Man, I’m feeling a little bit frustrated right now. Heh, for once though, it’s not about my slowness–well, not directly anyway. The instructor stayed behind in store and left the group to be led by the speedy group leader. We were told to take a different route than we’ve been doing for the past two weeks or so. I was familiar with the route, so I felt set. Just like my last few runs, I really forced myself to go at my own pace even though it left me far behind the main pack. It’s done me really well because its kept my heart rate in the 170s which is entirely manageable. Once in a while I’d feel the urge to push harder, and I’d actually have the breath to do so.
As I went, the rest of the group just pulled farther and farther ahead. Eventually, after rounding a corner I lost sight of the group. I thought, “whatever, I’m used to it.” It’s sad, but true. This 10K group is bloody fast! Good for them for being so capable, really. Here I am, quite slower, but also really steady. As a result, I’m usually alone. It’s hard knowing I’ve been left behind, but it gives me time to meditate on my own rhythms.
So, I kept the pace and eventually I made it to the last few hundred metres. When I checked my watch, I saw that I was a bit over time by 2 minutes compared to my last run. I was a little bit disappointed, and immediately went to trying to figure out where along the way I was losing time. When I got to the intersection, I felt alright. I wasn’t panting or anything, and really, I could have gone for a few more kilometres if I had to. I saw a group of people at the side of the store stretching out, so I knew I couldn’t have been too far off. When I crossed the street, I noticed that none of the people there were actually part of my 10K group.
After I stretched out I went into the store. Again, I saw no one from my group. At that point, I was kind of angry at myself. I perceived that I was going at a slower pace. I was also sort of angry at the group because the instructor probably wanted them to do the run in 45 minutes, which is wholly unlikely considering that everyone was done stretching by the time I returned. I wasn’t that long off! They must have come in way faster, which…cool…but…ugh! I started thinking, what the heck is the point of a running group, if I’m not really part of the group? I wasn’t happy.
Here I am now at home. I went to Gmaps Pedometer and plotted out the route. As it turns out, the route isn’t 6K, but actually 6.3K. When I calculated my resulting pace, I was actually running at the same pace as my last few runs! I was so damn relieved! However, it’s leaving me with a lot of questions now. What the heck happened? Did they take the wrong route? I sure as hell know I took the correct route.
Whatever, man. I know I’m on the right path to running. It’s getting easier. I’m planning on writing to my instructor to see if he got word on when the others came in. I’m just mildly curious. I don’t expect anyone to run with me or slow down enough to keep me company.
My pace is my own. I will improve on my own terms.
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