Revealing an imperfect placebo

Nothing works like the real thing

Today's workout (elliptical): 40 minutes + 15 min light upper body work

It's amazing how easy a moderate elliptical session can feel the day after a long run. Though I've read that the elliptical machine provides a harder workout than perceived, it still seems easier than running the equivalent distance. It certainly did today, and I think I know why.

Following the elliptical, I ran through a series of arm and chest exercises using a device I'd bought at Brookstone a few months ago. The device is short pole that's weighted and sprung in a way that it can be shaken to provide unstable resistance. I think it has something to do with "muscle confusion" that supposedly yields fitness benefits through the technique of constant change. I used the device in the intended way and also used it in the more traditional way, by bending it to build up arm and chest strength.

After I worked out I decided to have a last cup of coffee. It was then that I realized I'd been drinking decaf coffee over the past week. My wife had bought a different brand of decaf (that I usually only drink later in the day when entertaining guests) and I thought it was the fully leaded stuff.

That may explain why I've struggled more than usual in my morning workouts. If that's the case then I probably should be a little concerned about my dependency on caffeine. On the plus side, I did manage to run more than seven miles yesterday with no caffeine. I did not take a single gel or even drink water throughout my 75 minute run. That proves I can deal with having no caffeine in the morning. I'm just happier not to.

Seven hard miles at Bethpage

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 7.25 miles

It wasn't exactly night and day, but today's run went far better than yesterday's struggle on the trails. I really wanted to stay in and skip my run, but my wife pushed me out the door saying that I'd complain all day if I didn't get my run in.

I decided that a long run was in order, so I went out to Bethpage around 9:00 AM.Yesterday I'd confirmed that the park would be open this week. The last time I visited (admittedly many weeks ago), the gates were closed and locked with a sign saying "Park closed to winter sports."

There were only a few cars parked in the big lot so I found a spot near the entrance to the bike trail. I was a little nervous when I started off, concerned that I'd be once again plagued with low energy and sore legs. By the time I reached the top of the first hill, I knew I had enough fuel to get me halfway through my intended seven miles. The question was whether I'd have enough to get me back.

The weather was very nice -- mid 40's, clear and sunny. Being that it was the middle of the week, there weren't too many runners and cyclists, although there were some. I bounded down the big hill knowing that, when I returned later, it would not be so much fun. I always dread that last challenge, especially after many miles of hard running.

Bethpage's bike trail is rolling, with very few flat sections. There are a couple of steep hills to deal with between miles one and two. At least on the way back you get nice downhills when you need them. It's much easier for me to run long distances at Bethpage than almost anywhere else, because it's a linear course and therefore easier to gauge progress.

I felt fine through the first three and a half miles so, after the turnaround, I picked up the pace to get past a group of walkers who had suddenly appeared ahead of me. Taking on seven miles today was a calculated risk because I have not run that distance in months. My current base is closer to four miles and by mile five I was starting to feel fatigued.

There's a point about 1.5 miles from the trail head where the path rises steeply over a short distance. On the way out it's not a problem on fresh legs, but on the way back it can be a struggle. I used my usual technique of pretending I was running downhill which works okay on 2% grades, but not so good on this monster.

I did manage to get over that hill and enjoy a mostly downhill run over the next quarter mile. Still, that final long hill loomed large and I just kept thinking about how good I'd feel once I finished. The hill was as hard as I thought it would be, and only the view of the top and the level road that followed, kept me going.

I finished my run and semi-collapsed in my car's seat, guzzled 20 oz. of water and headed home. Tomorrow I'll take it down a notch and do an elliptical session at an easy pace. Today's run was my longest in months, and it felt very hard. Hopefully it will push my base a little further. The half marathon is in May and I have a long way to go before I'm ready.

Rough time at Stillwell Woods

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 3.1 miles

Some runs are easy and some are not. I can usually predict how I'll perform based upon how I feel before I start. I'm at my best between 7:00-11:00 AM and any time before or after that will rarely yield an extraordinary performance. The worst time for me to run is mid-afternoon, especially after a big lunch.

Knowing this, it won't be a surprise when I say that today's run at Stillwell was:

• Not Fun
• Very difficult
• Disappointing
• De-motivating
• 50% short of my intended goal

I'm on vacation this week, which is great, but there are a lot of things to do while I'm off. I spent most of the morning with the electrician, resolving some long term problems with one of our circuits. This forced me to push my run later in the day. We had also planned a Mexican-themed lunch that may have been a contributing factor in today's poor experience.

I headed to the trails at Stillwell Woods thinking that the rough terrain would provide a great excuse to run only for time, independent of pace. My goal was to go out for an hour and cover whatever distance I could.

