4th of July on Stillwell's Black Trail

Fun times await you on the Black Trail

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 3.8 miles

Happy 4th of July! It's been a great long weekend and today's weather is holiday perfect. We have a busy day planned, including a cookout and some time by the pool. I headed out to Stillwell first thing this morning to get in my last run of the weekend. It was already hot at 7:00 AM when I arrived to see mountain bikers staging their gear. I was surprised to see so many people out at that hour, especially on a holiday.

After yesterday's hard training I had no intention of pushing my pace today. I watched the shaded paths unfolding in front of me and took a left onto a trail marked "More Difficult." I've gotten into the habit of running my safe, standard loop at Stillwell that isn't that hilly. More importantly, I know that trail well enough by now that I don't get lost.

The trail I picked today did not seem too challenging as it wound around trees and large rocks. I soon recognized that I was running the Black Trail, that served as the primary course for the 2010 XTERRA 6K trail run. As soon as I made that connection I knew what I was in for and 50 yards ahead the path dropped sharply into tight switchbacks that came back up as fast as they'd dropped. I remember, during the race, seeing runners going down, then up, as the path weaved across the woods like nature's bank teller line. I knew today that my reward for reaching the top was 100 feet of flat trail before I'd encounter another climb.

I wasn't running all that fast so the extra work didn't bother me much. After 20 minutes of hard running I peeled off to a path marked "Less Difficult" that eventually intersected with my normal route. I decided to take the easier choice and finished the run after covering 3.8 miles.

Going off the beaten path (pun intended) put me in the cross-hairs of the mountain bikers who seek out the most difficult parts of Stillwell Woods. I had expected the park to be deserted but I encountered almost a dozen bikers along the way. At one point I was coming through a tight, winding section of singletrack when three mountain bikers suddenly appeared in front of me. The lead biker yelled "Runner!" and we yielded to opposite sides. I liked that -- I am a runner!

I was a wet noodle by the time I left the trail head and reached my car. I headed right home, forgoing the car's AC, and changed immediately into my swim trunks when I got home. A quick jump in the pool cooled me off better than any shower could. We'll be out later for more swimming but that was about as good as it gets. Enjoy your holiday, I've had a great start to mine.

Fast and furious today - could it have been my diet?

The Garmin missed it big on first lap

Today's run (track): 4.25 miles (3 mile tempos plus 8 x 200)

My running experience on Saturday was disheartening and my poor performance caused an alarm after I started reading the July issue of Runner's World. This issue's theme focused on people who use running to raise money for cancer research and on those runners who are coping with the disease. One story quoted a runner whose running performance was unaccountably slipping and a checkup revealed some horrible affliction that is (happily) now under control.

I'm not really a hypochondriac so I didn't take any of that to heart, but I was still puzzled by my bad run. Paul, a local runner who I met at the NHP 8K, suggested that my diet may have left me depleted of needed carbs as an explanation for my failure to generate speed during yesterday's run. He knows his stuff and suggested trying more complex carbs the night before a long run. He competes a lot and tunes his pre-race meals according to distance and time of the day.

I took Paul's advice and (for dinner) had a modest portion of Garden Delight Penne Rigate with roasted chicken, broccoli, carrots and cauliflower mixed in. Earlier that day, I had a recurrence of the sinus headache that plagued me a couple of weeks ago. Around 4:00 AM this morning I got up and took two Pseudoephedrine and went back to bed. I woke up at 5:30 feeling great. After a couple of cups of coffee, I headed for the track.

My plan for today was to generate some speed after yesterday's tough run. It was humid, but not too hot, and the cloud cover was thick. I started with a mile warm-up at a brisk pace (7:50 min/mile) and then ran 8 x 200's averaging 6:50/mile overall. For me these were blistering paces. The Hattori's performed well on the track, my landings were much more front than mid-foot and neither my feet, ankles nor calves balked at the strain.

I followed the speed work with two miles of "easy" running, maintaining an 8:20 pace through that distance. I haven't managed that pace over two miles in a long time, clearly the speed work had activated those fast twitch muscles. What a difference a day makes. I'm no longer feeling that I'm on an unstoppable performance decline and I'm thinking that I need to do speed work more often than once every three weeks. Perhaps a trail run tomorrow will be a great coda for this 4th of July long weekend. Speed's not an issue on Monday -- I have nothing left to prove.

