Learned my lesson, but can I handle the mileage?

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

As I come closer to the anniversary of my first half marathon, I'm thinking about both the training and my increased risk of injury. Most training programs recommend a careful approach to adding to weekly mileage, usually no more than a 10% increase per week. The idea behind this is to prevent overuse injuries that come from running longer distances than your body is ready to handle.

Last year I played my half marathon training by ear, occasionally stepping up distance without regard to the consequences. In my case it wasn't the aggregate mileage that hurt me, but the fact that I arbitrarily threw in long runs without building up to them. A nine mile run on the trails at Belmont Lake a week before the half marathon created a knee problem that plagued me throughout the race.

This year I'm taking a practical approach to my training and, hopefully, I'll be better prepared on race day. Since I can't really increase my mileage between Monday and Friday, I'll need to step up my long running on the weekends. This weekend I'll need to total 13 miles, by April 7 weekend I'll target 18 and, before my taper, I'll need to cover 21. Easier said than done, but it looks like I'm going to become very familiar with the Bethpage bike trail.

The five paces I run

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Yesterday morning the NBC weatherman announced that Monday would be the last cold day of winter. Just like that. I'm not sure why he was so confident, but he didn't appear to be kidding. Never one to believe such things, I watched the local station last night as I readied my clothes for this morning. They were predicting 29 degrees around 4:00 AM. So much for warmer weather.

About half of today's route was in the direction of a steady wind that made it feel very chilly. I moved at a steady pace and, every once in a while, I stepped it up. I averaged a mid-9:00 pace which was disappointing because it felt like it should have been faster. I started thinking about my pacing.

Based on my 800+ runs logged in Garmin Connect, I see that I generally have five pace ranges: LSD (> 10:30), easy/trail (9:50-10:30), normal (9:20-9:50), tempo (8:55-9:20) and road race (< 8:55). I would really like to make my tempo range my normal pace range amd I think it's as much a matter of pushing myself mentally as increasing my physical capabilities. After all, If I can do one training run at 9:00 a mile, why can't I do them all?

Night or day, inside or out?

Worth a read

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

In her new book, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?", Mindy Kaling writes, "There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it.” I thought that was a very funny line (it's a great book) but I have to disagree a little. As I stood at the train this morning I saw the sun coming up and the first thought I had was, "Finally, I can now go out on my long weekend runs before 6:30 AM without needing a headlamp."

There's a big difference, psychologically, when I run in the dark versus running in daylight. My 4:00 AM runs serve a purpose, but that purpose is primarily fitness maintenance. My weekend runs provide a far wider benefit to both mind and body. A run on the trails is visually fascinating, the terrain is challenging and the lack of concern for traffic (except for mountain bikers) allows for deep thinking.

This morning I was at the complete other end of the spectrum, running my 25 tedious minutes on the treadmill. A friend of mine just bought a True treadmill that is very feature-rich. One capability is heart rate cruise control -- the machine will automatically speed up, slow down or change elevation to keep the runner at a specific heart rate. It also has a 14" LCD screen that takes input from a smartphone, PC, iPad, etc. That would be amazing compared to my humble Sole. But in the end, I'd far prefer to be running outside, just after sunrise.

One-line running shoe reviews

It's been a while since I've updated Runner's Tech Review but I may be testing a new pair of running shoes soon. These shoes are different and the manufacturer promises to deliver measurable gains in performance. That's always an intriguing notion, but I've rarely seen these claims pay off. We'll see.

In the meantime, I'm more than ready to find a replacement for my Hattori's that I've used both as a trainer and race shoe over the last year. I'm impressed that they've held up as well as they have after 300+ miles of pounding, but they are showing signs of wear. I have a second pair of Hattori's that were sent to me by Saucony but something about the fit is different. I find them unwearable after 60 miles of running.

Yesterday I had a little time in the middle of the day and went over to Dick's where I tried on a few pairs of running shoes. I didn't find my next pair but I was glad to reinforce what I expected. Here are my quick impressions:

• Adidas adizero® Rush: Light, surprisingly comfortable, smooth roll, stiff fore-foot, high platform (too much heel).
• Brooks Pure Cadence: Light, cushioned, tight arch/mid foot, awkward roll, expensive.
• Brooks Adrenaline 12: Extremely comfortable, natural roll, moved well with foot, high platform (too much heel).
• New Balance MT20: Tight forefoot (even 1/2 size up), light, uneven roll.
• Merrell Road Glove:  Light, unstructured, wide toe box, lack of fore-foot response.

The New Balance experience concerned me because I've been waiting for the similar NB MR00 zero-drop road shoe that should be in stores soon. I've been hoping that will be a worthy successor to my Hattori's. If I don't like the way that shoe feels when I try it, I might need to wait until Saucony launches the Kinvara 3 in early summer. Even then, there's no guarantee that I'll like that new design. All I want is the perfect shoe. Is that too much to ask?

When a run goes according to plan

How I spent my morning

Today's run (street): 6.2 miles

My morning running plan was happily free of debate. No decisions to make about my route, gear or distance. I'd prepared to run 6 miles on the roads around my neighborhood and the cloudy and dry weather looked perfect.

I started by running the loop I use every morning to benchmark my first mile. After that I diverted my course by running towards the middle school. Once I got there, I ran across the field to a path that took me to the nearby business park. I continued in that direction and ran the hilly loop before exiting into neighborhood #3 at the three mile point.

I felt good as I moved along these neighborhood streets that led me out to Woodbury Road, a heavily trafficked street. Running along Woodbury Road's sidewalk is always interesting. In the fall there's often a thick covering of leaves that cushion each step. Today the sidewalk was bare and covered with packed dirt.  Except for the cars whizzing by on the street, I felt like I was doing a mini trail run.

I reached the easternmost point of my run and then switched directions back toward my house. I was on track to cover my intended six miles and ended up making it with a little distance to spare. I didn't run this route particularly fast but I was satisfied with the effort and pleased to have run a dozen miles over this weekend.

The best part of finishing a couple of good weekend runs is knowing that Monday is my rest day. Another 20+ mile week is in the books. So far, so good for my half marathon training plan.