Back in the Real World

Aspen is a beautiful place.  Like Shangri La really.  It was even prettier this last week because the weather here in NYC was so crazy.  It was over 100 degrees in New York, but in Aspen it was sunny, breezy and high of 77 or so.  Just delightful.  And the view, the town, everything about Aspen makes it a magical place to vacation.

Aspen is also a very difficult place to run.  It sits at about 8000 feet above sea level, so the oxygen is much lighter up there.  I get winded much quicker, and the recovery time is harder.  While I was there I ran three times, each on the same route, about 5 miles.  I have run this route for the last several years, and this is the hardest year I can remember.  Maybe because I am older, or maybe the recent experience singes my muscles more, but it was hard.  I also discovered that I had a little tummy bug, and that made one of the particularly bad workouts seem down right viscous.  i was struggling to get it done, trying to hold pace, and then completely exhausted after it was done.  Completely.  But the next day I was actually ill (I caught it from the two year old.  Imagine that -- being on vacation in wilderness paradise and having to deal with a sick two year old for five days.)

So, here are my Colorado takeaways:

1.  I am in no shape to run the NYC Marathon in 4 months.  I suppose I could get through it, but it would not be a particularly inspired effort, and I don't want to run it and not be able to really kick.  I haven't thrown in the towel yet, but no longer counting on it.  Given my recent injuries and increased recovery I can't just say "Oh what the heck, I'll do it" and push through.  That will be a recipe for disaster.  Or, more likely, another injury.

2.  I am not getting any younger.  The mountains amplify the effects of age, from increased heart rates, to recovery times, to dehydration.  I felt in more this year in just recovery: a hard workout took much longer to recover from, and in a bad way too.  I was more sore, more tired and more wiped out after my runs this year then I can remember.  (And more hung over too.)  perhaps the lingering sickness had something to do with this also, but, sheesh, it was hard this year.  To duplicate my 10 mile run last year would have been truly a Herculean feat.

3.  I have joined the world of Orthotics.  After my recent diagnosis of toe arthritis, the podiatrist mentioned orthotics.  While I was there, I visited a sports orthotic maker, and was outfitted with semi-custom orthotics.  he actually measured my toe flexion and said my toe arthritis really wasn't that bad (yeah me!).  But I have way way too tight ankles and Achilles tendons (boo).  Anyway for $125 he created a set of orthotics for me, and suggested I wear them in my trail shoes, which I did.  They feel much different, but I really can't say what effect if any they had on my running.  My feet were not the problem -- my lack of breathe was.  We'll see how the orthotics make me feel.

4.  If I don't run New York, I will run a winter marathon.  Maybe Austin. (February 20, 2001).  I love Austin, it is in the winter, so there is enough time to train.  But I need a goal, something to focus on, to train for.  I think it is part of my mental discipline -- the goal and the target creates the focus and the discipline.  I read an interesting article about Pete Sampras, and I identify with what he says about focus.  Well, At least I took something away from what said about the need for focus to create discipline and provide the drive, whereas entropy will creep into the void.

5.  I have resolved to add swim workouts this summer.  I used to swim on a swim team in junior high school, so I know how to swim.  But nowadays, it seems so hard.  I remember after my knee surgery, I decided to go to the pool and swim.  I set a goal of 25 laps.  Ha, ha, ha.  I was winded after about 3, and gave up after 5.  So, I know it is a good workout.  And it is a complete non weight bearing, non stress inducing workout, which makes it better.  I tend to cycle through periods where I workout; stop; workout; stop, etc.  This time I am going to try to swim some to throw some non-impact workouts into the mix.

6.  I love the Tour de France.  And, in Colorado, it comes on at 7 AM, so I could watch nearly the whole stage before the day really began.  I saw a heart rate reading from one of the lead riders in the peloton, at 173.  I was blown away.  That is really high for someone to just be chugging along.  I hit 173 all the time, but that is because I really pushing and really out of shape.  For a world class athlete, in an endurance event, I thought, no way can he keep it up.  And he didn't he paced for a bit and then cracked.  But still, 173.  I'll reserve my thoughts on Lance for later, but it is certainly less interesting now that he is out of contention.

For all you Colorado runners out there, I tip my hat to you.  You get to run in a beautiful place, but it sure is challenging!

