A tale of two injuries

I've spoken to some experienced runners about running with injuries. They've all said it's much better to take a break than further exacerbate the problem. I'm an impatient person so following that advice has been hard but it has paid off. After trading two days running for two days of upper body training I was feeling good enough to run on Wednesday. Today I stepped it up by increasing my pace but I didn't push it. Happily, at the finish of my run my muscle pull was unnoticable.

My wife has also been managing a workout related injury that reached the point where backing off became a necessity but not a cure. After two weeks of increasing pain in her shoulder her doctor diagnosed a large calcium deposit. Calcium deposits are common for athletes and the treatment is usually a cortisone shot and rest. What I didn't know about this condition is how painful it can be. A website wryly described it this way: "Calcium deposits will not kill you, but the pain will make you wish it will." Through my wife's suffering over the last few days I can certainly attest to that.

Now that I know the value of taking breaks from running I will try to do it more often. I don't fear the pain of injuries as much as a possible setback in conditioning. That's something I need to get past.

Recovery run

I have been hampered with a slight leg muscle pull so I've backed off on runs since Sunday. After two days of upper-body only workouts I decided to run this morning but maintain a more moderate pace. I was concerned that after two days off I'd feel underconditioned and that the layoff would impact my performance. In fact the opposite was true. I actually needed to rein in my efforts and (for safety) maintain a slower pace than I felt I could handle. Although it felt great I stopped after 1.5 miles to head off further aggravating the injury. I certainly could have handled much more distance and I felt much stronger at the one mile mark than I ever had before. My leg felt no worse for the run but I needed to be careful.

So today was a lesson for the Emerging Runner. I learned that one or two days break from running actually helps performance and stamina. I no longer feel that skipping a day is a challenge to my committment or a setback to conditioning. I will try to incorporate a more balanced program and include skip days (every beginner's running guide recommends them but I thought I knew better). Although my 5K is still far off I've been thinking about my approach to conditioning for race day. I'm definately thinking about not running the day before. Maybe even skipping two!

Blogger Bugging Out

I noticed some page elements are missing and other items like the 5K countdown are not working. I hope this will be fixed soon.

Update - all elements appear to be operational as of 8:14 PM

Fitness equilibrium - what's your natural weight state?

After four months of focusing carefully on diet and training I believe I have reached my equilibrium point. Based upon my normal workout routines, nutrition choices and portion sizes I have stabilized my weight. Only if I consciously change my diet and/or increase the level of my routine will I further reduce my weight. Now the question is, "What do I really want?" According to the BMI calculators I am in the category of Normal. I have a friend who watches his diet and runs over 40 miles a week and his BMI score is Obese. He sure doesn’t look it.

I don't have the time to exercise more frequently but I can increase the intensity of my workouts and runs. I should probably do that anyway to increase strength and performance. I could eat less but why? If I eat the same and work out more intently will my weight go up because I'm building more muscle mass? If my weight does increase will I care? Is it worth thinking about everything you eat to maintain a weight that could not be achieved through a healthy diet and normal exercise?

I will benchmark this to see how things go over the next few months with no change in diet but a modest increase in workout effort. I really don’t care about my weight as long as my HDL, LDL, triglyceride and blood pressure levels are normal. Maybe it is time to buy that HRM watch.

A new way to use the elliptical

A combination of pushing too hard and stretching too little this weekend aggravated a muscle in my leg. My wife told me I should skip today's exercise but I just couldn't. Mondays are elliptical days for me and although I felt it had less impact on my muscle strain than running I decided not to use it for my legs. Instead, I straddled the elliptical machine but only worked the arms. Unlike the normal use where resistance is minimal at the first level, this experience was more akin to cross country skiing. Increasing the resistance made the effort very challenging. I ended up doing 15 minutes which was enough to get my heart rate up for a while. It wasn't the same amount of exertion as running but today was scheduled to be a light to moderate workout. Besides that, my upper arms are not used to working that hard and I didn't want to pull a muscle there either. I had not heard of anyone using the elliptical this way but I plan to use it for upper arm training even after my short break from running.

The Emerging Runners hit the track

Yesterday afternoon, after I recovered from my early morning run, I went to the high school and ran with my son and daughter. They did great and my son was able to run 1/2 mile without a break. My daughter also ran well and she kept going much longer than the last time. We covered about a mile overall and everyone slept well last night.

