Westminster Main Street Mile

I know i've done the Main Street Mile before. I don't really remember any times or anything, but I have run that course. I feel like it evolved out the old Midnight Mile from the mid 80's, but I have absolutely no proof of that. Anyway, with the team headed up there for a quick mile on a Wednesday night, I was all in.

I didn't take any days off, but Tuesday was a rather easy 6 on the flat but rocky Big Gunpowder trail. I was breaking in my new trail Mizuno Ascends (at right), and wanted something that resembled a trail to do that. So the legs felt great and I was thinking I could pull a nice time.

So I had to get to Westminster before 6:30 and that meant leaving work early. I worked through lunch and left at 4:20, heading home to take the dogs around the block and change. I put the Fall Road singlet with pride and took the tunnel. It took over an hour. So it's right at 6:30 and i'm dashing over to pick up my number, dashing up the hill to the start. But I think I got enough warm up. A few strides and some stretching, the usual. I line up with the other guys from team TWSS looking very racey.

It's been 15(?) 18(?) years since I did a race that short. I didn't know if my legs would remember how to turn over. But once the gun when we all did, and I was hanging with folks probably a tad faster than me. The hill at the start is steep, almost too steep for my taste. It flattens out as you hit the half and maybe even goes a bit uphill before the final plunge to the finish. They were reading out times for the half and I think I was about 2:29. That's under 5 minute pace, but I was starting to fade.

The clock at the finish was reading 5:10 as I approached and I glanced over to see 5:14 when I crossed. I didn't get the watch stopped until 5:20, but I knew I was 5:15 or 5:16 at worse. Considering my 135 pound 15 year-old PR was 4:52 at the similar Market Street Mile, I was very happy. We had our ice cream sandwiches and I headed over to Western Maryland (McDaniel) to do some moderate 800s on the track. Checking the official results the verdict was 5:14.5. Very happy with that time. Good times all around as the winner went under 4, and a cluster of our girls went under 5 (kicking my butt, like ususal).

Coming up: The Mulligan Metric Marathon. I am not going to race it (famous last words) and I have to do at least a mile warm up and cool down to get 18 for the day.