Wearing the seagull proudly

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt

Today's run (street): 3.9 miles

The rain stopped this morning, so I took advantage of the clearing skies and went out for my run. I had no plan except to cover more miles than I normally do on weekdays, when I'm constrained for time. I was feeling slightly sluggish on my first steps out the door -- I think it had more to do with the humidity than my physical condition.

I ran easy for the most part, not minding my pace or even looking at my overall time. There were a few other runners out at the same time and I crossed paths with a young woman who appeared to be struggling with her workout. The weather was taking its toll on everyone. I completed my run feeling like I'd worked harder than my numbers showed. If it's more about perceived effort than actual pace then I did well today.

After my run I went for my six month checkup at the dentist. I was wearing my 2011 Cow Harbor t-shirt and my dentist (who is 8 months pregnant) joked that she'd skipped Cow Harbor this year because she'd gained too much weight. One of my daughter's teachers mentioned last week that he'd ran it on Saturday. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, around here, Cow Harbor is the race to run.

Running summer into fall

Today's run (Street): 2.5 miles

Last night my son asked me when I planned to go out for my morning run. I told him 4:00 AM and he noted that, although today is the first day of fall, I would be doing that run in summer. It's true, I completed my run before the Fall Equinox began at 5:05 AM. If I had the option, I would have began my run during summer and finished it in fall, just for the fun of it.

It's hard to believe that summer is finally over. It was a great season for running, but I look forward to cooler days and less humidity. This morning's run was interesting, a combination of refreshing coolness from the wind and high heat and humidity the rest of the time. A perfect metaphor of summer into fall. Lots of rain is coming later today and it's supposed to continue into tonight and tomorrow. I'm hoping for a window of clear skies on Saturday so I can do my first run of fall outside.

Wanted: less pain and less rain

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

I'm not sure if it's due to method or to time, but after this morning's elliptical session my legs are feeling much better. I'm used to experiencing soreness in my calves, quads and hamstrings after a race, but that usually goes away after a day or so. Cow Harbor really beat me up and recovery has taken four days. Next year I'll make sure I do enough hill work prior to this race.

I'm disappointed to see that this week's rain will hang over through the weekend. I've been looking forward to celebrating fall weather with a long run, but I'm not sure if I'll have that option. It would be nice to return to the trails a change of view.  Besides that, dirt is more forgiving than pavement and I'm all for that right now.

1,000 posts later and I'm still Emerging

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Almost three years ago I published my first post on the Emerging Runner blog. The subject of the post was "Yeah, I'm a runner", a tongue and cheek joke I have with my wife about things I did one time (rock climbing, sailing a 12 meter yacht, fly fishing) and then bragged about it for weeks. But, in running, I was determined to be more than a dilettante. I was ready to commit.

I started running after changing my diet in August of 2008, controlling portion sizes of my meals and making better choices with food. At the same time, I started walking, first on the treadmill and then out in the neighborhood. A month into it I started looking up the road and challenging myself to run to the corner. Soon it was a full street and eventually my walks became runs.

It took about six weeks for me to transition from fitness walking to running, and my commitment was helped along with the strong support of my family and friends. I liked I how felt after I ran and I was fortunate to begin to lose weight quickly. By the time I started the blog in November 2008, I had lost over 30 lbs. No magic diet, pills, shakes or fasts. It was simply eating less and doing more.

I started the blog as a journal to record my progress and as a way to tap into the community of runners. Over the last three years I've received many valuable suggestions, tried most, and adopted some. Even today, I welcome advice from runners like Paul, Dave, Adam and Brian who generously share their expertise and experience.

What have I written about in a thousand posts? A look at the "tags" list on the left side of the blog will answer that question. I mostly write about my runs, but I also like to share what I've learned from other runners. I'm out almost every day, and after three years, I've seen a lot of things on the roads and trails. I often wish I'd stayed with my running back in the '90's because I'd have all that experience to draw on by now. Then I think that I might have developed bad knees from all that running and I feel better for my more recent return.

One thousand post, hundreds of runs and twenty races later, I still feel like I'm an emerging runner. Every run is different and I'm still learning new things. Running gives me a reason to write and writing demands content, so I'm motivated to run. Thanks for taking the time to read this blog and for connecting through email and comments. It's great to have friends who share this passion. I'll keep writing if you'll keep reading.

My course is harder than your course

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I gave myself an extra day to recover this week and rested on both Sunday and Monday. The James Street hill played havoc on my calves and they have remained tight and sore over the past two days. I've noticed that I've done better walking upstairs than downstairs, so I planned a route this morning that began with an uphill section. That didn't work out the way I'd expected and my calves and quads were unhappy. When I leveled off, I noticed that my gait felt more natural.

My first mile was sedate but I picked up the pace after that, and ended up with a credible time overall. I wore the Hattori's, which I used for Cow Harbor, and wondered if I should have chosen the GTS-10's or the Mirages, to provide a little more cushioning. Perhaps tomorrow I'll go that way.

On my way into the office this morning I ran into a couple of friends, one of whom had recently run a 6.5 mile adventure race that included obstacles like water crossings and wall climbs. She said the race was intense and there were many Navy SEALS competing on that difficult course. I said, "Well, I ran up a big hill on Saturday." Somehow James Street didn't seem quite so impressive.

Every child gets a trophy

Proud to be a participant

There's a lot of talk these days about how parents reinforce mediocrity by rewarding children for doing nothing more than participating in a sporting event. The argument I hear is that children will develop unrealistic expectations about the level of effort required to achieve a real accomplishment. Personally, I have no problem giving a child a trophy for participation, especially in sports, where having an active kid is the real reward. I'm guessing that parents who reward simple participation in sports are likely more focused on practical things, like academics.

I say this because, in every race I've run, only three people get to the podium and the rest (age group winners excluded) get (at best) finisher medals. Actually, most of the time your finisher medal is your race bib and that's why every race number that I've worn is tacked up on a bulletin board in my office. Saturday's Cow Harbor number makes it an even 20 and I'm inspired by each of them every day. With the exception of one race where I came in second in my division, I've been nothing more than a "finisher."

Does it it bother me that this collection represents mere participation? Not at all. In racing, to participate is to accomplish. Just like 19 times before, I earned that trophy on Saturday.

What's next after Cow Harbor?

Unlike most races, the Cow Harbor 10K always happens on a Saturday which makes the weekend seem extra long. Last year I did an easy recovery run the next day and eased back into my normal routine with a  rest day on Monday. I usually get one day of respite after races or long distance runs and don't feel the muscle soreness in my legs until the following day. That isn't the case today though. My calves feel extremely tight and the thought of doing a run today, even an easy one, is out of the question. In fact, I'll probably take another rest day tomorrow and resume my normal running schedule on Tuesday.

Speaking of schedules, I'm trying to plan the rest of my races for the year. Last year I went from Cow Harbor in September to two races in November (with no race in October). My favorite distance is 10K, but there aren't nearly as many 10K's to choose from as there are 5K races. The Huntington (NY) Big 8 10K race is on October 22nd, but I may have a scheduling issue that weekend.

