Friday mornings I run with Dan, a fellow NJ photographer and my most regular workout partner. We cross train on Mondays and Thursdays and run six miles on Tuesdays and Fridays. We rarely miss a workout and the Winter months have been full of beneficial training days because we are both pretty faithful to the above schedule.
Sorry if this comes off as boastful, but to appreciate the story below, you need a little back story. On almost every occasion we have run, I have dictated the pace. We run at different speeds and both seem to be inconsistent with our times. My best 6 miler ever was a 49:59, and that was in July of 2010. I have not come within a minute of that time since setting it. I routinely finish 30 seconds, to as many as 5 minutes ahead of Dan, depending on how our legs feel that day. I have seen Dan complete the same distance between 52-60 minutes. 60 minutes was in some pretty deep snow.
This morning we met a 11:00 AM and I wanted to mention to Dan that I was going to shoot for a PR today. The weather was incredible and I just thought that I might be able to best my previous record. I forgot to mention it while we talked for a couple of minutes. We took off. I was in front, Dan right behind me. We reached the half-mile point and I opted for the right sidewalk, Dan crossed the street and ran on the other sidewalk. I could tell he was feisty, his stride was really strong and full of bounce. At one mile he was definitely in front of me and already across the street. He just made the light and I hit the pause on my Garmin as I yielded to a few cars. I resumed my watch about 10 seconds later, not too far behind but the gap did start to activate my competitive juices.
We hit the first hill. This would tell me something about his pace and my own. I reached the top and he was accelerating down the other side. He was pulling away! I lengthened my stride and tried to use gravity, but at best I maintained. He made a left turn and I started counting, 1, 2, 3, 20! That was quite a lead since we were only 1.3 miles into our route. After the left we had a long descent, and I tried to bridge half the gap. Once again, no change. He was going too fast, no way he could keep that pace I thought to myself.
He made another left and I watched him, trying to find a sign he was slowing. Instead I noticed something that disturbed me, he didn't look back. He had not looked back at me once. Dan was running his run and I was struggling to hold on. Whenever I am out front, I guarantee you I am looking back at you and trying to increase the gap. Dan was in a zone, and I was at his mercy!
For the next couple of miles I managed to keep him in check, never gaining on him, but never losing time either. I estimated that he was 50 yards ahead of me, and I started to think that might be too much. Even if I lifted the pace and closed the gap, would I have enough fuel to pass him and then maintain to the finish? I could not conjure up a scenario that would be favorable for me. I decided that chipping away was the best method. A little extra effort on the downhills and the same on the uphills.
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| Dan running our route. |
My theory was working, but with only a mile to go, not fast enough. We hit the same light that stopped me on our out route, this time we both made it through. I was ten seconds back, but I could see that familiar bounce was still in Dan's stride. I said to myself, "You're done dude, the streak is over and there is a new champion." He was too strong and I was at my breaking point! I looked at my pace, it was 7:24, way above my pay grade!
About the same time I was admitting defeat, Dan began to pull away again. For a few seconds I turned everything down. Click! My ego booted everything up and I could taste those competitive juices again. Dan turned the corner at the half-mile mark, he looked right at me. That motivated me even more.
The street that leads to mine, and the end of our "race" was all downhill. I kicked it up a notch and decided to cross the street before Dan. He was on one side, I was on the other. I checked my pace, it was in the sixes, things were happening too fast for me to get more specific. Dan crossed the street just before we made the right hand turn and I could see the fire hydrant that marks the six mile distance we run twice a week. He turned first and I turned a second behind him and took off.
I didn't turn around, I just focused on that hydrant! I was sprinting as if there was a pot of gold awarded to the first finisher. In my head I thought the race was decided. My legs were sure it was over and started to slow long before our finishing spot. Next thing I know Dan is on my right shoulder and takes his lead back! I muster up everything I have for one last attack. My legs are screaming but for a few more seconds my ego is calling the shots!
With absolutely every muscle fiber on "threat level red," I reached the hydrant first and looked at my watch. It didn't say six miles yet, I was almost .05 short. Now that may not seem like much, but it was the longest 9 seconds of my life. I finished about a step in front of Dan. Tuesday that would have seemed like a bad day, but on this Friday it was awesome!
I turned around to give Dan a fist bump but neither of us had the coordination to make our knuckles meet. I know I was more concerned about oxygen at the moment. We finished with a time of 48:49. Besting my best time by over a minute. Dan obliterated his best!
It seemed like a typical Friday run when we started this morning. I can say without a doubt that I will remember today's run for a long time, and I will measure future runs by the one we completed today. Truly an amazing run Dan! Thank you!
I don't mind saying that I am a little nervous about next Tuesday!
This quote comes from a blog I recently read, I thought it was apropos: Even if a training partner is faster than you, don’t discount yourself. Chances are very good that person admires something about you. Your positive attitude, your ability to make compression shorts look good, your persistence…whatever it is, keep it up. There’s a reason they’re still training with you, you badass.
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