Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Some new perspective on performance goals

Today's run (street): 2.75 miles

I've been thinking about my running focus for 2011 and my goals for next year. I'd like to increase the length of my runs and also work on tactical performance. In terms of distance, I've been averaging between 6 and 7 miles for my weekly "long" runs and in the last month I've done some runs exceeding 8 miles. Lately my weekend distances have been closer to six miles due to my running 10K's twice in November. My hope is to soon cover more distance than that - 9 or 10 miles - as often as I can. The toughest part of that is finding the time to run for 90+ minutes and to find interesting routes that provide enough distance.

In terms of tactical performance, I've thought about the way I've trained over the last month, with easy runs at easy paces preparing for races where I go all-out. It seems to be working. My average training runs have been on the middle and high side of 9:00 per miles but I've managed 9:05 and 8:53 respectively on my recent 10K's. I'd like to continue the easy runs (like this morning's steady run at 9:30/mile) but in place of races (I'm not sure if I'll compete again this year) I might try some "Run as fast as you can for two miles" workouts. Rather than suffering the complexities of speed drills I'm thinking this might accomplish the mission of recruiting fast twitch muscles along with the slow. I'm going to make it a goal to run two miles under 8:00 per mile. That seems like a challenging but viable goal. Right now I'm not sure I can break 8:00 for one mile although my experience at the Long Beach 10K tells me I'm close.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Minimalist running shoes, one year later

Mizuno Wave Universe 3
Around this time last year I was reading about two models of running shoes from Brooks that were due to hit stores in early spring of 2010. These shoes, the Brooks Green Silence and the Adrenalin GTS 10, were interesting to me for different reasons. The Green Silence was the first of many shoes since marketed as "minimally constructed", a niche that was created (or helped along) through the popularity of Christopher McDougall's book "Born to Run." I was intrigued by the concept of running in the mid-foot style and Brooks played up the small difference between the heel and forefoot height of this shoe. The flatter plane facilitates front, rather than heel striking. Brooks also played up the Green Silence's environmental friendliness through its heavy use of recycled materials, soy based dyes and water based adhesives. I was hooked and counted the days until the Green Silence shipped to stores.

Brooks Green Silence
Besides the Green Silence I was also interested in the GTS 10, the successor to the GTS 9's that I had worn and appreciated for their comfort and durability. When I visited Jackrabbit Sports to try the Green Silence I was dissuaded by the salesperson who said they lacked the structure I needed. I was then steered first to the Brooks Ravennas (that I didn't like) and then to the GTS 10's (that I bought). All was well with the GTS 10's until Saucony sent me a pair of Kinvaras. I started off running shorter distances (5 miles or less) with these shoes but slowly worked up to longer length runs. I expected to have soreness due to less cushioning and lack of stability control. However, I've never had a problem with these shoes and they are now my go-to trainers and racing shoes.


NB Minimus

Brooks has just launched the GTS 11's that are supposed to be even better than the 10's but, surprisingly, I'm not that interested. The higher heel of conventionally constructed shoes don't feel as good as they did prior to my running in the Kinvaras. I think that when my Saucony's wear out I'll either replace them with another pair, try the Green Silence or go super minimal with the Mizuno Wave Universe (3.8 oz. per shoe). Saucony just announced the Mirage, sort of a Kinvara for people who need stability and New Balance will soon have the Minimus based on the Vibram Five Fingers. So many choices now. I like this type of problem.


The Saucony Kinvara - my go-to shoe


Sunday, November 28, 2010

Six good miles and one hurting shin

Today's run (street): 6.07 miles

Every time I have a bad run I fear that I'll never run well again. After yesterday's difficult time at Stillwell Woods I questioned whether it would make better sense to take two days off and resume my training on Tuesday. I've been away from the office for three days and while I've run each day I haven't really covered much distance. I wanted to reach 20 miles this week so I planned to go out for 5 miles that would get me to that number. It was 29 degrees on Long Island so I wore a light short sleeved running shirt under a Columbia long sleeve jersey and together they provided a perfect combination of warmth and wicking for that temperature. I followed a different set of roads than I normally do and before I knew it I had covered 2.5 miles and was feeling good. However, I began to notice some pain in my left shin. This may be a shin splint - I'm happy to say I've never experienced one before - but the pain was not intense and I didn't feel like I was doing any damage if I continued to run.

