Timed Mile! (doesn't count)

Hi, folks.  I ran my first "timed mile" of the season Friday in 5:58.3.  However, this does not really "count" and differs from a mile time trial in several ways:  1) I did not wear racing flats; 2) it is pre-season - defined as the time period before high school track starts having meets; and 3) it was an informal start...I simply walked up to the line and started, rather than backing up a few yards, then scuttling quickly up to the line and shouting "boom!" (my usual method for mile time trials.

With that established, I was ok with the results, as my goal for this pre-season mile was sub 6 minutes.  Unfortunately, it did not come easy, and I was forced to run an 85-second final quarter with some element of suffering to dip under 6 minutes.

Today I ran 7.3 miles, my longest training run of the year so far.  Last week I ran 25.4 miles in 5 runs, so things are progressing quite well.

Stay tuned!!

Mark

Spring Training!

After essentially no winter here in western New York State, Spring has also arrived early.  Last night I ran in shorts and a t-shirt (of course in this modern era, t-shirt means a running "tech" shirt) under sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s.  I ran 5.0 miles on trails, averaging 8:43/mile.  This was a mini "comeback" run of sorts after missing 3 straight days due to illness.  Hope to be back out there tonight for about 4 miles.  I'll keep doing trails if it hasn't rained, and switch to roads when necessary.  With these temperatures, I'm thinking about getting on the track to make sure I can break 6 in the mile before the track season gets formally underway.  Of course, at our age, why are there "seasons?"  We're not on teams anymore, or in school.  Somehow, though, I still think of getting on the track during the Spring, and cross country in the Fall.

Mark