Moderation has its advantages

Yesterday's run (Central Park): 3.1 miles
Today's workout (elliptical): 24 minutes

I'd considered a run this morning even though I'd gone to bed thinking about taking a rest day today. Yesterday I had my second noonday run with JQ and found it energizing. My Central Park runs, especially those I run alone, tend to be intense. I'm usually pressed for time and have a distance goal in mind. The hills play a part, I try to run them as close to my overall pace as I can. All this adds up to a fairly vigorous workout and I return to the office wet and somewhat spent. It can also feel great but with an afternoon of business activities in front of me I occasionally face an energy crisis. Yesterday's run was exactly what I needed in the middle of a busy day. Between the conversation, the surroundings and the moderate activity itself (I did generate a sweat) I came through the afternoon focused and refreshed. More importantly, I was motivated to do a hard run today.

This morning's driving rain and blowing winds prevented any outdoor opportunities when I got up. I decided to follow my normal routine with an elliptical session rather than messing around with the treadmill. I set the elliptical for medium resistance and maintained a fairly good pace rate, exceeding 2 miles in around 24 minutes. Not my most intense session but like yesterday, energizing. I'm concerned that the rain will continue through tomorrow morning, giving me no option but to do a treadmill run. I'll deal with that then. I'm really thinking trails for Saturday but I'm not decided on venue. My daughter has been running trails at Stillwell and Bethpage with her cross country team. She's starting to really like trail running and we may do a run this weekend in the woods. I couldn't be happier about that.

Literally in a fog

The train platform is shrouded by darkness and fog this morning. For some, that is a depressing combination. Of course I'm thinking, "Great running conditions!" I didn't run this morning because I plan to go for a park run at lunchtime with JQ. However, I always appreciate the surreal experience of a foggy run in the 4:00 AM quiet. I'm glad it's only fog and not rain today. I'm fortunate that my running over the last few days has coincided with breaks in the weather. Reports for this weekend call for temperatures in the low 60's that will be perfect for a long run on Saturday. By now you're probably thinking, "Is this a blog entry or a weather report?" Now let's go to the national map!

DailyMile friend Run DMC told me I could watch a replay of my Cow Harbor finish on one of the interactive cable stations. I'd forgotten to DVR the race so I thought my dramatic mid-pack finish would be gone forever. We found the part where I came through and it was fun to see me in my banana yellow running shirt making my way down Main Street and crossing the line amongst a crowd of others. Not quite as dramatic as the Trafeh-Braun photo finish that had happened many minutes prior.

I'm still thinking about resting tomorrow but I'll see how I feel after today's run. I want to go for some distance runs, 9 or 10 miles during the weekend. The only problem is finding the time to do a run that will likely take 80-90 minutes plus prep, drive and recovery time. Perhaps I'll do a long trail run instead. It's been a while since I've ventured further into Stillwell's more challenging terrain. 62 degrees, dry and broad tree cover makes that an inviting proposition.

Well at least it didn't rain

Today's run (street): 2.4 miles at 9:50

I lucked out this morning because my window of running coincided with a break in the rain. I feared that with all the overnight rain I'd be forced back onto the treadmill. The streets were wet but the skies were clear when I set out at 4:05 AM. Although I work to avoid repetitious activities I do tend to follow the same pattern on my morning runs. I mix in different loops each time I go out but I usually follow the same basic course. I do this for practical reasons. With only about 25 minutes to run, I need to time the activity so that no matter how far I go I've got enough time to return within my designated workout period. More than once I've made the mistake of losing track of the time and have found myself a mile away with only 5 minutes left in my workout window. Only an elite could have pulled that off and I am far from that these days.