Fast twitch recruiting failure

Today's run (street): 4.6 miles

No problem with that, bud

The leg weights were doing their job as I made my way around the hilly loop in a nearby business park this morning. I tried for speed but my legs wouldn't -- or couldn't -- respond. I reached the apex of the hill and tried to let loose. My speed improved but not measurably. The weights just overwhelmed me. But here's the thing: I wasn't wearing weights.

All week I've experienced a lack of responsiveness in my running. I've thrown in some fartlek's along the way but the result, at best, has been fast lumbering. I planned to start off at a brisk pace this morning to see how my legs felt but I struggled to recruit anything resembling a fast-twitch fiber. I managed through the first mile until I found my rhythm but a glance at the Garmin showed me that I was not moving very quickly.

I'd had an extra hour's sleep last night and even took a GU gel 30 minutes before my 7:00 AM start.  Even with that, the fluidity and power that I counted on never showed up. After I completed the business park loop I turned into the adjacent neighborhood and ran those streets. A glimpse of my shadow revealed my static motion and it showed that I was hardly lifting my legs as I ran.

When I turned left to exit that neighborhood I passed one of those safety signs that parents put at the end of their driveways to alert drivers that kids are playing nearby. The big letters on the sign said SLOW and it made me laugh. I don't think I could have moved any slower. Yet, through it all I didn't find the run taxing in the least and I'd wished I'd worn my heart monitor so I would know how hard I was actually working.

I'll blame 25% of my performance issues on the high humidity and 50% on my failure to push myself harder. The remaining 25% is mystery. I wish I had actually been wearing weights so as to provide a reasonable explanation for my glacial pacing. I'm thinking of doing a bike ride later today and I definitely plan to do some speed work tomorrow. I'll recruit those fast-twitch fibers even if I have to bring back the draft to do it.

Kinvara reunion



Hello darkness my old friend



Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

It was surprisingly cool this morning when I stepped out for my run at 4:00 AM. I'm guessing that the temperature was in the high 50's and the dark skies helped to exaggerate the cold. There was a little humidity to soften the air but overall it felt more like early spring than summer. I wore my Kinvaras just for a change from the Hattori's. I expected the Kinvara's to feel like an old friend, but instead, I found them tight on my mid-foot. I wondered if the Hattori's flat, arch-less, platform had changed my perception of how a foot bed should feel. Interestingly, I have no such issues with the Mirage that has a 1-2 mm higher ramp angle.

Once mobile, I observed the way I was landing in the Kinvara and curious to see if I would strike closer to the heel than in the Hattori's. It seemed like I was landing on my mid-foot but it felt different than it did prior to going ultra-minimal. My energy level was okay but my form was not fluid. This has been the case all week. I felt that I was moving along well this morning (and I was compared to Wednesday) but my overall pace was still 30 seconds per mile slower than I would have liked.

The long weekend is almost here and I think it's time to get back to speed work. Perhaps my fast twitch muscles need a wake up call.

Elliptical ambivalence

I like you, but as a friend

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I went on the elliptical this morning for a change of pace and was once again surprised by the depth of the workout you can get from this machine. For some reason I think of the elliptical as my "easy workout", a break from the pavement pounding of my daily run. But it's really just as hard, if not harder. Running probably does focus more work toward your legs, but overall, I'm not sure that it yields a higher fitness return than the elliptical workout.

I know that when I'm finished on the elliptical machine I'll have the same elevated heart rate as I do after a run. It also generates a lot more sweat since I'm indoors and staying in one place. On the plus side, my knees, hamstrings and glutes usually feel less sore throughout the day, compared to an equivalent run. This is probably because it's a lower impact workout. Does this mean I'm going to increase my frequency on the elliptical at the expense of running? Not likely. Until I can figure out how to get the X-1 to work on the trails, I'll be staying with plan A.

