Running your own race

Watching the NYC Marathon yesterday got me thinking about the 10K I'll be running next Sunday. Many of those marathoners who went out in the later waves probably hadn't reached the 5K mark by the time the women and men's winners had crossed the finish line. To the outside world, the race ended with the elites but for the 45,000 others on the course the race ended hours later. When you're pounding away for position among the crowded field the only race that matters is the one you're in. Every race provides an opportunity for success: completion, a PR or just participating in the experience provides a great reason to do it. I can't wait to hear from FS on her experience.

I'm not sure how I'll do next Sunday. The 10K distance has never yielded great times for me in competition. My hope is to come in under an hour and, ideally, pace below 9:20. I'll probably finish my taper with runs on Tuesday and Wednesday at very easy paces and I'll complete my pre-race activity on Thursday with an elliptical session. I plan to run the best race I can without concern for those who cross the line in half the time it takes me to finish.

Running: street, trail and marathon

Today's run: 5 miles (street) plus 1 mile (Stillwell Woods)

It was all about running today. NBC's coverage of the NYC Marathon started at 6 AM and we watched just about all of it. I was very pleased that Shalane Flanagan took second place in the woman's race and that she also won the US Marathon championship. She's a great competitor and she ran a great race. The men's race was disappointing with Haile Gebrselassie dropping out around mile 16 and Meb Keflezighi, Dathan Ritzenhein, Tim Nelson and Jorge Torres all missing podium spots although Keflezighi and Ritzenhein both finished in the top ten. It was fun to spend the morning following the race. The athlete tracking service that allowed you to follow friends along the race failed so I couldn't keep current with marathoners FS and James. I did manage to see FS through the 5K checkpoint and James through 10K before the system went down.

Before the start of the race I went out for 5 easy miles. It was 37 degrees and sunny at 8:00 AM and I couldn't have asked for better conditions. I purposely started slowly and picked up the pace after one mile. I toggled between brisk and easy paces throughout the run and I was close to home when I reached the 4 mile mark. Instead of heading to my house I decided to extend the run and added a mile to make it a tidy 5. After lunch we headed for Stillwell Woods and me and my daughter ran a loop on the dirt trail around the big field. We encountered a couple of dogs running off leash that made my daughter very uncomfortable. I strongly suggested to the dog's owner that he leash the dogs or at least teach them to stay away from people they don't know. He apologized and in truth his dogs were only playing but it's not right to assume everyone has a comfort with dogs. Hopefully he'll consider more training.

It's been a great weekend. The extra hour from Daylight Savings Time certainly helped make today a full day.

8 miles at Bethpage, NYC Marathon Expo visit

Fun time at the NYC Marathon Expo

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 8.34 miles

After two days off from running I returned to Bethpage State Park today for a morning run with Dave. I had battled a cold over the last couple of weeks but I did run a number of times while I went through it.  I chose to rest on Thursday and Friday to prevent a relapse. We met at the start of the bike trail and noted the chill. I wore my Champion pants that offer slight compression and my Thriv short sleeve running shirt. I wasn't comfortable as we began but I knew it wouldn't take long until I warmed up. We both wore gloves because it's hard to keep them warm even as your body heats up from the run.

We adopted a comfortable pace, neither brisk nor slow, and moved along the route feeling good. The fall air is a runner's gift and we both appreciated it. We reached the 4 mile mark before we realized we'd covered any significant ground and continued over the Southern State to Linden Street where we turned around for the run back. At around the 6 mile mark Dave started getting stronger and I started feeling the effects of the run. That's the difference between us in terms of base. About .75 miles before the end Dave went for the hard finish and I set my mind on getting past the hill at the end. I ran hard considering my level of energy and I came in about half a minute after Dave. It was great to run for the first time since Wednesday and we covered over 8 miles in the process. Next week we'll both compete in the Run for Warriors 10K.

