What's in the box will make me 15 seconds faster

Mysteries a-foot

There's a box waiting for me at home that contains a pair of running shoes. These shoes are different from any others that I own. The manufacturer claims that I'll see a 15 second per mile improvement over my regular trainers. Unless it's raining, I will be testing that theory tomorrow morning. I plan to do a full writeup on Runner's Tech Review once I've had a chance to evaluate them fully.

I'm also waiting for a pair of mystery running shoes that have not yet arrived. I don't know when to expect them. All I know is that one of my favorite shoe companies (Saucony) recently sent me a note saying they had "top secret" news and asked for my size. What could be better than having some brand new performance tech-y shoes waiting at home? How about knowing that a secret pair of running shoes are also coming? Stay tuned, all will be revealed...

Did I really experience fat-to-energy alchemy?

Botero's Man on Horseback

WCB Preserve's Trails

Today's run (treadmill): 6.1 miles

Daylight savings time took away an hour of our morning, so I decided to save a little time and run indoors. My wife was doing her workout on the elliptical machine, so I accompanied her on the treadmill for the last 35 minutes of her session. My plan was to run for an hour or for 5.7 miles, whichever came first.

I started off at a very easy pace, because I'd run long on Saturday and didn't want to push my already tired legs. I moved along feeling great, but after 25 minutes I began to noticeably weaken. I realized that it would be a struggle to complete my full hour and I started to reevaluate when I would stop. After my wife finished her workout, I thought I would continue, but only for another ten minutes.

I'd wished that I'd had a gel to give me a boost at that point, but as it happened, I didn't need it. When I reached 43 minutes, I started feeling stronger. My urgency to stop had completely gone away. It suddenly felt easy, for no reason that I could explain. The only thing I could think of was that my body had depleted my glycogen stores and had started using stored fat as an energy source.

Everything I've read tells me that this transition doesn't happen until you have run for an hour or more. Before you feel good, you're supposed to feel very bad. I hadn't been comfortable for a good amount of time, so perhaps that explanation is plausible. All I knew was that, suddenly, the run became as easy after 45 minutes as it was after 5 minutes.

I decided not to stop and took advantage of my rebound by bumping up the speed and focusing on my form. I reached my goal (originally 5.7 miles so that I would surpass 13 miles this weekend) but kept going until I passed 6 miles. It was a tiring run but, hours later, I still feel energized.

Later in the morning we went to the Nassau County Museum of Art and walked the grounds before we went in. The museum has 39 large sculptures located within its grounds (AKA, the William Cullen Bryant Preserve). There are many trails to follow and we plan to return just to do that.

I'm pleased that I met my goal of covering 13 miles this weekend. That will help me push my base as I train for the LI Half Marathon. Best of all, I get to rest tomorrow. But it all starts again on Tuesday.

Test at Bethpage: Gatorade G Series FIT Perform 02

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 7.35 miles

Nice bottle, but no thanks

I had a mid morning appointment today and that forced me to get out for my run before 7:00 AM. My plan was to get to Bethpage and run the bike trail, covering at least seven miles. I'd rested on Friday because I wasn't feeling great, and I hoped that would give me a performance boost today.

I brought along a bottle of sport drink with a very long name: Gatorade G Series FIT Perform 02. It's an electrolyte mix that's meant to be consumed during a workout. I was testing this mix to see if it's something I should carry during my half marathon. I've learned that satisfaction with performance supplements, like gels and drinks, varies greatly from person to person.

Almost from the start, I could tell that I wouldn't be burning up the trail today. I had none of the energy I usually expect for these long, early morning runs. I thought it would be a good test of the G Series mix, and a good gauge of my ability to cover 7+ miles when starting with an energy deficit. As I started my Garmin, it chirped and showed "Low Battery." Like my watch, I hoped I had enough power to get through today's run.

Considering my low energy, the first couple of miles went by fairly quickly. The temperature was hovering around 30 degrees, but the winds were strong, especially on the way back. I reached the point where I expected to hear a chirp signaling three miles and when I looked at the Garmin the screen was blank. Later, when I recharged the watch, I saw that the battery had given out after 2.61 miles.

