Friday, November 13, 2009

My favorite app (hint: it has something to do with running shoes)


Without a doubt my favorite iPhone app is the Runner's World Shoe Shop. This free app has a simple interface that enables quick navigation across the 250 or so running shoes reviewed by the magazine. The company that created this app, NearbyNow, has a holiday gift guide featuring items from retailers and fashion magazines that works in the same way as the shoe app but the content isn't very rich. I give Runner's World a lot of credit for its elegant implementation that includes some nice store and price finder features.

I don't know exactly why I like running shoes so much. It may be due to my interest in technology or the fact that there seems to be so many interesting differentiators between models and brands. I'll never be a competitive runner but I want to do the best I can and it all starts with the shoe. I think it's interesting that when I made my commitment to running a year ago I simply put myself at the mercy of a Foot Locker sales person who sold me a pair of Nikes with no conversation about how I run or whether I pronate. Those shoes worked okay until I reached 300 miles where I began to have problems with my left leg. Those problems exacerbated to the point that I debated running a 5K in trail shoes to avoid further injury.

Looking back, those Nikes were decent shoes and I did end up running the 5K in them, coming in 2nd in my age category. I retired them the next day once I purchased the Brooks GTS-9 Adrenalins. The Brooks did not impress me right away but after almost 400 miles they've never given me a problem (except for the occasional pinching issue at the top of my foot). I check in with the Runner's World Shoe Shop on a daily basis looking for information that will guide me to my next pair. I wish it had more updates and covered more of the specialty brands like Newton but I'm still very pleased with what they offer today. Plus, the price is right.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Tired of being tired

This morning was only a few degrees colder than yesterday but the dry air made it seem much chillier when I stepped out to run. The winds were back and particularly biting when they hit straight on from the north. I put my head down and headed out despite the feeling that, once again, I could use rest more than exercise.

I was talking to a friend at work on Tuesday about an ex-colleague and highly accomplished runner who used to take a full week out of every month off from running. It clearly worked for him but I suspect that in the other three weeks of the month he trained far harder and covered far more distance than I do in four. Since I ran this morning I've felt a little tired, head-achy and slightly dizzy. I've tried the coffee cure (double shot from the Keurig machine, repeat as necessary) that has resulted in a slight improvement but I can't shake the feeling that I'm coming down with something.

A number of years ago I frequently caught colds and at least once a month I was taking cold medicine to battle the symptoms. At that time I was single, living in NYC and keeping crazy hours. My sister gave me some vitamins and told me to take them for 30 days to see if I saw any improvement. The result was 30 days without a cough or the sniffles and I've taken a daily multivitamin ever since. The combination of that plus being in very good condition has helped me ward off most everything over the last year. I'm concerned that my immune system is just delaying the inevitable and what feels like something small is really the flu trying to take hold. I'm probably making more of it than I should but I was disappointed to feel weak and tired today after taking two rest days on Monday and Tuesday. I may take another rest day tomorrow if I wake up feeling the same way. Maybe my colleague had it right by folding much more rest into the mix. It seems worth a try.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Good rest: Good run




I'm hoping I've finally broken out of my fatigue cycle and that I'm finally in balance in terms of early morning and late day energy. I got to bed at a reasonable hour last night and woke up seven hours later feeling rested. It took me a little longer than usual to get ready for my run but I hit the streets by 4:05 AM feeling okay. The local news was posting a temperature of 54 degrees so I dressed accordingly. I included an extra top layer that came in handy within the first 30 seconds when I turned up a street and was hit with a wall of wind. It felt slightly humid outside and I expected to sweat. Accompanying the strong wind was a fine misty rain. It actually felt nice to be outdoors and I made my way around the neighborhood, keeping a moderate pace.

I try to vary my routes daily and the trick is managing the time and distance so that I finish up at home, on schedule. I occasionally find myself a little too far away when I'm reaching my time limit and this requires me to really push for the last half mile or so. I ended up covering 2.5 miles this morning in around 23 minutes. Not my greatest run but a credible effort that told me my energy levels have been fully restored. After really crashing at the end of the day yesterday I'm less of a believer in FRS although I probably need to give it more time to provide tangible benefits. Without a doubt, I've found a good night's sleep to be the best energy supplement for running.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Thinking about 2010 running goals


I'm not sure if it's due to a lack of rest or if my weekend running pushed me past my limits but I have been mighty tired over the last couple of days. I didn't plan to run on Monday because that's always been my rest day. I instituted that early this year as part of my 2009 running goals and I have stuck to it with beneficial results. After falling asleep on the train ride home last night I decided to string two rest days together and skip my workout this morning in the name of true recovery. It was the right thing to do and I got an extra hour's sleep plus another 30 minutes on the train ride in. I had my second can of FRS this morning and I feel alert and ready for what should be a very busy day. I noticed that each 11.5 oz can contains only 25 calories so I looked more closely at the ingredient list and saw that FRS contains sucralose. I guess I'm okay with that since the stuff tastes fine and it isn't cloyingly sweet.