I parked near the street, as far from the trail head as I could get. I set off along the paved drive that runs almost a kilometer before reaching the trail. I felt an energy deficit right away but hoped that, once I got going, things would improve.

When I reached the trail I became concerned whether I'd have enough energy to run my intended route. The paths were muddy in parts and I feared that I'd slip on the unstable surface. There was only one other person on the trail when I was running, a mountain biker, who passed me a couple of times in both directions.

I slogged on and did fairly well with the two steep sections that come along halfway through my usual loop. But by the time I reached two miles I felt like I'd done enough. I decided to head back to my car, which meant that I needed to cover just one more mile.

I usually love the experience of running at Stillwell, but today it was tough and uncomfortable. I'm going to blame the time of day and the fact that I had a big lunch prior to my workout. Tomorrow is another day. I'm hoping it will be a better day for running.

C9 has me seeing (and saving) green

Are you green with envy over my quarter zip?

Today was a rest day and I was happy to skip my morning workout. I'm always the first person to support others when they take days off, but I sometimes feel guilty when I do it myself. That's why I like Mondays. About two years ago I decided that resting one day a week would yield a marginal conditioning benefit. So now I'm able to get through my weekly day of rest without feeling like I'm falling down on my training.

My one running related activity happened this morning during a visit to Target. As usual, I stopped by the menswear section where they sell C9, Champion's line of athletic clothing made exclusively for Target. I've bought a fair amount of C9 running clothes over the years because it's priced well and it performs about as well as the middle tier brands. I have had a few jerseys fall apart after heavy use and multiple washings but the ROI still remains high.

Last year I picked up a long sleeve white quarter zip at the end of the season clearance for $10. It has turned out to be a staple in my cold weather running. Today they had the same shirt on sale and I decided to get one in bright green to help provide some visibility when I run in my neighborhood. This year's version seems to be a little beefier than the previous shirt. Hopefully that means I'll get plenty of  use before it starts to show some wear.

Putting in the miles before putting in the rest

Today's run (street): 4.6 miles

My energy level still hasn't rebounded, and the only thing that got me out the door today was the promise of an easy run. Yesterday's workout was surprisingly challenging, telling me that I'm due for some rest. But the lure of the open road was too tempting this morning, so I decided to go out for a run, regardless of the time it would take to cover my distance.

I followed a route by the nearby middle school where I ran by a bunch of guys playing a serious game of flag football. They had parked their cars along the road and I was amused to see both a Maserati and a Maybach among the numerous Honda's and Jeeps. Sunday morning football is the great equalizer. I continued on with the intention of covering four or five miles.

Like last Sunday, I kept my pace easy and ran fairly well. There was an unexpectedly stiff wind coming from the east that made things uncomfortable when I faced it head-on. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's rest day where I can (hopefully) recover enough to take on seven miles mid-week. So much for getting a long run in this weekend. But with a full week of vacation ahead, I should have plenty of opportunity to put in the miles.

Grinding it out on Day One

Today's run (street): 3.8 miles

Day one of vacation is usually an invitation to go out for a long run without thinking about schedules or other restrictions. There's a certain energy that seems to come with a clear mind and deferred business pressure. Today is my first day of vacation, but that energy has thus far eluded me.

As I'd said in prior posts, last week was busy, with lots of meetings and presentations. I looked forward to getting a good night's sleep last night so I'd be fresh today, but I had some trouble getting going this morning. It wasn't until my wife had started her treadmill run and advised me that I needed to be back by a certain time that I put myself in gear and went outside to start today's workout.

Last Saturday I preloaded on carbs, first with a gel, and then some dark chocolate. Subsequently, I ran a pretty good race. I figured what worked then would work today, so I tried the same thing before I went out. But instead of feeling a boost, I just felt draggy.

My first half mile was a struggle, what I'd call a grind, where the purpose of the workout is simply to get through it. I wore a pair of Saucony's (Grid Tangents) that I'd shelved last year in favor of my Hattoris and Mirages, but last Saturday's freezing toes inspired me to make a change. The shoes were fine, but the laces were not. Twice during today's run they came untied.

I followed a route similar to my daily 4:00 AM run but added another mile because I had a little more time. After a while the run became less arduous, but it never felt fun. I was glad to finally finish, pleased that I did my run, but not particularly happy with the experience. My performance wasn't bad, a solid mid-9:00 pace. However, I wouldn't call it great.

Some runs surprise you. You go out expecting trouble and end up experiencing your best run of the week. Other times it's the opposite and you return feeling disappointed. Today was a grind but tomorrow it may be better. I'm hoping that's the case. After all, it is vacation, and the running should be fun.

