The 7:30 Project


 Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places.

A text I received this morning from my friend and fellow Stelleri athlete Barb T proved to be a powerful inspiration that resulted in almost immediate action.

First, let's talk about Barb. 

Barb is not only an accomplished and experienced triathlete and runner. She's a fierce competitor and she's downright scary when she's at the top of her game. Even after a significant setback (resulting in surgery and a long healing process) sidelined her for quite a while at the end of 2023, she was determined to get back in the game as soon as possible, and not just "to finish". This gal is in it to win it - whether it's the World Championship triathlon or a local running race. 

She texted me to tell me that she took 2nd place in her age group (AG) in a Groundhog Day 5K yesterday.  The course, according to Barb, was sketchy, which comes as no surprise for those who have lived through many Ohio winters. Barb ran a respectable sub-9 (she averaged a pace that was a bit faster than 9 minutes per mile, for those of you who aren't acquainted with running lingo). 

The gal who finished first ran the race in just over 23 minutes, or around a 7:30 minute mile pace. Barb's comment was that the winner was at the low end of the 60-69 age range, whereas Barb is closer to the top of that range. 

So here's where I get to the point of this blog post, and perhaps the beginning of a new challenge:

I used to run a 7:30 min/mile, and I'm staring down the barrel of 60. I have not been running on a regular basis for what seems like a long time, and when I do run, my go-to pace isn't very impressive. 

My training focus has been, and will remain, cycling. I have a big cycling trip at the end of the month, and so my training hours have all been spent on the bike or at the gym. But I also sometimes miss running, especially when I'm adapted to it and feeling strong and speedy.

Would I be able to run a 7:30 min/mile again, if I trained for it? And what will it take for me to hurtle my 60-year-old self through a 10K race if I want to finish in under 47 minutes?

Only one way to find out...






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