I shaped my route so that I would return to my house after 5 miles but I felt strong and continued on, following an extra loop that put my total at 6 miles. I'm icing my shin in hopes of heading off further troubles. I'm puzzled as to why I would develop this problem this week but you never know how these things start. I'll be watching this injury closely and perhaps take an extra day of rest this week. For now I'm pleased with my run today, especially after yesterday's bad experience.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Tough connexin at Stillwell Woods

Electrolytes delivered painfully
Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 3 miles

I was on the fence about running this morning. It's been busy week between Thanksgiving related activities and seeing friends. I'd run every day since Tuesday including Thursday's 5K. I talked all morning about whether I should go for a trail run or take a rest day. After lunch I was still talking about it and my exasperated wife finally said "Oh, just get into your running clothes and go for a run!" I had received a sample package of Sport Connexin electrolyte capsules in the mail this morning that I'd agreed to try.  I took three before my run, per the directions, and headed over Stillwell Woods.

I'll start by saying that I had a bad run and I'm not sure why. It could have been due to over training this week, running after a big lunch, the electrolyte supplement or a combination of all three. I followed my usual route into the main woods and quickly came upon markings for tomorrow's Rob's Run, a 5K XC race that is held there each November. I've already raced three times this month, including two Turkey Trots, so I decided to forgo Rob's Run even though it happens so close to home. As I made my way along the course I felt far more tired at the one mile mark than I thought I should. My legs felt heavy and the supplements, that contain calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and sodium, were backing up on me and providing a burning sensation in my throat and nose that reminded me of the effects from a highly carbonated beverage. Not pleasant. It may have been because two ingredients (potassium and sodium) are supplied as bicarbonates that may have reacted to stomach acids. No matter what I'm not going to use them again before a run.

By the time I reached the two mile mark I decided to continue only one more mile before calling it a workout. I'm still planning a long distance run tomorrow and I didn't want to push myself when I felt below par today. I may have been better off skipping today's run but you never know how things will go until you try. Hoping for a better experience tomorrow...

Friday, November 26, 2010

Over the river (East and Nissequogue) and through the neighborhood

Wednesday run (Brooklyn Bridge/lower Manhattan): 4.25 miles
Thursday's run (Nissequogue River Turkey Trot): 3.1 miles
Today's run (street): 4.5 miles

I took a holiday from blogging yesterday but I've had some interesting running experiences since my last post. Wednesday was a half day in the office and at noon AG and I headed downtown to City Hall Plaza and over to the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge where we crossed over to Brooklyn and back. It's always an interesting and slightly frustrating experience to run that route with so many people strolling along the side of the path reserved for two way pedestrian traffic. It can be tempting to cross the white line over to the bike path but that should be done with multiple checks to ensure no bikes are coming in either direction.

We stopped halfway across on our return to look at the views. Looking south we could see the Verrazano Narrows Bridge where the NYC marathon starts and then leads up the Brooklyn Bridge where we stood. On the other side we viewed the Manhattan skyline that I used to see from different angles; south when I lived on 31st street and later from 74st street with my wife, where we could see west to the Hudson. AG and I resumed our run after crossing back to Manhattan and we covered Chinatown and some of Little Italy until we came to our destination - 6th street - where we stopped into an Indian restaurant for lunch. It was a great kickoff to the Thanksgiving day break. Yesterday AG ran the Prospect Park 5 mile Turkey Trot with our friend FS and her husband. AG then went on to run the route two more times!

