This week's Sedentary Man

This week SM talks about healthcare and its 19th century roots. His definition of trepanning reminds me of how I felt negotiating grade 5 hills this past weekend. Here's this week's column.

After a long weekend of challenging distance runs I decided to do a recovery workout on the elliptical this morning. All my aches have gone away and I'm debating whether I'll get back on the treadmill tomorrow. I'm seriously considering the headlamp and reflector vest option rather than running indoors again. Since I have neither of those items I guess I'm stuck with three options: treadmill, elliptical (again) or a rest day. I'm planning to do a city run on Friday and I want to get at least one run in before that. Oh how I wish the sun would rise at 4:00!

Trailing off

It's been an activity-filled long weekend and we've taken great advantage of the sunny weather. The pool has been well used and the new Aquabot has shown to have a great work ethic. There was too much to do this morning for me to work in a run so I decided to wait until late afternoon to head over to Stillwell Woods for a run on the dirt trails.

At 4:00 PM it was still very hot and sunny so I wore my new "Boston Marathon" AdiStar tee that is supposed to have superior cooling and wicking properties. I've learned that not all technical shirts are alike and that you do tend to get what you pay for. My Nike Sphere Dri-Fit shirt keeps me much drier than the Champion jerseys I use for everyday workouts. The Adidas performed very well and I was glad to have worn it.

I purposely parked at the street end of the lot to give myself a quarter mile of paved road to run before hitting the entrance to the trails. I wore my NB trail shoes that work very well on dirt and pavement and I was glad to have them once I started on the first path. Like last time I ran Stillwell there were a number of people staging for riding but I didn't encounter any hardcore bikers throughout my run. I did face a handful of casual bikers and had some tight spots where we practically brushed arms as we passed. Stillwell's main trails are wide enough to ride (or run) two across but the feeder trails are barely wide enough for one. It was almost claustrophobic in parts but I appreciated the respite from the sun and I was amused by the number of rabbits and other small creatures I saw scampering across the path. My plan was to run no more than 25 minutes and I ended up running 2 1/4 miles in a little less than 21. I came home, quickly changed and dove right in the pool. While in the pool I tried "running in place" holding on to the side in the deep end. It felt like I'd had a good post run stretch by the time I came out.

Overall, it was a great long weekend with lots of different activities and some really good runs. I think I'm in good shape for my June 7 race. Still waiting for them to put up the online registration!

Bikes, at least, have gears

This morning I drove over to Bethpage State Park to check out their trails. I had read a lot about the bike trails that begin in Bethpage and reach as far south as Sunrise Highway allowing a person to ride (or run) 13 miles. You could conduct your own personal marathon by turning around at the end and running back! The cost to park was $6 and I hesitated for a moment thinking that there are plenty of places to run for free. My curiosity got the best of me and I drove on and parked in the main lot which is situated north of the paved trails and golf courses (including the famous Black Course which will host the US Open this year).

I started my run at the beginning of the paved bike trail that starts immediately with a sizable hill. There were a number of bikers and walkers out at that time but it wasn't so crowded that I had to avoid people or slow down at any time. Once I crested that hill I ran on a mostly downward slope. The whole time I was on that part I was thinking how hard it would be tailing in with that long incline. There were other hills and descents over the first mile and a half and I mentally banked the work I'd be doing upon my return. My plan was to run about 20 minutes and then turn back. The paths ran parallel to both highways and streets but the trees blocked most evidence of civilization. I started seeing runners from the other direction and figured most people start from the southern part of the trail and then run north. Everyone was courteous and despite all the bikers I never felt that I was in danger of being run over. I reached a point where the trail was marked "4.0" and turned around to come back.

I felt good throughout the run. The trees provided good cover from the sun and I moved along pretty well. Having just run the trail from the north direction I had a sense of progress coming back. I did start to tire at mile 3 and winced at the thought that I'd be hitting the biggest hills near the end. I passed a number of walkers along the way and waved to a couple of bikers and other runners that I saw earlier from the other direction. I encountered a few up and down spots and tried to conserve energy on the declines, taking shorter strides on the hills. The last hill was as long going up as I'd remembered it coming down. I wasn't going to stop and I didn't. Once I realized I'd crested I knew that the only thing ahead was running down the big hill to the end. In all I covered 5 miles and probably would have gone a little further had the trail extended another mile.

