Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes
I've been running well lately, but I found yesterday's workout disappointing. It may have been my mental state at the time of the run, but I didn't enjoy the experience at all. I usually associate tedium with the treadmill and prefer the changing conditions that happen when running outdoors. Thursday's run felt like a maintenance effort, nothing more. But, as the saying goes, "I've never regretted a run."
Knowing that heavy rains would be sweeping over Long Island by morning, I planned for a treadmill workout and actually looked forward to a change from the road. As I've written, the treadmill provides two advantages over street running (along with numerous disadvantages): instant availability and the option to introduce variables at the touch of a button.
I like that the time I take between waking and running on the treadmill is almost half of what it takes to gear up and get outside to run. I can sometimes save as much as ten minutes, which becomes ten more minutes to relax after my workout is completed. The treadmill allows me to custom design my workout by varying incline, and speed. The speed flexibility is key. If I want to run slowly outdoors, I need to either shorten my route or risk getting behind schedule. On the treadmill, I can jump off when I get behind and already be home.
I still prefer the trails and the road to the treadmill, but I liked my workout this morning. I followed my usual practice of starting easy and working my way up to race pace using my heart rate as a guide. The best part was when I finished. One minute after after hitting the stop button I was downing my coffee and preparing for another long day.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The habitual runner
Today's run (street): 2.5 miles
At some point in my life I became a creature of habit. Twenty years ago I'd vary everything in my life, from my morning routine all the way through to my bedtime. Marriage, kids and commuting by train necessitated an eventual compliance to daily schedules and structure. But when I began running in 2008, all bets were off in terms of where, how and when I would run. Even on the streets of my neighborhood at 4 AM, I would rarely cover the same route two days in a row.
That has all changed, and my running routine now contains less variability than a watch assembly line. Every night my running gear is readied for morning, and my process going from waking to running is done on a minute by minute schedule. Instead of mixing up my route each day, it's always the same roads run exactly the same way to cover exactly the same distance (2.53 miles).
After almost four years of competing, my race schedule has also become a bit of a habit. My expectations were upset this week when I discovered that the Run for the Warriors 10K has been pushed forward from mid-November to this weekend. I love that race but my schedule won't work with the timing. I feel badly about missing this race, because even though I've only run it the past two years, it's on my racing schedule.
I took to the streets again this morning and, like yesterday, it was cold outside. I dressed with more layers today and didn't get around my route as quickly as I did on Tuesday. In fact, it took me over a minute longer, which calculates to about 30 seconds per mile. One thing that remained the same was my route. Some habits are hard to break.
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| Daily miles |
That has all changed, and my running routine now contains less variability than a watch assembly line. Every night my running gear is readied for morning, and my process going from waking to running is done on a minute by minute schedule. Instead of mixing up my route each day, it's always the same roads run exactly the same way to cover exactly the same distance (2.53 miles).
After almost four years of competing, my race schedule has also become a bit of a habit. My expectations were upset this week when I discovered that the Run for the Warriors 10K has been pushed forward from mid-November to this weekend. I love that race but my schedule won't work with the timing. I feel badly about missing this race, because even though I've only run it the past two years, it's on my racing schedule.
I took to the streets again this morning and, like yesterday, it was cold outside. I dressed with more layers today and didn't get around my route as quickly as I did on Tuesday. In fact, it took me over a minute longer, which calculates to about 30 seconds per mile. One thing that remained the same was my route. Some habits are hard to break.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The quick and the cold
Today's run (street): 2.5 miles
This time of year it's hard to judge the weather for running. Last night's report showed temperatures in the mid-40's that would seem positively balmy compared to the 35° conditions at last Saturday's race. This morning I dressed in a similar way to Saturday, with a long sleeve shirt, shorts and calf sleeves. When I stepped outside to start my run, I was hit with a wave of cold that made me consider going back inside to add another layer.
I decided to accept the cold as is, following the practice of dressing for your second mile. The cold can be a good incentive to get quickly up to speed in an effort to raise body temperature. It was odd to be running through the frosty air while lawn sprinklers were spraying water all along the street. I avoided that freezing mist as much as as I could.
A quick check of my heart rate motivated me to pick up my pace. I was starting to warm up, but sweating was beginning to work against me, amplifying the chill. I continued on at a moderate speed and was later surprised to see that I'd paced 30 seconds per mile faster than I felt I was running. My best race times seem to come in the colder months so clearly there's a correlation between cold and performance. I wonder if my pace would have suffered had I added that extra layer prior to my run.
This time of year it's hard to judge the weather for running. Last night's report showed temperatures in the mid-40's that would seem positively balmy compared to the 35° conditions at last Saturday's race. This morning I dressed in a similar way to Saturday, with a long sleeve shirt, shorts and calf sleeves. When I stepped outside to start my run, I was hit with a wave of cold that made me consider going back inside to add another layer.
I decided to accept the cold as is, following the practice of dressing for your second mile. The cold can be a good incentive to get quickly up to speed in an effort to raise body temperature. It was odd to be running through the frosty air while lawn sprinklers were spraying water all along the street. I avoided that freezing mist as much as as I could.
A quick check of my heart rate motivated me to pick up my pace. I was starting to warm up, but sweating was beginning to work against me, amplifying the chill. I continued on at a moderate speed and was later surprised to see that I'd paced 30 seconds per mile faster than I felt I was running. My best race times seem to come in the colder months so clearly there's a correlation between cold and performance. I wonder if my pace would have suffered had I added that extra layer prior to my run.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Fastest running shoes? Oh, it's ON!
