Not quite the run I thought I'd done

Today's run (street): 4 miles at 9:16 per mile

After today's run I thought that my best performance was tied to the time of day that I ran. My energy level at 6:15 AM was high and I started out well. I wanted to run about 3 miles this morning because I had some extra time. Usually I'm constrained to less than 25 minutes on weekdays but I'm working from home today so (without the commute) I was able to get out for over 30 minutes. It was only 61 degrees outside when I started and the first mile came quickly. That, as it turned out, was because it wasn't quite a mile. Unfortunately my Garmin has not served me well of late and switching the foot pod from shoe to shoe has not helped. I thought I'd completed 4.17 miles in about 37 minutes, a time that I considered good and reasonable. I figured that running at 6 AM simply gave me boost over how well I usually perform at 4 AM. My actual distance was well off what the Garmin recorded. It turned out I'd only run 4 miles.

 Forgetting performance for a moment I thought I'd run well today. I continue to like the feel of the Kinvaras and I'm hoping that they are facilitating mid foot landing when I run. I don't feel much difference in padding or support with the neutral Kinvaras and (knock wood) I have not experienced any tweaks or strains from wearing them so far. It makes me wonder if I could get away with a neutral everyday trainer. Not that I'm in the market for that. I'm just curious. I'm hoping to do at least one measurable run (over six miles) this weekend. I'll probably enlist my Brooks for that task. They remain my go-to shoe for distance. Why mess with success?

The morning blues

Today's run (street): 2.3 miles at 9:16 per mile

I looked forward to this morning's run as I prepared my gear last night. I've just come through two weeks of tight deadlines and four speaking obligations and today's run was the first time in a while where I could go out free of those pressures. I'd run in my Grid Tangents the last three times and the magic of speed seems to have slipped away. Tuesday's performance was no better or worse than my usual experience with my GTS-10s. I decided to return to the Kinvaras and see if I could gain some efficiency by running in this light neutral shoe that promotes mid foot landing. I know two other people who own Kinvaras and they have both had concerns about running longer distances with them. So far my experience with the Kinvaras has been good. I see little difference between them and my other trainers.

Some mornings I move faster than others and today was a slow day. I'm not talking about on the road, I mean the process of preparing to run. Consequently I didn't step outside until 4:06 and I took off without doing any stretching because I didn't want to fall further behind. The skies were dark with no moon and overcast conditions. The rain had stopped but the roads were wet and the streetlights were reflecting garishly. It was quiet and I saw no other activity but it didn't feel peaceful. During Tuesday morning's run I saw a few cars and trucks and even saw another person on the street. It was a young woman taking a walk near the middle school. I kept my distance because I didn't want to spook her. Odd to see someone out walking at 4:30 AM.

I ended today's run after about 22 minutes. I was glad that I had run but slightly disappointed by the experience. I'm hoping to go out longer tomorrow morning and take advantage of the extra time I'll have working from home. I think I need rest and I'll try to sleep a little longer on Friday morning. It's been a while since I've had a satisfying long run. I'm hoping I can change that this weekend.

Not sure what to make of my FR60 calibration

Yesterday's run (street): 2.8 miles @ 9:29/mile
Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I've been focused on business needs this week and that has disrupted my blogging schedule. I'm at an industry event today where I presented in the morning. That was the last big thing I needed to get through for the week (so far). I'm thinking again about my running.

Yesterday I returned to the street and ran (according to Garmin) 2.95 miles. Knowing that my distance number on the FR60 was overstated by 6.5% against the distance of my 8K, I suspected that I didn't actually cover what the display showed. I "Gmapped" my route as soon as I could and discovered my true distance was 4.4% less than what was indicated. This didn't surprise me but it also makes me wonder if the 8K course was actually 8.2K. I have not moved the sensor on my foot pod the last three times yet my margin of error seems to have swung from calibrated to over counting by different amounts on subsequent runs. I'm transferring it to the Kinvaras tonight for tomorrow morning's run. I'll see what happens after that. My run on Tuesday morning went well although I didn't go particularly fast. Once again I surprised myself by not really caring about my pace. I've decided that I can either dedicate time to speed drills and tempos and improve my average pace or I can go out almost every day and just run for fun. I'm definitely focused on the fun option right now.

I chose to do an elliptical session this morning which was a perfect workout to prepare me for today's events. Tomorrow I'm planning to go out again and run. I'm thinking of pursuing a new distance goal this weekend. I think breaking 10 miles is the next frontier for me. Perhaps not this weekend, but soon.

