I'm taking an economics class for my MBA on Wednesday nights, and the local running store in town has group runs on Wednesdays. This week, however, was "spring break", so I did not have class. I thought I'd celebrate my evening off and find a pace group to run a five mile loop.

Runners are similar to cyclists in that they sandbag their times before the run, then overexaggerate their time after the run. For example, some will note that they going to run at an 8:30 pace when in reality, the pace will be 8:00. At the end, they will cut 0.2 miles off the end of the run but count it anyway, making their finish time look a few minutes faster. Hey! It's motivating. Can't criticize that.

So the purported 8:00 minute group ran the five miles at a 7:30 pace. I was confident I could do such a pace quite easily since I had run that quickly in Florida (alternating between 7:30 and 8). But Florida is FLAT. And Birmingham is far from being flat.

First ten minutes, I felt great. Next ten minutes: breathing hard, can't talk much, stop noticing external things in environment, heart rate is high. Third ten minutes: gave up on iPod, started to hate pace group leader, compared myself to others and felt weak, lazy and pathetic, lungs are burning, running partner keeps poking my back telling me not to slump. I gasp out a 'thank you' and encourage him to keep reminding me in monosyllabic gasping grunts. Last eight minutes: continued loss of good running form, praying to God that I will die soon, wishing someone would carry me the last half mile, continued hatred of pace group leader for making it look effortless.

Overall result: I am completely, totally humbled.

More speedwork is in order. It shouldn't be this difficult to run five 7.5 minute miles.