The path of enlightenment is cold, wet and muddy

I learned a few things on Sunday about my level of conditioning. They weren't happy lessons but they put my fitness into perspective. The XTERRA crowd was different than the typical mix I've observed at other races. This was a purpose-driven bunch, young, lean and intense. I would have been very intimidated had I participated in this event a year ago. After six races last year I understood what to expect and that my best strategy was to start at a moderate pace and just run my race. Yesterday was both an affirmation that I can run with this crowd (I really was worried about finishing far at the back of the pack) and a reality check that, perhaps, I'm not completely recovered from my pneumonia.

I was prepared to go out for 4.75 miles of tough trails and when they said they'd cut the length to 3.7 I said "easy." I would not have allowed myself a DNF but I also wouldn't have maintained 9:20 on those trails if I'd needed to cover another mile during the race. I truly understood the sensation of lactic acid buildup in my legs as we went from hill scrambles to abrupt descents to rising switchbacks. There were times when I told myself I just couldn't make another hill but I managed to talk my way into pressing on. Sometimes I used the crowd of runners behind me as motivation and other times I told myself  "One way or another you're getting out of the woods so you might as well do it running."

I did make good decisions prior and during the race. I wore warm outer clothes as close to the race start as possible and handed them off to my wife when we assembled for the start. I wore running gloves and noticed many didn't. The gloves helped regulate my body temperature and gave me security that I had protection in the event of a fall. I refused to let the other runners intimidate me as they drafted closely behind on narrow trails and I left room on the left for those who wished to pass. I took the time to enjoy what was happening around me and took note of the course for future training. Next time I run at Stillwell I'll take on the black trail and not shy away from the tough stuff. There will be another Stillwell race in June, this one full length, so I'll need to be better prepared if I choose to participate.

XTERRA report: mud, sweat and tears

Photo finish (for a mid-pack position)

The combination of mud, ice, snow, rocks, scree, hills, drops and gnarly roots steadily transformed my state of mind from happy to miserable over the course of today's 3.7 mile race. In the end it came down to a full tilt sprint to the finish line where I was beat out by half a step (for about 70th place), much to my chagrin.

The XTERRA event at Stillwell had its challenges both on the course and in the planning. None of this was the organizer's fault. First, due to significant budget cuts affecting Long Island's state parks, we were locked out of the public bathrooms. This left us with a single Porta-Potty for the 200+ participants, race staff and spectators. Although that caused delays they weren't measurable and we started only eight minutes later than planned. The other big challenge was the amount of slick ice that remained on the course. A decision was made yesterday to cut about a mile of trails from the route for safety purposes. That said, there were still a lot of treacherous conditions and I saw at least one person limping past the finish line in obvious pain from a tumble on the course.

After a detailed description of the route that helped the runners understand the need to stay on course, they blew the air horn and the 130 or so participants made their way swiftly across the field and into the woods. I was having a blast at that point. My Helly Hansen Trail Lizards were made for conditions like this but when I hit the first of many icy, muddy, twisty trails I thought about how easily a person could trip and fall. With dozens of tightly packed runners jockeying along the singletrack, one misstep could have caused a very large accident. After a while I got used to the course and realized that the black trail is like a roller coaster that goes up or drops every 30 seconds or so. I also realized that I've consciously avoided much of this part of the trail during recreational runs because it's so tough.

With half mile to go in the race, the guy in front of me yelled back and said "we're almost there!" I was very pleased to know that and also glad that they cut the length of the course because I was really feeling exhausted at that point. When we hit the main open trail I could see the finish line but the effect of running on a thick layer of icy snow was jarring and we all stepped gingerly as we leaned in for the final 440. Once we passed the trail head and hit the field I heard a few runners behind me. When we got closer to the finish I could hear the footsteps of another runner determined to beat me over the line. We finished our sprint with a photo finish but I think I lost by a nose. I was so glad it was over and my wife and kids told me that many of those who crossed the line ahead of me had said it was a really rough, slippery course and it was the toughest race they'd ever run. I'll agree with that.

