The Question

It's an age old question. A lot of us ask it from time to time, few actually take the time to figure out the answer. Most of us overestimate, while some err on the under. But we all do eventually ask it: After we've stopped running (I mean really running), how fast are we???

One thing that I'm looking forward to when I'm done running competitively is the random race. I have a good amount of friends who have challenged themselves to run an all out mile or organized an out of the blue street race (from time to time I've gotten in on these as well). It will be fun to go out and race after having not done it for a while. As I'm grasping my knees and sucking for air, I'll realize that it wasn't really that fun.

The "how fast am I right now?" question comes up fairy often in a group of running friends. We're a competitive group (see Dan Nunn's bet).

Krisch had to take 4 months off for a femoral stress fracture after his college career. He just started running two or three weeks ago:
"I could run my high school PR," said Krisch referencing a 9:07 2-mile.
"WHHHATT??!!" everyone responded in hysteria.
"You couldn't break 10," somebody says to get the bartering going for a bet.
"That's ridiculous," Krisch retorts.
The bickering back and forth continues for about 20 minutes too long.
"Fine," says Will, "Saturday, go run 9:30 at Riverbank."
And then we find out how much of a man Krisch is.

Amazingly, this conversation occurs about twice a month. Sadly, the races occur only every once in a while.

I'm happy not to be in the position to ask myself the question yet (although I do ask myself how fast I can become every time I race), but I know that I eventually will. And down the road when I'm a few lbs over the reg and bored with my job and easy runs, I'll lace up the spikes, go up to the track, not let anyone know I'm going, and I'll rip off a mile...hopefully it's under five.

If I can run my HS PR when I'm washed up...I won't be very washed up.