Running relief from my vacation

View of the Capital from the Newseum building

Today's run (street): 4.8 miles

The idea of needing a vacation from your vacation held true this week. After three days of visiting the sights of DC, including Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian, the Spy Museum, the Newseum, Ford's Theater, the Senate and Capital buildings and Chinatown, I was exhausted. Following that was a day at Williamsburg Revolutionary City and then a day at Busch Gardens. After all that, we still had the long ride back to Long Island. I'm happy to have the weekend to recover!

In the past, I've tried to incorporate a little running tourism into my vacations. However, I didn't feel comfortable being alone on the streets of DC at dawn, so my only choice was to use the hotel's treadmill. Williamsburg offered a safer venue, but the streets didn't have sidewalks so, once again, I chose the treadmill. I didn't run every day but with all the ground we covered walking, I got a good week's workout.

This morning was my first opportunity to run outside since last Sunday, when I covered three miles before we left on our trip. It was no surprise that the humidity was high this morning, but I thought the low cloud cover would keep conditions tolerable. I think the miles of walking this week paid off, because I felt good from the start and covered my distance with little trouble.

Although it will be a low mileage week for running, it was great for conditioning and fitness. With the Dirty Sock 10K coming up in a couple of weeks, I may head to the Bethpage trails tomorrow morning to kick off my race training. That is, unless it rains. In that case, it will be back on the treadmill...

Don't tread on me (unless there's no other choice)

Today's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

We've had three days of historical saturation between visits to Ford's Theater, the Smithsonian Museum of American History, the International Spy Museum and Historic Williamsburg. But even with both DC and Virginia offering great running options, I've been relegated to fitness centers for my workouts.

We'll be out all day and evening so, once again, I went for a treadmill run this morning. I like hotel treadmills, although I wasn't familiar with the Spirit brand. It wasn't as solid as the PreCor and Life Fitness units that seem to be the standard for most hotels, but it did the job.

Although I skipped my run on Wednesday, the 20M steps we're covering daily should help make up for that.

Capital running in DC

Sunday's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles Today's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles We left early Sunday morning in order to get to DC in time to see some of the many things we've planned for this trip. An hour and a half spent at Arlington National Cemetery was inspiring and provided a challenging workout, with numerous hills and hot humid conditions. I had thoughts of running the Mall in DC from the Lincoln Memorial to the monument, but it's impractical to do that this trip. So far my DC running has been limited to the hotel t readmill. No problem with that. I'm a fan of fitness center treadmills and I seem to be able to maintain faster paces on them compared with my home unit. Lots of walking yesterday as well, and today is no different. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to run outside once our vacation continues in Virginia.

Liquid exhaustion

Yesterday's run (treadmill): 30 minutes
Today's run (street) 5.25 miles

Circuitous route

I was tired on Thursday morning and (no surprise) my run was slow. Yesterday morning I felt the same, so I skipped my morning run altogether. I'm not sure why I lacked energy on these two days but it definitely affected my motivation to run. After a half day in the office I headed home feeling more inclined to work out, so I took the opportunity to fit in a 30 minute treadmill run.

Despite yesterday's brutal heat and high humidity, I remained relatively dry during my indoor run. Credit goes to the big fan we've positioned directly in front of the treadmill. I didn't push my pace but, by the time I reached my planned finish time, I was completely soaked with sweat. I'd placed an icy glass filled with Gatorade G2 on the side table of the bed to drink after I'd completed my run. As they say, I was keeping my eye on the prize.

This morning I took it outside with no planned route, but an intention of running five miles. The dew point was approaching 70 by the time I set off and I tried to keep a sustainable pace that would allow me to cover my planned distance. I hadn't matched my normal pace since Wednesday morning's run. Today was no different but my focus was on distance, not speed.

The hot sun and the moisture in the air wore me down, mile by mile, but I still had enough in the tank to cover 5-plus miles. I'm accustomed to being sweaty after these long runs, but today it looked and felt like I had stepped out of a lake as I walked into the house. Every square inch of skin was wet and my clothing was completely saturated. Although I felt no aerobic strain during the run, I was still breathing heavily five minutes after the finish. It was more exhausting than I realized.

