My Frienemy - The Treadmill

Running in winter can be an invigorating experience; full of bright sunshine, clean, cold air, dedicate running companions.  It can also be a miserable, exhausting mix of sleet, extremely poor footing, short periods of daylight, and streets and sidewalks narrowed by piles of frozen mess.  Which leads me directly to the treadmill at the gym.  When it's snowing hard, or this winter, raining, more often I have been choosing to run on the treadmill rather than run outside.  Last winter when training for the marathon last year I rarely ran on the treadmill.  The runs were longer and spending all that time on a treadmill wasn't worth it.

But this winter I'm not as motivated to suffer outside so I end up downstairs.  The gym has a couple of nice modern treadmills (and a few crappy old leg breakers) with a lovely view of the parking lot. At least once a week I head down there, pop my headphones on, and spend 30-50 minutes staring alternately at the lights in the parking lot and the glowing red LEDs of the display.  No TV at the work gym.  My chief entertainment is singing along with my music and calculating the next fraction of my remaining run.  Math is fun. I usually determine how far I will run based on how I feel after the first mile; I rarely have a definite goal in mind.

So, why frienemy?  I have so many conflicting thoughts I decided to put together a list:

Pros:

• No need to deal with foul weather or darkness
• Fairly accurate timing, distance, and calorie calculations
• Ability to adjust elevation at will
• Automated programs

Cons:

• Boring as sin
• Tendency to race against a clock or arbitrary goal leading to possible injury
• Ever-present fear that one small misstep will propel me backwards into the wall
• Lack of breeze
• No variation of the running surface
• Only have access at work/gym
• Boring as sin (yes, I said it already but it deserves saying again)

 I'm sure there are more pros and cons, but frankly, one run a week on the treadmill doesn't warrant that much thought.  The workout is still good, and the mileage still counts, so I run and try to get through the boredom and think of longer, warmer days.

Mountain biking - new hobby

Last summer Monica was invited by her friend Dave to be on his team for 24 Hours of Great Glen, a mountain bike race near the base of Mount Washington.  She wasn't an experienced rider but as is pretty common with her she threw herself into the experience and her competitive nature made her want to be better at the sport for next year.  With David's help and lots of research she bought a new bike to replace the Boat Anchor (David's words) that she had been using.  I have an old bike and this fall we went for a few rides locally with Brenda, Steve, and Michelle and I think I got the bug as well.  One thing was sure, my bike (and the Boat Anchor) weren't suitable for keeping up with Monica.

Since the winter started out with a dearth of snow, and we had a bunch of shared vacation time between Christmas and New Years we took a few rides on new terrain.  I borrowed a bike from David - the one Monica rode at Great Glen - and armed with my new GoPro camera hit the trails at Great Brook Farms in Carlisle, MA and Big River Reservation in West Greenwich, RI.  We learned our share of lessons about layering for the cold, riding during hunting season, the fine art of falling safely, and mud.

First, let's establish some ground rules: I'm not an adrenaline junkie.  Sure, I like sports that require you to get out there and push the envelope from time to time, but in the grand scheme of things I don't like really fast speeds or living on the ragged edge.  This point was driven home forcefully a few years back when I was driving F1 gocarts at a friend's bachelor party and I came in dead last in every race.  Small children were passing me in every corner because I just don't have the killer instinct needed to dive into those turns at top speed.  Apparently using the brakes is frowned upon.  And this translates to mountain biking in a way that means each segment we ride I start out right behind Monica and while trying to negotiate a tricky section I look up to see that she is gone, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake while I chicken out on log jumps.  Such is life.

I own a mountain bike.  Well, I own a bike that many folks would consider a mountain bike.  It has a front fork suspension, but I've modified the bike for commuting and the less said about it the better.  When Monica got her bike I borrowed her old bike; formally the Barracuda but now rechristened the Boat Anchor. Until recently I would have been happy with a bike like this, but riding the terrain we've been riding recently its shortcomings are clear.  It's an older bike with a front fork but other than that it doesn't compare favorably to a Big Wheel, let alone a full suspension bike with disk brakes.  Finally, I borrowed Kathy's bike (the one Monica used at Great Glen) and riding became a whole new sport.