Along the way I sipped from the G2 mix, hoping that it would restore my depleted energy levels. The "melon-pear" flavor tasted neither like melon nor pear. In fact it didn't taste like much of anything. Since I didn't have an easy way of knowing how far I'd run or how much time I'd been running, I decided to turn back at a place I could locate on Gmaps so I could measure total distance later.

There were many runners on the trail this morning, mostly running in pairs or in groups. I would have felt lonely except that they were all running faster than me. I wouldn't have been able to keep up with any of them today. I suspect it was the early hour, when competitive club runners go out for long distances before they start their day.

I wasn't hurting, exactly, but I never felt strong as ran along. I started taking sips of the G2 more frequently as I got closer to the end. The last 1.5 miles of the Bethpage bike trail has the most pronounced hills and I needed a boost, even if it turned out to be more psychological than real. As I approached the final long hill, I decided I'd just pace it fast enough so that I could call it running. At that moment, a group of sleek, fit, compression-clad men and women ran by on my left, chatting away as if this hill was a bump. How humiliating.

After I finished my run, I saw that the G2 mix contained nothing to help my energy stores. The whole 16 oz. bottle contained only 5g of carbs  and 4g of sugar. I'd consumed about half the bottle, so all I got was 110mg of sodium and 30mg of potassium. And it also made me a little queasy. So this mix will not be accompanying me on my half marathon in May.

I accomplished a good part of my weekend distance goal this morning. I need to cover almost 6 miles tomorrow to make my "weekend 13". It's not an unreasonable target, but I hope to feel more energized on Sunday.

Today's guilt will power tomorrow's run

I wasn't feeling well yesterday and thought I may have caught a cold. Thursday's elliptical session wore me out much more than I would have expected. I bounced back last night and planned to do a run for this morning. When I woke up, I felt a little dizzy. After being at this for almost four years, I am able to tell the difference between being "morning tired" and actually feeling weak. I quickly decided to skip today's workout.

The main reason I opted for a rest day is that I hope to do a long run tomorrow at Bethpage. I didn't want to wear myself out on a maintenance run, and I thought some additional rest might be beneficial. I think resting was the right thing to do, but I'll admit to having some guilty feelings about it. I'm planning to use that guilt tomorrow to motivate me through what I hope will be my longest run (so far) this year.

Learned my lesson, but can I handle the mileage?

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

As I come closer to the anniversary of my first half marathon, I'm thinking about both the training and my increased risk of injury. Most training programs recommend a careful approach to adding to weekly mileage, usually no more than a 10% increase per week. The idea behind this is to prevent overuse injuries that come from running longer distances than your body is ready to handle.

Last year I played my half marathon training by ear, occasionally stepping up distance without regard to the consequences. In my case it wasn't the aggregate mileage that hurt me, but the fact that I arbitrarily threw in long runs without building up to them. A nine mile run on the trails at Belmont Lake a week before the half marathon created a knee problem that plagued me throughout the race.

This year I'm taking a practical approach to my training and, hopefully, I'll be better prepared on race day. Since I can't really increase my mileage between Monday and Friday, I'll need to step up my long running on the weekends. This weekend I'll need to total 13 miles, by April 7 weekend I'll target 18 and, before my taper, I'll need to cover 21. Easier said than done, but it looks like I'm going to become very familiar with the Bethpage bike trail.

The five paces I run

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Yesterday morning the NBC weatherman announced that Monday would be the last cold day of winter. Just like that. I'm not sure why he was so confident, but he didn't appear to be kidding. Never one to believe such things, I watched the local station last night as I readied my clothes for this morning. They were predicting 29 degrees around 4:00 AM. So much for warmer weather.

About half of today's route was in the direction of a steady wind that made it feel very chilly. I moved at a steady pace and, every once in a while, I stepped it up. I averaged a mid-9:00 pace which was disappointing because it felt like it should have been faster. I started thinking about my pacing.

