So close, so far
Today's race was the Jack Frosts 5K raising money for Catholic Campus Ministries. As the name implies, it was cold. But nowhere near as cold and icy as last year.
I ran in my singlet and had a pretty fun time.
However, I knew it might not be my best race because I've gone from running five days a week to running around three days a week. Kind of sad, but there are a lot of things that could be described as sad. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that bad. It just is what it is.
Anyhow, to the race. Perhaps I started off too fast. However, this was one of those races where the miles were clearly marked. At the 1 mile mark, I looked down and saw that I had run a 6:36 first mile. Unfortunately, I had slowed down quite a bit by that point.
I finished the race in 23:49 for an overall pace of 7:41 minutes per mile. Sigh.
I'm not really that disappointed. I had fun.
Last year I got a medal in this race, although there were only three people in my age group so it was kind of a medal by default. But I look at it and now that I got up on a cold day when the roads were covered in ice and I ran the best I knew how.
When do you ever deserve a trophy or a medal after all? There's always someone faster somewhere. But if they don't pay the registration fee and come out and prove it, then it's all conjecture.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. - TR
I'm striving. I'm working at it. I'm trying to get better.
Like I said in a previous post, I quit my job. My last day is Tuesday. Two more days at the office. But I've got to believe that things are going to get better. I've got to believe that my best days are ahead of me.
I just look at today's race. That 6:36 mile didn't seem that tough at the start. I just couldn't hold it together. But I think I can if I keep trying and working to get better. It's one of my goals to strive for. That and finding a new and better job.
I ran in my singlet and had a pretty fun time.
However, I knew it might not be my best race because I've gone from running five days a week to running around three days a week. Kind of sad, but there are a lot of things that could be described as sad. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that bad. It just is what it is.
Anyhow, to the race. Perhaps I started off too fast. However, this was one of those races where the miles were clearly marked. At the 1 mile mark, I looked down and saw that I had run a 6:36 first mile. Unfortunately, I had slowed down quite a bit by that point.
I finished the race in 23:49 for an overall pace of 7:41 minutes per mile. Sigh.
I'm not really that disappointed. I had fun.
Last year I got a medal in this race, although there were only three people in my age group so it was kind of a medal by default. But I look at it and now that I got up on a cold day when the roads were covered in ice and I ran the best I knew how.
When do you ever deserve a trophy or a medal after all? There's always someone faster somewhere. But if they don't pay the registration fee and come out and prove it, then it's all conjecture.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. - TR
I'm striving. I'm working at it. I'm trying to get better.
Like I said in a previous post, I quit my job. My last day is Tuesday. Two more days at the office. But I've got to believe that things are going to get better. I've got to believe that my best days are ahead of me.
I just look at today's race. That 6:36 mile didn't seem that tough at the start. I just couldn't hold it together. But I think I can if I keep trying and working to get better. It's one of my goals to strive for. That and finding a new and better job.
posted by bl at 10:36 am
2 Comments:
wow, that's pretty fast for that first mile. Next time, run the second mile at that pace, too. Then the third in the next one after that...
My training's been all fouled up lately, with the unplanned trip to the Northeast. I packed my running gear, but it only took one try to realize that it's not good enough to have a long-sleeved shirt when it's snowing--you need long pants, too. Shorts do not cut it. So, in light of that, I was more surprised that I was able to run 9.5 miles today than that I ran it pretty slowly.
I find that speed is always the first thing to go. Endurance lasts quite a bit longer. Endurance, it seems, is mostly mental. Speed is partly mental too, but there's also the fitness to be able to run fast.
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