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| My pathway to six minute miles |
Yesterday, a friend of mine sent me a link about the Kona Ironman triathlon that listed the types and brands of gear used by competitors this year. The shoe makers were mostly familiar, but 11th brand on the list was "On", worn by 23 competitors. I looked up On running shoes and discovered that they are a Swiss company that sells its shoes primarily in Europe.
What intrigued me about these shoes (besides their interesting outsoles) was how On characterized the performance profile of each of their models. The Cloudracer has a targeted speed of 6.4 minutes per mile, while the Cloudster seems to be the shoe for us 9:00 milers. But I was thinking, "Hmm, if I ran in the Cloudracers then I too could run 6 minute miles!" If only it worked like that.
During yesterday's unpleasant migraine, I wondered if I'd ever feel well enough to run again. By last night I had recovered enough to set up my running gear for a morning workout and when I woke up I felt surprisingly good. I didn't want to push it too hard, so I settled in with a moderate pace and slight incline and ratcheted up the speed as I progressed through my 25 minute run. But if I was wearing On Cloudracers, who knows how fast I would have gone?
Monday, October 15, 2012
Well timed rest day
If my existing and anticipated ailments clear by tomorrow morning I'll be back on the road for a run. I've always found sleep to be the best medicine. But right now, it's hard to believe that I'll have the energy to do anything as strenuous as running.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Easy doesn't always do it after race day
Today's run (street): 5.4 miles
Between tapering and running just 3.1 miles on race day, I usually come up well short of my weekly average when I run a 5K. That was the case this week where my total miles barely cracked the teens. Despite the lower volume, I can say confidently that both runs this weekend were high quality efforts.
I usually rest the day after a race, not because it's a good practice, but because most races are on Sundays and my rest day is Monday. For Saturday races, I usually try to get out for a recovery run because I read once that an easy workout that follows a hard effort effectively forces out lactic acid that can cause leg soreness.
My lower output this week prompted me to target at least 5 miles today. The last couple of times when I followed a race with an LSD run, I found myself struggling after 30 minutes despite going slow and easy. I realized last time that running a little harder actually felt better.
I had that in mind when I went out this morning, taking the first mile at around a 9:00 pace before settling into a mid-9 pace for the duration of the run. I chose the hilliest streets in the neighborhood to get my heart rate going. After a race, almost any effort below race pace feels easy and that was the case today. I could have gone another few miles but I didn't want to overdo it. Besides, we are celebrating my son's birthday today and I needed to get home to shower before we all went out.
I look forward to tomorrow's rest day but I'm eager to start training for two 10K's in November. I have always run my best 10K times at these races and that's probably due to the cooler weather and relatively flat courses. Still, I'm planning to maintain my hill training because that seems to make me a better runner, regardless of the elevation.
Between tapering and running just 3.1 miles on race day, I usually come up well short of my weekly average when I run a 5K. That was the case this week where my total miles barely cracked the teens. Despite the lower volume, I can say confidently that both runs this weekend were high quality efforts.
I usually rest the day after a race, not because it's a good practice, but because most races are on Sundays and my rest day is Monday. For Saturday races, I usually try to get out for a recovery run because I read once that an easy workout that follows a hard effort effectively forces out lactic acid that can cause leg soreness.
My lower output this week prompted me to target at least 5 miles today. The last couple of times when I followed a race with an LSD run, I found myself struggling after 30 minutes despite going slow and easy. I realized last time that running a little harder actually felt better.
I had that in mind when I went out this morning, taking the first mile at around a 9:00 pace before settling into a mid-9 pace for the duration of the run. I chose the hilliest streets in the neighborhood to get my heart rate going. After a race, almost any effort below race pace feels easy and that was the case today. I could have gone another few miles but I didn't want to overdo it. Besides, we are celebrating my son's birthday today and I needed to get home to shower before we all went out.
I look forward to tomorrow's rest day but I'm eager to start training for two 10K's in November. I have always run my best 10K times at these races and that's probably due to the cooler weather and relatively flat courses. Still, I'm planning to maintain my hill training because that seems to make me a better runner, regardless of the elevation.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Race report: 2012 Oyster Bay Supervisor's 5K
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| Big crowd, 70 more runners than last year |
25:58 - 8:22 pace
When running a race, it's always good to be familiar with the course. I tend to do better the second time I run a particular race, as I did at today's 2012 Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor's 5K. I came very close to achieving a PR this morning, but ended up falling short by eight seconds. Still, I did break 26 minutes, if only by two seconds.
I arrived a few minutes after 8:00 for the 9:00 AM start. The temperature was a chilly 35° and I was concerned about parking too far away from registration. I was counting on parking close to the starting area so I could stay warm in my car before heading to the line. I ended up parking at the high school, which was a quick three minute walk to the registration area.
Registration went well, just like last year. The race shirt was actually a sweatshirt, this year's in grey with blue and black graphics. I returned to my car to pin my bib and fuel with Accel Gel. I headed back up with 15 minutes to spare and lined up near the start. On my way there I was passed by a runner who tripped on a loose cable while doing strides. Fortunately, his spill onto gravel didn't diminish his spirit and he was up and running seconds later.
For some reason, a large crowd of runners had assembled in front of the line, perhaps because the area had a lot of warming sun. The race starter announced that people needed to move behind the line, and a big wave of people pushed us back a little. The starter then asked that the front area be reserved for 6:00 pace runners.
The guy in front of me turned and asked (not in a nice way) if I ran 6 minute miles. I didn't answer him, but I did make sure that he saw me when I passed him going up Berry Hill Road. So there were 630 nice people at this race and one jerk. That's a pretty good ratio.
