The Vaughan (thank heaven) has an elevated indoor track; 1/6 of a mile around, running above the main gym. So I had six miles to run; 36 laps. My Nike+ app has been really wonky lately, so I opted not to use it at all. Instead, I tracked my laps on my heartrate monitor watch, hitting the button each time I finished a lap. It was kinda nice to run relatively "unplugged".
I stuck with my run/walk intervals, running four minutes and walking one. And the laps seemed to fly by. (Shut up. I'm serious.) It really felt great! I knew I was doing pretty well, because most of the laps when I ran the full thing (the ones without the walk break) came in at about 2:00 or 2:05; factoring in my walk breaks, I knew I was still under a three-minute lap, on average.
And boy, was I. When I got home and tracked each lap (by hand, on paper ... hence the title of this post), I realized my average speed per mile was 2:15. I was under 13:30 per mile.
This is unheard of.
So what does that mean, in real life? Well, here's the gig: for the Princess in 2012, I had a threefold goal:
- Finish upright and alive.
- Finish in under 3:30 (the cutoff to not get swept).
- Finish in under 3:00.
Running sub-3 last year was a pipedream, but it was possible; anything is possible in the Happiest Place on Earth, right? So I went in knowing I could, but probably wouldn't. In the end, I ran 3:24 and change; so, I met minimum expectations. Okay ... but I'd be a damn liar if I didn't admit to feeling a little disappointed in myself. Realizing that this year, I've trained harder I've lost weight and I'm more prepared ... yeah, I want it.
I won't be crushed if I can't get there. I know every race is different, and that day it might not be in the cards. It's way different to run outside on the road than indoors on a track. There might be wind; there will be a few hills. But there will also be adrenaline and entertainment to bolster me. Who knows?
This could be my year. Stay tuned.
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