Bright morning on the Shining Sea Trail

Today's run (Shining Sea trail, Falmouth, MA): 5.3 miles 

School is closed because of a religious holiday, so we decided to take an impromptu trip to Cape Cod. We've spent a lot of time at the Cape and usually stay in our favorite place in Falmouth. I headed over to the Shining Sea bike trail around 6:30 AM this morning and parked in a lot that's adjacent to the trail head.

This trail is part of Falmouth's rails-to-trails system that covers many areas around the town. I set out on my run and noticed a similarity to the Bethpage bike trail, including a downhill section at the start. I enjoyed the change of scenery that included picturesque woods and cranberry bogs that spread out on both sides. There were a number of people out walking their dogs at that early hour, plus a group of cyclists and a single runner.

The trail was alive with all sorts of animal life. I counted six cotton tailed rabbits, many squirrels, and even some horses being ridden on a side trail. I ran south until I reached the 2.5 mile mark and continued another .15 miles until I reached a crossing where I turned back toward where I started. The way back felt more uphill so I was looking forward to the finish by the time I reached 5 miles. The last part of the run was an uphill section and it again reminded me of Bethpage where a tough long run is always completed with a big hill at the end. Compared to James Street or Bethpage this was fairly easy and soon I was done.

I may run this trail again tomorrow morning before we head back to Long Island. I do wish that we had a system of trails like that one in my town. But I can't really complain since I have Staywell Woods so close by. A run there before the end of the weekend would make a nice bookend to today's run on the Shining Sea.

Payoff from yesterday's ad hoc workout

Today's run (street): 2.6 miles

I'm the early morning darkness it's sometimes difficult to tell if its raining until you actually step outside. I've misjudged the weather more than once and been forced back upstairs onto the treadmill or the elliptical.
I feared that I might encounter a light rain when I stepped out this morning, but the skies were clear and the humidity was moderate.

The light was interesting at 4:00 AM, brighter than I'd have expected, with a light breeze moving the trees around. I set off and immediately felt the difference in humidity compared to Sunday, when I'd last run outdoors. It was much cooler today, and the slight winds were making it feel even more comfortable.

My short, but tough, incline workout on Tuesday seemed to help my stride today. I had no trouble getting up to speed and I moved along with less effort than I usually require for the pace that I maintained. I added a little more distance to my route as I was enjoying the experience of a good run that can feel almost like floating. Today's run was a good reminder that mixing up your training focus with speed and hill work can lead to better results on the road.

When time is short, make the workout harder

Artist's Rendering

Today's workout (treadmill): 12 minutes - 7.5% grade (average)

I usually wake up a few minutes before my alarm goes off so I was shocked to see that it was well past 4:00 AM when I opened my eyes this morning. I'd forgotten to set my alarm and slept 30 minutes later than normal. I'm sure I needed the additional rest, but it threw off my timing for today's workout.

I modified my plan so that I'd get the maximum benefit from the time that I still had. I chose the treadmill and quickly changed. I started with a moderate pace and cranked up the incline, beginning at 4 percent and moving up to 10 percent after a few minutes. I only had twelve minutes to get it done, so I wanted to make it worth the effort. By the time I completed this workout I felt like I'd pushed hard enough for it to count.

It was disappointing to miss my planned run but the incline workout proved challenging. I was pleased that I was still able to get some activity in this morning. On top of that I got some extra sleep. Always a bonus.

Making the decisions to run

Today's run (street): 4.5 miles

If you see a fork in the road, take it.

This morning I faced some minor decisions about when, what, where and how I would run. I usually have the details of the next morning's run mapped out in my head the night before, but I struggled with indecisiveness today.

My first decision was whether to go out in the dark or wait until the sun poked through enough to allow me to run without a headlamp and reflective vest. I had awoken around 5:00 AM and made a pot of coffee but by 6:00 I began thinking about getting going on my run. I decided to wait until 6:30 when there would be adequate light, and I put on my bright yellow Adidas jersey to ensure my visibility.

My second decision was where to run. I love my neighborhood but I sometimes find the scenery a little too familiar. I thought about the trails at Bethpage or Stillwell but I didn't really feel like driving to another location to run. I settled on a route that followed the outside edges of my neighborhood, a compromise between proximity and novelty.