Later that day we took a quick trip to the outlet stores so I could get a couple of needed items. While there I went into the Adidas store to look at running shorts. I have about a dozen pairs of shorts but, besides my Pearl Izumi's, most aren't made for running. I ended up getting a great deal on an expensive jersey that reminded me a little of a Zoot shirt that I covet every time I visit City Sports in NYC. After that we hit the pool and then headed back to Bethpage to walk the cinder trails. Those trails are really well maintained with lots of different routes to choose. I wore my NB trail runners for that walk and my daughter and I did a little running together so I could get a feel for the trail. I'll be back soon, dressed fully for running.

I loved my experience at Bethpage but didn't love the parking fee. The guy at the gate said I could buy an Empire Passport for $65 that allows access into any NY state park. Seven visits to Bethpage alone would pay for it so I think that will be a good family investment

Memorable Memorial Day

We had an event that took up most of our day today so I got an early start to my run. I took off around 6:30 AM with no planned route or distance. I figured that I'd do at least 30 minutes and let my location relative to home determine my full distance. I got off to a good start navigating through my neighborhood for a couple of miles before crossing over to neighborhood #2. The weather was cool and I wasn't having any issues with my leg so I figured it would be a fairly smooth run. I did a loop through neighborhood #2 and by the time I exited into the far end of my neighborhood I was starting to feel some fatigue. Throughout the run I was thinking about pace and I was a little frustrated that I wasn't getting an accurate read from the Garmin foot pod. The pace it was showing was about 9:47 yet I knew I was running close to race pace at that point. I really have to do a focused calibration on the Garmin this weekend.

While I wasn't really all that tired or in any way winded as I approached 30 minutes I recall feeling like I was working harder to run 3 miles than I had in recent days. It was hot this morning but not oppressive. As I ran I kept thinking about how it would feel to jump into the pool when I got home. So much of running is accepting some pain and tedium and while last weekend's runs seemed a lot like floating today's felt less buoyant. Despite the way I felt I decided to run another 10+ minutes towards home. It was getting hotter as the sun rose higher and I decided to push the pace a few times to test my conditioning. As I reached the last couple of streets I began to feel some slight discomfort coming from my right inside leg. I held back a little concerned that it could be a groin related issue but I did push the last quarter mile. Knowing the Garmin is currently inaccurate for distance I Gmapped the run and calculated that my pace was 9:07 for 4.82 miles.

I gave myself a few minutes to get my heart rate down, quickly changed into swim trunks and jumped in the pool for the first time this season. I entered the pool hot and sweating and emerged freezing (which was a much better feeling). The rest of the day was spent at an event where the music was too loud and the high calorie food was too available. I certainly exceeded my calorie and fat quota today and didn't much enjoy it. I know I'll run it all off but I'm feeling a little guilty, especially about the sugar.

I saw AG's tweet reports from the Patch Sprint 12 mile mountain race. Her team all finished the event and one teammate finished 2nd. Great going to all. I'm hoping the rain hold off tomorrow so I can try the Bethpage trails. I did 20.6 miles this past week and I hope to total at least 13 over the long weekend. 8 miles to go!

Weekend plans

I'm looking forward to this weekend, not only because it comes with an extra day off but because, as of this weekend, I'll have an opportunity to jump in the pool after my long runs. I've been reading about different approaches to cross training and swimming appears to be a good choice. I'm eager to try running under water as a no-impact training alternative but mostly I'm looking forward to the instant cool-down after diving in.

Another thing I've been reading about is the relationship between speed training and distance. I've both read and have been told that tempo runs and intervals are extremely beneficial to distance runners, especially those that need to increase their anaerobic efficiency. I appreciate that but my reaction to anything like drills is fairly negative. I have done speed drills and I'm sure that it's helped me but what I really want to do is get into the zone and just run. I'm looking to combine tempo training and trail running this weekend. I'm targeting the bike trails at Bethpage State Park for that. I don't know what to expect from that in terms of surface. I know the bike paths are paved but I've also heard there are good dirt trails.