Official results have not been posted yet but I did maintain a 9:20 pace according to my Garmin. Considering that Stillwell usually costs me 30-45 seconds a mile against my road running pace I was happy with that result. Well, another race run and a tough one at that. The Marcie Mazzola  5K in April is my next competition and compared to today it seems a piece of cake. But I don't assume anything in a race so training for that race will begin soon enough.

16 hours to a cold, wet, muddy mess

Snow and ice covers the main open trail

It's less than a day until my first race of 2010, the XTERRA trail run at Stillwell Woods. This will be the seventh time I've raced competitively since returning to running in 2008. I'm looking at tomorrow's event from a few different perspectives. First, it's a race and that in itself creates excitement. Second, the action of participating in a rigorous 5 mile trail race less than two months after a week's stay in the hospital validates my recovery from severe pneumonia. Third, this race promises to be the single most challenging running experience I've ever faced due to the course and the conditions we'll be facing.

This morning my son and I stopped by the race site to see how the trails were looking. They hadn't marked the course but the website says we'll be running the "black trail." I'm not too familiar with Stillwell's trail markings (which explains why I always get lost when I run in the interior of the preserve) but I'll try to pay closer attention tomorrow. Once we arrived at Stillwell I realized that there's still quite a lot of snow on the ground. As we walked to the trail head we saw that the first 300 yards of the course are covered by a few inches of well-trod icy snow. We followed the main open trail until we came to path that broke to the right and led into the woods to the south. The path was less snow covered due to the trees but there was still enough to warrant careful footing, especially when the trails twisted and dropped.

Interior trail

Muddy singletrack

We continued our hike in the woods and as our trail rose we encountered lots of mud from the melted snow. I was imagining 100+ runners packed together, racing on a narrow trail and kicking up lots of muddy water. My friend KWL suggested that I wear goggles to protect my eyes from the spray but I'm going to have to tough it out with just a pair of glasses. Although we didn't travel too far on our hike I managed to get a little lost, but my 10 year old son navigated us successfully back to the main trail. I wish I could bring him tomorrow. The weather at 10 AM was still chilly and it's made me rethink my plan to wear only one or two light layers. I'll bring some extra clothes to the race which I can leave behind with my "crew" if I decide I don't need them. It's now exactly 16 hours to the start. I hope I can sleep tonight!

Tapering to the core

I was surprised to see snow falling this morning as I made my way to the train station. The news didn't mention it but when I reached the train I noticed a layer of white stuff on the cars that had sat overnight in the parking lot. I don't expect much accumulation but you never know. Tomorrow I'll take a drive over to Stillwell Woods to check out conditions for Sunday's race. I'm hoping that they will have the XTERRA course marked so I can get a better sense of the route. I'm still concerned that I could get lost!

Since I've finished the running portion of my taper I'd planned to rest this morning. I decided instead to do the 15 minute core workout, as I did on Monday, and I'm pleased that the work on some of the exercises is beginning to feel easier. I'm assuming I'm making some progress and soon I'll adopt the "make it harder" suggestions that accompany the Lolo core exercise descriptions and illustrations in the magazine. I always feel energized and stronger after doing this simple workout. I'm not sure if I'll do anything fitness related on Saturday or if I'll be self indulgent and rest. I really wish the race was tomorrow but Sunday will come soon enough.

Guilt gets a bad rap

The idea of running was not very appealing when I awoke at 3:45 AM this morning. I was shocked when I saw the time as I'd expected it to be around midnight by the way I felt. As I made my way to the coffee machine I thought about everything I could do rather than getting on the damn treadmill: return to bed for 30 minutes, do 15 minutes of core exercises then rest before my shower or replace today's run with a lower impact elliptical session. I have learned that the hard effort of running is nothing compared with the guilt that comes from missing a workout. When I choose to rest I enjoy the brief respite from the obligation of exercise but soon after that comes the letdown of missing the endorphic payoff and, later, the nagging sense that I failed to accomplish a conditioning goal. On the other hand, when I do my early run, I feel that if nothing else good happens in the day at least I have that accomplishement under my belt.

