Local kid runs fastest slow time of his (self) documented running career

Recently while reading headlines on CNN I suddenly realized I was reading headlines on CNN and not from The Onion. Either that says I'm completely out of touch with reality, or this is a truly messed up world we live in where real news headlines have started to sound like gag stories out a parody newspaper; or both.

Today I did a bit of a speed test during lunch. I've never really gone out and tested how fast I can handle a few miles aside from a handful of short races where timing was very unofficial and results were approximate at best. So, this test was just to sort of gauge where i stand as a runner and within my current fitness level in general. What I found out is good and bad.

First the good. I ran a faster pace then I'd previously posted and am happy that I'm relatively faster then maybe I've previously believed. I actually appear to have sped up during the second half of the run which is exactly the opposite of what I'd thought during the run. Though on the other hand I ran into a bit of a headwind during the majority of the first half of the run with an occasional tail in the second half.

And the bad. I'm slow. Guys like Terry are fast guys like him run 2:15 (and lower) marathons whereas my only marathon to date was a 3:50. So, expectations should be somewhat low for me. Also, I felt like shit when I finished; though I still know I had more I could have given (I know that could be a plus also but I'm choosing to highlight my inability to harness that extra ability as my harping point.)

Disclaimers* I felt like crap from the start of the run. Not physically like sick, but my stride wasn't clicking and felt choppy and erratic the whole way through. Not sure if that was the higher pace. It most certainly didn't help either that I didn't warm up whatsoever before beginning my timed piece, was in shorts and a t-shirt and it was overcast, slightly breezy and about 45 degrees out either.

Alright excuses over; a few other notables. Light stoppage time was right at a minute and a half. I'm not sure what to think about the four lights I had to stop for with regards to my overall time. On one hand I slowed coming to a light hoping it'd change and I'd keep some momentum going into it. On the other the rest gained during a longer stop of about 40 seconds seemed to allow me to pick back up into a faster pace. Though after that wore off I felt worse then before and felt like I slowed; whether from the sudden burst from a stand still or from tightening muscles I don't really know.

Anyway, here's to my new 5k unofficial "official" PR. And here's hoping to many more to come... preferably 4 1/2 weeks from now in my first triathlon run...