My last decision before I left was which pair of shoes to pick. I ran in the Mirages yesterday to give me a little extra protection. I considered them again for today and then thought about the even more cushioned Adrenalines. Ultimately, I chose the Hattori's that have served me well for 200 miles and counting. As much as I like the protection and stability of the other two pairs, the Hattori's still provide me the lightest and most connected experience with the road.

I felt great for the first two miles, even though I had some challenges with the abysmal condition of the sidewalks on South Oyster Bay Road. I encountered broken concrete slabs jutting up at 40° angles plus brush and branches that haven't been cleared since Clinton was president. That section does force some agility, but I wasn't in the mood for it today.

Just south of the LIE overpass is a small road that leads into neighborhood #2.  I followed that entry point and covered a couple of miles before I headed back towards home. I had run fairly slow, owing to the high humidity, and I decided to pick up the pace from there. My last decision during my run was whether to take the fast way back or extend the run a few more minutes by following a longer, more uphill road. That was what I chose to do, imagining that I was coming through my last quarter mile of a race and pushing my pace accordingly.

I ended up running this route about 30 seconds slower per mile than my usual pace for that distance. This didn't bother me because I know by now that the humidity affects my performance enough to make that difference. It was a tough run today, but in terms of my decisions, I regret nothing.

Wearing the seagull proudly

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt

Today's run (street): 3.9 miles

The rain stopped this morning, so I took advantage of the clearing skies and went out for my run. I had no plan except to cover more miles than I normally do on weekdays, when I'm constrained for time. I was feeling slightly sluggish on my first steps out the door -- I think it had more to do with the humidity than my physical condition.

I ran easy for the most part, not minding my pace or even looking at my overall time. There were a few other runners out at the same time and I crossed paths with a young woman who appeared to be struggling with her workout. The weather was taking its toll on everyone. I completed my run feeling like I'd worked harder than my numbers showed. If it's more about perceived effort than actual pace then I did well today.

After my run I went for my six month checkup at the dentist. I was wearing my 2011 Cow Harbor t-shirt and my dentist (who is 8 months pregnant) joked that she'd skipped Cow Harbor this year because she'd gained too much weight. One of my daughter's teachers mentioned last week that he'd ran it on Saturday. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, around here, Cow Harbor is the race to run.

Running summer into fall

Today's run (Street): 2.5 miles

Last night my son asked me when I planned to go out for my morning run. I told him 4:00 AM and he noted that, although today is the first day of fall, I would be doing that run in summer. It's true, I completed my run before the Fall Equinox began at 5:05 AM. If I had the option, I would have began my run during summer and finished it in fall, just for the fun of it.

It's hard to believe that summer is finally over. It was a great season for running, but I look forward to cooler days and less humidity. This morning's run was interesting, a combination of refreshing coolness from the wind and high heat and humidity the rest of the time. A perfect metaphor of summer into fall. Lots of rain is coming later today and it's supposed to continue into tonight and tomorrow. I'm hoping for a window of clear skies on Saturday so I can do my first run of fall outside.

Wanted: less pain and less rain

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I'm not sure if it's due to method or to time, but after this morning's elliptical session my legs are feeling much better. I'm used to experiencing soreness in my calves, quads and hamstrings after a race, but that usually goes away after a day or so. Cow Harbor really beat me up and recovery has taken four days. Next year I'll make sure I do enough hill work prior to this race.

I'm disappointed to see that this week's rain will hang over through the weekend. I've been looking forward to celebrating fall weather with a long run, but I'm not sure if I'll have that option. It would be nice to return to the trails a change of view.  Besides that, dirt is more forgiving than pavement and I'm all for that right now.

1,000 posts later and I'm still Emerging

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Almost three years ago I published my first post on the Emerging Runner blog. The subject of the post was "Yeah, I'm a runner", a tongue and cheek joke I have with my wife about things I did one time (rock climbing, sailing a 12 meter yacht, fly fishing) and then bragged about it for weeks. But, in running, I was determined to be more than a dilettante. I was ready to commit.

I started running after changing my diet in August of 2008, controlling portion sizes of my meals and making better choices with food. At the same time, I started walking, first on the treadmill and then out in the neighborhood. A month into it I started looking up the road and challenging myself to run to the corner. Soon it was a full street and eventually my walks became runs.

