By Brady Crain
A frosty view from Killington Peak at sunrise on Oct. 3, as witnessed by the columnist on xhis new training regimen.
Nothing exciting happened this week, and it was everything that I hoped that it would be. Boredom, preparation for a new job, some running, lots of walking, and lest we forget, tons of bacon and sausage. So much bacon and sausage, in fact, that I become thirsty simply typing the words “bacon” and “sausage.”
This weeks milestones were simple ones, and this weeks training was focused on minor changes in direction.
My first run of the week was a three mile run up/down Killington Road, at about 23 minutes. This gives me a little more than two minutes to shave from my overall time (about 40 seconds per mile) to reach my goal of running a 5K race (3.1 miles) in under 21 minutes.
My next workout was a nice long walk, up Killington road to K1 and back, 6.6 miles, average pace right at 15 minutes per mile. I noted that I have been walking faster than a month or so ago.
My next workout was a combo, a 1 mile run and a 3 mile walk. The mile (a flat mile on schoolhouse road) was as fast as fast as I could run it without a warmup, 6:55 minutes, and the walk was just over 15 minutes per mile. The 1 mile fast run proved to me that I can in fact get under 7 minutes per mile, I just need to be able to handle that pace for another 13 or so minutes, which I can not right now.
I closed out the week with a 5.25 mile hike from the gondola base up the service road to Killington Peak and back. This walk in particular was quite fast compared to my work earlier in the summer. I maintained 19-20 minute miles on the way up, and jogged down taking my time. The downhill miles were the real surprise, because I felt like I was going very slowly, but I was clocking in 11 and 12 minute miles (earlier in the summer even my downhill miles were 15 minutes).
Overall I am noticing that my definitions of speed have changed quite a bit since I started this endeavor in the spring. Furthermore, my definitions of pain have changed, though I will admit to immediate flashbacks of the obstacle race experience when I pass portions of the course. The sensation is frankly less pleasant than one would hope for…
Ironically, I find myself making plans to do the event next year. I know I can do better. I know that I can train myself out of the motion sickness. I know that if I just do the one lap instead of the two, I can come in in under four hours.
Apparently, I know a lot. What I do not know, still, is how to quit while I am ahead.
In domestic news, Pip the Impaler has turned a corner, and is starting to be sweet. I have learned the best times to pick him up for a snuggle, and he has started to purr when I pet him in just the right way. Sometimes, hilariously, I can see him trying to get away from me while I am petting him, but at the same time, he is leaning into my finger purring. He is clearly fighting his instinct to flee, hide and bite. He is turning into a good little pet. It has taken longer than I had hoped it would, but it will be worth it in the end.
Brady Crain is a former full time stage hand, musician, engineer, stand-up comic, and musician, who grew up in Randolph, Vt. He is now a Realtor® with Killington Pico Realty. Earlier this summer he decided to run a decided to run a 60-kilometer race in the Laurentians mountains of Quebec, then the Spartan Ultra at Killington Mountain, and now he is training to run a 5K Turkey Trot in under 21 minutes (under 7 minutes/mile). His prior experience consists of running a 5K once in 1999.
