6 mile loop has its ups and downs

This was a very long week and Friday was a busy day. I didn't mind the back to back meetings because I knew in the end it would be time for my work-week-ending NYC distance run. I've been working on distance so AG and I decided to run a 6 mile loop in Washington Heights that winds through Ft. Tryon Park, past the Cloisters, along the Hudson and over the GW Bridge and back. The weather was partly sunny and the humidity was high so I knew it would get hot in a hurry. The park was very pretty and the path included lots of switchback paths, some of which passed rock walls that people can climb. The air was damp but without direct sun it was bearable. At one point we were headed in the direction of the GWB that was off in the distance, then the path switched in the opposite direction and I realized how far we would have to run to complete this course.

Once we were headed directly toward the GWB we passed a number of interesting places. AG pointed out where George Washington and his troops crossed the Hudson after trekking all the way from Brooklyn. She also pointed out some architectural elements like stone arches and an old carriage road. We passed a structure that faced our path and the Hudson on the other side. It consisted of columns and a roof that was in tough shape but could be beautiful with some restoration. I joked that it looked like the Parthenon. At one point we passed a spot where we could see the outer wall of a high overhead pass and AG told me that the yoga photos from her Running Gone Wild page were taken there. I couldn't believe that because the the narrow wall looks down to a substantial drop to the West Side highway. I again understood why we nicknamed her Adventure Girl.

We continued along until we reached the bridge but the way it's set up we needed to run up a very steep hill for a few blocks before cutting over to the pedestrian entrance to the bridge. Once on the bridge we went up and down a couple stairwells before we zipped along the length of the GWB and back. The breezes helped combat the heat and the run across to NJ and back seemed to go by quickly. The view off the bridge was much clearer than the previous time we'd run there and I appreciated the perspective. In all we covered 6 miles, much of it including hills more challenging than those on my usual Long Island routes. It felt great, even with the humidity, and I'm happy to know that I can cover 6 miles under those conditions without significant problems or suffering. I'll be on vacation this coming week and I hope to do a few long distance runs, possibly even breaking my current distance record of 6.63 miles. My window for running this morning is closing as the bad weather moves in so I'll go out pretty soon.

Although the past week had lots of stress points I'm pleased that the run took the edge off things so well. Maybe there's something to this running thing after all...

Silence is golden

During my last race I noticed a number of runners were running with music players strapped to their arm or hung around their neck. I know that many people listen to music while they run and if it works for them, great. It's a personal decision and I'm sure it can be inspiring to attack an imposing hill or forcing yourself to do that extra mile accompanied by an energetic soundtrack.

I choose not to run with music for a few reasons. First, I find it distracting. For me the best thing about running is that it transports me to a quiet place where I can think - or not - as I move along. I've written about running at 4:00 AM and how much I enjoy the silence of that experience. Second, the need to wear ear buds as I run is a big annoyance. The one time that I tried it the tugging from the ear buds bothered me so much that I pulled them off and tossed them away. Fortunately I was on a treadmill so I could do that. When I saw those other runners listening to music while competing it made me think they were less serious about their commitment to the run. This is a race people!

Lest you think I'm some kind of hyper judgmental person I'll concede that music can be a great companion for some. Perhaps those in the race were using the music to help them focus. I know there is a Nike+ iPod app that coaches you as you run. Maybe these iPod wearers were actually doing it for competitive advantage. I will be getting an iPhone soon, primarily for business related research. I am thinking about whether I would try the MapMyRun or other location aware applications that use the GPS signal to communicate speed, distance and other metrics in real time. If I did that would I also consider listening to some music since I'm lugging the thing around anyway? I'm thinking I wouldn't but you never know.

The running clothes make the man

There's something very motivating to me about running gear. Walking through the running sections at City Sports, Paragon and even Target sparks a desire to buy something and then immediately go running. Those who know me understand how much I usually dislike clothes shopping. Every weekend my wife suggests that I go get some "clothes that fit me." I almost never do because I find it tedious. But if she suggested that I go spend the day looking for running gear I'd be out the door in an instant.

Last night I placed my morning running gear on the bed in the guestroom. Just seeing it this morning generated excitement and anticipation of a run. There's something about putting it all together: the running shorts, HRM, Garmin watch, jersey, socks, shoes, vest, hat, headlamp and tail light makes it seem purposeful. I recall having the same feeling getting ready before a hockey game or karate class.

The whole process of preparing for my 4:00 AM run is becoming more efficient. I still get a thrill watching my garage door rise up slowly to show the early morning scene of mist highlighted by house lights, everything quiet save for the sound of a few sprinkler systems and an occasional bird chirping. I usually do some quick warm-up exercises to minimize the initial pain and stiffness I'm still feeling from my right leg. Then, with a push of a button on the Garmin, I get a jolt of excitement and start to run.

