ERAU Invitiational Mile 4:06.49
Daytona Beach
This is the shortest distance I've ever traveled to run a race. I got in the car and drove to the track and the same song was still playing on the radio. Quite a nice change from my normal commute to the far corners of Florida. I only got in the race because Tyrone Bell was coming over to run it and he was bring his buddy Scott to rabbit us. So why not. The track is a super fast mondo and I could really use the speed work since the last time I raced anything shorter than a 5k was in July of 2004. The foot had been hurting but it felt good warming up and there was only moderate plantar pain which was easy to run through. Race time weather was pretty hot, mid 70's, with the track temperature feeling much hotter. The race was supposed to go off at 11:25 but I didn't get the memo that it was a running schedule and we actually started at 11:10. I was literaly on my 3rd stride when they made the anouncement "all mile runners need to be on the line." The early start wasn't too bad though as it just felt a lot like the timing that my workouts start out with. I think I'm rambling on about prerace nothings because there's not too much to say about a 4 minute race. Or is there? Scott did a great job of rabbiting. We were out a little quick the first 209 meters (30) but settled in nicely from there. We went throught the 409m in 59-60 with Scott leading the way followed by Tyrone then me then, well, it was quite some time before the next guy. We kept moving well but between 600-700 meters the pace slowed a little. It wasn't a big drop but it was enough to take us over 60 second 400 pace. We went though the 809 in 2:00-01 with the rabbit dropping out and Tyrone taking over. Tyone led till about the backstretch when I could feel him falling off pace a little more and I could tell I still had a quicker pace in me so I made my move around him on the back stretch. A move which I immediately regreted as soon as I did. Why? Because I just made a move right into the head wind. I fought through it well on the back stretch going through the 1009 meter mark in 2:32 then continued through to the 1209 meter mark in 3:03. I was pushing pretty hard the last lap but the upper body was really locking down and my lungs were burning. The back stretch was a battle but after I got through it the last 200 went by quick. I could hear Tyrone a few steps behind me the whole way but he didn't close the gap that I opened up at the 1k mark down any. 4:06.49 for the mile. Not too bad. The last time I ran a mile was in 2004 and I ended that season with a 4:08.8 performance in Portland. That was a pretty uninspired effort though. I opened that season in Seattle on the track in an even less inspired 4:14 which I followed up 2 weeks later with an 8:02 3k. So hopefully this 4:06 is the start to some good races on the track. We'll see how Friday's 5k at FSU goes. Hopefully the plantar and foot holds up, afterwards the plantar was very sore but the metatarsals were good which I think is much more important. | 