The Seven Miler - You Just Never Know!

Well it’s Saturday morning and I am home typing and watching the kiddos as they watch Wallace and Gromit! A load of laundry is in the dryer and we're going to go grocery shopping soon. I would normally be out on the 8 mile run, but my hubby has his own run to do – 50K/~32 miles – so we work with each other’s schedule. I will be running the 8 with our head coach, Amy, tomorrow morn, 6 a.m. Wish me luck!

Last weekend, we ran 7 miles. We were lumped into larger groups so we could shake ourselves out and run at our own pace. I saw a friend, S., and she asked me to run with her and her running buddy/friend, J., at a 3:1 pace, and I knew they were a bit schneller than what I normally run. I was confident from my good maintenance run earlier in the week and have been toying in my mind about trying a 3:1 ratio, so I accepted this offer. I checked it out with my other running gals and they said ‘fine! Have fun!’ so off I went.

I enjoyed running with S & J, the 3:1 gals! The conversation and pace were new. S said she was having an off day, however, and so I think we didn’t quite run at their full or usual potential, thus allowing me to keep up. All in all, we had a great run, I did anyway. We finished 7 miles in 1 hour 29 minutes, just 6 minuets faster than my 6 mile run! :o I wanted to know right then what I should do next week (today), what group to be in. I told myself to be patient; that I would certainly know by the next run. And I sure do! I am not a sub-13 minute/mile gal. My legs were sore the next two days and my run on Monday was pretty lame, more like a walk. Running is pulling out a more competitive side of me, I would love to be able to run faster with them, but the bigger mileage will kick my tookis if I go too fast. I have to increase mileage and speed gradually, says my homebased coach. He would know, I have to try to remember what he says.

Tomorrow will be interesting, for sure. I don’t know how fast Amy runs, but she’s very familiar with my pace. I guess she figures we’ll do OK together. I think I am just a slower gal, and I have to be OK with that. Thursday night when I ran, I did a 5 K in 40 minutes, with some walk breaks, 13.3 minutes/mile. I guess I just want everything now, and am learning again that that is not possible. Just get to the start line uninjured. And if slower gets me that way, just be OK with that. Funny, just a few months ago I would never dream of wanting to run, or run faster! You just never know!