It took about six weeks for me to transition from fitness walking to running, and my commitment was helped along with the strong support of my family and friends. I liked I how felt after I ran and I was fortunate to begin to lose weight quickly. By the time I started the blog in November 2008, I had lost over 30 lbs. No magic diet, pills, shakes or fasts. It was simply eating less and doing more.

I started the blog as a journal to record my progress and as a way to tap into the community of runners. Over the last three years I've received many valuable suggestions, tried most, and adopted some. Even today, I welcome advice from runners like Paul, Dave, Adam and Brian who generously share their expertise and experience.

What have I written about in a thousand posts? A look at the "tags" list on the left side of the blog will answer that question. I mostly write about my runs, but I also like to share what I've learned from other runners. I'm out almost every day, and after three years, I've seen a lot of things on the roads and trails. I often wish I'd stayed with my running back in the '90's because I'd have all that experience to draw on by now. Then I think that I might have developed bad knees from all that running and I feel better for my more recent return.

One thousand post, hundreds of runs and twenty races later, I still feel like I'm an emerging runner. Every run is different and I'm still learning new things. Running gives me a reason to write and writing demands content, so I'm motivated to run. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog and for connecting through email and comments. It's great to have friends who share this passion. I'll keep writing if you'll keep reading.

My course is harder than your course

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I gave myself an extra day to recover this week and rested on both Sunday and Monday. The James Street hill played havoc on my calves and they have remained tight and sore over the past two days. I've noticed that I've done better walking upstairs than downstairs, so I planned a route this morning that began with an uphill section. That didn't work out the way I'd expected and my calves and quads were unhappy. When I leveled off, I noticed that my gait felt more natural.

My first mile was sedate but I picked up the pace after that, and ended up with a credible time overall. I wore the Hattori's, which I used for Cow Harbor, and wondered if I should have chosen the GTS-10's or the Mirages, to provide a little more cushioning. Perhaps tomorrow I'll go that way.

On my way into the office this morning I ran into a couple of friends, one of whom had recently run a 6.5 mile adventure race that included obstacles like water crossings and wall climbs. She said the race was intense and there were many Navy SEALS competing on that difficult course. I said, "Well, I ran up a big hill on Saturday." Somehow James Street didn't seem quite so impressive.

Every child gets a trophy

Proud to be a participant

There's a lot of talk these days about how parents reinforce mediocrity by rewarding children for doing nothing more than participating in a sporting event. The argument I hear is that children will develop unrealistic expectations about the level of effort required to achieve a real accomplishment. Personally, I have no problem giving a child a trophy for participation, especially in sports, where having an active kid is the real reward. I'm guessing that parents who reward simple participation in sports are likely more focused on practical things, like academics.

I say this because, in every race I've run, only three people get to the podium and the rest (age group winners excluded) get (at best) finisher medals. Actually, most of the time your finisher medal is your race bib and that's why every race number that I've worn is tacked up on a bulletin board in my office. Saturday's Cow Harbor number makes it an even 20 and I'm inspired by each of them every day. With the exception of one race where I came in second in my division, I've been nothing more than a "finisher."

Does it it bother me that this collection represents mere participation? Not at all. In racing, to participate is to accomplish. Just like 19 times before, I earned that trophy on Saturday.

What's next after Cow Harbor?

Unlike most races, the Cow Harbor 10K always happens on a Saturday which makes the weekend seem extra long. Last year I did an easy recovery run the next day and eased back into my normal routine with a  rest day on Monday. I usually get one day of respite after races or long distance runs and don't feel the muscle soreness in my legs until the following day. That isn't the case today though. My calves feel extremely tight and the thought of doing a run today, even an easy one, is out of the question. In fact, I'll probably take another rest day tomorrow and resume my normal running schedule on Tuesday.

Speaking of schedules, I'm trying to plan the rest of my races for the year. Last year I went from Cow Harbor in September to two races in November (with no race in October). My favorite distance is 10K, but there aren't nearly as many 10K's to choose from as there are 5K races. The Huntington (NY) Big 8 10K race is on October 22nd, but I may have a scheduling issue that weekend.

If I can't race on 10/22 then I may run a 5K in October instead and run Hope for the Warriors and the Long Beach Turkey trot (both 10k's) in November. I've never run a race in December, but I'd consider it. I'll check the calendar to see what's going on. Suggestions are welcomed!

