And Still He Dreams of 5K…
I went to the gym today, aiming to just do an easy 4-5 miles on the treadmill.
After all, my legs and hips were pretty much shot from the long run on Sunday, plus some easy mileage on Monday combined with a CrossFit interval training session.
I ached; I hurt.
You say “toe-MAY-toe.”
I say “my legs want to just die.”
Let’s call the whole thing off.
But, no, onward I went (sort of, since I was technically running in place). I did an easy mile warm-up, and then bumped things up to a 6.6 MPH pace. Two miles or so in, I was feeling pretty good, so I bumped it up again to 7 MPH, and in the last bit, up to 7.5 MPH.
If Ryan or Meb or Deena – or, hell, my friend Jennie – is reading this, I know, that isn’t terribly fast for you. But it is for me!
In the end, I covered 5K (3.1 miles) in 26:29, a full 90 seconds off my pre-Miami Marathon best.
I could have gone faster. Should have gone faster.
During my marathon training, I had a singular focus – sure, I dropped weight and my blood pressure improved and I felt better, but that was a by-product of the effort.
My aim was to finish a marathon under 5 hours, preferably in 4:40. I had a goal at which I could aim in each and every run. I met at least one of them, felt great satisfaction, enjoyed some Miami nightlife (there’s no video evidence on my phone, but oddly I don’t remember actually filming it), and returned home a marathoner.
And then sort of just… ran… when I felt like it, as hard as I felt like running. So, not very!
My realization today was that I really have not been pushing myself like I should: I need to work harder, run faster, and reach for something new when I run. I don’t just pound the pavement for health; I do it to better myself. To see what this 38-year old body can still do after several years of neglect.
During today’s run, when it started to get difficult, when my breathing – and my legs – became heavy, I found that focus once again.
Odd that 3.1 miles taught me something that 26.2 made me forget.
And now, a little motivational music for the kids in the audience: