Karhu take two: a better experience indoors

Today's workout:
Treadmill run: 3.14 miles
Elliptical: 25 minutes

It's still early in the vacation -- more days to go then have passed. We got out today for the first time since the snowstorm hit and had a great afternoon. This morning I took the time to clean out my running area in the guest room. This involved getting rid of a number of items that had been taking up space in an armoire that serves as the repository for my running gear. This cabinet also contains a large collection of technology supplies that I keep on hand in support of our network and computers. I got rid of many obsolete cables and peripherals and reduced my running shoe collection by targeting my ASICS 1130's for donation. I was able to recover enough space to organize my running shirts, shorts, cold weather gear and socks into different drawers. A much needed exercise completed.

Exercise came in all forms today, before we all headed out I spent close to an hour on an indoor workout, first on the treadmill and then on the elliptical. I wore the Karhu Fast 2's because I wanted to try them under different conditions. I had found the Karhu's to be stiff and in conflict with my form when I wore them for a street run last Friday. Today they felt better and I don't know why. Perhaps it was the treadmill surface versus running on pavement. It may be that I wasn't physically up for the run on Friday and I assumed it was the shoes. On the treadmill the stiffness did not seem noticeable and the shoes seemed to move far better with my foot than they did last time. I focused on landing on my forefoot and the Karhu's didn't impede my form in any way.

I followed the treadmill run with 25 minutes on the elliptical and by the time I finished I felt the way I do after eight miles running on the road. I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow for a workout. The thought of another treadmill session is unappealing but with all the snow the roads are narrow and the sidewalks are buried. Hopefully we'll see the temperatures rise enough to make the streets runnable. I'm not counting on that, but it would be nice.

Two feet of reasons to rest

The snowstorm seems to be winding down and despite almost two feet of accumulation and 40 MPH winds our driveway and walk are mostly clear. My wife and I headed outside around 6:00 AM this morning to deal with the snow that had fallen since we'd finished shoveling last night. With the proper clothing and our coordinated efforts we cleared the grounds in less than an hour. My wife has gone out for a final clean up and as long as the winds don't blow the drifts back onto the driveway we should be in good shape. Temperatures should rise over the next few days and that will help clear the neighborhood roads.

I thought about how fun it would be to drive to Stillwell and run the snowy trails. The canopy probably caught a good amount of snow but the volume is so great that it's probably made most of the trails impassable. Last February we got socked with a big storm just prior to the XTERRA 6K that made the course at Stillwell both slippery and difficult. The spirit of adventure makes a run in the woods compelling, but even with all-wheel drive I don't want to take any chances on the icy roads. So I'm either going to take my usual Monday rest day or do an indoor workout. In addition, I suppose all the shoveling counts for something.

Pre-blizzard Sunday run

Today's run (street): 4 miles

It's only beginning

The snow is starting to come down hard after a period of light flakes. This morning I went to the local market to pick up some necessary items and the supermarket was a madhouse. I was glad I made the effort and now the house is well stocked. We may get 18 inches between today and tomorrow but at least I won't need to deal with the Long Island Railroad's inability to deal with snow in the morning. Plus the shoveling will provide some much needed some upper body exercise.

I was re-reading my posts from a year ago trying to determine when my pneumonia manifested itself. The scary thing is that just a couple of days before I was slammed by illness I had run four good miles at Stillwell. Even so, I feel far better today than I felt a year ago, but the fear of another bout with something looms large. At 9:30 AM the skies were gray but no snow was falling. I figured I should get out for a few miles because it could take days before the roads were clear again. I've experimented with some of the gels from KWL's holiday gift basket and learned that one gel and half a glass of water, consumed 30 minutes before a run, seems to provide a positive result.

I chose a route that is different from what I normally run and ended up covering four miles at a moderate overall pace. I felt like I could go forever during the first three miles but I picked up my speed after that point which took my run from nice-and-easy to semi-brisk. I wore the Kinvaras that reminded me again how perfect a minimalist running shoe can feel. By the time I returned home I was accompanied by lightly falling snow. The kids are out back playing in the already accumulated inches and my wife and I will soon do the first of many driveway shovelings between today and tomorrow. Between that and today's run I may end up with a whole body workout.

