Coffee powers an out of cycle run

Today's run (street): 4.1 miles

I got out a little late this morning because I wanted to spend some extra time with our house guests. I'm used to early morning workouts and I always anticipate a tougher time when I run outside of my preferred window. It may have been the three big cups of coffee I had throughout the morning, but I felt ready to run when I headed out close to noon.

After yesterday's change of scenery, where I covered some roads north of Jericho Turnpike, I was fine staying closer to home today. My energy level was high and my pace felt fluid, but stiff winds coming from the northwest brought the wind chill down to freezing. Running directly into the wind was uncomfortable, but a slight change in direction brought sudden improvement. I maintained good energy throughout the run, despite getting a late start. Hooray for caffeine.

I had planned to run four miles or 40 minutes, whichever came first. For performance sake, I was hoping it would be the former. I ended up covering a little more than four miles while coming in under forty minutes. This put me at 22 miles for the week, two miles over my weekly target of 20. The time off due to Thanksgiving contributed to a higher mileage week. Still, I need to start focusing on longer distances for my individual runs.

A whole new world to run, right across the street

Today's run (street): 4.25 miles

The holiday week continues with our weekend guests arriving mid-morning. I wanted to get in my run before they got here so I headed out early to try a new route. I got out of the neighborhood today, but I didn't travel too far from home. As I mentioned in a post earlier this week, I'm  reluctant to cross major roads when I run. Doing that on foot is risky, but but it would unlock a number of available routes. For safety's sake, I decided to take a short drive and park on the other side of Route 25 to start my run.

I've run on Jericho Turnpike near my house a number of times, but always on the southern side. Today I ran on the opposite side, allowing me to track north to Jackson and mimic my daily drive to the train station. I often see runners on my way to the train and envy them for running while I head to my commute. I was always curious to experience this road, but after a couple of minutes I turned into a neighborhood and followed a street that wrapped back to Jackson. This road had some rolling hills that I appreciated after running the flat streets of my neighborhood.

I eventually ran past the train station and headed east before turning back for the second half of my run. I enjoyed the change of scenery and the chance to break out of my large, but ultimately contained, neighborhood. I reached my car and made the two minute drive back to my house. This was another nice change from the 15+ minute drive I often make to and from Bethpage.

I'll probably run in the neighborhood tomorrow to save time and get it down before our house guests wake up for breakfast. New venues are always fun, even if they're less than a mile from home.

Shopping-free Black Friday run

Today's run (street): 4.2 miles

I love weeks like this when I get an extra day to run without my usual time constraint. It's the day after Thanksgiving and I would have expected to see other runners on the road, working off yesterday's big dinners. But it was surprisingly quiet at 7:30 AM. Perhaps people were sleeping in, or already out at one of those ubiquitous Black Friday sales at the mall. Good luck to them. You won't find me at a mall until after New Years.

Yesterday's turkey trot was a fun event, but the way I ran it could hardly be considered a workout. Still, there were some big hills and forty minutes of moving faster than walking pace has to count for something. This morning my goal was to cover four miles and to work up a sweat while I did it.

It was 36° when I set out for my run. I'd dressed for slightly lower temperatures and was concerned about overheating. Despite that concern, I remained comfortable throughout the run. Besides a couple of cars and a sanitation truck, I had the roads pretty much to myself. My wife was in the process of making pancakes for the kids when I left. Although I could have easily gone for a couple of extra miles, thoughts of breakfast guided me back home.

My run wasn't particularly fast, but it was in the range of acceptable. It was a pleasant enough experience, but I'd like to run in a place more interesting than my neighborhood this weekend. Bethpage State Park's website is still saying that, besides the tennis facilities and golf courses, the park remains closed. Most alternatives involve a lot more driving and that's about as appealing as a trip to the mall.

Family run at the Nissequogue River Turkey Trot

Scene at the finish line

Today's run (Nissequogue River 5K Turkey Trot): 3.1 miles

It's Thanksgiving and, for the third year in a row, the Emerging Runner family ran in the Nissequogue River State Park Turkey Trot. It's an event that draws a big crowd. With some races canceled due to hurricane Sandy, even more people gathered for the race. Me and my daughter ran the course and my wife and son walked it.

Clearing the path before the Fun Run

After the 1K Fun Run for kids that was led by a guy dressed head to toe in a turkey costume, we all made our way toward the starting line. The race is not very well organized and the start often runs late. Much of that is due to the high number of race day registrants who are still in line at gun time. Today the start was only six minutes late, which was a nice surprise.

