Millenium Mile 2024

 

Londonderry, NH

Sunday, January 1, 2024

My 2nd straight Millennium Mile.  It wasn't really in my sights, and I certainly hadn't trained for a mile race, but Matthew was running the race, and the entry fee was a pretty cheap $20 and featured a giveaway of a nice winter hat.  So why not?

The race is at 2pm, which seems kind of weird for a race, but it does make the drive up to southern NH pretty easy.  Got there with about 90 minutes to spare, picked up my bib, and ran the course as a warm-up with Brady.  

Last year I ran 5:20 on this course, was disappointed in my time, and blamed it on a headwind of 15mph and that I had lined up too far back in the starting pack.  So this year would be different, at least in my mind.  The wind was only 5mph and really not even noticeable.  I would get to the starting line much earlier this time and line up closer to the starting line.  Ran a few strides and then lined up in the 2nd row, further up than I belong, but at least I won't get boxed in this time.

Race start:  I saw Matthew for only a few seconds, and just like last year, many sprinted past me early on.  I really don't know how to pace for this thing, and just go out as fast I can and try to hold on.  Unlike a 5K or longer, I'm not looking at my watch.  Every 1/4 mile is marked; maybe something we should do at Bottone Mile?  For the 1/4 mile, I am getting passed by some many runners, and after the 1/4 mile mark, it evens out a bit as I'm starting to catch those who sprinted out too fast and fewer runners are passing me.

This is a packed and very tight start!

I'm in second row
(follow the red arrow down from the "R" in "START" banner)

I am quickly getting passed and subsumed by the crowd
(blue singlet and hat on yellow guy's right shoulder)

The whole race is really a blur and goes by so quickly.  The first 1/4 mile is pretty flat, the next two quarters are downhill, and the final quarter is the only one that is slightly net uphill.  I sprint as fast as I can in the final 1/4.  Many are passing me here now as I don't really have a kick, and I'm very disheartened to see the finish line clock in the 5:20s.

In blue singlet, on far right.

Pretty crowded field, even towards
the end of race.

Final result:  Net time 5:26.7 (gun 5:28), 71st of 1,334 overall, 1st of 31 in age group.  Full results here

Synopsis:  It's clearly not the result I was looking for.  I'm stymied as to why I ran six seconds slower than last year, so I peel back the onion and look a little deeper into Strava race results:

 

Well, that's interesting.  Two quick observations:

1. It seems like most of my decline this year is in the 1st quarter mile, and that's despite lining up further ahead to avoid being boxed in.  I guess I really still took off much faster off the line a year ago.
2. My final 1/4 mile should really be my fastest, shouldn't it?  Or is it because it's the only 1/4 mile that is net uphill?  Or because I'm just dead at that point?

I don't want to over analyze this.  I still won my age group, and obviously that's a factor of who shows up on any given day, but still a good relative check for my age.  Easy cool down, part with Matthew and Andrew and all with Brady, collected my age group award, and began the trip back to RI.

This year's age group award.
Not bad.