Breaking Down a Wall

Run Day

time- 52 minutes
distance- 6.07mi
pace- 8.6min/mi

I have trouble running quickly. Its been in my head for as long as I've been running. But I've been chipping away at that wall over the course of my last few runs, starting with the last tri. I laid down a decent time for myself, especially since I didn't taper leading up the the race. And I started to believe that I might be faster than my head said I am.
The last few runs have been a process of learning to pace. I keep going out too hard and struggling to come back at an agreeable pace. But I've been going further than I've ever run before, and quicker than I thought I could. My last few longer runs have felt good, strong. And the run section of the brick on Friday was as fast as any race I've run. Maybe I am faster.
Today I didn't plan on going out too hard, I wanted a steady run. I also didn't plan a fartlek, though I should through another one of those in soon. Instead of a run time, which is how I've been planning, I decided to run just past the Dole Plantation, three miles away. That would give me a six mile run, the longest of my training cycle so far. And I would only check my watch at the turn around and and the end of my street going and coming to check pace. It was not to be about time.
Nothing feels better than getting to the turn around and checking the watch, only to find you're way ahead of what you were expecting. I was at 25 minutes. I know for a lot of runners a 25 minute 5k is nothing, but I'm just getting to the point where this is good. It made the run back lighter. Even the slight hill felt smaller. Finished my six miles in 53 minutes, quicker than I would have guessed when I left. And I feel good. I think I could have gone faster. Now that the six strong miles wall is broken I can start focusing on doing it faster, on making it hurt and trusting my lungs and my legs to get me home.