I met up with a couple RT friends today. I thought it'd be fun, and hadn't put a lot of thought into how much faster they were than me until a couple days ago. It was 92 degrees when I left for my run and to be honest I was pretty nervous. I knew that these two were first off both males so more than likely a heck of a lot faster than me just based on those pesky Y chromosomes! That and the fact that they are experienced marathoners I had a feeling this might be really tough. I kind of knew I was in trouble when one of them said he ran with his wife too and could slow it down to her slower pace of 9:30/10min miles. To be honest, I think they are both great guys and I hope if I ever get the chance to run with either of them again I can kick some butt and keep up.
Anyhow, off we ran. And for a little bit I was thinking okay I can do this. This will be a speed workout, but I can do this. I can keep up if I'm running with them at their slow pace I'll just drag along. And for a little bit I *was* keeping up. I wasn't feeling like a big fat loser. I wasn't feeling like a super slow poke. I was feeling like a real runner. First mile rocking and rolling in the heat. I was breathing, but I was keeping up. Mile 1 - 10:10! Rock on mama! Right? Second mile I was already thinking I can't keep up at this pace, but I don't want to be a big old baby and I'm trying to slow down. It was just hard slowing running next to them. They kind of throw off your slow pace because to be quite frank, not sure they are capable of running at my slow. I kept plugging along and thought okay they were only planning to go 4 or 5 miles I can do this. Let me just get to 2 miles and we'll turn around. Mile 2 - 10:17. Still a pretty good pace for me and um yah it was um 90 degrees!!! Keep plugging along. Starting to worry about how I'm going to finish and at this point was thinking we'll turn around at 2 1/2 miles, but somewhere along the way we got past that and I thought oh I can make it to 3 miles. I can't remember if I told them I needed to slow down or not, but I think I did because we were picking up a pretty good pace. I saw my HR creeping in the 180s so I told them I'm going to have to slow down and at some point we agreed that we'd take a walk break at 3 miles. Third mile was 9:50! That is just FAST for me. Not for them, but for me. I think when your fast like that it's hard not to naturally creep faster.
We walked a bit on the third mile and then ran some more, but honestly I felt like crud. I couldn't keep up. My heart rate kept hitting the 180s and I told them to go on without me several times. I didn't want to try to keep up any more. They were really cool about it, but I still felt like a big loser. We wound up having to take walk breaks about every 1/2 mile for the last 3 miles because I was just spent! I mean really spent. The last 3 miles times were not anything impressive, but considering I walked a lot they weren't that bad. I felt awful making them run at a 12 minute pace for one of the miles, but I just couldn't find any more energy in me.
I am determined I am going to become a faster runner! I have a plan and I am going to stick with it. I do not have a super ambitious goal for my September marathon as I don't have enough time to get to where I want to by then, but I have my eyes set on Kalamazoo! I have a plan and I am going to get there. September I've set a goal of 4:45 or better. I'd love to see 4:30 and that might be possible, but with little time as I have in front of me to get ready I am trying to be realistic.
However, I am probably out of my mind, but I am aiming for sub 4 for Kalamazoo in May 2012! I got a plan running through my brain. I ordered Phil Maffetone's The Maffetone Method. I am planning on doing some mega low heart rate training as soon as I'm done with my fall marathon. I know there are nay sayers on this, but I think these are the people that already have a good aerobic base and don't need it. I know I do not and I know that I need to improve this. I love working with my coach and he's been awesome, but probably going to take a break from coaching and just stick with low heart rate training from end of Sept - Jan. Come January I am going to decide whether to join the Borgess Run Camp or go back to using online coaching or do my own thing. Don't have to decide that quite yet. Anyhow, this is getting long, but feeling like I have a plan in place makes me feel a lot better about today's sucky run. I want to keep a mental note of this one so this time next year I can look at it and reference it and hopefully have a kick butt post to go with it.
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