15k social and next goals?

Saturday I finished my second race, a 15k (9.3 mile run) around White Bear Lake. I found the race results online at:
http://www.raceberryjam.com/manitoures.html

My time was not good due to arriving late and starting nearly 5 minutes after the race began. Still I had fun playing leap frog talking to people on the way.

I talked to the top male finisher for 30-39, at 58:57, or a 6:20 pace. I had planned to talk to the 3rd place winner, but didn't notice they announced people in reverse!

I also saw from the results the top woman had a 59:47 time (only 12 men ahead of her!)

I've decided that a 60 minute 15k would be a glorious time to make, not even in a race, just a practice run. I don't know if I'll ever have the will to run full in a race since I like talking to people along the way. Maybe the best can still talk and get good times, but I'm betting they're focused on running.

I'm proud I finally beat President Bush's 2002 3 miler - 20:49, with my own record 19:48, and I went a full 4 miles at (6:27, 6:38, 6:43, 6:37 miles). This contrasts to Bush's slowdown paces (6:28, 6:49, 7:10). Well I can beat a 55 year old, but a start!
http://www.mach2.com/williams/index.php?t=1&c=2002-10-11

To make a 60:00 on 9.32 miler (15k), requires an average 6:26 mile pace! Okay, so I'm over my head - a pace 10 seconds faster than my 4-miler average! I should note my heart rate at the end of the 4-miler was 199 beats/minute! That contrasts with my maximum heart rate supposed to be 182! Oops!

Well, plugging 60:00 for 15k into the calculator at:
http://mcmillanrunning.com/Running%20University/Article%201/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm

Suggests I ought to first be able to do shorter races in:
1 mile in 5:23 (current 5:49, +26)
2 miles in 11:29 (current 13:05, +1:36)
3 miles in 17:58 (current 19:48, +1:50)
5k in 18:38 (current 20:25, +1:47)
4 miles in 24:23 (current 26:25, +2:02)
5 miles in 30:53 (current 35:14, +4:21)
10k in 38:43 (current 44:36, +5:53)
15k in 1:00:00 (current 1:08:17, +8:17)
10M in 1:04:53 (current 1:13:21, +8:28)

A silly person would try to train on each shorter distance until the pace is met and then go to the next one. It is mainly silly since shorter distances require more anaerobic energy while I have to improve my aerobic limits.

Could I really make these improvements? I've never before set specific standards. This is arbitrary as any goal. I mainly consider it since it was fun to see how fast I could run and how long.

I'm not sure about my heart rate. Better than improving my time, I need to improve my heart rate for the same times! That is, say I can run a 5:23 mile at a heart rate of 200, and then I keep practicing that pace until I get my heart below 180, and then try for the 5:45 pace for 2 miles, and again keep going until my heart can be kept under 180.

It is an interesting idea - to have two conflicting goals - short time AND slow heart. Only when both are met have I "passed" the test.

I'm yet shocked to imagine I could even run a 5:23 mile, although I ran a 2:43 1/2 mile at least which is a 5:26 mile pace, so I have the speed potential, and just need to improve my breathing to keep up!

Silly stuff, and I don't like disappointment, and perhaps would get tired of the goal soon enough, but it seems fun. Ideally, I'd practice speed a couple times a week and otherwise running in a more controlled breathing. They say anaerobic exercise isn't helpful, but I don't know what that means if I'm running for 30 minutes - obviously I'm breathing!

Maybe I'm just talking nonsense, unsure what my goals are, just know fast is fun!