It has been a long haul (& I am quite sure it will be longer to the next minute less), but yesterday morning I posted my first ever (less than) 17 minute mile average for the whole route. Recently I expanded the route to cover more than 4 & 1/2 miles. I had originally been thinking I would run a 5K, so I was more interested in getting faster within very specific parameters; after I realized a 5K in October was unlikely, I started trying to stretch the distance & thinking less about MPH.
In thinking less about speed I have gotten much faster. This isn't so odd as you might think. Part of my gaining speed has been extending my running intervals to 10, 11, 12 minutes with 1 minute walking intervals between. When I limited myself to just 1/2 mile or so longer than the 5K I was targeting it was hard to really extend those times.
The timing of this has also been good. I try to get out before 10 to be sure to be home by 11 so I avoid that time of day when the sun is right overhead (I worry if I am squinting, chances are good drivers flying by me are also squinting & I don't want this to end badly), but the days when I would try to get wrapped up before the temperature was over 90F are gone; yesterday it was in the mid-70s in the middle of the day (brrrrr).
& that's it really. Weight loss is stalled, but I am also eating pretty much whatever, whenever I want without guilt. Hallowe'en is almost here, & the candy started coming into the house last week. Then Thanksgiving, then holiday cookie swap, & then, & then... When it is all over, I hope to be circling the 16 minute mile.
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