Friday, August 22, 2008

A motivation to run faster..

I ran with some of my Colorado Relay Team -mates last night. In the dark..I almost didn't go because I knew I could not possibly keep up with these people. Their idea of a jog is my PR in a 5 mile run. I was really grumpy when I got there thinking what the hell am I doing here? I am not even running in this damn relay-I am a driver! I have always felt an inferiority complex in the running department. Stems from my swimming days as a kid when I was one of the slower kids (another therapy session I can feel it coming). Anyways, here I am with Dread Pirate, Bones, and some other fast running peeps. I basically knew unless I wanted to run in the dark, by myself, on an unsafe river trail, I would just need to suck it up and run fast. So I did. I ran as fast as I could until DP finally said, OK time to turn around. Little did she know I was about to throw up and was screaming inside When is this going to be over?? We turned around and I managed to keep the pace until about a half mile to go. I said I was going to just jog it in and they said We are jogging! Now my ego was really bruised, but I slowed it up and jogged in at my pace. The whole run was 5 miles. I did it in 55 minutes which seriously for me, is fast!

The key to get faster is to run with faster people. I know this. I realize it goes against all the Mark Allen principles. I am questioning if I can even get consistently faster at my age. I am really proud of myself that I was able to keep up last night even if it was only 50 minutes. That was my speed session of the week..

Today I feel surprisingly good. I am off to the second day of a somewhat interesting seminar on problem gambling. It makes me never want to put a dime in a slot machine for fear I might become addicted. Very scary stories of folks who lose everything due to gambling...

11 comments:

Sluggo said...

I'm really glad you showed up. You are a much better runner than you give yourself credit for, you did great.

Bones said...

Hey Debi, We were just joking about jogging, it's the standard response:) It's just in the Outlaw nature to give everyone a hard time! You know I was a little grupy also but after the run and being around all you great folks I finished up in a great mood!

21stCenturyMom said...

Hey Missy - 3 years ago at the age of 50 my average pace was about 11 min miles. My average over this year is 10:29 and I have plenty of runs that at a sub 10 minute pace (I started the year at about an 11:30 pace).

I know MAO got you through an IM and that's great but running 5 or 6 miles is a different thing. If you run faster, you get faster.

Sounds like you did just fine, to me!

momo said...

yep, i think so too. its the same on the bike - ride with faster people, you get faster too. now if i could just figure out the swimming thing...

Anonymous said...

You're so funny Debi! I love your thought of "what the hell am I doing here? I am not even running in this damn relay-I am a driver!"

Great run...it'll pay off for you, and you are fast.

RBR said...

Go you! I am so intimidated to run with anyone faster than me and you not only went out and did it, you held your own!

I did the Calistoga to Santa Cruz Relay a couple of year ago and even though I was GROSSLY undertrained I had a blast. Plus you are going with a group that you train with all the time, You are going to have so much fun!

Calyx Meredith said...

You got out there and trained not only your body to run faster but your heart and your head to work through those voices that made you doubt yourself. And you were able to hang for nearly the whole thing! Yay you!! I'm way slower and intimidated by fast people but I want to do what you did - get brave enough to keep pushing the whole envelope. (How does it feel to be my hero for the day?! :D)

skoshi said...

Debi--sounds like you did a great job out there, especially keeping up with those guys AND running at night.
We missed you at the F1 today.
N

Podium quest said...

Congrats on a stellar run! You've got cahonies running with those guys. You'll
not catch me trying to hang with them.

the Dread Pirate Rackham said...

you were awesome, debi - truly. it's fun to run with you, let's do it again soon!

Kelly said...

Good job!! I think it's fantastic that you even got out there. I have yet to get up the nerve to join the fast running group.