A little Sole and a lot of X1

My BH Fitness X-1

Today's workout: Treadmill and elliptical, 26 minutes

I haven't been on the elliptical for a while so I thought I'd return to using it this morning for a change of pace. I prefer running over most other workout options but I also recognize the benefits of cross training. The elliptical, with its no impact motion, along with some upper body resistance, provides a good workout. As a bonus, it's user powered so it operates fairly quietly compared to other gym equipment. As I prepared for my session I couldn't ignore our Sole F63 treadmill that now operates correctly since a technician realigned the belt and replaced the motor last week. I had not used the machine since this work was done so I was a little curious to re-experience running on the now-stable unit. I decided to run for about five minutes, just to confirm that the belt slipping had truly been cured. I hit the 6 MPH button and started running, edging the speed up to about 6.7 after a minute. The treadmill worked fine but I wasn't enjoying the experience at all. Unlike my wife who is able to focus daily for 45 minutes on this machine I could not wait to stop. No matter, with all the rain we're expecting this weekend I'll likely be spending a lot more time on it in the coming days.

After about five minutes I switched over to the elliptical, setting the resistance to generate 75 watts (medium high) and starting at a fairly fast pace. The treadmill warm-up helped me get to speed quickly and I continued for about 21 minutes. I've said before that the elliptical provides a deceptively effective workout. It doesn't seem as hard as running but the sweat index is often greater. I've compared my heart rate between a treadmill run and an elliptical session (of the same perceived level of effort) and noticed running definitely provides a more elevated pulse rate. Different benefits and different effects. That's why we cross train. I'm due to run in the city tomorrow with a friend (weather permitting) and I have a Central Park run scheduled with another friend, CK, on Tuesday. That walk in Central Park on Monday made me wish I was running that run/bike loop. Next week I'll finally get to do it.

My iPad moment

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles at 9:19/mile

I have not been one of those people in the media technology world who view the iPad as the Thing That Will Save Publishing. My iPhone experience has been occasionally frustrating and inconsistent but I still wouldn't go back to the Blackberry. Unlike others I know (e.g., Sedentary Man), I refused to buy an iPad because I didn't understand it from either a value or utility perspective. Imagine my surprise yesterday when my IT person stopped by with a white box containing a shiny new iPad, courtesy of the CIO. The first thing I did was boot it up and look at The Emerging Runner on the browser (no Flash - argh!). The second thing I did was go to iTunes to see if they had any interesting running apps. Not much there. AG kidded me that I really shouldn't run with it (besides there's no GPS!). I was going to use the iPad to write today's post but I found it difficult to position the tablet and type within the confined space of an LIRR train seat. I'm hoping that this tablet will find its place in my technology portfolio. More to come on the iPad/running intersection as things develop.

Although I bought a new armband to carry my iPhone on my runs to record time and distance, I still haven't used it. The Garmin FR60 is proving to be a great purchase, capturing everything but a a route map and elevation. It's a much better running watch than the 50 that it replaced. I went out this morning with temperatures reported to be in the middle 30's so I wore an additional layer over my long sleeve tech shirt and was glad I did. I forgot to wear gloves and my hands froze the entire time I was running. I have to believe it was closer to freezing than the posted 36 degrees. The run felt fine, energy level was good and I tried to push it a little near the end. That didn't translate into a fast pace overall but the handy run report on the Garmin confirmed that I did negative splits after mile one. I'm planning to return to the treadmill tomorrow since the weather may be iffy and I haven't used the new machine since it's been fixed. I have plans to run in the city on Friday, weather permitting.

Runner's envy in Central Park

Today's run (street): 2.4 miles at 9:06

I didn't run yesterday but I took a three mile walk at lunchtime to Central Park. My route followed the lower loop and I included a few side paths as well. It was perfect weather for walking, bright and sunny, but cool enough for me to be comfortable in my suit jacket and tie. I watched enviously as runners, cyclists and in-line skaters passed by. I really wished I was running on the bike path rather than walking along the pedestrian strip. The park was filled with people, but my surroundings had a quiet (but positive) feel. Central Park is truly an oasis within mid-town Manhattan and I wanted to spend more time on my walk but I really needed to head back for a meeting. The only negative was that all that walking was rough on the bottom of my feet and I was in a little pain by the time I'd returned to the office.

