As much as I enjoy track and field, I hadn’t been to a meet since I last ran in one as a senior in high school. I watched the Olympics every four years, but that was my only contact with the sport. A lot has changed in track since the 90’s, though. One of the cooler trends is the growth of small meets centered on the mile that bring the crowd closer to the athletes and give elite athletes a chance to run stateside instead of overseas.
Since 2014 (not counting the pilot in 2013) Raleigh has been fortunate to host one of these events, the Sir Walter Miler, which brings a men’s and women’s field of elite runners to town in early August to race on the track at Meredith University. The Sir Walter includes a few races with local flavor (this year it was a Raleigh vs. Durham open mile and a run club 4 x 400m relay), but the highlight is being able to line both sides of the track as spectators for the elite races.
I remembered seeing coverage of this in the News and Observer in the past, but hadn’t been able to attend. I circled it on the calendar this year and signed up to volunteer to give myself extra incentive to get out there.
Week four is in the books, and overall I am happy with how it went. The weather was good, I got in a complete set of workouts, and nearly hit my mileage target.
Fall Temps Are Here… Just Kidding!
We had a couple of days this week where the high only reached the upper eighties, the humidity stayed below 50%, and the mornings almost felt cool. It was a nice break while it lasted. I had forgotten how much easier it is to run when you don’t feel like you’re breathing underwater and what it felt like to not start sweating after stepping out the door. By the end of the week, though, the weather reverted to hot and humid conditions reminding me that summer will be around for another month or so.
When I first started dating my wife, my future father-in-law heard I was a runner and a reader and gave me a copy of Alan Sillitoe’s “Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.” He loved the book (short story, in this case) and especially the film version. I thanked him, but since I seem to collect books it laid dormant on my shelf for years.
Week three of training for Richmond is in the books. This marked the first week where I almost hit my milage targets, though I wasn’t able to hit my target paces in the key workouts.
Last week was rough. This week was rough, but better.
Speed work on Tuesday went well. I missed my target pace for the 800 repeats by about 5 seconds, but it was humid and I took less rest time in between each than I should have so I wasn’t worried.
I didn’t feel as good about the tempo run on Thursday. I don’t know if I wasn’t rested enough from Tuesday or if it was the humidity, but I had to take a long break in the middle of the run and struggled in the last half. I had stopped to take a picture early in the run when I saw a hawk peering down at me by the local library. I had done the same at the start of my tempo run last week, which was also a disaster. Note to self: think twice about pictures of nature on the tempo run this week.
Friday was an extra rest day because I was running my first trail race on Saturday (post forthcoming). My wife agreed to watch the kids so I get get to Roaring Gap, so she deserved to run Friday morning instead of me. I feel like I made up for it today with seven miles for a “recovery” run in 95 degree heat. I watched the women’s marathon, but the price was running in the heat of the day. I ran on the American Tobacco Trail to try and find more shade, but there was no wind and the humidity led to some run/walks in the second half of the run.
I feel better about my training this past week. It’s going to be hot and humid again this week, but I saw someone tweet that running in the heat is a weak substitute for altitude training. I will hope that’s true.
Runner’s World promoted a running streak challenge this summer, asking participants to complete a running streak from Memorial Day through July Fourth. I brought the idea up to Andrea, and she thought it sounded fun. To have a running streak, you have to run at least one mile every day on consecutive days for a set period of time. If you make it to a year, you can register your streak with the US Running Streak Association.
We weren’t interested in going that far, but were willing to give it a try. Since this was a family affair, Andrea agreed to share some of her thoughts about this experience alongside mine.
As I planned my race calendar for the year, I wanted to be sure to include a number of holiday races. Racing has become one of the ways we celebrate, but I wondered if there was any difference or how these fit in with the celebration on the holidays. First up on the calendar was the Fourth of July and the Four on the Fourth race in Carrboro.
Fourth of July Races
Running USA reported that nearly 300,000 runners participated in 485 races on the Fourth of July in 2015. It’s an impressive number, though way behind participation in Thanksgiving and Halloween races. Not surprising given the fact that it occurs in the heat of summer.
I have fond memories of running races on the Fourth of July. When I was about eight, I ran my first race in the one mile fun run at Freedom Fest in downtown Shelby, North Carolina. I didn’t train for it or have any experience running (other than the 360-yard run/walk as a part of the presidential fitness test in elementary school). I think the only reason we did it was because my dad wanted to run the race and the only way it would work was if my brother and I ran as well. I remember little about the race, except the feeling of pride I had after crossing the finish.