If I can't race on 10/22 then I may run a 5K in October instead and run Hope for the Warriors and the Long Beach Turkey trot (both 10k's) in November. I've never run a race in December, but I'd consider it. I'll check the calendar to see what's going on. Suggestions are welcomed!

Race report: 2011 Cow Harbor 10K

Hooray, I beat my predicted finish time!

Today's run (Great Cow Harbor 10K): 6.2 miles - 9:13 pace

The 34st running of the Great Cow Harbor 10K was a great experience and I was thrilled to have beaten last year's time by three minutes and 43 seconds. But as great as it was to improve on finish time, the story of the day (for me) was running the race feeling strong the entire way through. This experience, unlike last year when I was tunnel-visioned toward just finishing, allowed me the opportunity to take in the details that make this such a great race.

Cow Harbor actually started for me last night with numbers pick-up, when I did the long drive to the Laurel Avenue school where the race begins. I arrived earlier than last year and found parking right away. As I walked the grounds of the school and went in to pick up my race bib, I was reminded again of the scale of this event. I had predicted a finish time of 57:30 and was surprised to see that I was assigned an 8000 series number that meant I would be starting in the 9th Wave.

Last year my number was in the 11000 series and I started in the 12th Wave. I worried that I had overestimated my performance potential but I figured, at worst, that my Wave mates would leave me in the dust. Happily, that wasn't the case.

I headed to Northport this morning at about 6:30 AM and arrived at Northport HS at 7:00. I took one of the shuttle buses that delivers runners close to the starting area. I decided not to carry a bag (although they do have UPS trucks that transport gear from the start to the finish area) so I left my extra layers, smartphone and towel in my car. I made my way indoors because the temperature, helpfully cool during the race, was a little too chilly for standing around.

Many others had the same thought and as I looked around I noticed many very fit looking runners with race numbers starting with 9, 10, 11 and on. Again I worried that I'd planned incorrectly. I chatted with a few other runners to pass the time and around 8:20 I made my way to the Wave area. I ran into Paul and Beth who were standing nearby, getting ready to move into position. Paul reminded me to subtract nine minutes from the quoted split times, which was a good thing to know. We bade each other good luck and I'm guessing that they both did well today.

I saw Brian a few rows ahead of me but I couldn't get his attention. I thought I'd catch up to Brian on Scudder Avenue but he took off faster than I was willing to run. I held my speed in check for the first mile, resisting the temptation to fly down the mostly downhill section. My split on mile 1 was 8:53 - brisk but not too fast. Last year I was feeling draggy almost from the start but this morning I felt like a V-8 with a tank full of gas. I prepared myself for the rise near the end of Woodbine and the big hill on James Street.

I was stunned by how quickly we'd passed through the cheering crowds by the harbor even though the running pack had yet to thin out in a noticeable way. I paced myself behind four giant bananas who were having a great time running the race, and before I knew it, I was taking my first steps onto Widow Hill. I knew from last year to be wary of hill walkers who stay in the middle of the road and obstruct those who are running. I didn't love the uphill effort but I felt far stronger through that span than I did last year.

At the top of the hill I focused on my breathing and used the more level roadway to recover my aerobic rhythm. It took a few minutes, but soon I was back in race mode. I passed mile three feeling remarkably good. I remembered that at the three mile point last year I was desperate for water and feeling very weak from the heat and humidity. The dry, cool weather helped greatly today and I'd brought a hand bottle with a mix of G2 and water to ensure ready hydration.

Near mile 4 the course goes steadily uphill along Waterside Drive. I moved along well, focusing on form, breathing and stride and I still felt strong through mile 5. Shortly after this split we turned toward Main Street and sped up Pumpernickel Hill which, on balance, is far less intimidating than the James Street monster. The top of this hill signals the beginning of the end and the start of a mostly downhill stretch leading to the finish line.

Usually at this point in a race (certainly the case at last year's Cow Harbor) I'm in survival mode, just holding on until the end. When I began the descent towards the finish I said to myself, "All it takes is all you got" and called upon whatever I had left. I came through the finish in 57:12 feeling great about the race I'd run.

I'm really pleased that this year I've achieved PB times on the NHP 8K, the Dirty Sock 10K and, today, the Great Cow Harbor 10K. The weather certainly helped, but I feel really good about my margin of improvement. I ran into Brian at the post-race festival and he was happy to have made it through another Cow Harbor race.

This a great race and spectator event, and with so many elite runners on the course, it feels special to participate. The race volunteers are universally kind and patient and the organizers don't miss a trick. I guess after 34 years they've figured out how to make it all work. Can't wait to do it next year.

Countdown to Cow Harbor

Hills are larger than they appear

It's almost time for the Great Cow Harbor 10K, a 6.2 mile race that can feel a lot longer than that. Besides regularly tackling the hilly sections at Bethpage over the last six weeks, I probably haven't done enough to prepare for James Street, AKA, "Widow Hill." That hill, and the long time spent going uphill on Waterside Drive, make this a challenging event. The saving grace may be that temperatures are predicted to be in the low 50's at start time, with the humidity percentage in the 50-60% range. That contrasts to last year when the heat and humidity were so high that seven people were taken away by ambulance due to dehydration issues.

Tonight I need to go to Northport to pick up my race bib. The race volunteers do a great job handling the 5,000+ registrants, but it's a nightmare to find a place to park and it's tough getting through downtown Northport on a Friday night. I look forward to seeing some of the elite and semi-elite runners who participate in this high profile race. Deena Kastor will be racing on the same course as me!

I'll file a full report tomorrow after the race. It's less than 24 hours from the start. I hope I'm ready.

Tough end to my taper

Today's run (street) 2.25 miles

I had planned today's run, my last before Cow Harbor, to be an easy workout that affirmed my readiness for the race on Saturday. I wore my Brooks GTS-10's to protect my Achilles and looked forward to a pleasant run. It didn't quite go as planned.

I double checked that the Garmin was recording properly as I took my first steps toward the road. No problems there. Instead of my expected slow but rolling gait, my stride felt off balance and I experienced some pain in my left shin. My legs felt heavy and my energy level was half of what it was yesterday. I considered stopping and returning home but decided to tough it out. My plan was to run slow and that wasn't going to change.

I'm not sure why I was feeling off today, but it was both physical and mental. I've had a busy week in the office and that continues today, so perhaps it's fatigue as much as anything else. I made it through my run though I changed the route and covered less distance than usual. I felt the workout after all and I'm hoping that whatever afflicted me this morning will be gone by Saturday morning.

Garmins only work when you bother to turn them on

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

With only a couple of days left on my taper, I went out this morning with the goal of bettering yesterday's performance. I was pleased with how I ran on Tuesday so I maintained a slightly longer stride this morning. I listened to my internal metronome at 2/2 time, in hopes of keeping my SPM in the mid to high 80's.
When I was approaching what I'd guess was the 3/4 mark of my first mile, I heard my Garmin chirp. I saw that the watch was going into power reserve mode. Apparently, I never hit the start button when I began to run. I was annoyed, but I decided to run without tracking my time rather than start tracking it at that point. Still, I had a pretty good idea of how long I'd run because I began my run right at 4:00 AM.
Despite having no measurement tool, I pushed my pace using my effort level as a guide to my performance. Given my distance that I measured using Gmaps, I ran approximately the same as yesterday, which is to say, well. Tomorrow will be my final run before my workout and I plan to take that easy. No need to invite injury this late in the game.