Barefoot but for my shoe

Today's run (street) 2.6 miles

I was reading the blog of a runner who I follow on Twitter who is just beginning to run in the Hattori's. Like me, he prefers to run in socks but he found that running sock-less really improved his experience. I had considered doing a sock-less run in the Hattori's but I didn't in fear of abrasions and blisters. Inspired by this blog post, I put on the Hattori's this morning without socks and got ready to head out for my run.

Before I reached the door I realized that the counter of the shoe on my right foot was pressing uncomfortably against my upper heel. I quickly slapped on a bandaid and headed outside. The Hattori lacks a removable insole but the material that's there is soft and porous and contains no scratchy stitching. My feet felt okay and the fit was better than with socks. I did miss having another layer between my foot and the shoe but it wasn't a problem.

As I ran, the notion of socks became less of an issue. I ran neither better nor worse. Around the mile mark I began to notice that my foot was sweating and sticking to my foot while slipping slightly in the shoe. It was slight but it was there. By mile two I felt a hot spot on my left instep that I hoped wouldn't turn out to be a friction burn. With a short run like today's I headed off blisters but my instep, after the run, had a red mark the size of a pencil eraser.

It was a better run than yesterday's and I ran the last half mile fairly quickly. I'm glad that others have had good experience running sock-less in their Trail Gloves, Minimus, Green Silence and Hattori's. I'm sticking with socks. It's more comfortable and, with sweating, far better for the shoe.

Not so welcome back to work run

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I got the prize today

No return to work would be complete without a commuting disaster and the LIRR never fails to provide one. The consequence of that was a 2.5 hour trip home last night. While I was able to find a seat on my very crowded train, the long ride aggravated some soreness in my upper thigh. Not a pleasant experience and I'm concerned about this. Running with a mid-foot stride is supposed to eliminate injuries but I still have tenderness in my right knee and now this soreness on the left.

Usually, after two days rest, I'm rewarded with an above average run. That was not the case today. Although the temperature was in the mid 70's the humidity was sky high and I felt the weight of that from beginning to end. I struggled to get any semblance of speed. Although I did better on the second half of my run, it was still a crawl. Tomorrow morning is supposed to be better so I'll chose to ignore today's mediocre experience and hope for some big improvement on Wednesday.

Zombies? Lifting? Obstacles? Isn't running hard enough?

A friend of mine is considering a race called the Civilian Military Combine which is described as the "ultimate test of your strength, endurance, and agility." According to the website, the CMC competition "is broken down into three components to test strength, endurance and agility. Race day structure will consist of “The PIT” (lifting element) into a 7 mile mountain race with 7 strategically placed massive military obstacles." Sounds like fun!

In the same vein, I recently got a press release for another event called Run for Your Lives where "Runners [will] navigate a series of 12 obstacles throughout a 5K course in an attempt to reach the finish line — all while avoiding zombies." This sounds less rigorous than the CMC, but knowing how I feel after only running a 5K I wonder if it would just be too much.

I'm looking forward to the Dirty Sock 10K in August. No strength tests or obstacles, just 6.2 miles through steamy woods. Both times I've run it I've practically needed an IV with electrolyte fluids at the finish. I know my limits. I wonder about those that don't.

Saucony Hattori's: read all about it on RTR

New on Runner's Tech Review

Today is the last day of my vacation. It's been very relaxing and I've had lots of fun with my family and done some great runs. I'll be taking another week off in mid-July when we head to Maine and spend some time at Acadia National Park. I can't wait to run on the carriage roads that are adjacent to the ocean and the mountains.

We've posted our latest shoe test on Runner's Tech Review. Me and the Harrier of the Night both provided our perspectives on the Hattori's after a month's use on the road, track, trails and mountains. I'm on the fence whether I'll go for a run or go out on my bike today. I may just enjoy this last day of vacation by skipping my workout. A little more recovery prior to returning to work couldn't hurt.

Initiating my friend to trail running

Today's run - notice GPS drift between loops

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 3.75 miles

I'm back to the routine of frequent runs at shorter distances these days. I had been doing a lot of 6+ mile base-building runs up until my half marathon but then I switched to a more middle distance focus as I prepared for the NHP 8K. I've been on vacation this past week, but the time has been dedicated to preparing for a big upcoming event and some necessary house projects. That has prevented me from indulging in too many 90 minute runs.