Running slow has made me faster

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

It was still raining this morning so I opted for another morning's run on the treadmill. I'll admit that my view of treadmill running has changed a lot, for the better, in the last couple of years. I still find it boring, but it does provide a lot of flexibility in the way I choose to run.

I almost always start slowly on my indoor runs. It's a way of easing into the workout, and it allows me to deal with the residual energy debt coming from my recently interrupted sleep. By the end of my run I'm usually clocking about an 8:30 pace, but to get there, I have to increase my speed every five minutes from my starting point.

When I used to practice karate, I understood how good form was more important than how fast I could block or strike my opponent when sparring. My instructor used to say "If you can do it slow, you can do it fast." That's the technique I've followed for the last six months and it's yielded good results. Slow and steady in training -- PR on race day.

The week that won't end

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I've always thought that busy weeks go by quicker than slow ones but that isn't true for this week. Yesterday's schedule was too tight to fit in a workout because I needed to be on a 5:50 AM train. I'm facing similar pressures today but on a normal schedule, so at least I had time for my weekly elliptical session this morning.

I'm on vacation next week and I couldn't be more ready. I'm planning to get some distance runs in during that time and also continue to work on overall speed. I'm hoping that the storm that's predicted on Sunday won't involve snow. I'd be disappointed to have to do vacation runs on the treadmill.

The challenge of fitting in my training miles

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

This is going to be a busy week. In fact, yesterday I didn't even have enough free time to post. This morning I eased back into my running routine with a treadmill workout that seemed to go by very quickly. Perhaps it was the distraction of all the things that I need to to get done that offset the usual tedium of treadmill running.

I've been thinking a lot about my approach to training for the half marathon. Last year I made the mistake of under-training in March and early April and then over-training in the weeks leading up to my race in May. The result was a woeful performance caused both by a knee problem and insufficient conditioning. I'm looking to correct that this year.

Right now I'm aiming to cover at least 90 miles for both March and April. That plan will have me averaging just over 20 miles per week. The key to this will be my weekend runs where I'll have time to cover distances greater than six miles on a single run. I really need to figure out whether the bike trail at Bethpage is open because it provides me the most practical way to stretch out a run of ten or more miles.

This weekend will be the start to this training. Ready or not, here I come.

Reflections on the 2012 Long Beach Snowflake Run

Today's run (street): 3.3 miles

Ran the race, got the t-shirt

Yesterday's 4 mile PR was a nice surprise. I'm hoping it had more to do with my training than the fact that the race is run over a fairly flat course. As always, there are lessons learned after a race. Besides the obvious (don't wear threadbare Hattori's in freezing cold, wet weather) there may be deeper discoveries.

For one thing, I learned that my ideal pacing for a four mile race should be more similar to running a 5K than an 8K. Going all out on the first mile yesterday didn't hurt me and I was able to maintain a credible pace for the remaining three. On 8K's and 5 mile runs, a start like that would put me into bonk territory before the end (and it has).

Second, although I've run about 25 races since 2009, I had never taken advantage of following a "pacer." This is a fellow racer who runs a little faster than I would normally go. The pros use them and now I understand why. Locking in on a stronger runner, and blocking out everything else, helped me maintain a competitive pace through the last mile of the race.

On the same theme, I continue to exploit a lesson that Dave taught me a couple of years ago regarding start position. Even though I tend to finish in the 30-50% percentile, starting closer to the front (especially on races that don't provide a starting line sensor) is a great way to achieve a fast first mile. It's like the pacer concept, except everyone around you is helping. A high tide lifts all boats.

Despite everything I've read about essential rest after a race or a hard run, I continue to go out for easy recovery runs the next day. I did that today, in the 7 degree weather (with wind chill) because I was still a little wired from Saturday. I purposely maintained a pace that was minutes slower than yesterday's and it felt good for the first half hour. At that point the strain of the race (and poor rest overnight) caught up to me.

I toughed out the last half mile and was happy to have put in a couple of good efforts this weekend. Next weekend I will start my half marathon training where I'll need to complete at least one seven mile base run. The training never ends, and neither does the learning.

Race report: Long Beach Snowflake Run

Pouring it on for the finish (center, in black)

Today's race (Long Beach Snowflake 4 Mile Run): 33:50 (8:28 pace)

For the second year in row, the snow has forced Snowflake Run participants off of the boardwalk. Last year it was an issue of volume, there was so much snow and ice on the boardwalk that it became both dangerous and impassible. This year it was a steady but light snowfall that would have been too slippery for fast running. So, once again, we found ourselves lining up on Broadway for this four mile race.