Taking performance in stride

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I'm not sure why, but I've woken up with more energy this week than normal. I don't feel like I'm sleeping any better, but once I'm up, I'm good to go. That helped today when I prepared to go out for my run at 4:00 AM. I felt ready, willing and able. Maybe it's the cooler weather.

I hit the road focused on form, paying particular attention to my stride length. It still puzzles me why I don't run faster than I do, and I think I may improve speed by opening up my stride. My Garmin 210 doesn't capture cadence so it's hard to know how I'm doing in terms of achieving 180 SPM. I suppose I could count steps but I find that hard to do accurately.

I ended up having one of my better 4:00 AM runs today and averaged 15 seconds per mile faster than usual. I had plenty of energy to draw on throughout the run and still had much in reserve. Opening my stride helped me move along better than I have in recent runs. If I can feel the same way on Saturday morning, I may just meet my target splits for Cow Harbor.

Now it's all about Cow Harbor

Sunday's run (street): 3.4 miles

I knew I'd get out for a run yesterday, it just took me a little longer than usual to get going. At around 10:00 AM, my wife ordered me out before half the day was gone. I complied and headed upstairs to change.

The weather was cool when I started and though it was sunny, I stayed dry and comfortable for the first couple of miles. I had run for over an hour on Saturday so I took it easy and focused on my form and stride. I thought about my vertical alignment and lifting my knees instead of worrying about my pace. The route that I chose was a variation from my usual morning run with almost a mile added to the end.

 I wore my Brooks Adrenalines to help protect my Achilles tendon that has been feeling sore of late. Even though it was mid-morning, the streets were quiet and I wondered if people were staying home because of 9/11. I thought about that as I was passing the neighborhood elementary school, where half a dozen soccer games were being played at the same time. I guess that's where everyone was.

No need for crew length running socks this year

It was a good run and the right distance to start my taper for Cow Harbor on Saturday. It's going to be a full and busy week in the office, capped off by a Friday night drive to Northport to pick up my race number. This year I'll be better prepared for the crowds and the lack of parking. I see that the race organizers have changed from old style tracking units to bib tags. At least I won't have to worry about the chip band cutting into my ankle like last year.

My 9/11 experience

I'm probably going to go out for a few miles this morning although I'm not really in the mood. I guess the ubiquitous presence of of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is getting to me. I'm also concerned that the slight but persistent soreness along the Achilles tendon on my right foot may be getting worse. I iced it today and it's feeling better, so I'm wondering if the best thing to do is to rest it. Given that this is probably my last chance to do a 3+ mile run before Cow Harbor, I'm tempted to get outside.

At the suggestion of a reader, Adam (also a runner), I've put together my memories of 9/11 when I experienced these events from my mid-town office in NYC. I've used a feature on Blogger called Pages that I will occasionally use to write posts that are not directly related to running. Writing down these memories has been emotional, but I'm glad to share experiences that I've been keeping to myself for ten years.

Bethpage base run better than expected

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 6.7 miles

With Cow Harbor happening next week, I knew I needed to put in a few more base miles before I begin my training taper. Last year I spent a lot of time focusing on the Cow Harbor route and the strategy to run it. I even did a trial run of the course to understand firsthand the challenges of James Street, Waterside Drive and Pumpernickel Hill.

I haven't done too much thinking about it this year and I'm guessing that's okay. I know from last year that I should take the first mile slow despite the temptation to sprint along Scudder Avenue's downhill sections. Better to reserve energy for the end of Bayview Ave. and James Street's "Widow Hill." I'm really hoping that the weather will be cooler than last year, when the heat and humidity sent half a dozen people to the hospital. Even so, I know I'll reach a point during that race when I'm questioning why I'm doing it. All it takes is all you got.

I went over to the bike path at Bethpage State Park this morning. It's my favorite place for runs on pavement that are longer than four or five miles. The theme of today's run was time, not speed. I didn't care how fast I ran, I just wanted to run at least an hour to help reinforce my conditioning. Bethpage isn't quite as challenging as Cow Harbor in terms of elevation changes, but it's rolling. The bike trail has two hilly sections that can be tough to get over and the worst of it is at the end.

I brought along my hand bottle that I filled with Gatorade G2 and the air was so cool that I didn't take my first sip until I was past the 2 mile mark. Although my perceived effort was fairly low I was maintaining a better pace than normal for this type of run. I was actually annoyed when I looked at my Garmin at the three mile mark to see I was pacing around 9:10 per mile because I wanted to do this run closer to 9:50.

There were many runners and cyclists on the path. I noticed more running groups than usual and I wondered if the Ocean to Sound Relay was happening today (I checked later and saw that it will be held on the 25th). I changed direction after a number of runners coming from the other side had passed by. I feared getting swallowed up by them and preferred to draft in their wake. Nothing surprised me more than when I started passing them, first a few single runners and then entire groups. I was simply maintaining my pace. Interestingly, I wasn't passed by a single runner all day.

By mile five I was beginning to tire but I wasn't losing much speed. I continued to drink the G2 and almost finished it just before I took on the long hill that comes at the end. I didn't take the hill fast but I did maintain a steady rhythm as I ascended. I really appreciated the final 50 meters that is all downhill.

Most women ask for roses

I got to my car and was able to sit down immediately because I had placed an AllSport SeatShield covering on my car's seat. I got a couple of these water/sweat proof covers after my wife (rightfully) complained that towels on the seats don't do a good enough job. She gets mad when I occasionally take her car to runs and her seats end up moist from sweat. These covers, at about $20 apiece, seemed expensive when I realized that they're made of material that's similar to recyclable shopping bags. But the covers fit very well over the seats and kept them dry. If that result makes my wife happy then it's worth every penny!

Thinking about 9/11

Today's workout (elliptical): 27 minutes

It's Friday, and although Labor Day made this a short week, it still seemed long. Goodbye Summer Fridays, it was fun while it lasted. I used today's workout to cross train on the elliptical and it was tougher than I'd expected. The rain has stopped so I could have done my first outdoor run since last weekend, but the weight of the week kept me inside. I usually consider the elliptical to be a less-challenging workout, but no such luck today.

The mood is somber in NYC as we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It would have been nice to do a city run at lunch as a remembrance of everything I'd experienced on that day. I certainly covered a lot of ground in the city that afternoon and it all remains vivid and scary. I'll think about it again during my runs this weekend. I'm planning to do a last long run tomorrow or Sunday, in preparation for the Great Cow Harbor 10K on the 17th.

What it takes

Today's run (treadmill): 2.5 miles

My favorite running quote, attributed to Marc Davis (an Olympic runner) goes "All it takes is all you got." Looking beyond the questionable grammar, I find this quote inspiring. I don't think it means giving all you've got all the time. That's something a jet engine has to do. A person needs balance in their life and most of the time all it takes is what you need. But when you are standing at the starting line, it should be all that you've got. Otherwise, what's the point?