This morning I went out for my first run since Sunday's race. Due to resting for two days prior and one day after the race, I've only run about 10 miles over the last seven days. It was great getting out at 4:00 AM but it felt far chillier than the 49 degrees that the local Long Island television station reported. I was concerned that the irritation from yesterday's walk would have a negative impact on today's run but with a good pair of socks and my trusty GTS 10's, I had no issues at all. I started my run on a street with a slight (~2%) elevation and re-lived the running of the big hill on Sunday. Of course today's challenge was shorter and far less steep. It was just enough to get my body temperature to a comfortable place and I headed into the next series of roads, listening for the chirp that would tell me I'd passed my first mile. I encountered no cars and the only sounds were birds (and my Garmin) chirping, interrupted occasionally by the clattering sound of a lawn sprinkler. I felt I ran harder than normal and ended up averaging 9:06 per mile, which is a good pace for me at that early hour.

Note: I want to give a shout out to my friend FS who also raced on Sunday (NYRR "Run as One" 4 miler). She maintained an impressively fast pace (low 9:00's) - a possible PR for that distance.

Does race pace matter?

Posted results from yesterday's race

Today's workout: Post race rest day

I know I sometimes get too caught up in the metrics of running and miss seeing the forest for the trees. However, I know that capturing, aggregating and analyzing performance data helps motivate me to run every chance that I get. Yesterday I was prepared to end up with a middling overall race pace once I passed the mile 1 checkpoint at 9:29. That was disappointing because I always look forward to races providing a 20-30 second per mile improvement over training paces. When I passed mile 2 I heard the race official calling out times in the 17:00's and knew I was making my way back to goal pace. When I heard "25 minutes!"  shortly before the race-ending hill I was convinced I'd end up well below expectations. Ultimately, I did fine. Compared to the paces I've run recently, 8:41 is darn good. But it didn't seem so at the time.

I know running is about health, community, experience and fun. How fast you go depends upon your physical abilities and your conditioning. But a race is really about speed and competition. Some people take a different approach and view races as an opportunity for a shared experience. Their pace and finish times don't matter. For them, it's about the journey, not the destination. I sometimes wish it didn't matter whether I broke 8:30 or if I ended up in the 9:00 minute range. I know myself well enough that if it weren't for goals, targets and PR hopes I wouldn't work as hard to prepare for races. The health benefits I get from running come from all that work. All the same, I still enjoy a long, easy, slow run on a cool Sunday morning as much as anyone. But on race day, for me, it's all about the numbers.

Marcie Mazzola was 5K of fun, hills nonwithstanding

Today's run: 5K (race) at 8:41 per mile

Sometimes you do everything right and things still don't go quite the way you'd hoped - no 5K PR today. All the same, I ran the Marcie Mazzola Foundation 5K at a decent clip and had a far better experience with the hills than I did last year. Compared to 2009, I did a little better in terms of pace (8:41 vs. 8:50) but the shorter length gave me an advantage there. In terms of other 5Ks, I ran my slowest one today (prior 5K's were at 8:28 and 8:19 respectively). Some of that can be explained by the fact that the large crowd (600 starters) was squeezed into a fairly narrow starting area and being that far back probably cost me 20 seconds overall. I can't use that as an excuse because most races have that issue. I can blame myself for a slow start though. Knowing that the big hill would be coming quickly after the gun, I maintained a fairly modest pace for the first quarter mile and held that pace until I crested the hill. My first mile split was "officially" 9:29 (9:09 really, because I started recording with the Garmin when I reached the starting line, not at the gun). I picked up speed after the hill and did my second mile at 8:21 and my third at 8:28. Along the way the FR60 was chirping constantly telling me that I was behind my target pace or that my pace was in range. It also chirped at the mile splits. It was all helpful but a little noisy!

