What you don't want during taper week

Last night was my daughter's winter concert and this extended an already-long work day. I went to bed intending to run outside this morning but I woke up tired and with a headache. I've been feeling a little run down over the last week and, last night, I started to experience the first symptoms of a cold. I'm still planning to run in Sunday's 5K race and skipping today's run has thrown off my taper plan.

If the weather is okay tomorrow (and I'm feeling better) I'll run with Adventure Girl who has spent most of this year doing wilderness research in Big Sky Country. The best wilderness I can offer is the bridal trail in Central Park. I hope it's not too rainy because that trail can get muddy.

Between coffee, antihistamine and aspirin I'm hoping to recover enough to get through the day. This will be the first night this week where I don't have evening plans. I'll try to get some rest by turning in a little early. I'm always annoyed when I get colds, because I expect my running to provide me with an enhanced immune system. Perhaps it does. After all, I could feel a lot worse.

Biting the hand that wants to feed you

Okay, one would be nice, for old times sake

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

Not too many years ago, the end of the business year meant lavish holiday parties and lots of gourmet treats provided by our suppliers. Times have changed and so has our business. The still-recovering economy did away with most of these parties. The gifts that are sent are typically modest, though no less thoughtful. Do I miss the days when walking from one end of the floor to the other meant passing dozens of trays of holiday food for the taking? I'll admit I do, a little. Harry and David, Wolfermans and Dean and Deluca gift baskets come but once a year.

The upside to this is that less holiday food means less holiday calories. I do appreciate that. The one remaining food-related thing is the holiday lunch. Not the industry parties like before, but smaller get-togethers with supplier partners at nice midtown restaurants. I'm in that phase right now, desperately trying to maintain a proper diet as I get through this week and next.

Last night I met some industry friends for drinks and that was fun. I had one beer which is 100% more alcohol than I've consumed over the last two months. I got home around the time I usually go to bed but I laid out my running clothes before retiring. This morning I did my 25 minute treadmill workout and it felt surprisingly good. If I moderate my lunch choices and maintain my workout discipline I may have a chance of getting through the holiday lunch period in as good a shape as when I started.

Seeing red at this weekend's race

Does Adidas make technical Santa suits?

There was a write-up in Sunday's paper about the Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5k that I plan to run this weekend. The piece mentioned that many participants dress up in Santa suits for the race. Sounds like fun. Perhaps I'll gain competitive advantage by not wearing a bulky suit and a floppy hat as I run.

My brother and I have discussed participating in the Santa Speedo Run that takes place in Boston every year. It's just what you might think it is. But Speedos are a little too extreme for me, although they'd be far more aerodynamic than a Santa suit. I'll stick to my less festive but more practical running gear on Saturday. If I wear blue and white, would I get partial credit for running in Chanukah colors?

Recovery on Saturday yields benefits on Sunday

Today's run (street): 5.25

My run on Friday took a lot out of me. That was surprising, considering the short distance I covered. It was a sign that I was still fighting a cold. The other indication of that was waking up with a sore throat and feeling weak at the start. My Friday run went fairly well considering how I'd felt, but I think I might have pushed too hard.

Saturday morning I was under some time pressure and I still felt weak, although my throat felt better. I decided that a run would do more harm than good so I did a rare weekend skip day. I spent the middle of the day at a cooking class with my daughter, while my wife and son went into the city to shop and see the winter holiday sights. We all had great experiences.

The upside of feeling as exhausted as I did on Saturday was that I managed to sleep until 6:30 AM this morning. That may sound early to some, but my weekday wake up time is 3:45 and it's hard for me to sleep much past 5:00 AM on weekends. I felt good when I got up, and after having some coffee, I was ready to hit the road.

I stayed in the neighborhood but planned out a route that was different than usual. It was in the low 20°'s outside, so I'd dressed in layers. I didn't intend to run for performance and hoped that the extra gear would keep me comfortable without overheating me. My plan worked and I was neither too hot or  cold throughout my run.

I wore the Hattori's to see how they'd do in colder temperatures and I was pleased that my feet didn't suffer from the chill. By the two mile point I noted that a day's rest had restored my energy level and I appreciated the opportunity to zone out and enjoy the cold, but sunny, weather.

As I came back towards home, I noticed that my trajectory would have me finishing just short of five miles. I decided then to divert to a series of hilly roads that would provide another quarter mile of distance that would get me past my planned distance.

I finished after covering 5.25 miles and had felt very good throughout the run. Next weekend I plan to run the Ho Ho Ho Holiday run. If the weather cooperates this week, I'm planning to get in a city run with Adventure Girl who is in town for the holidays. Hard to believe it's so close to New Year's. I'm looking forward to some long brisk runs during my annual year end vacation.

Good performance from a "market" brand

Lay it on

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

After a week that started fairly mild, the temperatures have now gotten much colder. I was excited to get back outside for a run. Anticipating the chill, I wore my Layer 8 half zip that does a nice job wicking sweat and keeping me warm.