This morning I returned to the track and ran about 2 1/2 miles. I have a slight muscle pull so I cut it shorter than yesterday's workout. There were other runners on the track and I passed a guy who was about a half lap ahead of me when I started. So that felt good. His wife was also running and she was faster. I didn't pass her but I was able to maintain about the same pace. My overall pace was 9:34 but I was doing an 8:13 mile at the 1 mile point. I was happy to see that my Sportband was recording accurately after yesterday's recalibration.

Green running

Runner's World magazine recently did a great article about the impact of running on the environment. Worth a read.

A pretty good (but freezing) run

This morning was pretty cold but I decided that I would brave the weather and run outside. Instead of my usual weekend neighborhood run I decided to go to the track. I tried to anticipate how cold it would be and wore three long sleeve running jerseys under a lightweight running jacket and lined running pants. I also brought my fleece hat and gloves.

As I drove toward the school I had to move into the center of the road to avoid hitting two runners who decided to run side by side up a very busy street in the same direction as the traffic. I couldn't believe those guys and I hope they didn't get hit.

When I got to the track I saw a couple of people running. They were bundled up much more than me, both were wearing hoods and hats that covered most of their faces. The other runners seemed miserable and I figured that they overdressed and were paying for it or they were just pushing too hard. I began my run feeling really good. The sun had come up and it didn't feel cold at all. As I came around the second curve the wind hit me straight on. It was painfully cold and difficult to maintain speed. I realized then why those other runners dressed that way. Note to self: Buy a running balaclava.

I toughed it out and ran 13 laps, the equivalent of 3.25 miles. My Nike+ Sportband was off by quite a bit (32%) and reported that I ran 4.84 miles (see above) which calculated to a pace of 6:58/mile. Not quite. With the wind I was pleased with my true pace, calculated by MapMyRun at 10:24. I felt I could have pushed it another mile but the wind was picking up and I really didn't like how my face was feeling. I may return with my son later, hopefully it will warm up by early afternoon. In the meantime I will try to recalibrate the Sportband. It's been very accurate against the treadmill speed and distance but on an actual track, not so much. Maybe I do need a GPS watch.

The Emerging Runner's Guide to Weight Loss

After 3+ months of focusing on fitness through running and exercise I am convinced that the only reasonable way to maintain a healthy weight is to do the following:

1. Eat smaller meals and less sugar.
2. Exercise moderately as many days a week as possible.
3. Repeat forever.

That will be $24.99. Or $9.99 if you are reading this on a Kindle.

Seriously, I've seen some great benefits from running including a much higher energy level and lower levels of stress. Though my goal at the start was to reduce my LDL and Triglyceride numbers I have also brought my weight down to a level I'd not seen since the late 80's. Now I need to deal with that. I have to either get new clothes or have all my pants and suits altered. But I would rather run five miles uphill in the heat than go clothes shopping. So I guess there is a downside to this after all.

Running gear

According to runningusa.org there are about 8 to 16 million "frequent" runners in the US. It's a huge market for clothes and other gear. The Running USA website has some interesting statistics about the demographics of runners and what they buy. That said, I wonder why it's so hard to find a place that sells crew length running socks. I can't be the only one that wants them. On the subject of running clothing, a member of the Emerging Runner advisory board told me today about an interesting website: steepandcheap.com. It's an auction style site run by Backcountry.com, an outdoor clothing manufacturer. Every 20 minutes they put up an item that you can purchase at a substantial discount but only during the period the item is active. Looks addictive.

143 days and counting...

I officially registered for the 5K race so there's no turning back now. The cost to enter was modest but the psychological cost (should I end up not participating) would be much greater. So I'm committed. Plus I'd get a t-shirt! I was very happy to see that the race starts at 8:00 AM so it should be relatively cool in early May.

I mentioned this race at lunch today to a friend who happens to be an accomplished runner. He was surprised that I'm not doing a race sooner than May. His point is that I am capable of runnning a 5K now and there are a lot of other races between now and May '09. He made a good point. If I come across a local 5K in early 2009 that looks interesting I may be tempted to do that. In the meantime I'm focused on May 2nd, 8:00 AM.

