Tempted by choices at DSW

Four days out of the week I wear a suit to work but on Fridays I usually wear more comfortable "business casual" clothing. I usually wear a pair of Bass loafers on those days and I noticed some scuffing recently that prompted a visit to DSW to look for a new pair. DSW is a huge shoe store that sits imposingly high above the other stores in the area. Downstairs are hundreds of women's shoes and bags on display. My wife told me, amused, that they were selling a pair of shoes "discounted" to $800. Overall, the prices were actually very good and most everything else was priced well. I headed upstairs to look for new loafers but the athletic shoe section caught my eye and I spent some time with my son looking at and trying on some nice models from Saucony, ASICS, Brooks, Mizuno and others.

These weren't the low end models that you always find on sale at Sports Authority. They had ASICS Kayano-14's for $89.00 (but not in my size) and Brooks Trance 8's for $99 that were in my size. I tried the three Mizuno models, some Saucony trail shoes (really nice fit) and a few assorted others. It's obvious why the shoes were cheap - they were last year's models or older - but if I was ready to buy I would have been happy with the choices. My son, the 10 year old grownup, finally laid down the law and made me look at loafers. I found a nice pair at a good price and left happy. I would have liked those Trance 8's too. Maybe next time.

Later in the day we all headed to the track. My wife didn't have an opportunity to fit in her workout that morning and my daughter wanted to run. I took the opportunity to run some easy laps that I alternated with faster paced segments. I also did a few 200m "sprints" at around 7:15/mile. It was a far quicker pace than I normally run but slow enough to prevent any injuries. Overall it was a very nice weekend for running and the cool, maple-scented air added much to the experience. I'm thinking of taking tomorrow as a rest day and then start focusing on my readiness for my 5K race on the 28th.

FRS Healthy Energy fueled run

My experience with energy drinks, while limited, has been fairly negative. I've tried Red Bull once and had no reaction except to be surprised by its vile taste. I tried a sample of Max Muscle Barracuda that was included in my goody bag from the Dirty Sock 10K race that resulted in a sluggish run at Stillwell Woods. More recently I've followed a few runs with Myoplex shakes that were included in the goody bags from the Cape Cod Marathon and found it to be a nice recovery supplement.

Yesterday, while we were out, I spotted a four-pack of FRS Healthy Energy drink that was on sale for $5.99, $2.00 off its regular price. I was interested in this product because magazines like Men's Journal have touted it as different and better than the other energy drinks out there. The company claims that its key ingredient, quercetin, is a powerful antioxidant and the other supplementary ingredients provide energy without the "roller-coaster" effect brought on by drinks that use caffeine and taurine to create an energetic rush.

I tried a can of cold FRS in Low Cal Wild Berry flavor. It was pleasant tasting and I didn't see any artificial sweeteners in the ingredient list. I gave myself about 20 minutes before setting out and I did feel pretty good as I started my run. After about a minute I needed to stop to adjust the tongue and laces of my right show that were uncomfortably pressing on the top of my foot. It's a problem I often have with my Brooks and although I love the shoes I really need my next pair to have a longer and wider tongue to spread the pressure to the sides. Once corrected I restarted and made my way to neighborhood #4 and beyond with part of my route through a four inch layer of dry fallen leaves that were fun to run through but made quite a racket in the process. At around the 15 minute mark I began to feel a little fatigued and my breathing was a little off. This was unusual because my breathing has become very consistent over the past year and I usually never think about it. I figured correctly that I'd get my second wind at around the 22 minute mark and I proceeded to cover about 3.3 miles at around 9:10 min/mile but I was fairly breathless after a semi-sprint for the last quarter mile.

I'll continue to experiment with the remaining cans of FRS and I think it is supporting an enhanced post-run energy level. The lesson I've learned is that, for me, the best pre-run energy drink is a cool glass of water.

The great (internal) debate

I've been reading the December issue of Runner's World and I'm finding a lot of great stuff. I love this magazine and I'm always excited when I get a new issue. There's a lot in the front section about preparing for winter running. I'm interested in that because I want to get through the season without losing any fitness but I am extremely adverse to treadmill running. I'm concerned about days when I'm greeted with a blanket of snow on the ground and 18 degree temperatures. I'm thinking about purchasing some Yak-Trax so I can go outside on days that would normally require an indoor workout.

I've had some tough runs this week and AG, who is the best coach I've ever had regardless of sport, suggested that I skip this weekend's runs so that I can fully recover from the Cape Cod Relay and last week's seven mile bike trail run. Skipping a run during the week is always a self-debate but ultimately an easy decision. My weekend runs mean something different to me and I really look forward to them throughout the week. In the past I've only skipped a weekend run day when resting for a Sunday race. Still, since AG recommended it, I needed to take that seriously. While I read through Runner's World this morning I saw a piece that reinforced the idea of maintaining a consistent running routine with the point that to maintain fitness the workout can still be easy.