In college, the only race I ran was the Peach Tree Road Race in Atlanta when I happened to be in town for the Fourth and the people I visited had a system to get extra bibs by volunteering pre-race. That was my first 10k, and I remember feeling great about completing a longer run than I ever had before.
While the Fourth of July is a major holiday, the individual celebrations tend to blur together for me. I can remember experiencing fireworks or a cookout, but can’t tell you when they occurred. I will remember the two Fourths (so far) when I ran races, though.
Four on the Fourth
This year my in-laws were in town for the Fourth of July, so Andrea and I looked for a race we could run together without the kids. We settled on the Cardinal Track Club’s Four on the Fourth race in Carrboro.
This is a simple race: no t-shirts (though we did get a nice bottle opener keychain), no finisher’s medals. The course starts and ends at McDougle Middle School and winds for four miles through the surrounding neighborhoods towards downtown Carrboro. There isn’t anything particularly special about the scenery, though Andrea and I lived in this area after college so it held some nostalgic value for us. The course is mostly flat, with a few gentle hills to break things up.
The Race
Andrea and I at the start.
It rained lightly as we waited for the start, cooling things off. At the front of the crowd, the elite runners did their strides out and back. A woman behind me talked about how the neighborhood swim team stressed her out (preach it sister). Some people wore America themed outfits, but not as many as I expected. It was a comfortable crowd, and made it easy to relax.
We counted down to the start and headed out. The pack quickly thinned, and I settled into a pace making the turn into the neighborhoods. This was a quiet race. Few cars passed by; only pockets of spectators were out to cheer. As most of the course was in bike lanes we ran more in a line than in groups for miles two and three.
In the third mile we turned back into the neighborhoods near McDougle, and I ran more in a group. I passed some people and had others go by me. I felt good about my pace and tried to keep it up. Being steady let me play rabbit for some high school cross country runners, I think; we passed a coach yelling encouragement to them to pass me and catch their teammates ahead (I held off most of them, though).
The fourth mile finishes on the track at McDougle, which I like. It lets you see who is ahead, by how much, and whether they have a kick or not. If you have anything left it’s easier to break it into 100m chunks and make a final push. I had a good race to the line with another guy, and felt good about the effort. Afterwards, I grabbed a couple of watermelon slices (popsicles and watermelon slices are two of the best things about summer races) and headed over to wait for Andrea at the entrance to the track. I cheered for other runners as they came through, and then walked over to meet Andrea at the finish line.
Taking it All In
We hung around for a few minutes and then headed up the stairs to the parking lot, turning back to survey the scene. People talking, kids playing in the sprinklers in action on the football field, and the final runners working around the track to their finish. It felt warm.
The view of the finish.
On the way to breakfast we checked in our goals. I wanted to keep a pace at or below seven minutes a mile, and I wanted to hold a consistent pace through the race. I accomplished both and felt good about how my race had gone. Andrea wanted to finish in under forty minutes. She came in well under her goal time. We had a good discussion afterwards about whether or not she could have run faster. We enjoyed the time together without the kids and this bridge in our holiday between the fireworks the night before and the cook-out later that afternoon.
We could have done a lot of things that morning, but it was nice to be out in the community with others doing something fun and positive in a laid back atmosphere. I don’t know that running has any special significance on a holiday like the Fourth, except that it is a time we set aside to come together as family, friends, and community and running gives us a chance to share and celebrate something we enjoy together. The simplicity of this race heightened this feeling, and was nice. We weren’t there for the swag or the medals. We were there for the run.
For more of a logistics take, check out the review.
For the past three years Fullsteam Brewery and Bull City Running put on The Point 262, an event in June billed as an “all-day party with something for everyone”. For me, the event of interest was a 0.262 mile run. Seeing an excuse to visit the brewery and run a non-traditional distance, I signed up.
As I have gotten back into running in the past year, I was curious how 39 year old me would stack up to 18 year old me, but the only comparable distance for that would be the mile. Luckily, two recent races gave me the chance to see.
Memories on the Track
I run longer distances now than when I was younger. In high school, I preferred mid-distance races and ran the 1600 (mile) and the 800 (1/2 mile). I was never that fast in either, but I took both seriously and was good enough to be able to contribute points to the track team.
