Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes
Despite all the snow shoveling from yesterday's storm I felt remarkably free of any aches or pains this morning. I decided to use the elliptical machine today instead of the treadmill and I'm happy that I did. The elliptical provides a decent workout and with impact to the knees and hips it's nice alternative to a run. Plus it's quiet and human powered so I can zone out and not fear that the machine will punish my lack of focus the way the treadmill might.
It's cold this morning and that will continue through tomorrow. I'm resigned to a treadmill workout in Friday and though I don't really like the experience I like the convenience of starting my run so quickly after I get up. Unlike outdoor running that requires lots of layers, reflective vest, headlamp, etc., I throw on shorts, shoes and a shirt and I'm running. I'm hoping to catch a break on the weekend that will allow me to safely run outdoors on Saturday. The cold dry air, snow covered lawns and early winter sunrise make for a satisfying experience. Can't wait to get back outdoors.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
2.75 tons of workout fun
 |
| It seems much heavier once you do the math |
I didn't do a formal workout today but worked hard to clear the snow from my driveway no less than three times. I decided to estimate the amount of snow I moved off the driveway and street, basing my calculation on the dimensions of my driveway, the height of the snow and the weight of water: 7.48 gallons per cubic foot. Compensating for the snow moved by my wife and factoring in the heavier density snow piled high at the end by the snowplows (three times!) I came up with the above number. As impressive as it sounds, most of my technique involves pushing rather than lifting snow and I barely work up a sweat even after 90 minutes. But work is work and we did work.
Speaking of work I ended up staying home and working out of my guest/exercise room/home office using all the tools available to the 2011 business person including laptop, iPad, iPhone, VPN, IM and Webex. It was a very productive day and I thought I might work in a treadmill run or an elliptical session but I found myself without the time to do it. The town did a good job of clearing the streets but they are still too snowy and icy for an early morning run on Thursday. I'm planning to use the elliptical in the morning unless I feel more like running. In that case it's back to the treadmill and hopefully no more shoveling.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Last outside run before the blizzard
Today's run (street): 2.6 miles
Snow is coming. We're not sure how much we'll get but estimates for my area are in the 8"-12" range. I like snow but I don't like the commuting problems that come along with major storms. My other issue is that snowstorms make the roads and trails impassible and that forces me to run indoors. On the bright side, I can look out the window and watch the snowy scene as I run on the treadmill.
Knowing that tomorrow's run will likely be indoors, I made sure I got outside this morning. At 3:50 AM the temperatures are usually at their lowest point of the day and I'm often tempted to overdress to prevent the initial shock of transitioning from 68 degrees in the house to 20 degrees outside. I got it right this morning and went out feeling cold, but comfortable, starting slower than normal but picking up the pace by the minute. Unlike Sunday I remembered to start the Garmin and had even adjusted the calibration on the foot pod before my run. After reaching what I was sure was a mile I glanced at the watch that only showed .91 miles and that surprised me. I later mapped my route on Gmaps to see that even after the calibration adjustment I had covered 5% more distance than the Garmin recorded. I was actually happy to see that because it meant my overall pace was in line with the way I felt while running.
Today's run actually felt very good. I had none of the leg heaviness or low energy response that plagued me on Saturday and at the beginning on my run on Sunday. I'm holding out hope that the snow will wait just long enough to let me get out for another run tomorrow morning. The chance of that happening is low but you never know.
Snow is coming. We're not sure how much we'll get but estimates for my area are in the 8"-12" range. I like snow but I don't like the commuting problems that come along with major storms. My other issue is that snowstorms make the roads and trails impassible and that forces me to run indoors. On the bright side, I can look out the window and watch the snowy scene as I run on the treadmill.
Knowing that tomorrow's run will likely be indoors, I made sure I got outside this morning. At 3:50 AM the temperatures are usually at their lowest point of the day and I'm often tempted to overdress to prevent the initial shock of transitioning from 68 degrees in the house to 20 degrees outside. I got it right this morning and went out feeling cold, but comfortable, starting slower than normal but picking up the pace by the minute. Unlike Sunday I remembered to start the Garmin and had even adjusted the calibration on the foot pod before my run. After reaching what I was sure was a mile I glanced at the watch that only showed .91 miles and that surprised me. I later mapped my route on Gmaps to see that even after the calibration adjustment I had covered 5% more distance than the Garmin recorded. I was actually happy to see that because it meant my overall pace was in line with the way I felt while running.
Today's run actually felt very good. I had none of the leg heaviness or low energy response that plagued me on Saturday and at the beginning on my run on Sunday. I'm holding out hope that the snow will wait just long enough to let me get out for another run tomorrow morning. The chance of that happening is low but you never know.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Running off the grid
Yesterday's run (street): 4.6 miles
It was a surprisingly busy weekend, especially on Sunday. I didn't have time to post but I was able to work in a morning run. After Saturday's unusually tough four miles I'd hoped Sunday's would be better. It's been cold since the turn of the year and yesterday morning the temperatures were in the mid 20's with wind chills making it feel like the teens. I've learned that until the temperature approaches 10 degrees that smart layering will hold off the cold long enough to to keep things tolerable until my body warms up from the run.
