Week 2 is halfway over, and I'm still going strong. While it would certainly be more than troubling if just 12 days into the New Year I was already sick of running, it does provide comfort to know I don't dread waking up and going for a long run, like I do on Wednesdays. To be honest, I'd say I rather enjoy it. It gives me the opportunity to put every thought, worry, or trouble to the side and just think about running. The duration of the run leaves me tired and sweaty which is feels good because I've burned a lot of calories and done something that benefits my overall health. In addition, because it's early in the morning the weather is nice, not too hot and on days like today there's no rain or no wind, it makes for a great run.
So how do you define a "great run." I suppose that depends on the person running. For some, a run that's over before it even starts is a "great run" (of note, this probably doesn't help America's obesity problem). Other might consider a great run, a run in which they feel so good that they seem to forget they are running, or find themselves not checking their watch or GPS every few seconds to see how far or how long they've gone. Still others I'm sure consider any run with their friends or dog a great run. While I can see the value in all of the other "great runs" (with the exception of the first one), my definition is a little different. At least for now, for me a "great run" is quite simple; it's based on the pace I'm able to maintain.
Like I said, that defines a great to me for now, and as I progress on my running journey that is sure to change, if not in how I define, surely in the pace I determine to be "great." On typical "long run" days like Wednesday where I am running more than 8 miles, my goal is to run 8 miles in under 1 hour. That equates to less than a 7:30 minute/mile pace. Today was the first time I was able to do that in a while. I completed 8.1 miles in 59 minutes and 18 seconds which is a 7:19 pace. It certainly helps that the weather conditions were close to ideal: not too hot, very little wind, no rain, but I also think it shows that I'm getting faster, and that's a good feeling.
While a 7:19 pace is respectable, it is not my ultimate goal. To qualify for the Boston Marathon, someone my age needs to run a marathon in 3 hours and 10 minutes which is about a 7:10 pace. Now there are a lot of other contributing factors in marathons like aid stations to keep you hydrated, support from fans and fellow runners, and most importantly an extra boost of adrenaline, but there is definitely some training required to get yourself ready for that duration of a run (3 times longer than my current "long runs") and I do need to get faster. For at least the next couple of weeks my goal will be to continue to run 8 miles in less than 1 hour. Perhaps in February I can start looking at shaving time off that goal until MAYBE by the end of the year I'm able to do 8 miles in 56 minutes or less (7 minute/mile pace). It's a bit of a lofty goal, but one that is possible. Still that's not what I'm really looking for at this time. All I'm focused on is logging more miles, hopefully while completing a few more great runs. So for now, I'll just keep running.
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