Except for the numbers, it felt like a race

On February 3, 2012 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (street): 2.5 miles

Maybe I spoke too soon regarding Punxsutawney Phil. He saw his shadow on Thursday and, this morning, I stepped out to unexpectedly chilly temperatures. While I stood waiting for a GPS signal, I was reminded of the minutes before the start of a winter race. I shivered and hopped, knowing that the discomforting cold would give way to warmth after a few minutes of hard running.

I’d under-dressed for my run because the local TV station displayed the temperature at 31 degrees. With steady winds, it felt much colder. My run stated in the direction of the wind (north) and the only thing that got me through the first section was the knowledge that the road would soon curve west. Even then it was still cold, so I pushed my pace a bit to generate some heat. I didn’t start to feel comfortable until I’d passed my first mile.

Since I’d started the run at a brisk pace, I did my best to maintain it. I’d hoped to average close to 9:00/mile or even below. Incorporating plenty of arm swing, I thought my cadence might improve, but I wasn’t able to generate the speed I was hoping for. I’m fairly certain that running at 4:00 AM, just minutes after waking up, limits my performance capabilities. But I have had a few early morning runs in the mid-8 minute range so faster times are possible.

I ran my route today 1:07 faster than on Wednesday, which gave me a half minute improvement on my pace. Although I didn’t break 9:00 (or 9:10 for that matter), I was happy with my results. Still, for a run that felt at the start like a race, the numbers fell a little short.

My wife’s anti-wimp technique

On January 24, 2012 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 2.5 miles

The rain and warm temperatures have washed away most of this weekend’s snow, so I headed out for a neighborhood run this morning. The treadmill, which I have long demonized, has recently become my lazy choice for a morning workout. And why not? It’s ready to go when you are. A quick change into running shoes, shorts and shirt (shirt optional), and I can go from sleeping to running in a third of the time it takes me to go outdoors.

Why did I run outside today? Because my wife made me. Last night I told her that I was planning an indoor run and she said “The rain is gone and it’s going to be almost 50 degrees tomorrow morning. You really like to run outside, so why aren’t you?” I couldn’t tell her that I’ve become a wimp who prefers the easy, controlled experience of treadmill running. Or that I’ve been seduced by the extra time afforded by not putting on outside gear and messing with satellite acquisition.

Out I went this morning, and I had a great run. I appreciated my ability to vary speed, cadence and stride on a whim and the ever changing scenes of my neighborhood. The winds were strong and they seemed to come from multiple directions. I ran very well, but only beat my usual pace by 20 seconds per mile. It was probably due to so many headwinds. The important thing was that, due to my wife’s prompting, I had a much better experience than I would have on the treadmill. Maybe I should listen to her more often.

Cold and wind can’t keep a winter runner down

On December 29, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 4.5 miles

Conditions were dry, cold and windy this morning but that didn’t dissuade me from going out for a run. I far prefer 25° plus wind chills over 80° with high humidity. The trick is to bundle up enough to make the first mile bearable, without becoming overheated by the third. I wore my new half-zip over a long sleeved tech shirt and my new CS running pants below. These pants do a very good job of blocking wind.

I wore my Saucony Mirages that felt 100% better than the Karhu Fast 2’s that I wore on yesterday’s run. The Mirage’s low stack height and minimal ramp angle enable a natural mid-foot fall. This is very different from the Karhu’s thick mid-sole that seems to get in the way of leg extension. It’s as if the road is an inch higher when your foot hits the ground — both jarring and disconcerting.

The chilly air was energizing and the wind at my back helped to propel me. Head-on, the wind felt uncomfortable, especially where my glasses touched my face. Fortunately my route didn’t have too many roads that faced west so it wasn’t really an issue. My strength had improved from yesterday and my run was mostly pleasant. I had enough strength coming up on my last mile to pick up the pace considerably.

