track attack

today i had planned on going to the local college track and running 1 mile for speed and then running 1-2 miles more at an easier pace.  i have gotten faster and was sure that i could break 10 min on my mile.  the weather has dropped tremendously and i thought i could definitely do it today. it was cool and very humid. it has been raining since sunday.  even though it wasn't raining this morning, it looked like it could open up at any time. 

there was a man walking on the track, about half way around. i figured i wouldnt catch up to him and hoped he would be done soon so he wouldn't see me.  not sure what i would have done if there had been more than one person there....  luckily he left after he finished that lap. 

i started off and felt fast but i couldnt catch my breath.  i couldnt get my breathing regulated until about the 2nd to 3rd lap. lap 1-  i was under the time i needed, lap 2 - i was a hair over, lap 3 - a little more over, but i really tried to push on lap 4.  it just didnt happen. i was actually 30 seconds off my best 1 mile time from july :(  major bummer.

let me just say that i DO NOT like running on a track.  when i swam people would say all the time "you just go back and forth, it's so boring".  i never thought that, but many people do.  well, running on a track to me is like all those people that say you just go back and forth.  only i think it's worse bc you can actually see how much farther you have to go.  in a pool you are never that far from the wall, even though you turn and go the other way, you can't see THAT much in front of you so it seems like it's not as long.  on a track that's not the case. you can see the whole thing and think "gosh, i have to do this x amount of times...." :( 

i took a break after mile 1. i walked for a minute or so and decided what my game plan would be for the rest of the run. would i stay on the track or go run on the street around the track. i decided to stay on the track and that i would do 2 easy laps, then do 2 laps fast, 2 more easy, then the last 2 fast.  after my first 2 easy laps i had to stop and stretch my calves, they were tight and starting to cramp.  

i got through 2.25 miles when jeremy (who had gone to run in town) entered the track. he was almost finished. i told him i would do 1 more lap around and then i'd be done.  i ended up doing 2.5 miles, rather than 3 but that's ok with me.  even though the weather was cool, the humidity was not my friend today.