I thought about that quote as I fired up the treadmill this morning. I'd hoped to get outside but the rain changed my mind. Since I don't like the treadmill, I try to incorporate strategies to get me through my runs. One technique is to start slow and blip up my speed every minute until I reach a brisk pace that I maintain until the end. Other times (like yesterday) I start slow and stay that way throughout most of my run.

Today I decided that I had to give it "all I got" because Cow Harbor is two weekends away and I can't waste conditioning time on maintenance miles. I started at around a 9:00 pace that felt far faster and thought there was no way that I could maintain that for the duration. After about eight minutes I began to feel more comfortable with the pace and I increased my speed a couple of times until I reached my targeted distance.

I ended up giving it all I've got today and I finished feeling, hot, soaking and spent. Exactly how I like to feel after I've run a race my way.

Take it easy (at least 70% of the time)

Today's run (treadmill): 2.5 miles

I read in a recent Runner's World that 70% of your running should be done at an easy pace. This was defined as running at a speed that allows you to comfortably maintain a conversation. The concept behind this "Easy/Hard" ratio is that slower running helps build capillary beds within muscles. Hard running tears up  muscles and easy running repairs and strengthens them.

With the almost constant rain we've had since Sunday night, I planned for an indoor morning run. I really don't like the treadmill but I planned to focus on easy running and save the harder stuff for the end of the week or the weekend. Since I was indoors I skipped wearing a running shirt and that helped keep me cool. I started very slow (5.1 MPH) and worked my way up by tenth of a mile increments until I reached a 9:00 pace. 

In all, I covered my usual morning distance although it did take me a couple of extra minutes to do it. Hopefully the weather will clear and I can get back outside in the morning. Will I run it easy or hard? With my lower back still slightly tender, I'm thinking that I'll defer to the 70% side.

A different kind of labor pain

Happy Labor Day. I'm ambivalent about this holiday because it represents the end of summer vacation for my kids and the end of my vacation week. On the plus side, we are edging closer to fall (my favorite season) when temperatures and humidity both drop. Running in cool fall weather, with the leaves underfoot and the ubiquitous scent of maple from the trees, is about as good as it gets.

I won't be running today. I considered it earlier in the day, before I experienced a sudden tsunami of pain in my lower back while placing some glasses in the dishwasher. This pain came on alarmingly fast and it felt serious. I have not suffered lower back pain in decades and that problem was solved when I replaced my sleep sofa with a real bed.

These really work

My first reaction was to lie on my back while my daughter quickly brought over two ice packs and a towel to place under my lower spine. After ten minutes I was able to perform a couple of hamstring stretches that loosened me up enough to stand.  I walked to the kitchen and took two Aleve. After an hour the pain had dissipated enough to assure me that this was not going to be a major problem.

Suspect #4

I don't know if was the 25% more running miles that I covered this week, backyard soccer played two days earlier or yesterday's obstacle course, but my back had clearly had enough. I've also been using a Brookstone Fitness Stick that is probably putting strain on little used muscles in my lower back.

So no workout today, although I may do some core stretching later if my recovery continues. I think I'll celebrate the rest of Labor Day by avoiding any further labor!

Perceived effort high plus "impossible" obstacles

Today's run (street): 4 miles

More ow, than ouch!

I've been fortunate to avoid injuries that prevent my running, but lately I've experienced some painful tweaks in my knee, shin and Achilles tendon. These tweaks are mild and happily intermittent, but they make me wonder what's behind them. I was reading an article on Runblogger (a very nice running site) about Achilles problems and, while I don't think I have "Hagland's structure", I wondered if running in the Hattori's is creating my Achilles issue. I began to think about running in a different shoe.

At the recent Dirty Sock 10K run, Paul mentioned that he trains in heavier cushioned shoes and races in lighter shoes. Right now he's running in Saucony Mirages, a shoe I occasionally use for training and racing. The Mirage is a luxury ride compared to the Hattori's, but it's still low and relatively flat. I decided to dust off my Brooks GTS 10's, a terrific shoe that I'd shelved for running due to their built-up platform.

Chicken soup for the foot

I went out purposely slow on this humid morning and intended to keep it that way. I know that an easy run should follow a hard run and yesterday's speed work was just that. The Brooks felt really good and I cruised along for a couple of miles but picked up the pace after the second mile. By the time I reached 3.25 miles I was feeling a little fatigued. I thought about the idea of running to perceived effort versus a time goal. Over the next quarter mile I perceived plenty of effort as I approached the hilliest part of my route.

When I crested the highest section I took off fast and finished my run breathing hard and sweating heavily. I knew I'd probably pushed too hard and possibly invited further injury. My Achilles felt slightly sore and my right knee felt tender. But overall, I think I'm okay. My perceived effort certainly exceeded my performance metrics, but so what? As long as my injuries got no worse and my training advanced, I feel that I'm going in the right direction.

We're getting close to the end of summer so, today, the Emerging Runner family held our "Impossible Obstacle Course" in the backyard. Due to the effects of hurricane Irene that landed lots of branches and leaves in the pool, we didn't include a swimming portion. The event consisted of activities like soccer ball dribbling, basketball shooting, hockey stick bowling (don't ask), a lacrosse throw and some running.  It was a nice second workout and we all had fun. Best of all, my knee and Achilles felt fine, both during and after.

My fastest 5K ever*

Today's run (track): 1 mile warm-up, 8 x 200, 1 mile cool down

I knew I needed to get in some speed work so I headed to the local HS track this morning. When I arrived I noticed that the adjacent lot was almost full and saw that the high school team was playing a pre-season game against another town. There were people up in the stands and standing alongside the track that circles the football field. There were also people walking around the track, seemingly oblivious to the action taking place a few feet away.

I started my workout with a brisk mile warm-up that I completed in 8:13. That wasn't bad for a cold start. I followed that with eight 200 meter intervals, with one minute recovery periods, and averaged 6:54 for that mile. I finished my workout with a 1.1 mile cool down run that I did in 8:52. I ended up averaging 8:01 for the 3.1 miles (24:39).

*This can't really be counted as my fastest 5K because it wasn't a continuous run. Knowing that you can stop after 200 meters, or even after a mile, helps keep you moving fast. However, I will say that every second on that track was focused on performance. At the end, I was satisfied that I was doing my best to prepare for the Cow Harbor race.

Encountering a broken path

Today's run (street & mixed terrain): 5.6 miles

Today's run took me to places where I haven't run in months. It was a nice change of scenery. I didn't go far from home but I covered a few different neighborhoods and enjoyed the minor thrill of knowing that I ran from one town to another (and back again).

I started my run by the middle school and then cut over to the business park loop that provides a decent hill challenge that's steep or gradual, depending on which direction you run it. I cut into a local neighborhood from there and saw the landscaping teams out working hard to erase any evidence that we were hit by a hurricane five days ago.

