Happy Holiday's, my Karhu's have arrived

The Karhu Fast 2 Ride even looks fast

Yesterday's run (Central Park): 4.5 miles

Although it's technically not a holiday present, I did receive a package last night that made me very happy. The folks at Karhu, a Finnish athletic wear company, sent me a couple of pairs of their new Fast 2 Fulcrum Ride shoes. This model is Karhu's entry into minimalist running shoes and the Fast 2's, in vivid green and orange, are appealing and unusual. I haven't run with them but after lacing them up and wearing them around the house I'm anxious to try them on pavement. Progress reports will come by way of this blog and a full review will follow on Runner's Tech Review. Adventure Girl will also be testing a pair (the orange was for her) and we'll compare experiences in the review. I'm extremely curious to see how the Fast 2's compare to the Kinvaras. I have a good feeling about this.

Until I take the Karhu's out for their first run my Kinvaras will remain my go-to trainers. I wore the Kinvaras yesterday on my Central Park run with my friend Steve. I had been wearing my Grid Tangents and SRR's over he last week so it was a nice change. Prior to yesterday's run I was concerned if I'd have the energy to cover 4 to 5 miles on that hilly course. That was not the case and things fell into place once we started. During the first half of the run I was a step or two behind Steve as we ran a 9:15 pace up the east loops and around the reservoir. By the time we reached our exit of the reservoir path I was cruising and Steve was starting to feel the effort. By the time we hit the southern end I was feeling stronger than when I started. We sprinted the last few hundred feet and finished 4.5 miles averaging a 9:11 pace.

Today I'll end the workday, work week and work year with another Central Park run. This time it will be with another friend, JQ, and I'm looking forward to a less intense experience from yesterday's.

Gearing up for a mid-day run

It's another cold day with strong winds that are making it feel even colder outside. This is the last full workday before most people leave for the long Christmas weekend. I wish things felt more holiday festive but at the moment it's not much different than normal. Actually that's not entirely true. I left my suit and tie at home today and brought in my running clothes. I have noontime city runs planned for both today and tomorrow.

Today's run is with my friend Steve, who is also my financial advisor. He's currently into Crossfit, an exercise method that involves short but intense full body workouts. Steve and I have not run together for a few weeks and he is curious to see how, or if, Crossfit will help his speed and endurance. We're targeting around 5 miles in the park and I'm undecided how I'll dress for this cold. Normally I'd error on the warmer side in this type of weather but overheating could work against me today.

With no post-run shower option and meetings with colleagues in the afternoon I'm not going to want to sweat as much as I normally would. I've brought enough gear to allow me to decide what to include - or not - based on current conditions. My biggest concern right now is my level of energy. I'm not sure I'm fully through the effects of last week's flu shot.

Lunar recovery

Today's run (street) 2.5 miles

Since I was up and outside early this morning I was hoping I'd get a glimpse of the lunar eclipse. This is the first time in 400 years that an eclipse of the moon occurs on the same day as the winter solstice. I went out at 4:00 AM to chilly winds and cold temperatures and scanned the skies as I ran. While the horizon was clear the moon seemed to be enveloped in clouds. There may have been an eclipse going on but it just looked like a partial moon to me. So much for celestial wonders.

I had a tough run on Sunday and I'm often wary of the run that follows a bad workout. I look at it like a barometer for my current state. Will my next run be better or worse? Am I stronger or weaker, faster or slower? I've had enough experience to know that a single run doesn't mean much (unless it's a race) but a week's worth of running tells a story. I think this week's story is that my flu shot managed to undercut my training over the weekend and I'm slowly building back my strength. My run this morning was fine, better than Sunday's but definitely not a strong performance. I wore my Skecher's SRR's and still paced in the 9's so I know the effort was there. I'm due to run 5 miles in the city tomorrow with a friend who wants to "run fast." I'm not sure how ready I am to do that so he may have to compromise a little.

A perfect runner's gift

A basket full of energy

My running friend and colleague KWL gave me a clever and thoughtful holiday gift this morning -- a basket containing a variety of gels and sports beans. I've been curious to try the different brands and flavors and there's plenty in there to choose. Some selections are caffeine free and others have 2X the caffeine. I've got my eye on one of the 2X packs for my next distance challenge.

Sometimes the hardest part of a marathon is just getting in

Yesterday's tough effort reminded me of a year ago when I quickly went from a fit and healthy runner to an IV fed hospital patient. I'm not saying conditions are the same this year but I was very run down most of this weekend. Last year I would always choose the "power through" strategy and run my miles despite the way I felt. I've learned the danger of doing that and I'm fine with backing off if I must. Last week's mileage total was only 11, about half of my usual distance covered. Today I feel well and I think it's because I listened to my body, stopped my run short of planned distance, and rested appropriately.

I'm already looking to 2011 for new running accomplishments and adventures. I'll be posting my next year's goals soon. One goal is to run a half marathon, a distance I would have thought impossible three years ago. It might have been nice to make my first half the NYC ING race but the lottery opened and closed too quickly for me to react. My friend Dave put in his lottery bid and I hope he gets selected.

For those those who want to run the Boston Marathon next year but didn't qualify or didn't get a lottery pick there's another way to get in. I was contacted by Kristina Sym, manager of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary charity marathon team that will participate in this April's Boston Marathon. She said there are still a few spots left on their 50-member team. Team members must commit to raising a minimum of $5,000 for research and patient care at Mass. Eye and Ear. Fundraising and training support will be offered. Interested runners can contact kristina_sym@meei.harvard.edu or (617) 573-6364. More information can also be found at: www.MassEyeAndEar.org/TeamEyeAndEar