Moving... slowly

Instead of circuit training, a short 20-minute run last Sunday morning kicked off the annual TryAthlete Get-Your-Rear-Moving #50. It was slightly less than okay, especially when I barely made it at 8-minutes per mile pace. I did jog the rest of the way to 4 miles, but the message was clear. Disgraceful. Out of shape.

Sunday morning seems like a long time ago, and it is. I've had much of the week free, and while I did weights, kicking myself out the door to run never happened. I only managed #2 this morning - 5.25 miles in 41:10. I'm not going to kid myself; I've run faster before, and it's a sign I've lost fitness, although at the same time there is a slight relief that I managed to get to 5 miles at that pace in the first place. My assessment of my state of fitness made me think I wouldn't get that far.

Trawling the internet brought up some inspirational stories. Nick Bdera was 55 when he completed the U.S. Olympic Trials 50K racewalk in 5 hours, 4 minutes, 31 seconds, nearly 10 minutes per mile. Sister Marion Irvine, the "flying nun", ran the California International Marathon in 2:51:01 and qualified for the 1984 Olympic marathon trials ... when she was 53. Her 10K time at the age of 61 was 40:37.

I'll tell myself, I'm not slow, I'm merely peaking for later age groups.