The race itself went by quickly and before I knew it we were crossing Main Street and running around Heckscher Park on our way to the end. The routing was a little different than last year but the final hill remained. I didn't love seeing it but I knew I could handle it and still have the energy to finish strong. The finish line was located perpendicular to last year's and the final approach was downhill. I crossed the line at 26:55, happy to see my wife and kids clapping and cheering. It was my eighth race in less than one year (Marcie Mazzola was held on April 19th last year) and my third 5K. I felt like a ran a pretty good race, ending up in the top quarter of registrants and the top third of finishers. However, I didn't place in my age division. I ran into a neighbor who also ran today. He's getting back into running after many years away and he beat 30 minutes which was his goal.

The temperature was in the high 40's and I dressed appropriately, keeping sweats and a warm-up jacket on until close to the start. I'm thinking that my next race will be the LI Marathon 10K that happens in early May. There are a number of other local races happening in April, May and June so I'll consider those as well before I commit. It was a pretty good way to spend a sunny spring Sunday morning with my family and a good workout after two days of rest.

Goody (bag) to go for the Marcie Mazzola 5K

Today's workout: Rest day, again

Well I'm down to just hours before the Marcie Mazzola Foundation 5K race on Sunday and I'm ready to run. The idea of taking two rest days prior to a race is sound but I miss running, especially on a sunny spring day like today. This morning Team Emerging Runner headed to Northport, NY to pick up the race t-shirt and gift bag. Like last year, the Cow Harbor Running and Fitness store hands out the bags the day before. Although I could have just picked it up tomorrow when I get my race number we decided to go today, primarily because it was an excuse to visit this pretty town on the water. In addition, Cow Harbor Running is a very nice running store and I LIKE running stores!

When we arrived, Nancy Mazzola, who runs the Foundation and manages the race, was there chatting with Lauren, one of the store owners.  We talked with them about the race, the expected turnout, the big hill, and why the length of the race has changed. The new route avoids some traffic control difficulties and the 5K length may attract more runners than a 4 mile race. We stayed for a while looking at shoes and gear. The store sells Etonic, Pearl Izumi, Newton and Zoot shoes. They have a much broader line of the PI's than I've seen elsewhere and I've always been interested in trying their stability models but you don't see them much in stores. Perhaps I'll try them out the next time I need to replace my road shoes. Of course it would take a lot to move me away from Brooks!

I'm ready as I'm going to be for tomorrow. People can still sign up tomorrow at the race location. It's a great event for a good cause.  

16 hours and 50 minutes and counting...

Strategic thinking for Sunday's 5K

Today's workout: Resting for 4/11 race

My new PDO armband

What a difference a week makes in terms of running gear. I now have a fully functional running watch (Garmin FR60) that's a real improvement over the 50 that it replaced. I bought a new PDO iPhone armband that seems much more durable than the iLUV model that fell apart after only being used a few dozen times. Most importantly, our Sole treadmill belt slip issue has been fixed so I can now run at faster speeds without worrying about straying too far right on the belt tread. Ironically, I'll need to wait until after Sunday to try out the repaired machine because I'm not planning on doing any running until 8:30 AM on Sunday.

I've been thinking about my racing strategy and I looked to my post about last year's event to help prepare me for the conditions. The thing I worry about most is THE BIG HILL. It took me by surprise last year and I clearly had not done the right amount of training to prepare me for the length of this monster (1/2 mile). I've done a fair number of hill runs over the last month and I'm hoping this conditioning has prepared me for what's to come. In the six races I have have run since last year's Marcie Mazzola race I have learned to moderate my pace for the first mile and not get sucked into the stream of fast moving early starters. I expect to be fatigued somewhat from the hill so I'll conserve more energy than the last time I did this race. This year the race distance is 5K, not 4 miles, so I'm hoping to push the speed a little more near the end. I anticipate that temperatures will be in the high 40's to low 50's at start time so I'm planning to run in short sleeves and racing shorts. Heat is my (and most people's) kryptonite so I'll do everything I can to minimize that issue.