The race started right on time and I looked forward to attacking the long hill that would eventually give way to an equally long downhill stretch. I felt great from the start and the cold air helped a lot. I wore a long sleeved jersey, shorts and compression sleeves on my calves. It was the right combination of gear and I was comfortable throughout the race.
Since I was familiar with the hill, I knew where I was when we passed the 1 mile point. I came through in 8:30, over 30 seconds faster than last year. I had trained on hills and it was paying off. Berry Hill Road becomes a little steeper at the one mile mark, but I knew that and was prepared to work harder. I was surprised how many people I was passing on the hill. I almost finished in the top third today (okay, it was the top 39% percent) but that's better than my usual spot, exactly in the middle of the pack.
Once the turn onto Sandy Hill Road came into view, I knew I'd have some relief. I was careful to remember that I still needed to keep pushing for that last mile and a half. The downhill stretches did help me recover and I felt like I was running as fast as I could while still maintaining a safe stride. The last thing I needed was to overrun my turnover capability and take a spill on the course.
At around the 2 mile mark, my friend BL came up on my side and said hello. He's a great example of how discipline and hard work can deliver amazing results. Two years ago BL was twice the size he is today, but he started walking, and then running, and he hasn't stopped since. He races almost every weekend and is now faster than me.
The course takes a left turn onto East Main Street where the downhill ends and the road rises. It actually felt good to be climbing again. I was able to tap some surprising energy as I surged along the final quarter mile. The clock said 25:01 when I passed the 3 mile mark and I hoped to make it to the finish in 48 seconds to secure a new PR. Unfortunately, it took me almost a minute more to cross the line.
I felt great at the end and I didn't care that I'd missed a PR. I caught up with BL who broke 26 minutes for the first time today, finishing almost half a minute before I did. I was happy that he achieved a PR. He certainly earned it.
This is a great race because it gives as much as it takes. The long hill is a great challenge but manageable with training. I realized today that I should probably focus on downhill technique which would have helped me today. Still, no regrets. My next race will be the Run for the Warrior's 10K in November and I'm excited to start training for that. But for now, a little rest today and a long recovery run tomorrow will do just fine.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Following the primary rule of racing
Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes
It's probably overkill to rest two days before a 5K race, but that's what I'm planning to do. I have gotten away with a single day's rest before some races, but I've also paid the price for running hard prior to race day. The primary rule of racing is "Don't change what works." In the same way that you'd never try a new gel or sport drink or wear new running shoes for the first time on the day of a race, there's little to be gained by changing your preparation methodology.
Today was supposed to be my last training run for my taper and I looked forward to running the streets of my neighborhood. The weather report said clear skies by morning, so I geared up and headed downstairs, ready to hit the road. Unfortunately, as the garage door lifted, I could see the rain coming down hard. I would have run in a light drizzle, but this was not going to work.
I headed back upstairs and shed my outdoor gear before hopping on the treadmill to do my workout. I ran fairly hard yesterday, especially with the 3% incline, so I locked into a comfortable pace and resisted temptation to increase my speed throughout the run. Sometimes you get more out of an easy run than an intense one. After the hard training I've done over the past few weeks, I'm going to enjoy the next two days of rest. Hopefully, that will put me at my best on Saturday.
It's probably overkill to rest two days before a 5K race, but that's what I'm planning to do. I have gotten away with a single day's rest before some races, but I've also paid the price for running hard prior to race day. The primary rule of racing is "Don't change what works." In the same way that you'd never try a new gel or sport drink or wear new running shoes for the first time on the day of a race, there's little to be gained by changing your preparation methodology.
Today was supposed to be my last training run for my taper and I looked forward to running the streets of my neighborhood. The weather report said clear skies by morning, so I geared up and headed downstairs, ready to hit the road. Unfortunately, as the garage door lifted, I could see the rain coming down hard. I would have run in a light drizzle, but this was not going to work.
I headed back upstairs and shed my outdoor gear before hopping on the treadmill to do my workout. I ran fairly hard yesterday, especially with the 3% incline, so I locked into a comfortable pace and resisted temptation to increase my speed throughout the run. Sometimes you get more out of an easy run than an intense one. After the hard training I've done over the past few weeks, I'm going to enjoy the next two days of rest. Hopefully, that will put me at my best on Saturday.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The ups and downs of hill running
Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes - 3% grade
Some people claim that they'd rather run uphill than down. To me, that's like saying they'd prefer to skip dessert, although I know some people who do. I love downhills because they allow me to back off on my effort during a hard run and use gravity to maintain a good pace. But every hill, either up and down, is different. I like the fact that Saturday's race has a sizable downhill section, but I wouldn't want it any steeper than it is.
Running downhill can be a challenge when the grade is high because it takes work to maintain balance, lest you begin to move faster than your legs can go. There's a whole different set of muscles at play when negotiating steep declines. I write a lot about Cow Harbor's formidable hill on James Street, but that elevation goes two ways. There's a part of Eaton's Neck Road where I wish the sharp drop would just flatten out, which it does briefly before rising for a mile on Waterside.
This morning I set my treadmill to a 3% grade and cranked my speed so that I'd get to a race-ready heart rate. It wasn't the most comfortable workout, but I was able to sustain it over 25 minutes. I can't simulate a downhill on the treadmill although some high end machines can do that. I'm not sure I need to practice downhills because every time I run at Bethpage I run down exactly as much as I go up. I just enjoy that part more.
