My Runner's World moment

Emerging Runner: "Don't quit your day job"

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Besides my occasional Central Park runs, my "day job" has nothing at all to do with running. Yesterday these two worlds collided (or at least touched) at an industry lunch event. A small group of us had been invited to discuss digital media and sitting across the room from me was David Willey, the editor of Runner's World magazine. Despite the temptation I didn't ask him if I could write a guest column.

My run this morning went fine. The humidity is supposedly lower today, and that may be true, but lower is a relative term. I was already drenched in sweat by the 1.5 mile mark but in certain directions the cooling breeze worked as effectively as an air conditioner. I chose a completely different set of roads to run, yet completed today's run in exactly the same time as yesterday's. I am consistent if nothing else. C'mon Runner's World, give me a shot!

Should I release my inner Tarahumara?

What Hattori's aspire to be

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I received an offer to test a pair of  huarache running sandals whose design is based on the shoes worn by the Tarahumara runners in Mexico. My first reaction was "Why not?" since I'm a fan of minimal shoes. I would like to try these shoes that got so much play in the book "Born to Run" but I am definitely not a sandals kind of guy. I would never have made it as a gladiator. I'm still deciding and if I go for it I'll write up my experiences on this blog and on Runner's Tech Review.

This morning I got back out on the road and probably had one of the best running experiences a person will have today. It's not that I ran especially well (though I didn't do badly), it was the cooling breeze and temperatures that were still in the low 70's. It is supposed to get oppressively hot so if you were hoping to run today you probably should have done it by now. Perhaps it would be a little more pleasant if you were running in sandals.

Hard on the body, easy on the mind

Yesterday's run was really therapeutic, yet I almost missed out on it because I was so exhausted from the weekend. We'd had a special event for our daughter that involved many visitors from out of town and much entertaining around the house and pool. My stamina for running far exceeds that of talking (and worse, listening) so, after the last of our guests headed home, I debated whether to run or rest.

Since I didn't have time to run on Saturday I felt a little guilty about resting, yet again. Guilt won out and I made my way out the door with a target of covering about 3 miles in the hot and humid late afternoon air. The difference in temperature between sections of tree covered road versus areas without shade was noticeable. I tried to pick roads where the shade was predominant on the left side and had no illusions that I'd have a high performance run.

By the time I made it home I felt energized and the stress of the weekend and the upcoming week was far offset by a feeling of relaxation and accomplishment. It's sometimes counter-intuitive to force yourself to do something taxing when you are already feeling stressed. However, when you do it, the end result is almost always positive.

A late day run after a busy weekend

Today's run (street): 3.35 miles

It's been a very busy weekend seeing lots of friends and family. I didn't get a chance to run yesterday but I got out late this afternoon and ran a little over 5K. Temperature is posted as 82° but it feels much warmer. The humidity also felt higher than the 60% that's listed on the Weather.com. Considering that I'm a morning runner who likes the cold, I managed a credible mid-9 pace. It's going to be a busy week at the office so I'm glad I was able to get in a hard run today to help me transition from play to work.

Stumbles, both technical and physical

Today's run (street) 3.75 miles
As a person who makes his living pushing technology change, I'll admit that I sometimes fail to follow my own mission when it comes to changing the technologies that I use every day. I logged into Blogger to write today's post and saw that the interface has been completely changed. I'll be interested to see if any of these changes provide a better experience. So far it appears to be only cosmetic - just different colors, fonts and rearranged tools. Of course that's also the case with Microsoft Office's latest and the end result is a confusing mess.

When it comes to running I've reduced my use of technologies to a degree. No more weird electrolyte tablets or running with smartphone tracking apps while listening to music. Just me, my minimal Hattori's and a Garmin FR210 GPS watch with a high-sensitivity receiver and barometric altimeter. Ahh, the simple  life.

This is a big weekend for my daughter and we have guests in all weekend from out of town. We're hoping the weather holds so we can keep today's activities outdoors. It's still sunny so we're hoping for the best. I went out a little before 8:00 AM for a run and, since it's Friday, I was surprised to see so many walkers and other runners on the road. But in the summer, Friday is sorta like "pre-Saturday." It sure felt like that.

At one point in my run I noticed a young woman running on the sidewalk on the right side of the road. I was curious to see how our paces lined up and soon realized that I would overtake her. Almost at the moment when I passed her (running on left side of the road I'll note) this woman stumbled and fell. I was about to run over to see if she was okay but she got up quickly, saw me and sheepishly said "I'm okay, I'm okay." I suspect that she tripped on the uneven sidewalk and this is why I run on the far left side of the street except when there are cars.

It was very humid out there and I conceded to a less than stellar pace. While I felt I was running slower than yesterday it turned out I was running 2% faster. Not much of a difference but it made me happy since I ran more distance in hotter, more humid weather. I'll probably need to skip tomorrow's run and go out early on Sunday morning before our guests wake up. Anyway, that's the plan for now.