Why I race

Today's workout: Rest day

My hopes for this weekend's race were to run well on Sunday and to beat last year's time. Doing the first thing should have resulted in the second but despite everything I'd done, the results were exactly the same. I would have liked to PR on the 8K but I'm pleased with my overall experience. I'm on track for completing at least six races in 2010 which would equal the number of races I ran in 2009. I could have run even more this year but I blew it in May when I failed to check the date of a local 5K. Earlier that month I chose to skip the RXR 10K. That may have been a good call, as weather conditions were close to intolerable with the heat and high humidity.

Each time I race it motivates me to race again. There is little in life that provides such a satisfying set of activities as racing. First is selection of venue. There are many race choices but some events are more appealing than others. Then there's training, strategy and anticipation of the race. I love the week leading up to race day. It's a time to think about the possibility of accomplishing a new PR and a chance to try new things. I was going to try some extra caffeine before the start of yesterday's race but decided to skip that. Perhaps that would have helped my performance. The night before a race is also fun with the planning of race day gear and working out morning logistics.

Once at the event, it's the process of checking in, getting your numbers and receiving your t-shirt that makes it feel like something great is about to happen. The pinning of the bib, attaching the timing sensor and the countdown to the start builds to the excitement of lining up and waiting for the gun. The race itself is always a little different but certain things always remain the same. The rush off the line, navigation around slower starters, the moments of overtaking other runners or being passed despite all efforts to hold them off. There's a time in every race when I feel I've pushed as hard as I could and there's not going to be anything left at the end. Most of the time I find the energy to come over the finish line feeling like I'd done my best. I'm never going to be a competitive runner but that's not why I compete. The fun and satisfaction before, during and after a race makes the typical entry fee seem like the best bargain around.

Race report: New Hyde Park 8K

At least the t-shirt was different this year

Today's run (New Hyde Park 8K): 44:42

I ran my third race of the year this morning. It was the second year in a row that I've run this race. Last year I ran it in 44:42 for an overall pace of 9:00 per mile. This year I prepared well for the race, rested two days prior and wore my new Saucony's that have proven to help my performance. Last year I struggled to get through the race and this year I felt good and thought I'd managed a fairly competitive pace. Despite my preparation, greater familiarity with the course and feeling very strong I still finished the race at 44:42. Exactly to the second what I ran last year.

Pre-race check- in

I arrived an hour before the race and they had already blocked off the parking lot at the school so I had to find a place to park on a nearby street. I checked in and was happy to see that the bib number was kinda cool looking and the race t-shirt  was nicely designed. The shirt I received last year was so garish and yellow that my wife forbid me to wear it out of the house. No problems with this year's t-shirt. I wore my new Brooks running shirt and that served me well. I also wore my Saucony Grid Tangent 4's that I really like but they didn't seem to give me a speed benefit.

I have to admit that I'm a little suspicious of the course distance. According to my Garmin the course length was 5.32 miles. That is .35 miles longer than an 8K. I checked the Garmin calibration on Thursday with the Tangents and it was accurate to less than 1%. I'm puzzled why it would suddenly be off by 6.5% - an unusual variance for a device that's usually within 3% accuracy even without calibration. I Gmapped the course and came up with 5.1 miles which is about 3% longer than 8K. Nonetheless, I fully accept the NHP Runner's Club's measurement as well as my time. It's just that if the course was actually 5.1 miles I would have broken 9:00 per mile. Oh well!

Although I wanted to do better than 2009 at least today's effort proved that I'm consistent. I don't have another race on the schedule yet but I'm fairly sure I'll run the Dirty Sock 10K again in August. It was nice to run this race today in the middle of a busy time at work. It's hard to be stressed after giving your all for 44 minutes and 42 seconds. Besides that, I got a cool t-shirt!

A weekend for racing

This is a racing weekend, not only for me but for my colleagues FS and MO who participated in the NYRR Mini-10K this morning. No word on how they did, but I'm hoping they both had a good time. It was cool and dry this morning on LI and I hope that was true for NYC when the Mini-10K started. According to weather.com, at the start of tomorrow's race temperatures should be in the low 70's with a 40% chance of precipitation and 81% humidity. Not exactly ideal for a fast run but you can't pick your weather. Clouds and light rain surely beats having the hot sun bearing down on you.