Am I over thinking my strategy? Should I just get out there and run and figure it out as I go? It's hard to say whether a defined strategy makes big difference. I know that in business, when I do a public presentation, the work I do to prepare always pays off and things sometimes go badly when I wing it. I've had more negative racing experiences when I failed to think through the the various elements: weather, course, pacing, etc. I prefer to error on the side of over-strategizing and I'll know soon enough whether it made a difference.

How many furlongs is a 5K?*

Today's workout (street run): 2.4 miles at 9:21/mile

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from my friend and financial advisor who was asking whether our run on Friday was still on. We had talked about running the West Side bike path on Friday but I told him I'd prefer to try for Thursday instead because I'm abstaining from running after today. I explained that I wanted to be well rested for Sunday's race. He laughed and said it sounds like I'm talking about a racehorse and I said that a bag of oats and a leg massage certainly wouldn't hurt my chances. We ended up rescheduling for a week from this Friday.

I know it seems unnecessary to rest two full days prior to a short race like Sunday's 5K. However, I'll argue that 5K's require more prior rest than longer races because the pace is faster and more anaerobic. In two of my 2009 races I ran with either one or no day's rest and my performance took a hit as a result. This morning I did my last training run and was once again pleased with the Garmin FR60. I had set the watch to signal when my pace slowed past a certain threshold (10 min per mile) and I made sure I moved along so I wouldn't be subjected to the scolding chirp from the Garmin. Happily I avoided that (except once, just as I'd started the run). I really liked the splits alert that told me when I'd passed another mile. It's very helpful to have this feature, especially for the fact that the run summary details each mile's individual pace. I'm aiming for negative splits on Sunday, especially with that big hill to face at the beginning.

Today's morning run was good. My pace was non-competitive but okay for 4:00 AM. Sunday's race starts at 8:30 AM and that fits well into my 8:00 AM-10:00 AM window when I do my best running. Cool dry weather is predicted for Sunday morning. I hope that prediction holds.

*24.8

Liking the Garmin FR60 (so far)

Today's workout (treadmill): 2.2 miles with 2% to 5% incline

As planned, I used today's run to complete my hill training for Sunday's race. Until the new treadmill is repaired tomorrow (I'm really hoping a replacement motor will remedy the belt slips) I'm being careful not to run at faster speeds on the machine. I set a pace just below 6 MPH and pushed the incline steadily up to 5%, starting first with 2% and adding a percentage point every couple of minutes until I reached 5. Even at a slower pace, running a 5% grade was hard work. Near the end I brought the incline down to 0 and ran the last couple of minutes around 6.8 MPH. I received my Garmin FR60 yesterday and put it to work today. It was great to see it sync up with my FR 50's foot pod and while the interface on the FR60 is still fairly opaque it's an improvement over its predecessor. Once I understood the menus and navigation I realized that FR60 has some very nice features that the 50 lacked, such as automatic capture of split times. I'll need to calibrate the FR60 because its distance numbers weren't aligned with the treadmill's but I've also been suspicious of the treadmill's accuracy and that could be related to the motor problem.

The FR60 has something called "Race Mode" that sounds interesting. I plan to look online at the expanded manual to understand what that means and how it differs from normal training mode. Tomorrow I plan to go out for a regular run to finish my training for the race. I feel good and I did very well with the inclines. Although my pace was modest the effort was not. Based upon the summary metrics, adjusting for the incline (per my chart) I averaged an equivalent of 9:00 per mile on a flat course. I'm happy with that since I usually reduce my normal pace by 20-30 seconds per mile on race day.

My 500th post!

Today's workout: 2 mile tempo at 8:41 per mile

It's hard to believe but today's post is the 500th since I started The Emerging Runner in 2008. I like having a bit of history to look back upon. My original goal for this blog was for it to be a journal of my experience returning to running. I do use it for that and I find it helpful to occasionally look back on what I was doing a year ago to see if I've made any progress or if I'm looking at running differently. I'd say there's been progress and my view of running hasn't changed a bit. Both good things.