The size of the crowd prevents any fast running at the start, but it worked fine for me and my daughter. We fell into an easy pace as we made our way along the first, mostly uphill, mile. It's a different experience running easy during a race instead of pushing for a PR. I enjoyed having my daughter by my side and we were happy to reach the turnaround at the halfway point of the race. We saw my wife and son, who were moving along briskly, on the other side.

The last mile is mostly downhill and we cruised along until we reached the finish line. My wife and son came in about six minutes later and we quickly headed to our car. The exit line from the race gets backed up fast and we needed to get home in time to shower, change and head to our Thanksgiving dinner.

The rest of the day was spent with family and we're all a little beat, but it was great to participate in a race as family. Tomorrow I'll go out for a nice long run and burn off some calories from today's feast.

A chilly run today and a Turkey Trot tomorrow

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Most big holidays start earlier than their date on the calendar because people often day before off to travel. That's certainly the case with Thanksgiving. The LIRR continues to be plagued by ongoing signal problems in the East River tunnels (due to Sandy) so there are less trains, more stops and big crowds. It was a pleasant surprise to board the train this morning and have my choice of seats. And for that I am thankful.

My office will be very quiet today because many of my colleagues are doing this day-before travel. I really do like my co-workers but, without any meetings, I'll be able to make good progress on some projects. We'll close the office early so I'll get a little extra free time as well.

Nissequogue course map

Tomorrow morning Team Emerging Runner will become Race Team Emerging Runner, as we run the Nissequogue 5K Turkey Trot for the third year in a row. We won't really be racing, but it's a race. Last year my daughter and I ran it while my wife and son did it as a run/walk. That's the plan for tomorrow as well. After that will be Thanksgiving with family and then more family arriving over the weekend.

I really didn't want to go out into the cold this morning, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I dressed warmly because I was concerned that the wind might make conditions even more uncomfortable. There was only a mild breeze but the warm layers were still necessary. I started out easy but picked up speed in response to the cold air. Once I get to a certain pace, between steady and brisk, I tend to hold it. I completed my route slightly faster than I normally run it.

The weather for the rest of the week is looking promising and I'm optimistic that I'll exceed my 20 mile average with some longer runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It's been a long time since I've raced, so I'm really running out of habit and not training for anything in particular. I do have a 5K coming up in December but that seems a long way away. For now, it's about running for fun. Tomorrow's event should be just that.

Rejecting rest is easier when you have options

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

This morning was a time of quick compromises. I set out my running clothes last night anticipating a cold morning run. Occasionally, I'll wake up an hour before I need to get up and then struggle to fall back asleep. I usually win that struggle, but the ensuing sleep cycle puts me out until my alarm buzzes. This leaves me groggy and without much energy.

Today I had one of those mornings. My first thought was how much preparation time I'd lost by sleeping to my alarm. I usually wake up ten minutes prior to that and take the opportunity to start earlier. The time it takes to put on layers of clothes, a hat and running shoes (plus my SPIbelt, reflective vest and headlamp) is longer than you'd think. Add to that the wait time needed to acquire a GPS signal, and suddenly I'm up against my time budget.

After waking up this morning, my mind went first to the easy solution: a rest day. Sleep induced logic argued that I'll be off on Thursday and Friday leaving me time to make up the miles with longer runs. I then remembered that on Thursday we're doing the 5K Turkey Trot and I'll be running that at an easy pace with my family. Knowing that I'd lose another hard workout on Thanksgiving, I rejected taking a rest day.

The next best option was to run on the treadmill. Running shorts, shoes and a HR monitor were all I needed and in just a few minutes I was off and running <smile>. I started easy and it took almost ten minutes of speed increases to get my heart rate into my targeted zone. By the end, it felt like a good workout and I managed to salvage about five minutes of additional downtime before my shower. A quick compromise was better than an impromptu rest day. At least it was today.

Something more fulfilling than running

Setting up for the many in need

Last night me and my family spent a few hours helping to provide basic items to families in need. Some of the recipients were facing difficult economic circumstances, while others were still disrupted from the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Our task involved handing out vitamins, baby food and supplies to people. My wife possesses great process and organizational skills and she had me and the kids working seamlessly to serve the many dozens of families that came through our station.

We found out about this volunteering opportunity through Island Harvest, a food bank on Long Island. I was happy to help, but I never expected to feel so good about what I was doing. When you offer things of value to people for free, you'd expect a little greediness. I was amazed by how so many asked only for what they needed, and were so gracious about receiving it.

That experience made me think about how racing and charity are often tied together. Just about every race has some cause attached to it. In some cases, the race is explicitly about the charity, like breast cancer or multiple sclerosis. Other races, like the ING NY Marathon, raise a collective $25 million by allowing teams of charity runners an opportunity to run in the race.