First run with the Karhu Fast 2's plus a Stillwell holiday run

Yesterday's run (street): 3.5 miles
Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 6.1 miles

Apparently today is some sort of holiday because Stillwell Woods was pretty empty this morning when I arrived for my run. Just a little seasonal humor folks. Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate and for those of us who don't, enjoy this relaxing day because tomorrow we'll all be shoveling snow.

I've been off work since Thursday afternoon and have been enjoying the time off with my family. Yesterday morning I went out for my first run with the Karhu Fast 2's. Based upon wearing them around the house, I had certain expectations for these shoes. The "Fulcrum" technology is supposed to guide a runner's landing to a spot behind the arch to facilitate forward propulsion. After lacing up the Fast 2's for my run I noticed a big difference in the feel between the front and back. I assumed that was an effect of the fulcrum and I held judgment until I took off.

My immediate reaction was to compare the shoes to the Kinvaras. While the Kinvaras are light and very flexible on toe-off, the Fast 2's are very stiff at the front. Far stiffer than any other shoe I own and I own a lot of running shoes. I tried to stay open minded about this difference and moved along fairly well until I reached a slight downhill section and noticed that the lack of flexibility was causing some misalignment in my stride. As I ran further I felt an unusual amount of strain on the ankle area at the top of my right foot. It was making my leg tired and I had barely covered a mile.

I reached a point in my route where I would run straight for a while so I picked up the pace to see how they felt in a full on run. Despite the Fast 2's promise as a speed and racing shoe I found myself missing the Kinvaras and the Adrenalins, both of which provide a more muscular response to quick turnovers. I plan to take the Fast 2's out a few more times and try them under different conditions before I judge them too harshly. They are high quality shoes and are probably ideal for runners that prefer a stiffer ride.

It seemed like a good idea to run the trails at Stillwell this morning and it turned out great. Despite 25 degree weather it all felt good. I wore my Brooks GTS 10's that I've neglected lately in favor of the Kinvaras. Even though the Adrenalins aren't trail shoes they work well on hard packed, non-technical trails like the ones I ran today. Compared to the Karhu's, the Brooks felt far more natural. I followed a course I knew well, a loop that weaves through numerous sections of the western end of the Woods. Each loop measures about two miles so I ran it three times. I only encountered a couple of mountain bikers today but I did see a surprising number of hikers and a few other runners. I felt great throughout the run and appreciated the short but steamy shower that followed. I hope that everyone is enjoying this holiday as much as I am today.

Central Park work-year ender

Yesterday's run (Central Park): 3.25 miles

We didn't run too far or too fast but yesterday's run with JQ was perfect in its own way.  After a long year that started with a bout of severe pneumonia it was great to finish up with with an early winter's run around Central Park. It's been cold all week and Thursday was no exception, 33 degrees plus wind. JQ and I have run often enough that our route is assumed, starting from the southern end and following the eastern loop, crossing the top of the Great Lawn and then coming back down to our starting point. Running with others is a treat, with the conversation and the activity amplifying the positives of both. JQ is an extremely interesting person who is also a great listener. I always want to repeat our course when we come to our finish just to extend the experience.

I'm on vacation until January 3rd and I'm looking forward to some quiet time off. At the same time I'm a little anxious about getting sick because it seems like I always suffer some type of illness on this year-end break. I'm not concerned about pneumonia or the flu this year because I've been inoculated against both. That said, I'm not going to push too hard on my runs this week. I'll probably go out for a short easy run today and attempt a longer distance run tomorrow or Sunday. I have all next week to run without the constraints of commuting schedules so I might try runs at Caleb Smith or Muttontown Preserve. I'm planning to try my new Karhu Fast 2 Fulcrum_Rides on today's run. That should be an interesting experience.