I'll admit that these early morning runs feel easier that those I do later in the day. It may be the cool air or the fact that I'm not fully awake but it feels almost like I'm riding rather than running. That may be a reason why my pace times have been a bit slow since I started this routine. Today I tried to keep my pace brisk and I felt as though I was moving fast through the run and especially near the end when I poured it on. I was surprised to see the Garmin report that I'd run 9:12 for 2.4 miles. I was convinced that I was running at least 8:50 and even faster on the last half mile. Well 9:12 is certainly better than yesterday's 9:40 pace so I'm heading in the right direction. The only thing better than putting on the gear is taking it off after a good run and celebrating with a cup of coffee while the world is still asleep.

SSD: Short slow distance

So much of running involves training: intervals, tempo runs, hill work and other exercises that can make you a better runner. Doing these things will help make you run faster and be more competitive and the harder you work (within reason) the better level of fitness you will attain.

I appreciate all that and while my dedication to hard workouts falls short of many I will step it up for a race. In the meantime I'm discovering that recreational running is equally important in terms of self motivation. What's the difference between recreational running and training? For one thing, when running for fun the only reason I check my Garmin is to monitor the time I've been out on the road. I purposely avoid toggling the controls to look at pace, distance or heart rate. In these cases it's often a surprise at the end to see how far and how fast I ran. Most of the time I'll see that I'd run slower than I thought. Still, it's okay because I enjoyed the experience.

After about 10 months of dedicated running I am now able to run for fun. My starting struggles from months past have largely disappeared and I have enough stamina to go some miles before the suffering starts. This morning I awoke with a lot on my mind. I have some stress weighing on me right now. I have tremendous support from my family and that helps a lot. As I prepared to go outside for a run I thought about what I wanted to do in terms of distance and speed. I thought that by running hard I might clear my head of some stress. When I got outside and started to run I noted that my right leg was still hurting and I moderated my pace to minimize strain. I took it easy hoping that once I'd warmed up the pain would go away. The conditions outside were perfect, both cool and dry. My energy level was high and the neighborhood was quiet and peaceful. Although my leg felt better a few minutes into the run I decided to maintain a comfortable pace and just enjoy the ride.

When I got home I saw that I'd covered 2.1 miles at about a 9:40 pace. I'm sure my slow start contributed to that. But it didn't matter at all. I felt great and was ready to face a tough day. Running short slow distance served me well today.

Going for distance

After covering almost 15 miles since Friday afternoon I decided to skip my usual Monday elliptical workout and give myself a rest this morning. Between Friday and this Sunday I ran a total of 15 miles, the longest distance I've run within that time period. I've definitely increased my weekly mileage in the last couple of months but I'm still averaging about 2.75 miles per day. I try to do a couple of longer runs (right now defined as 3 miles or more) on the weekends and my weekday schedule limits my morning workouts to less than 25 minutes. I typically average around 2 miles for those runs.

I'm getting better at running longer distances but the work week doesn't provide too much opportunity for that. Through city running I've been able to incorporate a longer weekday run into my schedule so between that, a rest day and my elliptical workouts I only have two "short run" days. I would be interested in expanding those two milers into three milers but I refuse to get up any earlier than 4:00 AM to do that. The only other way to do it is to run a lot faster!

In terms of distance I'm looking ahead to October when I hope to compete in the Cape Cod Marathon in Falmouth , MA. I'm in no way capable of running a marathon or even a half but they offer a five segment relay and I can probably handle 11 miles when it's broken up in some way.  I have a friend who runs marathons (he did Boston in April) who could possibly join me. AG is game to run some longer routes and she has other friends that are likely to compete. It's supposed to be a beautiful course. More to come on that.

I'm happy with my decision to forgo exercise today. I don't want to over-train and I'm expecting to do another Friday through Sunday long distance span. Tomorrow I plan to hit the road at 4:00, headlamp on.

11K is my Sunday best

I had high hopes for a 6+ mile run on Saturday but I only had time for 3.8 miles. Still, that meant at least 8 miles covered between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. AG told me she did 7.5 miles on Saturday and that inspired me to try for at least six today. My prior distance record was 5.95 miles, a point of frustration for me because I ran that with a poorly calibrated Garmin and I thought I had exceeded 6 miles on that run. I set off today armed with both the QStarz Sports Recorder and my Garmin 50 with a goal of running more than six miles.