I targeted 5 miles in an attempt to grow my base for the Cow Harbor race but ended up covering more distance. Part of the reason for that was a miscalculation I'd made when I followed a main road that I knew would connect me to the neighborhood that sits directly south of mine.

Along the way my pathway degraded to the point where I was negotiating broken sidewalk, overgrown weeds and branches that had been dislodged by last weekend's storm. That section added distance and cost me speed, as I needed to be especially careful where I stepped with my Hattori's that provide very limited protection. Once I made my way out of that mess I circled the southern neighborhood and completed my route home. I won't be revisiting that route anytime soon.

It was a tough and tiring run but I was glad to have moved up my distance closer to the 6.2 miles that I'll be racing in just a few weeks. I'm not sure what workouts I'll do over the coming long weekend but the weather promises to be good. I need to work on speed so perhaps I'll visit the track tomorrow.

And the power is back!

Monday's run (street): 3.6 miles 
Tuesday run (street): 3.5 miles 
Wednesday's run (Stillwell Woods): 4 miles

Hey, nice to see ya!

Well the power is finally back after 106 hours. Was it awful? Not at all. A dark house provided great impetus for getting out and doing things and we made the best of it. The only downsides were really cold showers and the need to drive to the local shop at 6:00 AM for morning coffee. But cold showers are invigorating and going out only for coffee when I usually have to go to work was rather nice.

Hurricane Irene seemed to be more hype than horror as we waited out the storm on Sunday. We lost our power at 4:00 AM Sunday morning but suffered nothing more than a coating of leaves and branches in our yard. There were plenty of downed trees in the neighborhood but it still felt more like a bad storm than a hurricane. Except that the power never came back on. I went for an early neighborhood run on Monday morning to survey the damage and saw nothing too disturbing. Apparently the real damage happened out of sight. We didn't see a LIPA truck for days and LIPA's communication was simply poor. That's all I'll say about it but I expect that LIPA officials will have a lot to answer for.

My run went well and though I felt I was running slower than normal, I was actually ahead of my usual pace. It probably had something to do with running after I'd had time to wake up. Tuesday was basically a copy of Monday's run although I followed different roads in hopes of seeing a LIPA crew at work. No luck there.

Yesterday I decided to head to Stillwell for communing with nature and, when I arrived, the entire high school boys cross country and track teams were trotting towards the trail head. I followed them in a few minutes later.

The trails were surprisingly clear. I'd expected to see lots of downed trees across my path but Stilwell looked the same as always. About a mile into the run I encountered the high school team coming from the other direction. The fastest boys had broken away and were swiftly turning toward a hilly section. The second wave greeted me cheerily and I returned the hellos. The last wave were not so happy and some of them had stopped to catch their breath or tie their shoes. It was not going to be a good morning for them.

I followed my normal loop a couple of times and finished up with my longest run since Saturday's 7.1 miles. I do need to push my base training up to six miles and, now that we have a heated shower, I'm considering an evening run tonight. In truth, we've been running around so much this week that I'll probably consider this an ad hoc rest day and go out tomorrow morning instead.

I'm pleased that we're back to "normal" and that I still have a few days left of vacation to enjoy modern conveniences. Well almost. We still need to refill the refrigerator and have the automatic garage door reset. Being without power didn't stop me from my running. But, everything being equal, I'd have loved coffee on demand and a warm shower after my runs.

Powerless

I am still without power due to the storm and have been unable to post since Saturday. I will resume as soon as possible. I've been getting in my runs and look forward to publishing my posts. Thanks for checking in. -TER

Racing the hurricane

Today's run (Bethpage State Park): 7.1 miles

Apparently there's some rain and wind coming our way as Irene makes her (its?) way up the eastern seaboard. At least we've had time to prepare, but with a million people in the NYC area under mandatory evacuation everyone is pretty much on edge. With the hurricane coming later, I went out early to Bethpage to get in some training miles.

There were plenty of people on the trails at Bethpage this morning, along with golfers who were getting in a few rounds before the storm. It was cloudy, but humid, and I was glad that I wore my new Mizuno singlet. I brought along my water bottle that I filled with 1/3 ice and 2/3 Gatorade G2 to help keep me hydrated. The combination of the two kept things bearable over my entire 7+ mile run.

My goal distance was eight miles but I decided that I'd shorten that by a mile because it's been a long time since I've run more than a few miles in the Hattori's. I didn't want to invite injury andwith the high humidity, it was the right thing to do.

By the end of my run I was looking forward to getting past the last long hill and quite happy when I finally finished. Considering the weather, I thought I'd performed well and I was pleased that I was able to work on my base. I'll either be on the treadmill or the elliptical tomorrow, unless we lose our power. That being the case, I'll revisit my core workout in the dark.

Lonely runner in the city

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Today is my last "Summer Friday" in the office and I slightly regret not planning a run in Central Park. This would have been the day to do it, with moderate temperatures and partially cloudy skies. Unlike the last two summers, I've barely hit the city venues on Fridays. Instead I've opted to do my morning running in my neighborhood. Some of that is due to the high mid-day heat we've had this summer, but really it's because most of my running partners are no longer in the city. I still enjoy running alone in NYC, but I didn't feel like it today.

This morning I went out and followed my usual route, all the time thinking about the effort it will take to meet my predicted finish time for Cow Harbor. I covered the first mile at a moderate pace but picked up my speed to the point where I was running in the high eight-minute range by the time I finished. I know going directly from sleeping to running affects my performance so I was happy where I ended up.

As long as hurricane Irene waits until Saturday afternoon to come through the NY area, I should be good to go for a long morning run tomorrow. With only three weekends left to train for Cow Harbor's challenging and rolling 6.2 mile course, I need to reinforce my base and work on those hills.

Update on Emerging Runner's 2011 goals

Today's workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

This has been a big week for nature, first with the earthquake and now hurricane Irene is threatening to disrupt my weekend running. When you're a runner, it's all about the weather. Since there's not much I can do about that, I thought I'd focus on things where I have some control.

2011 Goal review

It's almost September and we're through 75% of the year. Let's see how I've done.

1. Run a half marathon.
Did it! I ran the LI (Half) Marathon in May and I'm still tired.

 2. Score settling: Run my best times ever on the Dirty Sock and Cow Harbor 10K's. Beat my time in the New Hyde Park 8K (44:42 two years in a row!).
So far I'm on track. Achieved best ever times in both the NHP 8K and Dirty Sock 10K. Cow Harbor 10K happens in three weeks.

3. Running tourism: Run outside of Long Island at least six times. Bonus for competing in a race outside of LI.
I ran in Florida in January and Massachusetts more than once this year. Lots of running in New Hampshire and Maine. Still no races out of Long Island.

4. Hit those trails: Add Caleb Smith, Sunken Meadow and one more state park to my trail running experience.
Still no runs at Caleb Smith or Sunken Meadow but that could change by year's end.

5. Performance: Run 1 mile under 7:50/mile or 2 miles under 8:00/mile.
My last serious speed workout in July did the trick. First mile at 7:50 and did 8 x 200's at 6:50. I also ran two continuous miles at 8:20 which doesn't meet the goal, but it's not too far off.