The pleasure of a Saturday morning run plus the RW article tipped me toward running and I set off with the intention of going 30-35 minutes without regard to pace or distance. I dressed warmly since the temperature was 30 degrees and I didn't want to be tempted to run fast to warm up quickly. I felt very good and actually worked hard to keep my pace moderate. I covered parts of my neighborhood and parts of neighborhood #2 going 3.9 miles in about 37 minutes. I was surprised that my pace was mid 9:00 because it felt slower but I verified the distance on Gmaps. It was the best run I've had since the relay and although it wasn't taxing it produced the requisite level of endorphins to reinforce the value of the workout. I think I characterized this type of running as "comfort food miles" and that's how they felt today. I'm considering a very brief speed workout tomorrow (4 x 800m) if I feel strong. Otherwise I may just rest. Hopefully AG will approve!

Cold and snag season

Although I should be used to it by now I'm still surprised to see TV commercials promoting Christmas shopping this early in the season. This week I'm starting to see a lot of them and it's only a few days since Halloween. I was still waking up to the expectation of heat and humidity on my run as recently as mid-October. Suddenly it's the holiday season and the morning temperatures are reinforcing that point, certainly with today's run. I've started to add layers to my usual outfit of running shorts and short sleeved jersey and I'm thinking that I still could use a thermal top for when things get really cold in January. The Champion tight running pants that are/were bargain-priced at Target are a good weight for now but I will need to switch to my Nike compression pants when the temperature drops. There are always regular running pants but I don't like using them until the weather gets really cold.

I had a couple of snags this morning, one literal, before and after my run. When I put on my reflective vest I saw that the plastic clip on one side had broken off so I had no easy way to connect the front and back. I ended up wedging an adjacent plastic piece into the receptor but that fix didn't hold for long. I stepped out and realized that the 37 degree temperature was misleading because there were some strong winds kicking up leaves and providing a chill that made it feel much colder than it was. I took off anyway and hoped I'd warm up quickly from running. The wind dislodged the clip on my vest so it became unstable and flew in front of my face each time I got a direct gust of cold air. I said to myself that today was about getting through the workout and I ended up covering 2.4 miles in a little over 22 minutes. Like my two other early morning runs this week I felt sluggish most of the way through. I wonder if I'm not well enough rested to do these runs this week.

When I returned home, I slipped through the garage into the den and one of my new ASICS gloves got snagged in the door of the mud room. I had to struggle to detach my hand from my glove in time to disarm the security alarm before the 120 decibel klaxons went off waking my family and the neighbors. Fortunately the delay provided enough time for me to do that. The last thing I needed was a discussion with the police who'd have been dispatched by our alarm company if the alarm actually did go off. I still need to figure out how to fix my vest for next week and I'll know to be very careful with my glove the next time I come back in from a run.

New running gear cures all ills

Yesterday I took a rest day from both running and posting. This has been a tough week for my company and I think it caught up to me on Wednesday both physically and psychologically. I felt exhausted when I woke up and I thought that there would be little to gain from running. My workday was busy and I considered writing a post over lunch but instead I decided to head over to City Sports to look for a couple of needed items. It was exactly what I needed to break out of my week's malaise. My morning runs used to be a perfect respite to the hot summer weather. I could count on cooler temperatures and, of course, no sun at 4 AM. Now it's darn chilly in the morning and while I have the gear to keep me comfortable there are a few things that could improve.

When I got to City Sports I noticed that they had really nice cold gear from ASICS, Brooks, Mizuno, Adidas and others. I'm always tempted by this stuff but I know that my less compelling but functionally competent cold gear would carry me through another season. What I really needed were a mid weight hat that would cover my ears but not affect the position of my glasses when I run. I found a Brooks Vapor 2 racing cap for a very good price and I was pleased to accomplish at least one task. Along the way I found a pair of ASICS Winter Run Hybrid gloves marked down to less than $10 (from $28) so I was happy about that. I spend a little more time looking at running shoes and saw they had some of the new ASICS models. They also had some excellent bargains on shoes in their clearance section. As much as I'd have liked to buy a pair of $140 shoes for 35% off it wasn't the right choice for me. I returned to the office happy with my purchases and felt better overall.

This morning I used the new hat and gloves on my run but they certainly didn't help my performance. It may be that I am fighting a cold or just over tired but through the entire run I felt like I had a tether holding me back. I couldn't generate much speed and I ended up covering 2.4 miles at a mid 9:00 pace. All the same I did get back out today and despite my sluggish run I liked the way the new cold gear performed.

Daylight savings time doesn't help at 4:05 AM

The hype has calmed down around the NY Marathon but yesterday it was fun to see so many runners in city exploration mode. I figured that the group of Italian-speaking men on the subway wearing matching jackets and wearing high end running shoes had participated in the race. I saw many other people wearing their finisher's medals as they strolled around Rockefeller Center and I thought how great it must have felt to be exploring the city after accomplishing a marathon the day before. It's not the same but I carried a lot of pride and elation the week following the Cape Cod relay. This morning, on my way to the train station, I spotted at least three runners along the way. They may have been inspired by this weekend's events or were taking advantage of daylight savings time that allowed them to run with a lot more light at 6:00 AM than they had the previous week.