I'm on vacation this coming week and I hope to get a chance to run in Washington DC while we're there. If that's not practical, I may need to settle for the fitness center in the hotel. It's less stimulating to run indoors. But, with this weather, I'll fully appreciate the air conditioned experience.

A reason to appreciate my next good run

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Tuesday's post contained a quote about relishing bad runs so that you'll appreciate the good ones. I had plenty of reason to relish this morning because I ran my route over a minute slower than yesterday. I knew I was in for a disappointing time from the beginning. I may have improved my pace in the second half, but it was fairly pathetic effort.

Every weekday morning I question my expectations for performance. I'm out of bed at 3:45 AM and standing on my driveway ten minutes later. While I'm definitely a morning person and a morning runner, I understand that my body may not respond as well after abruptly waking up  from a sound sleep. Sometimes it does respond and other times, like today, it doesn't.

Today my legs felt leaden and that affected the fluidity of my form. Affected in the sense that I had no form. The residual tiredness, that I usually lose after a few minutes during these runs, remained. On Tuesday and Wednesday I'd pushed myself at certain times and ended up with decent overall paces. I had no appetite for that today and kept both my effort and heart rate low.

In the end, I was disappointed to see how slowly I had run. I was secretly hoping that the Garmin would show (despite my less than vigorous effort) that I'd actually flown through the course. The fact is that you get out what you put into a workout, and I contributed very little. So I'll relish this sub-par experience knowing how much I'll appreciate my next good run. Anyway, that's what I'm telling myself.

Gifted with home baked energy bars

Contents: taste and energy

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

When it comes to nutrition, I try to maintain the best possible diet that doesn't impose difficult requirements. By this I mean that most of my food choices are the right ones: vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, tofu, and reasonable portions. Unlike "foodies", I don't really care about what I eat as long as it has some taste. In terms of eating organic or avoiding any type of processed food, I can't be bothered. All in all, I think I do pretty well.

A colleague of mine at work, HB, is a true foodie with an interest in healthy baking. She experiments with food combinations and generously shares the results with her co-workers. I am always happy to provide feedback. She recently started a blog called Oven Notes that's worth a look.

Not long ago, HB asked me whether I used energy bars when I ran. I told her that I do use them and that there's a big difference between a bar you'd consume prior to a run, versus one that you'd eat for recovery. After quizzing me on the taste and ingredient profile, she baked up a batch. Each bar is 126 calories and has a good mix of carbs, protein and fat. The ingredients themselves include bing cherries, almonds, coconut and oats. Date syrup is used as a sweetener and whey powder for protein.

The results were impressive. Unlike Clif bars, which can be a little too sweet, these bars have a nice tart balance. They are packed with good stuff and, considering their low calorie count, are very filling. I haven't used them as a pre-run bar but they've been great with a cup of coffee in the morning. Perhaps tomorrow I'll put them to the test. I'll suggest to HB that she post the recipe on her blog. Otherwise I'll include it in one of my posts.

Appreciating the obvious

Today's run (street): 2.5

In a recent Runner's World's "Daily Kick in the Butt", there was a quote that went, "Relish the bad training runs. Without them it's difficult to recognize, much less appreciate, the good ones." I thought about that quote on my run this morning as I made my way along my usual route. The run felt great and I could tell that I was pacing well. It was indeed a "good one."

The trick is to have more good runs than bad ones. I can usually tell within the first 10 yards of a run whether I'm in for a good or bad experience. Sometimes I'm fooled and a good run will turn bad. I've had times when I felt I could run all day but, after a few miles, I was questioning whether I'd make it back home without stopping.

On the other hand, there are times when you get a "second wind" that completely changes how you feel and what you think you can do. I recall a treadmill run a few months ago, when I was self-bargaining to keep going until I hit the 35 minute mark. I had nothing left until - suddenly - I felt boundless energy. I ended up running for over an hour that day. I only stopped because I'd run out of time.

Why are some runs better than others? Sometimes it's circumstantial. You're tired, feeling ill, had too big a lunch, or hadn't properly trained for the workout. Other times the cause is not so clear. While we always look for a reason when a run goes bad, we often just appreciate the ones that go really well.

