Short of time and business attire

On July 31, 2015 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Today’s run (street): 3.25 miles

This is going to be a bad weekend for running. I’ll be tied up all day tomorrow and throughout most of Sunday. I don’t think I’ll be able to fit in a workout during that time, but I’ll be doing a lot of walking. Any chance to pick up extra miles today were dashed by a tight work schedule that limited my running time.

Not running all week and then starting up again on Friday is a bad habit that I need to break. Instead of feeling well rested at the start, I usually feel out of shape. I don’t struggle through these runs because I typically keep my distance under four miles due to time. However, feeling out of shape, at least for the first half mile, usually does not motivate me to push my performance.

Just before I sprayed on sunscreen, my cellphone rang and I had to deal with a work problem. That put me further behind. By the time I left the house, I had only 40 minutes to complete my run and be back in time to shower before my call. Otherwise I’d have to do this call wearing my sweat soaked running shorts.

And that’s just what I did. I tried to imagine what the people on the other end would have thought if they could have seen me rather just hearing my voice. I love working from home! Although I had to wind myself up at the start, I ended up in a good place by the end. I even pushed past my comfort zone throughout the last mile and greatly improved my pace over the prior two miles.

It turned out to be a busy day so I was glad I got in a workout. I may end up doing a late afternoon run on Sunday if I feel up to it. That could be a nice way to end a very busy weekend.

Crabby on Friday, better today

On July 18, 2015 By Emerging Runner7 Comments

Don’t eat at Joe’s

Yesterday’s run (street): 3.5 miles
Today’s workout (elliptical): 40 minutes

I work from home most Fridays and that experience (no commuting or multiple meetings) usually provides a nice segue to the weekend. My responsibilities have ramped up in recent weeks and Fridays have become a blessing in terms of catch up time. Except for yesterday, where I started at the crack of dawn and didn’t stop until close to the crack of dusk.

My one concession to the Friday workday madness was to break away for a short time to do a neighborhood run. Once I was satisfied that I addressed some overnight business issues, I quickly changed into running gear and headed out the door. The humidity and temperature were both surprisingly low and I looked forward to a pleasant experience.

It’s much nicer running on Fridays without buses and school drop-off traffic. But the recycling manics remain. These guys drive their ten ton truck around my neighborhood streets like it’s a Porsche, exceeding the posted speed limit by 20 MPH and ignoring stop signs. Whenever I hear the roar and rattle of the truck, I make a beeline to the sidewalk. Even though there are 5+ miles of road in the neighborhood, I always end up encountering them at some point on my route.

Except for the truck, the run went fine. I had some slight breathing issues when I tried to push my pace, and I’m thinking that my aerobic threshold may have dropped over the last couple of years. If that’s the case, it would explain my measurable reduction in speed. I had hoped last weekend’s intervals would have gained me some improvement, but perhaps a mile of repeats at around 92% of max heart rate was not enough to make an impact.

Even with decent weather, I ended up feeling depleted. I had a fast shower and then it was back to work for the rest of the day. We had planned a family dinner last night at Joe’s ~~Crap~~ Crab Shack which recently opened in our area. We’d gone to one in Orlando years ago and had a great time. We all looked forward to this dinner.

I don’t know if I happened to be getting sick (perhaps my hard run and the long day standing in front of my laptop were responsible), but by the time we left the restaurant, I was feeling awful. The experience at Joe’s was interesting. Here is my recommendation: Don’t eat at Joe’s Crab Shack. At least don’t eat at the one in Westbury, NY.

We arrived at the place before the busy hour and although the room was more than half empty, we were told we’d have to wait for a table because they didn’t have enough servers. My wife wanted to leave, but we were all hungry and chose to stay, since they managed to “find room” for us in the back. This back area resembled the dining room of a highway truck stop circa 1973. The photo at the top shows the room full of invisible diners we needed to walk through to get to our table.

The greasy fish I had was terrible and no one else liked what they’d ordered. By the time we got home, I was feeling sick and had to lay down for a few minutes. I rallied enough to go out back for our Friday night fire pit and even managed enough of an appetite for a S’more. We have seen some interesting things on these nights, like an extremely porcine raccoon “sneaking by” atop the fence. Last night we were again dive bombed by a bat, who perhaps thought the pool was a pond.