Instead of facing the treadmill this morning I ran 1.6 miles in Central Park before starting my work day. It was cool and sunny - perfect conditions for a light run. AG is doing her second consecutive weekend of torture, this time she'll be running up and down four mountains in the Patch Sprint race. I have about two weeks before my next race so I'll continue to work on distance and aim for 20 miles per week until then. It's been a great week for city running, once in Boston and twice in NYC. I'm dreading the heat of summer but I'm thinking that even on the hottest days, running in the early morning hours can still be bearable.

PRODUCT NEWS:
I'm using the Moji Knee this morning to see how it feels post-run. AG will field test it this weekend during her 12 mile mountain race and we'll report on its performance. So far I like the way it feels.

In addition, I will be testing a product from QStarz, a Hong Kong based company that makes the BT-Q1300S which, according to the company is "a GPS sports-recorder designed for out-door sports fans to set up the weight loss plan, Keep Track of workout status, and strive toward even the best record." I am eager to to try it.

Visiting Brooklyn the hard way

Yesterday provided another new city running experience for me as AG and I again held our weekly update meeting outdoors. We spent the first 15 minutes discussing some key business items in my office before heading out. AG brought in some Clif Shot Bloks that were left over from her relay. She wanted to try them to see if they provided some benefit since she's facing 12 miles of dirt, brush, rocks and hills (mountains actually) at this weekend's Patch Sprint. I tried a couple out of curiosity and I'm glad I did since what lay ahead was no picnic.

We headed downtown by subway and staged at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. Our plan was to run over the bridge to Brooklyn, make our way to the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights, run that length, and then return. The temperature sign from my office said 78 degrees and I was wearing a black Dri-Fit jersey. It wasn't too bad in the shade but in the sun it was hot. The Brooklyn Bridge is sizable but not scary at all. The cars are a level below and the most concerning thing is that you're sharing a relatively narrow path crowded with walkers and cyclists. The first half of the bridge is an incline but I had no trouble with that, possibly due to the pre-run carb load. Once we headed down and off the bridge I was feeling pretty good. AG warned me that we'd encounter a big hill soon and that had me a little worried. I should have been much more worried.

Once we were in Brooklyn we ran through DUMBO and then took a left where we hit the mini mountain and charged our way up. When I say charged up I mean I ran about as fast as a slow walker. I'm sure AG could have zipped up the hill at twice the speed but we did it together. I was very happy to see it start to level and although the street continued at a slight incline it was tolerable. We swung down to the Promenade and ran that to the end. At the turnaround the Garmin showed exactly 2 miles. We continued back and encountered the hill again but it was much easier going in that direction. There were two guys charging up as we made it down and I felt for them.

After we reached DUMBO I requested that we walk for a few blocks as I was pretty spent and we still had the bridge to cross. That helped and we resumed our run as we made our way up the steps to the bridge. It was hot, crowded and we ran on an incline until we made it to the middle. The rest of the way was downhill and we finished where we started, exactly 4 miles later. We bought some bottled water and headed back to work, hot and sweating but feeling energized.

Taking into account the walking, we ran at least 3.75 miles in conditions that were tougher than any I've seen in weeks. I had been feeling weak and tired most of the day on Wednesday and the run knocked that out completely. Today I still feel strong and energized. At the rate I'm going I should make 20 miles this week and if I get to the trails I'll be able to push myself again. Three bridges in three days has been lots of fun.

Size matters

A week ago I had a meeting with some people who I have not seen in months As I greeted this group, the lead person asked me "Did you lose a lot of weight?" Today, I met wth an industry colleague and the first thing he said to me was "You look great, have you lost a lot of weight?" There are many other examples of this including a hit and run on the elevator today with a colleague from another floor who asked me the same thing.

