Trail shoe, meet treadmill

This morning, before my run, I realized that the foot pod for my Garmin 50 was still attached to one of my new NB 460 trail shoes. The effort to remove and then attach it to my regular shoes is minimal but just time consuming enough for me to think twice about it. As I've mentioned before, every minute counts in my early morning routine.

In the interest of time I decided to run with the 460s on the treadmill. I figured they performed well on the street so it wouldn't matter too much if they weren't made for running on a treadmill surface. Starting up was a little tough which I attributed to both the tread of the shoes and to some residual stiffness I have in my right leg. I'm planning to visit my orthopedist after my May race to get to the root of that problem which, at the moment, involves some slight pain and restricted mobility when starting a walk or run.

I got up to speed fairly quickly and the 460s, though not especially heavy, felt like I was running with comfortable work boots. As usual, my treadmill display shut down after about five minutes (as a technologist I am horrified by the failings of most running technologies I've used. But to be fair the treadmill is over a decade old) so I pushed the speed control blindly until the Garmin registered 7 MPH.

I ended up running 1.81 miles at an 8:50 pace. Although the use of these shoes on the treadmill was not ideal they're proving themselves to be a great buy. Tomorrow I'll aim for the same distance with the Nike's to compare experiences. I'm betting that under the same conditions, with the right shoes, I should be able to improve on that pace.

Treadmill and elliptical, Viva la différence!

I reverted to the elliptical this morning and welcomed the lower impact workout after three days of long runs. While the net benefit of a 22 minute workout may approximately equal that of my usual weekday treadmill run I never feel as though I work as hard on the elliptical. I read an article some months ago that compared the differences between treadmill running and elliptical workouts. Besides the obvious differences in leg motion and the involvement of the arms with the elliptical, the article maintained that the two activities were approximately the same.

If that's the case, why does the elliptical seem so much easier? According to research I've done, while the two workouts burn approximately the same amount of calories per hour (assuming treadmill speed and elliptical resistance are equalized) the lower impact on the user's joints with the elliptical creates a perception that the user is doing less work. That makes sense to me. What also contributes to the difference is that the treadmill sometimes seems a barely tamed beast. At speed, the user must maintain a precise pace and correct position on the tread or risk a serious accident. The noise from a treadmill can also be very loud and that can contribute to tension and perceived effort. The percussive motion of running can cause vibration, so much so that my clock often turns or even falls off the night table when I turn up the speed.

On the other hand the elliptical is whisper quiet (except for mine that occasionally makes a clacking sound when it becomes unbalanced at certain speeds) and this allows the user to watch television or listen to music at a normal level. You can even close you eyes and drift into an alpha state as you operate the machine. Try that on a treadmill. I also find that on longer sessions I can spread the pain a little by making minute adjustments between the efforts I put to the leg part versus the arm part as I maintain a certain rate. It's much more civilized.

At the end, even as I completed my workout this morning drenched with sweat, I still felt that I was missing something. Perhaps it's that running is more aerobic and just plain harder to do. I love that I have a choice between the two machines. The treadmill will always be the preferred challenge and the elliptical will always be a great compromise in terms of doing a workout or taking a rest day.

A well balanced run

My usual routine involves two longer weekend runs and then either an easy run or light elliptical workout on Monday morning. Since Friday was the start of my running weekend I should have made today's exercise more like a rest day. I mentioned yesterday that I bought a pair of NB 460s and I wanted to see how they performed. I thought about heading over to Stillwell Woods Preserve to test them on the trails but I was constrained for time and I really wanted to get a feel for the shoes on the street.

I dressed light and it was cool but not too cold when I started out. I chose an uphill road as my first leg to help with my warm up and to take advantage of the energy that comes at the beginning of a run. I was very pleased with the feel of the 460s. They are roomier than the Kutus with a higher toe box and, with the exception of some slight slipping at the heel of my right foot, they felt great. I was moving very well as I crisscrossed through the neighborhood streets but then I came upon some stiff headwinds coming from the west. I remember thinking how nice those winds would feel later in the run after I'd heated up a bit. Although I'd planned a relatively short run I was feeling good and decided to run four miles since I'm just 13 days away from my 4 mile race.