According to the manufacturer's website, Layer 8 is a market brand. This (I think) means it fits between  or below premium and private label brands. I only see it at clearance stores like Marshalls and TJ Max, never in sporting goods or running stores. When I see it, Layer 8 gear is typically priced 50% lower than "name" brands, for what appears to be equivalent clothing. I've had good luck with the compression shorts and the half zip I own. Except for a few obvious high performers, like my Craft running top and (though I hate to admit it) some Nike shirts and pants I own, I see little difference in performance between most lower and medium priced technical gear.

This morning's run was surprisingly good considering I'd woken up with a sore throat and felt tired as I prepared to run outside. My new Black Diamond headlamp pulled the same "won't light" trick that my Petzl did, which ultimately prompted its replacement. Re-seating the batteries solved it, as usual.

It was in the high 20's when I stepped out and it took me a few minutes to warm up. Once past that point, I picked up the pace and ran the last mile much faster than the first. I'm not feeling great right now, but I plan to get some needed rest overnight. Hopefully that will set me up for a good weekend of cold weather running.

Scoring my 2011 running goals

Fairly on target

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

It's getting toward the end of the year, when thoughts turn to the holidays and we reflect on things that have happened over the past year. In business, this means accounting for performance against objectives.  In running, it means taking a look at my 2011 goals to see how I did.

Goal 1. Run a half marathon.
 Done! LI Half Marathon.

Goal 2. Score settling: Run my best times ever on the Dirty Sock and Cow Harbor 10K's and beat my time in the New Hyde Park 8K.
Exceeded this goal. Best times ever this year on NHP 8K, Dirty Sock 10K and Cow harbor 10K, plus new best times on Run for the Warriors 10K and Long Beach 10K (10K PR there as well).

3. Running tourism: Run outside of Long Island at least six times. Bonus for competing in a race outside of LI.
Not quite. Ran in Florida in January, Cambridge/Boston in spring, New Hampshire and Maine in summer and Cape Cod in fall. Lots of racing, but nothing outside of Long Island.

4. Hit those trails: Add Caleb Smith, Sunken Meadow and one more state park to my trail running experience.
Still haven't run Caleb Smith but the Nissequoge Turkey Trot that I ran for fun on Thanksgiving is in the general area of Sunken Meadow. I did run in Acadia National Park this summer and that has to count for something!

5. Performance: Run 1 mile under 7:50/mile or 2 miles under 8:00/mile.
Hit the 7:50 mile goal but my best two consecutive miles were a nudge over 8:00.

I'm probably not going meet goals #3 and #4 this year but that's okay because I've had other great running experiences that weren't on the list. I'm starting to think about my goals for next year. The only one I'm certain about is achieving a half marathon PR in 2012.

Why is buying running pants so hard?

Such a deal!

Today's run (treadmill - 2% incline): 25 minutes

At my last race, I noticed many people wearing pants that looked like running tights, but with a looser fit. I liked the idea of these pants for very cold days. My running tights provide energizing compression, but not much insulation. I'm thinking a little space between the material and my legs would help trap some warm air on those below freezing mornings.

Every day I receive marketing emails from Roadrunner Sports, REI, Active.com, Brooks, City Sports, etc., all offering what seem to be great deals (40% off plus FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING!). When I link into these sites I often discover that the deals aren't as good as they seem. For instance, I pursued an offer through Roadrunner promising a 20% discount, etc., and found two items that I added to my cart. Even with the discount code added, (that took a while to find as well) I saw no reduction in the item's cost in my cart. So I left the website.

Unfortunately, I've had similar experiences on other sites. If it isn't price related, it's other things. I don't like when my running pants droop far below my ankles so I want to size the items correctly. The sizing guides show inseams ranging between 28.5"-32" for medium pants. Which is correct? Do I want to take a chance and be disappointed?

I'll probably end up going to either City Sports or Sports Authority and choosing items that I can try on first before buying. It's really too bad that the need for something simple can become so complicated. My wife wonders why I hate to shop, and this is the reason. Even done virtually, it can be a frustrating experience.

Ho Ho Ho Holiday running sounds good

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

Another treadmill run this morning. Unlike my usual method where I start easy and then pick up speed, today I began with a fairly fast pace and kept it up until the end. My energy level was high throughout the workout, a good sign that my conditioning strategy is working.

I've decided to sign up for the Ho Ho Ho Holiday Run that happens on Saturday, December 17, in Bethpage, NY. I really like holiday themed races because they reinforce the idea that racing, while competitive, is also fun. I have never done this race before (nor have I ever raced in December) so this will be a new experience. The date is a Saturday, which means I'll have still have most of the weekend to celebrate my (predicted) mid-pack finish.

Listening to your body will tell you very different things

Yesterday's run in the woods was an unexpected pleasure. I had set out for a long bike-trail run on pavement but ended up running the trails, on a crisp fall day. The interesting thing is that the run I had along Stillwell's paths didn't turn out to be my favorite part of yesterday's workout. It was the last half mile on pavement that made the run.

