Winter is finally here

Last few days have been winter weather here.  Really really cold with temperatures reaching 0 F and below.  Snow on the sidewalks and road shoulders have become hard and feel like rocks and gravel.  No more runners and cyclists on the road.. I've been managing to steal a couple of runs a week for the last two weeks - a six miler and a 10 miler each.  We have a snow and ice storm today, but temperatures are 'warmer' around 14-16 F (about - 9 to - 10 C). Had a bit of snow mid morning and then snow/ice was predicted a couple of hours later. Taking advantage of the gap I laced up my sneakers and took off on a 10 mile run.  There was a mild breeze. The cold air against the face was not biting, but a bit less than pleasant for the first 15-20 minutes. Once the body warmed up the air felt nice. There is something about the cold air that makes you feel you can smell the cold in it. I don't know if anyone else feels it, but last couple of days I could 'smell the cold' when breathing the air.  Though the air was cold I felt it was energizing.  Like when you go out in the farms or fields and the air feels really fresh and energizing. It is a similar feeling.

The run was nice. I took it easy and kept my breathing at a conversational pace as much as possible, which was always a challenge uphill.  Even though I didn't feel the cold due to the multiple layers of clothing, it did make its presence felt.  I blew my noise frequently and at some point a bit got stuck on my glove, which I didn't realize at the time. Within minutes, however, the mucus froze and showed itself in bright white color!  My drink carried around my waist clipped on to a fuel/hydration belt had become so cold it was hard to drink.  It started snowing the last couple of miles. Actually, it wasn't snow - more of hard ice particles. I got home before it started heavy. Looks like we'll have a rough commute tomorrow.

Just hang in there when things get tough.

If I can run, u can run.

A nice run to start off February

I had a very nice run this morning. The usual 6.2 miles.  I don't know if it was the extra stretches last night, or the weather this morning. The run was just great, during and after. Temperature was hanging just above freezing, but it was raining for about half the way which turned to lighter drizzle after with a breeze of about 8-10 mph.  The temperatures these days are way above normal for the season. It should be in teens and lower F this time of the year, but no complaints about having a nicer temperature.  It was very pleasant from the get go.  Gentle rain against the face was a very welcome change from chilly wind.  I didn't look at the watch the entire time.  Just focused on steps - one thousand, one thousand, one thousand... every three steps.. I took care to shorten the stride or not to over stride uphill so as to not put undue strain on the hamstring but it didn't feel bad at all to begin with. The warmer weather over the last few days and the rain this morning had melted away most of the snow on the shoulder. Open areas still had snow cover, but of much much lower level than the 33 inches that fell a couple of weeks ago.

After about three miles it started feeling really nice. I felt lucky running against all those cars passing by - commuting to work - while I was out there enjoying the morning. Passing cars were slowing down where shoulder was narrow, and some folks actually went to the other side to give me more room when they opposite traffic allowed.  Really nice people. I waved at cars that were extremely generous in slowing down or leaving room.  Very fortunate to have a short commute. After about 3-1/2 miles it was beginning to feel a little warm with the rain jacket and two layers inside, so I removed the head cover of the rain jacket and pulled down the zip front to the upper mid level of chest to let some breeze in and cool down the body. I can still feel my foot strike the wet road in the light rain under cloudy skies! I can still feel the expansion and freshness of the lungs which you feel after a good workout that is not too hard, not too easy either, but just the right level - the Goldilocks zone.  I wish every run felt so nice.

Have a great day!

If I can run, u can run

Slooooooow January..

Here on the east coast the blizzard is behind us after leaving a huge pile of snow in its wake. In Morris Plains here we saw 33 inches of snow which is a historical high. However, people have dug themselves out, mostly, and life is getting back to normal at a quick pace. As far as running goes, it is generally in an unhappy state. I have not been doing my three weekly runs regularly. Weather has been bad and the hamstring/glute area is a bit sore after the long runs. I am hoping that the cut down in runs would at least help the soreness. Anyway, I've been trying to pick up a few miles here and a few miles there.. Sundays long runs are cut down to 10 miles. I could only do two runs last week, and the Sunday was a wash out due to the snow. Surprisingly, I still come across a couple of runners and cyclists especially on Sundays.

