Being faster

Again, my obsession with running faster is going to kill me.  I was looking at my best times for the Tulip Run that I'm doing this weekend.  The best I ran it was in 2014 where I ran it in 42.48, that is 8.24 min/mile.  I even got first place for my age and a medal.  Ummmm, yeah, I don't think that's going to happen this weekend.  On Tuesday I ran 3.5 (almost) miles at 8.23 min/mile, I don't think I can do that pace for another mile and a half. 

While I was writing that paragraph above, I did a search of my posts for the Tulip Run, and a post from this last summer came up. The title is #marathontraining.  I thought it was strange, so was wondering what I wrote about the Tulip Run in it.  I didn't see the Tulip Run mentioned, but it definitely made me miss my summer running and the long runs.  Especially the feeling of running a distance I've never done before.  That particular post I only ran 13 miles, but it talked about running 14 as my next long run, and I remember that feeling of scared anticipation at doing a distance that was new.  (Can I mention that I was tan last summer! I guess all those summer miles did a number on my skin.)  I definitely am going to do some longer miles this summer. 

From August 2015

I am pretty positive I'm going to do another marathon in the fall.  I would do a half marathon, but the  one I was planning on doesn't look like it is happening.  A coworker is doing the Rock and Roll half in Seattle, but I was looking at the price, and I don't think I can afford it.  Not right now.  So now I'm not sure what to do about a half marathon.  There is the Skagit Flats in September I think, that would be doable. We'll see.

In 3 weeks is Bloomsday in Spokane.  That race is 12k, or 7.46 miles.  (I wonder how they decided on that distance, it seems odd to me.)  Anyway, my best time in that race is 1.10.15, which is about 9.23 min/mile. That was in 2014 as well.  I didn't do it last year because I was starting to build my miles slowly after taking time off, because of plantar faciitis.   That time might be doable to beat.  My last three 8 mile runs were 1 hour 16 min or less (1.16, 1.15 and 1.13), however, Bloomsday has Doomsday hill along with several other hills (you can see the route vertically on the link above).  I normally choose and run flat races (on purpose) but Bloomsday is anything but flat.