#NPSF #PRWednesday this morning: 33:23, 3:15 slower than my PR (personal record) last September (30:08), the previous time I ran it (and somehow forgot to post it). This morning was both one of those days I was very much looking forward to (being able to run the PR Wednesday course again after months of knee recovery), yet worried I would let myself down. How much slower would I be? Did I have a chance of beating or even getting close to my previous PR? As I was getting ready, I started to realize it would be unreasonable to expect my first time back to PR Wednesday to beat or finish close to my previous PR. I decided I would push as hard as my breathing and 1.5-month-new running form (fore-foot striking) would allow, and begrudgingly reset my goals: * finish without (re)injury * consciously maintain proper balanced form, especially downhill * burpees as fast as possible (from months of practice) I achieved all that. The three sets of 10 burpees felt especially easy to quickly knock-out even after being out of breath after running up the steps. I knew going into the third lap (just over the course halfway point) I was not going to PR, and would likely be a minute or two off. When I returned and finished my last set of burpees, my friend Katy Kunkle (who had already finished both the 5:30 and 6:30 PR Wednesday workouts) joined me for my last lap (her 9th lap of the morning). As I reached the top of the NW corner hill I knew I was at least 2+ minutes slower, yet still held onto a hope of maybe hitting sub-33. In spite of that, I kept my downhill running soft and deliberate, no stomping. Honestly I still feel like I’m relearning how to run downhill. At the bottom of the SE corner, I pushed and ran up the last uphill block, and then the steps, ready to just accept whatever time I got. I have to admit I’m not entirely happy with it. I knew I’d likely be slower but wasn’t expecting 10%+ slower. In an attempt to put it in context, I checked my times from the past year: * 2015-09-30 30:08 https://tracking.november-project.com/events/1573 * 2015-07-29 32:17 tantek.com/2015/210/t1/npsf-pr-wednesday-faster * 2015-05-27 33:20 tantek.com/2015/147/t2/actually-npsf-pr-faster * 2015-04-29 33:55 tantek.com/2015/119/t1/personal-record-npsf-pr-faster I’m basically back to where I was 11 months ago, last May, but faster than I was a year ago. Knowing that, as I look forward to this year’s Bay to Breakers, I know it’s not unreasonable to set a goal of beating my last year’s time, and very possibly beating my B2B PR from 2014. Now I just need to make time to go practice Hayes Hill. 18 days left and counting.

#NPSF #PRWednesday this morning: 33:23, 3:15 slower than my PR (personal record) last September (30:08), the previous time I ran it (and somehow forgot to post it).

This morning was both one of those days I was very much looking forward to (being able to run the PR Wednesday course again after months of knee recovery), yet worried I would let myself down.

How much slower would I be? Did I have a chance of beating or even getting close to my previous PR?

As I was getting ready, I started to realize it would be unreasonable to expect my first time back to PR Wednesday to beat or finish close to my previous PR.

I decided I would push as hard as my breathing and 1.5-month-new running form (fore-foot striking) would allow, and begrudgingly reset my goals:
* finish without (re)injury
* consciously maintain proper balanced form, especially downhill
* burpees as fast as possible (from months of practice)

I achieved all that. The three sets of 10 burpees felt especially easy to quickly knock-out even after being out of breath after running up the steps.

I knew going into the third lap (just over the course halfway point) I was not going to PR, and would likely be a minute or two off. When I returned and finished my last set of burpees, my friend Katy Kunkle (who had already finished both the 5:30 and 6:30 PR Wednesday workouts) joined me for my last lap (her 9th lap of the morning).

As I reached the top of the NW corner hill I knew I was at least 2+ minutes slower, yet still held onto a hope of maybe hitting sub-33. In spite of that, I kept my downhill running soft and deliberate, no stomping. Honestly I still feel like I’m relearning how to run downhill.

At the bottom of the SE corner, I pushed and ran up the last uphill block, and then the steps, ready to just accept whatever time I got.

I have to admit I’m not entirely happy with it. I knew I’d likely be slower but wasn’t expecting 10%+ slower.

In an attempt to put it in context, I checked my times from the past year:

* 2015-09-30 30:08 https://tracking.november-project.com/events/1573
* 2015-07-29 32:17 tantek.com/2015/210/t1/npsf-pr-wednesday-faster
* 2015-05-27 33:20 tantek.com/2015/147/t2/actually-npsf-pr-faster
* 2015-04-29 33:55 tantek.com/2015/119/t1/personal-record-npsf-pr-faster

I’m basically back to where I was 11 months ago, last May, but faster than I was a year ago. Knowing that, as I look forward to this year’s Bay to Breakers, I know it’s not unreasonable to set a goal of beating my last year’s time, and very possibly beating my B2B PR from 2014.

Now I just need to make time to go practice Hayes Hill. 18 days left and counting.