After yesterday’s tough going, I’d expected today’s run to be better. It turned out to be a lot better and I was pleased with my performance overall. If the rain holds off tomorrow I may go for a trail run with a friend. If not, I may spend some quality time on the elliptical machine.

Stacking the deck the wrong way

On December 28, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Karhu Fast 2 – a contributing factor

Today’s run (street): 3.4 miles

This morning’s temperature was a mild 44°, but the winds from the west made it feel much colder. I decided to run with my new Alpine Design half-zip that I hoped would block wind. I was pleased that it did, although I would have been better off had I just worn a couple of shirt layers. I was sweating profusely by the end of my run.

I’d inadvertently stacked the deck against having a good run by choosing the Karhu Fast 2 running shoes that I’d relegated to elliptical duty a while back. When I did a quick run in the Karhu’s the other day they’d felt okay, so I thought I’d give them another try.

Other factors in play were a depleted blood supply (from my doctor’s visit yesterday) and a very large, calorie-laden meal at our friends last night. This included a Guinness stout and my system isn’t used to alcohol. I’ve only had the equivalent of five beers in all of 2011.

My route was through the neighborhood and I didn’t plan to run it fast. I figured 3+ miles would be an easy workout. By mile I realized it would be difficult to get through the entire run but I was determined to do it. The wind didn’t help and I felt hot and very tired. The Karhu’s high platform made it difficult to maintain a fluid stride.

By the time I’d finished, I was surprised by my level of exhaustion. I guess if I’d thought about it I would have chosen different gear and charted an even shorter route. But good runs usually follow bad ones, so I’ll hope for better experiences throughout the week.

A little wind may make a tough course tougher

On October 14, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

It was nice to take a rest day this morning, especially since it’s been a busy week. I probably should have run through a quick set of core exercises or done some upper body work, but I decided to enjoy my coffee and the extra time instead. I’m hearing that the rain will clear out tonight but tomorrow morning will be very windy. I’m not sure what that will mean to runners, but if the wind comes from the south that long hill on the first mile and a half will be a lot tougher.

Again I’ve reached the point where my training ends and the result of that effort will be reflected at the finish line the next day. I’m not expecting a 5K PR considering the hilly course and the possible wind issue. Either way, if it’s tough for me then it will be tough for the hundreds of others who will also participate. This may be the first time I race in October. Seems hard to believe, but I think it’s true.

Correction: I ran the Cape Cod Marathon Relay in October!

Windy morning run

On February 19, 2011 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 3.85 miles

A morning appointment prompted me to run early today. As I prepared my running gear I heard the winds howl and I checked the thermometer to see that the temperature (with wind chill) was in the low 30’s. My window of time before I needed to leave for my appointment was small so I figured I’d be happy to get three miles in. I’m on vacation until the 28th so I wasn’t as concerned about covering distance as I normally would on a Saturday.

I wore a stretchy short sleeved base layer under a half zip that my kids gave me for Valentines Day. On top of that I wore my trusty ASICS windbreaker and that turned out to be a perfect combination for today’s conditions. I had a busy work week that preempted my running schedule. I missed my Tuesday workout and did not feel well on Thursday so I didn’t run that day. I slept well last night and had hoped this week’s light workout schedule would have set me up for an energetic run. Even so, I struggled a bit at the beginning but that could have been due to the stiff headwinds that made it hard to maintain good running form.

I’ve taken to having a gel 30 minutes before my longer runs but I forgot to do that until a few minutes before I left. Consequently, I didn’t get any benefit until I was halfway through the run. I never felt particularly good but as I progressed through my route I did run better, with negative splits for the second and third miles. I’m not sure if I’ll visit Stillwell or Bethpage tomorrow or if I’ll wait until Monday to try a trail run. I’m concerned that we’ll get more snow on Monday and that could push my opportunity for off road running even further away.