I had signed up for the Fred Lebow Half Marathon on Sunday which was cancelled due to the snow storm. I was also not too sure of myself as I hadn't run that distance since end November.  If the race was on I would probably have run it in any case, just to test my fitness, if nothing else.  On the other hand, I have been focusing on building some strength, especially the lower legs, hips and core.  I'm also working on balance and stability.  The good thing about these workouts is that I don't have to go outdoors, but I do miss the running and am feeling somewhat guilty about it.  I am enjoying the workouts though. Some are fairly high intensity and keep my breathing and heart rate high - it should help push out my lactate threshold (the effort level at which fatigue sets in) and build strength that should help in running. Oh, I did a 10K race at Central Park a couple of weeks ago - Joe Kleinerman 10K. That was my very first 10K in NYC last year. What a contrast - last year it was 17 F with windchill down to low single digits; this year it was 43 F!

On other New York news, the registration for New York Marathon opened a couple of days ago.  Although the race is on November 6, the registration is only open for one month from Jan 21 to Feb 21. I was planning to sign up, but I just wanted to see for how long I can resist the temptation:-) Every time I logged in to their web site they kept flashing the message "Accept your guaranteed entry".  My will power lasted about 48 hours :-)  Now the goal is set - run, walk or crawl across the finish line on Sunday, Nov 6!

Way to go Sunitha, Bala and Maidhily!

The Dubai Marathon was last week. Dubai bills themselves as the world's richest marathon. It boasts of a very fast course, and the top finishers in each gender win a purse of $200,000 with an additional $100,000 award money for setting a world record! I did not see even a single top contender from last year's NYC marathon in the line up of Dubai. Understandably so, as there is not enough recovery and training time between the November NYC race and the January Dubai race.

My cousin Bala, his wife Maidhily and another cousin's wife Sunitha all ran the 10k at the Dubai Marathon.   This was their first 10k - actually their very first race of any distance. It is so great to see their pictures at the finish line. I am hearing that this is inspiring a lot of people in the family and friends circle to sign up for the race next year. It seems, looking at Bala his friends are going, "If he can, we can." Running is contagious!!

Happy running.

If I can run, u can run

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, everyone.  May you all attain or even exceed your goals in life, and reach new heights in your health, fitness and happiness in 2016.

I'm getting back to running gradually and cautiously after some holiday travel and recovery from the injury that occurred last month.  During this break I spent a lot of time thinking and researching ways to take my running forward on a safer and surer footing.  As a result I'm making some modifications to my schedule.  First, I need to spread my mileage over more days - three days is not enough if I want to extend my endurance above the half marathon level.  Even half marathon is a big stretch for a three day schedule with two six milers and a third long run. I really need to keep that long run below 50 per cent of the weekly total mileage, and preferably much lower. For my body, especially, a long run of 16 miles with a weekly mileage of 28 doesn't seem to be sustainable.  I'm planning to start off - in fact I already started - with 6+6+10 schedule and I plan to add another day shortly with a three mile run. I will raise the mileage and long run gradually but not immediately over a mileage base spread out over three or more days other than the long run day itself.

In addition to the change to the run schedule, I am expanding my stretches and also adding more strength exercises.  The new stretches target hips, glutes and upper hamstring.  The strength exercises expand my upper body and core exercises and also include new ones targeting glutes and legs. The idea being  stronger core, glutes and legs will help avoid injuries and help me run better and stronger.

I have begun making the transition to the new stretches and exercises. Again, taking it gradually so that it - actually, the soreness from the exercises - won't interfere with running.  So far I did a six mile and a ten mile since resuming. The six was on Friday and I felt some soreness of the muscles, perhaps due to the break. I did the ten today and it was feeling much better.  I'm also using the foam roller which seemed to help after Wednesday's run. So, overall just planning to ease into running and hold the long run at a more sustainable level with the mileage spread out, and focusing on building more strength and flexibility of the core, hips, and lower body.

So that's how the new year is starting for me. This year is a big year for my marathon aspirations, and I think these changes are in the right direction.  If things don't seem to work for you, don't be afraid to make changes to set you on the right course.

Good luck with your running in 2016. Happy New Year, again.

