Stillwell trail run, frozen paths and a near collision

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 3.9 miles

I was hoping to get a trail run in over my last vacation but the timing never worked out. I did manage to cover a lot of miles during my time off, but the only time I traveled to run was the Hangover Fun Run on New Year's Day. I was determined to get back to Stillwell this morning, where I did my first trail run of 2013.

It has been cold all week and today was no different. I dressed for freezing temperatures, including a base layer under my running pants. I was glad to have layers top and bottom when I stepped out of the car at Stillwell Woods to start my run.

The trail head and the main trail leading from it were covered with ice. I needed to step carefully as I made my way to an interior trail. There were a number of mountain bikers getting ready in the parking lot and I wondered how they'd fare on the slick and frozen surface. I never did see a biker on the path today. Perhaps they rethought their workouts after seeing the condition of the trails.

I wore my Helly Hansen Trail Lizards that eat up rough terrain. Their only shortcoming is the lack of a rock plate, which is normally a non-issue. Today it would have been provided great benefits, as the interior trails consisted of mud that was grooved by bike tires and refrozen as hard as rock. I needed to watch the trail closely to avoid slipping on the uneven surface.

About half a mile into the woods, I detected movement behind me. Thinking it might be bikers I moved to my right and soon saw two runners passing me on my left. There was no courtesy "Thank you", which is fine, but I would have liked to know there was a third runner trailing behind them. I had just started to move back to the center when the third runner came along, and we almost collided. People generally say, "On your left!" in those situations but these guys were jerks.

I did my usual loop a couple of times and noticed that, in the short time I'd been running, the sun had started to melt the ice. What had been frozen earth became soft and slippery mud and I needed to adjust for that. I saw a few people out walking with their dogs but no other runners today. I completed my second loop feeling like I'd worked fairly hard, even for a run that didn't quite go four miles.

Overall, it was a decent trail run. My last trail run went poorly (at Caleb Smith) and I appreciated the difference. I'm not sure where I'll run tomorrow, but today I'm happy to have had another great experience in the woods.

Running shoes: your mileage may vary

Adrenaline and Kinvara are best in the long run

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I like running shoes for the same reason I like sports cars. They are the only layer between you and the road and they're engineered to enable performance. If you use your imagination, sports cars and running shoes even look similar, sharing the same aerodynamic profile. The biggest difference between the two is that while anyone can go fast in a Porsche, the best thing a running shoe can do is optimize a runner's potential.

In the 4+ years that I've been running, I've acquired a number of shoes. Some of them were great and some are best forgotten. I started logging my workouts on Daily Mile in April of 2010 and that service provides me with a tool to track the mileage of my running shoes. With the exception of the first few pairs I bought back in 2008, I have a complete history of my time spent with every shoe that I've owned since late 2009.

Saucony Kinvara (original)

Brooks GTS 10

I recently exported my shoe mileage data and graphed it to visualize the range (above). When people tell me that they notice their running shoes breaking down after five months, I'm usually skeptical because my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9's held up for more than 700 miles. My all-time favorite running shoe, the original Saucony Kinvara, performed well for almost 500 miles before giving out. I ran a little too long in those and suffered a bad knee problem due to it. Despite that, I still can't bring myself to throw them out.

My current shoes of choice are the Kinvara 3's for the road and, for the treadmill, the Pure Drift prototypes that I tested for Brooks. Had I requested size 11's instead of 10.5's for the Pure Drifts, I'd probably be wearing them more often. The fit in the toe box is just a little too narrow for my foot, so I don't use them for long runs on pavement.

The good thing about running shoes (vs. sports cars) is that you buy new ones often without breaking the bank. I suspect, based on history, that the Kinvara 3's will need replacement in the next few months. I'm tempted to replace them with the production version of the Pure Drift, but there are a couple of New Balance models that interest me. Plus, a whole new crop of 2013 models will soon arrive from the other brands.

While I'm thinking about it, it might be time to add a new trail shoe to my collection. Why not? It would certainly be cheaper than getting a Land Rover.

Friends don't let friends push the pace

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

"Easy" is relative

Yesterday I ran into a colleague whom I hadn't seen in a while. She told me she was running again after taking a long break. About a year ago she'd gone from walker to runner and, by April, she was running about 15 miles a week. We last touched base in early summer when she planned to run in her first 5K. My friend said that, since that time, her discipline had really slipped. By September, she'd stopped running altogether. The New Year prompted her to restart her running routine, beginning with a three mile run on New Year's Day.