After graduation I left both distances behind. I might occasionally push myself on a run to see what my split would be, but the result usually served best to show me how much older and slower I was. 18 year old me always seemed to be in the background waving his 5:07 PR in my face and telling me I didn’t belong anymore.
I don’t know that I really quit feeling this way until the past year. Pushing myself to run halfs and then my first full marathon, I accomplished something 18 year-old me never thought I would and carved out a new identity as a runner.
In most ways I feel like a stronger runner today than when I was in high school. I have more knowledge about training, more tools to assist me, and a stronger work ethic. The more confidence I gained while running longer distances, the more I wanted to know how I stacked up to younger me. I wanted to see how much slower I really had become. The only way to test this was through racing a mile. As I started laying out my race calendar for the year, I put two races early on the board that would let me see how far I had come.
The Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile
The Sir Walter Team team set the 2o16 Raleigh RunDown Downhill Mile took place on June 17th. I had never run an all downhill race before and thought this sounded like fun.
What Am I Doing Here?
A look at the final stretch of the course from the finish.
The course runs along a section of Centennial Parkway in Raleigh near the State Farmers’ Market. It’s wide, has only a few gentle curves, and features a total elevation drop of around 130 feet giving it the feel of a soap box derby course for runners.
I told Andrea that I thought I would probably be mid-late pack, and didn’t want to embarrass myself. She was very reassuring until we parked and started walking over to the start. The other runners walking with us were lean and fit, like the group in the middle of the start line for a 5k. She looked over and said something like “Yeah, these people are serious.”
As I walked up the hill to the start, I worried I didn’t belong and that I would embarrass myself. I knew this was likely to be a smaller, faster crowd than I was used to running against. Watching the women bolt off the line for their heat didn’t help. I was not used to that much speed at the start of a race, either because it didn’t make sense for the distance or because I couldn’t see it from my position in the pack.
Soon it was time for the mens’ competitive heat. I sized myself up against the other runners and settled on lining up in the third row to be clear of the fastest runners. We waited for the clock at the finish to reset from the women’s heat. My mouth was dry from the nerves growing larger every minute.
Blazing Down the Hill
After a false start, we were off. The lead group separated quickly and the pack started to thin out along the road. I went out faster than expected, so I worked to find open space and settle into a pace that felt right. I pushed myself hard, but felt good about how I was doing. Soon we passed a guy on the side of the road calling out times, and I wondered if that was the 1/4 mile point. It couldn’t be, could it?
I kept on my pace, and came to the Salming flags I knew marked the 1/2 mile of the race. Really? I still felt good. My lungs and legs burned a little, but my body felt relaxed and gravity helped me along. I started to pass a few people and before I knew it saw another guy calling times from the side of the road. I knew he was the 3/4 mark and felt a sense of euphoria. Usually the section of the mile between the 1/2 and 3/4 marks were the worst for me; you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you feel the weight of how hard your body is working. On a flat track, it’s the symbolic “uphill”.
Here, though, I had passed it without noticing. The turnover in my legs increased. I could see the finishing arch in the distance, and as it grew larger I moved faster. I could feel the distance evaporating and felt energized, passing some people and watching others push ahead in their kicks. I saw 5:09 on the clock and reached across the line for a time of 5:13.
Modern-era Personal Best
Andrea told me I looked pained coming across the finish, but I was smiling on the inside. I had secretly hoped I could run around 5:10, but thought a more realistic stretch goal would be around 5:40-45 and wouldn’t have been surprised if I ran a little over the 6 minute mark.
Post-race beers at Trophy Brewing.
I congratulated the people I ran to the finish with, then turned to find Andrea and clap for the people coming down the hill. This race was a joy to run. It gave me the feeling I had when I was a child and ran just for fun, fast and without abandon. Even Andrea, who doesn’t normally race for speed, left wondering what she could have done in the race and thought about it for next year.
I had a mark I could hold up to 18 year-old me and give the “I’ve still got it” smile. At the same time, 18 year-old me probably would have muttered something under his breath about the race being downhill and that it didn’t count (things my seven year old son actually said the next day). In my heart, I felt he had a point. Gravity and the course provided a boost to my time, and the only way to really measure myself was to head back to the track.
