee-Tecs

On November 11, 2014 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Opedix (L), ER version (R)

Today’s run (street): 3.5 miles

The possum saga continued last night when I pulled into the garage and saw this little fellow sitting cozily at the back of my garage. I tried to coax him out but he wasn’t having any of that. He scooted under an alcove and hid there until my son and I were able to gently nudge him out with a broom. He scrambled outside and across the lawn and I’m hoping he’s found a more hospitable place to nest.

It’s Veteran’s Day and my company is closed for the holiday. Last night (before the possum incident) I went out to dinner with a work colleague and although I didn’t get home especially late, I woke up feeling very tired. I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to get in a mid week outdoor run, so got myself out the door and hoped for the best.

What should have been a recipe for a tough and uninspired run turned out to be a very pleasant experience. The temperature was close to 55° and, for once, I wore the right gear, including shorts. Humidity was high but instead of feeling uncomfortable, it felt good. Just as I’ve been doing during my recent runs, I put my best effort into the last mile and covered it 45 seconds faster than the previous one.

It’s going to get very cold going into the weekend and I need to start thinking about winter gear. I’ve agreed to test a pair of Opedix Knee-Tec tights that are supposed to be thermal and also provide (per their website), “dynamic alignment, improved mobility, stability and optimized joint function.” I’ll be putting them through their paces and will likely be wearing them in SIOR’s preferred style. Stayed tuned.

Daunted by the howling winds

On November 2, 2014 By Emerging Runner8 Comments

Today’s run (street): 3.6 miles

I cannot believe that tens of thousands of people ran the NYC marathon this morning. It’s not just that the marathon distance (26.2 miles) does not compute to me (it doesn’t, but that’s for a future post). I’m more amazed that people spent so many hours running the course while facing 20-40 MPH winds. I will admit that those conditions were too much for me to deal with this morning. Feeling like I was running into an invisible wall wore me out and I ended up cutting my run short.

The unrelenting sound of wind whipping through the trees prompted me to dress warmer than I normally would for 46°. Things started out well and I had high hopes for getting in my planned distance. I decided to first run the perimeter of my neighborhood that includes Jericho Turnpike and South Oyster Bay Road. I briefly considered crossing one of those main streets to open up my route to different options.

I ended up staying on South Oyster Bay Road and enduring the cracked and buckled sidewalk that was especially scary because it had a layer of leaves that hid potential tripping points. I made sure I kept my step high to avoid any mishaps. By the time I re-entered the neighborhood from the south, I started to get frustrated with the wind that reminded me of the miserable experience I had at last year’s Long Beach Turkey Trot.

I struggled to make it to the mid point of my neighborhood and planned to make a beeline home. Along the way I saw a yellow recycling bin being blown across multiple yards, trash cascading from containers and leaves flying in every direction. Despite that, I decided to take a detour that added another half mile to my distance. I was disappointed to fall far short of today’s goal, but I didn’t see the sense in battling the wind monster any further.

As I ran, I thought about friends who were waiting on Staten Island for their wave to be called. The news showed thousands of people patiently huddling under makeshift blankets trying to remain warm. Once they were able to go, they faced the same conditions that I did, but would need to run over seven times the distance that I covered today.

Congratulations to my friends who braved the weather and the marathon course. You are probably very tired, but you did an amazing thing. Even under perfect conditions, this would be a tough race. I hope the celebrations will far exceed the pain.

Raw, dark, windy, rainy run

On November 1, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Rain puddle running

Today’s run (street): 5.6 miles

Last night the kids hosted a Halloween party and I did my best to avoid all the holiday related food and the tray of candy by the door. This resulted in a late night, but I wasn’t able to sleep later than 5:30 this morning. I only had a small cup of coffee when I got up, because I expected to be out running in short order. I looked outside and saw torrents of rain hitting the deck and decided to wait it out rather than do a long run on the treadmill.

The time went from 6:30…7:30… and on, but the rain continued to come down. When my wife got on the treadmill to start her run I saw that the rain had slowed down. I took advantage of this break and put on a few layers of running gear. Based on the weather report that said 40° temps and 14 MPH winds, I went for track pants and a long sleeve top.

Before I headed outside, I added my ASICS lightweight running rain jacket. I was sure that the rain would return at some point and I wanted to minimize soakage. It took forever to get a signal on my Garmin – the progress bar kept stopping short by a millimeter before dropping back to the halfway point. After 10 minutes of that nonsense, I decided to start without the GPS locked in, since I could capture distance later with Gmaps.

The combination of thermal and waterproof layers worked well and I followed a loop that was never more than a half mile from my house. I figured that if the skies opened up, I could get back in 5 minutes or less from any point. I know my neighborhood well enough to estimate distance without looking at my watch and I noticed that it took longer than expected to record the first mile. I guessed that the problem locking in all the satellites was affecting accuracy.