At 4:05 this morning it looked the same as it does every day although today I was helped by a full moon. It was 40 degrees and dry when I went out to run and ended up covering only 2.25 miles in 21 minutes. I went out slow and didn't speed up appreciably throughout the run owing to tiredness. All the same it was better than not running and I'll file today's workout under "maintenance run." I'll go out tomorrow and aim for a better pace. I should be running closer to 9 minute miles on a regular basis, especially without the excuses of heat and humidity.

Halloween weekend running - no tricks, just treats

Compared to my usual weekly distance, I've covered a lot of miles this week including over 11 this weekend. I'm thinking that between now until the 28th (the date of my next race) that mileage will be less important than speed conditioning and leg strength. If I want to make a 5K PR I'll need to do better than I did yesterday. This might also be a good time to return to core exercise to strengthen my glutes and work on my right quad that tends to cramp on runs that exceed five miles.

It was a very fun Halloween weekend for the family and I was happy to relax and watch the NY Marathon coverage on DVR between other Sunday activities. At around 4:30 my daughter asked me to go for a run and despite the fact that I was psychologically finished with running until Tuesday I could not say no. We did our usual loop of 1.25 miles at a ten-something pace. Perfect for me because I could run at that speed without breaking a sweat in the 50 degree weather. As usual, we had a ball, the running was fun and the conversation was great. For the rest of the month I'll concentrate on speed instead of extra miles - unless the miles include other opportunities to run with my daughter.

Marathon day training run

After yesterday's fairly long and challenging run I thought about skipping it today in favor of an elliptical session or simply resting and running on Monday instead. After watching the coverage of the NY Marathon that started at 6:00 AM I knew I needed to get out and run, even for a short distance. I pre-planned a 5K run around my neighborhood and hoped to maintain a sub 9-minute pace. My route followed the boundary of my neighborhood until I cut into the streets about halfway around. I felt far better than I'd thought I might considering the length of yesterday's run and I consciously pushed myself to keep a brisk pace. Along the way I encountered a group of teens who were dressed for running and I hoped they would continue in my direction. I figured that a group of 17 year old runners would be great for pacing but they went a different way so I needed to pace myself the best I could. I checked my watch after 20 minutes and hoped that I was within seven minutes of finishing.

I ended up covering my distance at an 8:45 pace after pushing hard in the last quarter mile. I was actually surprised that my time was as slow as it was because I'd tried hard to move quickly throughout the run. It may be that I've put in a record number of miles since Sunday (28!) and I just didn't have enough left to draw upon today. I watched the marathon after my cool down and shower and was pleased to see that Meb Keflezighi, an American, won the the men's race. For the first time I appreciated watching this race with the perspective of a runner who has experienced competition. I don't mean that my experience is anything like those who covered five boroughs over 26.2 miles today. I hope, with a little rest and a lot more fast training runs, that I can be competitive in my upcoming 5K at the end of this month.

The toughest seven miles so far

Last week's relay had me thinking a lot about both my potential and limits for distance running. This weekend's NY Marathon has me thinking a lot about the fact that around 40,000 runners will start that race on Sunday morning. I don't think runners need to qualify for NY like they do for Boston but I suspect that most people who go through the process of signing up (there's a lottery that limits the number of entrants) probably have designs of at least finishing the race. That's a lot of people who can run 26.2 miles in a single day, usually within 4.5 hours. During last week's Cape Cod Marathon relay I was observing the marathon runners (who could be differentiated from we relay runners by the color of their numbers). When I resumed the race for my second leg at mile nine I looked for signs of fatigue amongst those committed to the full course. I couldn't imagine needing to cover another 17 miles (I got to roll off after 5.7) and I wondered what goes through the head of person who knows they'll be running for three, four or more hours without stopping. I guess it all comes down to expectations and conditioning. I knew after my 9 miles last Sunday that even doing 13.1 would be a struggle. As for running 26.2 miles in one shot? Unlikely.

All the same I really do want to break the ten mile barrier so upon AG's suggestion I decided to focus one weekend day on distance and location and the other on either speed or recovery. In terms of location, the idea is to get out of the neighborhood and see more interesting things than houses and cars. I headed over to Bethpage State Park that has long paved bike paths, trails and a cross-country course that overlaps through soccer fields and (possibly) golf courses. When I arrived I saw numerous yellow buses and groups of high school age students running in packs. There was some sort of XC meeting happening so I decided to head to the bike paths because the crowds seemed to be avoiding those. The entrance to bike trails starts with a steep but short hill and I felt fine through the first few miles of rolling hills. I'd decided to run about 30-40 minutes in one direction and head back at that point. The first 3.5 miles were fairly easy despite some frequent hills at the beginning. Most of the rest was either level or downward-sloping. I appreciated that in the moment but dreaded the hills for the return. I passed most runners that I encountered on my southern leg but on the way back I was passed by three very fit (and friendly) runners, one of whom I encountered again upon his out-and-back as I was coming in near the finish.