I thought yesterday's run would be a repeat of Saturday's. My legs felt a bit stiff over the first mile and I anticipated that things would go from bad to worse. With nothing to lose, I decided to pick up the pace to see if it would make a difference. That actually helped a lot and my stride began to feel more natural. I took a different route than normal so after running a while without hearing the chirp of my Garmin I looked at the watch to see that I'd never turned on the foot pod. I fortunately remembered my start time and paid attention to my finish time and after Gmapping the route I figured out my approximate pace. In the past I would have been upset to have run without capturing the metrics on the Garmin but once I realized I was untethered I actually felt very free during the run.
Neither run this weekend was very long but at least yesterday's turned out satisfying. With more snow on the way I'm thinking that I'll probably be constrained to the treadmill and elliptical this week.
It was a surprisingly busy weekend, especially on Sunday. I didn't have time to post but I was able to work in a morning run. After Saturday's unusually tough four miles I'd hoped Sunday's would be better. It's been cold since the turn of the year and yesterday morning the temperatures were in the mid 20's with wind chills making it feel like the teens. I've learned that until the temperature approaches 10 degrees that smart layering will hold off the cold long enough to to keep things tolerable until my body warms up from the run.
I thought yesterday's run would be a repeat of Saturday's. My legs felt a bit stiff over the first mile and I anticipated that things would go from bad to worse. With nothing to lose, I decided to pick up the pace to see if it would make a difference. That actually helped a lot and my stride began to feel more natural. I took a different route than normal so after running a while without hearing the chirp of my Garmin I looked at the watch to see that I'd never turned on the foot pod. I fortunately remembered my start time and paid attention to my finish time and after Gmapping the route I figured out my approximate pace. In the past I would have been upset to have run without capturing the metrics on the Garmin but once I realized I was untethered I actually felt very free during the run.
Neither run this weekend was very long but at least yesterday's turned out satisfying. With more snow on the way I'm thinking that I'll probably be constrained to the treadmill and elliptical this week.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Tough going on snowy roads
Today's run (street): 4.1 miles
With all the attention that I've been giving to running a half marathon you'd think I'd been working hard to build up my base mileage. Between August and November I was doing a good job of mixing distance runs into my weekly training schedule and I credit that work to achieving consecutive PR's on my last two 10K's. I had a few high mileage weeks between Thanksgiving and early December but since my 10.2 mile run at Bethpage on 12/11 I've only done one run that exceeded 6 miles. I can blame that (somewhat) on feeling under the weather mid December after my flu shot and then dealing with actual weather obstacles (snow) between Christmas and New Year. The snow prevented easy access to higher distance locations like Bethpage and Stillwell on the weekends.
I went out this morning with the intention of covering 3-5 miles. After yesterdays snowfall the streets are fairly clear for cars but it's still somewhat icy for foot traffic. I figured I could run safely without a sidewalk escape path if I was extra vigilant and I had no issues with the local traffic today. It was 25 degrees outside when I started my run and I dressed appropriately. I took the first mile slow, partially because I didn't feel that energetic and partially due to the icy, snowy layer underfoot. I think that the constant but slight adjustments for balance tired me out quicker than I'd expected. I found a pace that I could sustain without too much trouble and after winding through a number of streets I reached my house after covering 4.1 miles.
It was one of the toughest 4 mile runs I can recall, far more taxing than some I've done at twice the distance. I hope the temperature rises above the freezing mark and melts the ice enough to make tomorrow's run a little more stable. Of course we're hearing about more snow tonight so I may end up working out indoors on Sunday. I'm really hoping that won't be the case.
With all the attention that I've been giving to running a half marathon you'd think I'd been working hard to build up my base mileage. Between August and November I was doing a good job of mixing distance runs into my weekly training schedule and I credit that work to achieving consecutive PR's on my last two 10K's. I had a few high mileage weeks between Thanksgiving and early December but since my 10.2 mile run at Bethpage on 12/11 I've only done one run that exceeded 6 miles. I can blame that (somewhat) on feeling under the weather mid December after my flu shot and then dealing with actual weather obstacles (snow) between Christmas and New Year. The snow prevented easy access to higher distance locations like Bethpage and Stillwell on the weekends.
I went out this morning with the intention of covering 3-5 miles. After yesterdays snowfall the streets are fairly clear for cars but it's still somewhat icy for foot traffic. I figured I could run safely without a sidewalk escape path if I was extra vigilant and I had no issues with the local traffic today. It was 25 degrees outside when I started my run and I dressed appropriately. I took the first mile slow, partially because I didn't feel that energetic and partially due to the icy, snowy layer underfoot. I think that the constant but slight adjustments for balance tired me out quicker than I'd expected. I found a pace that I could sustain without too much trouble and after winding through a number of streets I reached my house after covering 4.1 miles.
It was one of the toughest 4 mile runs I can recall, far more taxing than some I've done at twice the distance. I hope the temperature rises above the freezing mark and melts the ice enough to make tomorrow's run a little more stable. Of course we're hearing about more snow tonight so I may end up working out indoors on Sunday. I'm really hoping that won't be the case.
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