Brisk weather, brisker run

On December 8, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street) 2.7 miles

Earlier this week I traded Turkey Trot experiences with my friend CK. He runs the same Thanksgiving day five mile race every year and tries to beat the neighborhood “kids” who are now in their 20’s. CK ran that hilly course in 8:20 this year, slower than he’d hoped. I was happy to tell him that I PR’d on the 10K distance and paced under 9:00 per mile. CK said wanted to break eight minutes on his race and I started thinking about what it would have taken for me to do that at Long Beach. For a 10K race (6.2 miles), using my 55:10 time as a benchmark, I would have had to run every mile one minute faster than I did to hit 7:59. Given the difficulty in achieving 8:53 overall, that’s a significant challenge. Perhaps breaking 8:40 would be a better target.

This morning I went out with no plans to run fast but when I hit the street everything was working for me. Almost everything, actually, the winds were stiff coming from the north and though I’d dressed for cold the chill and force were a factor. Still, I felt strong and my energy level was greater than it had been in a while. I didn’t pay attention to my speed even as I passed the first mile. It wasn’t until I passed mile two so quickly that I realized I was pacing far better than usual. I continued to run hard until I reached home and checked the Garmin’s readout. Gmaps confirmed the pace: 8:44 per mile. This was the fastest run I’ve done in a long time. In fact I’ll need to look at Garmin Connect to see how long it’s been since I’ve averaged that pace. I don’t know how I’ll do tomorrow but today I feel good about my abilty to run in the 8:00 range.

Torrential rains are just fine AFTER I run

On October 1, 2010 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 2.45 miles at 9:07

My wait at the train station, all eight minutes of it, began with a little rain and a moderate breeze. By the time the train came the winds had picked up measurably and the light rain turned into a downpour. Or should I say “sidepour” with the wind coming in horizontally. This resulted in half my clothes getting soaked while the other half remained dry. It was far different from when I went out this morning to run. Last night I’d set my expectations low for an outdoor morning workout and thought positively about how I might play with the elevations on the treadmill and also see how my Kinvaras performed indoors. In truth I despise treadmill running and secretly hoped for a weather miracle that would keep the rain away from western Long Island.

I heard no rain against the skylight when I got up and decided that it was worth trying an outside run. The winds coming in from the south were strong but there was nothing coming down. I set a route that would keep me fairly close to home in the event that the skies opened up in the middle of my run. The air was very humid so the winds provided a nice respite when they did hit. And they hit hard. I came around one corner into a headwind that nearly carried off my hat and headlamp. I managed to grab them in time but I soon took them off and carried them after another big wind swept through. Knowing that I might need to cut the run short if it rained I pushed the speed a little and tried to stay in the high 8 minute range as much as I could. I didn’t break 9:00 but I liked that I was close. I was fortunate that the rain held off, allowing me to complete a decent weekday morning run.

The predictions of weekend temperatures in the low ’60’s have changed to 70’s and that will be fine with me if the air dries out. Going out early will also mean that I’m running during the coolest part of the day. I’m still thinking long run or trail run for Saturday. My daughter wants to run as well so I may go out twice that day. It will be interesting to see how well I do keeping up with the Cross Country Kid.

Two miles the hard way

On January 3, 2009 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

After a very full day I decided to do an early evening run at the track. It’s near the end of our vacation so we’ve tried to pack a lot in over the last few days and I didn’t get an opportunity to run in the morning. Today was cold and I dressed for the weather but the wind chill was tough. I was only planning to run a couple of miles today but at a faster pace than normal.

As I’ve mentioned before, the wind at the track really comes in hard at certain angles and it almost feels like running uphill. The wind picked up greatly after the first ten minutes and the effect was palpable. If not for passing a couple of people walking the outside lanes I would have thought I was standing still. My splits were pretty wide with the first mile at 8:39 and second at 9:52 for an overall pace around 9:25. I had to push hard to maintain a sub-10:00 pace for the second mile and when I finished the back of my throat was really burning. I was happy that I ran but today’s run was much more work than fun.