I have a yearly standing goal to run under an 8-minute mile. It's not that I like running (although I think I might), but what I like is what it says about my health. Being able to run a sub-8-minute mile for a 50+-year-old it a great indicator of heart health. Hence the yearly goal.
On Sunday morning I got out to run at the track. It was the usual sh!t show with a ton of people there. This is always the case whatever track I go to at whatever time. This day the field was overrun by adult flag football enthusiasts. Who knew. I was tempted to not even get out of the car, but I figured, no time like the present.
To backtrack a bit, for the past two months I have been following a very specific conditioning regimen. It's been on the airdyne and by heart rate, I have shown nice improvement and recovery. Plus, my conditioning was good to start off with, especially for an over the hill meathead.
Back to the run. Because I don't run I have zero concept of pace. So for this trip I used an audible timer app on my phone. The first 1/4 mile on the track was 1:45. At the second lap I was 3:50. I fell off my pace a bit, breathing was brutal, calves were tight, and I was miserable.
I decided to abort the run. Knowing myself, I could have pushed through, but even if I came in at 7:59 and reached my sub 8-minute goal, I would not have been happy. The real goal in my head this year was for it to feel a little more comfortable versus feeling like I was running from a starving cheetah.
Luckily it's early in the year and I have time to adjust my training. More running is necessary. Perhaps I even need to walk back my statement on not enjoying running. It's not like I love the airdyne. I think I need to adjust my attitude and appreciate that I can run. Plus it's a great time of year to get outside and go.
Tinkering with programs and nutrition is really fun for me because I don't have to do it for a living. I like figuring out the puzzle. Like the title says "Failure, The Thing That Happens Before Success."