With four months left in the year I'm hoping to fully meet every goal. Right now I'm pleased with my progress.

Post-earthquake run

Did you feel that?

Today's run (street): 2.65 miles

Yesterday afternoon, the city was abuzz with excitement about the tremors from an earthquake that had hit the DC area. Though I was out at that time, I completely missed the experience. Buildings were evacuated and even my wife and kids felt it in Long Island. To me, the most amazing thing about it was that the LIRR still ran on time last night.

This morning I knew I needed to step up the pace for my run. Yesterday morning I gave myself a break and did a slow recovery run. It's seductive to do that because it feels great to run without straining. This is especially true when you go out right after waking up.

I wore my Hattori's for the first time in a week, having switched to the Mirages for Dirty Sock training and recovery. It was nice to have lighter shoes, but I noticed the zero drop more than I usually do. I worked on keeping my turnover steady and hoped that my cadence was edging toward the high-80 SPM range. I ran a different route and covered a little more distance than I normally do. I was satisfied with the effort, overall. Though my pace performance wasn't above average, it was solidly back to normal. I hope to improve that this weekend.

Here comes the Great Cow Harbor 10K

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

Well, it's official. I'm signed up for this year's Cow Harbor race in Northport, NY. Dirty Sock is probably a more difficult race, with the high heat, oppressive humidity and variable surfaces. But with its scale and national attention, Cow Harbor looms larger. Cow Harbor is an interesting race and a fascinating experience. The course has a number of "features" that need to be understood, like the James Street hill that rises steeply over a 1K distance including a section that rises over 100 feet in less .2 of a mile.

I read yesterday that your first run after a hard race should be slow and easy to allow your muscles to repair. I took that to heart this morning and went out at a comfortable pace. It seemed to take forever to complete my route, but it only took two minutes longer than normal. With the temperature at 65 degrees, I was hardly sweating by the end. Despite that, I felt it was a beneficial workout. This weekend I'm looking to put in some long miles and spend some time on the hills. Cow Harbor is coming and I plan to be ready.

Thoughts on yesterday's race

Yesterday's race wasn't the toughest run I've faced this year, but in some ways I consider it my best effort. That's true, even with the LI Half Marathon I ran in May that was both difficult and humbling. On that race, I missed my performance target by a significant sum, but I am proud that (even with an injury) I didn't walk a single step over its 13.1 miles. Still, I feel that yesterday's Dirty Sock 10K represented my competitive best. There wasn't a single moment when I backed off the throttle, even as my energy levels dropped sharply near the end.

You'd think I would have done better than I did with the effort that I put forth on Sunday. I'll admit that I felt dismay at the hordes of people who caught up and passed me at various times during the race. I thought, "Why are they all running faster than me? How have they trained compared to me?"  The answer is probably a mix of things. First, I'm no longer in my 20's or 30's. Second, I suspect that many participants in yesterday's race probably train regularly at 10K-plus distances with an effort that I usually reserve only for race day.

With that, I'm pleased with the work I did on Sunday to achieve the best time I've ever attained in that race. Like this year's NHP 8K, I've done better the third year than in any previous year. As long as I can hold the gains I feel that I'm on track with my training. It will be interesting to see how I do at the Great Cow Harbor 10K. I don't know if I'll improve over 2010's time, but I know I won't regret my effort.

Race report: 2011 Dirty Sock 10K

Third time's the charm

Today's run (Babylon Village Classic - Dirty Sock 10K): 6.2 miles (net time 58:26)

Sometimes we anticipate a difficult race experience and hope that we're overestimating the challenge. We do everything we can to mitigate the pain and enhance our performance. That doesn't necessarily make the experience any easier, but in the end the pain is usually forgotten. Not entirely, but enough to make you decide to do it all again.

Today's Dirty Sock 10K was exactly like that for me. It was my third consecutive time running this race and for the third time I wondered, in the end, if I will ever do it again. The course is straightforward, an out-and-back 6.2 mile run, mostly on dirt trails. The heat and humidity determine the level of difficulty and the last mile (for me) is always the hardest part.

Team Emerging Runner arrived a little later than usual but I had plenty of time to collect my race bib, along with my race tee (an attractive faded blue this year) and the requisite pair of socks. When we walked into the registration area I saw a rock band on the stage and that made me and my daughter smile. It was a nice moment and we felt we were at an event. I caught up with Dave who was there with his wife and we all hung out until we were called to the line around 10 minutes before the start.

By now I recognize many people who compete in local races and it's a nicely familiar experience when we congregate behind the faster runners. The trails are wide, but with about 500 people at the start, the runners are pretty crammed together. Soon the horn sounded (oddly it sounded like a ship's whistle) and we moved en masse, somewhat slowly, until the crowd began to break up.

I ran the first mile in 8:46, which was good, considering my initial slow start due to congestion. I knew I couldn't sustain that pace and it was obvious that I was running with a faster crowd when they began to gain ground on me. My buddy Dave, who did very well today, had moved ahead and I soon lost sight of him. I tried to use the runners ahead of me as pacers but, by mile two, I began to feel like I was going to have some trouble getting through the entire distance at a competitive pace.

Dave (left) and me post race

Usually I see the winning runner coming back in the other direction around the 2.75 mile mark, but not today. I'd hoped that meant that I was running better than prior years, because that meant the eventual winner would still be circling the lake. Soon I was on the path around Belmont Lake and it felt hard. I was frustrated by the number of people who had passed me, but I knew I was leaving nothing on the course.

Psychologically, I was pleased by how quickly I lapped the lake and passing under the bridge meant that I had less than halfway to go. I continued to get passed and wondered whether I'd finish last. After the race Dave pointed out that we'd started somewhat close to the line so it made sense that faster runners would make their way past me. For the record, I finished where I usually do, right in the middle of the pack.

I did begin to pass some runners as I made my way between miles 4 and 5 and I took water every time it was offered. I also took sips from my hand bottle that was filled with electrolyte mix. Mile 5 finally came and I prepared for the worst and maintained the best pace that I could. Soon we were following the path along Southards Pond. When we turned right I knew we were about a kilometer from the end, perhaps the longest thousand meters I run every year.

Dave and I ran this course last weekend, so I was familiar with some of the features on this section of trail. When I saw the first foot bridge I knew I'd soon see the clearing and then the finish line. I came around the corner and gave my final push, crossing the line over a minute faster than last year. The race announcer even pronounced my last name correctly.

Team Emerging Runner was waiting for me at the finish line and I grabbed some water and drank the rest of my electrolyte mix. I saw Dave and his wife and found out that he finished about a minute and a half before me. He had told me that he planned to go faster than in 2010 and he was right!

Me with Beth and Paul, after the race

I found Paul, who I had met at the NHP 8K race, and his wife Beth. They both ran today's race and did well. Paul's very fast, he came in more than 10 minutes ahead of me. I mentioned to both Dave and Paul that I didn't think I was going to run Cow Harbor but I was overruled. The pain of today's run has faded to the point where I'm prepared to sign up for the race.

