Overheard...

I had another strong-ish run this morning, and am incredibly psyched to hear that more news channels are predicting lows in the 70s later this week!  It might really happen.  I reminded David this morning on our run that it's like the news using the s-word during the winter.  Sometimes they have more of a conscience and throw out the f-word instead (flurries), but it still never seems to happen when they predict, though we did get snow a couple times last year.  But oh, if we get cooler temps, I'd be such a happy gal! 

Anyway, 7 miles easy this morning but it ended up being a bit too fast b/c we ran with a Rock group the whole time and they're just starting to build up.  But it was fun to talk to some new people again.  One guy I ran with also needs to shave 9 minutes to qualify for Boston -- but he needs to get to 3:10, which is just inconceivably fast for me!

But the funny thing is, sometimes I realize that I'm now what I used to consider inconceivably fast.  And when I overhear a slower group talking about me or my group, sometimes I remember that I've only gotten faster the last few years, and that I ran several years at a very easy pace (though I guess it wasn't always easy at the time!).  So this morning, toward the end of the run, probably about mile 6.5ish, we passed a slower group.  I was running up front with a Rock guy, but because this group was wide (taking up almost the entire street!), we passed them single file on the right and I went ahead of him.  I overheard a conversation -- one guy (a coach for the group) was talking to another (who I don't know).  Coach said, you know, we might burn 500 calories on a run like this, but she'll only burn 300.  Because I was right there and the only woman, I know they were talking about me.  Too funny!  Sadly, I think I still eat like I'm burning 500!  But sometimes I love hearing stuff like that, there's one group that we pass that always says something like, "here come the Kenyans."  It's just interesting how your perspective can change over time.  Bottom line though (at least for me, not so much for someone like Paula Radcliffe), is that there's always going to be someone faster.  Even if I qualify, thousands of women qualify every year.  David mentioned (he's very good friends with the coach I overheard) that the people in the slower groups are just convinced we're not having any fun and that all we do is kill ourselves on the runs.  Which is odd, because I feel like at any pace, I've always developed strong, close friendships with my running mates.  I love my morning chats with these people. 

One of my favorite running quotes is something I can only paraphrase and unfortunately I don't even know the source.  Someone who'd broken the 4 min mile was being interviewed and one of the questions or comments during the interview was something to the effect of what does that feel like.  The runner asked the interviewer what his best mile time was, the interviewer said something like 6 minutes, and the runner said, it feels to me the same way it feels to you to beat your mile time by a few seconds.  100% for me feels just like 100% for you, my time might just come out faster, but giving it your all is giving it your all, no matter what your ability level is. 

I love that sentiment.  And I need to start getting my head in the game to give it my all in less than 6 weeks!!  I spent a lot of time yesterday rehashing our weekend 20 milers with Adam.  We both struggled some, though I think I struggled more, and we posted roughly similar times.  I'm hoping the weather will really be able to carry me.  I'm trusting 20 miles at 85 degrees will feel a lot harder than 20 miles at 60 degrees.  And the last 10k is going to suck no matter what.  But my reaction is frequently to give up and stop pushing, especially if I have a PR in the bag even if I slow down, instead of ignoring the PR and focusing on my end goal.  But in addition to the weather break we'll hopefully get, Adam reminded me not to underestimate the effect of fresh legs.  I can't even remember what fresh legs feel like, though I've really felt great during the recovery from Sunday, aside from my heels of course...