Until my birthday! If you’re reading this, perhaps you should consider getting me a new pair of athletic shorts?
Just to be totally clear about this - even though I know these shorts were always insulated from David Cross’ goodies by a pair of high cut-off jeans, I really do not want this for my birthday.
Last night was my third time with the ritual 2 mile time trial with my running club. We do the run in two heats with people who think they’ll finish in 14 minutes or faster first, then the 14 minute and up group second. I remember my first time trial I emailed the coach basically asking permission to try to go in the faster group. I’d never done a run like that before but based on my time at a recent 5K where my pace was faster than 7 minute miles I was pretty sure I could make the time and I didn’t know what he wanted to see from people before they got placed. Well, of course he didn’t have a bunch of rules and knew some of where I was and what I was capable of and told me that yes, I was definitely in the fast group and I was way underestimating myself.
So the first night we went out and I finished in 12:33, which was totally respectable. But I remember my splits being all over the place. So the second time trial came up and I thought “OK, this time I’m not going to exhaust myself - I’m going to run for consistency and hopefully take a little time off,” which I did. My 8 laps varied with the fastest and slowest laps less than 6 seconds apart and my final time was 12:06 - 27 seconds better than the prior month.
I was definitely happy about this but I was also a tiny bit disappointed that I didn’t crack the 12 minute barrier. So last night, basically at the height of my training I went much more all out without caring about splits (which was good because mine were pretty wild again :)) and cranked out an 11:39 - again 27 seconds better than the prior month and cracking 12 minutes for the first time!
It felt really good to accomplish it and was a huge confidence boost for the possibility that I could run the Portland marathon in better than 3:10 and qualify for the Boston Marathon. Now I’m not sure what to aim for, though. I feel like I *could* do it and I’m almost positive I’ll run another marathon after Portland and if that happens (and nothing goes wrong in my training) then I will. So I’m thinking that maybe I should just go out and have a good time and be happy targeting and hitting a 3:30 marathon (which should be totally doable)? Or maybe I should just go for it. (Almost) anyone who comes to support me would probably be more excited if I went and qualified for Boston - and it would probably be nice to not sit outside for the extra half hour of the race.
Decisions…decisions…
I’ll post occasional favorite running songs in this music series. Today features Even at our Worst We’re Still Better than Most (The Roller) by Against Me! off their incredible double-LP Searching For A Former Clarity. The whole album is really an awesome soundtrack to movement and it’s hard to pick just one song but there are two moment that stand out for me - during the guitar roars on The Energizer and when the main section of The Roller kicks in just after the first verse. It took me a while to really “get” Against Me! since the country vibe really defies the standard punk formula but it’s well worth while.
Even at our Worst We’re Still Better than Most (The Roller) - Against Me!
You can have it all, I ain’t got the heart to fight, no.
Total exhaustion, complete breakdown. For the asshole I am,
apologies in full, please leave me alone.
Pull over the van, let me out.And we’ll give the money back, to the record label.
Fire the agent, fire the manager.
We ain’t got what it takes, to make it.
We got indifference, got no respect for them.
Feels like you already said so much,
feels like you can never say enough.
Let someone else take our place,
let them be your entertainment.You know they’re waiting,
(you know they’re waiting)
You know they’re waiting,
(you know they’re waiting)
You know they’re waiting,
(they’re just waiting)
To tear us apartYou know they’re waiting,
(you know they’re waiting)
You know they’re waiting,
(you know they’re waiting)
You know they’re waiting,
(they’re just waiting.)
To tear us apar