Of course I ended up running this morning. In the 18 months since I've been a dedicated runner I've missed very few workouts (thanks to guilt). About a year ago I adopted Mondays as my rest day and that's really been the only time off I've taken, not counting illness. I feel very good about that and if it's all due to guilt then I have to say that guilt gets an unfair rap because, in fact, its really a helpful influence. Due to guilt I had my last run before Sunday's race as a tempo this morning, starting off easy and gradually working up to the edge of discomfort. At the moment all systems seem to be in order, no aches, pains, twinges or anything else to distract me from the challenges I'll be facing. I'm getting psyched for mud and I'll try to have fun with it but I also know it will mean some real work. It will be a long five miles but when I finish I won't have any guilt to deal with.

Wet + warm = muddy racing on Sunday

Last weekend they were predicting snow by mid-week and here we are on Wednesday with the snow coming down light and wet. This, combined with increasingly warmer temperatures that are predicted for the coming days, could make for some interesting conditions at Stillwell Woods on Sunday. Yesterday I was speaking to my friend FS who recently ran a 10 mile NYRR race in Prospect Park. She predicted that Sunday's course will be very muddy. I hadn't thought about that because I was focusing on conditions related to snow. But mud is much more likely. I'm not really sure how I should handle the run in that case since my experiences with mud are limited to navigating around large puddles on the paths. I've always run around, rather than through those areas, because I don't have waterproof trail shoes. I'm hoping that my HH Trail Lizards will hold up under extremely muddy conditions and I'm slightly worried that running in mud will make a tough course even tougher. Then again, if it was easy why would we do it?

I'm getting to the end of my race training and this morning I ran 2.4 miles and felt great throughout the run. However, I'm realizing that those Old Navy RECTECH shirts are cheap for a reason. While they are lighter and provide less friction than cotton they collect sweat like cotton. After today's session I've decided to relegate them to outer layer status and use them for their bright color rather than their wicking performance.

16 days of Chia living

Christopher McDougall's book, "Born to Run", made a big impact on me when I read it last year. I'd tried adapting my running style based on what I'd read, focusing on landing on the front of my foot instead of striking off the heel. I also worked to increase the number of steps I would take per minute. Both of these actions relate to the running style of the Tarahumara natives who live in Mexico's Copper Canyon region. My transition to this running style got derailed by a bout of pneumonia that kept me from running for over three weeks. When I restarted I had strongly considered buying new shoes that would better enable that style of running. After my gait analysis I discovered that I naturally move off my heel quickly so, instead, I upgraded to the newest version of the shoe I was already using. The only thing that has stuck from the book is an interest in the seeds from the Chia plant. These seeds are mixed with ground corn and lime juice by the Tarahumara's to produce what they call Pinole. The natives claim Pinole provides enough energy to allow them to run distances of 50 miles or longer.

Ground Chia Seed

After reading about these seeds I decided to try them to see if Chia worked the same way on Long Island. Over each of the last sixteen days I have mixed 1.5 tsp. of Chia into drinks or food. In two cases my source of Chia came from energy bars that featured the ingredient, one from Greens Plus and the other from the raw aisle at Whole Foods. The Greens Plus bar was tasty: both chewy and crunchy (due to the whole seeds) as was the Whole Foods bar which was less tasty but much spicier. I looked at the ingredients and saw that it contained chili peppers. I normally like spicy, the hotter the better, but this didn't work as well as I'd hoped. I've discovered that mixing Chia with hot beverages such as sugar free hot chocolate or green tea leads to a disgusting collection of congealed lumpy matter at the bottom of the cup. Mixing with cold fruit juice or water is better and mixing with coconut water is the best because the taste combination is quite good.

With two-plus weeks of experience using Chia to draw on I really can't say that it's helped. My runs have been good throughout this period and I've successfully fought off a cold during this time. This morning I felt great throughout my 2.5 mile run. Was it the Chia? Probably not. I'm guessing it was good rest and two recent core workouts. Still, I plan to stay with the Chia routine for its other benefits like high levels of Omega 3-6-9. It couldn't hurt and it just might be helping.