Well another Dirty Sock is on the books and I'm happy to have bettered my previous times. More importantly, I fought off fatigue and pain but I still maintained my targeted race pace. I guess I'd better get started on my Cow Harbor training. Preparation will be the key and I'll try not to think about the pain.

Liquid strategy for the Dirty Sock 10K

Performance in a pouch

Tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM I should be off and running on the Dirty Sock 10K trail run. It will be the third time that I participate in this out-and-back race that circles Belmont Lake State Park and passes Southards Pond on the return leg. The last two year's weather was brutal, hot and humid and even some rain. Predictions for tomorrow show 77° and 71% humidity for the start. Not ideal but better than last  year when rain threatened and finally started falling about 45 minutes into the race.

Low cal libation

Favorite fuel

I've trained the best I could with the time I have and I'm planning to use GU Roctane gels for pre-race energy and to help get me through that endless last 2K. I picked up a packet of Gatorade G Series Prime 01 that I will add to my G2 (low sugar) Perform that I'll carry in my water bottle. Both times I ran Dirty Sock I finished low on electrolytes and fairly dehydrated. Generally I prefer simplicity, but if these supplements help me through my expected struggles then it's worth the extra care.

I'll file a full report on the experience. My taper is complete, the race day gear selected and my nutrition plan is set. I'm hoping for the best, but mostly I'm just excited to run this course again and see my family waiting for me at the finish line.

Time for some needed rest

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

This morning I went out for my last run prior to Sunday's race. I wore my Mirages to acclimate to their feel, although the trail surface at the race will be different than pavement. I'll admit that I liked the luxury of this minimal, yet well cushioned, shoe. It's a nice change from the harder ride of the Hattori's.

It's often recommended that runners leave their watches at home and run by feel. I bring my Garmin because I have an irrational need to capture the metrics of every run but I rarely look at the display for anything except elapsed time. I purposely ignored my watch this morning and only checked it at the end when I pulled up by my house and hit the stop button. I saw that I'd averaged 9:14 per mile, which made sense based upon the effort I had made.

I'm still battling the feeling of tiredness and, although I was happy to have run 15 seconds per mile better than my July average, the fatigue was noticeable. Along the way I encountered both a car and a walker at the same intersection -- unusual because I rarely see either at 4:00 AM. That woke me up a bit. I'm done with running until the race, although I may do some less strenuous activities between now and then. Rest, I believe, will be the best thing to do before I line up for the Dirty Sock 10K on Sunday morning.

I did my run, so why do I feel guilty?

Today's run (street): 1.2 miles

I know that I give up some performance when I get up and run at 4:00 AM. I know this because I typically do better on mornings when I put an hour or more between waking and running. There's probably a physiological explanation for that. Let's assume there is. Still, it bothers me when I go out and run at a moderate pace and see that I've averaged on the high side of 9:00.

Since I'm tapering for the Dirty Sock run on Sunday I decided to go out fast this morning. The bargain I made with myself was that I'd only run a mile or so. That got me out the door on a day when I really wanted to remain in bed and finish the sleep that was interrupted by my alarm. I took off faster than normal but not in a sprint, as I would have were I doing intervals. I stepped up my cadence after 30 seconds and tried to generate some speed.

I hit the mile mark at around 8:37/mile which is a 5K race pace for me. I really pushed as I completed the loop back to my house and finished my short run averaging 8:28 overall. Good, not great. In the end my satisfaction with my performance was somewhat deflated by the guilt of running less than half my normal distance. I guess that's why we call it a taper.

The good and bad of late summer running

Today's run (street): 2.5 miles

I had mixed emotions when I began this morning's run. The air was cool, almost cold, and so different from the humid conditions over the past weekend. I appreciated the energizing weather as I made my way along the route but felt a little sad that the cool conditions and low humidity were signaling the close of summer.

After Sunday's treadmill intervals I found it easier to run with some speed. I knew that I was pacing better than I had in a while. I followed my usual route and moved along at faster than conversational pace. I was trying to imagine if I could sustain that rate over the length of Sunday's race. I pushed hard over the half mile and finished close to 9:00/mile.

One year ago I was averaging about an 8:45 pace on my morning runs but my speed has slipped over the last six months. I'm happy with today's run because (at least) it's an improvement from what is now the status quo.

Singlet minded planning

I need to decide if less is more

With only six days before the Dirty Sock 10K, I'm working out my race day preparations. I've been thinking about whether to buy a singlet to wear as a hedge against the historically high humidity. The idea is sound, having less material on your body will allow more efficient evaporation of sweat. However, I've never run in a singlet and I don't know if I'd like it or if I would find it a distraction.

My fallback is my Craft Performance running tee that does an excellent job of wicking and evaporating sweat. I'm not sure what conditions to expect on Sunday but, if it rains, efficient evaporation becomes less important and, to the prior point, less material would be beneficial. I'll take a look at City Sports this week to see if there are any summer clearance bargains. If I get a singlet I can try it on one of my morning taper runs to see if I like it.

While I'm in shopping mode I need to remember to pick up more GU Roctane gels for the event. There aren't too many products that I think can make a noticeable difference, but this one does.

Kinvara retirement run

You served with distinction but now you're hurting my knee

Today's run (treadmill): 3.15 miles

After yesterday's long run at Belmont Lake State Park I felt no urgency to get out this morning for my Sunday run. That, and the booming thunderstorms that came through around 4:30 and stuck around most of the morning. While I looked out at the drenching that my lawn and trees were getting, I debated whether I should run indoors, do an elliptical session or do nothing.

It wasn't until after lunch, that my wife said I should at least do something. She didn't want me to regret missing my workout after it got too late to do it. She knows me well. I decided to do a mixed session on the treadmill, combining intervals and recovery runs.

The rains have continued all day but it hasn't helped the humidity level. I wore minimal gear -- running shorts and no top. That probably helped, although you couldn't tell by the amount that I sweated. I began at an easy pace, below 6 MPH and eased up to 6.3 through my first mile. At that point I hit the 8 MPH button and ran a few minutes at that speed before backing down to 6.5.

I repeated that cycle a few times until I passed 3 miles, where I dropped to a sedate jogging pace to cool down. I had worn my Kinvaras for the first time in months and, just like the last time I wore them, I experienced residual knee pain after my run. On top of that, I had a hot spot on my mid-foot that may have been caused by my sock. To be safe, I'm going to officially retire the Kinvaras that served me very well for almost 600 miles.

I'm going into my taper now, in fairly good shape. Today's speed work will - hopefully - help me next Sunday. The chaotic weather wasn't only a factor here on Long Island. My friend KWL and his team did not participate in Gran Fondo bike event in Philadelphia today because they were suffering similar conditions. Must be very disappointing. I have no worries for that next week. The website says the Dirty Sock 10K will happen -- rain or shine.

Pre-race training run at Belmont Lake State Park

2010 Dirty Sock race shirt. They also give you socks!

Today's run (Belmont Lake State Park): 6.2 miles

It's been more than two months since my last race (the NHP 8K) so I'm excited that I'll (once again) be competing next weekend. If we have weather like this weekend's on the 21st I'll be very pleased.

