I feel the need, the need for speed!

Okay, I’m nowhere near that fast of a runner but I AM getting faster and the only person I’m competing with is myself…not Kara Goucher who ran the Boston Marathon in 2:24:52, a personal record for her, and then said it was “not my day, but that’s okay”. 

Interval runs have definitely helped push my running to a new, faster level.  I used to be a 10:00/mile runner in every run I went out to complete, whether it was 3 miles or 13.1.  After training for a couple of half marathons I needed a challenge and of course it’s all about beating yourself so I now compete with myself at every race in an attempt to run a personal record (PR).  What are my PR’s you ask?  

10K: I LOVE this distance.  Long enough to feel like you’ve worked out hard but short enough to push yourself a little faster and not feel dead for the rest of the day.  PR was at the 2011 Mercer Island 10K, 57:36

Half Marathon: To date I have run 6 half’s (or I can remember at least 6).  My current PR is from my latest half back in November, 2010 in Monterey at the Big Sur Half Marathon race.  2:06.  After that run all I could think about was running a sub 2-hour half…I know…I’m starting to get crazy.

Big Sur Half Marathon morning

There have been a handful of 5K's but I never kept track of my times for those and they were more fun runs that ended in a beer garden :)

Back to intervals.  Last night Kath and I ran an interval workout at a track by her casa.  Her sister/our personal running trainer gave us the following to complete with my actual minute per mile breakdowns for the FAST parts.

.75 mile warmup

.125 slow

.5 fast  - 8:32/mile average pace.  I discussed with Kath during this speedy burst that we would have to run this pace for an ENTIRE marathon to quality for Boston, that is a scary thought, but sort of an ultimate running dream of mine

.125 slow

.5 fast - 8:36

.125 slow

.125 fast - 8:04

.125 slow

.125 fast - 8:10

.125 slow

.125 fast - 8:02

.125 slow

.125 fast - 7:45

.125 slow

.75 cooldown

All slow miles were run at about a 10:00 / mile pace.  I felt good and strong and since I was changing speed all the time I didn't get bored.  

Watching and reading all the hype for the Boston marathon has got me even more excited for Chicago and this week we even booked our hotel for the event.  So registration is done, hotel booked...this is already the MOST expensive running race I'll ever run but I have a feeling when I cross the finish line it will all be worth it!