Anticipating my less boring treadmill

This weekend seemed longer than most, probably because it started with an early homecoming on Friday due to the weather. I was pleased with my weekend running performance and I feel that I'm fully back to strength at this point. I do miss running in venues other than my neighborhood but neighborhood runs are still preferable to treadmill runs. Speaking of which, our new Sole F63 treadmill should be shipping soon. I'm curious to see if the running experience will be noticeably different from the unit we have now. If nothing else, the new treadmill will have some additional features and programs and will have a big display that shows speed, distance, time and other metrics. That should provide some good distractions while I'm using it. I'm also thinking about re-equipping my office with a set of running clothes so I can head out for a run in Central Park whenever the mood strikes.

This morning, owing to my trail race on Saturday, I skipped my rest day and spent 20 minutes on core exercises and another 15 minutes with hand weights. It felt like I accomplished something but I do have a way to go to attain a level of upper body conditioning that matches my lower body. I plan to run Tue-Thu and rest on Fri and Sat. I want to be at my best before I take on the Ewok forest and the Uh-Oh trail (among other challenges) at Stillwell Woods on Sunday.

Orange you glad these shirts are so cheap?

As often happens on Saturdays, the Emerging Runner family found themselves at the mall. It's always a tactical effort - go to a few targeted stores, locate what's needed and get out as soon as possible. Often my wife will head to the children's section to find items for the kids so I wander over to the men's area to see what they carry in terms of athletic wear. We were at Target and I was looking for pool shirts made with the type of fabric that doesn't disintegrate and bleach out from chlorine after three or so wearings. They didn't have those, only shorts, but they did have some nice shirts from their Champion G9 line. This stuff is very well priced and nicely designed. While the quality doesn't match the higher end stuff from companies like Brooks and Sugoui it's an excellent choice for daily training. I prefer to do my daily runs with lower end gear because it's cheap to replace when it gets worn out with multiple washings. I try not to wear my "premium"shirts (Zoot, Nike Sphere, Adidas adiSTAR) except to race or when heat conditions require a superior wicking shirt.

I didn't buy any of the Champion G9 shirts but on a whim I checked out Old Navy's RECTECH performance shirts that were currently on sale. I often worry that when I run in the neighborhood or on the trails that I could get mowed down by an inattentive driver or mountain biker. Most of my day to day running clothes are either black or white so when I saw short sleeved RECTECH shirts for $5 apiece I bought two, one pumpkin orange and the other mustard yellow. These wicking shirts seem nicely made and contain some stretchable material. Not bad for $5! I wore my orange shirt today over my other two layers (33 degrees at 8:30 AM) as I headed out for my morning run. The route I chose took me to neighborhood #2 which required a short segment running along a one way service road where people often speed. I was happy to have my orange shirt serving as a beacon to drivers. All the same I ran as close to the snow line as possible for the minute I was on that connecting road.

I had a decent run overall, half in neighborhood #2 and the other half in my main neighborhood, totaling 4.7 miles. I'm still feeling some of the effects from my Thursday core exercises which means I need to do them more often. Although Monday is usually a rest day I plan to do the Lolo core routine to help strengthen some key muscles. I'm going to need all the help I can get if Sunday's race turns about to be a hilly run in the snow.

A 9:00 AM start for the XTERRA hits my sweet spot

I went out for my run a little later than normal today because I had some early morning errands that I needed to get done. The effect of deviating from my normal routine can go two different ways. I've run better than average when starting later, rather than first thing in the morning. Most of the races I've run have started hours after the time that I'd normally do a weekend run. I've beaten my normal training pace during every one of those those events.  I've also performed poorly when running later in the day: after work or during my lunch hour. My best performances seem to happen during runs between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. I wish Garmin Connect had more options for analyzing historical metrics so I could easily compare my average pace across various start times. There are a few ways to do this but both are cumbersome. I'll leave that to another time.

I went out at 9:30 this morning with Friday's snow still fresh on the sides of the street. I wore my light duty Adidas trail shoes to help maintain traction. These shoes are very comfortable and they double as my weekend casual shoes but they don't provide the energy return that I get from the Brooks Adrenalines, especially my new GTS 10's. Although I'd been out earlier in the morning I'd misjudged the cold and my ears were very uncomfortable for the first third of my 3.7 mile run. The first half of the run was more of a serene plod than a hard training run. I was taking in the scene of recently fallen snow blanketing the neighborhood and was enjoying the experience fully until it occurred to me that I will be racing next weekend and I needed to train. I picked up my pace for the second half, averaging between 8:50 and 9:00 per mile. Overall I averaged around 9:30 for the full run.

