A common measure of a runner is the time it takes to run a mile. That thought has been rattling around in the back of my head for a while (since a co-worker asked me, and I didn't have a simple answer). I answered the question tonight.
I was scheduled for a 17 minute run (recovery week). I decided that I'd set my gps for a 7 minute mile, and then do the remaining 10 minutes pretty slowly to cool down. The 7 minute mile has always been an out-there target for me... never been able to do it, even in high school. I think my best mile time in high school was 8 minutes (maybe a little less).
Give some perspective here: a 7 minute mile is about a 21 minute 5K race.
In my longer targeted training 5K's I've been able to hold a 7:30 mile for 3 miles, with some work (and the help of the gps). I set the GPS for 7 minutes per mile, and took off. It was HARD, and I pushed HARDER - very feral: grunting and lunging and screaming. It was a good thing I was alone. It was all to the greater good - I finished the mile in 6:22. A full 38 seconds ahead of pace. I took a short rest, and resumed the last 11 minutes of my run at a MUCH slower pace.
That is, without a doubt, the fastest I have ever run a distance. In my mind, this cinches it: I'm a better runner at 34 than I was at 17. Pretty cool.
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