I’m writing this an hour after I stepped onto the treadmill and started the last of my seven week 5k PR challenge runs. I did my stretching warmup and I got into the run with a three minute lower intensity run before I hit that pace button to start at an 8:28 minute mile pace and increased it a notch every 30 seconds in order to ease into things over the first two minutes. I then upped the pace to an 8:11 minute mile pace and stayed there for about eight minutes before increasing it to an 8:07 pace for the next ten minutes. I settled in at an 8:03 minute mile pace and stayed there for the rest of the run as it seemed like the absolute pushing pace…I didn’t feel last if I (or the the belts on the treadmill!) could go any further than that.
I went into this run ready to do whatever I needed to do and I gave it my all. I finished in 25:13 which was an 8:08 minute mile overall pace. I am beyond proud of that time and that pace, especially as I look back at where I was seven weeks ago. I started at an 26:42 and week by week, I saw the number get closer and closer to that 25 minute number. I shaved off a smidgeon under a minute and a half in that time and I can’t bemoan or invalidate the work I put into this. The mile repeat runs that had me holding a mile at a pace I’ve never done before…the speed interval runs that pushed me each time with longer burst times and more interval…the strength training that didn’t just help me get stronger in my upper body but also strengthened my lower body to handle these weekly 5k challenges. Every Friday, I would get an email from Runkeeper, congratulating me on my fastest 5k and offering me a discount on the Runkeeper Go app. Each week, I got closer and closer to what seemed like an impossible goal from the moment Jeff suggested it. And although I didn’t get to reach that seemingly daunting number, I got pretty darn close to it and I am celebrating it.
From 'Not Me' To 'Why Not?!' 