With a full suspension, trails look very different.  Terrain that used to have me picking my way down at a snail's pace I could now ride at a good clip, looking ahead to pick out my best line without worrying about every rock and root.  As the speed picked up I fell into a better rhythm allowing me to enjoy the ride, rather than think my way through everything.  Riding became more instinctive and flowing, and while I still don't have the killer instinct that lets some people ride down cliff faces I can go across narrow bridges, jump some logs, and get through steep descents without embarrassing myself.

I'll be picking up a new bike for myself this spring and exploring the local trails.  It's a great cross training sport, and is more stimulating than road biking.  Maybe a western mountain bike adventure is in the works?

New Years Resolutions

A new day and a new lease on life!  Time to reflect on 2011 and plan for 2012.

2011 was a pretty big year for Runner Dave. The highlight was certainly running the Boston Marathon, my first.  My friend Robyn ran every step with me and I'm eternally grateful to her for that.  The race itself was a mixed bag; I had calf cramps for the last 10 miles that caused me to walk a bit each mile but I finished and I was very proud of my accomplishment.  There was also my first real bout of disappointment related to injury.  I had registered for the Bay State Marathon in October but leg problems caused me to scale it back to the half.  It was a big disappointment and felt like a failure, but completing the half even though my training had been so poor and interrupted was a boost. I even got a chance to pay forward Robyn's gift to me by running with Brenda on the Somerville Jingle Bell Run, which was my first race ever 4 years ago. I ended the year healthy and excited about running.


So, I'm looking forward to 2012 and planning out some races and goals for the year. Here they are:

1. Stay Healthy - I had several problems in 2011 with injury, from ITB tendinitis during my Boston training to a persistent cramping problem in my calves. They seem to be related to overtraining issues and technique.  To address this I am going to do a lot more cross training; adding road and mountain biking to the weekly schedule and creating a weight lifting program that strengthens my knees. I'm looking into Yoga to help my flexibility and I want to keep to a sports massage once a month because I like pain, apparently.
2. Eat better - In 2009 I lost 60+ pounds and felt great.  It made running much more enjoyable and made me feel better during and after.  After Boston and the inactivity that came with injuries I've gained back some of that weight so I want to get back to the diet that helped me lose and maintain my weight.While exercise is part of it, getting back to the eating techniques that worked is the key.
3. Create a routine - I've got a group run on Monday with some co-workers that has become part of my weekly tradition.  A weekly schedule that mixes running (indoors and out), biking, and weights in a coherent training schedule will help me focus and motivate to get in the full number of workouts per week. Weekend backcountry skiing this winter will replace the long runs, assuming we ever get any snow.
4. Add some new race challenges - A second marathon is in my future at some point, not sure when or where.  For some reason I want to run a 50K trail race before my 50th birthday, and Pinelands on Memorial Day weekend could be the right fit.  It's daunting but so was the marathon.  We'll see how the long runs in the spring go.  One last piece of the puzzle is a triathlon.  Before I started running I was a biker and growing up I was a competitive swimmer, so a tri seems logical, right?
5. Have fun - I think this one is pretty straight forward.  Why do it if it isn't fun?

First day back

It's been 3 weeks since my last run.  I think that's probably the longest I've gone between runs in over a year.  After the Bay State half marathon I came down with a nasty cold that hung around for 3 weeks.  It's still hanging around but I can deal with the symptoms now.  I've gone to the gym a few times to ride the bike but it's not the same thing. Whether it's running, biking, or hiking, there's something transformative about traveling distance under your own power that you simply don't get from stationary exercise.

So this morning I put on the tights and long sleeve shirt, hat, gloves, and MP3 player, and off I went in the standard time driven sunshine with a cough drop in my mouth and a song in my ear.  At 6:30 I could see my breath even though the day promised to warm up to the 60's. My legs weren't tight, that was a good sign, and I loped off at a steady pace.  Lord, I really had missed this, taking the turn before Harvard Yard and heading for the river.  There were a lot of crew boats on the water this morning, taking advantage of the nice weather and sunlight.  I decided to limit myself to a 3.5 mile route, no point pushing things too hard.  I turned at the Western Ave bridge instead of going on to River St and headed for home.

