I've been pretty frustrated with my mile PR in the past couple years, but I usually don't have an opportunity to do anything about it. As an Ann Arbor Track Club member because of my coaching position with the youth program, I was able to snag a spot in the AATC exhibition mile at the Harry Silverston meet at Michigan.

The exhibition races took place as the field events were contested, and just before the collegiate athletes began their races. After a solid warmup, I toed the line and we were off. Having no real mile-speed training, I was relying on the speed work in my 5-10 km preparation training. I set off just faster than my repeat speed, hoping I could hold that pace through the first three quarters.

I went through 400 meters in 68 seconds and the half in 2:16. My longest repeat interval this winter has been 800 meters, so I was into unknown territory at that speed. I ended up slowing down a bit in my third quarter, coming through the line around 3:30. I picked it up a bit with two laps to go, determined to make up some ground, and put in a 33-second final 200 meters to finish in 4:38.61.

I can't complain too much about how this race went, since I'm not training for the 1600 meter distance, and I also trimmed a good 12 seconds off my previous mile PR. I had hoped to be closer to 4:30, but I think I would need more specific training and a good rabbit to set the pace early.