I know Saturday was a tough run and my slower than desired pace could be explained somewhat by the conditions. Sunday was a recovery run and I wasn't even thinking about how fast I ran it. Today I hoped to get back on track. I went out with a goal of covering 2.6 to 2.8 miles within my time span and I took a completely different route than usual. My energy level wasn't near where it should have been, but I thought I was moving along well. Without running my measured mile for my first loop I felt out of sync not knowing (without looking at the Garmin) when I'd passed that distance. It seemed to take longer to get there than it should have and I knew that meant I was running slow. My form felt sloppy, and while I had been considering running the South Bay 10K next weekend, I decided that I wasn't up to racing again so soon. Along the way I must have completely zoned out because I found myself in a different place than I expected to be at a certain point and was disappointed that my distance was falling short of my goal. I finished up and tried to understand why today's run was so underwhelming.

Some runs are just like that I guess. I probably need more than one day's rest and I may take Thursday off this week instead of doing my elliptical session. I'm not going to race on Saturday but I'm hoping to cover some distance. I want to run a 10 miler. Perhaps Saturday is the day for doing that.

On the road for recovery

Yesterday's run (street): 3.75 miles at 9:34

The race on Saturday was exhausting due to the heat and extremely high humidity. I learned that seven runners had been taken to the hospital by ambulance for dehydration. I took a brief nap after returning home from the 10K and had probably slept 10 minutes before being awoken by a ringing phone. When I looked at the clock I had a classic moment of panic. It was 11:40 AM and I thought "OMG, I slept through the race!" I guess I really did need that nap.

Sunday morning was a little cooler than Saturday and I was pleased with how my legs felt a day after taking on the big hill on James Street. A few weeks ago, after our practice run, my calves were quite sore the following day. I decided to do a neighborhood recovery run to shake out the built up lactic acid in my leg muscles. I don't know if that's really what a recovery run does but it sounded cool when I read it somewhere. I had no planned route or pace in mind but I wanted to move along faster than I did on Saturday. I wore my Brooks as a favor to my feet and appreciated their support and comfort compared with the Kinvaras from the day before. It was hot but without the intense humidity the weather felt fine at the start. I did my standard first mile measured loop to gauge how well the Garmin was calibrated (almost perfectly). I then went west a bit before reentering the neighborhood from the southern end.

Along the way I was passed by a fit looking guy running along the same service road. The man said good morning as he swiftly passed by and I wondered what pace he was running. I continued straight and he turned right and I thought I detected a stutter step from him as if he were slowing or stopping. I followed the road north and circled around for another half mile when I saw the same guy walking, looking exhausted. When he saw me he started running again but I caught up and passed him saying "We meet again!" before I headed to another part of the neighborhood. Poseur! I finished my run after covering 3.75 miles and I felt good at the end. This morning I woke up to see that my calf muscles were tight and sore and I remembered it's always the second day when you really feel it. That works fine because it's Monday, A.K.A, my rest day.

Cow Harbor 2010 race experience

Here's an excellent video that captures the 2010 Cow Harbor 10K race. The focus is on the elites but you can see the course and experience the James Street Hill.

Race report: Great Cow Harbor 2010

Seconds after crossing the line (in yellow)

 Yesterday's run (Great Cow Harbor 10K): 1:00:56.6 (9:49 pace)

The 2010 Great Cow Harbor 10K has been run and it was truly a new race experience for me. I'll admit that I was disappointed with my performance when I saw that I missed my target finish time by over four minutes, but a day later I'm okay with it. I was surprised to see that an hour had passed before I crossed the finish line and I'm not sure that I fully understand why. Yes, it was hot. But it was hot for the many runners who finished before me. I did still beat over 2,100 other runners, not including the DNF's,  leading to yet another mid-pack finish. It was still an incredible experience and I wouldn't change a thing about how I ran the race. So like I said, I'm okay with it.