My family has a particular attachment to the Marcie Mazzola Foundation race that is held every April, because it was my first-ever race and it's all about the Foundation. Other races I run are less clear about the causes they serve and some are not tied to a charity at all. I've decided that, in the future, if I run in a race that that has no clear connection to a cause, I'll donate money for every mile I run. But as good as it feels to donate money, I've learned that it's even more gratifying to donate time.

Four years emerging and a trail run to celebrate

Today's run (Stillwell Woods): 4.2 miles

Four years ago today, I published my first post on the Emerging Runner. I had made some unsuccessful attempts to run in the past, but in 2008 I fully committed to running as a lifestyle. I'd also started a few blogs before that time but never managed to keep them going. My hope on that day that I published that post was to break that cycle. After four years, I think I can say that I did.

In the October issue of Runner's World magazine, Captain "Sully" Sullenburger was featured in the section called "I'm a Runner." The interview is short, but interesting. I especially liked this quote, "I'm not a good runner, but I'm better than someone who doesn't do it at all." That statement sums up everything I've written over the last four years.

Over the past four years I gone from being someone who faced every run as a difficult challenge, to a solidly mid-pack race competitor. I was talking to my brother yesterday about my four years as a runner, and how I struggled so hard on my first runs. I remembered hoping for the day when I'd be able to run and think of something besides discomfort and pain. Soon enough, my runs became my best process for thinking through any problem.

If not for Hurricane Sandy, I'd be spending most of this post recapping the Long Beach Turkey Trot that was scheduled for this morning. The hurricane devastated that city and destroyed the boardwalk that is almost half of the 10K course. I love racing in Long Beach for its ocean views and flat, runner friendly roads. I hope the community gets back to normal quickly, not for the runners, but for the sake of the residents. 

High visibility on the trails

Today called for a change from the neighborhood roads that I've run since returning home after our power was restored. Stillwell Woods was the perfect choice and I headed over with a plan to run my favorite two mile loop a couple of times. I'd recently bought a nice, high visibility running shirt at TJ Max for the bargain price of $7.99 and thought Stillwell would be the perfect place to use it.

The mountain bikers were out in force and most shared the trails very well, politely warning me when they were closing in. I'm sure the bright orange shirt helped them see me in plenty of time. I took it easy on the trail and was careful to avoid branches that had fallen on the path from Sandy. It was difficult at times to see the trail because the rising sun was hitting me head-on. I got whacked in the head a couple of times by overhanging branches but my hat protected me from any damage.

It's been a nice fourth anniversary of my running/blogging life so far today. Later on, the Emerging Runner family is heading to East Northport to assist in an effort to get food to elderly and housebound people whose lives were disrupted by Sandy. Next week is Thanksgiving but I am thankful often, especially today when I am able to help myself and help others. The decision I made to run in 2008 has much to do with that.

Autumn running brings front loaders and pumpkin bread

Today's run (street): 5.3 miles

A runner's reward

 I needed to drop off my car for inspection this morning and that delayed my run until 9:00 AM. That was no big deal, but the world is far more awake at 9:00 than at 7:00. People who are awake tend to drive their cars, so the streets were busier than I prefer. Worse, the tree trucks and front loaders were also out in force, attending to the remaining pockets of destruction caused by Sandy.

On weekend runs in the neighborhood, I usually stay fairly free-form in terms of my route. That way I can run distances as they play out: 4, 5, 6 miles or more, depending on where I am when I decide to head for home. Today I pre-mapped the streets I'd follow, because I wanted to cover at least five miles. With a couple of exceptions, my run went fairly well.

The temperature was in the 40's but it still felt cold, probably because there were strong winds blowing from the north. The combination of wind and a slightly rising road made for a tough start. At one point something - a leaf, twig or small acorn - hit me in the face, right above my brow. Fortunately, my glasses had prevented it from hitting my eye.

Along my route I encountered crews of workers that were blocking the road with their trucks and equipment. I saw a few large sanitation trucks that were picking up some remaining debris. I avoided a couple of streets that looked impassible, and stayed on the sidewalk while I managed around a particularly big work operation. I ended up running my distance a little faster than I thought I might. I wasn't concerned about speed, but it was nice to see that I beat my performance expectation.

When I got home, my wife and kids were in the process of preparing their famous pumpkin bread that they bake every year around Thanksgiving, for friends and family. To a ravenous runner, the smell of pumpkin, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon was intoxicating. After a quick shower, I was treated to one of the mini-muffins that were baked from the batter. Recovery food doesn't get any better than this.