I averaged 9:20 for the first half and 9:40 for the return, covering 7.1 miles around 9:30/mile. With all those hills I was happy to make the pace that I did and I was exhausted from the workout. As far as being able to cover 10 miles in single run I still have work to do. When the time comes to tackle that distance I hope the route is less challenging than today's tough run.

NY Marathon Expo - so many booths, so little time.

I was thinking about my progress as a runner over the last year and I'm fairly pleased. I can't say that I'm completely satisfied with where I am because I think there's more that I could be doing to improve my level of conditioning. I had little trouble covering my 9 miles last Sunday in the marathon relay but I recall thinking during the race that I'd wished I'd done more hill and speed work prior to the event. I guess it comes down to why we run. There are those who get out and do intervals, tempos, fartleks and hill sprints once or twice a week. These people are probably much stronger for it and it helps them run paces that would seem unlikely or even impossible for a runner like myself. Every time I go out to run I think about training rigorously and while I do occasionally switch up my pacing my primary intention remains focused on the enjoyment of the experience. I went out this morning dressed for cold and I wasn't disappointed. After a slow start I picked up the pace in the middle and maintained it long enough to average 8:58 over 2.6 miles. It was fun to run at a quicker pace today but at other times comfort prevails.

Yesterday was the first day of the NY Marathon Expo at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC. For those unfamiliar with Javits, it's a huge conference center on the west side in the 30's that, for some reason, was built far away from any public transportation. The closest subway will still require a 15 to 20 minute walk. The way the event planners get around this limitation is to run busses all day from local hotels. The buses are free and the system works. The only issue I have with it is that buses + mid day traffic = long wait times to get to the place. I anxiously checked my watch concerned that by the time I arrived I'd need to get back on another bus in order to return for a 2:00 meeting. As it happened I was able to spend about 40 minutes at the Expo. Upon arriving I was puzzled to see that the main event was a technology security conference which would normally be of interest. I couldn't see anything resembling a marathon expo. Finally, another person who was also looking spied the far away entrance and we headed over. The Expo was huge compared with any I'd seen before it. Every shoe, apparal, technology and health/exercise company had booths (although I don't recall seeing Nike which was fine with me). The ASICS booth was so huge it could have been an Expo on its own. I spent time talking with some people promoting their races, chatted with someone representing Newton running shoes and then headed back to the office with lots of pamphlets and a few samples.

I wish I had more time to revisit the Expo today. I encourage anyone to go - it's free!

Running hot and cold

The transition to cold weather running has been fairly abrupt this season. I was still dreading the heat and humidity a few weeks ago and now each time I venture out I question whether I'm dressed warmly enough for the weather. On balance I'll always prefer the cold although once the temperature drops to the teens I'll yearn for the hottest days. I'm not sure I could have asked for better running conditions than last Sunday's in Falmouth. I'm sure there's a place somewhere where it's always mid-50 temps, dry and partially sunny. Throw in some beautiful running trails, nice people and good schools and I'm there. Of course where I live in LI it's pretty much what I described except that these ideal weather conditions last only about six weeks.

I shouldn't complain about the weather or my location though. One thing I've discovered is that running is more interesting with variables. Perhaps if I lived at the foot of a redwood forest in the northwest with trails leading out from my backyard I'd wish for more diversity: "Gee, if only there was a place with lots of paved streets where I could run by houses and cars for an hour." Who knows, maybe I'd end up missing that.

After my 9 miles on Sunday and 6.6 more since then I decided to try an elliptical session this morning. 25 minutes at mid level resistance felt very good and I saved time by not needing to take the usual 25+ steps I follow prior to my morning run. It was a good workout but I missed the running experience. Back to the street tomorrow, no matter what the weather.

Rainy anniversary day run

It was raining pretty hard when I got up this morning and I decided to wait to see if the skies would clear up within my window of running opportunity or if I needed to do an indoor workout. I haven't been on the treadmill in months or on the elliptical in weeks and there's a reason for that. As I've mentioned before, I find time spent on the treadmill to be extremely tedious. I'd prefer to run in driving rain than to run indoors on a noisy machine that will dump you off the back should you take one false step. The elliptical is also tedious but at least I can watch TV while I'm on it and I don't need to stay hyper aware of my safety.

At around 7:45 AM the rain had slowed enough for me to venture out. It was only about 50 degrees outside so I wore compression shorts under long basketball shorts, a long sleeve tech shirt and my ASICS light raincoat. Despite all those clothes I was still cold throughout much of my run. The rain picked up after about ten minutes but I was determined to get in at least 30 minutes of running time before starting my day. I ended up covering 3.28 at 9:17 per mile. I ran with my Adidas Response 15 trail shoes that are very comfortable and perform as well on pavement as they do on the trails.