New Balance Minimus

Philip Hahm, Puma Faas designer

Yesterday I made my way to Jacob Javitts Center to experience this year's NYC Marathon Expo. It's a running geek's dream, the hall is HUGE as is the variety of vendors. After checking out the Brooks, NB, Mizuno, Adidas, Saucony, Newton and Paragon booths (plus the ASICS booth that is not much smaller than our local Target store) I sampled PowerBar, GU, Odawalla, Gatorade and other energy snacks. I stopped by Puma and spoke with Philip Hahm, the designer of the new Faas 500 running shoe. Interesting design, but it seemed more for a heel striker than mid-foot running. At the NB booth they showed a prototype of their new Minimus, a version created with Vibram (maker of the 5 Fingers sock-shoes). I like the Vibram concept but dislike the look of the separated toes. The Minimus looks like the perfect alternative.

Bart Yasso (l), Matt Long (r)

Grete Waitz (center in blue)

Sarah Stanley speaks

Untramarathoner Josh Cox

At the Runner's World booth I met Bart Yasso, Chief Running Officer for the magazine and author of the book "My Life on the Run." I read that book this summer and found it a good read. I also met Matt Long, author of "The Long Run", a book about his experience recovering from a near fatal accident (he was hit by a bus while riding his bike in NYC) and came back to run the marathon. I listened to ultramarathoner Josh Cox speak and also heard ultrarunner Sarah Stanley talk about her mission to educate kids on living a healthy life. Just before I returned to the office I met Grete Waitz, 9 time winner of the NY Marathon and silver medalist in the 1984 Olympics. It's a big bang for the buck -- free shuttle buses between mid-town to the Expo, free admission, lots of cool stuff to see and sample. I only wish I was part of the crowd that's there to run in the big event on Sunday. I probably won't ever get there, but at least I can get to the Expo.

Weekend running: Bethpage, NY Marathon and time travel

I decided to skip yesterday and today's workouts to give myself a chance to further recover from my cold. I learned from my bout with pneumonia that running, instead of resting, can be a bad trade off. I originally planned a run with JQ for lunchtime but he needs to attend a meeting. I could run alone but it's probably better for me to rest. I've suffered a painful sinus condition over the last couple of days and thankfully I'm feeling much better this morning.

I'm planning to meet Dave tomorrow at Bethpage for a long run, probably seven or eight miles. I haven't done a run over six miles since Brian and I reran the Cow Harbor course a couple of weeks ago so it will be good to catch up on my miles. After this weekend I'm racing the next two (11/14 & 11/21 -- both 10K) and I'm running a 5K on Thanksgiving with my wife and kids. Another good reason to take today to rest.

If the timing works I'll head downtown around noon to the Jacob Javitts Center to visit the NY Marathon expo. My friend FS is running it for (I think) the third time and I'm excited for her. She and her husband are great competitors and they do many NYRR races. They also run marathons and half's in different parts of the country along with the occasional 100 mile bike run. I'll be cheering for her on Sunday. Also notable this weekend is a special run that Adventure Girl is leading at Yale. She's taking her Harriers running group out at 1:45 AM on a long run with the goal of returning to their starting point before they even left! Note that daylight savings time starts at 2:00 AM : )

Running hot and cold

Yesterday's run (street): 2.4 miles
Today's run (street): 2.7 miles

Both my morning runs this week reminded me that winter isn't too far off. I've gone from wearing short sleeves and running shorts to compression pants, layers and gloves. It's still fairly mild compared to late December conditions but the chilly dry mornings are back. I experienced some throat burn yesterday, the effect of breathing hard through my mouth. This weather tends to exacerbate sinus congestion and I'm dealing with the end of a cold, so nose breathing isn't too easy right now.

Yesterday I ran with my Skecher's Resistance Runners. As I ran it occurred to me why I like them. The instability of the shoe mimics the feel of a bumpy trail surface and the suspension bridge between the mid-sole and out-sole absorbs and dissipates shock as if running on dirt. I'm not saying that the SRRs replace the trail experience in any other way. I'm not even sure I'd consider them legitimate running shoes at this point. However, I have been positively surprised with my running experience so far.

Today I set out with temperatures near the freezing mark but stayed warm throughout the run due to the way I'd dressed. If I ran another 15 minutes I would have got very hot. During yesterday's run my Garmin foot pod's battery quit so I replaced it last night. The calibration was slightly off so after mapping today's route on Gmaps I was happy to see that my pace was better than what the Garmin showed.

I saw this article in the NY Times this morning about barefoot running. Most of these articles say the same thing and this one does too. The most interesting point was the question -- if you run barefoot in a race, where do you put the timing chip?