Observing transformation on my morning run

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

One day can make a dramatic difference. During my run this morning I saw that most of the downed trees were removed some time yesterday. Some scary looking wires, artfully draped over a busy road for the past two weeks, were back up on their poles. The streets were clear of residual brush, and it looked like we'd never even had a hurricane.

This morning was colder than yesterday, but only by a few degrees. I wore my prized City Sports running pants and a lightweight 1/4 zip top with an short sleeve jersey over it. This combination worked well for the near freezing weather. Had I run longer, or pushed myself harder, I would have felt overheated. I ended up covering my route a minute slower than yesterday, although the effort seemed about the same.

I'm thinking about this weekend's running and I was disappointed to see that the New York State Parks website said that, besides the clubhouse, tennis facilities and golf courses, "Other areas of the park will remain closed until further notice." I need to find an alternative to Bethpage for my long weekend runs. Perhaps I'll head to Stillwell Woods tomorrow to do some trail running. It's been a long time since I've gone off road and I really miss that experience.

Running in Sandy's spooky aftermath

The shadowy world of a 4 AM runner

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Hurricane Sandy is more than two weeks gone but the after effects will remain for a while. People have been saying that it's just too soon for Thanksgiving to be happening. One of my favorite times of the year is the period between mid-October and early December. That's when the leaves turn, the air smells like fall, and Halloween and Thanksgiving kick off the holiday season. Hurricane Sandy interrupted that whole experience. On the other hand, having our power restored and not sitting in gas lines will be top of mind when we give thanks next Thursday.

As I made my way to the top of the first street on my morning run, my headlamp revealed what looked like two cords of wood stacked on the curb in front of a neighbor's house. If I had a wood-burning stove or used our fireplace, this would be a good time to save money on firewood. Running through the neighborhood is a little eerie these days, especially on mornings like this when there's little moonlight. My headlamp and the occasional streetlights played off the huge trees, downed by the storm. In the dark at 4:00 AM, it looks like a scene from "Where the Wild Things Are."

In the days between Sandy and today, we've seen temperatures drop, especially in the early morning. I dressed accordingly and appreciated the extra layers as I made my way around the neighborhood. The cold air definitely helps motivate me to run a little harder and I found myself pacing faster than the day before. The spooky shapes created by the storm were a fun distraction and my run seemed to go by quickly, even though I only beat Wednesday's time by 32 seconds. Sandy overshadowed Halloween this year, but I got it back a little today.

Athlinks bemoans declining race times

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I had a funny exchange yesterday with Troy Busot, the founder of Athlinks. This website aggregates race results and allows members to compile a rich racing history. Athlinks members can comment on their race experiences and compare their performance to "rivals" (other members who have participated in 2 or more of the same races that you've run).

The reason I contacted Troy was that he'd sent an email that, in a tongue and cheek way, chided runners for what he called, "an alarming decline in U.S. racing performances in distances across the board." He compared average finish times for the most common race distances plus Olympic, Half and Full Ironman Triathlons. He made his point but I noticed that his times for half marathons were exactly the same as for 10K's, an obvious typo:

Average Times for Leading
Race Distances from 2009-2012

Distance	2009	2012	Change	% Change
5K Run	30:30	31:47	+1:17	+4.04%
10K Run	1:01:01	1:02:28	+1:27	+2.34%
Half Mara	1:01:01	1:02:28	+0:18	+0.15%
Marathon*	4:33:18	4:33:13	-0:04	-0.03%
Olympic Tri	2:52:53	2:55:55	+3:02	+1.73%
Half Iron	5:59:43	6:05:49	+6:06	+1.73%
Ironman	12:49:44	13:11:39	+21:54	+2.77%
* Marathon times were the only notable improvement.

Troy quickly fell on his sword after I sent him a note about it and he gave me the correct figures for 2009 and  2012, which were 2:15:16 and 2:16:40 respectively. Troy wrote, "Yep, I have quit the company in typo-shame." I've never run a full marathon but I have run the other distances. In every case (except my first half), I've beaten the average, both for 2009 and 2012. So perhaps I'm not as average as I thought, although my scores would not be so favorable were the comparison more age and gender based.

Speaking of average, my pace this morning was exactly that. The temperature was 35 degrees with a noticeable breeze, and I wore some extra layers anticipating the cold. I stayed comfortable throughout the run and didn't really have a clue how fast I was going until I looked at my heart rate near the end. I saw that I was at 80% of Max. I tried to get it to 85% in the remaining quarter mile, but I didn't quite get there. Even so, my average morning run still gets me around the course 45 seconds per mile faster than the 5K average!