This morning I met up with my running buddy Dave at the south end of Belmont Lake State Park. We decided to do a last long training run along the Dirty Sock race course to prepare for the big event. We had plenty of company on the trails at 7:00 AM when we started. There were people with dogs, walkers, bike riders and a handful of other runners.

We took off at a pace that allowed for comfortable conversation and. before I knew it, I heard my Garmin chime the first mile. We reached Belmont Lake and chose to follow the same route that we'll take on race day. This involves a short section that crosses a highway access road and goes under the LIE. We circled the lake in short order and I was pleased with my energy level at what I knew to be the halfway point.

I never noticed before, but I determined the main trail runs uphill in the southern direction. That may be a reason why I have a tough time in the latter half of this race. Checking our watches we saw that we were coming on the one hour mark and I couldn't believe that much time had passed. Having an interesting guy like Dave as a running partner certainly helps on long runs.

At the last leg of the run, where the trail twists south after paralleling a section of  Southard's Pond, Dave stepped up the pace and I followed. He's a strong finisher and I did my best to stay with him. This last half mile is always tough on race day because it's hard to discern how much more trail is left before the finish line. I know to listen for the race announcer over the PA, that tells me to start my final sprint to the line.

The humidity finally kicked in and at the end we were a pretty soggy pair. I was extremely pleased with our run and I know I could have put another 10% into my effort if I had been competing. I'm saving that for race day. The taper starts tomorrow. Let's hope that the heat and humidity take a holiday next Sunday.

No power leads to unexpected power

Note to Sports Authority: sale items are supposed to cost less

Today's run (street): 3.2 miles

I worked from home this morning which allowed me to sleep in a little later. Sort of. At around 4:00 AM our house alarm started bleeping, indicating a loss of battery power. I noticed that the digital clocks had no display and that we were having a power outage. I went back to sleep for an hour, but when I got up for good, I was suffering a bad headache. The power had come back on, so I had a couple of strong cups of coffee and headed out for a neighborhood run .

The humidity was low at 6:30 and the temperatures were in the 60's, so my run was pleasant. I started slowly because my headache was sapping some energy. I picked up the pace and covered a little more than 5K. I was moving steadily but it didn't feel especially fast. I lamented the fact that I hardly ever manage paces faster than mid-9:00 these days and I expected today's to be even slower.

I finished my run and was surprised to see that I almost hit 9:00 overall. It may be that I'd had about an hour between getting up and running or that the weather helped me. Probably a little of both. Either way it was nice to break out of my normal metric and show some better performance.

I had much to do between 11:00 and 5:00 and, throughout the day, I had periods where my headache made me want to lie down and take a nap. Ibuprofen helped a little but, once again, it was Sudafed that did the trick. Pseudoephedrine is wonderful thing. I take it sparingly and I'm always happy when I do.

At one point this afternoon, we stopped into Sports Authority to get my son a new pair of water shoes. I'm very disappointed in their decision to drop brands in favor expanding their floor space for more Nike and Under Armor clothing. I guess people like that, but I don't. My son and I were amused to see this great deal on Adidas running shoes in the kid's section (above). I think their marketing people need to rethink both their merchandise lines and their pricing

The thing about the Dirty Sock course...

Link to picture at Bill McBride Photography

Today's workout (elliptical): 28 minutes

I'm thinking of heading to Babylon this weekend to run the trails in Belmont Lake State park. This is the location for the Dirty Sock 10K that's being held next a week from this Sunday. The course itself is straightforward, mostly flat and non-technical, and, unless it's been raining, well groomed. The thing about this race is the weather. On a cool fall morning it's as good as trail running gets: picturesque woods, a beautiful lake and some interesting sections with that cross over brooks or pass by another lake. But the weekend of Dirty Sock can show a different side of this course - the heat and humidity envelope you and the last mile of the race is plenty tough.

The last time I ran this course was in the spring when I closed out my half marathon training. I wore my Kinvaras on the trails and thought all was well but that night I awoke to significant knee pain that followed me for months. I've since gotten past that problem but I'm a little concerned about a recurrence of this problem. In truth, I had probably over trained the week that I did that run and the knee pain was likely a result of running 30% more mileage than normal.

I'm planning to run in the Mirages, a minimal stability shoe, this weekend and for the Dirty Sock race. I've been running almost exclusively with the Hattori's but I seem to adapt well between those shoes and Mirages. This will also be a big weekend for my friends who race. KWL will be competing in the Philadelphia Grand Fondo bike race (108 miles) and FS is due to run a race on Cape Cod. However, she is "day to day" on deciding whether to participate, due to an injury. I hope everything lines up for both of them this weekend (including good weather) and that we all have great experiences.

A run without purpose

Today's run (street): 2.25 miles

Runner' World has a story in the August issue that suggests that you have a purpose for every running workout. Examples include building endurance, getting faster and simulating race conditions. This morning the purpose of my run was simply continuity.

It's been a taxing week in the office and I count on my daily run to bring balance to life's pressures and stress. Some mornings I get up and run hard, usually when I'm training for a race. Other times I'm happy to complete my route after averaging a mid-9:00 pace. In both those cases I usually feel like I've contributed to my fitness.

Today's run was more obligatory than tactical. I started out slow, almost as a concession to my begrudging agreement to run. I reached my first mile two minutes later than I normally do and that prompted me to step up the pace. As much as I'm told to run without a watch, seeing my performance playing out on the digital display can motivate me to work harder.

My increased focus on speed allowed me to make up for that first mile pace and I completed the last third of a shortened course at 10K race pace. In the end I was glad to have run and satisfied with my performance recovery. Still, I'm hoping for a more purposeful attitude when I go out for my next run.

Runners: know thy enemy!

Today's run: 2.6 miles

Hoping to keep my cool

Like most runners, my performance degrades with a rise in temperature. Adding humidity makes it worse and it all makes sense scientifically. If your body needs to cool itself, it will deplete your body's fluid level through sweat. This leads to a loss in plasma volume and a reduction in oxygen to muscles because blood low is being pushed to the surface of the skin. Humidity prevents efficient evaporation of sweat that dissipates heat and helps regulate body temperature.

It seems like every running magazine I read has an article or two about running in the heat. They all say basically the same thing -- that proper hydration (including electrolyte balance) is key. They are also pretty clear that running in extreme heat can drive your body temperature up to dangerous levels. At that point it goes from bad to worse.

I'm thinking about this because I'm two weekends away from the Dirty Sock 10K trail run. It's a great race that goes through the woods and around a lake. It's always held the third weekend in August and the two times I've run it conditions ranged from high heat and humidity to high heat, humidity and rain. Last year I drank 24 ounces of water after I finished and still felt depleted. It wasn't until my daughter brought over an electrolyte drink that I finally felt restored and balanced.

This morning's run did not feel humid (though it was) and I appreciated the temperatures that were still in the 70's. I had a decent run and by the time I came home I was drenched with sweat but I didn't feel overheated. I'm looking for a singlet to wear on race day. Despite the "wife-beater" look that I've always avoided, that may be a good tool for keeping my body temperature down. One thing I'm counting on is that Dirty Sock will fall on a hot and humid day.