I felt as though the Garmin was over-calculating a little and a mapping on Gmaps confirmed that. I ended up running about 4.2 miles with an overall pace of 9:07, which I thought was good considering that I was completing over 11 miles within three days. I learned on my Stillwell run and confirmed on Friday that softer surfaces and hills are still a challenge for me. This signals an opportunity to build up those muscles. I think next Sunday I will run some trails as a conditioning exercise one week before my race.

Emerging Runner News: I am happy to report that the Emerging Runner was the number one blog on the Runner's World Loop in March.

When all else fails blame the shoes

After watching the ever-changing weather yesterday we made a decision to head to Central Park at the end of the workday. It was still a bit misty and somewhat cool as we walked to the park and it seemed to be great conditions for a run. Adventure Girl led the way taking us on the Bridal trail along the western side. With respect to the weather I wore a light but non-breathable windbreaker over a short sleeve jersey and a hat. That turned out to be a mistake because the weather cleared soon after we started and I began to overheat very quickly. I also wore my Nike Kutu trail runners because of the rainy conditions and it was a good idea to have trail shoes since the running surface was muddy and uneven. I never really liked the Kutus that much, I bought them too small and while they are okay for shorter runs they aren't so good overall. Consequently, I had a tough time almost from the beginning and AG was gracious to stick with me even though I was maintaining a glacier-like pace around 10:00 per mile.

She had joked about being concerned about keeping up with me before we ran. That was not an issue and I have many things I could blame (clothes, shoes, heat, time of day) for my slow pace. In my defense it was a hilly course and I'm just not used to a surface like that. The intended course was about 4.5 miles but I had to stop at 4.3 miles (ave 9:53/mi) with the last half mile on a paved surface. My legs were tired during most of the run but I wasn't winded. We walked back to the office and it felt good. I had a great time and I wish I was a better running partner but now I know what I need to do in terms of preparing next time.

This morning I decided to do a relatively easy run to assuage my damaged ego and did a 3-mile run through my neighborhood. I felt pretty good and the difference between the Nike Turbulence 13s and Kutus was evident. I ran slowly compared to recent street runs finishing with an overall pace of 9:10. We went out to do some errands and while my wife shopped with the kids for summer swim clothes I tried on some running shoes. The place we were at had some good brands but not the high end shoes. I decided to pass on buying any of the shoes I tried although they were inexpensive but at the last minute I saw some New Balance 460 trail shoes on sale so I tried them and really liked the way they fit. I'm going to run with them tomorrow to see if they feel good running. If that's the case I might keep them at the office. I'm thinking about buying some shoes to replace the Turbulence 13s which are rolling up to 400 miles. I don't know if that's necessary since they still feel pretty good.

Today Adventure Girl is conducting a training session with her relay team on the trails in Prospect Park. I'm not sure she even broke a sweat yesterday so I think she'll be fine for that rigorous activity. My wife ran 30 minutes today which is very impressive and I'm hoping that we can get to the track again soon. I'm targeting at least 4 miles tomorrow. It would be great if these new shoes feel as good on the street as they do in my den.

Weather or not

Anticipating a long run later today in Central Park, I skipped all forms of exercise this morning. It was an odd feeling to watch the news at 4:30 AM with neither the sweat nor endorphins that usually follow a vigorous session on the treadmill. I'm really hoping that the weather cooperates this afternoon although it isn't looking too good right now. As of 6:30 it was raining and that is supposed to continue throughout the day. According to Weather.com it should be 57 degrees with thunderstorms, 74% humidity and windy at 4:30 PM when we plan to start. The only element I can think of to make conditions worse would be the addition of a sandstorm. The thing that will determine whether we run is the intensity of the storm itself. Rain, heat and winds are challenges to overcome but lightning is something to avoid at all costs.