I am happy that I've lost weight and it's always nice to hear that you look good (apparently I looked much worse 35 lbs. ago) but I still look forward to the day when I run into someone that I have not seen in a while and that's not their first reaction. For one thing, I hope to maintain this (healthy) weight level and as long as I continue my running I will. The other thing is about stabilizing my wardrobe. For the last 20 or so years I've worn the same size for suits. My waist size may have expanded a little but I've consistently worn size large jerseys since college. Even as my weight decreased I was convinced that I still needed to buy my shirts in large but recently I was given a medium sized running shirt that fit me very well. I then realized (despite the many times my wife tried to point this out) that clothes should fit you in a way that shows that you actually have a body shape. Over the last six months I've had some of my suits tailored to fit my form better. While that has allowed me to walk around without fear that my pants would fall down, my suit jackets still resembled the one David Byrne wore in the concert film "Stop Making Sense."

Last weekend I actually spent some time in clothing stores and bought two new suits, a bunch of (medium sized) t-shirts, some shorts that fit me and swim trunks that are far less likely to leave my body after diving in the pool than my current pairs. The downside to having correctly sized clothes is that more people are apt to notice my weight loss.

Going negative - let's start with my elliptical

I'm feeling a little grouchy this morning and I'm not sure why. It could be due to my workout this morning. The workout itself was fine, about 23 minutes on the elliptical. What wasn't fine was the noise that my BH Fitness X1 unit often makes during operation. I've written before about my dislike for (among other things) the noise that my treadmill motor produces and lauded the elliptical for its quiet, human-powered operation. Unfortunately my X1 still manages to create a racket often producing a loud clicking/banging noise that's hard to tolerate. We've had people service the unit four times. They have no remedy for the noise and each time the unit has been serviced it has operated a little worse than before. Hard to know if my unit is a lemon or if BH Fitness just makes problematic equipment. Either way, I suggest that anyone who's considering buying a "gym quality" elliptical to avoid BH Fitness units.

While I'm complaining I'll turn attention back to the treadmill. I read an interesting column in Running Times yesterday called "Step Off the Treadmill" written by Tamara Rice Lave, a former US IAAF marathoner. Her complaints about the treadmill were consistent with the mine (and those who have commented on the subject). Lave did present a balanced view and admitted that it works well for many. I spent a few minutes looking at the sunrise calendar yesterday desperately hoping to see that daylight and 4:00 AM would coincide some time this summer. Unfortunately not, the earliest sunrise is 5:23 so I'm going to have to keep running indoors in the morning.

I've been adding one long run into my routine every week and it's helped get my weekly distance up closer to 20 miles. I want to be in good shape to run my 8K and I really want to run the Great Cow Harbor 10K in the fall. AG is running the Patch Sprint this weekend which is a grueling 12 mile course over the four Pok-O-Patch mountains. The note that accompanies the waiver indicates "IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT YOU WILL DIE BECAUSE MEDICAL PERSONNEL CANNOT PHYSICALLY GET TO YOU IN TIME." Sounds like fun!

Over the river and through the Park

CAMBRIDGE - I got out early today, a little after 6:00 AM, with a goal of running along the Charles River to Boston and back. I ran up Main Street toward the Longfellow Bridge but when I got to it the pedestrian walkway on the outbound side was closed. I changed direction and ran down to the paths that parallel the river along Memorial Drive and followed that to the Harvard Bridge. There were many other runners out at that hour: students, moms with jogging strollers and a few groups of people running together. The weather was cool, dry and overcast - perfect conditions for a run. I crossed over the bridge and ran along the other side toward the Esplanade. I always think about my wife when I'm around that park because she put on a big event at the Hatch Shell when she was at Emerson College.

I continued on my way toward the Longfellow Bridge and crossed back over to the Cambridge side. It was an amazing view and at the mid-point of the bridge I could see both the Boston and Cambridge skylines at once. I ran up Broadway to finish at my hotel. According to the Garmin I ran 3.52 miles (I mapped it on MapMyRun and it was actually 3.59 miles). I only stopped because I had to get ready for my meetings at the Media Lab. The Cambridge to Boston loop is a great, fun run and I'm glad I was able to do it again.

