I’ve been on this one-mile run kick.
It originated out of mope over my slow running times and not really knowing how to work on improving those. So I thought I would just see if I could manage 10 minute miling, but just for 1 mile. To my great satisfaction, I did it.
And then it became my Monday night ritual before Body Pump… the one mile treadmill test.
The first couple of times, I wasn’t really sure that I had truly given it my all; was that the absolute fastest that I could go? But I didn’t know what sort of time I should be shooting before, so I just continued to shave ten or fifteen seconds off my time each week.
Until I got into the 8 minute range. There was an 8:38. Then 8:28 the next week. And 8:21. A two week break while I was in Hawaii, and then just last week I hit 8:10.
I’m not really sure what a good time for a mile is. I know that KERF did a run the other day and the second mile in her 5K was 8:09. Which felt a bit like the interwebs pulling a face at me and going “neener neener neener.” So my single mile in 8 minutes and 10 seconds isn’t record breaking. But it is really fast for me. And it has gotten to the point that it is just really hard and I’m not sure that I can pull a better time just by seeing if I can.
I tried, though, last night. And, well… it was not awesome. I was about 3 minutes into an 8 minute even pace and it just started to suck. Despite all the little voices convincing me that 5 minutes was nothing and that I could totally power through, I slugged out and slowed down to a walk. I caught my breath a bit and then picked up the pace again, fluctuating all over the place trying to figure out how to just finish this one out. Finished in 8:58. So, a bit of a set back.
Maybe now I know that running a mile somewhere around 8:15 to 8:30 is a good challenging pace for me and I should just try to do that a couple of times without trying to shave off seconds every week. Or maybe now I need to see what running 2 miles at 10 minutes per mile feels like.
Because I do really really want to break that 30 minute 5k mark one of these days!
Yeah, and meanwhile, 1/2 marathon training continues, for my second scheduled half of 2011 (or the second one of EVER), on July 31. So my runs are mostly focused on easy paces over longer distances, which means that I’m sort of cheating with all of these little one mile tests for myself.
Does it sound like I’m obsessing much? I feel a little ridiculous myself, I have to admit. I sure spend an awful lot of time thinking about running and reviewing my training schedule and washing an unholy amount of workout clothing for someone who really isn’t very good at it.
So let’s just be grateful for blogs, where I can babble away to my hearts content, and for David’s, who are also interested in running (albeit much better at it than I am) and happy to discuss it all with me at length.
margaret edith 
Okay, I read KERF (of course) but I often get that “neener neener” feeling from her. She’s so damn perfect. “Oh darn, the size 4’s were just SO BIG in the waist! Why do they never have size 2’s in the color I want?” Whatever. I don’t actually know why I keep reading her. But I do.
She is this teeny tiny girl. I could squash her so easily. Like I could KICK HER ASS, despite how much bodypump she does. I bet I lift more at bodypump than her! Seriously, I am bad ass at bodypump. I’m a big girl (I’m 5’8″ and built for field work) and usually lift as much or more than the female instructors. I mean, I don’t hit people, but how satisfying would it be to punch Kath in the face? Okay, I would never do that in real life, but you know what I mean.
I am in AWE of your 8:anything miles. My last one was 9:44 and I was damn proud of that. I’m going to do that again this morning (the whole mile at 6.2mph) because the last time I did it was Wed. and it was pretty pukey feeling. My plan is to do it at the same setting until I don’t feel pukey at the end, then the next time bump it up to 6.3. But I’m sure there will be days when I just can’t hang. I don’t think you can expect to increase your speed every single time forever. Unless you can turn into The Flash.
YOU totally motivated me to try the one-mile thing, not pixie KERF with her easy 8 minute miles. And OMG I could not imaging doing a half in July! But there aren’t any long races in FL in the summer for good reason. I’m doing my first half in November. Yikes. I did run 5 miles yesterday outside and it was miserable. My pace was pathetic (like averaged 12:40 or something), but I managed to have no walking, so I was happy with it.
See, you obviously got me going because I have written an entire blog post in your comments.
Okay, I’m commenting again. I kept thinking about what I wrote about KERF and it was bothering me. It’s true that I often feel like she is more perfect than perfect and it is annoying. However, I do like her blog. I keep reading it. I like her positivity and truly think she has good intentions. Whenever I am annoyed by KERF, it is ME, not her, obviously. She can write whatever she wants to on her blog, as can we all!
Oh, and I would NEVER hurt another person. Apparently I was unleashing some sort of pent-up resentment towards cute little petite girls there, one of which I will never be. But I don’t want to judge people based on their petiteness and cuteness. Some of my best friends are petite and cute (darn them). See, I’m calm now, so not cussing. And I’m sure there are plenty of cute, petite girls who could kick my ass.
Anyway, I just wanted to get that off my chest. Sorry Maggie and Kath!