Not a bad day run; certainly not a record setter but it felt comfortable.  I've gotten out of my stretching routine in the past couple of weeks, and I've definitely put on a few pounds so it's time to get back to a routine.  It's also approaching winter so I want to set up a cross training program that gets me on the bike, out skiing, and even in a pool somewhere so I can prepare for a triathlon in 2012.

And so it goes.  It's good to be back, I missed it here.

Bay State Half Marathon - 10/16/2011

 So, race day came along and it was time to run.  My sister came up for the weekend, and Monica was in her usual race photographer mode. A bunch of friends who signed up weren't able to run due to injuries, and I was almost in the same boat with constant leg cramps that left me unable to do any long training runs in the past six weeks.  I felt somewhat unprepared, and was worried about how my legs were feeling in the hours before the race.  My goals were:

1. Don't get hurt
2. Try to maintain a 10:00 pace
3. No walking
4. Enjoy myself

 The alarm went off at 5:00 and I assembled my gear for the day.  I had my belt with two Gu packets and a Clif bar, one small bottle of Gatorade, plus my phone in case I dropped during the race and needed to connect with Sue and Monica. It was a shorts and t-shirt day, perfect running weather. I had my oatmeal for breakfast and ate a banana, and grabbed water and a bagel for the drive up. We headed north right on schedule at 5:45, arriving at the parking garage in Lowell at 6:30.  By 6:45 I was in the Tsongas Arena stretching and keeping an eye on the bathroom line. Sue and Monica headed out to find a Dunkin' Donuts, which, being Massachusetts, wasn't hard.




 While stretching I spotted Adam, who unfortunately wasn't feeling well. His friend was recovering from being hit by a car one week before this, his first marathon. And Miriam wasn't able to train due to injuries for this race so the whole world was suffering along with me.  I continued by stretching, started warming up a bit, and got in line for the bathroom again.  Monica and Sue came back with their bagels and tea, much happier.  At 7:45 the masses started out to the start line, which was right in front of the arena.  I wandered into the corral and started getting my brain around the task at hand.  I was relaxed, and spent some time observing all the runners around me.  It was pretty easy to spot the first time runners, the old hands, and folks like me who were wondering if they could complete the distance. The weather was perfect for the race; cool but sunny and little wind.

 We all stood silently for the national anthem and then moved forward for the starting count down. 3, 2, 1, and we were off, although it took a good solid minute to reach the start line.  I had a plan and tried to keep to it, slow and steady pace.  Compared to last year I was much further back in the corral so I wasn't passed by as many people in the first mile. Monica was easy to spot in her bright orange jacked at the first bridge so I made sure I was on the correct side of the road and clear of other runners so they would have an unobstructed shot.  I'll do anything for a good photo.  The course is a double loop, and the first part is for both the half and full marathoners so there are lots of runners.  I grabbed some water at the first aid station and took in the hill at the first major bridge crossing.  After that we said goodbye to the marathoners (showoffs) and reached the far end of the loop where we cross the river and start back towards home.

 I was feeling OK, not perfect but OK.  At one point I felt a little tightening up in my right calf so I slowed the pace a bit and shifted my stride, and it seemed to go away.  You can run on the dirt path along side  the road here and I did, taking advantage of the softer surface.  I walked briefly at the next two water stops, mainly so I wouldn't spill Gatorade all over myself.  I saw Sue and Monica again on the opposite side of the bridge around mile 5 and hit the downhill back to the end of the first loop.  Unlike last year, we weren't finishing at the baseball stadium so there weren't any crowds there.  Back past the starting line and on to loop #2 and I ate my first Gu.  I began feeling a bit more comfortable here, just 6 miles to go.  Monica and Sue were there again at the bridge and I knew that the next time I saw them I'd be almost done.  Miles 8-11 were fine; no pain and some nice conversations with other runners about donuts and the weather.  My pace had slowed a bit, I was running 10:15 but this is where my cramping occurred in the past and I was very leery of pushing the pace.  After seeing my cheering squad at the last bridge pass I decided it was time to eat my second Gu and pick up the pace a bit.

