Just 6 total along the trail in a time of 42:12 for a 7:02/mile pace. Yesterday Sasha asked me what my fastest 1/4 mile was. I told him 56 seconds. Then he asked me if I could do it now. I thought I could still do a 58. That got me curious. I wanted to see how fast I could go. I started out just running my regular pace and decided to try it at a flat part of the trail. I did the first mile in 7:14, then 7:09 for the second mile, and hit 3/4 mile at 5:10 for the third mile. That was when I started the 1/4 mile. It was a running start, and the final time was 66 seconds giving me 6:16 for the third mile. It has been a while since I ran that fast, and it felt good. I felt there was still something left in the tank, and that I could have gone faster. At the same time though, I think my legs were a little surprised at the speed. They aren't used to it. I think I also have a bit of a mental block to that speed too. I was having flashbacks to a particularly bad wipeout on my mission while running fast. My mind was saying, "Don't go too fast now. Remember what happened last time." We were running home to our apartment (a typical occurrence with this particular missionary companion), and I had fallen a little behind. I decided to pick up the pace and catch up. I was running top speed when I stumbled, did a flip, landed on my back and skidded for about 10 feet. It hurt. I learned two things from that. Don't try to run that fast while wearing a full suit and buttoned up trenchcoat or while running on uneven ground. I wasn't making full strides due to the trenchcoat, and I think I hit a dip in the sidewalk and lost it.
One thing I did notice today was that my form was better at that speed. I was getting more of a midfoot strike rather than a heel strike. I finished up the 3 miles with splits of 7:24, 7:04, and 7:03. | 