I asked her why she had stopped after making so much progress and she told me she had felt too much pressure to run fast. Part of her interest in running came from the social interaction with her friends who also ran. Their easy pace required her to run a lot harder. She struggled to keep up and couldn't really participate in their conversations. She ran her 5K and decided that running was no longer enjoyable, so she went back to walking for fitness.

This experience did not surprise me. My early-'90's attempt to become a runner was thwarted by similar conditions. My only running partner at the time had run track and cross country in school and I found it difficult to keep up with her when we ran. I figured that was what running was all about - you push yourself hard and eventually you'll like it. Or you'll quit.

After many years, I returned to running on my own terms and set realistic performance expectations. I was amazed to see that running can actually be fun if you find a pace that works for you. My friend says she learned her lesson and will not sacrifice her running experience for the sake of social inclusion. I told her that this doesn't mean she has to give up running with friends. If she suggests it, I'm sure they will be happy to run with her at a relaxed pace that works for everyone.

Vermont trails beckon, but Long Island has its charms

State Parks on LI

My brother works for a company based in northern Vermont and he is planning to move up there with his family very soon. They have a new place with plenty of room for guests and he reports that the town is "chock full of trails for biking and running." Having been born and raised in New England, I'm envious of his new surroundings. The opportunity to live quietly among the mountains and trees is appealing and I'm sure the culture change will be fun for them.

It's easy to look at a place like Vermont and imagine an idyllic life filled with long runs through mountain trails. The area seems to embody a lifestyle that is both bohemian and active. We've spent some time in Manitou Springs, Colorado and I imagine their new town will be similar. But what about us suburbanite Long Islanders? Are we excluded from this experience? Surprisingly, I don't think that's the case.

I've been running trails for a few years at this point and most of that has been done in the wooded parks of western Long Island. Stillwell Woods, five minutes from my house, may not have views of majestic 14ers or expansive rivers, but you can lose yourself for hours navigating features like the Ewok Forest, the Viper Pit and the "UH OH!" trail.

In fifteen minutes I can drive to parks like Belmont Lake, Bethpage, Sunken Meadow, Caumsett, Cold Spring Harbor, Trailview and Caleb Smith (to name but a few). Each place offers something both unique and special to runners. Long Island isn't New England, but over the years I've come to appreciate many great things about it. But as much as I love my local trails, I also look forward to exploring the running paths in upstate Vermont.  

Hangover Fun at LIRRC Run in Eisenhower Park

Finishers gathering at the end

Today's run (LIRRC Hangover Fun Fun): 5 miles

Happy 2013. Early this morning, as I made my way along Hempstead Turnpike, I enviously noted some restaurants promoting New Year's Day brunches. Soon enough, friends and families would be gathering at these places for a relaxing meal, while me and a few hundred others would be running five, 1-mile loops around Eisenhower Park in the name of fun.

The posted start time for the Hangover Run was 9:30 AM, so I planned to get there fifteen minutes before. The temperature, including wind chill, was close to freezing. With neither registration nor number pickup, I had the freedom to show up far later than I would for a race. The organizers pushed the start a few minutes, probably to accommodate some late-arriving participants. After a New Year's style countdown we were on our way.

The Hangover is a group run that feels a lot like a race. But it isn't a race and that's what makes it fun. I proceeded at a pace that kept me with the crowd but, after a few minutes, I noticed the 6:00 pace crowd had broken off ahead. I was passed by a fair number of people through the first mile but I didn't care about that. I was enjoying the experience and feeling great running in the cold.

I completed the first mile in 9:28 and that was probably the fastest loop that I did all morning. I was slightly disappointed that I wasn't generating much speed because the effort was there. My heart rate was keeping close to my racing zone, and I didn't want to push any harder. On a few occasions, slower runners blocked the narrow path or ran a little too close for comfort. After a while the field opened up and I could run without those distractions.

It wasn't the easiest five miles I've ever run, but I didn't feel like a race. Halfway through the run I noticed that my Garmin wasn't recording my run so I needed to rely on the clock for my time. When I came past the timer for the fourth time, I saw that I was tracking about a minute behind last year's run. I thought about picking up speed for the last mile, but I decided to maintain my current pace to the end.

I crossed the line feeling like I'd had a good workout, but it wasn't the same as competing. Not surprisingly, I was warm at the finish. Soon enough, the cold air and my sweaty clothes started giving me a chill. I headed back to my car and made my way out of the park before the road got too crowded.

Like last year, it was great to start this new year with a running start. My wife did her run this morning as well, so we both have perfect records for 2013! Tomorrow it's back to work for me and back to school for the kids. It has been a great holiday break and I'll be happy to take a rest day tomorrow.