After the first few minutes of slight pain from my right leg I felt good and I had plenty of energy for a long run. I made my way to neighborhood #2 to build some miles, and exited at the 3 mile mark as I made my way along the southern service road. I copied part of my route from Saturday but in an expanded loop and ran along the busy road that frames the western side of my neighborhood and meets Jericho Turnpike that parallels the north side.  I intended to exit into my neighborhood at the same place as I did yesterday but as I crested the hill I turned in sooner so I could run some less traveled side roads and accumulate more distance. I was pleased when I reached 5 miles because I knew that it would be at least one more mile until I reached home. I had a fleeting thought about running 7 miles but I thought that would be a fun milestone to break in the future. As I came around toward the middle school I saw that I had gone over a half mile past 6 and I followed a path that I know is exactly .25 miles from my driveway. As I ran by that point I noted my distance so I could benchmark the accuracy of the Garmin on this run. I still had plenty of energy when I reached my house and noted that I had covered exactly .25 miles from my marked spot so I had confidence in what the Garmin was reporting.

As I reviewed the run on the watch display I saw that I covered 6.62 miles (11K) at a pace of 9:12. I was very pleased by that. I did not look at pace data once through my run though I did think about moving along a little faster from time to time. I know I could have run a little faster at the end though I'm not confident I could have broken 9:00. Maybe. Overall it was a great run and I'm icing my quadricep with the Moji that is really a nice thing to have. My data from the QStarz was a little wacky, the GPS was confused at the beginning of the run so the distance didn't match. The additional data, like elevation is really nice to have. The Imperial measurement and the bias toward kilometers instead of miles is annoying because the interface doesn't give you good tools to modify these things. The exported XML file uses kilometers so while its great to see your speed every 30 seconds or so on the map you have to translate it yourself into miles.

AG and I are planning on a 6.2 mile run next Friday so I'm glad I got this one under my belt. A new distance record for the Emerging Runner. I'm halfway to a half marathon!

Faced the past, had a blast

Yesterday me and AG did our usual end of the week run in Central Park. We returned to the Bridle trail in Central Park that we ran a few months ago. That previous run was difficult for me. I wore a non-breathable rain jacket and between the heat from that plus the very giving mud-caked trail I had a hard time with pace and distance. Much has improved since then, the weather was cooperative but very warm and the trail was in much better shape than before. We ran the trail and circled the reservoir for a total distance of 4.6 miles (per Garmin) and 4.2 miles (per Central Park map). It was a great run. We didn't push ourselves and while our pace was moderate we had quite the workout. I was also able to carry on a conversation with a minimum of huffing and puffing. That may have had more to do with our pace than my fitness but I'll take it. Near the end AG decided to step up her pace and I watched her take off at a speed I could not match. I did try to keep her in my sight and though she finished well ahead I didn't embarrass myself.

This morning I switched my plans for a Bethpage run because the US Open has taken over that location. I was pressed for time so I did a 3.8 mile run in my neighborhood. I took a different route than normal and followed the western and northern boundaries of the neighborhood running parallel to a couple of major roads. The northern section has a decent hill that gave me pause but turned out to be much easier than I'd anticipated. I tested the QStarz sports recorder for the first time and was knocked out by the rich amount of information that it provided (click on the above picture to see an example of how it interfaces with Google Earth). I'm going to live with it for a couple of weeks and then post a full review on Runner's Tech Review. I'll use it again tomorrow when I hope to cover at least 5 miles.

Announcing the Expanded Emerging Runner

I am pleased to announce two new blogs from the Emerging Runner: Running Gone Wild, Adventure Girl's monthly column which covers fun and challenging activities that contribute to better running. This month's column is about Yoga and I even learned a few things. Also new is a blog called Runner's Tech Review that will review running technologies, running gear and nutritional products that enhance the running experience. You'll find a review of the Moji Knee icing system as well as our first review of MixMyGranola. As always, every week Sedentary Man shares his perspective on activity, motivation and life in general. I hope you enjoy these new features.

I used to run but...

Okay, I talk about running a lot. It's a great subject for casual conversation, especially with people you don't know well. While it might be dangerous to discuss politics or religion with acquaintances, mentioning that you run usually evokes the following responses:

1. I run too. What pace/distances do you run?

2. I run a couple of times a week. That's often followed by "but it's been a while since I've actually run."

3. Oh, I can't run. It's so boring.

4. I used to run but...

- My knees couldn't take it.
- I don't have time anymore.
- I realized I hated it.
- I wasn't any good at it.
- It was too much of a commitment
- I couldn't stay motivated.
- Now I swim, bike, weight train, etc.

Every once in a while mentioning running will spark enough interest to get people to try it. More than one person has told me they've taken up running (curiously it's often via the treadmill) after I've mentioned what I do. I still get "You've lost weight, how did you do that?" from people whom I haven't seen for a while. People love to talk about fitness and diet and they like hearing how small changes in both can make a real difference.

