Outside: 'How Our Totally Average Runner Broke the Sub-Five Minute Mile'

Wonder how QYFW is doing. Haven't seen him around in quite a while.

 

Good to hear ... kudos for the young Whitmans.

When my kids were that age and I was training for road races, they would ride their bikes while I jogged.

Enjoy these times, DW ... before you know it, they'll be running laps around you!

 

I was talking with Mrs. Whitman last night about it. I really would like to see him stick with it and succeed. Not because it would add one single millimeter to the length of my schwanzen. But he's pretty clearly an ADHD type and a crackling ball of fidgety energy. Smart as a whip, but never stops moving. He'll tell you he loves baseball and basketball, but I've never once seen him able to keep his attention on a coach's instructions in a group setting. He's also pretty terrible. Gawky kid and younger than most of his classmates.

But running gives him precise, defined, objective goals and something to shoot for - and funnels all of that energy into something constructive. Plus, he seems to have a little bit of talent.

 

Less than a month until my own marathon. I’ve been running 72-74 miles per week, and Friday will be my ninth run of 20 miles or more. My speedwork lately has consisted of 3x3 workouts at 6:50 pace on Mondays and 6-7 miles of 6:50 on Wednesday’s. Tomorrow I’m going to try for 10 miles at 7:14, race pace. I know I can do that. But it’d be nice if it felt comfortable. We’ll see.

 

In cleaning the garage today, I came across an old workout journal.

On May 4, 2008, I ran a 7:10 mile. Then, after 100 pullups, 200 pushups and 300 squats, I ran another mile -- in 9:30, which is still better than my most recent 9:54 mile. That workout damn near killed me, but, fuck a duck, I was in good shape then.

 

And now I'm into the taper period. Did 22 miles on Friday, then closed the week with six on Saturday for 74 or 75 for the week, depending on what counts. Sixty miles this week, 44 next week, then about 20 the week of the marathon. My buddies say they're making the trip to Boston with me in 2019 if I make it, so there's that motivation now.

 

Someone here recommended “Yasso 800s” as a good predictor workout. Did that today -
10x800 (technically 1/2 miles) w/ 2.5-3 minutes walking rests:

1 - 3:00
2 - 2:58
3 - 2:57
4 - 2:58
5 - 3:01
6 - 3:01
7 - 2:59
8 - 3:01
9 - 3:05
10 - 3:05

 

Not a bad string of efforts

 

Ended up running 3:17. A few minutes short of a BQ time, but a PR for me by 23 minutes. Considering I once ran a 5:05, it was euphoric to be laying down 22 straight 7:15s or so. And even though I lost some steam at the end, I’m motivated to run through the winter and qualify in the spring.

I know people care about other people’s running splits about as much as they care about other people’s fantasy teams. But if there’s something universal I can convey, it’s that I’m simply awed by where simple hard work and self-discipline can take you. I feel like I’ve been wandering my whole life trying to figure out something I’m objectively good at. Something that’s mine. And I guess I kind of have that now. Or at least I’m on the way. I feel different about myself than I did before.

 

A PR by 23 minutes? Holeee smokes!

 

That's a damn fine effort. You have my professional respect.

 

Well, not to steal anybody’s thunder, but last Friday your humble correspondent actually ran 5K. I have no idea what my time was, because I don’t give a shit. That’s far and away the longest I’ve ever run without stopping.

And today I did it again.