Some people claim that they'd rather run uphill than down. To me, that's like saying they'd prefer to skip dessert, although I know some people who do. I love downhills because they allow me to back off on my effort during a hard run and use gravity to maintain a good pace. But every hill, either up and down, is different. I like the fact that Saturday's race has a sizable downhill section, but I wouldn't want it any steeper than it is.
Running downhill can be a challenge when the grade is high because it takes work to maintain balance, lest you begin to move faster than your legs can go. There's a whole different set of muscles at play when negotiating steep declines. I write a lot about Cow Harbor's formidable hill on James Street, but that elevation goes two ways. There's a part of Eaton's Neck Road where I wish the sharp drop would just flatten out, which it does briefly before rising for a mile on Waterside.
This morning I set my treadmill to a 3% grade and cranked my speed so that I'd get to a race-ready heart rate. It wasn't the most comfortable workout, but I was able to sustain it over 25 minutes. I can't simulate a downhill on the treadmill although some high end machines can do that. I'm not sure I need to practice downhills because every time I run at Bethpage I run down exactly as much as I go up. I just enjoy that part more.
Monday, October 8, 2012
October made me a runner
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| Burning up the treadmill four years ago |
The reason I know the details of my early progress is because I'd used a Nike+ wristband and chip and I'm still able to look back at my workouts and see the histograms that show my pace and distance. It's interesting to see the first run/walks, where I traveled at about 15:00 min/mile, with short sections dropping into the 10:00 range.
A scan of the log shows that I averaged 9:34 per mile on October 21, 2008, making that my first full run over a mile with no walking. One year later I ran on a relay team at the Cape Cod Marathon where I achieved a then-personal record distance of 8.75 miles (over two relay legs). Two years after that, I took my big spill on the driveway at the end of a morning run that scraped me up so badly that I still have scars a year later. You have to take the good with the bad.
I guess the longer your running history, the more you'll have to look back on every month. Still, I'll always look at October as a most important month, because that's when I truly became a runner.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Rapid recovery run
Today's run: (street): 4.9 miles
The weekend weather has been highly cooperative for running. The rain held off until the afternoon on Saturday and today was a repeat of that pattern. This morning it was especially cool outside as I made my way through the neighborhood. But it wasn't so cold that I couldn't run in shorts. The temperature was around 50° and dry. Compare that to Chicago where they were reporting 38° for the start of the BoA Marathon.
After yesterday's fun on the hills, I didn't want to run too hard. I took it fairly easy at the start and focused on the purpose of this workout. I needed to recover from muscle strain and get in a few more miles before I taper down next week.
I appreciated the weather as I made my way through the first mile. I felt surprisingly energetic at that point and hoped that would continue as I went along. I only checked my heart rate a couple of times but noticed it was higher than I expected. I later realized that was because I was running about 25 seconds per mile faster than I thought I was at that time.
I'd originally planned to cap my distance at four miles but I felt so good that I changed course and added almost a mile to my total. Once I calculated my overall pace, I realized that I'd achieved the level of fitness I'll need for Saturday's 5K. I'm hoping to maintain that level until race day. Right now I'm feeling ready.
The weekend weather has been highly cooperative for running. The rain held off until the afternoon on Saturday and today was a repeat of that pattern. This morning it was especially cool outside as I made my way through the neighborhood. But it wasn't so cold that I couldn't run in shorts. The temperature was around 50° and dry. Compare that to Chicago where they were reporting 38° for the start of the BoA Marathon.
After yesterday's fun on the hills, I didn't want to run too hard. I took it fairly easy at the start and focused on the purpose of this workout. I needed to recover from muscle strain and get in a few more miles before I taper down next week.
I appreciated the weather as I made my way through the first mile. I felt surprisingly energetic at that point and hoped that would continue as I went along. I only checked my heart rate a couple of times but noticed it was higher than I expected. I later realized that was because I was running about 25 seconds per mile faster than I thought I was at that time.
I'd originally planned to cap my distance at four miles but I felt so good that I changed course and added almost a mile to my total. Once I calculated my overall pace, I realized that I'd achieved the level of fitness I'll need for Saturday's 5K. I'm hoping to maintain that level until race day. Right now I'm feeling ready.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Attacking the hills at Bethpage
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| View of the recently re-opened bike trail head |
I was up very early with hopes of getting to Bethpage before 7:00 AM. I couldn't get my act together and ended up stalling until almost 8:00. Although I felt okay, I was experiencing some of the symptoms that caused me to cut my run short yesterday. I debated whether to stick around and run closer to home, rather than heading to the park.
This is the last weekend I have to train for the upcoming 5K and I knew that I'd be better off running at Bethpage because it provided the best resource for hill training. When I arrived I saw a crowd of people setting up for the "Lean on Me" 5K Walk and Talk that benefits the Breast Cancer Network. It looked like it was going to be a fun event.
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| Walking and Talking today at Bethpage |
Once I got by those hills it was easy running and I reached the end having covered 5.3 miles. When I got back to the trail head I saw that the crowds had grown at the Walk and Talk event and the music was booming. I hoped the rain that was predicted to move in would hold off and I'm guessing that it did.
Despite feeling a little off, I had a decent run and the hill practice will hopefully pay off next Saturday. I'm not sure what type of workout I should do tomorrow. That will be determined by the weather and the way I feel. I probably should do some speed work before I taper off, but I don't want to push hard if I really need the rest.
