Week 5 Day 3

AWESOME!

That's all I have to say about today's run.

I know if Bill were here he'd say, "If I weren't so awed by the apparent ease with which you are navigating this course, I might be angry with you for nearly knocking me unconscious with your very awesomeness!"

Today was supposed to be two 30 minute intervals with a one minute walk in between. I have been mentally leaping that hurdle for a few days. That sounded like a lot. Like it would be really hard. But I am determined to do this, so I knew I would have to cross that bridge. Today was the day. Here's the breakdown:

30 min/2.94mi/10:12 pace
32:24min/3.00mi/10:48 pace

1:03:25/6.00mi/10:34 pace

Wow. I ran for more than an hour. More than sixty minutes, folks! And I felt FABULOUS! The weather was a cool 60-something degrees. I could not have asked for a better day. I know my friends in SoFla were suffering the serious rain of the tropical storm, but I had perfect weather. I am actually looking forward to Week 6's runs, which are all 60 minutes, no walks.

The plan going forward is: the Navy Ball 5k on Friday, Week 6 workouts Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, possible 10k on Saturday and "official" 10k on the 16th. I say it like that because I found out about next week's 10k yesterday. It is at Lutheran Redeemer, which is just down the street from the shop. That is too convenient. I wish I had seen it before registering for the other, which is at Tiger Point in Gulf Breeze, halfway to Fort Walton Beach. I will have to open the shop late that day, as there is no way I can run it and get back in time, shower, and open by 11. But it was the only one I found and so I registered. I don't regret it. I am a little bummed that Carol, my septuagenarian running inspiration, will not be able to run it with me. We thought it was perfect, as she lives there and we could party at her house after, but other commitments have come up. That's OK. I will soldier on and rock that baby!

Funny thing, the hardest part of filling out that registration form was filling in the question, "Age on Race Day". I won't go into a new age group, but I do have a new number to fill in. But that was part of what makes that race so much sweeter. Happy Birthday to me!

So I think Bill has issued me a little bit of a challenge. I was thinking that I would need 75 minutes to run the 10k. Maybe 70. Since today had me doing 6.00 in 1:03, with a one minute walk, he doesn't seem to think I'll need the extra time. Since a 10k is 6.2 miles, at my last interval pace of 10:48, I should only need about two more minutes to do the additional 0.2 miles, thus bringing my time to 1:06 (rounding up). And that still includes the one minute walk. So I should be able to do it in 66 minutes ... almost 10 minutes (or one mile) off my estimated time. Yes, I am a geek and I am proud of that.

Woo hoo!