A good experience saves an unexceptional performance

That seductive smell of salt and rotting fish

Today's run (street) 2.5 miles

This morning I had my first street run since Saturday. Sunday's workout was done on the track and Monday's on the trail. Yesterday I stayed in and used the elliptical machine. My performance on Saturday was sub-par (actually, in golf terms that would have been a good thing) while Sunday's speed work happily went the other way. I kept things easy on Monday's run at Stillwell and anticipated some decent performance today. I figured that the speed work would have primed me for that.

When I stepped outside I could feel the humidity but what really struck me was the sharp scent of the ocean that comes with living close to Long Island Sound. I moved along well with none of that leg weightiness that plagued me most of last week. I thought I had a chance of recording a decent overall pace. Early on in the run I landed on a sharp piece of road gravel that confirmed my mid-foot strike, but no damage done.

Despite what I thought was a brisk workout, I only ended up averaging a mid-9:00 pace. I guess I could have worked harder but I really did feel like I was pushing my pace. I don't really care that my performance wasn't the best; the run felt good and the air smelled like summer on Cape Cod.

Buying the (W)right socks

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I may care too much about socks

I decided to give my calves a break from running this morning and used the elliptical instead. I figured that the change would be helpful and not put more strain on these already aggravated muscles. It was hot and humid this morning and I went all out, increasing my rate of speed by 6% over normal. I figured if I was going to sweat I'd make it worthwhile.

I'm planning to get back on the road tomorrow and I'm looking forward to wearing my new WrightSock SLT's that I bought for a good price (thanks to the use of City Sport dollars). They are ultra-thin, unpadded, wicking socks that I'm hoping will work well with the Hattori's. I'll know soon enough.

The dreaded Day 2

Aleve and compression are good for the sole(us)

I should have known that Sunday's hard running would eventually catch up with me. Usually I'm fine the day after a vigorous workout but then I pay for it on the second day. I'd fooled myself into thinking that running in the Hattori's had sufficiently built up my gastrocnemius and soleus muscles but by early evening my calves were screaming. Perhaps bleating would be a better word. Yesterday's semi-tough trail run probably contributed to that as well.

I took an Aleve before heading up to bed and wore my Zensah compression sleeves overnight. I had previously verified that it was okay to do that. This morning my lower legs still felt like they were fused to my ankles and making my way down the stairs required a tight hold of the banister. After an hour my muscles had loosened up. They were feeling far better by the time I made my train.

I've got a couple of errands to run around lunch today so I'll have a chance to shake out the residual stiffness as I cover the streets of the city. I'm really hoping that things return to normal in time for my morning run.

4th of July on Stillwell's Black Trail

Fun times await you on the Black Trail

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 3.8 miles

Happy 4th of July! It's been a great long weekend and today's weather is holiday perfect. We have a busy day planned, including a cookout and some time by the pool. I headed out to Stillwell first thing this morning to get in my last run of the weekend. It was already hot at 7:00 AM when I arrived to see mountain bikers staging their gear. I was surprised to see so many people out at that hour, especially on a holiday.

After yesterday's hard training I had no intention of pushing my pace today. I watched the shaded paths unfolding in front of me and took a left onto a trail marked "More Difficult." I've gotten into the habit of running my safe, standard loop at Stillwell that isn't that hilly. More importantly, I know that trail well enough by now that I don't get lost.

The trail I picked today did not seem too challenging as it wound around trees and large rocks. I soon recognized that I was running the Black Trail, that served as the primary course for the 2010 XTERRA 6K trail run. As soon as I made that connection I knew what I was in for and 50 yards ahead the path dropped sharply into tight switchbacks that came back up as fast as they'd dropped. I remember, during the race, seeing runners going down, then up, as the path weaved across the woods like nature's bank teller line. I knew today that my reward for reaching the top was 100 feet of flat trail before I'd encounter another climb.

I wasn't running all that fast so the extra work didn't bother me much. After 20 minutes of hard running I peeled off to a path marked "Less Difficult" that eventually intersected with my normal route. I decided to take the easier choice and finished the run after covering 3.8 miles.

Going off the beaten path (pun intended) put me in the cross-hairs of the mountain bikers who seek out the most difficult parts of Stillwell Woods. I had expected the park to be deserted but I encountered almost a dozen bikers along the way. At one point I was coming through a tight, winding section of singletrack when three mountain bikers suddenly appeared in front of me. The lead biker yelled "Runner!" and we yielded to opposite sides. I liked that -- I am a runner!

I was a wet noodle by the time I left the trail head and reached my car. I headed right home, forgoing the car's AC, and changed immediately into my swim trunks when I got home. A quick jump in the pool cooled me off better than any shower could. We'll be out later for more swimming but that was about as good as it gets. Enjoy your holiday, I've had a great start to mine.

Fast and furious today - could it have been my diet?