T-Shirt pickup at registration

 The experience started Friday night. After a long day at work I headed to Northport to pick up my race number and timing chip. Heading there at the height of rush hour was a challenge and as I made my way through downtown Northport I began to understand the scale of this race. Cars and people everywhere. At the Laurel Avenue School the scene was a madhouse. A thousand cars looking for parking spaces. People everywhere. I found a spot near Main Street and hiked up the hill to the school. Once I was in the building I was very impressed by the organization and the kind patience of the many volunteers. There were many people and it was fun to spot a few of the elite runners among the crowd. After pickup I headed outside behind a small group of young men and women who were in from other parts of the country. They were single number folks -- those that started in the first wave and probably finished before I got to Widow Hill. They all seemed like nice people. One woman asked "Is Cow Harbor an actual town?" It sure was this weekend!

The innovative staggered start

Team Emerging Runner headed to the parking lot at Northport HS at 6:15 AM on Saturday morning. My kids were sleepy but great sports about giving up a weekend morning. My wife (and team manager) had everything organized and on track as usual. We boarded a bus that took us to Laurel Ave. where the race would start. It was early but the crowd was building and the excitement was tangible. The long bank of Porta-Potties was well used and the runners organized themselves into lines. This race is masterfully produced, every detail considered and managed. Along the way we ran into some of our kid's teachers from their old elementary school. Two of them were racing for the first time. We also ran into Dave and chatted with other runners we'd met that day. I headed to my designated corral (the race has a staggered start to accommodate the thousands of runners) and BJS found me. He was his usual smiling self, happy and excited to be running Cow Harbor once again.

Looking good on Laurel Avenue

The staged start was interesting. Each group held a separating rope across the front of the line and we were moved up after each report from the starting gun. Once we reached the line a person in a cow costume challenged us to make noise for the "Moo Meter" and soon we were off and running. Despite my two days of rest my legs felt heavy within the first few minutes and I hoped it would pass as I adjusted to my pace. Following the strategy I'd read, I held back on the mile 1 downhills to reserve energy for the hill on James Street. When we reached Woodbine there were hundreds of people standing along route yelling and moo-ing. The runners were still clumped together so I had to be careful not to jostle people too much or step on people in front of me. My timing chip on my ankle was beginning to dig into my skin and that plagued me the entire race. I ended up with big cut at the strap line. Once we turned onto James Street I went into hill climbing mode, keeping a steady pace and passing many other runners and loads of people who chose to walk "Widow Hill." I didn't love the work but I was proud how well I came through it. I thought the worst part had passed. I was wrong.

My Garmin, which seemed accurately calibrated the last time I ran with my Kinvaras (I wore them for the race) was wildly off compared to the mile markers. I knew from my elapsed time that I was running about a 9:20 pace at the 3 mile mark but I'd hoped to make up some time on mile 4. That didn't happen, I actually lost time struggling up the long incline on Waterside Ave. There was a point where the heat was becoming intolerable, my ankle was throbbing and I was stuck next to three women running side by side chatting loudly about their kid's orthodontists. I couldn't stand it so I used every ounce of energy to put some distance between us. At four miles my energy level was nearly empty and I gobbled my gel in an attempt to restore my glycogen level. It didn't provide the boost I'd hoped and I took water as well but felt really depleted as I rounded the corner of Main Street and attacked "Pumpernickel Hill."

Crossing the finish line (yellow blob center right)

 Along the way I passed more walkers but I also got passed by numerous other runners as we reached the final mile that is mostly downhill. I had hoped that the last part of the course would allow me to surge but it merely kept me in motion. I could see the finish line, like a mirage, way ahead, and I couldn't believe how long it took to get closer. The crowd was deep as I made my way to the finish line chute and I crossed the line well after my hoped-for 57 minutes. I immediately saw Team Emerging Runner along the sidelines and then saw a few people I knew who had finished around the same time as I. We walked to the waterfront area where there were thousands of runners going around the many tables and booths that were handing out energy drinks, juice, coconut water, carb snacks, protein bars and freshly baked cookies. After taking it all in we boarded the bus back to the High School and soon we were on our way back home.