I've been feeling slightly guilty for not running on Friday because I took an extra rest day on Wednesday. There's a lot happening with work so getting some additional rest was appreciated. Tapering is a valid method of preparing for a race and I need to keep that in mind. Tomorrow will be a busy day so I'll be doing the race without Team Emerging Runner. It doesn't matter, I just need to get there early so I can park close and stow my gear while I'm running. I'm really looking forward to the run. After a busy and demanding week of work and a tougher one to follow, I can briefly forget everything except for my goal of covering 8K as quickly as I can.

Race day Sunday: may the best me win

Today's run (street): 2.6 miles at 8:44 per mile

Despite my racing I'm really not a competitive person. When I line up for a race I sincerely hope the other people run well and when someone finishes ahead of me I am happy for them. But there's one guy I really want to beat this weekend. He's a year younger than me but I'm a year smarter than him. Last year he went out too fast and finished too slow and I plan to do the opposite on Sunday. I think I'll have some other advantages this year. I know the course ahead of time and I'm planning to wear my Saucony Grid Tangent 4's that seem to perform better than the other guy's Brooks GTS-9's. We'll see how it goes.

I'm not sure I'll run tomorrow. I may do an elliptical session or just rest for two days. This morning's run was one of the best I'd done in the last couple of weeks. Conditions were ideal at 4:00 AM. The air was cool, the skies were clear and I felt more rested than I did on Tuesday. I knew I was moving faster than normal, helped along by the Tangent's, and the first mile came faster than I expected. That's always good. There's a way of running when everything is working together and I had that this morning. I felt a bit like I was running my whole route downhill. I regretted my limited time today and wished I had another 20 minutes for my workout. I know I'll need to deal with sun and more heat at the race but I'll be mentally prepared for that. It would be great to have some cloud cover on Sunday morning but I won't count on it. That other guy better watch out.

High Altitude Adventure (Girl)

Today's workout: Unscheduled rest day

Adventure Girl is taking on running at great heights in her latest post on Running Gone Wild. Reading about her experiences at 4,200 feet is making me wonder how I'll do on the trails in Colorado this summer. Perhaps I'll practice running while holding my breath for long periods of time. Just kidding - but I'm curious to find out if there are ways to practice for higher elevations.

No running for me today. The weather has laden me with a sinus pressure headache and I chose to grab some extra sleep this morning. I'm planning to do my final week's run tomorrow (maybe one more on Friday if I feel strong) and then rest on Saturday for Sunday's race. That's the plan. At least the elevations at the New Hyde Park 8K don't approach those in Bend, Oregon.

A cool 4:00 AM run was a nice (and slow)

Today's run (street): 2.54 miles at 9:30 per mile

I was surprisingly alert this morning when I got up for today's run. After a day of meetings and travel I'm usually far more tired the following day. Every night I set out my running clothes, reflective vest, headlamp, etc., in anticipation of my morning workout. More often than not, in my just awakened fog, I entertain thoughts of skipping that day's run as I drag myself downstairs to pour some coffee. The process is so ritualized that despite my semi-conscious state I know to the second how things will play out. A few sips from my coffee mug are followed by a change into running clothes. Out of the house by 4:01, I hit start on the Garmin and pick a route.

Once out the door things vary: weather, energy level and activity. Most often there are no cars and rarely any people. This morning I saw both. This morning's temperatures were cool and that helped me get going. Unlike other mornings I avoided running through any sprinkler spray for the first ten minutes  of today's run because I was cold enough already. Even though my pace felt brisk I was obviously not moving very quickly and it seemed to take a while to complete my first mile. A look at my watch told me I was pacing around 9:45 which did not match the way I felt. My level of effort was low so I knew I could push it and I gradually increased my speed to finish with a 9:30 overall pace. The cool weather and no sun were greatly appreciated and I'm a bit concerned about covering 5 miles competitively on Sunday with heat and sun. I'll just run my race by going out at a moderate pace and making sure I have enough left to attain a negative split on mile five.

Smartening up for Sunday's race

Today's workout: Rest day

It was a beautiful morning today in Washington DC, the temperature was 65 when I woke up at 4:00. I looked out the window just as the sun was coming up to see two runners making their way along D Street. How I wished to join them! Unfortunately my schedule was too tight today to do any running, but next time I return I plan to do a few loops around the National Mall. I've reconciled my missed opportunity by acknowledging that I usually rest on Mondays anyway. Technically I'm tapering for an 8K I'm planning to run this coming Sunday.