Home Sweet Home

I am back from vacation and Colorado and running at 8000 feet above sea level. I have no pictures of my run because, as I headed out on my last day, I found out my camera battery was dead. And no store in town sold a charger or new battery. Only choice was to buy a new camera. Uh, no thanks.*

My last Colorado run was a 10 miler. I had been running out of town -- upriver and thus uphill -- on the way out of town. My running route had been 3 miles out, turn around and 3 miles back. At the midpoint, I had gained about 250 feet in elevation -- a pretty solid gain, and a nice downhill run home. For my ten miler, I thought I would just continue along the path for another two miles, turn around and come home.
That was a bad plan. After about 3.5 miles, the path went from a biking/nature trail beside a rolling river to a path on the side of the road that ran up to a mountain pass (and the continental divide about 7 miles up the road). From mile 3.5 to mile 5, I gained almost 350 feet, up to 8550 feet. That was a crusher. But I couldn't turn around -- it would have felt like such a defeat not to reach my goal, and I was almost there...keep going...look at my Garmin..only half a mile more...wow this is hard. Any way, during that hellish mile 4 to 5, I had to stop once or twice to catch my breath, and ended up with a 11 minute mile. And I never felt more proud of that mile -- up almost 300 feet. (Then I turned around and ran home. Mile 5-6 (down that hill) was 7:02, as was mile 6-7.)

I also took a water bottle with me, which I drained by about Mile 6. I also wanted to take a PowerGel or Gu with me, but the only thing I could find was a package of Cliff ShotBlocks, cranberry flavor. I have to admit I am not a fan. I didn't like having to chew them, and with a dry mouth, they just seemed to stick to my mouth, tongue, etc. They had the consistency of between gummy bears and jello, if that is possible. I missed my Chocolate PowerGel. Oh well, that is life.

So now I am back in New York. At sea level thankfully. I ended up running 5 days of a 9 day vacation. Not so bad. Probably gained 1 or 2 pounds from eating, drinking, etc. I actually had a chocolate chip cookie for first time in 4 months (and I love chocolate chip cookies.) But now back to healthy eating, no drinking and a running schedule.

Now it is time to start training for the New York marathon, which is November 1. I have decided to follow the FIRST program. That program advocates 3 strong workouts in a week, with two cross training days and two rest days. In essence, each run should be a hard one, and that intensity conditions the body to greater endurance, etc. The workout paces are challenging and the workouts are hard. No more just getting to gym, putting on headphones and zoning out for 45 minutes on t he treadmill. For example, today's workout was 10 minutes easy 35 minutes at Lactate Threshold pace (85-90% of max Heart Rate) and then 1 mile cool down. It is a real push to make myself run at this kind of pace. Of course, when I look around there is always someone running faster -- somebody ran 5 miles at 5:30 pace on the treadmill next to me.

We all have our own pace....

*A link to some pics I found on Flickr of the trail in Colorado that I ran on. It was actually greener (and had more wildflowers) this year than in the pictures (which were taken in 2007) because of the massive amount of rain in Colorado this year.

One Week atop the Magic Mountain

So we have been in Colorado about one week and I have learned several things.  First, running at 8000 feet is hard, hard, hard.  The lower oxygen level means higher heart rates and harder work to maintain the same pace.  Because you feel your body working harder and struggling, it is much harder to get into a rhythm or pace or groove.  Its just heavy breathing, pushing pace, pushing oneself further.  And I know that I won't get any altitude training effect when I go back to sea level -- apparently you need to be at altitude for 20 days to get significant training boost (mainly increased red blood cell count).  So, my runs have been hard runs, and recovery is more difficult.
Also, it is much drier up here -- much less humidity.  That means I am always thirsty, and on my runs, just parched.
Finally, my appetite has been crazy.  I have been ravenously hungry almost non stop.  But when you stop to eat, you get full without eating a huge meal.  And then like three hours later, back to starving.  I have no idea what my weight will be when I get back to the flatland.
Finally, it is simply beautiful here.  Today on my run (in which I crossed the Roaring Fork River 6 times), I saw an uncountable number of chipmunks, bear tracks,  2 rabbits, and a female deer munching on grass about ten feet away from my trail.  That is in addition to various kayakers, paragliders and fly fishermen.  Just another lovely summer day in Colorado.

Happy 4th and a Race Report

Happy Fourth of July!! Fourth of July is really special in this town in Colorado where we go.  A parade, fireworks over the mountain, and just aq general air of community and friendliness.  Just perfect here.  And today's weather is picture perfect. Sunny and 75.