Race report: 2011 Cow Harbor 10K

Hooray, I beat my predicted finish time!

Today's run (Great Cow Harbor 10K): 6.2 miles - 9:13 pace

The 34st running of the Great Cow Harbor 10K was a great experience and I was thrilled to have beaten last year's time by three minutes and 43 seconds. But as great as it was to improve on finish time, the story of the day (for me) was running the race feeling strong the entire way through. This experience, unlike last year when I was tunnel-visioned toward just finishing, allowed me the opportunity to take in the details that make this such a great race.

Cow Harbor actually started for me last night with numbers pick-up, when I did the long drive to the Laurel Avenue school where the race begins. I arrived earlier than last year and found parking right away. As I walked the grounds of the school and went in to pick up my race bib, I was reminded again of the scale of this event. I had predicted a finish time of 57:30 and was surprised to see that I was assigned an 8000 series number that meant I would be starting in the 9th Wave.

Last year my number was in the 11000 series and I started in the 12th Wave. I worried that I had overestimated my performance potential but I figured, at worst, that my Wave mates would leave me in the dust. Happily, that wasn't the case.

I headed to Northport this morning at about 6:30 AM and arrived at Northport HS at 7:00. I took one of the shuttle buses that delivers runners close to the starting area. I decided not to carry a bag (although they do have UPS trucks that transport gear from the start to the finish area) so I left my extra layers, smartphone and towel in my car. I made my way indoors because the temperature, helpfully cool during the race, was a little too chilly for standing around.

Many others had the same thought and as I looked around I noticed many very fit looking runners with race numbers starting with 9, 10, 11 and on. Again I worried that I'd planned incorrectly. I chatted with a few other runners to pass the time and around 8:20 I made my way to the Wave area. I ran into Paul and Beth who were standing nearby, getting ready to move into position. Paul reminded me to subtract nine minutes from the quoted split times, which was a good thing to know. We bade each other good luck and I'm guessing that they both did well today.

I saw Brian a few rows ahead of me but I couldn't get his attention. I thought I'd catch up to Brian on Scudder Avenue but he took off faster than I was willing to run. I held my speed in check for the first mile, resisting the temptation to fly down the mostly downhill section. My split on mile 1 was 8:53 - brisk but not too fast. Last year I was feeling draggy almost from the start but this morning I felt like a V-8 with a tank full of gas. I prepared myself for the rise near the end of Woodbine and the big hill on James Street.

I was stunned by how quickly we'd passed through the cheering crowds by the harbor even though the running pack had yet to thin out in a noticeable way. I paced myself behind four giant bananas who were having a great time running the race, and before I knew it, I was taking my first steps onto Widow Hill. I knew from last year to be wary of hill walkers who stay in the middle of the road and obstruct those who are running. I didn't love the uphill effort but I felt far stronger through that span than I did last year.

At the top of the hill I focused on my breathing and used the more level roadway to recover my aerobic rhythm. It took a few minutes, but soon I was back in race mode. I passed mile three feeling remarkably good. I remembered that at the three mile point last year I was desperate for water and feeling very weak from the heat and humidity. The dry, cool weather helped greatly today and I'd brought a hand bottle with a mix of G2 and water to ensure ready hydration.

Near mile 4 the course goes steadily uphill along Waterside Drive. I moved along well, focusing on form, breathing and stride and I still felt strong through mile 5. Shortly after this split we turned toward Main Street and sped up Pumpernickel Hill which, on balance, is far less intimidating than the James Street monster. The top of this hill signals the beginning of the end and the start of a mostly downhill stretch leading to the finish line.

Usually at this point in a race (certainly the case at last year's Cow Harbor) I'm in survival mode, just holding on until the end. When I began the descent towards the finish I said to myself, "All it takes is all you got" and called upon whatever I had left. I came through the finish in 57:12 feeling great about the race I'd run.

I'm really pleased that this year I've achieved PB times on the NHP 8K, the Dirty Sock 10K and, today, the Great Cow Harbor 10K. The weather certainly helped, but I feel really good about my margin of improvement. I ran into Brian at the post-race festival and he was happy to have made it through another Cow Harbor race.

This a great race and spectator event, and with so many elite runners on the course, it feels special to participate. The race volunteers are universally kind and patient and the organizers don't miss a trick. I guess after 34 years they've figured out how to make it all work. Can't wait to do it next year.