After yesterday's shoe debacle, I was primed for good run at the gym today. And I had one. It was one of those runs when feel like could run out of the gym and run forever. I ran five miles in 42 minutes - with an average heart rate of about 72 percent. That is just a super workout for me. Maybe two days off from running was just what doctor ordered (along with two pretty good nights of sleep).

And in a nod to scholarsretreat365, I lifted weights after the run, but only legs. I am sore now, but nothing beats that feeling of a well done workout.

I weigh myself every day. I know many diet gurus say that you should ABSOLUTELY not do this when dieting. But I think the key is not to put stock in day-to-day numbers, but to observe trends. That's why the Weightbot app for iPhone is so handy. Every morning I put in the weight, and it logs it for me. And I can get daily, weekly, and monthly graphs to see trends. It really helps out with perspective. Anyway, yesterday I was heavy, showed no weight loss even though it was a good diet day. Tomorrow is going to show big loss ( Iweigh myself at the gym after each run, but don't track it). Day to day numbers reflect water, salt and weight, but also help with perspective and context.

Nice animated film from Nike: (tip of hat to Races Like a Girl):


Onwards from AKQA on Vimeo.

Two Left Feet

I recently bought two pair of Brooks Trance 7 shoes. (Love them by the way) They were on sale and I paid less than $50 for them. I bought size 13 first - a half size up from my normal running shoe size (12.5) and a half size larger than my normal shoe size (12). I ran in the 13's twice, and they are slightly too big. So, I went back and bought the 12.5's, which are snug, and may be a smidgen too small, but less so than the 13s. Anyway, I took both pair of shoes (I run on the treadmill in both), along with my week's worth of running clothes, to the office. Then, to the gym.
Except when I got to the gym tonight I had two left shoes, but alas not two left feet. I had brought the left shoe from both the 12.5 and 13. Uh-oh. No running today, and nothing I could do about it.
Rather than just go home, I put the left 13 on my right foot and decided to lift weights only. Upper body, no legs (didn't want to push on the unstable shoes). I hate lifting. I always have - in junior high, high school and now. But I know it is very helpful. Last time I was in serious marathon shape I said that my biggest weakness wasn't my cardio or legs - it was a lack of upper body and core strength. And that next time I ran a marathon, I'd be stronger. And I'd lift more - even at the expense of running and cardio. Actually, it helps prevent over training my legs really. I decided I'd lift 10 minutes for every 30 I ran. Thus, an hour run would mean that I lift weights for 20 minutes. I thought that, on average, I'd end up running 45 minutes, lift weights for 15.
Hasn't worked out that way yet, but I have lifted more. Can't say I see any difference yet. But I know I will be thankful come November for all of these bench presses, rows and cables.
So I was all excited to run 5 miles at 8:00 pace only to have to slug through a 45 minute lift session instead. I am so beat that it is hard to type.

But its good for me, right?

Great Day, Great Run

This is going to be the prettiest day of the year in New York.  78 or so and sunny.  Started off with a run, and simply felt great.  The sun, the music, the day.  So I decided to go my long route -- close to seven miles, and one I haven't run in over a year.  USATF website says that this route has 535 feet of vertical climb in it, and over 1000 feet of elevation change.    It is a challenge becuase it seems like there is always a hill coming up.  Ran it in 55:20, for a great pace at right at 8 minute miles, and average heart rate of 157 or about 82%.  Garmin also had it as a 1050 calorie run.  Drank a Horizon low fat chocolate milk when I was done, one of my favorite post recovery drinks -- smooth, fills me up, hydrates, all good.  What a great sunny day to come though, and just puts a smile on my face and bounce in my step with such a great start.

Run as one Race Report

A great morning to run - sunny, little wind. A bit warm, but hey, beats cold and rainy (see Scotland Run 10K). Baggage drop was up above bandshell and kind of out of the way, but that's ok - it was big, level, and well staffed. And the Tshirt was a New Balance technical running shirt! Alright!, not another cotton tee one that would go unused. Nice touch.
At the race start, the announcer said that 60 percent of lung cancer diagnoses will be in people who never smoked or who have quit. Scary stat. And that 11,000 people signed up (I think that includes a run in DC because no way were there 11,000 out and about). Course was start at 68th on east, run up to 102, across to west side end up on 72 transverse. National anthem was by an actress from La Boheme, pretty voice but kind of unremarkable. (Best ever - an 11 year old girl at an NY Ranger game. Had MSG pumped like crazy!)
Any away and off we go. I was in middle of 2000 corral. And I spent the first mile dodging people who were too slow. I started to look at numbers as I went by, and lots of 4000. I don't think those people realize the problems - and danger - they create for themselves and others, but I wish people would appreciate the issue. I am all for participation, but it really doesn't work well to be a pebble in a river of runners.
First mile was a respectable 7:54. Not bad considering the ducking and weaving and it includes Cat Hill. Mile 2 is all downhill (ends on 102 transverse) and in at 7:33. Mile 3 is thus uphill and ends around 86th. Came in at 8:00 flat. Not bad. Mile 4 in 7:22. And my stub extra distance of 216 feet from Garmin (0.04 mile) was 18 seconds. Time in: 31:10. Wanted to break 31:00, and would have but for the stub distance. Oh well.
Had Garmin turned on in contrast to last 4 miler (on April 5), and I wish I could post comparison data on splits, etc, but can't. I'll post a comp of heart rates instead.