Last weekend I ran intervals on the treadmill in the hope of being ready to go out hard this weekend. That must have helped because I achieved a new 4 mile PR this morning and beat my prior PR by over a minute. Team Emerging Runner accompanied me this year and, aside from some difficulties finding a parking spot, the event went very well.

We arrived about 30 minutes from start time and when I walked into the gym to pick up my race number, I was surprised to see so many people milling around. The room smelled strongly of perspiration and adrenaline and against one wall was a slide show accompanied by blaring music. I headed to the rest room after visiting registration and saw a long line of of women waiting patiently. The men's room line went quickly and soon I was back to my family in the gym.

My fuel of choice for the race was GU Roctane and as it got closer to race time, I had some Ghiradelli 72% cocoa dark chocolate to top me off. I'd just run into my friend Steve who was running with me and I gave him some chocolate for a pre-race boost. Steve had his wife and their two little ones at the race and everyone was in good spirits despite the cold, wet weather.

We lined up fairly close to the start line to get a good take-off position. Steve and I learned a lesson last year when we were forced into a narrow path between the snow and parked cars. That situation produced so much crowding that we could barely exceed a trot for the first couple of minutes.

A fast start as the snow came down

Before too long, we were off and running. My Garmin had gone into energy saver mode so I wasn't able to start my timing until I'd run a few hundred feet. Once that was resolved, I focused on staying with a fast crowd of front runners who I'd hoped would sweep me up and carry me along.

My friend Steve disappeared into the crowd almost immediately and I figured I'd see him at the turnaround or at the finish line. The group surrounding me was running at a faster pace than I could sustain, but I did my best and hoped to pass the first mile one under 8:20. When I saw the timing clock I was amazed to see that I'd actually clocked 7:54 for mile one.

I must have passed Steve just before that point because he told me later that he came through around 8:05. My goal was to preserve as much of that first mile pace as I could, and I settled into a rhythm that I thought I could maintain throughout the race. My splits were 7:54, 8:43, 8:34 and 8:39. I bounced around a little, but I didn't suffer from progressively positive splits as I've done in the past.

It's a nice crowd of runners who participate in these Long Beach races. None of that obnoxious posturing I've seen other places. That isn't to say this crowd is any less competitive. If anything, I think this race fields a deeper pool of speedy runners than I've seen elsewhere.

Having run this course last year, I knew what to expect in terms of progress and effort. I ran hard but I probably could have pushed more into the middle miles. I wanted to make sure I had enough energy to finish strongly and I'm pleased with the way things turned out.

Once I passed two miles, I reminded myself that I had less than half the distance to go. The rate of people who passed me had slowed down to the point where I was running mostly with those who ran about my pace. I used the guy in front of me as a pacer through most of the last mile. Once I saw the finish chute, about three blocks in the distance, I dropped a gear and gave it my best of the day.

As I approached the finish line I could see my wife and kids cheering me on, but the clock atop the chute was reading 16:00, so I feared that the timing system wasn't working. My Garmin showed that I'd come in under 34 minutes, so I knew I'd done well. It turned out that the actual race clock was positioned low and to the left, so I'd missed it.

I assumed Steve had already finished, but discovered that he hadn't yet come through. He came crossed the line about a minute later - an impressive effort for someone who hadn't really run much over the prior few months. We went back to the gym to see our results posted and I saw that I'd crossed the line in 33:50, for a pace of 8:28 and a new PR.

Steve and I went back out and watched the runners streaming across the line while the snow continued to fall. I had been concerned that the wet surface would be too slippery for my Hattori's, but that wasn't an issue. However, the shoe's lack of insulation was a big issue and I couldn't feel my toes for most of the race. I'll have to remember that the next time I wear them in cold, wet conditions.

So, my first race of 2012 went very well and I'm enjoying the great feeling that comes from a sustained effort like a race. I'll probably go out for a very easy run tomorrow and start thinking about my strategy for my next two races, one short (5K) and the other long (13.1 miles). In the meantime, I'll enjoy all the moments from today's events.

Doubling my work day mileage

Last night my division did an office shuffle to better consolidate functional groups. Before this move I was situated, at best, a few offices away from some of my team. Most other staff were scattered in different locations around the floor. It wasn't a bad situation because I didn't mind walking around to see people. I had a great view of 6th Ave, and through a lucky break, my office was equipped with two sets of shelves and two closets. My new view is far less appealing than the old, but I can still see 6th from certain angles.

This new location does put me closer to staff, although I still have people sitting in other parts of the floor. I noticed this morning that it now takes me twice as long to walk to the pantry for coffee. Since I'm literally in the last office along the corridor, it will mean lots more walking in general. So the upside to all this is that I'll end up covering twice as much ground during the day as I did pre-move. That works for me!