The rest of the day was extremely busy. We had a family event that required some car travel and the long day and evening was exhausting for us. It was a great day though and we all slept well last night. I got a note from BJS who ran a few minutes off his goal time but still finished under an hour. I'm planning to do a recovery run some time this morning. It's much cooler than yesterday and probably much less humid. I wish I'd finished closer to my goal time but that's not the way it worked out on Saturday. I still think I trained well and I'll continue to focus on distance even though I don't have a race on the October schedule. I'm not giving up on achieving a decent time on a 10K. Perhaps with the cooler fall weather that can happen.

Cow Harbor morning

Too much happening today to post a summary of Cow Harbor. A great experience and lots of fun. Full writeup tomorrow. Moo!

Deconstructing the Cow Harbor course



Moo-ve along runners!

I'm done with my taper and now on my second day of rest from running. This is my standard methodology when preparing for a race. I assume that a marginal day of recovery is more beneficial than a marginal day of conditioning. Anyway, that's the plan. Since I'm not running today I feel especially energetic. It's psychological of course. At least I think so. It would be disappointing to reach my peak on the day before a big race.

I've reread BJS's notes on his practice runs along with an article from a local newspaper that broke down the race mile by mile. Cow Harbor seems like a series of mini races aggregated into a 10K distance. Mile one is more downhill than up - a trap for those who look to bank time early by ripping through the streets at maximum speed. Mile 2 is the infamous Widow Hill where those who came out too fast quickly regret that decision. Mile 3 is for recovery and I need to be careful not to push too hard knowing the worst hill is behind me. Mile 4 provides an opportunity to gain time lost early on the hill and mile 5 is more challenging because it's a slight incline along Waterside Ave. that can wear you down by the end. Mile 6 has another hill but compared to earlier, it's more about annoyance than intimidation. After the hill it's a toboggan run to Main Street and then the finish line. This last part is where I hope to have enough left in the tank to keep my goal time on track.

I'm planning to do my race number pickup tonight to save a little time tomorrow morning. I'm excited for this race and looking forward to the experience. I'll need to set up the DVR tonight so I can watch myself cross the finish line on the News 12 broadcast. See you at the finish!

Great expectations - Estimated finish times for Cow Harbor

The Cow Harbor website has a link to a list of registered participants that includes projected finish times. There are over 5,500 people on this list so the range of estimates is very broad. I noticed that a dozen or so runners have listed projections in the 27 minute range. This struck me as pure hubris as the current course record is 28:22, set by Ryan Hall in 2006. I recognized some names among these confident racers from Running Times and Runner's World and it looks like I'll have some competition on Saturday! I am sure that the elite runners submitted these record breaking times so they would be included in the first wave to go at the start. If I ran in the 5 minute mile range I'd do the same. Anything to get out ahead of people (like me) who are likely to be around mid-course at the 27 minute mark. I'm enjoying the lead up to the Cow Harbor race. I like the strategy, the excitement and the fact that so many people I know are planning to participate. It feels like a big deal and it's probably the biggest race that I will run unless I move up to a half marathon distance.

Yesterday my daughter ran with her cross country team on a training route through Stillwell Woods. She enjoyed the experience and I'm really hoping that she develops an affinity for trail running. It would be great to have her company when I run there on those early weekend mornings. A recovery trail run with the Cross Country Kid this Sunday would be a perfect post-race workout.

Training is over -- bring on Cow Harbor!

Yesterday's run (Central Park): 3.2 miles at 11:36
Today's run (street): 2.5 miles at 8:57

Yesterday I headed to Central Park with JQ for a refreshing run around the lower and upper loops below the reservoir. The plan was to take it slow and we did. It was a nice change to my normal CP runs where I start fast and hit the hills aggressively. JQ runs intermittently and is looking to increase his frequency. He's no newbie, despite this being more work for him than for me he had no trouble conversing throughout our 3+ mile excursion. Coming at the end of some of the hardest training that I've done prior to a race, yesterday felt somewhat like play. Great conversation and midday exercise without too much sweat made for a pleasant afternoon in the office.