I stand corrected

Today's run (street) 2.4 miles

Yesterday I wrote how fitness and performance levels tend to decline in middle age. I believed that to be true and, absent proper training, it probably is true. Out of curiosity I looked back on my running history on Garmin Connect and compared my performance (street runs only) between April 1 and October 31 to the same period last year. Some things surprised me. It was almost uncanny that the number of runs, year over year, were virtually identical: 119 in 2009 and 118 in 2010. However, it was the differences that caused my surprise.

Gains for the period 4/1 to 10/31 (2009 vs. 2010)

• 12.4% more distance overall, average distance per run was up 12.5%.
• Cumulative running time was 9% overall, average run was 9% longer.
• Average pace was 4.6% faster.
• Average cadence was 3.6% greater.
• Median distance per run was up 11.5%

The only thing that declined year over year was average heart rate, dropping 1.4% this year. I use the HRM intermittently so that one comparison isn't statistically valid.

So despite what I'd read I have seen some real improvement. Emerging Runner friend and contributor James suggested that I focus more on building a base with comfortably paced runs and using that conditioning to improve my speed. James is an accomplished and dedicated runner who structures his training well. I've already started doing what he's suggesting by focusing more on distance and less on performance. In addition, almost weekly, I'm running with a friend in the city where we pace minutes slower than my current goal rate. This weekend Dave and I are planning an LSD run in preparation of our first (of two) 10K's that we're running this month. If running slow and comfortably will help me on race day I'm all for that.

Extra work just to stay the same

I recently read an article stating that men past the age of 40 will lose muscle mass even if their rate of activity and exercise remains constant. The trick to maintain a specified base level is to increase the amount of effort incrementally over time. Working more just to keep from losing what I already have is not an appealing thought. I love to run and this activity helps me maintain a healthy body and mind. However, I do wonder why my paces seem to average closer to mid 9's rather than low 9's over the last year. It was a hot summer and I know that factored into my performance. I figured as the weather cooled off my run times would begin to improve. Prior to the Dirty Sock 10K I was focusing on faster paces over short distances and was regularly nailing mid to high 8's on runs below 5 miles. More recently, I've focused on longer distances (6+ miles) for my weekend runs and when I do that I find that I'm back in the 9:30-9:50 range.

The last week isn't representative of my potential because I've been fighting a bad cold. The previous weekend, when I reran the Cow Harbor 10K course, I was only able to manage a 9:33 pace for the 6.2 miles under ideal conditions. I'll agree that regularly meeting last year's numbers will require some extra work. It may be time to re-engineer my training and add more strength and speed work. Or maybe I'll just run longer and hope for the best.

Loopy and leafy run

Today's loopy course

Today's run: 5.75 miles

After two days off from running I headed out again this morning. My cold improved enough that I got through last night without waking everyone with my cough. Soon after our weekend guests departed I prepared for my run, dressing in a long sleeved top and compression pants. It was in the high 40's but with strong breezes so I wanted a little extra protection from the cold.  I wore my Kinvaras because I wanted to reinforce a mid-foot stride and the low and flat Kinvaras help me do that. I knew full well that I wasn't going to perform as well as I do at full strength so my strategy was to cover 5 to 6 miles to get back into the rhythm of running.

I started with a north to south loop in my neighborhood after which I cut east all the way to a local business park that has some decent hills. I traveled one time around the park and headed into neighborhood #3 where I ran the outside road until I reached the outlet to Woodbury Road. I followed Woodbury Road all the way past a local pumpkin farm and then headed back in the same direction. I always enjoy running Woodbury Road, not for the view which is predominantly commercial buildings, but for the fact that the sidewalks are usually covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. It reminds me of trail running and the crunching underfoot is a seasonal treat. That section did slow me down but I wasn't viewing this as a performance run. I can't say that my experience was completely unaffected by my cold but it wasn't an issue save for an occasional cough.

I finished up after covering 5.75 miles and I was pleased with the changes of course and scenery compared to my usual neighborhood excursions. I'm glad to complete a low mileage week with a decent length run. Better still, my cold seems to be retreating despite today's workout.