I've started thinking about my 2010 running goals now that we are in the last two months of the year. I may have made the current year's goals a little too easy since I achieved them all by August so I'll need to throw some "stretch goals" into the mix. One goal will definitely relate to pace and another to distance. One should include a new running experience of some kind. I'll think more about it and will post 2010 goals in December. I'm still not sure about whether to take on the challenge of a half marathon and if I do I'll need to figure out how to do that without adding more training time. The most important thing to do is keep an optimal balance between work, family and training. So far, so good.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Tempted by choices at DSW


Four days out of the week I wear a suit to work but on Fridays I usually wear more comfortable "business casual" clothing. I usually wear a pair of Bass loafers on those days and I noticed some scuffing recently that prompted a visit to DSW to look for a new pair. DSW is a huge shoe store that sits imposingly high above the other stores in the area. Downstairs are hundreds of women's shoes and bags on display. My wife told me, amused, that they were selling a pair of shoes "discounted" to $800. Overall, the prices were actually very good and most everything else was priced well. I headed upstairs to look for new loafers but the athletic shoe section caught my eye and I spent some time with my son looking at and trying on some nice models from Saucony, ASICS, Brooks, Mizuno and others.

These weren't the low end models that you always find on sale at Sports Authority. They had ASICS Kayano-14's for $89.00 (but not in my size) and Brooks Trance 8's for $99 that were in my size. I tried the three Mizuno models, some Saucony trail shoes (really nice fit) and a few assorted others. It's obvious why the shoes were cheap - they were last year's models or older - but if I was ready to buy I would have been happy with the choices. My son, the 10 year old grownup, finally laid down the law and made me look at loafers. I found a nice pair at a good price and left happy. I would have liked those Trance 8's too. Maybe next time.

Later in the day we all headed to the track. My wife didn't have an opportunity to fit in her workout that morning and my daughter wanted to run. I took the opportunity to run some easy laps that I alternated with faster paced segments. I also did a few 200m "sprints" at around 7:15/mile. It was a far quicker pace than I normally run but slow enough to prevent any injuries. Overall it was a very nice weekend for running and the cool, maple-scented air added much to the experience. I'm thinking of taking tomorrow as a rest day and then start focusing on my readiness for my 5K race on the 28th.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

FRS Healthy Energy fueled run



My experience with energy drinks, while limited, has been fairly negative. I've tried Red Bull once and had no reaction except to be surprised by its vile taste. I tried a sample of Max Muscle Barracuda that was included in my goody bag from the Dirty Sock 10K race that resulted in a sluggish run at Stillwell Woods. More recently I've followed a few runs with Myoplex shakes that were included in the goody bags from the Cape Cod Marathon and found it to be a nice recovery supplement.

Yesterday, while we were out, I spotted a four-pack of FRS Healthy Energy drink that was on sale for $5.99, $2.00 off its regular price. I was interested in this product because magazines like Men's Journal have touted it as different and better than the other energy drinks out there. The company claims that its key ingredient, quercetin, is a powerful antioxidant and the other supplementary ingredients provide energy without the "roller-coaster" effect brought on by drinks that use caffeine and taurine to create an energetic rush.

I tried a can of cold FRS in Low Cal Wild Berry flavor. It was pleasant tasting and I didn't see any artificial sweeteners in the ingredient list. I gave myself about 20 minutes before setting out and I did feel pretty good as I started my run. After about a minute I needed to stop to adjust the tongue and laces of my right show that were uncomfortably pressing on the top of my foot. It's a problem I often have with my Brooks and although I love the shoes I really need my next pair to have a longer and wider tongue to spread the pressure to the sides. Once corrected I restarted and made my way to neighborhood #4 and beyond with part of my route through a four inch layer of dry fallen leaves that were fun to run through but made quite a racket in the process. At around the 15 minute mark I began to feel a little fatigued and my breathing was a little off. This was unusual because my breathing has become very consistent over the past year and I usually never think about it. I figured correctly that I'd get my second wind at around the 22 minute mark and I proceeded to cover about 3.3 miles at around 9:10 min/mile but I was fairly breathless after a semi-sprint for the last quarter mile.