Yesterday morning was a big day for Team Emerging Runner. We headed to Nissequogue River State Park where we ran in the 5K Turkey Trot as a family. It was very chilly while we waited for the race to start but we'd dressed well. It was the first race for my wife and my son and the first non-cross country event for my daughter. Everyone was excited as we lined up with a field that was almost 800 people deep. When the horn sounded we trotted along with the pack for a quarter mile before things opened up enough to go a little faster. We all stayed together for the first kilometer and then my daughter and I edged ahead while my wife and son followed at their pace. Shortly before the 2 mile mark we came to a water station where we stopped to wait for the others and then resumed our run together.

My daughter and I were more in running mode than my wife and son so we put a little distance between them and had almost reached the finish line when we stopped to wait for our teammates. We had agreed that we'd all cross the finish line together and I was proud of my daughter who could have beaten 40 minutes but chose to wait for her mother and brother. Once they joined us we all came over the finish line together. My wife realized that her daily treadmill runs have prepared her well for outdoor running and now she knows she can cover that distance running on pavement. 3 miles was a new distance running record for my daughter and for my son who kept moving, both walking and running, until the end. Once we came home and showered we headed over to my in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a long but fun day.

This morning I decided to cover 4-5 miles at an easy pace, faster than yesterday but not as briskly as AG and I ran at times. It was raining slightly so I wore my ASICS lightweight rain jacket that was perfect for the conditions. The air was cold enough that I remained comfortable through the entire 4.5 miles. I followed a course that took me up and down lots of short roads and through one of my standard routes that I use on my 4;00 AM runs. I feel great and I'm hoping to get an 8 to 10 mile run in before the end of the long weekend. Yesterday I wore the Skecher Resistance Runners during the race and I remain positive about them as training shoe. I would never wear them if I was trying for speed. In fact the reason I wore them was to slow me down. I went back to the Kivaras today. Between the Skechers, my compression sleeves and the core exercises, my leg strength and flexibility has improved. That's good, especially if I attempt a personal distance record this week.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Asynchronous holiday week

This week has felt a little out of sync. It may be that many people are out of the office for Thanksgiving and the year end storm has temporarily hit a lull. I appreciate having some time to catch up on business but I know the storm will return in full force on Monday. Still, people are on edge, like the woman who blasted me with her horn this morning because I had the audacity to stop at a red light before turning right. Chill people!

I'm planning to run with Adventure Girl for the first time since we ran in Central Park back in May. She's running the Prospect Park Turkey Trot and is also considering extending that run to achieve a personal distance record. I've just come off two weekends of 10K races and I have an easy-paced 5K tomorrow morning. With all that, AG and I are not planning anything long or rigorous today. I'm pleased with where I am with my running right now. I did my best running last year in November and December only to crash hard after contracting pneumonia at the end of December. I'm going to try extra hard to avoid the flu or other seasonal viruses that always seem to attack me around New Year's. It would be great to be able to build on my current progress rather than lose conditioning through weeks of recovery. Maybe the healthiest thing I can do over Thanksgiving break is get a flu shot.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Six weeks to complete my 2010 running goals

It's almost the end of November and less than 6 weeks left in 2010 so I thought I'd see how I was doing against my running goals. Hopefully, anything I haven't achieved can be done in the time remaining. 

1. Fully transition to mid/front foot running style.
I'm not sure if I have actually done this because it's hard to know exactly where your foot falls when you run. I must have adapted my style to some degree since I'm running primarily in the neutral Kinvaras without any problems. Landing mid foot would be a good explanation for that.

2. Raise at least $200 for charitable causes by donating $5 per race mile.
I'll be updating the donation widget at the end of this week. As of the Hope for Warriors 10K I surpassed $200 and last Sunday's 10K plus this Thursday's 5K will add $47 more.

3. PR in a race - preferably in a longer distance than 5K.
PR'd at 10K over two consecutive weeks. Better than I'd hoped for.

4. Run trails at three or more NY state parks that I have yet to visit.
Muttontown only so far. I need to actually run, not hike Caleb Smith. That still leaves a third.

5. Run a continuous 10 mile route under 9:30/mile.
This is actually two goals - distance and pace. I'm going to focus on the distance and even if I don't achieve the pace goal I'll consider it completed.

