Running the Track

So, I finally made it to Concord. I have been wanting to get to the track and see if I could run a whole mile. Not stopping at all. Yesterday I did it!
Actually I almost did it last week when I ran in Athens. I didn't realize it though at the time since I was struggling to keep moving at something faster than a walk. It took me about 0:13:30 to get to a point where I decided to walk. Later I mapped it and found out I was about two minutes from a mile.
This week I wanted to go to the track at Concord to attempt running a mile on the flat. Just to see if I could finish the mile and how long it would take me. The day I decided to do it, I had forgotten to pack socks in my running gear. Then it was extra cold. Then I had forgotten I would need a wind jacket. Then yesterday I finally had everything with me. I changed into my running clothes at work, because I just knew that if I waited until I got to Athens to change at the gym I would find a reason not to do it. The temperature was 36 degrees, yes that might have been my excuse, but I was ready to go. The jacket I had brought with me doesn't have a good MP3 pocket so I decided to run with no sound diversions at all. That jacket does have a good collar on it though. It kept the cold breeze off of my neck very nicely.
My "coach" told me to walk a mile before I started running. So I walked a loop around town that is a little more than a mile long. Made a pit stop in a campus restroom and then headed for the track. I ran the first quarter lap thinking I wasn't sure if I could do this and then remembered that I had run those streets last week without really thinking about it so I could sure finish a couple of laps. Then the second lap went by thinking this isn't too bad, just keep breathing and moving. There in the middle I was thinking be careful don't go to fast don't want to mess up the last lap, but don't slow down either. Then the third lap went by thinking half done just keep going. Then the last lap went by thinking only one more, half more, pick it up a little, quarter more, run faster to the finish. DONE in 11 minutes and 38 seconds.
Then I walked another mile before I went to the truck to got a bottle of water with Replenish and walked some more around the parking lot to finish out the hour. Ended up completing 3.75 miles for the day. While I was walking that last mile I thought about jogging some more, but I figured I might hurt something - my knee felt fine by the way, so I just walked.
My lap times were:
Lap 1 02:56
Lap 2 03:00
Lap 3 02:54
Lap 4 02:48
I am not sure how I did that, I am impressed with myself though. I believe that is called a negative split. HA Now just imagine the possibilities if I would do this more often. And that was with no mp3 diversions. Next time I will have to wear the right jacket or use the arm band so I can bring the diversion along. Then I can set the podrunner on a 12 minute mile and see if I can't coax another lap out of my subconsious. I want to bring that down to a 10 minute mile, but one thing at a time. In the mean time I need to get some more miles in.
I was looking at my calendar and found out that the last time I lost any serious weight was when I had walked/ran 52 miles in a month. Since then I have averaged about 34 miles and pretty much maintained my current weight. Well this morning the scale matches the lowest point I had ever seen since July 07 (a pound less then the norm for the last 3 months) and I am ready to focus again. Daylight is holding until 630 PM these days, temperature is no match as long as there is no ice. It is a new month, I am off again!