Day Eighty Nine - Testing Myself
If you remember last Wednesday, we graduated from the 5 week hill training portion of Team in Training. The week before we started doing hills we ran 3 timed miles as fast as we could. We were told that after the hill training we would most likely improve on these times and that we would be tested again to see what kind of progress we made. Unfortunately I had made dinner plans last night so I was going to miss the group practice. Normally I would have scheduled dinner another night, but Becky and I have been trying to get together with my uncle and his partner for what seems like months to have dinner, so I figured I would just do the test on my own with the handy treadmill version that we get sent via email every week. Well...technically we get an email from Ramon every week, but I have NEVER gotten it (Jen forwards it to me). I have told my mentor several times and he says he's going to make sure I start getting it, but Day 89 and still no weekly emails from Ramon. I think it's sort of a running joke now (I just re-read this - get it? A RUNNING joke? PUN NOW INTENDED). Serves me right for not signing up for the yahoo groups thing initially I suppose.
Aaaaaanyway, I got the forward from Jen which basically broke down the treadmill work out like so: 8 - 10 minute warm up, one mile at a "good pace," 6 minutes recovery, repeat 3 times.
After work I headed to the gym and hopped on the treadmill. I wasn't thrilled to do my time test on the treadmill, as it kind of forces you to keep a pace - which is good in a sense, but sort of makes your results a little more artificial. It was also pouring rain outside, so all things considered I guess I had no major complaints. Plus, I was looking forward to a nice dinner. On my test a month and a half ago I ran three miles in the following times - 7:37, 7:41, 7:47. I think those were the times anyway. You can go look it up if you're really that much of a stickler. After the warm up on the treadmill I set the pace for a 7:14 mile. Then I forgot to switch the display to distance, so I screwed myself up and ended up running the first mile in 7:22 (by my closest approximation anyway). It felt really fast. My recovery went well though and by the third minute I was feeling like I could tackle another mile without much of a problem. I really wanted to make my third mile my best, so the second time I set the treadmill for a 7:41 second mile. This time I screwed up my stopwatch (why I felt the need to time myself on my watch and not just the treadmill clock is a whole other issue of anal retentiveness that I can't even attempt to get into here) and ended up finishing in 7:44. Not my best time, but still pretty decent for a kid born without the gift of quickness. My recovery went well again and soon enough I was staring down the barrell of the third mile. I got ambitious and set the pace for 7:08. I wanted to go sub 7:00, but ended up not having the guts. I finished the mile at 7:11 - my best time ever. It was...not easy. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling the effort this morning. But it also feels good in a way. Again, I know the treadmill isn't the best way to test your speed - more like an endurance test actually, but I'm still happy that I pushed myself to get the workout done at all considering the rain and my dinner plans.
Oh, and it turns out I missed a heck of a practice last night. You should go read Jen's blog (http://girlyoubetterrun.blogspot.com) and find out all about how she got the spirit tee this week. Yeah, I won't even explain further. Congratulations Jen - sorry I missed out on your big moment. Oh, you can also vote in a poll to see if Jen should get a tattoo on her butt for charity. Seriously. And you thought the voting fun was over on Tuesday night. Go check it out. Also, because of the low turn out (and I know Ramon is going to yell at us on Saturday for wussing out - I DID THE WORK MAN!) and the rain they decided to postpone the test until next week.
You can't win kids. You just can't win.
Time for thank you's. I cracked $3000.00 this week after my second fundraising letter went out. Unreal. Thanks to everyone, especially Charlene and Kathleen from work, my cousin Beth and her husband Michael, Mary and Pete (see you tomorrow night Mary and I want whatever I order to be STRONG), and last but not least, JT - who is more than a man among men, he is a cameraman among men. You guys are the best. Thanks again.
More later...
DAY 89
TODAY'S MILEAGE - 5
TOTAL MILEAGE - 186.93
PS - If you are looking for a good way to kick off your weekend my friend Dennis is playing a solo set at The Living Room (www.livingroomny.com) at 7:00PM and then taking the stage again with his fantastic band The Winter Pills at 10:00PM. I'll be there - hopefully for both shows. Hope to see you there.
Aaaaaanyway, I got the forward from Jen which basically broke down the treadmill work out like so: 8 - 10 minute warm up, one mile at a "good pace," 6 minutes recovery, repeat 3 times.
After work I headed to the gym and hopped on the treadmill. I wasn't thrilled to do my time test on the treadmill, as it kind of forces you to keep a pace - which is good in a sense, but sort of makes your results a little more artificial. It was also pouring rain outside, so all things considered I guess I had no major complaints. Plus, I was looking forward to a nice dinner. On my test a month and a half ago I ran three miles in the following times - 7:37, 7:41, 7:47. I think those were the times anyway. You can go look it up if you're really that much of a stickler. After the warm up on the treadmill I set the pace for a 7:14 mile. Then I forgot to switch the display to distance, so I screwed myself up and ended up running the first mile in 7:22 (by my closest approximation anyway). It felt really fast. My recovery went well though and by the third minute I was feeling like I could tackle another mile without much of a problem. I really wanted to make my third mile my best, so the second time I set the treadmill for a 7:41 second mile. This time I screwed up my stopwatch (why I felt the need to time myself on my watch and not just the treadmill clock is a whole other issue of anal retentiveness that I can't even attempt to get into here) and ended up finishing in 7:44. Not my best time, but still pretty decent for a kid born without the gift of quickness. My recovery went well again and soon enough I was staring down the barrell of the third mile. I got ambitious and set the pace for 7:08. I wanted to go sub 7:00, but ended up not having the guts. I finished the mile at 7:11 - my best time ever. It was...not easy. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't feeling the effort this morning. But it also feels good in a way. Again, I know the treadmill isn't the best way to test your speed - more like an endurance test actually, but I'm still happy that I pushed myself to get the workout done at all considering the rain and my dinner plans.
Oh, and it turns out I missed a heck of a practice last night. You should go read Jen's blog (http://girlyoubetterrun.blogspot.com) and find out all about how she got the spirit tee this week. Yeah, I won't even explain further. Congratulations Jen - sorry I missed out on your big moment. Oh, you can also vote in a poll to see if Jen should get a tattoo on her butt for charity. Seriously. And you thought the voting fun was over on Tuesday night. Go check it out. Also, because of the low turn out (and I know Ramon is going to yell at us on Saturday for wussing out - I DID THE WORK MAN!) and the rain they decided to postpone the test until next week.
You can't win kids. You just can't win.
Time for thank you's. I cracked $3000.00 this week after my second fundraising letter went out. Unreal. Thanks to everyone, especially Charlene and Kathleen from work, my cousin Beth and her husband Michael, Mary and Pete (see you tomorrow night Mary and I want whatever I order to be STRONG), and last but not least, JT - who is more than a man among men, he is a cameraman among men. You guys are the best. Thanks again.
More later...
DAY 89
TODAY'S MILEAGE - 5
TOTAL MILEAGE - 186.93
PS - If you are looking for a good way to kick off your weekend my friend Dennis is playing a solo set at The Living Room (www.livingroomny.com) at 7:00PM and then taking the stage again with his fantastic band The Winter Pills at 10:00PM. I'll be there - hopefully for both shows. Hope to see you there.
posted by Demps at 8:26 AM
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