Start time: 05/01/06, 6:15pm
Location: W&OD Trail
Distance: 3 miles
Run:Walk ratio: 6:1
Average pace: 8:35min/mile
I want to say that this was a full week since the last time I ran, but considering how disastrous THAT run went… the last real successful run was actually on April 19th. Phew!
I figured the best thing to do would be to just stick with a 3-miler, get back on track and all that fun stuff. Knowing it was just a 3-miler, and with the Marine Corps Marathon training program starting up again on Saturday, I know that in the back of my head I had AIDS Marathon’s training program and its kick off time trials bouncing around. One of the pace groups I’d been eyeing this year is the 9:30 group, which means finishing the 3-miler at under an 8:30 pace and doing so in a comfortable manner. (It’s that last part that’s the kicker. Right now my 5K PR is a 28:23, or an 8:31min/mile pace. I’d like to pick up a new PR at a 5K this Sunday, but we’ll see.) But anyway, it was definitely rattling around in my brain when I headed out.
The first two miles were pretty comfortable; I was surprised at the times I picked up (8:23, 8:28)… so in retrospect what should’ve NOT been a surprise was that I felt like crap for the third mile. Definitely running out of steam, the whole nine yards of “I’m pooped”. With it came a noticeable decrease for the final mile (8:53) which landed me at an 8:35min/mile pace. And I really felt like crap when I was done; I actually walked over to a bench and sat down for a minute or two when it was over because I was at empty.
What does this say? Well, that I’ll probably not be in the 9:30 group this year. Don’t get me wrong, I can run a comfortable 9:30min/mile pace for a good distance right now (the National Half Marathon and the Cherry Blossom 10-miler this year both said that to me) but… I’ve also always said that ultimately I need to land in the group that the training program puts me in. If everyone else in the 9:30 group did a comfortable 3-miler at a speed that I can’t, I probably shouldn’t be there. But, we’ll see. A lot can certainly change in a month, and I do need to remind myself that this was the first post-sick run I had. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not giving up hope but I’m also not setting myself up for disappointment.
And hey, if I am in the 10:00 group, that’s still pretty rocking good. 🙂
Hmmmm… I wouldn’t give up quite yet. If your time trial is Saturday, and you really want that pace group. I would do a ever-so slightly faster than easy run of say 4 miles on wednesday and then nothing until Saturday.
You are really knocking at the door of that pace group and I personally think that give the time trial atmosphere you can get a sub 8:30 pace. Now, the “look comfortable” part is still questionable. Because if you can get in the 9:30 pace NOW, you have 6 months to condition yourself to that pace.
Also remember that you did last weeks (the 8:45 pace) by yourself and the 8:35 pace by yourself, but we are different (and faster) runners with other around us.
That’s very, very true about the difference between the runners being around us making a big difference.
One thing that I didn’t clarify is that while the Marine Corps training program starts this Saturday (and which I’ll be working at), the Florence training program doesn’t start for me until Sunday, June 11th. So I’ve got a bit of leeway between now and then to try and “make it look easy.” 🙂