I started running at the end of May/first of June, in there somewhere. I don't know that I'm exactly at 10 minutes per mile. I need to get a stop watch. I was only using my cell phone which doesn't count seconds or anything so it's likely somewhat over 10 minutes...it did seem to be under 11 though...on that particular day. I've only timed like that once.
Somewhere I had heard of people doing 6 minute miles before...but wasn't sure if that was like an olympic athlete or something
. I kinda thought being able to do 8 minutes a mile would be good...maybe I should aim a little lower? I do know this will take time though.
I originally had set out this plan of training mainly because of where I run and I thought that 5ks was a reasonable amount to be able to run just starting out. Heck, I was partying when I ran my first mile without stopping.
I run at a race track near my house. It's actually practically across the street. It's a training track for race horses and is exactly a half mile for one lap. It's really an almost perfect spot to run. It's nice soft, yet firmly packed gravel, there is a really slight hill on one side, a straight stretch around the top corner, a slight downward slope on the other side to another straight stretch on the bottom turn. The slope up helps me get stronger for hills and the downward one gives me a break and boy can I ever really fly going down it....it's sooooooo much fun. It's all sheltered and completely surrounded by trees so it's private and not really overly windy or freezing now that the weather is getting cold...plus, they plow it all winter. I really couldn't ask for anything better....except that it's only a half mile. So for every mile, I have to do two laps...by the time I hit 6 laps I'm getting way bored. I kinda figured that by sticking to just over 6 laps and working on speed that it would also help with distance in the long run. I thought if I get faster/stronger I will then be able to go farther at the slower paces. Will it not work as well for me that way? Sometimes I wish I had taken a running course. I also come home and do my Push DVD for 40-50 minutes everyday when I get home from running, so going farther just takes too much time, I can't fit it all in.
The other thing is that I have severe asthma so the biggest thing that holds me back are my lungs. Whenever I try to go faster, my lungs hurt and get very tight...though my legs are fine. Even when I'm done doing the 5ks, my legs feel fine, I'm just a little bored at that point and my chest hurts. I was hoping that by working on speed by doing intervals of slow and fast that my lungs would strengthen more.
Yikes, I feel like all I've done is provide excuses not to push myself for father distances and I HATE when people give excuses for taking the easy way out.
*sigh*
At the risk of sounding like even more of wuss though
, for right now, I'm content doing the 5ks. I'm not sure if I'll ever get to a point that running 10ks or more is something I'll be able to do. Of course, I never thought I'd be able to run 5ks either so you never know what will come.
Oh, and another question...any chance that running builds muscles in your butt too?