I'm excited to be racing again for the first time since early April. I blew it on my last race, arriving the day after the event. This time I'm pretty sure it's on the 13th and since I've pre-registered and pre-paid I'm going to pay a little more attention to the details. Last year I ran the New Hyde Park 8K with no understanding or expectations of the course. I started fast and did about 8:25 for mile one and went downhill from there. The course isn't challenging in terms of hills but there are a few elevated sections. I recall the moment I knew I had overstepped my conditioning, I was on a section of road heading east when I started getting passed by other runners. I can remember the sound of approaching steps as one, two, three and more runners ran by and though I tried to speed up to hold them off I just couldn't sustain it. The fifth mile was brutal although I did manage to put enough energy into a final sprint that kept me under nine minutes for pace. Barely under: 8:59.

I have not run too strongly in the last week and my pace numbers reflect this. I had been hitting 8:40 fairly often and I'm almost a minute behind that of late. The good news is I don't really care. I'm judging the value of my runs by my level of satisfaction rather than purely by performance. However, I do want to beat last year's pace on Sunday and finish feeling stronger. I guess I'll need to run smarter as well.

Short day, short run

Today's run (street): 3.4 miles at 9:34 per mile

It's been a nice weekend despite my need to cut things short and travel to  Washington DC this afternoon. It was nice to see friends last night, especially those who enjoy running as much as I do. I was glad to hear that my friend RDV has signed up for a race later this month. Although he has been running fairly high mileage over the last few years this will only be the second time he has raced. I gave him some guidance to help ensure a better experience. I reinforced the need to go out at a moderate pace and not get swept up by the fast starters who may force him into an unsustainable pace. That's a lesson I learned the hard way last year when I was building my racing experience. I'll keep that in mind for my 8K next Sunday.

I've been feeling tired lately and I think it has much to do with a busy time at work and not getting the important sleep that I've needed. I wish I could sleep past 5:30 AM on weekends to bank some additional rest but I haven't been able to do that. I'm giving a talk on Monday but my voice has been rough over the last couple of days. I need my voice to be in decent shape tomorrow so I questioned whether a run would help my energy level or just run me down further. I felt good enough for an easy three mile run and wore my Brooks to ensure a comfortable experience. I followed a course that differed from my usual neighborhood loop and maintained a pace that allowed me to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the clear springtime morning. The humidity started to get to me by the end of the second mile. I toughed out the third plus a little more before finishing with a total of 3.4 miles. I'm glad I did this run and I'll rest until Tuesday. I'm happy I'll get a few more hours to spend with my family before I leave today. The work week will start again, all too soon.

Bad run, good run - it's all about attitude

Yesterday's run (Central Park): 2.3 miles at 9:18 per mile

Today's run (street): 4.2 miles at 9:38 per mile

"A good attitude ensures success." I actually saw someone in my neighborhood wearing that slogan on a tee shirt as I ran through the neighborhood this morning. It made me think about my running experiences yesterday and today and how the outcomes were so different. Yesterday was 85 degrees in the city, humid as heck with lots of sun bearing down. I was on the fence whether I would run at noon or take off early and run near home. I had been feeling tired all morning so I decided to have an early lunch and wait an hour to see how I felt. By 2:00 I had completed a presentation that I need to give on Monday so it was time to decide - either exit now or head to the park for a run. My planned running partner needed to take a pass today but I spoke to a few people, all of whom encouraged the running option. I figured that if I followed the Central Park bridle trail I'd have some tree cover to take the edge off the heat.

In the back of mind I was concerned about the weather, my fatigue and the fact that I was running after having lunch. I walked to the park and hit start on the Garmin as I crossed Central Park South. Within a minute I knew I was in trouble and by the time I reached the start of the bridle trail I was already  thinking that my run would be very short. The bridle trail was shadier than the road but the surface is softer and that requires more work. By the time the Garmin chirped the first mile I felt like I'd run five hard ones so I decided I'd only do one more. I headed east and picked up the paved path going south on the upper loop. The heat was brutal (apparently there was an air quality warning as well) but there were a few other runners out there who passed me at a brisk clip. Once I reached the 7th Ave. cut-over I stopped and cooled down having completed 2.3 miles. I realized that I had set my expectations for a difficult time and got exactly that.

This morning my goal was to get out early before there was too much sun and heat and cover a moderate distance within my neighborhood. It was important to put a good run on the books after yesterday's struggle and I could tell right away that the going would be easier than on Friday. I wore the Kinvaras because I didn't plan to run too long. Despite their light weight I didn't go very fast but I certainly didn't care about that. It was important that today's run be enjoyable and beneficial. Since my going-in attitude was positive I ended up pleased with my performance even though I was fairly tired by the end. I know it was just a slogan on a tee shirt but having a better attitude this morning did help ensure a better running experience today.