This morning I returned to the street for my last run prior to Saturday's race. I wore the Kinvaras that I'm favoring right now and sped along the streets of the neighborhood at a brisk pace (for 4 AM). If I had any real hills in the neighborhood I'd have attacked them hard so I targeted roads with inclines as much as possible. I'm fairly tuned for the race at this point but, in retrospect, I may have benefited by running the race course more than once in practice. I'm not sure another practice would have made a big difference except to gain confidence by summitting the James Street hill more than once. I don't know how I'll do on the 25th but, no matter what, I've done my best to prepare for what's to come.

Decisions, decisions

My dashboard display read 50 degrees this morning as I drove to the train station. The weather reports are predicting temperatures in the low 70's around noon today, great conditions for a lunchtime run. My Cow Harbor training cycle is near its end and I think I'm in good shape for next Saturday's race. It's too early to tell what the weekend weather will bring but the reports right now seem promising. I won't count on that. I remember being promised a "beautiful Sunday" the day of the Dirty Sock Run in August. It didn't turn out too beautiful with the heat and high humidity and rain coming down near the end. No matter, the Dirty Sock was still a great event.

With the highly changeable conditions of early fall weather it's hard to know what gear will work best on race day. I'll go with one of my short sleeved wicking shirts and racing shorts but I'm not sure which shirt and shorts to bring. Historically my race day clothes have been chosen by Team Emerging Runner, usually for their color and design more than for their performance attributes. I'm biased toward lighter weight stuff for Saturday and I have some ideas about what may work best.

I'm still on the fence about which running shoes I'll wear. The Brooks GTS 10's always deliver but they aren't as light as some of my other pairs. I've raced in the Saucony Grid Tangent 4's once (NHP 8K) and had a fine experience with them. I'm wearing them on today's Central Park run to help me decide if I should call on them again. I'm also considering the Kinvaras that I wore on Sunday when I did interval training. The Kinvaras are great, lightweight and comfortable, but they don't have any stability correction. I need to decide if that's important for a run barely over 6 miles. The last time I ran with them was on the third long run over a three day weekend. I developed some heel soreness in the last two miles so I'm slightly sensitive to the lessor cushioning they provide.

Finally, there's all the other stuff: My hat (probably my Jackrabbit model), my gel (the Orange Mandarin GU) and water bottle -- Amphipod, an 8 oz Poland Spring bottle or just rely on the water station? I won't decide  any of this now. That's what Friday night is for.

Why race if you're not gonna win?

Well this is it -- race week. Five days to the start of the Great Cow Harbor 10K. I don't know what it is about this race that fascinates me but I've thought a lot about it since I signed up in August. Racing is a curious thing. Unless you are very fast, the chances of placing overall, or even in your age group, is statistically very low. So if it's not about winning, why do we race? The easy answer is because it's inexpensive fun. You register for a event and you have weeks to enjoy the anticipation. It's all upside until you reach that inevitable part of a race where you are pushing to your limits and questioning your decision to enter in the first place. No matter what, once you cross the finish line everything is fine and the pain is forgotten. Bananas and bagels never tasted so good, water was never so refreshing. Even Gatorade is palatable. I'm sure there are aspects of racing that tie into our natural instinct to compete, although most recreational runners are really competing with themselves. I honestly hope BJS and Dave do great even if that means beating my own time. I'm not just saying that because it's likely that they will.

I was going to do a hard run with a friend at lunchtime but my schedule won't allow it. I'll need to defer that to October. It's just as well on this taper week that I don't push as hard as I normally might. Saturday and Sunday were both great and different workouts. I guess I'll take a page from the quote of the week and savor the rest. My friend FS ran the 18 mile pre-marathon tuneup yesterday in Central Park. She was remarkably unfazed when I saw her this morning. Three times around the park means three times over the Harlem Hills. No matter what I've put myself through of late it won't touch that effort. I'm looking forward to my run tomorrow with JQ. The weather should be cooler than today with less wind. I think we'll keep the pace moderate but the hills on the lower and upper loops will keep it interesting. Today I'll just enjoy my rest.