With all my hill work and trail running over the last week I felt that I needed to do a more speed-focused workout today. Last night I mapped a run that measured exactly 2 miles that I planned to cover at 5K race pace. One reason I kept the distance down to two miles was to motivate myself to run faster than I normally would at 4 AM. Another reason for the exact two mile route was to quickly compare the distance MotionX was mapping compared to my actual, known distance.

The run went well. I didn't expect to hit a record breaking pace because I generally run about 15 seconds per mile slower at this early hour. The run felt fast and I knew I'd do better than normal (and I did) but I was still disappointed with my 8:41 pace. MotionX, the GPS app I've been using on my iPhone, was again way off. It measured the run at 1.86 miles. It's easy to see why it does that. Looking at the map trace from the GPS signal shows a number of vectored corners and shortened paths that add up to less total distance. This confirmed that the GPS always under-counts distance and today's margin of inaccuracy told me that it was off by 7%. That's disappointing and it's the primary reason that I didn't buy a GPS watch to replace my Garmin 50. I've been told that the Garmin GPS watches are far more accurate than the iPhone but I'll stick to the foot pod for now.

Into the taper

Today's workout: rest day

Self destructing iLUV iPhone armband

My vacation is over but I'm still feeling the benefits of a good eight days of running. While I was off I ran 30 miles and much of that was done on challenging terrain. I'm six days away from my next race, the Marcy Mazzola Foundation 5K, and now in taper mode. After ten hard miles over the weekend and Friday I decided to take my usual rest day today and then use Tuesday through Thursday for my final training. I'll rest this coming Friday and Saturday and then race on Sunday. I'm planning to do an early street run tomorrow on a predetermined course and I'll set my target for a fairly aggressive pace. On Wednesday I'll do a treadmill run with inclines for my last hill training exercise and Thursday will be my last run of the week. I ended up buying the Garmin FR60 and I hope that it comes soon so I can familiarize myself with it before the race. Between the treadmill, my Garmin 50 and my iPhone armband it's been a bad month for running technologies.

$2.22 per mile and worth every penny

Today's run (Bethpage trails): 3.65 miles 

I was hoping that there would be no parking fee to Bethpage State park this morning because of the holiday but the guard was there to collect my $8. In truth, I'm happy to pay for access to this park, especially with all the talk about cutting back on funding to Long Island's State Parks because they don't make enough money. I can't believe the hypocrisy in that. Parks aren't supposed to make money, they are there to provide people with a higher quality of life. Using the same logic perhaps we should close the schools because they are really unprofitable.

I paid my fee and parked in the nearly empty lot. There were a few people out running on the bike paths but I headed straight for the trails. What I remembered about Bethpage was how well they kept the trails and as I entered the main trail head I appreciated the expansive, flat and groomed path in front of me. I initially followed a marked trail that took me in a circle back to the start. I knew that would likely happen but I held hope that this trail would bring me east and north but instead it did the opposite. After entering the woods for a second time I locked onto a trail with blue markings that I followed for close to a mile. This trail was narrow but flat and it twisted and turned a number of times. Along the way the arm band that I've used to carry my iPhone finally gave way and I needed to stop for a moment and fish the device out of clump or sprouting plants. The only other interruption was when a mountain biker came up from behind and I paused to let him by. He was polite and apologetic about it and he should have been since bikes are not allowed on those trails.

I eventually locked onto a trail that I followed along the western perimeter all the way south to the bike path. AG and I had followed part of this trail last summer and exited at the same point, right before a steep hill that goes on for about a quarter mile. I was both annoyed and happy about this. Annoyed because I wasn't pleased to do the work but happy because the rest of my run had taken place on flat terrain and this gave me another chance to practice hill running for next Sunday's race. Once I'd crested the hill I jumped back on the dirt trail and finished my run through the woods. It was a great experience, perfect weather over really fun trails. It's back to business tomorrow but it's been a great week for running. Our treadmill is scheduled to be repaired on the 8th and I'm expecting a new running toy as early as tomorrow. Can you guess what it is?