This Sunday I'm running my first race in what feels like quite some time. It is a 10K in Central Park, and the reason I'm writing about it here is because I'm ready to take this whole "running fast" thing seriously. Fast is, of course, a relative term. Still, I've been training all winter fairly consistently and feel as fit as I've ever been. I'm looking forward to racing this week to get a sense of where I am, speed-wise.
Though I can always do more speedwork, the biggest advantage to running with different groups of people is that about half the people I run with are faster than me. This makes me run faster. Ideally, I also have running buddies that experience the same challenge running with me. And, it is nice to run alone too- those runs are my most pure "me time."
Sunday I ran alone, about 10 1/2 miles on the bridal path, and raced the sunset returning down the west side back to my apartment. I had just a few minutes of the most incredible sunlight. Unfortunately, much of it was wasted fiddling with my little redi-shade tempoary blinds and setting up my camera, but at least I still got to appreciate the light.
Anyway, point is that I am loving running so much right now. Also, I have the capacity to put a little more into my training- stretching, strength training, some attempts at speedwork etc. Tonight I ran into a friend, who I see fairly frequently on nights when we're not running with the club. Though I was finishing up my run and he was just starting, he talked me into doing a quarter mile hill repeat up Cat Hill. I love that feeling at the top, where your lungs and throat burn... not that it feels good, but I don't typically run in ways to feel that burn. And it is certainly tough to get to that point on my own, when I'm running just for fun. But I did one repeat, and yes, I do believe that each and every hill repeat will make me stronger and faster.
No comments:
Post a Comment