The blue is two weeks ago, and lavender this morning. And I ran it about 30 second faster today and it was 15 degrees warmer. I am getting lighter and stronger. And that's a good way to start a Sunday.

Scotland 10K report

Ahh, April showers bring...what exactly? Morning broke and it was a constant rain. More than a drizzle, not quite a downpour. But the race is on nonetheless. Over 7500 racers finished the race - running 6.2 miles on a Saturday morning in the rain.
At the pre-start, they passed out a goodie bag and in it was a poncho. Thankfully, I picked up my number at the race - and I had the poncho in th bag. I know that if I would have picked up my number (and thus poncho) earlier in the week, I never would have realized what the poncho was (it looked like a clear garbage bag with a scottish flag on it), much less brought it to the race. So, I wore it pre race, and at least I was somewhat out of the rain. Oh, and the baggage area was a mud pit. And after we got in the corral, just standing there in the rain, already wet, trying to get ready waiting to start was a little tough.
Onto the race - nice start, national anthem on bagpipes. Scottish speaker of Parliament welcoming us with Scottish weather.
The race started on 62nd on west side. The first mile is actually uphill, but with adrenalin, etc., still a fast mile - 7:49. Second mile up and down on west side before the descent on the Harlem Hill. Mile 2 - 7:50 Mile 3 is down the Harlem hill and starting up the east side. Time: 7:42. Mile 3 to 4 is the crusher - up the Harlem hills to the reservoir. And it was still raining. Mile 4 is 8:08. Mile 5 and 6 are downhill and around bottom of park. Both were 7:51 or so. Garmin had my race at 6.32 miles(nearly an 1/8th mile longer than NYRR race course) and a time of 49:32. Ended up in 2000th place or so.
A good strong race for me. Watched my heart rate and it really helped.
One last note - the fans and volunteers were GREAT! If there was one thing worse than running 6.2 in the rain, it was standing there watching and cheering. And there were more on this race than any I've seen. Can't help but make you smile as they cheer you on.

More Workouts

Ran on treadmill various times this week. Some good strong workouts, more heart rate mysteries. I don't understand the vagaries of why its sometimes up and sometimes down. I had to run in front of a mirror last night, and let me tell you that is an experience. And I had no headphones, so had to really focus on form, no wasted motion. So naturally I ran fast, and with a low heartrate.

Race for the Park Race report

It was a beautiful morning to run. Sunny, no wind, a little bit chilly (in 40s?) but once the running started, it was perfect! The crowd was over 8000 people (as announced by NYRR), but results show 5300 finishers. Definitely a large race.
The race started on east side around 68th. That means Cat Hill was in firs half mile or so. Good start, but no national anthem, which I and several runners around me noticed. Felt OK, Cat Hill didn't seem so bad when you do it as you are hitting your stride. My Garmin couldn't find the satellites, because (I had forgotten to turn on the GPS part until the race started. And then I was running, and it couldn't lock on. So I don't have any real splits.)  I ran through first mile at 8:40, (clock time) about an 8 minute mile. Mile 2 was around the reservoir, down the hill and across 102d street transverse. Almost all downhill. Clock time was 16:30, so it was about a 7:40 mile. Mile 3 was from 102 to about 83rd on the west side. The highest point of the park is actually at about 84th St on west side, so this mile was significantly uphill. I know I came through Mile 3 on the clock at about 24:40, so it was another consistent 8 minute mile or so. Very upsetting that I didn't get my Garmin going and don't have any splits -- even on my old Timex I would get splits (my splits are what I recall, so probably not right). I also realized after race I could have manually hit "lap" on the Garmin, but didn't think about that because I never have had to do before. Ran home, mile 4 mostly downhill, to finish around the lake and the 72d Transverse. Garmin time: 31:20.

All in all, a good run on a great morning to run.

More on Heart Rates, etc.

Yesterday I ran after taking a day off.  And decided that maybe the key to a sustained low heart rate workout is ... rest and a day off.  Yesterday I ran and had another good workout.  The max HR was 149.  Perfect-- close to the wondrous Friday workout ("Freaky Friday"), but not too low. Freaky Friday was after two days off.  Yesterday was after one day off.  This is a picture compared to the Freaky Friday workout (note -- I wore my strap upside down for the first 20 or so minutes and got inconsistent data, but the point remains....) (Yesterday in lavender, Freaky Friday in blue):

  Very close workout.

Now compare yesterday's workout with one two days earlier (the second day in a row of workin out (again yesterday in lavender and two days earlier in blue):

So maybe it is as simple as rest and recovery.  I plan on running today so we'll see what happens on the HRM today.