Based on my 800+ runs logged in Garmin Connect, I see that I generally have five pace ranges: LSD (> 10:30), easy/trail (9:50-10:30), normal (9:20-9:50), tempo (8:55-9:20) and road race (< 8:55). I would really like to make my tempo range my normal pace range amd I think it's as much a matter of pushing myself mentally as increasing my physical capabilities. After all, If I can do one training run at 9:00 a mile, why can't I do them all?

Night or day, inside or out?

Worth a read

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

In her new book, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?", Mindy Kaling writes, "There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it.” I thought that was a very funny line (it's a great book) but I have to disagree a little. As I stood at the train this morning I saw the sun coming up and the first thought I had was, "Finally, I can now go out on my long weekend runs before 6:30 AM without needing a headlamp."

There's a big difference, psychologically, when I run in the dark versus running in daylight. My 4:00 AM runs serve a purpose, but that purpose is primarily fitness maintenance. My weekend runs provide a far wider benefit to both mind and body. A run on the trails is visually fascinating, the terrain is challenging and the lack of concern for traffic (except for mountain bikers) allows for deep thinking.

This morning I was at the complete other end of the spectrum, running my 25 tedious minutes on the treadmill. A friend of mine just bought a True treadmill that is very feature-rich. One capability is heart rate cruise control -- the machine will automatically speed up, slow down or change elevation to keep the runner at a specific heart rate. It also has a 14" LCD screen that takes input from a smartphone, PC, iPad, etc. That would be amazing compared to my humble Sole. But in the end, I'd far prefer to be running outside, just after sunrise.

One-line running shoe reviews

It's been a while since I've updated Runner's Tech Review but I may be testing a new pair of running shoes soon. These shoes are different and the manufacturer promises to deliver measurable gains in performance. That's always an intriguing notion, but I've rarely seen these claims pay off. We'll see.

In the meantime, I'm more than ready to find a replacement for my Hattori's that I've used both as a trainer and race shoe over the last year. I'm impressed that they've held up as well as they have after 300+ miles of pounding, but they are showing signs of wear. I have a second pair of Hattori's that were sent to me by Saucony but something about the fit is different. I find them unwearable after 60 miles of running.

Yesterday I had a little time in the middle of the day and went over to Dick's where I tried on a few pairs of running shoes. I didn't find my next pair but I was glad to reinforce what I expected. Here are my quick impressions:

• Adidas adizero® Rush: Light, surprisingly comfortable, smooth roll, stiff fore-foot, high platform (too much heel).
• Brooks Pure Cadence: Light, cushioned, tight arch/mid foot, awkward roll, expensive.
• Brooks Adrenaline 12: Extremely comfortable, natural roll, moved well with foot, high platform (too much heel).
• New Balance MT20: Tight forefoot (even 1/2 size up), light, uneven roll.
• Merrell Road Glove:  Light, unstructured, wide toe box, lack of fore-foot response.

The New Balance experience concerned me because I've been waiting for the similar NB MR00 zero-drop road shoe that should be in stores soon. I've been hoping that will be a worthy successor to my Hattori's. If I don't like the way that shoe feels when I try it, I might need to wait until Saucony launches the Kinvara 3 in early summer. Even then, there's no guarantee that I'll like that new design. All I want is the perfect shoe. Is that too much to ask?

When a run goes according to plan

How I spent my morning

Today's run (street): 6.2 miles

My morning running plan was happily free of debate. No decisions to make about my route, gear or distance. I'd prepared to run 6 miles on the roads around my neighborhood and the cloudy and dry weather looked perfect.

I started by running the loop I use every morning to benchmark my first mile. After that I diverted my course by running towards the middle school. Once I got there, I ran across the field to a path that took me to the nearby business park. I continued in that direction and ran the hilly loop before exiting into neighborhood #3 at the three mile point.