Nature or nurture? Outgrowing my running shoes

A growing problem

A couple of weeks ago I gave away three pairs of running shoes to someone with same shoe size. My collection of running shoes had reached a point where I needed to store them in four different locations. When I made the exchange I had a total of 13 pairs. Now it's down to 10. I should probably get rid of most of the rest because, remarkably, the majority of them no longer fit me.

When I finished growing (at around 19 years old) I naively assumed that I'd never need to buy clothing again. Over the years I've had to replace worn clothes and buy more occupationally appropriate attire, but I'd always assumed that I would fit into the same shoes forever. Four years ago I started running again and bought a pair of Nike shoes. They fit me well and I liked them.

A lot has changed since that purchase in 2008. I no longer care for Nike's and I doubt I could even fit my foot into those shoes. It's strange, but since I started running, my shoe size has increased a full size and a half. I started at 9.5, moved up to 10's about a year later and, by early 2010, I needed 10.5's. Now most 10.5's are too tight in the toe for me to use, except on shorter runs.

The Spira's and the Kinvara 3's are both 11's and they fit me well. I was still thinking I was a 10.5 when  Brooks picked me to test a pair of prototype shoes a few months back. I really like the shoes but the fit is annoyingly snug on the outside toes. Had I asked for 11's, I'd probably be rotating these shoes with the Kinvaras on almost every run. Happily, the Saucony's provide me with a quality running experience and I appreciate them more every day.

Outgrowing shoes gives me an opportunity to buy new ones (and as my wife would point out, a reason to get rid of old ones). I'm wondering why this has happened. Is running flattening or spreading the volume of my feet? More importantly, when does it stop!?

Good running follows a tough trail workout

Today's run (street): 3.9 miles

I was surprised to wake up today feeling ready for a run. After yesterday's tough trail run, I expected to feel sore and exhausted this morning. Perhaps it helped that I knew the hardest running of the weekend was already behind me. Either way, I was out of the house before 7:00 AM for a run around the neighborhood.

Lower humidity made a big difference compared to Saturday. The first couple of miles went by quickly and, without yesterday's hills, the run felt easy. I started feeling like I could run forever at that pace, but a glance at my Garmin told me I needed to step it up. I picked up my speed and that's when I started to feel the effort. By the time I finished I felt like I'd done a pretty hard run.

This has not been a typical running week for me. Due to Wednesday night's 5K, I'd rested on Tuesday and Thursday, putting me 5 miles behind where I'd normally be on a Friday. Since then I've covered almost 13 miles, totaling about 17 for the week. With both Dirty Sock and Cow Harbor happening soon, I'll need to work on my base and get my weekly mileage back up to competitive levels.

Trail running at Hook Mountain State Park

Hook Mt. trail head. Humidity fogged the lens!

Today's run (Hook Mountain State Park trail): 6.1 miles

The weather report called for thunderstorms today, but we kept our plans to meet friends for activities around Hook Mountain State Park. Happily, the storms didn't materialize, but the humidity certainly did.

We arrived at our friends home in Nyack around 9:00 AM and then headed over to the park. My wife and kids charted a hike on the blue-green trail while me and my friend Chris drove over to the trail at Nyack Beach. This trail runs along the Hudson River and provides a rolling route. According to my Garmin, we experienced 509 feet of elevation gain (and the equivalent loss since we ran it out and back).

The highs and lows of the Hook Mountain trail

We started our run at a brisk pace. The breezes off the water prevented us from feeling the humidity and it wasn't until the path moved inland that I noticed how muggy it was. We moved well considering the heat and moisture, but the constantly changing elevation sapped some of my energy. After a couple of  hills that rivaled James Street in Northport, my sweat level moved to "extreme."

Despite all that, I didn't want the run to end. The scenery was beautiful and the conversation was great. I didn't dread the frequent hills as much as I do at Bethpage. In fact, I had more problem on the steep downhills than on all but the toughest climbs. We made the turnaround after reaching the three mile point, despite Chris's suggestion that we go another half mile.

The second half of the run went by quickly. Before long, we were back to where we'd started. I had the same light-headed reaction to the heat and dehydration that I usually have after the Dirty Sock 10K. That meant I needed lots of hydration and electrolytes and Chris gave me a banana and a water bottle. That helped, as did the cooling breezes coming off the river.