Improving my 5K pace

Instead of merely getting through my morning run today I concentrated on maintaining a faster pace. As I gear up for my first 5K (144 days from now) my focus has been on increasing my distance and duration rather than speed. I think we all have a natural pace where we run without thinking about running. I'm guessing this is why most people run, to reach a state where exercise and enjoyment come together. This morning was not one of those times. I started out at a 9:55/min pace as a warm up and brought up my speed to the point where I finished with an average pace of about 9:15. I have run faster than that – in fact I once did a mile in about 7:50 but I haven't come close to that time again. This leads me to think that I never really attained that pace in the first place, perhaps my Nike+ Sportband was not properly calibrated. By the way, it appears as though Nike is no longer listing the Sportsband on their online store. I hope they decide to fix the problems with this unit rather than give up on it. There's nothing else out there that provides the same utility for anything close to its $59 price. The alternative is to use the Nike+ sensor with an iPod but since many (including myself) don't own an iPod or like to listen to music while running it's an unsatisfactory solution. Besides that, an iPod costs a lot more than the Sportband.

Fitness Showrooms responds

In an earlier post I mentioned that the heart rate monitor on our new BH Fitness elliptical was wildly inaccurate. I requested a solution from Fitness Showrooms and they responded very quickly by ordering a replacement part. They will send a tech to install it when it comes in. I don't know what kind of response I would have got from a big sporting goods chain but I am very pleased with the level of service we've received from Fitness Showrooms.

My fake 5K

Given the snow and the cold I did my running indoors yesterday. My goal this weekend was to duplicate a 5K run which I was hoping to do on the street or on the track. I did it on the treadmill instead and while I was pleased that I had enough energy to keep going at the end point I recognized that conditions (softer surface, belt motion, no hills) made this an ideal rather than representative run. On the other hand, it's cooler to run outdoors this time of year which is why I prefer to run that way.

Snowed Out!

I've usually viewed a blanket of snow on a weekend morning as a positive thing since it's visually beautiful and it doesn't interfere with my daily commute. This morning I was hoping to do a long outside run but I didn't want to take the chance of slipping on the pavement or the track. So today I'm forced to run on the treadmill where I can watch the snow through our guest room window. Maybe I'll open the window to bring in some cold air and create a faux outdoor experience.

The real disappointment is that my son and I won't be able to run on the track today. He's too young to run on the treadmill but he's been using the elliptical. It's not so much the exercise, it's that we really enjoy the experience of running together.

Fitness as a common language

Running and training provide benefits beyond physical fitness. I have discovered that many people in my life are runners, lapsed runners, dedicated walkers, cyclists or are just generally active. I have learned a great deal about nutrition, technique, training gear and even how to set expectations for progress through conversations with friends, co-workers and business colleagues. People have been universally helpful and encouraging about my efforts. I suspect a few people, after these discussions, are thinking more about their own training and fitness programs.

In addition I greatly enjoy training because it's an activity that I can share with my family. My wife and I frequently compare notes on our daily progress. We reinforce each other's dedication to training, help each other maintain a healthy diet and we often exercise together on weekends. My nine year old son has been running with me, first just around the neighborhood but today we went to the local High School and ran laps around the track. He did great and he wants to go back tomorrow. I like the track as well because it allows me to run outside (which I prefer) but it's much more cushioned than pavement. I'd like to try a regular run on the track and aim for a personal best for distance.

Nike+ site is down

One of my favorite activities on a Saturday is uploading my week's runs to the Nike+ website. I had a great workout session today, over an hour, and I was disappointed to find that the Nike+ site was down. Their web page says "We are performing system upgrades to make Nike+ even better. Please check back in a few hours." Oh well, at least I can enter my week's cross training sessions at MapMyRun.

