RACE REPORT: 2023 Raspberry Run 1 Mile

After some decent 1-mile specific workouts, I was ready to try to crush another mile race. We spent the night before in Alexandria with family, so I had a 2 hour drive back to the Cities to race.

Cousins fishing with Grandpa on the dock.

Funny story: I was telling Henry about last year‘s 1 mile race and how I had hoped to break 5:00 one last time back then. But I told him I was maybe in better shape this year, so I hoped to break 5 minutes one MORE time. He was telling family that “Dad wants to be fast one more time before he’s old.” Close enough, I guess.

I was ready for things to get "blurry" and to feel like a "puddle of mudd" during this race.


I stopped at a random park in Hopkins to use their porta-potty.
A BEAUTIFUL sight from my car after driving 2 hours.

Without trying (and arriving from the opposite direction), I ended up parking in the exact same spot as I did last year, just 1 block off the race course, and maybe 3 blocks from the start line. I chatted with Bobby Paxton on the walk to get my number, and he said he’d love to beat his 5:53 from last year (and 5:52 is his age group’s record!).

The day was cooler than last year, there was a slight tailwind, and the wildfire smoke from the day before had cleared. I was ready for a good race! But I was also aware that I felt like I'd run last year‘s race PERFECTLY, so I had to be on my game to have a shot at my goal this year.

Final pre-race business in a decent bathroom.


The straight race course: here's the 1/4 mile marker.


The race heads straight down Main Street.


The leader (and eventual winner) of the 5 mile (who was the same guy
being awkward in the background of my post-race selfie in March.)


First and 2nd in the 5 mile following the lead biker down Main Street.
(The 5 mile has the same finish line as our upcoming 1 mile.)


Kirt in the 5 mile!


Final snack back at the car. Expired PowerBars still work! ;)

I pinned on my number, walked my shirt back to my car, warmed up with a little jogging (and 2 short sprints), and was ready to go! I found a spot in line similar to last year: 3 rows back and right in the middle of the road. Perfect.

"5... 4... 3... 2... 1... GOOOOOO!!!!!!"

I took off pretty hard, but most people around me were passing me. I almost felt a little boxed-in after 45 seconds, but I worked my way to the right and got around that group. My throat was coated and dry and I was already breathing hard, so I was curious what this first quarter-mile split would be.

• FIRST 1/4 MILE: 1:12.2. "Right where I wanted it! Try to do that again!"

Last year I started with opening quarter-mile splits of 1:12 and 1:14, and I told myself that a perfect start this year would be 1:12 and 1:12. And gosh darn it, I nailed it:

• SECOND 1/4 MILE: 1:12.4 "I’M DOING IT! Now hold on and suffer."

I briefly became aware that my PR is 4:49.x and that I was at 2:24.6 at a half mile, but I really didn’t have any grand delusions that I would break that. That PR is 12+ years old from a different time: pre-kids!

I felt a little time slipping away in this quarter-mile, but was still feeling good with the race overall and my effort. I wasn’t surprised to see I had slowed up just a little:

• THIRD 1/4 MILE: 1:13.2 "You’re not dead! Keep it strong here!!!"

I had Heather Kampf and Dakotah Lindwurm (2 rockstars if you didn’t know!) just in front of me, so I set my sights on passing them! (Which is NOT something that I thought would have been possible when I saw them before the start!) Heather just kept pulling away, but I was able to come up next to Dakotah. I saw the finish line, and I passed her in the final few meters.

I didn’t know my final quarter-mile split until well after the race, but I was happy to look down and see 4:51 overall on my Garmin.

• FINAL 1/4 MILE: 1:13.6. "A slow positive split. But just by 1.4 secs from start to finish. I’ll take it!"

OFFICIAL RESULTS:

Steve Stenzel, 42, M, St. Paul

4:52

57 out of 550 overall
56 out of 321 males
8 out of 58 in the 40-49 age group

[Garmin: 1.0 miles in 4:51.4]

BARELY got Dakotah...


... but barely even made the same PAGE of results as Heather.


Heather about to break a state AG record, possibly being
held up by 3 guys hitting their watches in front of her.


Dakotah in the middle of the background of that pic, and I don't know
where I am. I think that's me peaking out from behind that guy. Dunno.
(I might have more pics from Tom R to share shortly!)

4 POST-RACE NOTES:

• ONE: this is my 3rd fastest 1 mile out of 15! As a 42-year-old “old man” (as Henry would say), I couldn’t be happier! The shorter/harder training has paid off. (See this post from last year detailing all my other 1-mile races.) My only faster times are from 2011 and 2013!

• TWO: if I’m being completely honest, I maybe could’ve eeked out a little more time in that final quarter mile. Yes, the two lead females in front of me really helped pull me to a strong finish, but I still maybe had a little more I could’ve given. I could NOT have PRed (4:49), but I maybe had a half to a full second left in the tank. Don’t get me wrong: I hit the finish line completely hashed! But maybe shortly after the 3/4 mark, I could’ve dug a little deeper. Who knows.

• THREE: I posted my best age graded results ever! At last year‘s race, I saw an age graded result of 81% which was the first time I'd hit 80+! But with this finish, I hit 83!

• FOUR: the winner won my heart. Speedy Colin Abert ran the 800 meter track meet with me last month, and we talked a bit after that meet as I was walking to my car with my boys. I happened to see him as we were both cooling down after this mile race. He turned around and tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I broke 5:00 like I was hoping to do when we had chatted at the track meet. I was super impressed that he went out of his way to ask me about that, and even more surprised that he remembered me (AND my goal time!). I became a big fan in that moment. Nice 4:02 mile, Colin!


Here are some Garmin notes:

Note my speed: starting strong, easing up
when boxed in, and then slowly slowing down.


Two new Garmin PRs.


Ascending splits.


Only pic of the "bowl full of sunshine" shorts that I raced in.

I’m using this race as an excuse to have a slightly easier week and maybe do more biking. We’ll see what the rest of this post-race week holds. Happy summer!!