Great day 1 run, broken pavement notwithstanding

Bad sidewalks were no problem for the nimble Hattori's

Today's run (street/variable terrain): 5.5 miles

It's day 1 of my vacation and I thought I'd get out early to beat the heat. I ended up skipping my run yesterday morning and the weather negated any later opportunities for an outdoor workout. I figured I'd be able to cover lots of ground over the next nine days so I felt fine resting. It was comfortably cool when I left my house and the extra day's rest, combined with a good night's sleep, made it easy going for the first couple of miles.

I planned a route that took me through the neighborhood and out to the busy road that borders the streets on the western side. I went north along this road, over sidewalks that are in truly abysmal shape, with broken concrete and large sections of mud and grass. I was concerned about the way the Hattori's would work on theses surfaces but they did well. Landing mid-foot provided good stability, and my biggest concern was that I'd get my shoes muddy.

Once I reached Jericho Turnpike I headed east along a stretch that gains about 200 feet over a third of a  mile. I usually run this section the opposite way but today I felt like I needed some hill challenges. There aren't a lot of of choices for hills on the local roads. Once I crested that hill I turned back into my neighborhood and ran another 2.5 miles before returning home.

I thought a lot about my form and strike during the run. The efficiency of mid-foot running provides an easier running experience. My friend FS, who is a prolific runner, surprised me recently by saying that she enjoys cycling far more than running. I think that's because recreational biking provides more opportunity to be a spectator than running. Since I've switched my running form I really do feel as though I observe more and focus less at the job at hand.

I finished my run by pushing the pace for the last half mile and was pleased to note that I could have tacked on a few more miles without much trouble. The humidity was rough and the temperature had risen over the 50+ minutes it took to complete my route. It was a good solid run and a nice change of scenery. It's great to be able to focus on more than the road these days.

Should I get on The Stick?

I'm only in the office for morning meetings and then I'll head out at mid-day for a week's vacation. It was raining when I got up this morning so I postponed my run. I'll have many more opportunities for longer runs while I'm away so I figured I'd defer today's run rather than deal with the treadmill. If the weather clears up later I may get a short run in or head over to Stillwell for some trail riding.

For those who prefer their compression delivered segmentally

I was talking to another runner yesterday about my recent leg soreness and he suggested "The Stick", a simple looking device that's used to "segmentally compress and stretch muscle." Sounds serious. I've seen it advertised in magazines and sold at places like City Sports and at race Expos. I've always gotten the impression that it's just an expensive toy. The website lists eight adult models (there's also a model for kids and one for dogs!) that range in length and firmness and cost between $28 and $54.

The two models that I'd consider are the 24" Original ($42.50) or the 20" Marathon ($31.95). It's hard to justify the cost for something that looks like a pole covered with plastic curtain rings but if it works and you use it every day, that expense can be amortized quickly. I have some City Sport bucks that are going to expire soon. And it is Father's Day on Sunday. Hmmm.

Does a mid-foot strike mean no more bad runs?

Today's run (street): 2.55 miles

Since I've transitioned to mid-foot striking I've rarely experienced a bad run. Some runs are are better than others but it's been a long time since I'd described the experience as akin to having sand bags strapped to my legs. This morning I had pronounced stiffness in my lower legs and my knee felt slightly tweaky so I moderated my pace and went with that. The result was a slower than normal overall pace but I still kept it in the 9:00 minute range.

The key to a better running experience seems to be landing on my mid-foot which negates any pronation tendencies. I've noticed that I run more upright with a straighter line from head through my hips and this seems to make my running easier. Plus, this opens up my center which facilitates easier breathing. It all seems to add up to a more efficient process. I'm fairly convinced these benefits are for real.

When the little hand is on the 2, go back to bed

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

This morning started an hour earlier than planned because I woke up and misread the clock. It took me a minute to realize the error but I caught myself before heading downstairs for coffee. I'd felt exhausted by the thought of going out for a run but as soon as I realized the clock said 2:50, and not 3:50, I felt wide awake. So awake, in fact, that I barely fell back to sleep. After an hour's tossing and turning, I needed to face my workout for real.

Given my tired state, I decided to stay indoors so I wouldn't need to deal with all my running, reflective and illumination gear. I looked back and forth between the treadmill and the elliptical and chose the latter because it's a quieter piece of machinery and quiet was preferable. I was significantly more alert by the end of the session and I'd worked up quite a sweat in the process. I'm hoping that this energy boost will carry me through the day.