 But, there really wasn't anything in the tank.  I went a little faster, but not much. This is where I could definitely feel the lack of training; my legs were on cruise control and nothing was going to make them feel good.  Past the stadium and now I was smelling the finish line.  Unfortunately with the new layout of the course you can't see the finish line until the last 100 yards. I like seeing the finish line.  Not much of a sprint for me and I got passed by a few people who still had something in the tank, but I didn't really care. Monica and Sue were at the finish line too (how did they get there ahead of me?) but this time Monica didn't run onto the course. I must have looked great in my mylar blanket because a volunteer walked with me from the finish line until she handed me off to Monica.  I felt fine, but needed food and drink.  Ah, chicken noodle soup and salty chips tasted great and we sat for a bit while I ate and stretched.  Then I checked my time (2:11:03, my slowest half marathon of the three I've run) and we headed for the car.

 It was an interesting race for me.  I've been injured for a while, unable to make any long runs and always suspicious of my own body to fail.  It was in my thoughts the entire run this day, constantly checking on my legs and seeing if they were going to turn on me.  But the stretching, the pace, and the hydration all worked well for me. As I head into winter I will cut back on some of the running and try for a more balanced routine with cross training to give my legs a break.  The 1/2 marathon distance is a good one for me, and one that I can do better at with some more targeted training.  Perhaps in the spring, it'll be time again.  In the meantime it's working out my winter training routine and skiing.

You put your left calf in, you pull your left calf out

You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around...

So I changed my registration from the full Bay State Marathon on Oct 16th to the half marathon.  Three weeks ago during my long run I had more intense pain in my left calf at around mile 9 of a planned 14-miler.  I felt it coming on, I knew what was about to hit, and it happened anyway.  The three mile walk home gave me plenty of time to mull over what my future held.  The decision to drop out of the marathon was an easy one; six weeks was not enough time to recover from this and I hadn't done any runs longer than 13 miles.  I elected to change my registration to the half since I figured with some rest, stretching, and massage I could get through 13 miles even if I had to walk.

The more interesting questions centered around my relationship with distance running.  This has been a nagging injury that first showed up in the final training for Boston.  Perhaps I did something to myself that hasn't yet healed, or is my body simply not build for this type of punishment? I really don't know the answers to these questions, and they have a big impact on my training and race plans for next year.  This winter is going to be devoted to skiing, but I would like to plan for at least one big race next year. I'm actually thinking about a 50K trail run which I think would be easier on my legs, and I like the idea of walking up steep hills.  I haven't had a successful long run in a few months which makes it hard to put a lot of confidence in my planning.

I like running.  I like feeling of getting in a good workout on a summer day.  I like getting into a solid rhythm and watching the miles fly by.  I like the community, the camaraderie, the comisery.  I want to be part of it but I'm coming to grips with the pain and suffering that goes along with it. When I'm training fairly hard I can feel my legs going up every flight of stairs.  Is this normal?  And is it what I want?

One thing that is clear to me is that I'm more comfortable and get more enjoyment when I do more cross training.  Biking, swimming (triathlons?), rowing, hiking; these all need to be part of my regular routine.  If I can add biking to work some days in the summer, or an after work headlamp fueled ski tour mid-winter I think my week will have more balance.

And that's what it's all about.

Diary of a Crappy Run

Perhaps the day a tropical storm is scheduled to arrive isn't the best day for a long run.  It's pretty darn hot out here, and the humidity is awful.  I hope my two water bottles will be enough.  I probably shouldn't have waited until 9:45 to get out here; an earlier start would have been much better.  Oh well, too late to worry about that.  Since tomorrow will be worse I'd best get going.  Hrmm, the legs aren't feeling very good. But they never feel good when I start out, once I warm up they'll get a little better.  Even though I'm just getting back at training after my injury, doing a 13 miler today shouldn't be that big a deal, right?  I did 11 last week and although it wasn't a great run I survived.  Just two more miles shouldn't cause any problems.  At the river and headed inbound.  The legs should be loose by now, but they're still feeling sluggish. This could be a painful run.