After a quick shower, back at the house, we went into town to meet our wives and the kids for lunch. Pizza, followed by home made ice cream, was the perfect restorative. After 6 tough miles on the trail, I had no guilt whatsoever!

Are you getting your runner's daily requirement?

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

One thing I learned from Wednesday's race is that I'm not working hard enough during my regular training runs. Over the past four years I've had phases where I've focused on performance and/or distance. That type of running has always paid off during races. Running fast workouts will usually produce decent finish times for 5, 8 and 10K's. The same goes for long base training runs used as preparation for a half marathon.

Some runners that I know enjoy the challenge of running fast. They approach every workout as an opportunity to test their performance. They enjoy the work that it takes and that's why they run.

Me? I like to run fast (or my version of fast), but mostly I like to enjoy the experience of moving along, outside, preferably along a wooded trail. Long slow distance is both a technique and a way to define the way I like to run. LSD is invaluable when doing base training, but it is only part of the runner's daily requirement for race preparation.

If race training was defined like a food label, recommended weekly percentages would probably look something like this:

Speed runs:               15%
Tempo runs:              25%
Hill training:               10%
Base runs:                 25%
Easy/recovery runs:   15%
Cross training/core:   10%

I fall short on everything but easy runs. It's the same thing as eating too many carbs and not enough protein. You just won't perform as well.

This morning I decided that enough was enough so I cranked up the treadmill right away, to a speed that felt similar to my race pace on Wednesday. It wasn't easy, but I was able to sustain it. That was probably because my last two runs were a speed workout and a race. Can I maintain this type of running going forward to the point where I'm getting my recommended doses of speed and hill training? Maybe not all at once, but a little harder training might be doable.

Race report: Corporate 5K

Registration check in. Sign those waivers!

Yesterday's run (Corporate 5K): 3.1 miles - 26:22 (8:30 pace)

I like to keep my running life and my work life separate in this blog, but every once in a while they'll come together. Back in June we had a summer picnic in Central Park and I organized my colleagues for a 1.6 mile fun run. Last night I participated in a 5K race that was put on by my company as part of a corporate wellness program. It was an interesting experience and a lot of fun.

This 5K consisted of employees from four of our corporate divisions that have offices in NYC. The company is holding 5K's in other cities for other divisions based in those locations. A group of us left the office for the 1 train that took us uptown to Riverside Park, where the race was being held. The registration process started out a little bumpy but they did get through the 170 or so runners (and walkers) reasonably fast. We were all asked to sign waiver forms even though we'd already done that online.

Pre-race warm-up

Before the race, the organizers had participants run through some dynamic stretching exercises. Soon after that, we assembled behind the starting line for the race. There were a few speakers who talked about the event, the importance of fitness and how our company is contributing to charitable causes that support this initiative. This went on so long that my Garmin turned off its GPS and I had to scramble to reacquire a signal before the start.

Our course was interesting. We started at 108th street and headed north about eight blocks before turning south. This turnaround put us on a secondary path that was, at different times, packed dirt and broken pavement, with lots of twigs and branches from the trees. I gingerly avoided those branches since I was wearing my very minimal Hattori's. There were a number of rises throughout the course and some were fairly challenging.

Our route took us by the river where we did a couple of out and back loops before heading north again toward the finish. This was my first evening race and I expected to struggle but I didn't feel much different than I normally do. The out and backs provided an opportunity to see my position in the race because I would pass the the leaders going the other way. At other times, I could see those who were behind me.

The race ended with a straight section of recently paved blacktop and I ran hard to the finish line. A number of us questioned the length of the course because our GPS watches showed it to be less than 3.1 miles. I looked at my run in Garmin Connect and saw that the signal had drifted in a number of spots. That usually accounts for distance loss since the GPS often "cuts corners" due to sampling frequency.

After crossing the line, we spent a few minutes recovering. After that we claimed our bags and headed back to the subway to get us to our trains and buses. Others stayed for drinks and hors d'oeuvres but most of just wanted to get home. I have to say that all my colleagues did well. KWL finished in the top 10% and FS also finished high. Everyone else came in around mid-pack, as I did. With the majority of runners in the 20-29 age category, I think we did just fine.