Contrary to what the Kayak phone application said, there wasn't a 6:40. Just an 8:00. So here I sit. And sit. And sit.
Last night, I should have prepped myself mentally for the hills of Bloomington, but I didn't. Instead I mentally whined my way through this morning's five, which was gorgeous, perfect weather, during dawn-break, and HILLY.
I realized today that the simple conclusion of "in Cinci, i'll make up the time on the downhills" is outright foolhearty of me, and that I need to relax a little on that marathon pace goal.
I haven't talked much about what my pace is lately, and there's a reason for that. I'm working really hard and I'm still slow, and honestly it's embarrassing. I'm not some super-athletic-spunky-skinny girl who can wake up in the morning and - ta da! - just decide to run a 7 minute mile marathon. At a party this weekend, a teammate asked, "What's your pace? 8 minutes?" Aaaaargh. I know he meant nothing by it, he was probably just acknowledging the time I put into this training crap, but it still kind of kicks the wind out of me. I'm slow, godawfully slow.
On the bright side though, I have moved from "tragically slow" to "godawfully slow," an improvement that I've been celebrating completely silently, since it's sort of like improving from an F to a D-. But last year it was 5:01 and 11:30's, this year it will be 4:45 or faster and 11:00 or faster. The 'marathon pace' I write about is my goal of a 10:30, or 4:35. And back to what I was saying, I think the hills might foil that plan.
But back to the news of the day... Ben and I have tickets to San Francisco for Bay to Breakers, where being short of COMPLETE slackers puts us in the B corral, second wave. Yes, toward the front. Finally an event where I don't bring up the rear. We'll run it as if we can, and then sit in the grass and watch the show behind us catch up.
Ridden and Reviewed Kona Libre CR
8 months ago
4 replies:
Hills always slow the pace no matter what anyone thinks. There is a really cool calculus formula that can tell what the diff will be depending on elevation gain/ loss, average flat pace etc. etc. etc. It all adds up to hills slowing things down.
Running a marathon however is an accomplishment all by itself regardless of time.
Never forget the first fool who did this worrying about time died at the end.
There might be people out there who could do it faster, but the VAST majority of them aren't. They are not out there at the break of a beautiful sunny dawn, on #*@! business travel. Or running 22(?!) miles in a Chicago snow. You, my friend, *ing rock. I love that you do all that and then have a "shower beer". I'm thinking you're doing a fine job of beating the clock that matters most. Keep at it.
your 4:45 is totally doable, you just need a few short hill workouts. you gotta try and find some hills and try hard to run the hills in SF, even if it's a slow trot. and please girl, you shouldn't be emabaressed of what you have accomplished the last year running. I kinna doubt your team friend dude couldn't run 10 miles, so just tell him to go ride his bike or something.
i have been running for 10 years. a 10 minute miler till last year. and i can barley call myself a 9 minute miler. just barely.
speedwork is where it's at julie. a track. a workout that includes sprints, it's the only thing that's helped me gain some speed.
you will obtain a 4:45 no doubt in my mind on may 3rd. i am so excited!
I'm always a little embarrassed to tell people my pace too. I agree with Claire that you totally rock. When I did an hour run (my longest in quite awhile) and it started to rain, I figured hell if Julie can run nearly 20 miles in practially blizzard conditions, I can handle this. = )
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