I'll get to the prisoner part in a bit, I promise. First: my timed mile as part of Running Ricig's "Proof You Didn't Peak In High School" Virtual mile.
Yes, I'm excited. Mostly because this was by far the fastest mile I've ever run! A few months ago, I ran a treadmill mile in 7:45. Today? 7:01!!! Woo-hoo, that's a 44 second PR, baby--and it was on solid ground, not a treadmill!
Now, my confession--I may have been spurred on by a few outside events. Halfway through the mile, I heard some whooping and cheering, and then a lot of harsh shouting. The cause? Some Georgia Prison inmates in a truck with the small back windows open, getting pretty excited to see me running by--and then getting scolded by the sheriff! They were on their way to pick up litter along a different road, but it still scared me. I guess it was good though, since it got me to run faster to pass them while they were stuck at the light!
After a warm-up mile, and then a timed mile, I was almost ready to pass out. I slowed to a walk for a while, and then picked it back up with some 1/2 mile intervals, and 1/4 mile hill sprints. Even though it is NOT fun doing speedwork in this weather, I have to hope it's making me faster!
If you haven't signed up for the virtual mile, you still have time! The deadline is the last day in July. It's a great way to measure your progress, and predict future race times. Plus, you get a super cool bib like this:
I know I'm not even sweaty here---my run ended 30 minutes before this picture was taken. I had to get home and have someone take my picture!
Have you ever done a virtual race?
This is my second one! I also did a virtual 5k race a few months ago. I think it's such a great idea, and makes me work harder since I have to submit my time.
What's the scariest thing that's happened to you on a run/walk outside?
Even though the prisoners today scared me a bit, I knew I was obviously safe. But there have been times where people stop where I'm running and yell that truly worry me! Once, it was getting to be dark on a Friday night, and some guys in a Jeep stopped and tried to get me to get in their car. There were a few other cars driving by, but I was petrified!
Speedy mile!!!!! And you weren't even done after that!!
ReplyDeleteThe prison bus definitely doesn't sound like your usual sight/sound. I can't think of anything too freaky on my runs. There are a couple of playful foxes that live near the track and pop out to "play" once in a while. They will sometimes chase me part way around the track, which startles me a little!
I've done a couple of virtual races... wouldn't mind getting in on this one -
Awesome PR!!!! My scary stuff usually happens on the bike, like being chased by a rabid dog and having no pepper spray or having a bear cross the road as I biked very slowly up hill and hoping he wasn't too hungry, or someone not paying attention and almost hitting me!
ReplyDeleteAwesome workout and speedy mile!! Great job!
ReplyDeleteI always seem to run faster when I feel unsafe, uncomfortable, slightly in pain (I think I believe if I go faster I can get home quicker and stop quicker)......so I definitely feel you on the elements affecting the runs!
I have never done a virtual race, but I think I might just try this one!! I couldn't find her original post on it though, so I will have to go back through the archives to see the details!
AMAZING!!!!!!! what a great mile time! way to go! I am thinking that maybe I should bring some of my runs out here by the prison to work on my speed...haha.
ReplyDeleteNothing too scary has happened but I hate when I am running by myself and people just seem to be walking really slow behind me...ummm? is this necessary? no. But also I am more likely to think that they are crazy people when I am alone...I would consider it semi-normal behavior or I would not even notice if I were running with others...haha. OH! And I hate getting chased by dogs. hate it.
Congrats! That's really pretty creepy about the inmates and guy in the car. Carry some pepperspray with you... works for dogs, too :)
ReplyDeleteWHOA! That's super speedy! Congrats!! :)
ReplyDeleteFreaking awesome mile girl.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo!!!
Love the picture of you jumping.
ReplyDeleteGrats on the run!
Awesome job on your speedy mile!! I like doing virtual races! They are fun!
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ReplyDeleteI hope those Georgia Prisoners take a detour and end up in California so I can do that too!
ReplyDeleteScariest thing....I have had a few. Running the woods has its moments...came up on a bear once thankfully it turned and ran. I must have stunk! I also was chased by a fox because I got too close to her den..I had two more laps to do past it so I ran with a stick after that. But I also have had a car pull out in front of me and I called out because they almost hit me and they came to a schreeching hault and started to back up towards me. Thankfully another car came up so they drove away!
ReplyDeleteNice mile!
ReplyDeleteDang it looks humid there with all the haze in the background.
Your post title sounds pretty dangerous!
ReplyDeleteMy only "scary" moments so far have included a HUGE snapping turtle who decided that bridge across the creek was HIS (I ended up scooting across the railing out of his reach), and a snake (luckily not poisonous (I found out later) I ALMOST stepped on.
ReplyDeleteI think the scariest moment I've ever had while running was being almost attacked by two pitbulls that escaped from their owners' yard. I didn't see them standing in the road until I turned around the corner. I started throwing stuff at them but they kept walking towards me in a menacing way. Luckily, this guy in a truck saw what happened and started honking to scare them away. Unfortunately the dogs didn't budge so he had to end of getting out of the car and bringing out a shovel he had in the cab. It was just very surreal. The dogs ended up running away.
ReplyDeleteAs for virtual races, I am doing my first one next week after I figure out what the heck is up with my right knee. I am doing the Hotter than Hades 13.1 Virtual race.
Maria @ Asphalt Tales
OMG prisoners!!!! My scariest running moment was when a deer ran out right in front of me! Nice work on the mile PR! :)
ReplyDeleteNice job on the speedy mile! woo hoo! Can you get some prisoners to come chase me please. he he
ReplyDeleteI can totally see where a prison bus would motivate you to keep a speedy pace!
