1 mile race report.
For those of you who want the short version - 1 mile 6:54 Last year 6:33 and 2007 - 6:33.
I can't be surprised as my goal was to stay under 7 minutes. Like I said, the past two years, I have done it in 6:33 but in 07 I was in great shape and 10 lbs lighter. Last year I did speed work for a month leading up to the race with that race as my primary goal of the summer circut.
This morning I had my 3.5 year follow up and I wanted the scale to be kind so I went for a run to sweat off some Lbs. I also didn't drink much yesterday. Those are topics for another time. Those are also the reasons that my expectations were not high. All of my times are about 8% off my p.r. times this year and I am getting used to it. This race was the same as far as being slower but 21 seconds over a mile is not too bad considering. When I train harder I will expect more from myself but this has been a down year.
Anyway, they start the race with a canon. With about a minute warning, they blast it. It starts off down a substancial hill for about 100 yards. It is impossible not to go out too fast unless you start at the back. I try to start about where I should finish which is usually at the back of the first third.
I had written on my hand the split times I needed to get 6:32. I went through the quarter at 1:36 which was two seconds ahead of pace. I was already feeling the oxygen debt but thanks to my stair master work of the last few weeks where my H.R. was in the 170's, it was not too bad. The legs were getting tired though.
The half split was about 3:22. That made my second quarter about 1:46 which meant that I was slowing down considerably. The second quarter is more up than down but the entire course is fairly flat. I knew that I had to speed up to stay under 7 minutes but with the legs feeling heavy and the oxygen debt really kicking in, it would be hard.
I don't have a split for the third quarter but I knew it was good enough to make me happy at the finish if I could keep it up for the final quarter.
I did have a pretty good final kick. There was a kid there who was probably 10 or 12 that was running with his dad. His dad was encouraging him so I kept telling the kid not to let me beat him. That seemes to help the young fella. I came through the shoot at 6:54 right on his heals and pushed the kid too the end. He didn't know what to do because his dad pealed off at the end (apparantly not in the actual race). I was 52nd and I am not sure of the number of finishers but they said at the start that there was a record of 240 people who entered. I would guess there were 200 finishers.
I am pleased with the race. A mile race is crazy. The start is scary and the finish in intense. There is nothing cooler than giving your all for a mile. When you tell someone that you ran a 3 hour marathon, they have no clue if that's good or not but to tell some one a sub 7 minute time is something most people can relate too. I love this race. There is no better indicator of fitness level than this. If you can find a mile race, do it. Jus****ch your step at the start.
BTW, there is a group of about 10 people that are at my running level at most races I go to. Two years ago I would beat most of them most of the time. This year I have not been beating them much. Today, I whipped them all. Sure, one is 72 years old and another has a shoulder that is obviously deformed and another woman has the worst form I have ever seen a person run with. Today was my day!
Now how can some idiot write this much about a 1 mile race. I have had marathon reports shorter than this one.
I can't be surprised as my goal was to stay under 7 minutes. Like I said, the past two years, I have done it in 6:33 but in 07 I was in great shape and 10 lbs lighter. Last year I did speed work for a month leading up to the race with that race as my primary goal of the summer circut.
This morning I had my 3.5 year follow up and I wanted the scale to be kind so I went for a run to sweat off some Lbs. I also didn't drink much yesterday. Those are topics for another time. Those are also the reasons that my expectations were not high. All of my times are about 8% off my p.r. times this year and I am getting used to it. This race was the same as far as being slower but 21 seconds over a mile is not too bad considering. When I train harder I will expect more from myself but this has been a down year.
Anyway, they start the race with a canon. With about a minute warning, they blast it. It starts off down a substancial hill for about 100 yards. It is impossible not to go out too fast unless you start at the back. I try to start about where I should finish which is usually at the back of the first third.
I had written on my hand the split times I needed to get 6:32. I went through the quarter at 1:36 which was two seconds ahead of pace. I was already feeling the oxygen debt but thanks to my stair master work of the last few weeks where my H.R. was in the 170's, it was not too bad. The legs were getting tired though.
The half split was about 3:22. That made my second quarter about 1:46 which meant that I was slowing down considerably. The second quarter is more up than down but the entire course is fairly flat. I knew that I had to speed up to stay under 7 minutes but with the legs feeling heavy and the oxygen debt really kicking in, it would be hard.
I don't have a split for the third quarter but I knew it was good enough to make me happy at the finish if I could keep it up for the final quarter.
I did have a pretty good final kick. There was a kid there who was probably 10 or 12 that was running with his dad. His dad was encouraging him so I kept telling the kid not to let me beat him. That seemes to help the young fella. I came through the shoot at 6:54 right on his heals and pushed the kid too the end. He didn't know what to do because his dad pealed off at the end (apparantly not in the actual race). I was 52nd and I am not sure of the number of finishers but they said at the start that there was a record of 240 people who entered. I would guess there were 200 finishers.
I am pleased with the race. A mile race is crazy. The start is scary and the finish in intense. There is nothing cooler than giving your all for a mile. When you tell someone that you ran a 3 hour marathon, they have no clue if that's good or not but to tell some one a sub 7 minute time is something most people can relate too. I love this race. There is no better indicator of fitness level than this. If you can find a mile race, do it. Jus****ch your step at the start.
BTW, there is a group of about 10 people that are at my running level at most races I go to. Two years ago I would beat most of them most of the time. This year I have not been beating them much. Today, I whipped them all. Sure, one is 72 years old and another has a shoulder that is obviously deformed and another woman has the worst form I have ever seen a person run with. Today was my day!
Now how can some idiot write this much about a 1 mile race. I have had marathon reports shorter than this one.
Scott
Link to my running journal
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1303681
4 full's - 14 halves - 2 goofy's and one Mt. Washington!
Link to my running journal
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1303681
4 full's - 14 halves - 2 goofy's and one Mt. Washington!
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