Ready For More

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 8:25

This has been a successful week. I haven't yet run a mile over 9 minutes, which makes this week the first noticeable sign of progress in my training. I set a new course record with tonight's run, an 8:25. I've found it's much tougher to get lower times on my standard mile route, and I think it's due to the nature of the run, a plain and boring out-and-back. I think I lose a lot of time and momentum when I reach the half-way point and have to do a 180 degree turn. Whereas my Saturday route tends to produce much better times and it follows a square course, so I'm changing direction every quarter mile without losing momentum.

I can't say that I felt great on tonight's run. My left calf muscle was feeling sore and my right foot was aching. There was a steady wind pushing against me on the last half, and I felt that I may not even break 9:00. When I saw my time at the finish line I was very surprised. If conditions are right, I think I may be able to finally break 8:00 tomorrow on the Granite Hills route.

And now for the next phase in my training. When I first set out training 4 weeks ago (on May 20th), my plan was simple: run 1 mile a day until you can run it easily. I knew it was going to be a struggle at first, but I don't think I realized how far out of shape I had fallen. The first mile I timed was a 9:36, the absolute slowest mile I've ever run on record. So I set to work. I got my mile down to the low 9's and I finally broke 9:00 on June 5th. But the following week saw a relapse as I clocked in three separate miles over 9:00. But starting with an 8:09 mile on June 12th, I clocked in three separate sub-9 miles, each one faster than the next. And so I began assessing where I stand. I can't say that I'm running a mile "with ease," but I can say that it has become easier, and I'm able to get better times without killing myself. I made a silent wager with myself that if I could keep all my miles this week under 9:00 I would move on to the next stage in my training. So that leaves tomorrow's run. If I keep it under 9:00 tomorrow at Granite Hills then starting Monday I will begin new routes and longer distances. I figure if I start running longer distances, then a single mile will start to seem like nothing, and then I can really get my times down. So it all hinges on tomorrow. If I screw up and run a 9+ mile, it's back to the drawing board on Monday.