The challenge of staying ahead of the three runners who swept up behind me, as I left the last wooded trail, was an exciting and fulfilling experience. I'd expected to cruise this last section to cool down from running the trails, instead I ran the final distance like I was finishing a race.

This morning my wife mentioned to me that she'd added a third incline segment to her already tough workout this morning. I asked her why, and she said that "Listening to your body works two ways. Sometimes it tells you to rest, and sometimes it says push even harder." I totally understood what she meant by that.

Boo for Bethpage and yay for Stillwell!

No sports for you!

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 4.6 miles

I had a plan today and I intended to stick with it -- 5 miles on the Bethpage State Park bike path, first thing in the morning. I checked the weather and saw that the temperature was in the high 30's, so I put on some long pants and a couple of top layers and headed to Bethpage. I wore my Brooks Adrenalins because I wanted more thermal protection than the Hattori's provide and, frankly, I'm just not loving the Mirages on pavement right now.

When I arrived at the park I was confronted with a locked gate and a sign that said "Winter sports are prohibited at this point." Harrumph!! That was disappointing and after snapping the above picture, I turned around and headed back toward home. I was all dressed up with nowhere to run, but I figured I'd think of something along the way.

When I reached my exit I decided to head over to Stillwell, which I knew would still be be open to those participating in "winter sports." I parked close to Southwood's Road that put me as far away as possible from the trail head. I thought it would be good to have some extra distance coming and going.

By the time I crossed over from pavement to trail, I'd already covered more than a quarter mile and I followed my usual route into the woods. Despite not being trail shoes, the Brooks do a credible job on dirt, sand and small rocks and that was all I was taking on this morning.

My run was pleasant but unremarkable and I didn't encounter another person until I was on my last loop around the big field. It was there that I passed three runners coming from the other direction. I continued west and then south, until I reached the path that led to the trail head. As I came onto that path I saw the three runners from before, who had come to the same point from the opposite side.

Since I ended up slightly ahead of these runners, I felt pressured to maintain a lead. Fortunately, they weren't running too fast, but they weren't dogging it either. When we reached the paved drive I increased my speed to maintain my position. I liked having a reason to run fast and the Adrenalins felt as responsive as always. I averaged in the low 8:00 range for that last section and was more than happy when I reached my car.

I covered 10.5 miles this weekend, a little short of my goal, but still respectable. I feel like I'm running well right now. Not a lot of speed, but it's there when I need it.

Around two towns and a business park

Today's run (street): 5.93 miles

Yesterday was just too busy and too distracting for me to either run or blog. No matter, I'm back in business today. Today's schedule required me to finish my workout fairly early, so I set out around 7:00 AM intending to cover between 5-6 miles.

I may head over to Bethpage tomorrow, but this morning I stayed close to home. After a loop around the northeastern part of my neighborhood I crossed the field of the middle school to the pathway that leads to a local business park. I didn't want to run the usual roads today so I opted for the main loop within the park.

I usually run this section of the park counter-clockwise. That direction has a steady (but modest) elevation gain for two thirds of its length. Today I ran it clockwise which provided a steeper start but then it was mostly downhill after that. The hill wasn't too bad and I had no problem pushing through aerobically. However, I was a little tired by the time I crested the hill.

After I'd finished the business park loop I ducked into to neighborhood #3, which is actually in a neighboring town, and ran a loop around that area. I came back again through the middle school and completed my workout by running another mile through my neighborhood. If I were paying attention, I may have run another .07 miles and made it an even six. It doesn't matter though. I still came close to reaching the higher end of my planned distance.

Running with the Black Diamond

New and improved?

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Today's run was my first time back on the road at 4:00 AM since mid November. It's gotten a lot colder since then but I dressed warmly enough to stay comfortable. I wore my new Black Diamond headlamp that I bought to replace my Petzl Tikka Plus. The Petzl unit had been giving me trouble with the lamp refusing to light unless I opened up the assembly and reset the position of the batteries. I thought the Black Diamond's design would prevent that in the new unit.

Unfortunately, I had the same issue with the new headlamp when I got it ready for the morning. I opened it up, pushed the cells into place, and it lit up fine. I questioned whether I am any better off with this new unit but I think the Petzl was generally wearing out. I got outside and felt the chill but my hat, gloves and layers were sufficient, even when I ran in the direction of a fairly stiff wind.

I started off feeling like I was working hard. The first road I follow is a small incline so I expected a little challenge but this seemed a bit more. Once past that street I settled into my pace and moved along fine. The headlamp threw off a lot of light but I hadn't adjusted the beam to focus on the road ahead. I've learned my lesson about hazards in the dark and, happily, I had no missteps.

I ended up clocking my normal time for the route I ran, helped along by some faster strides as I got closer to the end. It was good to be back on the road again. It's not that I don't appreciate the treadmill, but it's a fuller experience when you're dealing with all the elements.