Yesterday I ran for almost 40 minutes so today I decided
to hit the 40 minute mark. If I run the
loop, that is form my mail box to the end of the road back to the cul de sac at
the other end of my neighborhood and returning to my mail box that is a little
over three miles, or 5k. I set out just to run 40 minutes but I was so close I
decided to finish the loop which is 3.1 miles or 5K.
I felt good about myself for running at a better than 4
miles an hour pace and completing 5K in less than 45 minutes that is until I
looked up the average time for a 5K in the US: 25 minutes. That is a 20 minutes better than what I ran
it at.
At least I have a marker now in which I can measure
myself. I only need to keep up a fast pace for 25 minutes, that may be doable.
In the meantime by looking up 5Ks I got on the subject of running a marathon
and learned a few things.
I knew that the idea of a marathon came from the Greeks,
but I didn’t know that it is to commemorate the run of Pheidippides, a soldier
who ran from the town of Marathon to Athens in 490 BC to announce victory for
the Grecian army. The legend says that
after he delivered his message he collapsed and died.
The first modern marathon was held in 1896 at the first
modern Olympic games in Greece. Somehow
it seems fitting that a Greek postal worker would be the first person to win a
modern marathon (I wonder if he delivered any messages). His name was Spiridon Louis and he completed
it in 2 hours, 58 minutes, 50 seconds.
Leave it to the British to change things up. Not complacent with a 24 mile marathon the
British had to change it to 26.2 miles.
The additional 2.2 miles were added so the race would finish in front of
the royal family’s viewing box when London hosted the Olympics in 1908. Traditionally this is why marathon runners
shout “God save the Queen!” (Or other saying related to the Queen if you get my
meaning) when they pass the 24 mile mark.
I found it to be an interesting bit of history and
thought I would share.
Daily Recap:
Matt: 5K – 42:30 average pace 14:13 a mile.
Kelly: 30 minutes treadmill at the gym
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