Today is my anniversary so I took a mini vacation this week, starting with our trip to Cape Cod this past weekend. Despite the rain my wife and I got out for a nice lunch along with some other planned activities. I'll be back to the office tomorrow but the weekend is just a couple of days away. I really hope to get some trail time in at least one of those days.

Post race recovery run

After taking Monday off to recover from Sunday's race I set out this morning for a short neighborhood run. I have a busy day scheduled so I limited my distance to make enough time for my first appointment. It was still dark when I left the house at 6:45 AM so I wore my headlamp and reflective vest. I'm used to running these streets almost three hours earlier in the morning so it surprised me at first to see cars, recycling trucks and workers at the middle school as I ran past. I wore my ASICS GEL-1130's that I'd been using as my office running shoes but since Labor Day I haven't had the time to run in the city so I brought the ASICS home to occasionally trade off with my Brooks GTS-9's. The two shoes feel similar although the 1130's feel less stable on the toe-off compared with the Brooks. The difference becomes greater when I'm running longer distances, as I did on Sunday. The Brooks are really good shoes and have never given me a problem regardless of distance or conditions. The ASICS were a good choice for an occasional run (and the price was right) but there's a difference between $100+ shoes and more economical models.

Before I ran this morning I used the Active Wrap in heat mode on my quads since I was still sore from Sunday despite taking Monday as a rest day. As I made my way around the middle school I was amused to see that orange cones had been set up along the perimeter of one side of the parking lot and along the front driveway. It was like a moment of deja vu as I followed them, just as I had done on Main Street in Falmouth on Sunday morning. It took a few minutes to fall into a comfortable pace and I decided to run whatever distance I could cover within 30 minutes. It turned out to be 3.27 miles that I did at a 9:09 pace. It really does make a difference when you run among others, especially in competition. The first leg of the relay was approximately the same distance as this morning but I ran that segment a half minute faster per mile even with a couple of challenging hills.

After my run I tried a bottle of the EAS Myoplex Vanilla Cream nutrition shake that we got in our goody bags at the race. To be honest I was averse to drinking it because it contained sucralose and I really can't stand sugar substitutes. However, it tasted fine, although there was a slight medicinal quality to it. I found it convenient compared to having to prepare a recovery breakfast and it helped reduce the time between my run and my shower. I'm not sure if I'll make a habit of Myoplex but I do have another bottle that I'll try after my next hard workout. Tomorrow I'm going to try to take advantage of having one more day off this week and do a longer run. After all, my next race is but 31 days away!

Cape Cod Marathon race report

As I mentioned last night, the Cape Cod marathon race weekend was an amazing experience. Heading to Massachusetts always makes me feel like I'm going home and the Cape is a special place for me because our family spent many a summer there as I was growing up. We arrived on Friday night in the dark and cold and barely had time for anything before getting to bed. Saturday morning was overcast, cold and rainy but that didn't matter because we weren't running until Sunday. My wife and kids explored the hotel while I organized my gear. When I opened the shades to our room I was happy to see the ocean view and it reinforced that we were actually here on the Cape for the relay.

We met up with Adventure Girl at the Expo where we got some guidance from the race organizers on where things would be happening and where my family could situate to watch the race. The Expo was fun and I tried on a few pairs of ASICS and Mizuno running shoes that were temptingly priced but I didn't bite. I still have a some miles left in my Brooks. AG went off to drive the course while we went into town and had lunch at Liam Maguires pub. We met up with AG for a little time before we headed back to our hotel. We all met up again later for dinner at the British Beer Company where we had a great meal and AG and I had a pints of stout and porter respectively in the name of pre-race carb loading. Later that evening the kids quizzed AG for one of her mid term exams and during that time we got a call that one of our teammates was diagnosed with Swine Flu and he would not be able to make the race. AG reassigned our routes, swapping my second leg to the 3rd segment instead of the 4th. This way it ensured that AG, me and MM (our third teammate) were all able to run by the ocean at some point. In so doing AG took on legs 4 & 5 so she ended up running close to a half marathon.

We met as a team on Sunday morning at 7:00 AM and tried to stay warm. Despite the 57 degree temps it felt chilly. Soon AG and MM went off to locate exchange #1 where I would hand off to MM. My wife and kids stayed with me and situated themselves in front of the Black Dog on Main Street. I got into position on the starting line and at 8:30 they fired the cannon to start the race and I was happy to high-five my family on our way up Main Street as I headed through my first leg. I came into exchange #1 after running about an 8:30 pace. The end of the leg has a big hill but that effort was mitigated by the most beautiful view of the ocean. The road split to allow relay-ers to do their hand-offs without interfering with the full marathon runners. I handed off to MM and AG then drove us over to exchange #3 where I picked up the baton for my second leg of 5.7 miles. That route was very rolling with a number of hills but I felt great and after passing under Route 28 I knew most of the big hills were over. Around that time I started talking to another runner, MG, who was not registered for the race but was running it as a practice for a marathon she's running in a couple of weeks. She was a strong runner and she helped me keep a good pace through the end of the leg. MG continued to run after I handed off to Adventure Girl and the two even ran together for a bit. MM and I made our way back to the start/finish area and waited for AG to come in and finish. My wife and kids joined us just in time to see AG coming through mile 26 and my kids took off with AG all the way to the finish while MM and I followed behind.