If I can run, u can run

Pain in the butt

My recent strain in the glutes  has taught me a lot about the muscles in our butt and hips.  Apparently, our butt muscle is the strongest muscle in our whole body. Who would've thought of that? I would've gone for the thigh muscles.  There are generally two forms of pain that occur in the butt. The first one is at the low end of the butt muscle where the hamstring muscle connects with the butt muscle. This is called the proximal hamstring strain.  This comes from pushing the muscles too hard or weakness in the surrounding muscles. Speed work and uphill running can worsen the pain. You may also experience the pain just sitting on your 'sitting bones' throughout the day. This area has low blood supply which means it will take this pain longer to heal.


The second kind of pain results from a strain to the piriformis muscle that runs behind the hip joint and helps in hip rotation. The pain may feel like it is deep inside the buttock muscles. It may also radiate down the back of the leg due to rubbing against the sciatic nerve.  The piriformis can get tight due to too much sitting causing it to get stiff and not allow enough hip rotation.  There is a multitude of other muscles within the glutes and around to the front of the hips all of which need to work together to propel the body and rotate the hips as you lift off one foot, land on the other, lift off now from this foot and land on the first.  The key is that the glutes should be strong and the hips flexible.  So it is important to perform exercises and stretches to open and stretch the glutes and hips.

It goes without saying that these problems may or may not show up when running a couple of miles. As you increase the mileage and intensity the imbalances and weaknesses that do not show up in lower mileages get amplified - a bit like your car which may run fine at 30 miles an hour running groceries, but when you go on an eight hour trip on the highway you start noticing vibrations and noises which showed no signs of their presence during short trips at low speeds.

Here are a few stretches for better hips and glutes.

Standing hamstring stretch


Stand with the right leg on a stool or chair. Bend the left knee slightly. Holding the back straight lean forward slowly until you feel a good stretch on the back of your right thigh. Hold for 15-20 seconds. Repeat with left leg. Do six sets.




Lying glute stretch

Lie on your back with your legs raised with thighs vertical to the floor and knees at 90 degrees.  Slowly cross your left leg over the right to rest the left ankle on the right thigh. Grab your left knee with both hands and pull gently towards chest. Pull until you feel a good stretch in your left glutes and hold for 20 seconds. Repeat with right leg. Do three sets.



Piriformis stretch

Lie on your back with legs bent at the knees. Bring your right leg up and rest the ankle on the left thigh. Reach your left thigh or knee through inside with both hands and pull your left leg slowly towards your chest. Stop when you feel a good stretch in the glutes and hold for 20 seconds. Repeat with left leg. Do three sets.


Pigeon stretch

There are several forms of pigeon stretch. All share the feature that one leg is stretched out in the back touching the floor on the front of the leg and the other leg is folded and rests across the torso.  Beginners may need some figuring out to get into the basic position.  It may be helpful to kneel down on the floor with your weight supported on both forearms out in the front - not on the hands. Slowly rest your hips on the right side, bend your right leg across the torso while stretching the left leg behind. Adjust position so the left leg is fully stretched out back and the right leg is folded across the torso to a good stretch around the glutes and hips. Support the upper body on the arms or hands. Hold to a good stretch for 20-30 seconds. Repeat with the left leg.

This is a simpler form of a yoga pose eka pada rajakapotasana.


Hip flexor stretch

There are several ways you can do this stretch.  Here is one version. Kneel on the floor on one knee with hands on either side of the foot. Extend the other leg back as in the picture.  Push your hips forward or slightly down to feel a stretch on the front of the left hip. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat with the other side.  You could also do this stretch with the left knee on the floor as well as in other variations. Pick what works best for you.


They are now part of my regular regimen, as a pain in the butt can be a real pain in the butt :-)


Happy running.

If I can run, u can run

Downtime

I pulled a muscle on Sunday about half way through due to which I'm required to take some downtime.   There was a sharp pain deep in the right glute toward the inner side when I stopped to turn around during the run. Although I tried to continue to run for a mile or mile and half the pain wasn't going away as usual.  In fact, the general soreness was getting worse. Hence I walked and eventually got a drive home from a friend who was passing by.  I did physical therapy yesterday. It seems my right hip has been getting stiff - which makes sense as after the long run the last couple of times I had to literally drag my right leg. I am asked to do more stretching and hip flexing, and further exercises to strengthen the hips and legs. I didn't run yesterday. The sore muscles in the area haven't fully recovered yet but they are a lot better.