Resting easy

I chose not to run yesterday to help my recovery from this cold. There are few things I dislike more than a hacking cough but that's been my experience since Thursday. Yesterday my wife and I went on a brisk hour walk in the neighborhood and I wore the SRRs which seem to contribute well to the workout. I'm becoming less skeptical as I use them. I think less is more when it comes to running shoes but as a training tool they seem to be helping me strengthen my upper hamstrings and glutes.

My mother and her friend are our weekend guests and we're planning to head out for a hike after lunch. If I can't run then at least I can get some activity in. Tomorrow, if it's clear that I've begun to recover well, I plan to go out for a 5 or 6 mile run. If not I'll continue my rest. It's the longest I've gone between runs while not tapering for a race. Another day of rest will probably benefit me more than running right now.

Anniversary day run and 700th post

Today's run (street): 3.55 miles

Today is my anniversary so I took a vacation day and spent some great time with my wife. It's also the 700th post on this blog. I wanted to get a few extra miles in this morning because I skipped Tuesday's workout. With a little more time to run I had more opportunity to cover distance than I usually do on during the work week. This morning's run was very tough. It felt harder than an 8 miler in the July heat. I'm hoping that my experience had something to do with this cold that continues to plague me. I want to avoid the need to call this blog the Emerging Complainer so I'll just say that my legs felt like lead and my form felt unbalanced over the entire run.

I wore my Brooks GTS 10's because I wanted a little extra cushioning since everything that can hurt was hurting prior to hitting the road. It was a strange sensation when I ran. I felt that my stride action was numb and that my glutes on the right side (where I usually have an issue) felt extremely weak. I always vow to resume my core workouts when I experience these feelings but I haven't been good about doing that. I don't exactly why I'm having so many sluggish runs these days. You'd think the fact that I run most days would contribute more to continuous improvement. I know things will snap back into place once I get rid of this cold. Despite the difficulty of today's run I beat yesterday's pace handily so I know I can move along if I need to.  I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow for an activity because I am home on Friday and that will provide time for a longer workout. I'm hoping for less pain and more gain. I'll be happy with less pain (I couldn't resist one last complaint).

Morning pity party

Today's run (street): 2.25 miles

I don't often skip two days in a row but I've been fighting a cold all week. I usually run well after resting two days but this morning's workout was taxing. I'm thankful that my cold it isn't any worse than it is. This time of year whenever I  feel run down I worry that I have the flu. You'd think I'd get a flu shot. When I got up my legs were hurting in unfamiliar ways and I attributed it to cold induced body aches rather than running. My pains ranged from my ankles to my upper hamstring and included shin and knee pain. Since I hadn't run in two days I wasn't concerned that the pain was related.

Today's rain was just starting when I stepped out and for the first half of my run it remained a drizzle. It was far warmer than when I went out on Sunday but not too uncomfortable. Strong winds were blowing from the south as I headed out the door. My leg pain dissipated as I ran but my legs still felt heavy and my pace was ponderous. I was glad to be back on the road but I wasn't really enjoying the experience. It felt like I was running with ankle weights. The rain picked up substantially after ten minutes and running into stiff winds didn't help. I was anxious to get through the run so I could relax with a cup of coffee before I hit the shower. My overall pace was abysmal but I did succeed in logging my first miles of the week. My head cold remains but I don't think running did me any harm. I'm hoping that tomorrow's workout will be a better experience.

What do you want to see on emergingrunner.com?

New look coming

At the advice of my wife I decided to forgo my usual workout this morning. I suffered through yesterday with cold symptoms and worried that it would turn into something major. I got to bed early last night and it seems like the extra rest has helped. I still have some vestiges of a cold but my energy level is much better. I would have liked to run a few miles today with the SRRs to work out the residual soreness in my legs from Saturday's run in Northport.  Still,  another recovery day makes better sense.

#It's still October but I'm coming up on my second anniversary of "The Emerging Runner" that will happen on November 18. Including today, I've put up 698 posts to date, my first post being a tongue in cheek declaration that I'm a real runner. Like last November, on the site's first anniversary, I'm planning to give the blog a new look. My son thinks I should have a slogan for the site so perhaps I'll add one. If anyone else has suggestions for new features for the blog please feel free to write a comment or send an email to editor(at)emergingrunner.com.