Adventure Girl update: Her Ragner Woodstock-to-Bronx relay team (Have Fun - Go Fast) finished 11th out of 26 in their division. They covered 181.1 miles in 26:47. That's a, 8:52 pace. Very impressive considering it was a team of 12, ranging from 7 to 11 minute milers who each ran three measurable segments in less than a day.

Heading to the Charles

I'm getting ready to leave for another trip to MIT. I have a busy day on Monday but I'm planning to take a little time in the morning to do my favorite run along Memorial Drive in Cambridge. This morning I ran about 4 miles at 9:08. I'm not quite sure why my pace has slipped back over 9:00 but it has. I've been concentrating on distance and less on speed but all the same I feel like I'm pushing pretty well. I tried to calibrate the Garmin this morning using the automatic feature. It didn't quite work out but I believe I've managed to get it back to spec through manual adjustment.

Only three weeks until the New Hyde Park 8K. I wish they'd put the online registration up on the site already!

This week's Sedentary Man

Last weekend Sedentary Man did the unthinkable: he moved his daughter into a walkup apartment with eight flights of stairs. SM discovered a lot about himself, most importantly that riding an exercise bike doesn't prepare you for 17 consecutive trips up the stairs carrying heavy objects. Read this week's column...

Thanks coach

Over the past nine months I've put some serious time and energy towards running and fitness. It's been a great experience and the benefits are clear. Although running is a form of voluntary suffering, I'd define it as a good kind of pain. Unlike my first attempt at serious running, I've been careful to minimize elements that de-motivate me (unrealistic expectations, unfavorable running conditions, unstructured monitoring of progress) and instead focus on those things that promote my interest. A big part of that is the guidance I've received from other, more experienced runners who have helped me set my goals and expectations.

Among those who have brought me along are my friends CK and CMcC who are both accomplished runners who have competed for decades and probably have over a dozen marathons between them. They are both low-key athletes who are long past the surface level fascination with the sport. They don't need a GPS to tell them how far or how fast they've run. They know what works and what doesn't, how to train and how to avoid injury. They are generous in their advice and I listen closely. I am fortunate to have a shortcut to progress. Another big source of valuable information is Adventure Girl, my work colleague and running partner. Although I have some years on her I am definitely the student when it comes to running. She's helped me set expectations and has given me great encouragement over all these months. Her guidance on choosing running gear has been extremely valuable, as has the coaching she's given to me as I prepared for my first races. AG will soon reduce the amount of time she'll spend at the office as she starts her Master's studies at Yale in a few months. The good news is that she'll be part of my team for the next two years. That's great because I still have lots of learning to do.

I have a new coach and he is very focused on my training program. He's my 9 year old son and he's taken it upon himself to design a daily training program for me. On his own he's structured a schedule that includes tempo runs, cross training and distance runs. He tells me things like "Daddy, if you want, you can trade a distance run for a trail run next weekend." When I come home from a long run and tell him I ran 4 miles he'll say, "That's very good, next time you can do 5." He's tough but fair. If I follow his program I'm sure I'll be in great shape for my June 7th 8K. In addition, both my wife, who's been active since I've known her, and my daughter, who is a natural athlete and runs with me occasionally, have been there for me throughout my return to running. They encourage my activity and indulge my interest. Most importantly, they always make sure I never leave the house for a run dressed too weird for public viewing.

This morning I ran 5.3 miles (Gmap verified) at 9:08 although my Garmin under-counted by almost 5%. I can accept the variance but it's annoying that sometimes it over counts and other times it under-counts within a 5% range. I guess I'll need to put it through the manual calibration process to get it as close as it was prior to the battery and shoe switch.

I've been monitoring Adventure Girl's progress through Twitter and they are on the last cycle of the race (12 runners each running 3 legs). The last Tweet is from an hour ago when she was about to start her third and final run, 6.7 miles, just in time for rain. Sounds like the team is doing well and tracking to pace. 182 miles in 24 hours. That will be something to reflect on when they're done. For now it's probably just a lot of work.