6. Participate in at least 5 races.
Completed seven already this year.

7. Finish the year as excited about running as I am right now.
Hopefully nothing will change in the next six weeks!

I'm looking to do a long run over the Thanksgiving break targeting 9+ miles. If I cover 10 it's another goal completed. If I don't do it this week I still have five more weekends to reach that milestone.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Sitting at the top of the bell

Running with the fast pack yesterday was bittersweet. On one hand I was thrilled to be maintaining a pace that was almost two minutes faster than my recent training runs. My elation was mitigated by the steady flow of runners catching up and passing me throughout the race. As I ran I thought about how these people were able to glide by me so easily while I was running fairly hard. I wondered how many I would find walking along side of the road during the last miles of the race. That was the case at both the Dirty Sock and Cow Harbor 10K's. As it turned out, there were few people to pass, even at the end of yesterday's race. It was a fit bunch of runners on the boardwalk.

Race results typically group in a bell shaped curve with a small segment of the fastest and slowest runners on each tail. With one exception, where I placed second in my age category, I've usually been the person sitting near the top of the bell. I'm actually fine with that because I'm only racing myself. When I came over the line I was happy to know I'd likely PR'd but also hopeful that Dave, who finished well in front of me, also had a better time than last week (he did). I think the strategy of running easy and long with some tempo runs in the mix is the best approach to date. My pace at the halfway point in yesterday's race was 8:36 but I lost 2 minutes on the second 5K. If I can maintain my speed across an entire 10K I'll have a chance of achieving another PR at that distance. No matter what, I'll still be at the top of the bell, but happily I enjoy the view from there.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Race report: Long Beach Turkey Trot

West facing view on the boardwalk. Finish line in the distance
Today's run (Long Beach Turkey Trot): 6.2 miles at 55:10 (8:53 pace)

I ran my second 10K in as many weeks this morning in a race that provided a fast field and inspiring views. I was happy with last week's performance and wasn't looking for a PR this morning but I managed to run a personal best for the second straight week. I arrived fairly early and was fortunate to find a parking spot very close to the registration area. That came in handy as I made a few trips back to my car to help me keep warm before the start. It was definitely cold but the wind was milder than I'd expected.

Chilly competitors gathering prior to race time
I met up with Dave on the boardwalk and he suggested that we make our way to the front to get a good position for the start. There were no starting line mats so no time adjustments would be made for those who started in the back. It was good that Dave thought of that and we took off quickly heading east along the boardwalk, moving at rapid pace. It wasn't until after the race when Dave pointed out that we started near the front that I realized why I felt so slow with so many people charging past me in the first few minutes. Dave got out ahead and I tracked him for a couple of miles before I lost sight of his orange hat. I wasn't looking at my Garmin so when it chirped for one mile I was surprised and then floored to see I'd covered it at an 8:05 pace. The energy of the front of the pack runners had carried me quickly to that point but I knew that pace was not sustainable for five more miles.

I forced myself to slow down a little and was passed by speedy runners who could more easily maintain eight minute per mile paces. The course, that started along the ocean, moved north and west until we turned east along Park Ave.,  the main road through Long Beach. The miles passed quickly and before long we'd turned north on Magnolia on our way to Bay Drive that provided more views of the water. Once we reached Washington Boulevard I knew, happily, that there was less distance to run than what we'd already covered. At the four mile mark the split clock showed 34:40 and I knew I was tracking well under 9:00 per mile. As usual, the last 2.2 miles was the toughest and I kept fighting the urge to ease off the throttle. I was still getting passed more than I was passing people but I was determined to preserve my potential PR time.

Dave on right, post race. I swear we didn't plan the matching outfits
I was glad when I saw runners turning left onto a road that I knew would take us back to the boardwalk. Once I made it to the boardwalk I turned east and quickly passed the mile 5 marker. The race official was calling times that were still in the high 40:00 range and I felt I had a chance to beat last week's time. It seemed to take forever to run the final 1.2 miles and when I saw the finish line I felt the same as I did at Cow Harbor: "So close but so far." When I got to the final hundred yards I picked up the pace and came over the line running hard. I met up with Dave who also had a good race. His time was in the 53 minute range, beating his Hope for Warrior's time from last week as well. Dave was soon joined by his wife and daughters who were quite proud of their dad.

