Speedy like a turtle

Since I started running, I have been concentrating on building distance. I can't ever see running a marathon - as I've said, I can't think of anything I like to do for five hours straight. Nothing. And I'm not starting with running. I think I'll top out at around 10 miles/15 kilometers, somewhere in that range.

Which leaves speed as the other challenge. And I have to tell you - I am slow. When my distance was at its peak in the fall, it took me an hour to run 9K. The freakish 10K run that I did three weeks ago (out of the blue, my feet just took me one street further than my planned 7K route - but that worked out to an extra 3K to get home!) took me 80 minutes. 80 minutes of running, three weeks of recovery. Not the smartest thing I have ever done.

I am a plodder. My arms, while they do move, are really just flopping around uselessly. My heart rate holds steady, my breathing is easy. It's good. It's enjoyable. But you see, I have my heart set on running some races this summer. Last summer, I ran one 5K race, with the goal of finishing without stopping. Well, it turned out it was really a 4K race, and while I did finish, I was near the very back of the pack. Old ladies running with fanny packs passed me. The course cheerleaders (you're almost there! Only 3.5 more kilometers!) gave me looks of pity. The only person I passed slowed to a walk. My competitive nature is not too cool with that.

So, it is clear that if I am to do these races, I need to do some speedwork. I know the term - I see it in Runner's World magazine. But I am always to humbled by the performance and dedication of all of the hardbodied, eat sleep and breathe runners that are featured in there, so while I do read the articles, I never feel like they apply to casual runners like myself. They make me feel like running 5K is really just a warmup - almost a waste of time - not the fabulous accomplishment I know it to be. And that running 5K in 40 minutes is not something you should be talking about in public. Especially in such a widely read blog as this one.

So for the past two weeks, my runs have centered around speed. Which really means I just try to run faster. I'm sure you were expecting a more formal plan from someone like myself, but that's really it. I try to run faster. It feels funny to run harder - my plodding pace is very natural to me, and the effort I have to expend to run faster shocks me every time. If I start out running fast, I actually get out of breath within a few minutes. If I build up to it, I feel good. But when I really hit my new speedy stride, I feel awesome. I feel strong. My arms have purpose! My legs propel me forward! I fly downhill! I chew up the hills! I don't feel like a loser runner when I see people I know! It is a feeling worth cultivating, I tells ya.

If you want to see the pace I am shooting for, listen to Eminem's Lose Yourself. No, not the slow beginning. The beat of that song is the pace my feet like. Of course, I can only keep that pace for about the length of song. I run like a drunk runner now - my pace is erratic - I speed up, I slow down, I speed up again. All at random. Sometimes I slow down on purpose, just to check and make sure that I really was running faster.

So last weekend, I timed myself, expecting great things. I walked for three minutes, and than ran most of the rest of the way, finishing with another three or so minutes of walking (ending at the previously mentioned corner - I find my hip to be less sore with a longer cooldown, unfortunately). I figure I actually ran for 4.5K. That took me 30 minutes. So, I went and looked up times for the 5K runs here last year. And guess what? I am still going to be at the back of the pack. Speedy like a turtle.

My race is Sunday. Wish me luck. And speed.