My Imperfect Mile: the 6/21 Pop-Up Miles
Luckily, the Sir Walter Miler guys also hold a series of Pop-up Miles every Tuesday in June. Organizers disclose the location the weekend before, and you show up at the track to race. No medals or t-shirts. It’s a smaller crowd, most of whom ran a mile in the low 5’s or 4’s. I recognized some faces from the RunDown.
Psyching Myself Out, Again
I knew it would be tougher than the downhill mile, physically and psychologically. Most people don’t like running on a track, much less racing on it. The course doesn’t change. There is no point where it gets easier. You know how far you have left at any given point. You know where the wind will smack you in the face.
Aside from that, a race on the track leaves no place to blend in or hide. There are only a handful of people racing at one time, and what spectators there are can see everything unfold. It is immediately apparent when you chip away at a lead or start to fall apart.
Most races on a track are shorter and give you less time to recover from an early mistake. If something goes wrong with your race plan in a 5k or a marathon, you may not have a good day but you have time to adjust your expectations and recover. With the mile, you don’t. By the time you collect yourself the race is over.
Still, because of all these things there is something awesome about racing a mile on a track. There’s a symmetry in four laps that isn’t too monotonous and allows you to track your splits. Likewise, the course doesn’t change much from place to place or over time; 18 year old me may have balked at my downhill mile time, but he would have to respect whatever I ran on the track.
For So Few People, This Seems Crowded
The organizers provide two heats: an “Over 5:30” and an “Under 5:30”. I opted to run in the “Over 5:30” heat. I lined up in the “Over” heat, figuring that was probably the right place for me. I lined up on the starting line at the end of the front stretch with 12 other runners, men and women of all ages (I can’t remember the last time I was in a field that small).
At the start. I’m on the far right (photo via Sir Walter Miler FB page: http://bit.ly/29manep).
I planned to start fast, tuck in with the lead group, let them set the pace, and then make a move towards the end of the race. At the end of the first turn, though, I found myself boxed in. I watched two runners peel off at the front and start to distance themselves from the pack. I didn’t like the pace, and thought I could do a little better so I made the decision to try and break. This meant slowing down, finding a path to the outside, and then trying to accelerate towards the front of the pack. I ran out of room on the back straight and had to tuck back into the pack. I wasted a lot of energy in the process and now have a greater appreciation for those who can run a “patient” race.
Finishing the second lap (photo via Sir Walter Miler FB page: http://bit.ly/29manep).
In the next lap I exchanged places with one person and saw another move ahead of both of us and add some distance. I worked harder than I had the Friday before. I felt a twinge in my quad that grew harder to ignore with every step. The heat and humidity weighed on me, and the wind gusted at times in both stretches. My lungs and legs burned.
The third lap was what I expected. The distance was no different from the Friday before, but it felt longer, slower. I struggled to keep my pace and battled my fatigue and anxiety through the lap.
At the finish (photo via Sir Walter Miler FB page: http://bit.ly/29manep).
Into the final lap the faster runners waiting for their heat offered encouragement. “Get those knees up”. “Keep going”. “One more”. I started my kick midway through the back stretch, closing on one runner that had passed me earlier, pulling even with her at the end of the turn and pushing as hard as I could to the finish.
I barely heard the footsteps from behind as a guy in a red shirt bolted past with a strong kick, and all I could do was laugh. I may have had another gear but didn’t know how to find it that night, and even if I had I don’t think I could have accelerated enough to catch him.
I crossed the line in 5:40, almost thirty seconds slower than what I had run the Friday before. It felt good, though. I hadn’t run that fast since high school, and though it wasn’t close to my best I think 18 year-old me would have at least respected it.
I stayed to watch the “Under 5:30” heat and then ran the “bonus” 800m race after. I then hobbled to my car with an apparent muscle strain and went to my kids’ swim meet.
A Lesson Learned
Sometimes when we push ourselves to run longer and longer distances, we can forget how much fun the shorter ones can be. I appreciated the chance to test a different aspect of my running, and for these events in particular I like the smaller crowds and closer connection to top runners, even though I’m not in their league. With longer races they finish so much earlier and everything gets lost in the crowds.
I am not as fast as I was in high school but I haven’t lost as much speed as I thought, either. More importantly, I get that it really doesn’t matter. I’m a different runner today than 18 year-old me. I don’t need to compete with my past and the less I do that the happier as a runner I will be.
