Oh, the places you'll go!

As it turns out, I can bust through that slow ceiling! (even if only just a little bit.) Last night, I ran 3 miles in 42 minutes. That’s a pace much closer to 14 min/mile than 15 min/mile (the cutoff pace for the R’N’R AZ ½ Marathon). I tried to purposefully take it slow on the first mile, then I tried to speed up. As it turns out, my splits were like this:

Mile 1---> 14:09
Mile 2---> 14:09
Mile 3---> 14:10
.18 miles at the end---> Doesn’t count because I slowed down on purpose…

Consistent? Uh, YEAH! Slow? Sure! Fast enough to complete the ½ marathon without being swept from the course? Definitely.

Usually when I start running, I’m afraid of going too fast. I feel like if I get started too fast, then I won’t be able to go as far as I’m supposed to. And it’s definitely a tricky thing, finding the balance between speed and distance.

But last night….
Last night…

I have never felt better during a run. My pace was still comfortable, my stride was perfect, the weather was glorious, the route I chose was the perfect length and difficulty… It could not have been better. Runs like this seem to come along just often enough for me to keep trying.

Afterwards, I was talking to SoxFan, and I mentioned how great the whole thing was. I also mentioned to him that “the first 1.25 miles are always the hardest…” and he stopped me. He repeated the words I’d just said out loud, without even thinking about what was coming out of my mouth. “The first 1.25 miles are always the hardest…”

I remember, two months ago, sitting at my desk at work and wondering if I should enter a 1 mile fun run. I was torn over whether or not I should enter: If I was able to run the whole way, it would be a huge confidence boost… if not, it would kill the confidence that I did have. Now, a mile is less than it takes me to warm up. And I don’t even remember how it was that I got here.

Maybe that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but I have to believe that you other runners out there know what I’m talking about. It’s the reason I started running: I wanted to do something that felt impossible. At first, a mile seemed like an impossible distance. At first, it was an impossible distance. Now, I run more than a mile on a regular basis, and I do so rather comfortably. I’m now routinely do something that, just a few months ago, was impossible for me. It feels amazing. And it gives me the energy I need to keep trying hard and keep pushing myself… I want to see what other impossibilities I can overcome.

Smite thee, Under Armor!

Yesterday, it dawned on me: It’s about to be October, and I still have 3 months of training before race day. And then it dawned on me: I live in Colorado. Suddenly my adidas shorts and plain white t-shirt didn’t look like acceptable running gear anymore.

Don’t get me wrong. Even with all the talk of “cotton is rotten” on the trails, I’ve been pretty happy with my kit thus far. Sure I sweat. Sure my sweat drips from my face and onto the collar of said t-shirt. Sure it stays wet the entire rest of the time I’m running. It’s been HOT out there most of the time, and it hasn’t seemed to bother me.

But, as the days get shorter and the air gets cooler, and as I find myself shivering while running, I have to admit… it might be time for a little Under Armor. And my bank account shrieks: “No, no! Anything but that!” And the passers-by watching me shuffle along in all my Under Armor glory shriek: “No, no! Anything but that!”

::Coincidentally, and this is absolutely no joke… I have my iPod on shuffle right now, and the song “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story just came on… how ironic, considering I don’t think the words “figure flattering” exist at the Under Armor company!---but, the word WARM certainly does::

OK… Topic shift coming up…

Last night’s run was pretty good. I ran 2.67 miles with SoxFan and his Ini. After we returned, I plugged in my Garmin, and for the first time ever, I was a little bummed at how slow I am. I don’t feel like I’m running very very slowly. I feel comfortable! I have a short stride, admittedly, but I have a pretty quick turnover. But my splits are just terrible.

Then, I started thinking about it, and I am slow all the time! I mean, just walking around downtown with friends, everyone is always walking faster than me. I’m not walking in slow motion… I’m not meandering or strolling or dragging my feet… I’m just walking! And I’m slow! I don’t know the real reason behind this. I don’t know why I feel like there is a speed ceiling for me that I can’t seem to break through. I’m blaming it on my ridiculously short legs.

SoxFan says that he thinks I can run faster, because at the end of 2.67 miles last night, I felt great… hardly winded, and I could have kept going… he says that’s a sign that I’m not pushing hard enough. (I hate it when he’s right.) So, I’m going to try to push a bit more… running hasn’t been hurting lately, and apparently, it’s supposed to.

During tonight’s 45 minute run, my goal is to make it for a full 5K. Not very long ago, I had trouble running 5K. Now it’s a nice training distance. I’m planning on running the Komen Race for the Cure 5K in Denver coming up soon, and for the first time ever, I’m fairly certain I can run the whole 5K distance. Not only that, I’m have a time goal! Sigh… Wonders never cease…