I started the morning, as I have for several years, with the Boogie's Diner 5 mile race.  I have run this race for years, and usually come here out of shape, and not adjusted to the altitude.  Plus, because we are on vacation, I usually am coming off a big dinner, lots of wine and a late night from the night before.  This year, I still am not adjusted to the altitude (8,000 feet) and had like 15 drinks last night.  But I am in better shape than ever before.  A note about this course.  It starts close to the base of the mountain and then runs downhill, down river for about 2.5 miles; then, it turns around and makes up all that elevation over the next 1.5 miles; and mile 4-5 is relatively flat, with an uphill finish.  The key is not to run too fast at the start and then hold on for dear life on the hill in miles 2.5-4.  In fact, I have never made it up that hill without walking.  The altitude, the grade, the wine, my weight and condition, whatever, have all conspired to make me walk at least part of the way up it.

I set my Garmin race partner at 7:40, and honestly had no idea if that was going to hold or not.  I ran 6 miles yesterday at this altitude at 8:01 pace.  My legs are really shot after all the recent racing and the half marathon last weekend.  Before we came out, I decided not to run this race, but nostalgia and the general feeling of fitness in the mountains overcame my sense of closure from last week.

The long and short of is that I came out super fast, as could be expected.  First mile was 7:07; second mile was 7:25.  Both of these miles are really downhill, losing about 200 feet.

The turn comes at about mile 2.4, with the next half  mile being a crusher. My split was 4:25 (gaining 131 feet); mile 3 to 4 was 8:18, with a gain of another 130 feet.  And I felt so spent.  But I didn't stop and walk. Mile 4-5 was run through town with a slight uphill finish, ran it in 7:10 or so, for a finish time of 38:22 or so 

I have no idea what my age grade time was, and at this elevation it is kind of meaningless.  Running at 8,000 feet is much, much different than running at sea level.  Last year's race was the first race in which I wore my Garmin 405 and heart rate monitor.  This year my time was over 6 minutes better, and my heart rate about 10% lower.  (Last year I hit 191 on the HRM running to the finish; that is kind of scary that my heart was pumping that fast.  This year, my finishing HR was 176.)

Now off to the parade!!

Distance Split time Pace vs avg. Elev. chg.

0.50 3:19        -01:01.59 -50

1.00 3:48 -00:04.19 +6

1.50    3:45 -00:10.62 -43

2.00 3:42 -00:16.75 -27

2.50 3:46 -00:08.37 -63

3.00 4:25 01:09.04 +131

3.50 4:09 00:37.63 +65

4.00 4:09 00:36.83 +62

4.50 3:41        -00:18.14 -49

4.97    3:25 -00:25.33 +30

Workouts and Summer

I can't wait for summer. I know it has technically arrived, but here in New York, it has been raining endlessly and hasn't felt anything like summer. It is on track to be the second coolest June ever, and the 5th rainiest. And my kids are still in school, as hard as that is for me to believe. They end Friday, June 26; when I was a kid we were out in mid-May.

And we also go away every year for July 4th. We go to the same place, Colorado, and over the years it has evolved from a newlywed trip to now my family taking an extended siesta in the mountains, which is quite a logistical production. That is when summer arrives for me -- being in Colorado, away from work, in the mountains, relaxing. And the town where we go has this spectacular 4th of July parade, with floats, and kids and everything.

I am also set to run a half marathon in Fairfield, CT on Sunday. That is the end to this training cycle, this diet, this stage. It will be the first non-NYRR road race I have run, and my first half in 2 years. MY PR is 1:47, and we'll see if I can top that.

We leave for Colorado in 9 days. Four days after the Fairfield half.

After we get to Colorado, training in the mountains is different. First, yes the air is thinner, which makes it harder, but you also feel better, more energized. The entire culture is outdoorsy, athletic and in motion and you feel part of it. So, the workouts may be harder because of altitude, but you feel part of the vibe and happy to be out there. Biking, hiking, running, whatever. Even if we went out too late the night before, it is wonderful. And the people are so nice and cheerful and friendly -- much different from the streets of New York

Heart rates are also higher at altitude for reasons that I don't know. For example, last year in a race, I hit 192, which is really high for a 40 year old.

Anyways just a rambling thought about how the page on the calendar is about to turn, and like sands in an hourglass, so go the days of our lives.