8:59 timed track mile in 42F (5.6C) with #NPSF* runners. Then we made a tree. 📷 @butteronadonut #nofilter This was a tough one. I learned a few weeks ago @nov_project_sf that I can't run very far breathing low 40s Fahrenheit air (first PR Wednesday DNF after two laps). Despite several laps and other warmup drills this morning, I had to wear a buff covering my mouth and nose the whole time. Then I ran a mile, breathing through the buff the entire way til it slipped down when I sprinted the final straight with everything I had left. It took me 7 minutes just to complete the first three laps, each much slower than 2 min per. I knew that I still had a chance at a sub 2 min lap if I could focus on breathing first and picking up the pace second. I counted down every 100 on that last 400, consciously picking up the pace on each segment. As I rounded the final curve, another guy doing his own thing on the track passed me, but not running that much faster. Somehow that helped and I picked up the pace another notch. When I reached the final straight I already knew that fourth lap would be the fastest I'd run today. I was breathing fine so I pushed harder, kicked harder, swung my arms farther and started gaining on that mystery guy. We had started our timed mile on even :00 seconds on a clock inside the track at the start, and I saw the seconds read :58 as I reached the finish. I heard someone yell “Made it by a second!” As I crossed the finish line. 8:59. A lot slower than my 7:23 PR. But sub-9 was my goal today and I'm happy with it. Never done a mile flat out in 42F before and that was my first since knee recovery. Small victories, but I'll take them. #run #track #runner #tracktuesday #runners #plank #tree #fromwhereirun #novemberproject #justshowup *And one #NP_LAX traverballer (@buckbrennan) Previous timed mile: * tantek.com/2015/188/t1/timed-mile-npsf-trackattack-faster-pr Previously at track: * tantek.com/2016/334/t2/ran-track-anyway

8:59 timed track mile in 42F (5.6C) with #NPSF* runners. Then we made a tree. 📷 @butteronadonut #nofilter

This was a tough one. I learned a few weeks ago @nov_project_sf that I can't run very far breathing low 40s Fahrenheit air (first PR Wednesday DNF after two laps).

Despite several laps and other warmup drills this morning, I had to wear a buff covering my mouth and nose the whole time. Then I ran a mile, breathing through the buff the entire way til it slipped down when I sprinted the final straight with everything I had left.

It took me 7 minutes just to complete the first three laps, each much slower than 2 min per.

I knew that I still had a chance at a sub 2 min lap if I could focus on breathing first and picking up the pace second. I counted down every 100 on that last 400, consciously picking up the pace on each segment.

As I rounded the final curve, another guy doing his own thing on the track passed me, but not running that much faster. Somehow that helped and I picked up the pace another notch.

When I reached the final straight I already knew that fourth lap would be the fastest I'd run today. I was breathing fine so I pushed harder, kicked harder, swung my arms farther and started gaining on that mystery guy.

We had started our timed mile on even :00 seconds on a clock inside the track at the start, and I saw the seconds read :58 as I reached the finish. I heard someone yell “Made it by a second!” As I crossed the finish line.

8:59. A lot slower than my 7:23 PR. But sub-9 was my goal today and I'm happy with it. Never done a mile flat out in 42F before and that was my first since knee recovery. Small victories, but I'll take them.

#run #track #runner #tracktuesday #runners #plank #tree #fromwhereirun #novemberproject #justshowup

*And one #NP_LAX traverballer (@buckbrennan)

Previous timed mile:
* tantek.com/2015/188/t1/timed-mile-npsf-trackattack-faster-pr

Previously at track:
* tantek.com/2016/334/t2/ran-track-anyway