Friday, October 5, 2012
From bad to worse and then worse again
Today's run (street): 1.1 miles
Today's workout started badly and got worse. Everything started out fine, I changed into my running clothes and was out the door ahead of schedule. I felt fine as I waited to get my GPS signal, but when I took off I noticed my energy level was a little below par. My legs felt heavy and my stride felt flat. I decided to press on in hopes that I'd loosen up and rebound after the first downhill section.
Instead of feeling better, I began to feel worse and around the half mile point I started to feel queasy. I decided on the spot to run straight home. When I reached my house I discovered that I'd locked myself out for the first time in four years. I had to call my wife to come down and let me in. I'm sure she was alarmed when the phone rang at 4:00 AM, but at least it wasn't because of anything bad. Of all days to do that.
As a result, I'm going into the weekend a little short of my targeted mileage, but I hope to make that up tomorrow. My plan is to run the big hill at Bethpage a few times to prepare for the race the following weekend. I recovered quickly from this morning's incident and I'm hoping to feel much better on tomorrow's run.
Today's workout started badly and got worse. Everything started out fine, I changed into my running clothes and was out the door ahead of schedule. I felt fine as I waited to get my GPS signal, but when I took off I noticed my energy level was a little below par. My legs felt heavy and my stride felt flat. I decided to press on in hopes that I'd loosen up and rebound after the first downhill section.
Instead of feeling better, I began to feel worse and around the half mile point I started to feel queasy. I decided on the spot to run straight home. When I reached my house I discovered that I'd locked myself out for the first time in four years. I had to call my wife to come down and let me in. I'm sure she was alarmed when the phone rang at 4:00 AM, but at least it wasn't because of anything bad. Of all days to do that.
As a result, I'm going into the weekend a little short of my targeted mileage, but I hope to make that up tomorrow. My plan is to run the big hill at Bethpage a few times to prepare for the race the following weekend. I recovered quickly from this morning's incident and I'm hoping to feel much better on tomorrow's run.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Debate highlights distract me from the incline
Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes
Last night's debate went past my bedtime, so I took advantage of my indoor run today by watching the highlights and recap on the early news. The Emerging Running covers a lot of things, but politics isn't one of them, so I'll hold my comments. I'll admit that hearing what was said (or straining to hear over the din of the treadmill and fan) made the time go by fast.
Since the Town of Oyster Bay 5K has a very long hill at the start, I made elevation the theme for today's run and put the incline at 3% for the duration. Despite the humidity and extra incline, I still struggled to get my heart rate to target range, though I reached it about five minutes before the end by increasing my speed.
I feel like my conditioning is a little above average right now and that's making me hopeful that I'll run competitively on the 13th. I hope I can keep up this level of performance all the way through next weekend.
Last night's debate went past my bedtime, so I took advantage of my indoor run today by watching the highlights and recap on the early news. The Emerging Running covers a lot of things, but politics isn't one of them, so I'll hold my comments. I'll admit that hearing what was said (or straining to hear over the din of the treadmill and fan) made the time go by fast.
Since the Town of Oyster Bay 5K has a very long hill at the start, I made elevation the theme for today's run and put the incline at 3% for the duration. Despite the humidity and extra incline, I still struggled to get my heart rate to target range, though I reached it about five minutes before the end by increasing my speed.
I feel like my conditioning is a little above average right now and that's making me hopeful that I'll run competitively on the 13th. I hope I can keep up this level of performance all the way through next weekend.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Gaining speed by pushing HR
Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes
The threat of rain and fog kept me indoors on the treadmill this morning. The big fan positioned in front of the machine negated the high humidity (for the most part). I spent little time getting up to speed before locking into a sub-9:00 pace for the duration of my run. I wish I had thought to use my heart rate monitor earlier than August because I've found it to be a far better method of improving my pace than simply monitoring my speed on the Garmin.
My current treadmill method is to steadily increase my heart rate by increasing speed every couple of minutes until I reach Zone 4, usually in the last few minutes. I can accelerate that by increasing incline but right now I'm more focused on pace. I'm planning to run with my friend CK on Friday at lunchtime and I hope the harder efforts I've been putting in will help me keep up with him. Either way, I know it will be a challenging workout.
The threat of rain and fog kept me indoors on the treadmill this morning. The big fan positioned in front of the machine negated the high humidity (for the most part). I spent little time getting up to speed before locking into a sub-9:00 pace for the duration of my run. I wish I had thought to use my heart rate monitor earlier than August because I've found it to be a far better method of improving my pace than simply monitoring my speed on the Garmin.
My current treadmill method is to steadily increase my heart rate by increasing speed every couple of minutes until I reach Zone 4, usually in the last few minutes. I can accelerate that by increasing incline but right now I'm more focused on pace. I'm planning to run with my friend CK on Friday at lunchtime and I hope the harder efforts I've been putting in will help me keep up with him. Either way, I know it will be a challenging workout.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Nice performance despite some sleep-running
Today's run (street): 2.5 miles
It felt humid when I changed into running clothes this morning and I saw that the temperature was about eight degrees higher than yesterday at that time. I was already sweating when I put on my heart rate monitor and a quick check showed normal readings just before I started. I haven't downloaded the run to Garmin Connect, but I expect that I'll see an even HR pattern across the timeline when I do.
I'm never quite sure how I'll feel before I take the first few steps off my driveway each morning. Some days it feels as though I'm carrying sandbags around my ankles. Other times my stride feels fluid and my energy level feels high. This morning it was much more the latter, although I did feel some twinges in my leg muscle as I pushed up the first street's slight incline.