This morning I was time-pressed because we had an early appointment at a local college. I probably could have fit in a short run, but I was still feeling iffy and decided to do today’s workout on the elliptical. Despite my opening windows on both ends of the room for air flow, it was humid as heck. Even so, the workout was pleasant. Some people don’t like the elliptical, but I do, mostly because it’s not a treadmill.

Tomorrow I’m heading to Massapequa Preserve to meet up for a Runska-run. I’m hoping that I’ll be in ready shape for the six miles I plan to cover. The heat and humidity are supposed to be off the charts, so I’m not planning to do these miles very fast.

A good run, all things considered

On April 4, 2015 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (treadmill): 32 minutes

I’m in the middle of a lot of change at work right now and it’s affecting a lot of people. Do you know that people don’t like change, especially when it involves how they do their jobs? When you are the person who’s forcing all this change, it can create some tense moments. But deep down I know they appreciate my efforts and I’m sure they don’t mean it when they tell me I’m ruining their lives.

I’m exaggerating a little, but it is a busy time right now. Just to make it interesting, I’ve developed a head cold that I’m hoping will be short-lived. My schedule isn’t conducive to weekday workouts, so today was my first run since Sunday. Between the piriformis pain and this cold, you’d think it would have been a tough session. It wasn’t great fun, but it really wasn’t that bad.

I still haven’t seen an orthopedist but the pain has lessened significantly. When I started today’s run, I felt a mild jolt of pain. It wasn’t anything that prompted me to rethink the workout, but I kept the speed moderate in the spirit of not doing further harm. I couldn’t tolerate watching the news or listening to music, so I ran in silence. I kind of liked that.

Tomorrow is supposed to be mild (51°) but with 26 MPH winds. I’m aiming to run outside for the first time since February. The high winds don’t sound too inviting but the idea of running on a non-moving surface makes me happy. I’m thinking that a trail run might be the perfect venue for my reunion with terra firma.

Good news, selfish reaction

On March 14, 2015 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Work sweet work

Today’s workout (elliptical): 55 minutes

My professional life has shifted a bit this week, with a mixture of good news and selfish disappointment. After leaving my old company in 2013 after 20 years, I’d hoped to enjoy a long relaxing semi-retirement. My plan was to take on consulting engagements that interested me and enjoy a far more flexible schedule. That worked fine until last April, when I was offered an extended project that would put me back into a regular working and commuting routine.

I accepted that project role and have enjoyed every minute of it. Work stress has been near zero, because I haven’t had to worry about politics or long term issues. I was supposed to finish up by June and looked forward to returning to my open consulting schedule that would give me time to run every day.

That will not be the case because I’ve just agreed to become a permanent employee. It’s good news because I like what I do, and I’m fortunate that fitness and health are a big part of the organization’s mission. I’m a little disappointed that I won’t be returning to the easy life in June, but I work from home on Fridays and have a lot more time in the evening compared to my old job at Time Inc.

I’ll be spending a lot of time working out at the office over the next six weeks and I’m hoping that will help prepare me for springtime running. I didn’t even attempt to use the treadmill this morning because I’ve learned my lesson about pushing too hard during recovery. I may go on it for a few minutes of easy running tomorrow to see if things have improved. This morning’s elliptical workout was pain-free and the soreness has reduced overall.

I still plan to see a doctor to get the problem diagnosed. In the meantime, the recovery is going very well and I don’t plan to make the same mistake as last time.

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.

Run interrupted, for a very good reason

On April 24, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

You just can’t escape it

Today’s run (street): 6.25 total

This morning I planned to go out for six miles, but circumstances caused me to break the run into two parts. I’ve been trying to run at least 6 miles mid-week to reinforce my base. The news was reporting 40 MPH winds so I went with running pants and two top layers, including a heavier weight half-zip. It turned out that the winds weren’t anywhere as bad as reported.

I started off well and I was looking forward to covering my distance at a comfortable pace. I was almost at my first mile when my cell phone rang. I always check to see who’s calling, in case it’s an emergency. I recognized the number as a big client, but I couldn’t answer the phone in time. I listened to the voicemail and headed home to call them back.

Although my run was interrupted, it was worth it. I’m keeping my consulting practice, but now I’ll also be taking on a full time position. This will be the first time I’ll be commuting to an outside office since I left my old company in 2013. I’m very excited about this new opportunity, but I am concerned about how it will affect my training over the next few weeks. In order to be ready for the Brooklyn Half, I’ll need to maintain my current mix of speed and base running.

