The Mile Project: State Street Mile: Goal Attained!
The moment of truth. I was looking to my right as the attack came from the left.
By Todd Straka, @BoulderRunner
Just two years ago, a seed was planted for a new focus. I ran the State Street Mile in a surprising 4:27 just through training for the Bolder Boulder a week previous. In July that same year, I read one of Brad Barton running 4:17 in the Mile at age 48. I was a year younger and thought, "I wonder how much time I could take off if I trained specifically for the Mile." I set what seemed like tough, but achievable goals; running 4:30 at elevation, and 4:20 at sea level. For my Mile Project, I borrowed workouts from coaches and runners, ran really hard all summer and got really close to my elevation goal last year at the Pearl Street Mile.
It just so happened my parents decided to move out of their home of 52 years and were making the transition the week after this year's Bolder Boulder. And it just so happened that the State Street Mile fell on the weekend after Memorial Day. Perfect timing. So my training this spring was a mixture of longer 10K type work and short and fast intervals with my eye on the prize for the Mile over a fast 10K time. The work was coming along surprisingly well through the last few weeks even as I mentally struggled through the toughest of the 10 x 300m workouts with the focus of running fast, switching gears and finishing strong.
I like to go into a race with a few goals. Sometimes there is a time goal, but more importantly for me is to race to your best ability that day. If you ran your hardest, you can be proud of the outcome no matter what.
Continue reading at: 1boulderrunning.blogspot.com
