Running Through Life

A few of my TNT team wanted to try and run a 6 minute mile after their half marathon race. Tonight was that pre-determined date. Unfortunately, Doctor JG could not make due to a scheduling conflict with Mr. JG. But AM made it out.

The track was busy with the high school athletes still training. We jogged a slow half, but over-achiever AM went another quarter. Then the thinking, the pondering, the should I really try this now occurred. AM wondering if she should try. She was tired. She was nervous. So it was decided to run a quarter at the necessary speed needed to complete a 6 minute mile. 104 seconds. 1 minute and 44 seconds. (DISCLAIMER - yes, a 6 minute and 59 second mile counts as a 6 minute mile. Similar to Boston qualifying)

Being the good coach I am, I ran with AM on her quarter pace lap. 1.36 lap. Great pace if she was shooting for close to a 6. But she was trying for any 6. More pondering, more thinking, more contemplation. And then it was decided to run an 800 (half mile) at pace and keep going if she felt good. Being the great coach I am, (noticing a trend here - what a great coach I am - hey, I just write it) I offered to run the first 800 with her. I fully expected to drop out.

So with a minimal wind on the first straightaway, we took off running into the wind, cam e around the back curve and headed home for the first lap. A very nice 1.40.04. 12 seconds under pace. Around the bottom curve and back into the wind (which now seemed to have picked up) and back down home for 1.45.86. Still under pace.

And being the fantastic coach I am, I ran the third lap with AM. I mentioned that I might fall behind and that she should continue on strong. We brought that lap home in 1.45.78. Still under pace. AM was doing great. And she kept going.

Fourth and final lap. Being the awesome coach I am, I followed. I pushed through the wind on the backstretch. Dogging her heels. Around the final curve and down the home stretch. She picked p the pace for the last 100. I pulled alongside to pace her, to push her - because I am a considerate coach. I picked it up and made her run. Run like the wind. That last lap was a 1.40.30. Under pace. That gave us a

6.51.98 mile

And before anyone goes off on a high school track being 400 meters per lap being the accurate coach that I am I started us at a point that required us to run beyond our start point by 30 feet 7 and 7/8 of an inch. We ran one mile.

Excellent job AM.

- the beginning of the end