I'll continue to experiment with the remaining cans of FRS and I think it is supporting an enhanced post-run energy level. The lesson I've learned is that, for me, the best pre-run energy drink is a cool glass of water.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

The great (internal) debate

I've been reading the December issue of Runner's World and I'm finding a lot of great stuff. I love this magazine and I'm always excited when I get a new issue. There's a lot in the front section about preparing for winter running. I'm interested in that because I want to get through the season without losing any fitness but I am extremely adverse to treadmill running. I'm concerned about days when I'm greeted with a blanket of snow on the ground and 18 degree temperatures. I'm thinking about purchasing some Yak-Trax so I can go outside on days that would normally require an indoor workout.

I've had some tough runs this week and AG, who is the best coach I've ever had regardless of sport, suggested that I skip this weekend's runs so that I can fully recover from the Cape Cod Relay and last week's seven mile bike trail run. Skipping a run during the week is always a self-debate but ultimately an easy decision. My weekend runs mean something different to me and I really look forward to them throughout the week. In the past I've only skipped a weekend run day when resting for a Sunday race. Still, since AG recommended it, I needed to take that seriously. While I read through Runner's World this morning I saw a piece that reinforced the idea of maintaining a consistent running routine with the point that to maintain fitness the workout can still be easy.

The pleasure of a Saturday morning run plus the RW article tipped me toward running and I set off with the intention of going 30-35 minutes without regard to pace or distance. I dressed warmly since the temperature was 30 degrees and I didn't want to be tempted to run fast to warm up quickly. I felt very good and actually worked hard to keep my pace moderate. I covered parts of my neighborhood and parts of neighborhood #2 going 3.9 miles in about 37 minutes. I was surprised that my pace was mid 9:00 because it felt slower but I verified the distance on Gmaps. It was the best run I've had since the relay and although it wasn't taxing it produced the requisite level of endorphins to reinforce the value of the workout. I think I characterized this type of running as "comfort food miles" and that's how they felt today. I'm considering a very brief speed workout tomorrow (4 x 800m) if I feel strong. Otherwise I may just rest. Hopefully AG will approve!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Cold and snag season


Although I should be used to it by now I'm still surprised to see TV commercials promoting Christmas shopping this early in the season. This week I'm starting to see a lot of them and it's only a few days since Halloween. I was still waking up to the expectation of heat and humidity on my run as recently as mid-October. Suddenly it's the holiday season and the morning temperatures are reinforcing that point, certainly with today's run. I've started to add layers to my usual outfit of running shorts and short sleeved jersey and I'm thinking that I still could use a thermal top for when things get really cold in January. The Champion tight running pants that are/were bargain-priced at Target are a good weight for now but I will need to switch to my Nike compression pants when the temperature drops. There are always regular running pants but I don't like using them until the weather gets really cold.

I had a couple of snags this morning, one literal, before and after my run. When I put on my reflective vest I saw that the plastic clip on one side had broken off so I had no easy way to connect the front and back. I ended up wedging an adjacent plastic piece into the receptor but that fix didn't hold for long. I stepped out and realized that the 37 degree temperature was misleading because there were some strong winds kicking up leaves and providing a chill that made it feel much colder than it was. I took off anyway and hoped I'd warm up quickly from running. The wind dislodged the clip on my vest so it became unstable and flew in front of my face each time I got a direct gust of cold air. I said to myself that today was about getting through the workout and I ended up covering 2.4 miles in a little over 22 minutes. Like my two other early morning runs this week I felt sluggish most of the way through. I wonder if I'm not well enough rested to do these runs this week.

When I returned home, I slipped through the garage into the den and one of my new ASICS gloves got snagged in the door of the mud room. I had to struggle to detach my hand from my glove in time to disarm the security alarm before the 120 decibel klaxons went off waking my family and the neighbors. Fortunately the delay provided enough time for me to do that. The last thing I needed was a discussion with the police who'd have been dispatched by our alarm company if the alarm actually did go off. I still need to figure out how to fix my vest for next week and I'll know to be very careful with my glove the next time I come back in from a run.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

New running gear cures all ills

Yesterday I took a rest day from both running and posting. This has been a tough week for my company and I think it caught up to me on Wednesday both physically and psychologically. I felt exhausted when I woke up and I thought that there would be little to gain from running. My workday was busy and I considered writing a post over lunch but instead I decided to head over to City Sports to look for a couple of needed items. It was exactly what I needed to break out of my week's malaise. My morning runs used to be a perfect respite to the hot summer weather. I could count on cooler temperatures and, of course, no sun at 4 AM. Now it's darn chilly in the morning and while I have the gear to keep me comfortable there are a few things that could improve.