I don't try to convince people to run and I try to avoid the fanatic zealotry that often comes from those who find great satisfaction from athletic activities. Like I said before, it's best to avoid conversations about religion.

Hold the pace, improve your race

I heard from my friend and running advisor, CK, after I'd posted about last Sunday's 8K race. He was convinced that my stamina issue was related to the pace I'd maintained over the first three miles. My initial reaction was to debate this because I'd maintained the same pace pretty successfully in both my 4 miler in April and my 5K in May. But I think he was right. I know I can run a 5K at 8:33 and a 4 mile race at 8:50. Add another mile to that and I finished last Sunday's 8K with a 9:00 pace. So clearly my performance degrades with each mile after the first three.

I was only passed by one or two people in the 5K and that happened in the final 400 meters to the finish line. I was passed by a lot more people in the final mile of the 4-mile race and in miles 4 and 5 of the 8K. I experienced more than one "Where did they come from?" moment in reaction to hearing fast footsteps behind me as we moved toward the end of the race..

CK said that holding back on your pace is an effective race strategy, especially for a 5 mile distance. Perhaps, instead of 8:25,  if I'd maintained closer to an 8:50 to 9 minute pace through the first three miles I'd have had enough in reserve to pass instead of being passed. It's worth testing that theory. This weekend I'm planning to try one of my long runs starting at a moderate pace and then start increasing my speed as I get closer to the end.

I may find that this helps or that I'm simply losing significant energy after 4 or 4 miles due to a need to improve my level of conditioning. But when accomplished runners like CK give me advice, I listen.

4:00 AM float

The skies were clear at 3:55 AM as I rose this morning, sleepy but excited to run outdoors. Every day I have the same reaction to the alarm: surprise that it's time to get up and incredulity that I'll be running in less than 10 minutes. When I run on the treadmill, or use the elliptical, the bright lights of the guestroom prepare me for athletic activity. Once I'm on those machines I'm fully engaged. It might as well be 4:00 in the afternoon at that point. Going from the darkness of the house to the darkness outside is a different story.

When I exited my house this morning equipped with headlamp and reflective vest I was struck by the way my neighborhood looked. There was a light mist, not quite fog, and palpable quiet. The darkness was peaceful and the streets looked inviting. As I made my way up the road the action of running felt effortless. It was almost as if I was still in bed while my body was outside doing this run.

My plan was to run about 2 miles to allow me to stay on schedule. I tried to maintain a brisk pace as I remembered my previous 4:00 AM run when the darkness made me think I was running faster than my actual speed. I monitored my time and distance on the Garmin and the Petzl Tikka Plus headlamp did a great job illuminating the watch and everything in my path. I tried to pick up the pace even more on my last stretch and when I finished the run I saw that I had covered 2.16 miles in a little less than 20 minutes. The Garmin showed this as a 9:17 overall pace which seemed a bit slow. I Gmapped it and confirmed that distance so the illusion of speed continues.

Like the first time, the experience of running this early was extremely satisfying and fun. I didn't encounter a single car or person this time. I wouldn't say the run was effortless but the cool air and light breezes felt great and counteracted the moisture in the air. The run was more like a float, part of that was due to not being fully awake by the time I hit the street. It sure beats the treadmill as a start of day activity. I can't wait to do it again.

Petzl postponement

I awoke this morning to the sounds of pounding rain and thunder. The room was illuminated by flashes of lightning and I knew there would be no outdoor workout today. I grabbed my morning cup and fired up the treadmill instead of heading outside with my new headlamp and reflective vest. My prior experience running at 4:00 AM was really nice and I had high hopes of doing that today. I visited Paragon in Union Square at lunch time yesterday and bought an AG- approved Petzl Tikka Plus headlamp and Nathan reflective vest. Last night I tried it all on for size and went to bed anticipating a peaceful circuit through the streets of my neighborhood. That will need to wait until tomorrow.

After Sunday's 8K race I decided to take a rest day to recover from that run. I knew, no matter what, that I would run today. My relationship with the treadmill has deteriorated - I don't like it and it doesn't like me. The display usually quits about a mile into a run so I depend on my Garmin for performance and timing data. I started at a comfortable pace and thought about maintaining that rate throughout the duration of the run. I wanted to cover at least two miles in my limited time so I pushed the speed slider further to the right and went with that. It was very hot in the guest room but that didn't bother me as much as I would have expected. In fact I enjoyed the run and finished with an overall pace of 8:57.

I'm really hoping for clear skies tomorrow morning. I much prefer the cool morning air and the quiet of dawn to the percussive noise from the treadmill. But I have to admit that the treadmill came through for me today: day one of training for my next race.