I felt good as I moved along these neighborhood streets that led me out to Woodbury Road, a heavily trafficked street. Running along Woodbury Road's sidewalk is always interesting. In the fall there's often a thick covering of leaves that cushion each step. Today the sidewalk was bare and covered with packed dirt.  Except for the cars whizzing by on the street, I felt like I was doing a mini trail run.

I reached the easternmost point of my run and then switched directions back toward my house. I was on track to cover my intended six miles and ended up making it with a little distance to spare. I didn't run this route particularly fast but I was satisfied with the effort and pleased to have run a dozen miles over this weekend.

The best part of finishing a couple of good weekend runs is knowing that Monday is my rest day. Another 20+ mile week is in the books. So far, so good for my half marathon training plan.

Going a sustainable 60

Today's run (treadmill): 60 minutes

The overnight rain extended into morning drizzle, so I debated whether to wait for it to stop or head to the track in hopes that it would let up. I chose the latter, but needed to run a last minute errand on the way. That turned out to be a fortuitous delay, because the skies opened up before I got to my workout. I didn't want to wait around for the rain to stop, so I headed home.

Since I couldn't run outside, I thought I'd spend an hour on the treadmill. Sixty minutes on the treadmill is far different than an hour on the road. Not just from the tedium of an unchanging view, but also due to the increased effort from running at a higher cadence (necessary to make up for a shorter stride).

I maintained my pace for 50 minutes and then stepped up my speed every minute until I finished my planned time. In a way, it's like a 10K, where you stay on pace then push past your comfort zone for the last mile. I was glad to find plenty of fuel to get me through the fast finish and I stepped off the treadmill as soaked as if I'd already showered.

I was happy with my compromised workout, and though I wanted to do speed work today, I'm pleased with what I did. Tomorrow's weather should be clear, so I will have my choice off outside options. I think I'll pass on the speed work though. Another six mile run may be exactly what I need.

Teaching your body to go fast

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

"The idea is to teach your body to go faster than it wants to." That was a comment from Emerging Runner friend Paul regarding interval training. I reread that sentence three times because I thought it was a perfect way to describe the concept of speed work. It sounds simple, but it's not. Making your body go faster than it wants to go is hard. But when you do, it (almost) always pays off.

I thought about Paul's comment during my run this morning. Usually at 4:00 AM I feel heroic, simply because I've dragged myself out of bed and hit the road in the darkness and the cold. Performance is secondary and my expectations are low, because I'm usually half asleep through the first mile. Today I played a little with my speed once I felt fully alert. I'd pick a spot a few hundred feet ahead and increase my pace until I reached my target. I was curious to see if these fartleks would translate into a performance improvement.

It turned out they did. Today's run finished 1: 10 sooner than Tuesday's although I followed the same route at the exact same time in the morning. It was a difference of 26 seconds per mile. I'll take half minute per mile improvements any day, but my overall pace was still in the low 9:00's. That sleepy first mile always throws me off. I guess that's as fast as my body was willing to go this morning.

Upping my game to reach an elusive PR

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

Tabata training and intervals have got me thinking about my current racing performance. The good news is that, since last June, I've been on a streak where I've set new PR's for 4 miles, 8K and 10K. In addition, I've achieved best ever times on five races that I do every year. The bad news is that I'm about to come around again to those races and the challenge of meeting or beating my best times will be much harder.

I believe that my improved performance is attributable to three things: more racing experience, smarter preparation methods and better weather conditions. I can't count on the weather and there's not much more I can do in terms of race day prep. The key for continued achievement in 2012 will be better training. I have a few ideas about that.

My next race is six weeks away. It's a 5K and I generally run those races as a controlled sprint. 5K is the only distance where I didn't PR in 2011, even though I ran three of them. My 5K PR is 25:50 (8:19 pace) from a race I ran in 2009. I came within 16 seconds of that time last December, but almost doesn't count.

The key to my training for the Marcie Mazzola 5K will be a much greater focus on intensity. This, coupled with increased core and strength workouts, may help me move the time needle from 25:50 towards 24:52 (8:00 pace). I have no expectation that I'll get there in April, but I may yet beat my 8:19 PR.