Hot to trot on Sunday

The Long Beach boardwalk at last year's Turkey Trot

It's 24 hours before the start of the Long Beach 10K Turkey Trot and I'm looking forward to the race. I've had a light week in terms of mileage (13) but I'm running well. I haven't felt exhausted and I'm not suffering from any noticeable injuries. Last weekend's 10K improved my outlook in terms of my racing readiness and fitness. 

I forced myself to sleep a full eight hours last night and I'm planning to do a set of core exercises later this morning. The temperature at tomorrow's start is predicted to be 53°F with 71% humidity and 14 MPH winds. Last year it was colder than that, so I need to think about what I'll wear to ensure that I don't overheat by the end.

Turkey Trots are fun because they bring out a wider field of runners than in other races I've attended. Last year me, my wife and the kids all participated in a 5K on Thanksgiving Day and there was a huge field of runners. I wasn't a very good sport about going slow because I was wearing a timing chip but it was fun to be out there with my family. Tomorrow will be a different type of race and I'm hoping for another good run on the boardwalk. See you at the finish line. 

The Emerging Runner turns 3

Yep, it was three years ago that I began to document my experience as a new or "emerging" runner. At the time that I started this blog, I was just getting back into shape after a number of years of inactivity. I used to run a little when I was was in college, but it was something I did to maintain fitness for more favored activities like karate. In the early '90's, when I lived in Manhattan, I'd go out every morning for a run through my Murray Hill neighborhood. Running the streets of NYC turned out to be a frustrating experience and I stopped that after about six months.

Even though I didn't like the city running experience (at the time), I still liked to run. After losing weight in the fall of 2008, through exercise and a smarter diet, I was ready to try again. My love of technology helped me stay interested in progressing as a runner. Almost from the start, I used devices to track my performance. First it was the Nike+ chip and wristband and then the Garmin 50 & 60. Now I have the FR210 that captures the metrics of my runs via GPS. The technology improves along with the runner.

Over the last three years I've had many fantastic experiences running with friends, with my family and in races (22 and counting), on trails, through national parks, on roads and even back in NYC, which is now a favorite place to run. I love running gear, running shoes and running gadgets and I still look forward to seeing the new stuff when it comes out every season. But I'm happy to say that most of that matters less as time goes by and the experience of running itself matters more. Perhaps I've emerged a little since November 18, 2008 -- but I still have a long way to go.

Listen to your body, not your sleepy head

Today's workout (elliptical): 23 minutes

It was down to the wire whether I would do a workout this morning. I'm not sure why, but I've been feeling very tired over the past two days.When I woke up at my usual time, I felt justified to return to bed. Somehow, I ended up on the elliptical machine as planned. Listening to your body is a good way to decide these things.

It wasn't guilt that got me there today. It was the practical need to complete this week's training so I could feel good about taking two days rest prior to Sunday's race. If I'd felt weak or dizzy I would have skipped the workout, but I had no such excuse this morning. Today's elliptical session was light, but worthwhile. A core workout on Saturday is all that's left and then I'm good to go on Sunday.

Running with the fast crowd

Today's run: (treadmill) 25 minutes

During Sunday's race I was passed quickly by a group of high school-aged boys near the one mile point of the course. This group turned left soon after they passed me and followed the signs for the 5K route. It didn't occur to me until today that those boys had probably started five minutes after me (the 5K start followed the 10K start) and had covered the same distance in almost half the time.

I'll never be a 5:00 miler so it is rare that I would have an experience racing with them. I usually start mid-pack and end up there at the finish. Last year in Long Beach I started near the front and was puzzled by the frenzy of runners who overtook me so quickly. I wondered why I was running so slow. It wasn't until I passed the first mile clock at 8:05 that I realized I was comparing my performance to runners who might end up winning the race or their age division.

There really are multiple races within any race. The people up front are locked into an almost constant sprint, all hoping to finish first. The middle packers, like me, are hoping to do better than last time and considering it a victory when we pass more people than we are passed ourselves. Those in the back of the pack are often working the hardest. Completing a 10K, or even a 5K is no trivial thing. To many of them, the race is to finish, perhaps within a goal time.

I'm on the fence whether I'll start near the front of the line at Sunday's Turkey Trot like I did last year. They didn't have a chip sensor at the start so those closest to the front had the smallest gap between gun and net time. I don't want to get in anyone's way, but I do like the idea of being swept along by the speediest runners. A high tide lifts all boats. And I could certainly use the lift.

Speed is not important if the run feels fast

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

It was easier getting out the door this morning than I had expected. My first run after a race can be a bumpy experience with the residual soreness from exertion peaking 48 hours later. I took off feeling like I was moving well and free of any pain related to the race. I assumed that my speed would be better than average for a 4:00 AM run because my legs were used to fast turnover. After checking the Garmin I saw that wasn't the case, although the run felt fast.

Last week at this time, I was feeling down about my running. I go out nearly every day, do base training runs, hill runs and occasional speed work. Despite this, I had been feeling like I wasn't gaining any speed performance from my routine. After Sunday's run, I now understand that my level of fitness is greater than I'd thought. Today I ran well, but not especially fast. That's okay. Right now I know I can access the speed when it counts.