Running with the Black Diamond

New and improved?

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Today's run was my first time back on the road at 4:00 AM since mid November. It's gotten a lot colder since then but I dressed warmly enough to stay comfortable. I wore my new Black Diamond headlamp that I bought to replace my Petzl Tikka Plus. The Petzl unit had been giving me trouble with the lamp refusing to light unless I opened up the assembly and reset the position of the batteries. I thought the Black Diamond's design would prevent that in the new unit.

Unfortunately, I had the same issue with the new headlamp when I got it ready for the morning. I opened it up, pushed the cells into place, and it lit up fine. I questioned whether I am any better off with this new unit but I think the Petzl was generally wearing out. I got outside and felt the chill but my hat, gloves and layers were sufficient, even when I ran in the direction of a fairly stiff wind.

I started off feeling like I was working hard. The first road I follow is a small incline so I expected a little challenge but this seemed a bit more. Once past that street I settled into my pace and moved along fine. The headlamp threw off a lot of light but I hadn't adjusted the beam to focus on the road ahead. I've learned my lesson about hazards in the dark and, happily, I had no missteps.

I ended up clocking my normal time for the route I ran, helped along by some faster strides as I got closer to the end. It was good to be back on the road again. It's not that I don't appreciate the treadmill, but it's a fuller experience when you're dealing with all the elements.

Treadmills have their place

Today's run (treadmill - 2% incline): 25 minutes

One thing I can usually count on, after a couple of days off from running, is that my next run will go well. That's why I typically rest the two days prior to a race, with only a core workout in between. I planned for a treadmill workout today since the weather report predicted that yesterday's rain would continue into the early morning.

The treadmill isn't my surface of choice, but it does come in handy on foul weather days. On the plus side, I can jump on it and go, as opposed to street running that takes more gear and prep time. I also like that I can lock into certain pace for tempo runs, or play with the controls to incrementally increase speed at certain times during my run.

I ran for 25 minutes this morning with a 2% incline. I started at a moderate pace so the incline wasn't really noticeable. Throughout the run I increased speed by a .1 MPH and by the final minutes I felt I'd had a very good workout. The weather should be clear tomorrow, so I plan to return to the street at 4:00 AM. It's been a while since I've done my morning run outside.

Goodbye race bibs

Scene from the early days of the collection

Yesterday morning I took down the 22 race numbers that I had tacked up on two walls in my office over the last few years. The first number was from the Marcie Mazzola 4 miler, my first race. I put it on the wall to carry that great experience into my work day. From then on, after every race, I'd pack my number into my work bag and look forward to adding it to the wall on Monday.

Last week I decided that this display, though fun and colorful, had grown to become the dominant feature of my work environment. If I worked at Runner's World or was in some way associated professionally with running I could probably justify having this display that spread like kudzu across the room. I debated whether I should keep only the number from my last race up as a more understated symbol of my dedication to running. Ultimately, I felt like I'd just be doing the same thing, but in a different way.

I wondered if anyone would notice that the numbers were gone. If people did, they haven't mentioned it. I'll miss looking at the numbers and thinking about the great memories that go along with every race they represented. I'll probably put them somewhere in our guestroom/workout room at home where they can continue to inspire me.

Skip to my rue?

I'm considering taking both today and tomorrow as rest days. I feel like I've been pushing myself a little too hard over the last two weeks and I think I'll benefit from some recovery time. Since 11/13, I've run two 10K's plus a low-key 5K and my overall level of training has been relatively intense. It's very hard to skip workouts when you run almost every day. Disrupting routine is not a trivial thing. I know I won't lose fitness if I miss a run, but I'll still feel guilty if I take an unscheduled rest day.

Exhausting run at Belmont Lake

Today's run (Belmont Lake State Park): 6 miles

I decided to finish my Thanksgiving break with a trail run at Belmont Lake, home of the Dirty Sock race course. I'd decided that a competitive run at Stillwell (the Rob's Run 5K) would have been too much to do without the proper rest. I have in my mind that the Dirty Sock route is an easy run if you aren't trying to beat other runners. That's wasn't quite the case today.

The weather was in the high 30's when I started my run and I'd overdressed with two upper layers, running pants and a wicking cap. By my first mile I felt very warm and by the two mile mark I was feeling overheated. Unlike previous times running these trails, I sensed more inclined sections. Halfway through the run I was feeling fatigued, possibly due to over training.

Once at the lake, I knew there was nothing I could do to reduce the amount of required effort since the route was out-and-back and I was already halfway through it. The course seemed extra long and the trail seemed extra steep as I slogged my way past mile four. I was tired and my pace was slow, but I was determined not to stop or walk.

I saw a few other runners on the trail who had made better decisions about their gear. They were moving along nicely in contrast to my slow motion stride. After I cleared the passage under the Montauk Highway at mile 5, I decided to return on the same trail where I'd started, rather than adding the extra distance passing by Southards Pond.

I was very ready to finish my run by then and caught a glimpse of the trail opening as I ran by a couple of equestrians out with their horses for a Sunday morning ride. I was glad to have finished the week with a decent length run and especially glad that I didn't race today. I need a break from running and I'm glad that tomorrow is my regular rest day. It was a good couple of weeks of intense running, but enough is enough.