My response to those twinges was to apply more power. Despite my harder pace, I was doing a little sleep-running and found myself nearing the one mile mark sooner than I'd expected. A check of my Garmin showed that I was still running below my targeted heart rate. I picked up speed once again, but finished slightly below my goal of reaching Zone 4.
My overall time was good and, since I've been monitoring my heart rate, my average pace on these morning runs has dropped close to 15 seconds per mile. I have one more weekend to train for the Oyster Bay 5K so I'll need to make every run count till then. This morning was a good start. I hope I feel the same tomorrow.
It felt humid when I changed into running clothes this morning and I saw that the temperature was about eight degrees higher than yesterday at that time. I was already sweating when I put on my heart rate monitor and a quick check showed normal readings just before I started. I haven't downloaded the run to Garmin Connect, but I expect that I'll see an even HR pattern across the timeline when I do.
I'm never quite sure how I'll feel before I take the first few steps off my driveway each morning. Some days it feels as though I'm carrying sandbags around my ankles. Other times my stride feels fluid and my energy level feels high. This morning it was much more the latter, although I did feel some twinges in my leg muscle as I pushed up the first street's slight incline.
My response to those twinges was to apply more power. Despite my harder pace, I was doing a little sleep-running and found myself nearing the one mile mark sooner than I'd expected. A check of my Garmin showed that I was still running below my targeted heart rate. I picked up speed once again, but finished slightly below my goal of reaching Zone 4.
My overall time was good and, since I've been monitoring my heart rate, my average pace on these morning runs has dropped close to 15 seconds per mile. I have one more weekend to train for the Oyster Bay 5K so I'll need to make every run count till then. This morning was a good start. I hope I feel the same tomorrow.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Heart rate spikes and my HR monitor
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| Mystery spikes at the beginning of my runs |
Now, when I see that my heart rate is still in the "easy" zone, I'll pick up the pace to cross the threshold to the next level. I aim to reach zone 5 by the time I finish most of my runs and I usually get there.
I was looking at the readings from yesterday's run and noticed that my heart rate was holding close to 100% of Max through the first three minutes. From there it dropped precipitously down to 76% for no apparent reason. I had seen this happen before, my first few minutes of the Cow Harbor 10K show a spike to 100% of Max before dropping to 80% at the five minute point.
In the case of Cow Harbor, I was pumped up for the race and had consumed a 2nd Surge gel with caffeine right before the start. In contrast, yesterday's run was low key, with no gels or caffeine to influence my physiology. In both cases I felt no different between the high and normal readings. Since it doesn't correlate to my condition, I'm thinking the reason is completely benign.
In both cases the humidity was low and I had not wet the HRM sensor before I linked it to the Garmin. Without moisture from sweat, the readings were probably unreliable. After a few minutes of running (and sweating) they dropped to an expected level. I'll test this theory tomorrow by ensuring the contacts on the HRM are wet before I start my run. I'm pretty sure I'll see a smoother curve along the timeline.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Destination run to see my family
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| Care to donate? |
Although I had both a primary and backup plan for today's run, I ended up choosing another option entirely. My wife and kids had volunteered for an event that benefits the Long Island Cares food pantry that was taking place at a local shopping center. I decided to run there and back from my house for a change of pace workout.
I often think about ways to break away from the constraints of my local neighborhoods but I've been reluctant to cross major roads during my runs. I simply don't trust drivers to do the right thing. I've stopped counting the number of cars that I see blowing through stop signs on my local streets. My default expectation is that people will ignore the rules and I react accordingly.
The route I planned to get to the Plainview Shopping Center had a no major roads to cross, but it did require me to cross the entrance and exits to the Northern Parkway off South Oyster Bay Road. The sparse Sunday morning traffic resulted in a clear path both coming and going back. I was prepared to wait but I was able to cross both times without stopping.
My route took a side path through a neighborhood that's situated directly north of the shopping center. I planned that part to ensure that I'd cover more than three miles in each direction. Once I came back to South Oyster Bay Road I was just west of my destination and I ran along the brick walkway until I reached my family on the other side, near Woodbury Road.
It was fun to hang out for a few minutes with my wife and kids. My wife had some water for me that I really appreciated. My kids were busy collecting donations and selling tee shirts in support of the event. I was proud of them all for donating their time for a good cause.
I started feeling chilled because it was surprisingly cold outside and I was sweating from the first half of my run. Once I got going on my run, the cold worked to my benefit (for a while) but I had worn long pants and a long sleeved jersey and the heat soon returned. My progress back went remarkably fast and, before I knew it, I was back on the streets of my own neighborhood.
I ended up covering 6.5 miles at a low 9:00 pace and there were enough hills to make me feel like I'd done a decent workout. I would still like to do some hill repeats before the race so next weekend I'll make my way to Bethpage. I was happy to cover 11 miles this weekend and was glad to cover some new territory along the way.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Undefined, but I got it done
Today's run (street): 4.9 miles
I had a very busy Friday so I skipped both running and blogging. I knew I would run today, but I wasn't sure whether the rain would force me back on to the treadmill. Despite a good nights sleep and yesterday's unscheduled rest day, I was in no mood to get outside to start my workout this morning. I played for time by watching an episode of Doctor Who with my son.
By 8:30, I had no more excuses and my wife was already on the treadmill, so I geared up and headed outside for an undefined run. I targeted between four and five miles and hoped my motivation would pick up as I made my way through the streets of the neighborhood.
The skies were cloudy and dark and the air felt slightly chilled when I stepped outside. It took longer than normal to acquire a signal on the GPS and, when it finally locked in, I was (literally) off and running. I followed my daily route out of habit for the first two miles and then took a turn into a section of the neighborhood with parallel roads that run north/south.
