Yesterday, Steve and I got up early to go for an 8 mile run together, and we averaged 12 minutes and 30 seconds per mile. Steve hasn't ran 6 miles since we did our 10K together last school year. So, I was impressed that he wanted to go for eight miles with me. But during the last mile and a half I started to feel cold chills...I know that this is because I have not been focusing on staying hydrated. So, I had to walk a few times.
I was thinking, while I ran, about all the stories I read in Runner's World of people able to run 5 or 6 minute miles!!! This seems amazingly fast to me...only in my wildest dreams fast, and sometimes makes me feel inadequate as a runner. But then I reminded myself that the fact that I run period makes me a runner. The fact that others run fast just makes them fast runners. Whether we average 6 or 12 minutes per mile doesn't matter. What makes us runners is that we go out and move one leg in front of the other and ask ourselves to do more than we thought we could. Maybe someday I will get a little faster, but for now I am happy with my pace.
One thing I look forward to every month in each new edition of Runner's World is a column called the "Newbie Chronicles." This is a column where people new to running tell of their hard and often humorous running stories. A lot of the stories remind me of myself at one time or another. Here is one that I just read off of the magazine's website. Check it out. It will make you laugh...I promise.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--12836-1-1X2-3,00.html
Funny Article. I always look forward to "I am a Runner" section. Hey I also wanted to tell you that your last post made my head hurt.
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