We ended up with an overall time of 4:03 but for some reason our team wasn't posted in the results. It was probably related to a problem reading the tracking chip on AG's shoe. It didn't matter, we know what we did and we had an incredible experience along the way. We headed back to the Lawrence School that served as HQ for the race and Expo. They served a great lunch featuring New England clam chowder (an Emerging Runner favorite). Pretty soon it was time to say our goodbye's and we went our separate ways. I can't wait to run again, this was so energizing and fun. We need to find another big event to run next year and I have a feeling I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

26.2 miles, three runners, a fantastic weekend

Wow. That's the best word I can think of to describe this weekend. We had a fantastic time in Falmouth, MA, at the Cape Cod marathon both on and off the race course. I've been so busy the last two days I haven't been able to post since Thursday. I'm planning to share details tomorrow but until then I'll just share some headlines:

• We found out late Saturday that our 4th team member was diagnosed with H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) which forced us to split the five legs among three people.
• The weather was perfect - 57 degrees and sunny at 8:30 AM
• I did the first and third legs (8.75 miles) and AG did the last two (11.3 miles). Our third teammate did 6.15 miles.
• The course was challenging, lots of rolling hills, some memorable. The scenery was beautiful, fully memorable.
• We finished in just about 4:00 hours.
• We celebrated with a great lunch that was put on by the race organizers.
• It was a great weekend of food, friends and family!

More to come!

Decisions and anxieties

I just checked the extended forecast for Falmouth, MA on Sunday: 58 degrees and a 30% chance of precipitation. In my perfect world it would be a little colder than that but 58% with clouds could work just fine. I have a lot of decisions to make between now and Sunday at 8:30 AM:

• What clothes should I run in?
• Should I change between my first and second leg (legs 1 & 4)?
• What gear should I bring along (HRM, Garmin, iPhone, gloves)?
• Which running shoes should I wear?
• What pace should I target for each leg?
• How will I handle hydration?
• How can I keep my legs flexible between my runs?
• Should I do a practice run on Saturday or take advantage of rest?

I'm also concerned about following the course and not getting lost. I think the race people mark the route with CCM labels spray painted in prominent spots. I hope so because it would be humiliating to leave my teammates stranded due to a navigational snafu. I worry that I'm not worried about the first leg and too worried about the second. In the end it's just a race and I'll figure everything out or things will get figured out for me. Like I've said in previous competitions, I'm just going to run my race and hope for the best. In the end, if it isn't about having fun just why am I doing this?

Energy low, three days to go

Each morning when I get up to run it seems inconceivable, in my groggy state, that I could engage in an activity more challenging than sitting up in bed. However, in the fifteen minutes between fetching coffee, putting on running gear and heading out the door I transform from sleeper to runner. Most days things work well and by the time I reach the street I'm usually feeling 100 percent the runner. Today I felt like I'd left the best of me at home. I never felt like I found my stride and though I wouldn't complain of weakness I lacked the normal energy that I expect at the beginning of every run.

I mentioned yesterday that my aerobic balance has improved and this carries the day for me. My endurance is no longer affected by breathlessness, these days my limit is the range between body strength and weakness. This morning I figured that I just wasn't up for a hard charging workout and my numbers reflected that: 2.3 miles at 9:19. I'm supposed to be tapering this week but as my weekday runs are already limited by time I don't see the point in cutting down my running in any measurable way. I'm probably going to rest tomorrow and do an easy 3 or 4 miles in Friday. Saturday is a question - run or rest? AG is planning a run by the ocean and I must admit that has appeal. At the same time I need to do everything I can to be ready for Sunday's race. I guess I'll decide what to do closer to Saturday.

One last thing. My colleague KWL is in Hong Kong right now and he sent me his MotionX GPX and KMZ files from his run along the eastern harbor near Sai Wan Ho. He also sent me this picture (left) that he took along the way. I can't imagine how beautiful that must look in person.

Why I used to hate running

During this morning's run I thought about the reasons why I used to be so negative about running. Back in the early '90's I would get up and do a daily run through the streets of NYC, come back, shower and head to work. Those days I was working at a newspaper that published six editions, the first going out at 8:00 PM and the last around 3:30 AM. I'm not sure when I slept because I was often in the office by 11:00 AM and I didn't usually get home until 4:00 AM. With a run between sleep and work it could have been a positive thing but trying to make progress through the city streets at 9:30 AM on a business day was often frustrating if not dangerous.