Once all the paperwork was signed, I went out to complete the balance of my run. In between the first and second part of today’s run I had lunch and I wondered how I’d do running on full stomach. The weather had turned cloudy and it looked like it might rain. I was grateful that my distance dropped to five miles, since I’d already done a mile earlier in the day.

There was more wind the second time I went out, but I appreciated it because I thought it might help simulate the effort needed to take on the first big hill at the Marcie Mazzola 5K on Sunday. I moved along fairly well, but the Garmin was showing paces that were at least 30 seconds slower than perceived effort. After calculating true distance, it turned out that I was running about 15 seconds per mile faster than what the display said.

Overall, I met my distance target, although not all at once. I recently read that two-a-days are actually a good training strategy, but I can’t remember why. I’m supposed to taper at some point for Sunday’s race although I’m not sure I can afford to reduce volume at this point. Maybe I’ll rest tomorrow and go long again on Friday.

Wishing for a DVR for running

On February 19, 2014 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

The kids are off from school this week and that can effect the rhythm of my day. I usually see the kids off to school each morning before heading outside (or upstairs) for my run. My timing is often very tight, leaving me just enough time to work out (and shower) before my first business call. When the kids stay home, my schedule tends to slip.

This morning brought distractions, including shoveling a few inches of fresh snow. I lost my running slot and had to start my work day without my usual post run rush. Worse, my missed workout made me feel guilty all morning. I decided then to switch around a couple of calls so I could take a mid afternoon break and do a treadmill run.

I prefer to run in the morning because my body responds better to activity before noon. A mid afternoon run wasn’t ideal, especially since I’d had lunch only a couple of hours before. The run was okay, but tedious. I found myself wishing that I could fast forward through it like a DVR. I did get my run in, even though it extended my workday another hour. The temperature rose above freezing for most of the day today and they are predicting rain for tomorrow. An outside run by Friday is a possibility. Can’t wait for that.

An amnesiac run

On February 5, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.2 miles

I found out this morning that an industry presentation, scheduled for the 14th, has to be given tomorrow. That certainly changed my priorities for the day. Once I learned about the date change, I had every excuse to skip today’s workout. I didn’t skip the run, but it’s almost as if I did.

We got about 8 inches of snow yesterday, so an outside run was out of the question. I organized my materials and took a break at 9:00 AM to start the run. I hopped on the treadmill, set my speed, put on CNN and ran until the display showed 3.2 miles. No playing around with paces or inclines. No last quarter mile at an otherwise unsustainable speed. Just start, run and stop.

Almost as soon as I hit the shower, the run was out of my head. I must have been thinking about the work I’d need to do over the next few hours. On the whole, I guess I’d rather have running amnesia rather than suffer through half an hour of treadmill tedium. Best of all, I won’t have to give a presentation on Valentine’s Day.

Work versus run, guess which won.

On August 30, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Timed out

I needed to complete a big project this morning, so I couldn’t go out for my early morning run as planned. I realized that finishing that work would interfere with my run, because I needed to leave the house before 10:00 for another obligation. I decided that I’d go for a late afternoon run instead. Well, that didn’t happen, and I decided instead to give my legs a break from a week of fairly hard running.

Tomorrow I’m planning another base run that will include hills. I’m not sure about speed, but no matter what, I’ll keep it more intense than normal for a run of this type. I have high expectations for this workout, so I’m hoping that taking the day off today will help make things go smoothly tomorrow.

I’m tapering my taper

On June 26, 2013 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

Today’s run (street): 3.4 miles

I didn’t run or post yesterday or Monday and this will hardly count as one. My schedule has been full this week and I’m still dealing with my cough, though that hasn’t been the reason for skipping my workout on Tuesday. I did manage to get out this morning before getting tied up all day on work related items. This is a taper week and I’m certainly getting the “less running” part down.

The temperature was close to 80 degrees at 8:15 AM when I went out on my run. I knew that I should try to generate some speed since I’m going to be racing on Sunday, but I really didn’t push my pace. Nothing to report except that I was glad to get back on the road.

Tomorrow and Friday will be early city days so I don’t know when I’ll get my final taper run in. I felt good on the run after a couple of day’s rest, although I am still dealing with this annoying cough. My biggest concern right now is whether I’ll have a voice by the time I make a presentation tomorrow afternoon. This isn’t going to be a big mileage week, but I hope to get back on schedule next week.