Perhaps I'm Getting Slower

Perhaps I'm getting slower. Runningwise, that is. Or maybe I'm not. It's tricky and difficult to say for sure. But I'm definitely getting older and increasing slowness is supposed to be related to increasing age. And since some of my race times have been slower recently it could mean that I'm getting older and slower instead of just, you know, older.

Of course, some of my recent race times have actually been faster. Like my New York Marathon time was my fastest ever, 10 minutes faster than 2005. But race day weather conditions were better this year, I ran a more sensible early pace and I did an improved job of taking in calories. So, while my TIME was faster, that may simply mean that I was luckier and smarter but not necessarily faster. See how tricky this can be?

Also, I ran the Joe K 10K last weekend and I was a minute slower than 2005. Now THAT slower performance could definitely prove that I have aged badly and am now a slower runner, unlike my FASTER NY Marathon time which evidently means nothing. Or it could be that my speedier effort in this year's Marathon requires a longer recovery period and that's why my Joe K time suffered. Or perhaps it was silly of me to do that 4 mile race 2 weeks after the Marathon and that's why things are sluggish now?

Look, give me more time and I'll think of more options. But, nevertheless, I'm still afraid that I've gotten slower.

And my slowness started when I was doing so well! I ran my fastest 10K ever (43:22) on April 2, breaking the magical 7 minute per mile barrier for the first time at that distance, making me feel SO PROUD!! Then, only a week later, I hit my quickest 4 mile race of the entire 21st Century (27:19), a time I beat only once before in 1999. And these 2 wonderful races came shortly after I did my fastest Brooklyn Half Marathon as well as another good 4-miler. Oh, yes, I almost forgot. All this also follows my fastest Marathon, January's DisneyWorld challenge...3:52:49, the first time I made the trip in under 4 hours.

So, through April, the ravages of time racing somehow through my body were only, it seems, serving to make me faster. But how long could that last?

Then I was hit by a series of injuries. A calf pull in training, a worse one when I tried to race too soon afterwards and then a nasty hamstring pull when, still too soon, I played in my team's opening softball game of the season when we were in danger of forfeiting if I didn't give it a try.

It took a long time to recover, including at least 2 false starts in which I had to abort runs after about 2 minutes because of pain. I missed practically all of May and,thereafter, my milage was way down, off by about 6 miles per week as compared to last year.

I know what you're thinking, of course. You're thinking that my times are slower (where they've been slower) most likely because of the layoff and reduced mileage. Yes, that could be right...

...But then again, it could be that I've become slower! Since I peaked in April. How can I know?

Well, I'll do a 3 mile tempo run tomorrow and compare it to similar ones from days gone by. That'll tell me something. And, of course, there's the DisneyWorld Marathon less than 3 weeks away. Now, THAT should REALLY make everything clear...

...Unless the weather is very different than last time.