Looking back, the other reason I think I disliked running is that I never mastered the use of aerobic energy. Most of my runs were collections of sprints punctuated by stoplights where I'd run in place waiting for the cross signal. In between the experience was somewhat like trail running except instead of dodging branches I'd be dodging foot traffic, strollers, dogs on leashes and cars doing illegal lefts on red. I'd return to my apartment each time asking myself what it was that I enjoyed about this routine. Eventually I stopped altogether and now when I think about it, for good reason.

I finished my 2.55 mile run this morning in a little over 22 minutes. I realized during this run that my ability to balance aerobic and anaerobic energy has made a big difference in my enjoyment of running. It's not always easy and sometimes it's quite hard but I never return home questioning why I run.

Relay race ruminating

I was looking at information about the Cape Cod Marathon last night and read some comments from people who characterized the course as fairly challenging. Given the elevation profile they list on the marathon website I'm willing to believe that. I guess it would be brutal to face all those hills over 26.2 miles. As I ran on Saturday and Sunday I thought about that fact that I'm training for a marathon relay. If all goes according to plan on Sunday I will have run more miles in a single day than ever before. Still, my two legs only add up to a little more than a third of the marathon distance. As I attacked those hills on Sunday I thought about the 1,000+ people on race day that will need to run every foot of the course. That takes a combination of fitness and commitment that I cannot match at this point. Running a full marathon would involve some significant weekly distance although, according to the website Cool Running, you can get by with the 20 or so miles per week that I do now. I don't buy that since there is NO WAY that I could run 26.2 miles in a single day, let alone within 4 hours.

I'm thinking about next year's running goals and a half marathon is definitely under consideration. I will need to expand upon my personal distance record of 7.6 continuous miles and that, perhaps, is another goal for 2010. I'm planning to run about 8 more miles before Sunday and give myself one rest day before the race. I've learned a lot in the four races I've run this year and I hope to apply this experience and knowledge on Sunday. I'm excited for a lot of reasons including the fact that I'll be competing, for the first time, in my home state.

Over the Moon(s)

This morning I was determined to get out and do hill training despite calls for wind, rain and flooding. I dressed appropriately, including a great ASICS lightweight running jacket that I bought at the Expo before my 5K race in April. It felt much colder than 44 degrees when I stepped out to run. The skies were dark gray and I could not get a lock on a GPS signal with MotionX but I hit start anyway, then pressed go on my Garmin and headed out. I made a bee line to the industrial park and chose the steeper circuit running counter-clockwise which takes you uphill about 2/3rds of the run and downhill the other third.

I had planned on doing a couple of circuits and heading back since the weather was getting worse every minute. I had brought along a package of Luna Moon Energy Chews, described by the manufacturer as "provid[ing] women athletes with essential carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins for increased energy while exercising." I bought them at Target despite the gender bias of the packaging since the only gender-neutral choice was Sharkies. In comparison, Sharkies Organic Energy Chews contained much more sugar per serving.

I had been thinking about how I typically feel tired and depleted after 30 minutes but usually rebound after five minutes or so. I experimented with the energy chews, trying 3 about midway through my run. I can't say how much they helped as I felt no energy surge after eating them but I did a third circuit up the hill and I don't know if I would have been able to do that unaided. I was feeling tired and soggy by the time I finished the third loop but happy the hills were behind me for the day. I headed back home and saw that I'd completed 4.75 miles at 9:09, a good part of that uphill. I used the Active Wrap on my quads this morning (heat) and I'm thinking that helped loosen up my muscles that were still recovering from yesterday's 6.5 miler. Today was probably the last run I'll do over 4 miles until Sunday's race and I feel good about my conditioning going into my final week's taper. I'm curious to know what weather conditions we'll face on the 25th. If it's cold and wet I know I can handle it. Hot and humid, that's another story.

The short and the long of it

I learned a valuable lesson Friday morning about checking the temperature before heading out for my run. As I prepared to go out it felt warm, even humid, although the heat didn't seem to be on. I skipped the compression shorts I've been wearing under my running shorts on cold mornings and when I stepped outside and got hit with the 20-something degree wind chill I knew I was in for a frosty run. As I set off I realized how cold my hands were and I questioned whether I'd manage to break a sweat in the 22 odd minutes I allocate for this workout. I didn't want to push speed because I hadn't had a chance to stretch prior to the start. I was tempted to throw in some sprints to get my heart rate up and try to get a little warmer but I was concerned that could lead to a muscle pull. Along with the cold, there was some light precipitation and I soon realized that it was, in fact, snow. The outside temperature, with the wind, was in the high 30's so there was no accumulation although the streets were wet. Given the distractions of cold and wind, the run went by very quickly and I completed 2.4 miles at about 9:13 per mile. By the time I reached home my hands were really hurting from the cold and from the sting of the wind and the rain. I won't forget my gloves again.