UPDATE: The site is back up at 1:24PM

Problem with my elliptical machine

We looked at a number of elliptical machines before buying ours. After much discussion with friends and lots of online research we ended up buying an X1 from BH Fitness. It's a quality unit and we bought it from a company called Fitness Showrooms that sells high end equipment. Our unit was reasonably priced and it seemed to be built better than the units they sell at Dick's Sporting Goods. Overall we are happy with the unit and the service (we had some small installation problems and a tech from Fitness Showrooms came by and addressed most of them). One problem that remains is that the heart rate monitor is completely inaccurate. I wonder if it was installed backward because my starting point is usually a HR of 170 and after a fairly intense session it drops below 100. The Fitness Showrooms tech told my wife that the HRM won't work if there is a computer in the same room or even on the same floor as the elliptical unit. I know enough about wireless networks to debate that. First, although it isn't listed in the manual I'm assuming that the the elliptical's control panel operates on a different frequency as my home network. Second, the HRM doesn't work even when when the computer is off. I'm going to ask the dealer to fix it or rebate me the value of the HRM so I can buy one like the Polar RS100 watch.

Running when you don't feel well

I woke up feeling tired and weak this morning and I was tempted to skip my run in the name of recovery. I had read in a book about running that there are two schools of thought about training while fighting an illness: rest and recover or powering through. I chose to run and was surprised that when I reached the end of my running time (my morning training is part of a complex set of routines that, if followed to the second, allow me to make my train) I was feeling pretty strong. It's not the first time I've experienced this - a really good run after starting out tired. I didn't eat anything prior to running as I have been doing but I had an unusually carb-heavy lunch yesterday and that clearly provided enough fuel.

Perspective on running goals

I enjoy talking to long term runners because it helps me set expectations for my own progress. I'm still a beginner who views a (comfortable) four mile run as a goal but I hope that I will eventually get to a level where I consider that a routine distance. When I first started running the thought of entering a marathon seemed crazy but now I realize that goals are what get people to actually go outside and run every day (or so). I have no interest in running a marathon or even a half marathon but I do aspire to reach a level of fitness over the next couple of years where I can run credibly in a 10K race. Increasing distance or pace is a realistic objective for all runners and it can be done against your own timeline. If I'm going to be competitive for the 5K in May I'll need to be comfortable running at least 4 miles. I know I can get close to that now but not yet at a pace that I want published in race results!

Nike+ Sportband recall

I am currently on my third Nike+ Sportband. My first two became unusable after the display failed. My current Sportband is beginning to corrode the same way. Yesterday I saw an article online that said Nike was doing a voluntary recall of the Sportbands due to display failure. It's really too bad that they introduced a product with such a bad flaw. I rely on the Sportband because it tracks distance whether I run indoors or out. I may end up getting a Garmin Forerunner 405 or Polar RS800 watch with GPS if my Sportband fails again. These are good watches but they are much more expensive than the Nike+ Sportband. Also, unless you invest in the footpod option (on the Garmin) you can only track outdoor runs.

Gearing up for a 5K race

I am planning to run in a 5K race in May that is part of a larger set of races that include a marathon, half marathon, 10K, 1 mile and kids run. A friend of mine who has been running for a couple of years will be joining me. I'm confident that I'll be able to run a credible pace for 5K by then but I do need to work on both speed and endurance. I'm going to try to run a 5K course this weekend as a way of training for the upcoming race. I use Google Earth, Gmaps and MapMyRun to plan my routes. They are all very accurate (to the inch) so you can plan ahead or track where you ran against your elapsed time to calculate your pace.

Workout diversity - running and elliptical training

It's been a long time since I've been consistently active and I have to be careful about over training. The elliptical machine is a great alternative to a daily run and I've discovered that setting the resistance to 3x requires an exertion similar to running on the treadmill. The advantages of the elliptical is that the burden on my knees and feet is much lower and the arm motion, especially with resistance, provides some upper body exercise. The elliptical does not provide a consistent aerobic challenge so I find I can go longer but I don't feel like I'm helping to improve breathing and lung capacity. During my days off I did some longer sessions, 25 minutes on the elliptical followed by 25 minutes running on the treadmill. Those sessions definitely provided a more rounded workout.

Comparing indoor versus outdoor running

I was out of the office most of last week for the Thanksgiving break. Days off give me more time to run outside and I think that it's important to balance indoor treadmill running with pavement running. The experiences are very different, the view on the treadmill (Pro-Form L18) doesn't change (unless TV counts) while my outdoor runs are almost always unique in terms of route. The treadmill is a more forgiving and enabling process since the tread itself is more padded than pavement and the motion of the tread provides momentum for the runner. On the other hand outdoor running provides a variety of conditions (elevations, weather, terrain) that can be positive (or negative) distractions.