Meet of the Miles Track Meet

Last night was the "Meet of the Miles" indoor track meet. It was my 3rd year in a row racing this 1-mile race, and it's always a nice "check in" to see where you're at at the beginning of the year.

I changed into a pair of new rainbow Injinjis for the race:

The first heat was the "speedy dudes" - you sign up for a heat based on your expected finishing time, and heat #1 was "4:00 - 4:45." Here's the start of that heat:

In the dark jersey and red shoes is Ben Merchant, the guy
who I KNEW was going to catch me in the Grand Prix last year.

I signed up for the same heat as the last 2 years: the "4:45 - 5:00" heat. We were up next. I did NOT over-think this race. I did NOT look back at old race times, and I did NOT come up with a list of hopeful 1/4 mile splits (something I usually do). I was just there to race hard knowing that I didn't quite have the speed of the past 2 years. I gave my camera to Jeremy (THANKS Jeremy!) and got to the start.

Clearing our watches.


Behind Brian D (in the black and red) who pulled me to a PR at this race 2 years ago.

"On your marks............. GO!"

Just a second after that photo was taken, I was in last place. I figured I could be in last place for a while, but I wanted to fight back from there by the end.

Last place after 1 lap.


Last place after 2 laps.

FIRST 400 METERS: 1:15.59. "That's about right Steve. Get faster now."

(Technically, that was the first 409 meters, because I included the 9 meters back from the starting line that made this a true mile - not just 1600 meters.)

Still in last place after 3 laps.


Still in last place after 4 laps.

I TRIED making a move around that kid in gray on the third lap, but I couldn't get past him and had to jump back behind him. He was falling off the main pack, and I didn't want to feel "stuck" behind him as he slowed up. Now that we were hitting the mid-way point, I WAS going to get past him.

SECOND 400 METERS: 1:14.37. "Again, good Steve. Kick it in the butt and make this next one faster!!"

My legs were tired. Last year I ran a 4:53 after being on 5:01 pace for the first half. I soon realized I did NOT have the same kick this year. I was hurting bad. But at least I FINALLY got around that kid in gray, and I tried to catch back up to the main pack:

THIRD 400 METERS: 1:14.92. "Damn it. Well, just run hard and don't die." (Always a good goal.)

With 1 lap to go!!

After starting that final lap, I actually slowed up a bit. My legs were hashed. I was spent. This was NOT a good mile. I worked to the line with all I had left:

I caught that kid behind me (notice him in front of me in the 2 photos above)
to finish 3rd to last in my wave.

FOURTH 400 METERS: 1:12.02. "OK, that was better. Not super great... but better."

My finishing time wasn't stellar. In fact, it was my 2nd slowest mile time ever. But at least my splits were a pretty consistent descend (1:15, 1:14, 1:14, 1:12).

I had 4:56.90 on my watch, but they had me down as 4:56.6 officially.

Shortly after finishing, SteveQ found me and either said

"You were the worst anyone looked finishing sub-5."

or

"That's the worst-looking of your sub-5 miles."

Which ever it was... HE WAS RIGHT.

I hung out and cheered for all the rest of the heats and talked "baby talk" with Sarah.

Brian, Claire, Melissa, Jeremy, Kirt, and Kirk all in here.


Jeremy (in the blue) just ahead of Claire (in the GW sports bra).


Claire and Kirk in front of Brian and Jeremy.


Claire ended up finishing in 5:19, and Jeremy finished his first indoor mile in 5:22!
(Oh, and there's Sarah and Evie with the stroller in the distance.)


Another full heat: Nordica to the far left, George, Tom, Ron,
Melissa, Brian (for like the millionth time!), Claire (again),
and Harvey and Sean looking READY to go to the far right.


Julie found me pre-race and we chatted a bit. Here she is just as
I saw her cross the line RIGHT as the clock clicked over to 6:00...


... so I had to find her official results and let her know that she made sub-6!

I'll have the complete official results soon, along with a few more photos. Oh, and I talked with Ben Merchant after the race and found out why he had to miss the final race of the MDRA Grand Prix series and just HAND OVER the win to me... more on that in the next post about this race....