I ran by a yard sale and noticed that some of the "shoppers" hadn't bothered to turn off their cars while they checked out the items for sale. I endured the strong smell of car exhaust as I went by the house. It's much more pleasant to run the Bethpage bike trail that is free of cars. But even there you'll find maniacs on bikes bearing down on you at high rates of speed.
The lack of sun made conditions pleasant. After noting that my heart rate was still in zone 3, I picked up my pace as I made my way back towards home. Instead of following a direct route, I took some alternative roads that I chose for their uphill sections. By the end I was moving well and I finished just shy of five miles.
If the weather holds tomorrow morning I may go to Bethpage to run hill repeats to prepare for my next race. If I feel like staying closer to home I can torture myself by running uphill circuits counter-clockwise at the local business park.
I had a very busy Friday so I skipped both running and blogging. I knew I would run today, but I wasn't sure whether the rain would force me back on to the treadmill. Despite a good nights sleep and yesterday's unscheduled rest day, I was in no mood to get outside to start my workout this morning. I played for time by watching an episode of Doctor Who with my son.
By 8:30, I had no more excuses and my wife was already on the treadmill, so I geared up and headed outside for an undefined run. I targeted between four and five miles and hoped my motivation would pick up as I made my way through the streets of the neighborhood.
The skies were cloudy and dark and the air felt slightly chilled when I stepped outside. It took longer than normal to acquire a signal on the GPS and, when it finally locked in, I was (literally) off and running. I followed my daily route out of habit for the first two miles and then took a turn into a section of the neighborhood with parallel roads that run north/south.
I ran by a yard sale and noticed that some of the "shoppers" hadn't bothered to turn off their cars while they checked out the items for sale. I endured the strong smell of car exhaust as I went by the house. It's much more pleasant to run the Bethpage bike trail that is free of cars. But even there you'll find maniacs on bikes bearing down on you at high rates of speed.
The lack of sun made conditions pleasant. After noting that my heart rate was still in zone 3, I picked up my pace as I made my way back towards home. Instead of following a direct route, I took some alternative roads that I chose for their uphill sections. By the end I was moving well and I finished just shy of five miles.
If the weather holds tomorrow morning I may go to Bethpage to run hill repeats to prepare for my next race. If I feel like staying closer to home I can torture myself by running uphill circuits counter-clockwise at the local business park.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Hitting the hills in my guestroom
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| Elevation gain: first mile and a half |
Another rainy morning put me back in the guest room on the treadmill today. As I edge closer to my mid-October race, I'm beginning think about the challenge of running long hills. The first half of the Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor's 5K looks scary on an elevation map, but having run it last year I know that the length mitigates the grade of the hill. I do recall seeing people struggling along the way, but I kind of liked that section.
Last year I prepared for the lengthy rise by running repeats of the hill at the top of the Bethpage bike trail. Four times down and four times back up equaled four miles and a good workout. Now that Bethpage's bike trail is extended north, there are two more challenging hills that I can use for practice. Their lengths aren't anywhere as long, but one hill is impressively steep.
This morning I used the incline feature of my treadmill throughout my run and noted the way it affected my heart rate. It seemed like a 1% increase in elevation yielded a higher response than a commensurate increase in speed. By the end, I got my heart rate into zone 4 territory. Next time I'm on the treadmill I'll focus more on incline and less on speed. That should help, at least until after the race.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Rethinking GPS versus foot pod
Today's run (treadmill): 2.5 miles
My first method of capturing running data was with the Nike+ chip that fit into a concave spot located under my shoe's sock liner. The accuracy of the this system was surprisingly high, but the software was buggy and the wristband that displayed metrics like pace, time and distance had serious corrosion issues. After going through three of these wristbands in less than a year, I got my money back and bought a Garmin FR50.
I had an amusing experience on the treadmill with the FR210 this morning. I wore the watch to capture my heart rate but, even indoors, it had locked in on satellite. When I finished my run I saw that the watch had recorded my distance at .14 miles. I've been considering using the FR60 again with the foot pod for treadmill runs. But for outdoor runs, I have to say the one big advantage of using the GPS watch is that there's no fussing with calibration or switching foot pods. Nothing's perfect, but at least I have a choice.
My first method of capturing running data was with the Nike+ chip that fit into a concave spot located under my shoe's sock liner. The accuracy of the this system was surprisingly high, but the software was buggy and the wristband that displayed metrics like pace, time and distance had serious corrosion issues. After going through three of these wristbands in less than a year, I got my money back and bought a Garmin FR50.
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| FR60 |
The Garmin 50 (and after that the FR60) uses a foot pod that works in a similar way to that Nike+ chip and I got used to tracking my distance and pace that way. The foot pod needed to be calibrated each time I switched running shoes (in my case, frequently) but the accuracy was very high. I started running with the Saucony Hattoris that have no laces to hold a foot pod, and made the switch to the Garmin FR210 GPS watch thinking I'd be upgrading my experience.
As it turned out, after almost two years, I've discovered I've given up more than I've gained by switching to GPS. The accuracy of GPS (~ 3%) is far worse than with the foot pod (~ 1%). The foot pod also captures cadence, an important metric, but the FR210 does not.
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| FR210 |
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Whatever gets you out the door
Today's run (street) 2.5 miles
Every morning I wake up and look at my alarm clock that's usually about a minute away from going off. Occasionally I'll need that alarm, but in either case, it's only a matter of seconds before I realize that I have to get dressed and go outside for my run. EVERY morning I consider not doing my workout. And EVERY morning I manage to talk myself into getting ready.