Still, every run, at any distance, has value if you are running quality miles. That's been the case for me over the last eight days. This morning my friend Steve came by and we headed over to Stillwell to run the trails. Steve and I both work in midtown and we often run together in Central Park. He's never run trails so I initiated him at Stillwell Woods, the place where I first ran off-road.

Stillwell can be a rough place for runners, with steep inclines, sharp drops and unstable terrain. I didn't think it would be fair to drag Steve through the rocky, twisting, hilly Black Trail his first time out. Instead, I took him along a loop with flat, packed dirt pathways that works well for running. This loop does have a couple of loose rock and sand-covered climbs so it still presents a challenge.

Steve did well the first time around but at the two mile mark I could tell that the extra work was beginning to take its toll. We circled the trail a second time and, to Steve's credit, continued to maintain close to the same pace, averaging 9:40 overall.

We'd started with a little fog and cloudy skies but by the time we came back through the trail-head it was sunny and hot. That's another reason why I like Stillwell in summer - the canopy shields the trail and keeps the temperatures ten degrees cooler. It was another quality run and my third trail run this week. Soon enough, I'll return to my neighborhood roads for my daily runs. It sure was nice to spend a little more time in the woods today.

A different type of workout today

Today's workout (treadmill, various speeds/elevations): 35 minutes

I was on the fence about today's workout and considered taking a rest day this morning. I've only skipped one day over the last ten so it wouldn't have been a bad thing to take some recovery time. My wife got on the treadmill for her daily run and I kept her company while I decided what to do.

As much as I prefer outdoors to indoors for my workouts, I decided to follow my wife on the treadmill for a low speed run, using different levels of elevation. I started slowly with a 2% incline. After three minutes I started increasing my speed every two minutes and my elevation almost as often. By the time I reached the 15 minute point I was running at a 6% grade at around 6 MPH. I maintained that balance for 15 more minutes and then dropped the incline to 2% and increased the speed to 7 MPH for the last five minutes.

By the end of the workout I was soaked with sweat. I was happy to have met the challenge of maintaining my run with a decent incline for over 30 minutes. One benefit of running with elevation is that it takes some pressure off the knees.  I'm noticing it hours later. Tomorrow morning I'm running with a friend at Stillwell Woods, my third trail run of this vacation. It's been a good week for running, with some interesting variety along the way.

Can't afford Hattori's or Vibrams? Try pool shoes

$15 minimalist shoes - and you can swim in them!

Today's run (street): 3.5 miles

Almost a year ago I went on a 2.2 mile run in my pool shoes to understand the minimalist experience. Overall, I found these shoes to be a credible alternative to running shoes but with some serious caveats. First, I ran without socks and the subsequent friction came close to producing blisters on my mid-foot. Secondly, I had not spent time adjusting to mid-foot running and going from my Brooks to this shoe on a daily basis would have been a recipe for injury.

A year later it's a different story. I'm happily transitioned to the Hattori's that provide a level of minimalism close to the water shoes but are measurably lighter and designed for stride efficiency. I do wish the Hattori's weren't so snug on my foot but that is becoming less of an issue as I use them. Perhaps they are beginning to stretch.

This morning I decided to revisit the "pool shoe as trainer" idea and went out for a 3.5 mile run in the neighborhood. I wore thin running socks to prevent the friction issues I'd experienced the last time. I needed to be careful this morning because elementary school graduation was happening and I had to be vigilant with hurried, distracted drivers streaming up and down the road. Closer to the school I observed many people jockeying their SUV's for a closer parking spot. God forbid they should walk more than 100 feet.

I stayed on the sidewalks as much as I could. The pool shoes allowed me to nimbly avoid buckled concrete around the trees that are planted in front of most houses. There was no doubt that my feet were doing their part to cushion my footfalls and I had no unpleasant landings on my heel. I knew I wasn't moving very fast but I maintained a mid 9:00 pace throughout the route.

Running in pool shoes did create more work than an equivalent run in the Hattori's. In terms of comfort, the Hattori's come out on top, being lighter and better shaped, with much higher quality materials in the liner and mid-sole. I'm looking forward to my next Hattori run so I can complete the comparison. I'm expecting that to be a much more comfortable experience.