To whom the Cowbell tolls

Pointing out James Street after last year's race

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. After some high mileage training weeks leading up to last weekend's Dirty Sock race, I haven't run a step. Mondays are my usual rest day, which works out great when I race on Sundays. Today started early because I had to get into the city for some morning meetings. I went to bed thinking I might run today, but I slept until 5:15 AM, which didn't give me enough time.

Even without running, I still managed to meet my daily requirement of Fitbit steps. Between my backpack and sports jacket, combined with 81% humidity, I worked up quite a sweat. So it was sort of like a workout, but I really missed the part where I get to shower.

Tomorrow I'll officially start my Cow Harbor training. The good news is that I'll be starting on two days rest. My plan right now is to go out early enough to minimize the heat. If I'm training for this race, I'll need to start pushing the pace right away. As for the hill training, that can wait another day. But not too long, James Street looms large.

The ups and downs of hill running

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes - 3% grade

Some people claim that they'd rather run uphill than down. To me, that's like saying they'd prefer to skip dessert, although I know some people who do. I love downhills because they allow me to back off on my effort during a hard run and use gravity to maintain a good pace. But every hill, either up and down, is different. I like the fact that Saturday's race has a sizable downhill section, but I wouldn't want it any steeper than it is.

Running downhill can be a challenge when the grade is high because it takes work to maintain balance, lest you begin to move faster than your legs can go. There's a whole different set of muscles at play when negotiating steep declines. I write a lot about Cow Harbor's formidable hill on James Street, but that elevation goes two ways. There's a part of Eaton's Neck Road where I wish the sharp drop would just flatten out, which it does briefly before rising for a mile on Waterside.

This morning I set my treadmill to a 3% grade and cranked my speed so that I'd get to a race-ready heart rate. It wasn't the most comfortable workout, but I was able to sustain it over 25 minutes. I can't simulate a downhill on the treadmill although some high end machines can do that. I'm not sure I need to practice downhills because every time I run at Bethpage I run down exactly as much as I go up. I just enjoy that part more.

Cow Harbor training dissonance

After Bayview, the nightmare begins

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

This morning's run was my last before Saturday's Cow Harbor 10K. As I worked my way through my daily route, I thought about the luxury of waking up tomorrow without the obligation of a run. I pushed myself to a reasonable level, mostly after the first mile, and completed the run close to my normal time. I was happy with the workout but, almost immediately afterward, I started to question whether I've properly trained for the race.

James Street in Northport, otherwise known as "Widow Hill", is Cow Harbor's vindicetis maximus. It's a half mile of steep road that starts close to the two-mile point in the race. In the past two years I've trained on the Cow Harbor course to ready myself for that hill. It's helpful to know at the start of the race that I've run that monster in recent weeks. This year, my training has been less focused. Though I did run some hills over the past few weekends, they pale in comparison to what I'll face on Saturday.

I'm also thinking about my taper. Some might think it's overkill to rest two full days before a 10K. But I like  knowing (even if it's just psychological) that my body is using that downtime to repair and strengthen my leg muscles. I'm debating whether to run through core exercises on Thursday and Friday to give my glutes, quads and hamstrings some extra conditioning. That's an impact free workout that just might make me feel better about my training so far.