One of the things that helps me get out the door is a self agreement that I'll take it easy, just this time. No pressure, just get out and float through my route. By the time I'm standing in front of my house trying to acquire a signal on my Garmin, I'm usually more open minded about putting some effort into the run. About halfway through the run is when I start playing with speed in an effort keep my time below a certain target.
That's exactly the way it happened for me this morning. The air was chilly enough to warrant long sleeves and the cold provoked me into speeding up my stride from the start. Even though I could see vapors from my breathing, I noticed that many of my neighbors were still dutifully watering their lawns. I worked hard to avoid running through spray but got hit from the side a couple of times. Brrrr!
There's a quote that goes, "No one ever says 'I regretted that workout'" and, when I complete my run, I'm always pleased that I did it. The tricky part is getting out the door in the first place.
Every morning I wake up and look at my alarm clock that's usually about a minute away from going off. Occasionally I'll need that alarm, but in either case, it's only a matter of seconds before I realize that I have to get dressed and go outside for my run. EVERY morning I consider not doing my workout. And EVERY morning I manage to talk myself into getting ready.
One of the things that helps me get out the door is a self agreement that I'll take it easy, just this time. No pressure, just get out and float through my route. By the time I'm standing in front of my house trying to acquire a signal on my Garmin, I'm usually more open minded about putting some effort into the run. About halfway through the run is when I start playing with speed in an effort keep my time below a certain target.
That's exactly the way it happened for me this morning. The air was chilly enough to warrant long sleeves and the cold provoked me into speeding up my stride from the start. Even though I could see vapors from my breathing, I noticed that many of my neighbors were still dutifully watering their lawns. I worked hard to avoid running through spray but got hit from the side a couple of times. Brrrr!
There's a quote that goes, "No one ever says 'I regretted that workout'" and, when I complete my run, I'm always pleased that I did it. The tricky part is getting out the door in the first place.
Monday, September 24, 2012
When having a "natural killer" is a good thing
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| NK cells, Mother Nature's assasins |
Since I started running in the fall of 2008, the intensity of my colds has dropped noticeably. With the exception of my pneumonia experience, I can't remember feeling particularly ill for more than a day in the past four years. According to WebMD, "Regular exercise appears to have the advantage of being able to jump-start the immune system, and that can help reduce the number of colds you get." The site says that "With exercise...natural killer cells, increase by as much as 50% to 300%."
I plowed through a couple of hard runs over the weekend despite my symptoms, and the intensity of this cold has not increased past the "mildly distracting" stage. I do believe there is something to this "natural killer cell" theory promoted by my running. Despite the name, it's a great concept.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Compared to my friends, my training is easy!
Today's run (street): 4.2
My friend and colleague KWL completed his first Olympic length triathlon this morning. This event is comprised of three segments: a .9 mile ocean swim, a 24 mile bike ride and a 10K distance run. He's been training with a team for this event as part of our company's wellness program. The commitment to this triathlon was fairly extreme, with coach-led training sessions three or more times a week. I'm sure all that work will pay off for those participants who followed that rigorous program.
As I went out on my run today, I thought about other friends who are training for the NYC Marathon in November. This is the weekend that most of them are doing their 18 to 22 mile long runs. I wondered how they manage to fit in all the training miles that they need run every week. Even training for the half marathon required that I step up my mileage 20% for the eight weeks preceding the race. That was hard enough, I can't imagine what it would be like to train for double that distance.
My cold has stuck around and I'm also dealing with a mild cough but I felt fine on the road this morning. The temperature was in the low 60's with no noticeable humidity, a great combination. Though I felt a little stiff at the start, I got up to speed fairly quickly and followed a new route, just for a change of scenery. It wasn't lost on me that I'd be done after 4 miles, while my friends would just be warming up for the distances they would travel.
I admire anyone that takes on the challenge of triathlon or a marathon. I love my workouts and my competitions, but I'm not looking to move up into the ranks of Olympic-length triathletes and marathon racers. I hope everyone comes through their long runs today satisfied with their results. I was certainly happy to cover my 10 this weekend.
My friend and colleague KWL completed his first Olympic length triathlon this morning. This event is comprised of three segments: a .9 mile ocean swim, a 24 mile bike ride and a 10K distance run. He's been training with a team for this event as part of our company's wellness program. The commitment to this triathlon was fairly extreme, with coach-led training sessions three or more times a week. I'm sure all that work will pay off for those participants who followed that rigorous program.
As I went out on my run today, I thought about other friends who are training for the NYC Marathon in November. This is the weekend that most of them are doing their 18 to 22 mile long runs. I wondered how they manage to fit in all the training miles that they need run every week. Even training for the half marathon required that I step up my mileage 20% for the eight weeks preceding the race. That was hard enough, I can't imagine what it would be like to train for double that distance.
My cold has stuck around and I'm also dealing with a mild cough but I felt fine on the road this morning. The temperature was in the low 60's with no noticeable humidity, a great combination. Though I felt a little stiff at the start, I got up to speed fairly quickly and followed a new route, just for a change of scenery. It wasn't lost on me that I'd be done after 4 miles, while my friends would just be warming up for the distances they would travel.
I admire anyone that takes on the challenge of triathlon or a marathon. I love my workouts and my competitions, but I'm not looking to move up into the ranks of Olympic-length triathletes and marathon racers. I hope everyone comes through their long runs today satisfied with their results. I was certainly happy to cover my 10 this weekend.
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