This spring I decided to start running timed miles because I was interested in my results and I knew it would be great training. I had run it a few times over the years but I’d never done it consistently or actually tried to improve my time.
I was reminded of what I already knew…running the mile is hard and painful. It’s intense and nothing like the usual long distance running that I do. It’s just as much a mental battle as a physical one.
I started out at the beginning of summer when I was already in decent shape. By the last fall run I was in a lot better shape since I had completed two half marathons. I gradually improved and my fastest time ended up being 6:48, which is okay, but I can do much better if I’m more dedicated to it in the future.
6/10/22 – 7:37 – 71 degrees and sunny
- came after a two week layoff from running, had a sore shin
- body felt good, stomach felt good, weather was good
- this was the first speedwork I’d done in probably 8 months
- my legs and muscles felt good throughout the whole run
- I still have some of the winter weight on and felt a bit out of shape
- overall it was a disappointing time, my lungs and heart felt like they were going 1,000 mph so I didn’t feel comfortable running any faster
6/25/22 – 7:35 – 82 degrees and overcast
- legs didn’t feel as fresh as last time since I ran a lot the previous week
- calves felt tight for the first half of the mile
- lungs and heart felt better than last time, cardio has improved since
- when I finished I felt like I had a lot left in the tank, I think I could have cut 20 seconds off just by running a few laps ahead of time to loosen up my calves
6/27/22 – 7:15 – 72 degrees and sunny/breezy
- legs weren’t totally fresh, ran and rode a bike the previous two days
- this time I jogged for about a half hour ahead of time, legs still felt tight for the first half though
- felt like I progressively got faster throughout the run and had a good 200 yard sprint to finish
- cut 20 seconds off of last time, good progress
7/1/22 – 7:10 – 75 degrees and overcast
- legs felt fresh and chest and lungs felt good
- breathing was still heavier than I would like
- for some reason I can’t seem to run the first half fast, it must be a mental block or something, have to get over that
- again felt like I had some gas in the tank at the end
- times are continuing to improve but I feel a bit stagnant, would have liked to have broke 7 minutes by now
- side note that I ran 3 miles afterwards and ran them quite fast, it felt easier to run faster than usual
10/20/22 – 6:58 – 60 degrees and sunny
- It’s been almost four months since my last timed mile, and in that time I’ve done a lot of running and speedwork. I ran two half marathons, two 5Ks and a 10K.
- I’m happy with my time because I didn’t have fresh legs (played a tennis match yesterday) and I had a cold. I think I can break 6:50 next time.
- I felt good the whole time, it didn’t feel as hard as it did earlier in the year. I was breathing heavily but it wasn’t that bad. The weather and the speedwork I’ve done made the run a lot less painful than it was previously.
- Overall I feel optimistic that I can run a fast time by the end of the fall, possibly under 6:30. I haven’t done any single mile training lately and I wasn’t feeling 100%, so there is room for improvement.
10/23/22 – 6:48 – 77 degrees and sunny
- It was hot out and windy out but I ran a good time.
- I felt good the whole time, my breathing was heavier than I would have liked but I think that will go away after I run a few more timed miles.
11/6/22 – 6:54 – 57 degrees and sunny
- I felt alright, I was a little bit stiff so I jogged for 3 miles before I ran the timed mile.
- I haven’t been running as much lately and I felt like my fitness has declined a bit, I was having a hard time catching my breath.
- I decided this will be my last mile run of the year, realistically I don’t see myself running a faster time. I’m a little burned out and winter is coming up.
