Sub 8 min miles!

Before I get to the highlights of my run today, we have to start at the beginning, I needed this one. I was pissed off when arriving at the track. Over the last 2 weeks I have been breaking in a new pair of orthotics (fancy inserts for my running shoes). Things had been going well until last week. I started to develop this terrible pain in my big toe. I'm thinking it has to be related to the orthotics, I've never had the pain before. It seems like the inserts are too thick and my toe joint is being crushed between the top of the sneaker and the insert. The pain has become bad enough that I have been taking tylenol and wearing flats for the past 5 days, for me a big deal. I go yesterday and have the inserts adjusted. Rather than listen to me and remove some material, the woman adds material. Whatever! She is supposed to know about these types of things. Yesterday I didn't run, this afternoon I put on my shoes and instantly my toe starts to ache. Now I'm pissed. This injury is not from overuse. It is not related to my poor stretching habits. I did nothing to deserve this one! Screw it, I ripped out the new inserts and went back to my old ones.

By the time I get to track I was very unpleasant. I'm sick of not being able to just run. I hate PT. I hate the g-trainer. I hate the MD. But here I am at track with a throbbing toe. I get through the warm up and it's time to jog down to the Blvd. for the workout. This is my lest favorite workout. 3 times 1 mile on the Blvd. By the time we reach the Blvd, I'm ready to go home. The goal is to do this in the same time as last week, 8:25ish. This is going to be hard, it's easier to go fast on the track. I can pace myself, we know what the pace is every lap. The Blvd is a wild-card. We are going to have to dodge walkers, strollers, runners, kids and dogs. This is going to be messy and I haven't even factored in the hills and my throbbing toe.

Jon yells go, and I take off. Joe was right in front of me. I ask Dennis what he's aiming for and he was looking for 8:00, too fast I mutter and keep going. The trick to these workouts is to find someone going the right pace and stick with them. I find Rick and run with him for a little bit and before I know it am edging out in front of him. What the hell, right? I keep going. Now Joe is in front and Erin a little bit in front of him. I decide just to run. After a few mins I'm in a rhythm. Not thinking at all, my body is doing what it knows what to do. I just run, before I know it we are on the downhill, I can see the condo's on the right side of the road. Almost there. Breathing is fast now. I can see Jon at the end. I hear him calling out the seconds...36. What the hell, this hurts too much to be 8:36 I think. Oh well and i push a head. I finish and hit my watch, 7:54. HOLY SHIT! Under 8 minutes and this was on the road! I was close enough to hear him call the time for 7:36!!!

Now the hard part, repeat this again. Going up the Blvd and up the hill I just pushed down. I tell myself the 7:54 was an error and not to expect it again. Someone says just before we take off, pace yourself up the hill and it will feel good. We take off, I don't look at my watch on the hill. Before we know it, things are flattening out. Joe is in front again, I can hear some people catching up to me. I look to my right and there is a house I recognize, it's the last house before Butler. I just have to get to the gate by Butler, I keep going, someone behind me yells "only a few more yards". Done again. Time...8:58! AGAIN!!! What is wrong with me, I'm not supposed to move this fast!

We are ready to head out for the third and final mile. I can tell right away I'm not recovered fully. I took off with the group and my lungs started to protest. I was breathing in and the O2 wasn't doing it for me. I couldn't breath fast enough. I had to pull off the road. I just had nothing left. Of course I did not follow the directions tonight. The goal is to complete 3 miles and not be slower than your first mile. I left it all on the road with the first 2. You know what, I don't care!

When I joined the club my goal was to run a 10 min mile and here I am today running 7:54! UNREAL! I am so proud and this is what I needed to get me though all the injuries, pain and different appointments. All this work is starting to pay off. This is why I run, the feeling I had tonight was enough to get me through. Yes, there are plenty of people who can run faster than me, but how many have improved the way I have!?

Days till NYC:136
Miles trained today 4.5