As I look out my office window onto 6th Ave. (above) it's not looking too good: dark, gray and rainy although I'm not hearing any thunder. Tomorrow and Sunday I'm hoping to do a couple of long runs but we're supposed to get some rain and 25 to 35 MPH winds. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it but I'm planning to cover at least 8 miles this weekend, weather notwithstanding.

Running for office

Over the past few years I've noticed another commuter who always gets up from his train seat as we head into the East River tunnel and then proceeds to do calf and leg stretches as we come into Penn Station. When the doors open he's already moving, bounding up the stairs on his way to work. I've recently noticed that this man wears running shoes and despite the fact that the rest of his wardrobe (coat, suit and tie) is all business I'm guessing that he runs to his office each day.

Although running to my office each day from Penn (approximately 1.3 miles) presents an opportunity to add more miles to my weekly total I don't think I'll follow his lead. There is merit to the concept but I don't need to show up at my building each day looking like a damp washcloth. I did a great pre-workday city run a few weeks ago but that was in cooler weather and we wore real running clothes. Tomorrow afternoon Adventure Girl and I have planned a run in Central Park late in the day. It's a 4 mile route that includes the reservoir. It sounds like a great way to end the work week and a good jumpstart to my weekend training. I'd like to start a running club with colleagues and members of my team because so many people from my office are runners. We've even joked about doing a staff meeting as a group run. Of course, it would be great if my company had showers available to people who wanted to break up their day with some exercise but in these days of cost cutting that's not likely.

This week's Sedentary Man

In this week's column Sedentary Man explains the rules of HORSE and also recognizes Carl Yastremski's little known contribution to fitness in Major League Baseball. SM told me that as a Bosox fan he thought I would like that mention. His column is an encouraging message to those of us who plan to run past retirement age. Read it here...

In addition, I have been the featured blogger on the Runner's World loop community page. It's not much more than a goofy picture but you can check it out here before I'm replaced by another community member.

19 days and counting...

My race countdown clock is now at 19 days. What was once an abstract, future date is now just three weekends away. Many runners I know have competed for years. They have t-shirts, running bibs, PR's and stories. Aside from a corporate challenge I ran in 1992 that is disturbingly fuzzy in my memory, I am a complete newbie.

I do appreciate the encouragement that I've received from more accomplished and experienced runners. Unlike other sports where I've competed, ice hockey, karate and, yes, tennis, there seems to be little in the way of trash talking among those who run. The Runner's World Loop community is an interesting and eclectic group of runners at all stages. Some are new to the sport and others are quite experienced. I often see RW Loop blog posts from people who run 6 and 7 minute paces and wonder what they think of those (like me) who brag every time they break a 9:00 mile. My guess is that they think "good for you" based upon the encouraging comments I've seen on mine and other's blogs.

I weighed in today exactly where I wanted to be. I ran 1.8 miles at 9 min/mile and, by stretching before I ran, I had minimal leg soreness. I'm ready for my first race. In fact I wish it was this upcoming weekend. But since it isn't happening for 19 days I'll take the opportunity to refine my performance a little more. I hope to maintain or exceed an 8:50 pace for the 4 miles. I've heard that racing provides extra motivation and adrenalin and I'm counting on that for meeting this goal.

Treading lightly

This morning I needed to run to reset my conditioning. I hadn't run since Saturday at the hotel and though my pace for that run was good it took a lot of effort to get through it. I'm still fighting a cold and that's contributed to fatigue. After two days away from running I figured I had rested my leg enough to get back on the treadmill. I felt good and was hopeful that I had made progress in terms of my injury but as I started to run my leg felt very tight and there was some sharp pain. I kept my pace around 10:00/mile for the first few minutes in the hope that I would warm up enough to loosen my muscles and ease the pain. Once I started to feel more flexibility I increased the speed and by the 8 minute mark there was neither pain nor stiffness so I kept increasing the speed in the hope of getting a decent overall pace.

