My average time in the November 11 half marathon was 10.68 minutes per mile. Throughout my training, I found it much easier to add miles than to speed up. I also realized that I always required a relatively slow first two miles to warm up and feel good.
Since then, I have only gotten out twice per week, only ran more than five miles once (a ten-miler in early December), and have generally slacked off a bit.
Given this, you’d think that when spring training began this week, I would have started slowly. But you’d be wrong. Silly me thought that since we were only going 3 miles (barely a run, right?), surely I could join the 9.5 minute mile pace group and keep up. It’s only three miles! I’d really like to shave a bunch of time off my next race and finish closer to 2:00 at my next race.
At mile 1.5 I nearly barfed. Really. The day might yet come when I finish a half marathon in around 2:00, but that day isn’t coming in April. Do I hear 2:10?
I have the same problem swimming. I can swim forever when I’ve built up to a certain level, but I.Am.Slow. I quit stressing about it after a while. I figure the exercise is what matters.