Tomorrow I'll go for a little more distance and then move into taper mode prior to the March 7th event. I'm wondering what Stillwell Woods will look like after this week's snow. With another possible storm coming on Wednesday it could get tricky on race day. It doesn't really matter though. As long as they still hold the race I'll be there. It will be a new experience racing in the snow and the conditions will be the same for all the other runners. I'm fascinated to see what happens.

Will Runner's World start covering hedge funds now?

Yesterday morning my friend Sedentary Man handed me a section from the Wall Street Journal and said I'd probably want to read this article entitled "We have ways of helping you buy running shoes." I think that was supposed to be a play on the way German officers would threaten torture in old WWII movies. If that was the case the writer missed her mark because the article described four complex but helpful experiences that led to her being fit with the right running shoes. The writer referred to herself with the royal "we" throughout the article which I found odd but, that aside, I thought she did a good job researching the buying process. She visited four running stores, three in the state of Washington and one in NYC. I recently went through this experience at Jackrabbit so I was curious to see how these other stores performed their evaluations.  

Three out of the four stores performed gait analysis using video and a treadmill. A doctor who was quoted in the story said that the video process is "gimmicky" but I disagree with that. Seeing myself pronate in hi-def convinced me that I needed a moderate stability shoe. One store used a pressure sensitive mat that changed color based on weight distribution. A couple of stores had the writer run barefoot on the treadmill. I thought that was weird because most people heel strike but will never do that when running barefoot so what does it prove?

In the end it seemed like each store did a good job of identifying the right shoe for the writer. I was amused to read that she tried on a pair of "Mizunas" and I'm sure the Mizuno people loved reading that!

This morning I considered my choices for my daily workout: run, strength conditioning, another elliptical session or shoveling the newly fallen (and still falling) snow on our driveway. A look out the window confirmed the report of 3"-8" with 5 inches on the ground at 4:00 AM. I decided that my car could blast through that provided I escape before the town plows come by and deposit 20" of hard pack in front of the driveway.

I decided to stay inside and started with the Lolo core exercises that I found in Runner's World last year. I really like them because they only take 15 minutes but you feel like you've accomplished something when you've finished. I followed that with about 20 minutes of hand weights. I only used 5 and 10 pound weights because I wanted to do lots of reps and start a baseline for arm and upper body conditioning. I left for the train before the snowplows came. Standing on the snowy LIRR platform I was happy to see the train come in and I was glad that I started my day with a different but energizing workout.

I may be weak but I'm slow!

Up until yesterday I was feeling very good about my state of conditioning. I was chatting with a work colleague who I hadn't seen for a few weeks and he asked me if I'd lost weight. I didn't know how to respond to that question. Yes, I did lose weight when I restarted running back in 2008. Forty pounds in fact, all due to lower calorie consumption and more activity. More recently, after battling severe pneumonia, I lost another five pounds. My recovery is now complete and my weight is back to mid-December levels so I was puzzled by his question. The next thing he said floored me, "You look kind of...weak." Weak? I really didn't know how to respond to that. Then I thought about it and realized that it's probably true. While my running gives me stamina, I'm not doing all that much to build strength. A year ago I was mixing up my workouts and including core exercises and some upper body conditioning. In the time that I've returned to daily exercise I've been focused solely on running. Even my elliptical sessions have been more about speed than effort. I decided that it's time to stop ignoring my core and upper body.

Although my wife and I have accumulated a closet full of hand weights I'm loathe to use them. I find weight lifting to be mind numbingly boring. I've been thinking about getting one of those stretch band systems that attach to a doornob and provide a variety of ways to exercise muscle groups. It's low tech but it works, as do sit-ups and push ups. This morning I chose the elliptical but cranked up the resistance as high as I could handle. It felt good and it was good preparation for my trail race. The benefits that come from moving the unit's upper poles is questionable but it's better than doing nothing. I'm going to put some more attention to strength building and I'm hoping to gain about five pounds through upper body muscle development. I suspect that strengthening my core will also lead to better running performance.