Running beats resting (at least it did today)

Making the better choice

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I've felt tired this week. It's as if I haven't adapted yet to my weekday sleep schedule. I was glad to have an excuse to rest on Monday and I slept for most of the train ride into the city yesterday. I was still feeling fatigued last night as I readied my morning running gear and I hoped that a good night's sleep would produce some energy when I awoke. That wasn't the case and when my alarm went off I had one of those "Are you serious?" moments as I considered my options.

By the time I collected my coffee and changed into my running clothes I felt a little more alert. As I turned to leave the guestroom, I looked enviously at the bed and wished I could take an hour's nap rather than head out for a run. It had rained a little overnight and the temperature was a cool 61 degrees. The Garmin locked in quickly and off I went.

Once I hit the street all signs of fatigue had left me and I focused on my stride and how my feet were landing. I followed my usual route and the run felt effortless. This was probably an opportunity to throw in some speed play but I decided to maintain this moderate-but-steady pace. As tempting as it seemed, there was little chance that I would have chosen the guestroom bed over my run today. That's good, because I would have missed a really nice run this morning.

Runner's World got it wrong on the Hattori

I'm happily in the middle

Yesterday afternoon's workout (Cycling): 4.6 miles

After a year of trying to adapt to a mid-foot stride I am finally sure that I've actually done it. Not everyone is comfortable running this way but (fortunately for me) my transition was fairly painless. The Saucony Kinvaras helped that a lot. I'd assumed, after running in the Kinvaras for over a year, that I'm landing closer to my mid-foot. However, the 5-6 mm ramp angle of  both the Kinvaras and the Mirages made it difficult to know that for sure.

Every sharp rock that I land on with the Hattori's (as happened on Saturday) confirms that I'm landing on my mid-foot. Sunday's run of almost seven miles in the Hattori's showed me that heel cushioning and forefoot padding aren't necessary for middle distance running. A mid-foot stride lets your foot's natural shock absorbers -- the arch and the ball -- disburse the pounding.

Experiencing this, I was dismayed to read Runner's World's characterization of the Hattori as a "trainer for efficient runners to use as cooldown shoe or for speedwork drills on grass." This bias surprises me. I'm certainly not an efficient runner when running in highly constructed, stabilized and cushioned running shoes. But when I run in the Hattori it's a whole other story.

Good long run on cloudy Sunday morning

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 6.6 miles

Yesterday's experience landing on a sharp rock made me concerned that I would end up with a real injury. My foot felt tender after that run so I iced it for about an hour before we all headed out. I wore an old pair of Brooks Adrenalins in hopes that the cushioning would protect the bruise as I moved around. I didn't give it much thought after that and I went to bed hoping my foot would be back to normal by morning.

I woke up at 4:00 AM to the sound of driving rain and wondered if my morning run would be a washout. I returned to bed and when I woke up at 5:30 I saw that the rain had moved out. I watched the local weather report to be sure that was the case and headed off to Bethpage State Park for a run. My plan was to go out for about 5K and come back for a total of 6+ miles. My foot felt okay and I hoped that would continue once I hit the bike trail.

It actually felt chilly when I stepped out of the car and I did some dynamic stretches while the Garmin 210 acquired its signal. As soon as the satellites locked in I took off, attacking the first hill that begins right after the start. Soon I was bounding down the long hill, maintaining a mid-8:00 pace. I knew I was running harder than planned because my breathing was labored and I slowed down until I felt more comfortable.

As I've mentioned before, the Bethpage bike path feels like it's a predominantly uphill route no matter which direction you run it. My foot felt fine and the Hattori's were doing their job. I watched my form and felt energized on the hills. With cloudy skies and the early hour there weren't a lot of runners on the trail.  Every few minutes I'd encounter clumps of people either walking or running together and an occasional cyclist.

I concentrated on the way I was running (arm position, posture, strike) and decided to block out the final hill from my thoughts. I'd deal with it when it came along, no sense wasting effort dreading the inevitable. By the time I reached that hilly stretch I was feeling a little tired but I put in some additional effort and did my best to surge on the steepest part of the hill. I'm not sure if it made a difference but I am definitely becoming less intimidated by that final challenge.

It's been a good week of running despite taking two rest days and I credit the Hattori's which have noticeably improved the experience. I'm pleased with my form and I'm hoping that it will translate into better efficiency (and therefore speed). Even if that's not the case, I feel like I'm running better right now than ever before.

The NHP 8K course measures up

Today's run (street): 5.5 miles

I heard from Greg, one of the organizers of the New Hyde Park 8K, about the distance of that race. In my June 5th post I'd questioned the accuracy of the course, saying that it seemed longer than 4.97 miles (8K). Greg pointed out that "The course is measured along what runners call the "Tangent". That means it is measured along the straightest line possible." So the course really is 4.97 miles but "No runner can run the exact distance the way the course is measured. Everyone running a race will run a little extra distance." Makes perfect sense to me.

