(Not) Born to Run

I am not a fast runner, but the past few years I have improved my pace by quite a bit, which makes me proud. Biologically there's no reason for me to be improving except by working harder, training smarter.  I try very hard not to compare myself to others. I do what I can do in the context of my life and my abilities.  But I am not immune to comparisons, competition, envy....

I was talking with a friendly colleague about a half marathon she recently ran.  She talked about having an off day, feeling disappointed with her time etc...  Then she told me her time.  And it was a full 10-15 minutes faster than my aspirational goal for a half marathon.  She's my age.  She has kids.  She has a full time job. My heart sank a little.

I know it is ridiculous.  I run because I really love to run.  I compete only against myself.  I take pride in my steady improvement over the past couple of years.  But I still felt a stab of envy at what has to be her natural ability.  Not to take anything away from her hard work, her training, but I am certain if the two of us followed the exact same training schedule, her outcome would be better every time.

I am eyeing a new goal - a goal that is hardly unexpressed- and that is to break 2 hours in the half marathon in 2012. I bought a book with training programs to improve your speed, "Run Less, Run Faster."  They base the training program off your best 5K or 10K time.  Since I have never run a 10K race (how can that be?) I am using the 5K pace charts.  My fastest 5K not part of a triathlon was this summer at the Balloon Days.  I ran a 26:43.  At the Y-tri this summer I did the 5K in 27:07 after swimming and biking.  I have wondered ever since if I could do a 5K faster.

You know where this is going, right?  I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 5K run on Sunday.  No one else I know is running it.  I haven't specifically trained for it at. all.  I haven't been on a track in two months. I think there's a 50-50 chance I won't even be able to match my triathlon 5K PR. But I'm going to go out and run it as quick as I can and will use my best 2011 5K time to put together a training plan for a couple of half marathons in 2012. I will embrace this goal and work hard to achieve it even if my goal, my PR, would be someone else's really bad day.