Let's take the little path around Magazine Beach.  I think this is it, nope, that's just the parking lot.  How about this path?  Well, there's where I want to be over there, I'll just cut across.  OK, that wasn't worth it.  Past the BU bridge, at least there's a water fountain coming up.  Just a short break for water, and since I'm stopped I'll stretch the legs a bit.  That didn't feel better, but I'm sure it helped. On towards the Mass Ave bridge, gee it's pretty hot out here today.  The dirt path by the river feels good, too bad it doesn't go the whole way around Esplanade.  Approaching Mass Ave, if I slow down just a little I'll miss the light and get to rest for a bit.  Perfect, that means I get 90 seconds of rest and it doesn't look like I'm being a sloth. What?! The walk signal already?  OK, keep moving.  Longfellow or Museum of Science?  Suck it up, do the distance, MoS it is. Why am I getting passed by everyone? And especially by these tiny women who are running twice as fast as me?  Ah, the turn at the Museum, things should get better soon.

OK, how far is it to the water fountain in front of Community Boating?  I'm dying here, this is much hotter than I counted on and my Gatorade tastes like hot tea.  Finally! Stop the watch because this is going to be a few minutes.  Water, Gu, stretching; all needed.  I'll walk back and forth so it doesn't look like I'm about to collapse.  Why is everyone else still running?  At least one or two should be stopping for water.  Bastards.  I can at least make it to then next water fountain, get moving. I love this area and I wish I were feeling better today.  Lots and lots of people getting in their workouts before the storm.  I hate them all.

Ah, this feels a little better.  Wait, no it doesn't.  It still sucks. On the Esplanade at least, there's a small breeze from the river.  Yikes, I need another break because my legs are screaming.  I'll stop here in the shade, at least I made it past another bridge.  It's not that far to the next water fountain, get moving you lazy bum. Good, there's a dirt path here that should help.  Look, up ahead, it's a water fountain.  Why is there a line of runners waiting for water?  Finally someone else is showing the effects of the weather.  Lots of sweaty people, all fitter and faster than me, but sweat is the universal equalizer.  Gatorade and Gu are gone, but all this water will do the trick, I should be fine from here.

This stretch has always seemed too long.  Under the BU bridge and past the MIT students cleaning up the river bank, pardon me for not saying "thanks" but I don't think my voice would be audible right now.  OK, lets settle into a pace and try to reclaim this run.  Thank god the light is against me and I have to stop.  Why are things spinning?  Yikes, I'm getting dizzy!  OK that's it, cutting the run short right now.  Passing out isn't an option.  Stop the watch, I'll just stand here a bit.  I'll just lean on this light post.  I'll just sit on this support.  Drink your water you idiot!  Let's check my fancy heart rate monitory, hrmm, 135.  When it gets down to 110 I'll start again.  135.  134.  134.  135. That's not right.  Deep breaths, relax, calm down.  127. Better.  125. 120.  OK, we're headed in the right direction, finally. 119, getting closer. 115, 112, 112, 112.  That's close enough, right?

What's the shortest way home?  Cross the Charles here or take the foot bridge?  More dirt if I take the foot bridge.  Not bad, slow the pace way down. Stairs up the bridge, ooh, that doesn't feel good.  Let's walk across the bridge.  Let's walk to the stop light. I could cross as there's no traffic but I'm going to be good and wait for the walk light. Running again, to the one hill.  Ouch, a slight calf cramp, we'll walk up that sucker as well.  Home isn't that far away now, I can feel it. Nice easy pace, I must look like hell. Take it one block at a time. Try to concentrate on the sidewalk right in front of you.  Ooh, better obey the traffic light and wait for the walk sign.  Just a few tenths left, I'm not taking the usual detour to add a little distance.  This is close enough, I can see my house from here. I need to cool down, I can still feel my heart racing.  Just walk, keep walking.  God this run sucked.  What's wrong with me?  I don't see how I'm going to do a marathon in 8 weeks! 10.75 miles, at least I did 10+.  How many times did I stop?  Doesn't matter, the run is over and we're on to recovery mode.  Lord knows I need it.