Part 3: Run Club, and the FAN 5K

Families against Narcotics 5K

21:30

6'55/m

A little over two weeks ago - I attempted a 3 mile run, and had to stop from serious knee pain.  I tried again the next day with the same results.  The next day, I said "f' it" - I'll run through it.  It wasn't easy, and it was slow, but I pushed through the 2.9 miles of my what is now "old" running course in considerable pain.

It seemed like it might be the end of the road.   Two days later, I joined a running club, and changed my entire way of training.

No more 2.9 mile course.  The new course is 3 miles, which conveniently takes me to the Madison Heights Civic Center, around their 1 mile track, and then right back home.  

More importantly, I'm now mixing it up.  No more of this 2.9 miles each and every day.   Currently I'm rotating between a nice "easy" 4 miles, a hard 3 miles, and a new exercise where I sprint for a half-mile four straight times (with 3 minutes breaks in between)

This is the new regimen setup by my new running coach, Ish.  That's right - I have a running coach.  He setup the running club I joined, and has for whatever reason taken an interest in personally running along side me each day and planning out my runs.   

The most significant of the three being the half-mile sprints.  It was the hardest workout all year - despite only being a combined 2 miles (with breaks), but the next few days - and 3-mile run to follow - felt sensational. I felt muscles I'd never felt before... and it was a nice feeling... tough to explain...

And so two weeks after I thought I was done, I was lined up for a 5K in Fraser, MI; which I had just picked the night before - and I was feeling pretty excited about possibly getting under the 7 minute pace.  

Unfortunately, I discovered right away that the nice muscle sensation had diminished - but still - it was a good first mile - 6'50.   At 1.5 I was up to 7'03, and then 7'04 after 2.   

I recalled being at 7'04 for the Royal Oak run 2 months earlier, where I finished strong with a 7 minute pace.  I wasn't feeling confident that I could repeat this, and then some...  

It turns out I was able to do this.  Despite struggling mightely in the last half mile, I gave it everything I had that last 100 years.   Because of a timing issue - I didn't know what I came in.  My phone read a 7'03 pace - but I realized I started and stopped it late, so I expected the official time to be improved, but couldn't imagine coming in any better than 7.

You can only imagine the jubilation I felt when I read 21:30, 6'55.   I did it.  Bucket list item checked!  I came in under 7 minutes.  Yes - I had done it once before when I was 30 - but this seems more special, a bit more earned; and more importantly - just the beginning.

Tomorrow I plan to run a nice 4 mile run, and then Monday - we'll see with Coach Ish has in mind.  

But going forward, no more daily stats.  I'll just chime in as things development, and of course, for each of my monthly 5Ks (this is the new goal, by the way - run a 5K each month - every year - never under 7'30 pace.   This will assure I am always in shape - and that I am officially a runner :)