When I got to City Sports I noticed that they had really nice cold gear from ASICS, Brooks, Mizuno, Adidas and others. I'm always tempted by this stuff but I know that my less compelling but functionally competent cold gear would carry me through another season. What I really needed were a mid weight hat that would cover my ears but not affect the position of my glasses when I run. I found a Brooks Vapor 2 racing cap for a very good price and I was pleased to accomplish at least one task. Along the way I found a pair of ASICS Winter Run Hybrid gloves marked down to less than $10 (from $28) so I was happy about that. I spend a little more time looking at running shoes and saw they had some of the new ASICS models. They also had some excellent bargains on shoes in their clearance section. As much as I'd have liked to buy a pair of $140 shoes for 35% off it wasn't the right choice for me. I returned to the office happy with my purchases and felt better overall.

This morning I used the new hat and gloves on my run but they certainly didn't help my performance. It may be that I am fighting a cold or just over tired but through the entire run I felt like I had a tether holding me back. I couldn't generate much speed and I ended up covering 2.4 miles at a mid 9:00 pace. All the same I did get back out today and despite my sluggish run I liked the way the new cold gear performed.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Daylight savings time doesn't help at 4:05 AM

The hype has calmed down around the NY Marathon but yesterday it was fun to see so many runners in city exploration mode. I figured that the group of Italian-speaking men on the subway wearing matching jackets and wearing high end running shoes had participated in the race. I saw many other people wearing their finisher's medals as they strolled around Rockefeller Center and I thought how great it must have felt to be exploring the city after accomplishing a marathon the day before. It's not the same but I carried a lot of pride and elation the week following the Cape Cod relay. This morning, on my way to the train station, I spotted at least three runners along the way. They may have been inspired by this weekend's events or were taking advantage of daylight savings time that allowed them to run with a lot more light at 6:00 AM than they had the previous week.

At 4:05 this morning it looked the same as it does every day although today I was helped by a full moon. It was 40 degrees and dry when I went out to run and ended up covering only 2.25 miles in 21 minutes. I went out slow and didn't speed up appreciably throughout the run owing to tiredness. All the same it was better than not running and I'll file today's workout under "maintenance run." I'll go out tomorrow and aim for a better pace. I should be running closer to 9 minute miles on a regular basis, especially without the excuses of heat and humidity.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Halloween weekend running - no tricks, just treats


Compared to my usual weekly distance, I've covered a lot of miles this week including over 11 this weekend. I'm thinking that between now until the 28th (the date of my next race) that mileage will be less important than speed conditioning and leg strength. If I want to make a 5K PR I'll need to do better than I did yesterday. This might also be a good time to return to core exercise to strengthen my glutes and work on my right quad that tends to cramp on runs that exceed five miles.

It was a very fun Halloween weekend for the family and I was happy to relax and watch the NY Marathon coverage on DVR between other Sunday activities. At around 4:30 my daughter asked me to go for a run and despite the fact that I was psychologically finished with running until Tuesday I could not say no. We did our usual loop of 1.25 miles at a ten-something pace. Perfect for me because I could run at that speed without breaking a sweat in the 50 degree weather. As usual, we had a ball, the running was fun and the conversation was great. For the rest of the month I'll concentrate on speed instead of extra miles - unless the miles include other opportunities to run with my daughter.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Marathon day training run

After yesterday's fairly long and challenging run I thought about skipping it today in favor of an elliptical session or simply resting and running on Monday instead. After watching the coverage of the NY Marathon that started at 6:00 AM I knew I needed to get out and run, even for a short distance. I pre-planned a 5K run around my neighborhood and hoped to maintain a sub 9-minute pace. My route followed the boundary of my neighborhood until I cut into the streets about halfway around. I felt far better than I'd thought I might considering the length of yesterday's run and I consciously pushed myself to keep a brisk pace. Along the way I encountered a group of teens who were dressed for running and I hoped they would continue in my direction. I figured that a group of 17 year old runners would be great for pacing but they went a different way so I needed to pace myself the best I could. I checked my watch after 20 minutes and hoped that I was within seven minutes of finishing.

I ended up covering my distance at an 8:45 pace after pushing hard in the last quarter mile. I was actually surprised that my time was as slow as it was because I'd tried hard to move quickly throughout the run. It may be that I've put in a record number of miles since Sunday (28!) and I just didn't have enough left to draw upon today. I watched the marathon after my cool down and shower and was pleased to see that Meb Keflezighi, an American, won the the men's race. For the first time I appreciated watching this race with the perspective of a runner who has experienced competition. I don't mean that my experience is anything like those who covered five boroughs over 26.2 miles today. I hope, with a little rest and a lot more fast training runs, that I can be competitive in my upcoming 5K at the end of this month.
 

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