The Garmin missed it big on first lap

Today's run (track): 4.25 miles (3 mile tempos plus 8 x 200)

My running experience on Saturday was disheartening and my poor performance caused an alarm after I started reading the July issue of Runner's World. This issue's theme focused on people who use running to raise money for cancer research and on those runners who are coping with the disease. One story quoted a runner whose running performance was unaccountably slipping and a checkup revealed some horrible affliction that is (happily) now under control.

I'm not really a hypochondriac so I didn't take any of that to heart, but I was still puzzled by my bad run. Paul, a local runner who I met at the NHP 8K, suggested that my diet may have left me depleted of needed carbs as an explanation for my failure to generate speed during yesterday's run. He knows his stuff and suggested trying more complex carbs the night before a long run. He competes a lot and tunes his pre-race meals according to distance and time of the day.

I took Paul's advice and (for dinner) had a modest portion of Garden Delight Penne Rigate with roasted chicken, broccoli, carrots and cauliflower mixed in. Earlier that day, I had a recurrence of the sinus headache that plagued me a couple of weeks ago. Around 4:00 AM this morning I got up and took two Pseudoephedrine and went back to bed. I woke up at 5:30 feeling great. After a couple of cups of coffee, I headed for the track.

My plan for today was to generate some speed after yesterday's tough run. It was humid, but not too hot, and the cloud cover was thick. I started with a mile warm-up at a brisk pace (7:50 min/mile) and then ran 8 x 200's averaging 6:50/mile overall. For me these were blistering paces. The Hattori's performed well on the track, my landings were much more front than mid-foot and neither my feet, ankles nor calves balked at the strain.

I followed the speed work with two miles of "easy" running, maintaining an 8:20 pace through that distance. I haven't managed that pace over two miles in a long time, clearly the speed work had activated those fast twitch muscles. What a difference a day makes. I'm no longer feeling that I'm on an unstoppable performance decline and I'm thinking that I need to do speed work more often than once every three weeks. Perhaps a trail run tomorrow will be a great coda for this 4th of July long weekend. Speed's not an issue on Monday -- I have nothing left to prove.

Fast twitch recruiting failure

Today's run (street): 4.6 miles

No problem with that, bud

The leg weights were doing their job as I made my way around the hilly loop in a nearby business park this morning. I tried for speed but my legs wouldn't -- or couldn't -- respond. I reached the apex of the hill and tried to let loose. My speed improved but not measurably. The weights just overwhelmed me. But here's the thing: I wasn't wearing weights.

All week I've experienced a lack of responsiveness in my running. I've thrown in some fartlek's along the way but the result, at best, has been fast lumbering. I planned to start off at a brisk pace this morning to see how my legs felt but I struggled to recruit anything resembling a fast-twitch fiber. I managed through the first mile until I found my rhythm but a glance at the Garmin showed me that I was not moving very quickly.

I'd had an extra hour's sleep last night and even took a GU gel 30 minutes before my 7:00 AM start.  Even with that, the fluidity and power that I counted on never showed up. After I completed the business park loop I turned into the adjacent neighborhood and ran those streets. A glimpse of my shadow revealed my static motion and it showed that I was hardly lifting my legs as I ran.

When I turned left to exit that neighborhood I passed one of those safety signs that parents put at the end of their driveways to alert drivers that kids are playing nearby. The big letters on the sign said SLOW and it made me laugh. I don't think I could have moved any slower. Yet, through it all I didn't find the run taxing in the least and I'd wished I'd worn my heart monitor so I would know how hard I was actually working.

I'll blame 25% of my performance issues on the high humidity and 50% on my failure to push myself harder. The remaining 25% is mystery. I wish I had actually been wearing weights so as to provide a reasonable explanation for my glacial pacing. I'm thinking of doing a bike ride later today and I definitely plan to do some speed work tomorrow. I'll recruit those fast-twitch fibers even if I have to bring back the draft to do it.

Kinvara reunion



Hello darkness my old friend



Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

It was surprisingly cool this morning when I stepped out for my run at 4:00 AM. I'm guessing that the temperature was in the high 50's and the dark skies helped to exaggerate the cold. There was a little humidity to soften the air but overall it felt more like early spring than summer. I wore my Kinvaras just for a change from the Hattori's. I expected the Kinvara's to feel like an old friend, but instead, I found them tight on my mid-foot. I wondered if the Hattori's flat, arch-less, platform had changed my perception of how a foot bed should feel. Interestingly, I have no such issues with the Mirage that has a 1-2 mm higher ramp angle.

Once mobile, I observed the way I was landing in the Kinvara and curious to see if I would strike closer to the heel than in the Hattori's. It seemed like I was landing on my mid-foot but it felt different than it did prior to going ultra-minimal. My energy level was okay but my form was not fluid. This has been the case all week. I felt that I was moving along well this morning (and I was compared to Wednesday) but my overall pace was still 30 seconds per mile slower than I would have liked.

The long weekend is almost here and I think it's time to get back to speed work. Perhaps my fast twitch muscles need a wake up call.