It was cold, dark and gray and the rain gained intensity as I went on. The jacket’s hood did a good job of keeping me dry, but it kept slipping forward and blocking my peripheral vision. I stepped in a puddle and was glad I wore Smartwool socks which are still thermal when wet. The winds grew stronger and it started raining harder. I was determined to complete at least five miles and ignored everything except the road ahead and any signs of approaching cars.

Looping the loop

I moved along fairly well considering the conditions and debated whether to add another loop to get me over six miles. Instead, I stretched out my last two loops into connected streets and ended up covering 5.6 miles before returning to my warm dry house. I was a little disappointed in my performance. After measuring my true distance and calculating pace, I had hopes that I broke 10 mins/mile but that didn’t happen. I guess I can blame the wind and the rain, but I know it was really my stride and cadence.

According to the weather reports, tomorrow will be cold, but at least the rain will be gone. I’d like to get out earlier than today and do at least six miles. I probably won’t make 16 miles for the week, but at least I’ll be getting in a couple of decent base runs.

I’m sending my most positive thoughts to friends KWL, NL, FS and other friends who are running the NYC Marathon tomorrow. I hope you all have great races and fantastic experiences. Enjoy every moment, stay hydrated and don’t over-layer!

Caught in the rain

On October 25, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (street): 4 miles
Thursday’s run (treadmill): 25 minutes

It has been a rainy week and I was too busy to run until Thursday morning when I did a treadmill workout. Yesterday turned out to be a very long day. On top of that, I probably covered five miles in the giant building I work in.

The rain was coming down hard this morning but I hoped for a break. The skies cleared a little before 8:00 AM and I got out quickly with the goal of getting through my run before the rain returned. I was almost successful. It felt colder than the reported 51° and I was glad that I wore track pants and a long sleeve shirt. I made the rounds and spent a lot of time on the sidewalks while the school buses made their way around the neighborhood.

My goal was to get in at least three miles, but since the weather was holding up I decided to continue a little longer. I pushed my luck too far and ended up running the last quarter mile in the rain. I’m not sure why, but the run felt very hard today. I’m hoping for better experiences this weekend, especially on Sunday when the fun bunch once again get together for a long group run.

I’m early middle aged fit

On October 17, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Weather induced headache

Today’s run (street): 3.4 miles

TGIF and I mean it. This week has been tough and the traffic during my commute has grown increasingly worse since the end of summer. Yesterday’s rainy weather provoked one of my sinus headaches, along with pounding pressure and exhaustion. I took advantage of working from home today by sleeping a little later. That, plus a couple of ibuprofen, helped minimize the discomfort.

I haven’t had a chance to run since Monday, so once I felt a little better I headed outside. Cool temps, clear skies and low humidity made for great conditions. I felt some residual fatigue due to the sinus pressure, but I got around okay. Not my hardest effort, but still a good workout.

SuperMax

During my run I thought about a test I took on this website that supposedly calculates your “fitness age.” The site is put on by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the test covers a lot of factors. This is not “Find out what kind of tree you are in five questions.” I answered honestly and my fitness age calculated to 41. Better still, my VO2 Max score was 48, which is considered excellent for my age group.

My buddies SIOR and TPP scored in the “teen to grad student” age range, not a surprise because they are both extremely fit. If you don’t believe me, try keeping up with them on the hills at Bethpage. If I truly have the fitness of the average 41 year old man, then I have to conclude that 41 year olds run slower than I thought.

Great weather, great run, weird cadence

On September 27, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Curious cadence

Today’s run (street): 3.4 miles

This morning’s weather was nearly perfect for a run. I needed to go out early due to today’s business schedule. It was still dark when I got ready and I considered starting my run with a head lamp. I managed to stall long enough to do without it. I was out the door a little after 7:00 and ready to run.

I had a lot of trouble falling asleep last night. It was probably because I drank so much coffee that morning during breakfast. With that, I expected to be tired. Instead, I was fully energized and was able to maintain a decent pace from the beginning. I give most of the credit to the weather that kept me cool and dry. Perhaps some credit goes to all the standing I’ve been doing while working.

I ended up with the best performance I’ve seen in weeks. While I’m encouraged by this, I know it could be related to the circumstances of the day. I ended up with some puzzling data about my cadence, as Garmin reported my SPM to be less than 30% of normal. Not only that, Garmin reported my average stride at 3.15 meters (10.3 feet). Perhaps it’s time for a new battery in the foot pod.

Tomorrow morning’s schedule is busy and I’m left with little choice but to do another early morning neighborhood run. I’m hoping that I can finally get together with my Runska-buddies on Sunday, but it sounds like we may need to wait until next weekend.