This morning I got out early, after it had rained, and did a local neighborhood run. I originally planned to run at Bethpage but the weather reports indicated the possibility of another rainstorm and I figured that I'd be better off staying closer to home.

Today's route

There was a lot of humidity in the air and I took it easy, covering the first mile in the mid-9:00 range.  About a half mile later I had redirected south into neighborhood #2, where I hadn't run in some time. I saw a woman running about 100 feet ahead of me into that neighborhood and thought that I could use her as a pace target but she went right where I planned to go left. After wrapping around the neighborhood I made my way to a long straight patch where I landed on a large piece of gravel.

Ouch! I ignored the pain but it caused quite a bruise on the lateral plantar opposite my arch. I continued my run for a while and even covered some sections I hadn't ever run. After returning home and icing it, my foot still hurts quite a bit. I'm hoping this is only a temporary thing. As much as I love the Hattori's (and I surely do), I can't forget that minimal also means minimal protection.

Opportunity lost

Damn you gorgeous weather!

It's a beautiful day outside, the sun is shining, it's 75°F and the dew point is dropping. I was on the fence about a morning workout last night and didn't prepare my gear for my usual 4:00 AM run. I'm doing half days on Fridays when I can and today is one of those days. My wife suggested this morning that I quickly pack my gear so I could do a run in Central Park before coming home. Unfortunately, I was pressed for time and didn't do that.

I'm feeling guilty for not taking advantage of today's surprisingly nice conditions. I suppose I can run when I get home, but by mid afternoon I fear it will be uncomfortably hot. It wouldn't be the worst thing to skip a day out of sequence and get some additional rest. Especially if I'm doing a long run tomorrow. Still, I can't help thinking what a great run I would have had in the city today.

Guilty pleasure

Elliptical, Bikram style

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

It was hot and humid when I got up this morning and I seriously considered skipping my workout. I didn't take my normal two day's rest following last weekend's race and I've been feeling tired this week. But by the time I took my coffee upstairs I'd already decided to go ahead with my planned elliptical session.  Once again, guilt, the world's best motivator, saved me from a day's worth of regret.

In deference to the oppressive heat I selected a more moderate level of resistance on the elliptical machine. I figured that in place of high wattage I would work on cadence. Even though it was hot, I was able to exceed my typical "distance" by 4% without feeling like I'd pushed too hard. I felt great by the end and was glad that I did this workout instead of taking the easy --  if justifiable -- alternative. No regrets today.

The shoes are minimal but the benefits are not

Today's run (street) 2.65 miles

Today is supposed to get very hot with temperatures in NYC reaching 95°F. It was far cooler at 4:00 this morning and I took a different route than normal just to break things up. I was also able to take advantage of a slightly earlier start than usual. Today's run felt much like yesterday's although I didn't push as hard as Tuesday and ended up running about 18 seconds/mile slower. But I covered more ground than my usual early morning distance and, once again, felt that the Hattori's provided me with a much more efficient stride.

The biggest difference between these shoes and almost every other shoe I've run is the way they feel on hills. Credit goes to the mid-foot strike and the lightness of the shoe. It's almost like downshifting for extra power and torque. While I don't look forward to hills, I'm not looking to avoid them. At one point I thought the Kinvara was the best shoe I would ever experience but the Hattori's seem to have an even more positive affect on my running style.

Surprise encounter at 4:00 AM

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I've probably done close to 250 runs at 4:00 AM. Through that time I've seen a handful of walkers or people leaving their houses. A couple of years ago I was spooked to see what seemed to be a race walker pass me like an apparition one morning. There was no acknowledgement of any kind from this person who slipped by less than two feet away from me.

This morning I had my second close encounter and it was a different experience. I was running well and had just reached the halfway point of my route when I noticed movement about 200 feet ahead of me. It was very dark and this person was out of headlamp range, but I thought it might be someone walking in the opposite direction. Suddenly, as I rounded a bend, I saw it was another runner, heading my way. A young guy, teens or 20's, no reflective wear or headlamp. Not even a shirt. We got within ten feet of each other before he reacted with a startled sideways jump and a gasp.

He quickly realized that I was just another runner on the road and I yelled a friendly "Good Morning!" and he responded in kind. He must have been in the zone not to notice me until we practically met but I understand that as well. 4:00 AM running can be a little hypnotising until you get used to it. I'm hoping that my shirtless friend learned a lesson today about staying alert. Perhaps the next time I see him he'll have his own headlamp and reflective vest.