I'm hoping to hit the road next week, but before that I'll allow myself to recover fully.  I will also be doing the stretches and exercises targeted for the hips.

That's all folks.

If I can run, u can run

Long run - mind games

Things are limping back to normal after Thanksgiving holidays. I didn't get the chance to write a new post over the holidays, but I have been running.    Days are colder, surprisingly I still see a couple of runners and a few cyclists, particularly on Sundays.  The cyclists display more friendliness than ever - as much friendliness as a couple of seconds would allow two people who are working their lungs out when passing each other.  Last three Sunday runs have been at the new distance of 16.5 -ish miles. On the one hand I have been able to follow my feeling of exertion rather than heart rate well enough to complete the distance and focus more on relaxing on the run. I suspect that my cadence (steps per minute) has improved. In the last few runs I have consistently averaged 176-180 steps per minute, with the max going up to 215 steps per minute. I can only attribute this improvement to the fast hill run intervals I have been doing on Wednesdays. On the other hand, though, it has not been as easy as a relaxed pace would seem to suggest.  Aches and pains are at a new level and at different locations. There is more than the usual amount of soreness and pains sometimes on upper thigh area, at other times the glutes on one side and often right in front at the upper end of the thigh.  Due to these I am turning to the foam roller and massage stick more often. Even then, there is always a doubt if my body would be ready before the next run.  I do feel that the ankle has been holding up pretty well, and feeling better, too, presumably because of the new exercises on the wobble board.  I am also taking extra care to tread carefully on rough patches or avoid them altogether when possible.

It is interesting how the mind plays games. In an earlier post I had mentioned that if I start thinking whether or not to run soon after I wake up in the morning the tendency usually is to decide to not run that day. However, if I do not think about running but ease myself into the flow by having a cup of tea, reading the emails, news and so on, I end up lacing up the shoes and getting out much more easily.  The long runs these days are posing a similar scenario.  I do recall comments from long distance runners and coaches that it is 80% mental and 20% physical.  I think I am getting a taste of that.  Last Sunday, just five miles into the run I started thinking 'Have I fully recovered from the pain around my right hips? Perhaps I should go home and give the hips some rest." However, I persuaded myself to continue as the distance at that point was shorter than my regular run and the pain, or whatever discomfort I felt at the time, wasn't that bad. A few more miles and again similar thoughts started coming back - "Perhaps I haven't recovered fully... it feels unusually tiring today... The experts and all the books I read say if I don't feel comfortable, I should take it easy. If I take a break today I can run better next time.. Moreover, I do have work to do at home... so why not use this opportunity to take some rest and get some stuff done.."   Then I would remind myself that after this lap if I do one more I will be half way through.. then one more lap and only the last one remains..  Dangling these new thoughts in front I continued to run for some more time... Then in the second lap again the same old thoughts return - "I think I shouldn't over strain the right leg (or was that the left ankle? Whatever... I forget:-) ... I should probably go home and give it some extra rest... and while at it do that other work I need to do"..   The mind comes up with very legitimate reasons for a way out.. Anyway, I thought to myself if this is how the body and mind feel on long runs then the heck with it. I better start getting used to it.  I bit my excuses and ran all the remaining laps without any further thoughts.

One of the days I look back occasionally during my runs and remember is the first day I ran up the last hill on the way back home. Boy, that was a good day. Working up that hill my lungs would be bursting and heart pounding.. body would be screaming STOP STOP STOP, and mind would be tired working against the forces. I would then stop about 200 feet from the top to walk up that distance. Once on the top there is no more climbing for a while, so I would resume running. On that day working my way up the hill breathing hard and my heart beating so hard I could almost hear it, instead of stopping I thought why not turn this around on its head.  Does this hill want to push hard on my lungs and heart and my body? ME TOO!!.. I too want to push my heart and lungs.. Let's see how far this will go... Granted, I wasn't racing uphill that day.. I was running in short steps.  But I was running. As my lungs expanded and contracted like a balloon and the heart pumped and pounded.. the body felt like an engine on high gear..  That day I wasn't trying to be easy on myself. That day I was partnering with the hill, or even challenging the hill, to push myself as far as it was willing or able to push me!  I was still running when I reached the top, and I ran all the way home nonstop.  That day was a turning point. I never stopped at that climb, again.

That was a good day.

If I can run, u can run