Taking a moment to enjoy the ocean view after the race
I stuck around for the awards but it started feeling too cold, even with the hooded running jacket I'd brought to wear post-race. They posted the results and I checked my time before heading home. Another mid pack finish but at least I ended up in the top half. I'm not sure how much more I can improve my 10K time but I like the direction that it's going. Well, two November races done and one to go next Thursday. That Turkey Trot will be extra fun because I'll have my family with me on the course, not just at the finish line.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

19 hours to the Turkey Trot

Today's workout (core): 20 minutes

I heard from Dave that tomorrow's 10K start has been moved up to 9:00 AM. That alters my race day schedule but I should be okay.  I'm a little concerned about how to prepare for the cold weather. I'm hoping to park close enough to be able to stow my extra layers shortly before the start of the race. My friend KWL occasionally plays golf on the Lido course that's located near the race route. He said it gets very windy when he plays so that could be something to deal with.  It's funny how quickly my concerns on race day go from worrying about high heat and humidity in September to managing against the chill in November. The difference is that many a comfortably warm start has ended with a miserably hot finish. I'll take a cold start leading to a cooler running experience any day.

This morning I ran through the Lolo core routine that I followed last weekend. I'm considering a slow and easy run a little later this afternoon. Or I may just call it a taper and do some dynamic stretches in the morning. I'm happy to be racing again tomorrow, but with last week's 10K I don't feel the pleasantly nervous edge I sometimes get prior to a race. I'm not expecting to beat last Sunday's time but I plan to try. I'm looking forward to another new experience, especially at an ocean-side venue. I need to sort out what I'll wear besides the compression sleeves and the Kinvaras. 19 hours to go to Turkey Trot #1!

Friday, November 19, 2010

It's Turkey Trot season


It's hard to believe that it's almost time for Thanksgiving. The year has gone by quickly and I blame that somewhat on missing most of January recovering from a severe bout of pneumonia. Despite that setback I've run six races this year that, with my race last Sunday, matched last year's total. This Sunday I'll be running the Long Beach 10K Turkey Trot. Some of this race takes place along a boardwalk that runs parallel to the beach. I love running on wooden boardwalks with views of the water so this sounds like an interesting course. The weather prediction for Sunday calls for morning temperatures in the high 30's. The race doesn't start until 9:30 AM so I'm betting things will warm up a little by then. It could be cold near the water but I don't care about that. My biggest concern about Sunday is finding decent parking.

After this weekend's 10K I'll look forward to a Thanksgiving day Turkey Trot at Nissequoge River State Park. It's a 5K and I'm running it with my family. I'm not sure how much running and how much walking will get done in this race but when the gun sounds I know we'll all be running! Friends Adventure Girl and FS will both be running the Prospect Park five miler on Thanksgiving day and my friend CK will be running in the Rockland county 5 mile Turkey Trot for probably the 20th time. Last year I ran the Bridie Goldstein/MercyFirst 5K during Thanksgiving week where set my 5K PR. I won't be challenging that time on the 25th, but with my family all with me I'll still have many reasons to be thankful.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Two years of Emerging Runner

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I ended my training week with an elliptical workout this morning. I knew the day ahead would be challenging so it was nice to start things off with a good sweat. I'm never sure how 25 minutes on the elliptical stacks up to running for the same amount of time. There are days when I feel like running is harder and other days when the elliptical feels like the better workout. I won't run tomorrow and I'll miss that but I will do a core workout.

Today is the second anniversary of The Emerging Runner and I had planned to relaunch the site this week with some new features and graphics. I haven't had the bandwidth to finish all that so it will have to wait until the weekend. It's been a great two years and 720 posts later I'm even more excited about running and blogging than I was on November 18, 2008, the date of my first post. More to come!
 

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