ReplyDeleteMostly I have animal encounters (fox, coyote, skunk etc) but when I was pretty new to running I ran way further than planned because a guy was yelling/coming after me. No way I was looping back in that direction. EEK.
nice work! I am kinda scared to do that virtual mile. as much as I want to get faster, speed scares me.
ReplyDelete-Jen
Wow, great job speedy!! I love virtual races, anything for a little motivation. Prisoners.... how funny! I ran into some raccoons once. That's probably the scariest I had.
ReplyDeleteyou and your time are awesome!! Way to go! love the scary motivation.
ReplyDeleteI may have run in a few sketchy places because my will to run overpowered my common sense that it was unsafe. I've run past a drug deal, and coyotes (two diff times) but if I know I'm being a little dumb/unsafe, I take mace with me...so then I can defend myself :)
Good job on your 1 mile run!
ReplyDeleteYou are super fast!
hahahaha! That is seriously hilarious. Awesome job on your run! I'm pretty sure inmates would make me run just a wee bit faster too :)
ReplyDeleteIt spooks me whenever I run past a man who slows down and look at me, or to men loitering around a building. I mean, they could be janitors cleaning the school, but I am still scared. :)
ReplyDeleteGood job on your run.
AWESOME mile pace!! I'd be running for my life if that happened to me too. The best I can compare to is when a dog started running after me during a run... even though he was blocked by a fence!
ReplyDeleteawesome job!!! i love the idea of "not peaking in high school." in fact, my PE teacher told me that my mile time was in the 8:teen range....and my marathon pr pace is 8:26! i should clock a mile and compare :)
ReplyDeleteFortunately I have yet to have a super scary moment... but I have gone running alone at night a few times in the past, which obviously isn't very smart no matter where you are!
ReplyDeleteSCARY!! I mean about the jeep of dudes trying to get you!! Congrats on the awesome mile PR. That is crazy amazing!! I would have been booking it too if prisoners would have been yelling at me. haha!
ReplyDeleteOh eek, creepy but congrats! speed demon. scariest - attacked by bugs on saturday probably the grossest thing ever too!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your mile! and then way to continue on with the workout! Scariest for me.. hmmm maybe just knowing there are mountain lions around sometimes can freak me out sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great mile! I would be freaked out too if Prisoners were hollering.
ReplyDeleteJail bait mile run! Haha :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the mile! That is awesome! I'm beginning to think I might be faster- in better shape now than I was when I was running cross country in high school 11 years ago.
ReplyDeleteThat's some scary stuff seen on your runs! Yikes! Be safe!
Great mile! You're making me wonder how fast I could do one. I rarely just try for one mile. That's so funny about the prisoners. I had an inmate talk to me out of a jail window one time and I freaked!! Lol. That might have been overreacting! When I lived in the DR, guys would try to run alongside me all the time. At least two or three days a week some guy would run with the white girl to try and impress his friends. I was never too scared though because they could only keep up a block or two!! :)
ReplyDeleteNice job! That would get me going, too!!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the mile!!! I'm glad the prisoners helped you speed up!!
ReplyDeleteI did a virtual race once and it was definitely a lot of fun!
nice job, girl! Can't wait I've had the same "prisoner experience" haha but glad it sped ya up! You're just a hair away from the 6 minute miles!!!
ReplyDeleteNice Job! I signed up for that as well and have totally forgotten about it! Thanks for reminding me :)
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, yes I went to school at SCAD in Savannah. I loved it so much and miss the south everyday. I keep telling my husband that is where we will be retiring.
And also I really do like the Run Less Faster plan. It is tough but even in a short amount of time I have seen improvements! Plus I will admit it is kinda nice only running 3 days a week :)
Sarah
Nice PR!!
ReplyDeleteI saw prisoners picking up trash this weekend and I sorta felt bad for them. . .now that I know they were hootin and hollerin- I don't feel so bad anymore!
Wow, way to go! Maybe I should go run there and see if I'll manage to break 11 minutes. I had a creeper incident on a run recently, but honestly, the baby possum in my path is what scared me the most. The more I tried to run around it, the more it kept charging at me. I hate possums.
ReplyDeletenice! I havent' done a timed mile in forever. And in highschool i never wanted to run them fast because then you were all sweaty and gross the rest of the day yuck!
ReplyDeleteHmmmm.... I've never done a virtual race but maybe I still have time to jump in on this one. I think the fastest I've run inadvertantly was while being chased by a dog :(
ReplyDeleteAwesome job!!!
ReplyDeleteI ran the cupcake virtual marathon. You could run a half marathon or full marathon within a week time frame I think it was, or mabye two weeks. Can't remember now but it was an awesome motivator!
Once I was running at the park on the trail there and as I was done I notice a guy following me, I went towards my car off the trail and he kept following. He finally talked to me and wanted a running partner and wanted to exchange numbers. I still had a funny feeling about it and was freaked out so said no thanks and left.
Nice job on your mile and PR! I would be scared too! I haven't run a virtual race yet. I was going to a while back then forgot about it. I didn't want to run this race because unfortunately as of right now I did peak in high school. I am working on getting back where I left off there! LOL!
ReplyDeleteWe have a creepy burnt out drughead that lives down the road. He is a piece of work. They call him Plug. He'll hollar stuff at me when I have to pass in front of his house while I am running. Things he has yelled at me: "Are you scared girl, are you scared?" and "Who are you running from?" Argh! He will bum rides off of people to go eat at the little restaurant that is across the street from my house. He'll lean up against my mailbox and it drives me crazy. I worry about him stealing my mail!!
I thought I commented on this post, but I guess I didn't! You literally had me in hysterics, I definitely had a visual and would have ran my ass outta there, too! Your new nickname might have to be speedracer:)
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ReplyDeleteDude awesome time! Too bad the prisoners probably didn't look like those guys from "Prison Break"! Remember that show?! Those were some hot criminals!!
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