This morning I got out by 7:00 AM and the weather was mild compared with yesterday but it was still pretty cool. I bought some tight running sweats at Target last weekend and I wore them with a double layer of tech jerseys. I also wore gloves and it was a perfect set of gear for my run. I wanted to cover more than five miles to reinforce distance as I move closer to the race on the 25th but I had no specific plan. After running north to Jericho Turnpike I headed west and ran about a mile in that direction before ducking into the western edge of neighborhood #3. This is a big neighborhood and I have no familiarity with the layout of the roads so I headed south and guessed where I was in relation to my own neighborhood that's separated by a busy road. I ended up guessing well and crossed the road, heading south along the main road to the highway service road. I was little past the three mile mark and I felt some fatigue along with some pain in my right quadricep. After some time I cut over to neighborhood #2 and I realized that I often hit a wall at that point and today I decided to ignore it and wait for a second wind. I did a loop through neighborhood #2, passing a number of people who were out walking their dogs. I headed back to my neighborhood and reached home feeling strong after covering 6.53 miles at 9:11 per mile.

After my post-run shower I iced my right leg quad and calf with the Active Wraps. The unit fit well and my leg felt pretty good. I'm planning to try it with heat later today. Tomorrow I may head to Stillwell for some trail time although I'm wondering it it would be better to practice for memorable hills in the industrial park. I'll decide tomorrow. Tonight I'll just enjoy the fact that I had a very good run.

That's a wrap!

The folks at Active Wrap sent me samples of their award-winning heat/cold wraps for knee and leg and for foot and ankle. They are constructed from quality materials and use Active Wraps non-migrating heat/cold packs that distribute their material evenly compared to a typical economy gel pack that pools away from the point of compression. I'm thinking that the heat and compression will be ideal for my layover between legs of my race where I'll need to stay limber for about 2 hours between my first and second run. Perfect timing to receive these wraps, I'll experiment with them this weekend before and after my long runs.

I have completed much of the work that's been taking me away from running this week and I can't wait to hit the street tomorrow. Despite my toe problem I will run because it isn't debilitating and I don't think running hurts it further. My goal for this weekend is two long runs, each over five miles. If I can, I will try another two-fer, with a three mile run, 2 hour rest and second run of five or six miles. I'm hearing that we may get a nor'easter by Saturday so I may have to go back to the dreaded treadmill after literally months away. It will have to be pretty darn wet and cold to get me back running indoors. I'm hoping the weather reports are wrong because I really want to hit the trails at least one of the two weekend days but not if they're full of mud.

Toe Woe

The issue with my big toe continues and after a night of pain that had me up at midnight searching for ibuprophen I decided to skip my morning run. I briefly considered alternatives such as an upper body workout or even the elliptical but I chose to rest until 5:00 instead. It's the season to be busy in the office and that takes its toll mentally and physically. I'll admit to feeling a little guilty about doing nothing today knowing that tomorrow, with an even earlier workday start, will not allow enough time to run. On the other hand, with 11 days left before the marathon relay, these rest days can be considered part of my taper.

The materials with instructions for the relay indicate some complex logistical challenges. The race circles the town of Falmouth and with a couple of thousand runners there is much to coordinate to ensure that the streets are clear of cars at certain points and times. The exchange points need to be reached a certain way and there are restrictions where the team car can be parked. The Woods Hole exchange, which is where the last leg begins, has no parking so the 5th leg runner will need to get there before 9:00 AM and keep himself occupied for about 2.5 hours before the 4th leg runner (in this case me) comes by for the handoff. AG, our captain, is less concerned about it than me and I'm taking that as a good sign. She captained a 182 mile, 36 leg, 12 member relay team earlier this year so this probably seems fairly simple to her.

I'm hoping that by Friday morning my toe affliction will have improved enough for me to go out for another fast early morning run, followed by some hard training on Saturday and Sunday. With only one weekend standing between now and the race I really need to make every workout count.

Energetic morning run

I must have had a good night's rest last night because I woke up ready to run this morning. It's not always that way. I do end up getting out and doing my mileage each day even as I fight sleep while I change into running clothes. Today felt different and despite what felt like a swelling in my big toe (my son has struggled with that problem for months on and off) I couldn't wait to hit the street. This weekend I bought a generic version of "Breath-right" strips that are designed to help keep nasal passages open for sleeping or athletics. My sinuses often bother me when I run so I thought this may be a good way of managing that problem. I bought "small to normal" size and it seemed a little small although I don't think my nose is that big. The adhesive didn't work as I'd expected and while I did get it positioned and noticed a difference in my air intake the strip eventually detached during my run. I'm thinking I may upgrade to the brand name and go up a size.

As I said above, my energy level was good as I started my run and I tried to keep a decent pace as I varied between normal and fast segments. I tend to run slower at 4:00 AM than I do at 7:00 AM so when I finished 2.5 miles at 8:48 per mile I was pleased with the outcome. My toe problem was not a factor and now feels close to normal. The cold air continues to support my energy level on these morning runs. I'll continue to experiment with the nose strips and gauge the effectiveness of the energy chews during this weekend's runs. Anything that provides a competitive edge is worth considering. 12 days and counting, I almost wish the race was this Sunday.