Westfield Turkey Trot (2001)

Most competitive runners have a target pace in mind for the distances they run. When I started in 1984, going under 6 minutes a mile seemed reasonable. I was able to attain it for every distance up to 5K but could never quite do it for four miles.

Conversely seven minutes a mile became the slowest I would allow myself for everything up to 10 miles. It took almost seven years before I finally did not hit a seven minute pace for five miles and when it happened at the May 1991 Roselle Park Run for Pride, I panicked and made some significant training changes which resulted in 1991 being my best year ever, culminating with a 31:14 personal best at the Westfield Turkey Trot.

On the last Saturday of November 2001, almost ten years to the day, I ran my personal best five mile of 2001, 35:52. Now that seven minute per mile has become my new goal And it seems as difficult to attain as the 6 minute pace I strove for ten years hence. A year ago I had hit bottom in the five mile,slogging to a personal worst, 40:10 at the same race. I can remember seeing the 31:14 time slip by before I even entered Tamaques Park. So it is encouraging to improve by four minutes and hopefully start to again see mile averages that end in six.