I ran a total of two miles and really poured it on near the end of my run. My overall pace was 9:01 which pleased me because, according to my Garmin, the first mile was run in 9:40. That meant I ran below 8:30 for the second mile. I strongly feared that this extra exertion would do some damage but my leg is no worse today than it was the prior two days with no running.

Tomorrow morning I will do some light stretching before I run to try to head off the initial stiffness. If I could do two miles at the same pace as my second mile today I'll consider myself back on track in terms of race training.

Off in the distance

Last night I uploaded my prior week's runs to Garmin Connect and also updated my total workout history to MapMyRun. The Garmin Connect reports verified that my average pace has improved but, when I looked at overall monthly distance on MapMyRun, I noticed I was falling short of the previous month. This bothered me for two reasons. For one, I've never had a decline in total distance compared to the previous month. To date, I've gained about 3% each month over the last six months. The second reason was that March, a month with 31 days, will likely show a 7% decline against February, a month with 10% less days.

At this point, the only way I could end up even with February would be to run five miles tomorrow and that isn't going to happen. I guess I could blame my leg injury because I have been very careful not to strain it. I've also been focusing more on faster paces rather than longer, slower runs. Yesterday and today I chose the elliptical to further help my leg recovery and I'm pleased to note that I've had the least amount of pain today than I've had in the past three weeks.

If less mileage and more cross training leads to better injury recovery I think I can take the hit on distance. If things continue to feel this good tomorrow I'll try to run 2.5 miles and split the difference.

A vacation from running

As much as it pains me to admit it, I haven't been able to defeat my cold. It could be because all weekend we have been constantly running around, being social (not a strength of mine) and keeping different hours. Yesterday's hard run didn't help my leg problem and I seriously considered playing the sick, tired and injured card in favor of a rest day.

I got up early (I rarely sleep well in hotels) and my wife was already preparing to head to the fitness center. I decided to wait until she returned and see how I felt. I figured an easy run might be doable so I changed into workout clothes and headed down when she came back.

The gym was empty when I arrived so I took a minute to try one of the Life Fitness elliptical units. I was interested in seeing the difference between this high end machine and the one I have at home. The feel of the Life Fitness unit was different in terms of petal and arm positions, not necessarily better, but it was a nice change. The built in TV was nice too and the display provided not only speed but pace. Though my BH Fitness machine lacks a pace reading (only speed) it does show energy expenditure as watts. I was surprised to see that the LF machine didn't have that feature.

I ended up spending 28 minutes at medium high resistance on the elliptical. It was a good choice over the treadmill as my leg pain has been minimal today even with that exercise. As for my cold, it's there, but no worse than before. We'll be back to LI later today and if I'm up for it I may just try an outdoor run.

The Exhausted Runner

We're staying at a hotel this weekend and it's raining outside so my Saturday run was accomplished indoors. The hotel has Life Fitness treadmills and I was impressed that the speed on the treadmill's display almost exactly matched the readout on my Garmin 50. To my left and right were a couple of women doing workouts and updating each other with facts like, "I just ran up a 70 foot hill!" I felt bad when I hit the speed button to get to my 7 MPH pace because the noise level interrupted their communication.

The treadmill's display had multiple ways to view progress and I chose the "trail" view that showed a 5K course with markers in 1K increments. It wasn't virtual reality but it was a good distraction. The fitness center was really hot so I was sweating very early in the run. I was tired at the one mile point and it got worse as I went on. I kept a moderately fast pace and ended up running 3 miles at 8:54/mile.

After the run I was very tired, much more than after yesterday's run. The heat had much to do with that. I'm a little concerned about running in the warmer weather as we move from spring to summer. At the very least I'll need ensure that I pre-hydrate before longer runs.