For now, it's all about my need for speed

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

This coming weekend I'll take a break from distance training in order to focus on speed. The City of Long Beach Snowflake Race takes place on the 11th and I'm hoping to do some interval training this weekend to prepare. Long Beach is always a great venue for a race because it's primarily flat. If the weather cooperates this year, a good portion of the run will be on the boardwalk.

This morning I managed to get myself outside despite the cold and had a decent run. My dawdling put me a few minutes behind, but fortunately my Garmin acquired its signal in record time. This gave me back a minute or so in terms of my morning schedule. I probably benefited from a tailwind over my first half mile but I didn't appreciate it until I turned and hit the headwinds. Fortunately, I had worn enough layers to stay comfortable despite the wind chill.

I was happy with my running performance through January and I'm hoping to turn in a credible time in Long Beach 4 miler. Still, I need to put in the work to activate those fast twitch fibers. So it's back to the track on Saturday for some fun 400's.

Committing to the distance(s)

It was a good weekend for running. Two colleagues who always check in with me on their weekend running both reported great experiences. I had a decent long-ish run on Saturday and an invigorating trail run yesterday, on a course best described as nature's roller coaster. This morning I was pleased to hear that my friend and colleague FS achieved a PR for a 10K race on Saturday. She wasn't even trying to do that. It was the zen of the run.

My goal for this month was to exceed 70 running miles. After tomorrow's run I'll probably come in just at 69. I averaged 73 running miles per month in 2011, plus three miles per week on the elliptical machine. I think I made a critical mistake by under-training on distance in the three months preceding my half marathon. My training mileage peaked in March at 74 and plummeted to below 60 in April. No wonder I struggled in the last miles of that race in early May.

For the first time ever, I'm going to write out a training plan that will help ensure that I cover the distances I need to get my base up where it needs to be. It's nice to head out the door with no plannned distance. I can cut it short anytime I feel like it. But if I go out knowing that I can't come home until I've reached seven miles, I'll make sure I do just that.

Trailview to Stillwell had its ups and downs

What goes up must come down (and then up, then down, etc.)

Today's run (Trailview State Park): 3.5 miles

After sixteen years living within minutes of Trailview State Park, I finally made it over for a visit this morning. Trailview is actually a series of connected trails that run along a strip that starts just above Bethpage State Park and goes north almost 8 miles to Cold Spring Harbor. The trail is interrupted at points where roads (some major) intersect the route.

The section of Trailview that I ran started adjacent to Jericho Turnpike in Woodbury and it connects to Stillwell Woods at the separation of Syosset-Woodbury road. The section I ran wasn't very long but it provided quite a workout. I wanted more of a challenge than I get from my usual Stillwell loop and I sure found it on the Trailview path.

After parking in the lot next to the trail head, I chose one of two paths that run north. The trails are only wide enough for a single runner or mountain biker, but two people could walk side by side in a pinch. In fact I encountered a few walkers on my way back and we all managed to make room as we crossed paths.

The trails quickly transitioned from flat to rolling, to the point where it seemed like I was either running up or bombing down a steep hill. I did fairly well on the rises and was surprised that I didn't experience major lactic acid burn as I ascended the hills. It was the sharp drops that bothered me most, because the terrain was uneven and full of baseball-sized rocks. I was concerned about taking a tumble a few times.

The trail ended at Syosset-Woodbury Road after dropping about 40 feet to street level. I continued across the road and encountered two runners coming out of the woods. I asked them if that was the access point for Stillwell and they said yes. Almost immediately after that, I encountered two mountain bikers. The first one said, "One more behind!" and the other politely thanked me for giving way for him to pass.

I only ran about a quarter mile towards Stillwell before turning back. I'd encountered a split in the path and I didn't want to get lost in Stillwell while my car was parked over a mile away at the Trailview lot. I knew that all the downhills I ran on the way over would come back to me as challenging uphills, but I looked forward to the challenge.

It seemed as though I covered the return in half the time it took to get to Stilwell. I'm guessing it was because I knew by then what lay in front of me. I wasn't quite at my targeted distance when I reached my starting point so I ran a little longer down the other trail. It was only 3.5 miles but it was a lot of work, not unlike last weekend when I ran through thick snow.

It was a good weekend of running and I was pleased to get back on the trail after being away for a few weeks. It's less than two weeks before my next race. I guess I'll need to focus on speed this week and next weekend.

Avoiding a lockout, I hit the streets

Today's run (street): 5.7 miles

Energy booster

I wanted to run at Bethpage this morning but I was concerned that I'd be locked out, like the last time I went there. I understand if the current budget requires closing the park in winter, but I did buy an Empire Passport to get year round access. What really bugs me is that the website says the park is open every day of the year. Perhaps it is, and I just happened to come on a weekend when it was closed. Would it be too much to ask to have accurate information on the NY Parks website?

Not wishing to drive over to Bethpage only to be greeted with a locked gate, I headed out the door intending to cover about six miles around my neighborhood. There's absolutely nothing wrong with my neighborhood and I'm fortunate to have a safe, contained network of streets to run any time. It can be a little boring to look at the same houses and cars day after day, but it's still better than doing my mileage on the treadmill.

I really didn't feel motivated prior to my run. My wife and daughter both needed to give me pep talks to get me out the door. Once on my way, I felt good, and I credit the square of Ghirardelli Chocolate (72% cocoa) I had right before I started for my early energy. The only way I can put together six miles in my neighborhood without duplicating too many roads is to first go north and south, then east and west and repeat that on the other side.

I dressed well for my run, neither too hot nor cold in the 37 degree weather. My energy level remained high and while I didn't exactly push the pace throughout my run, I did at the end. My route fell short of six miles but it was close enough for me. With another clear day to run on Sunday, I'm hoping to go for distance again tomorrow. Perhaps a long a long run on Stillwell's rolling trails is in order. Certainly no boring houses or cars on that route.

In treadmill I trust. Or do I?

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

This is the key

A rainy morning kept me inside today so I did yet another treadmill run. I'm curious to know how close the readout on the treadmill's display matches my actual progress and performance. I replaced the treadmill's console a few months ago but wasn't able to run the calibration sequence when I installed it. Every time I run on the machine I question the accuracy of its recorded distance and speed.

I've often felt that running on this treadmill (a Sole F63) and our prior Pro-Form unit felt harder at a given speed than when running on the road. A 9:00 pace on the Sole feels like about 8:50 on pavement. It may be that the treadmill forces a shorter stride and higher cadence that feels more challenging. I would think that the treadmill would feel easier and street running because there's no wind resistance. Plus, you don't experience hills unless you select an incline.

I still have my foot pod that links to my Garmin and I could probably answer my accuracy questions by comparing the Garmin performance with the Sole's on the same run. Before I do that, I need to replace the foot pod battery and do some calibration runs outside in order to establish an accurate baseline. The other issue is that the foot pod won't attach easily to my Hattori's so I'll need to run in a different shoe. I guess I can make excuses why it will be hard to test or I can just go ahead and try it.