McKirdy Mile #4

All good things must come to an end! After three one mile McKirdy Mile races, yesterday marked the fourth and final mile of the series. 

Pre-Race:

I woke up at about 7:00 am on Saturday and went for a slow one mile shakeout run around Welles Park. The temps were in the 70's and I was somewhat loose. I had run a few extra miles the week before and was feeling them a little in my muscles. I didn't think I would be able to best my best McKirdy mile which was a 5:36 for race #1. I just hadn't improved my fitness over the last few weeks enough to run an earth shattering time.

Once again, I sat around the house and read and relaxed until noon. I put on my singlet and ran over to Horner Park. As per the last race, I timed the traffic lights - trying to get a full quarter mile in of running, before I actually got into Horner Park itself. 

I saw the lights turn red, jogged back to my starting point along Manor Ave (out of eyesight of the traffic lights).

Starting point for McKirdy #4.

This time starting north and heading south

After 45 seconds of jogging in the opposite direction I turned around, started my Garmin and I was off!

The Race:

Mile 0.25:  I wasn't holding back, but I wasn't flooring it. Since I'd done this three times before, I tried just to run a pace I knew I could hold for the remainder. I came up on the intersection at California and Montrose, the light was red, but would change at any time. Luckily it did (at the last moment) but there was still a car in the intersection waiting to turn left, would they wait for me to cross? No! The car floored it right in front of me, causing me to stop dead in my tracks! They quickly got out of the way, but it was disappointing that I had to stop, however briefly. 1:28 (5:51/mile pace).

Mile 0.50: Got to the quarter mile point just after entering the Horner Park portion of the race. 1:26 (5:45/mile pace).

Mile 0.75: Crossing the halfway point, I was winded but not too much. This is the portion of the race where my biggest concern is what to do if I can't make the light ahead. Do I turn left and go uphill along Horner Park or take a right and have to cross eight intersections, but keep it flat? The pedestrian light at the intersection of Irving Park Rd and California Avenue was red as I approached. Would I make it in time for it to turn green? 1:27 (5:50/mile pace).

My McKirdy Mile #4

Mile 1.0: Yes! The traffic light turned green just in time, so I would be able to keep running straight without turns! I crossed the road and up ahead I saw a jogger about 100 meters away. He was too far away to catch in such a short distance, but he was a good marker of my progress as I closed the gap between us. I started to floor it and was gaining. With about 50 meters left in the race, he suddenly stopped and started walking. This may have caused me to subtly slow as well. I should have striven to keep pushing it until my watch beeped, but I was pretty much out of gas anyway. It seemed like 10 seconds of deceleration before my watch mercifully beeped and I was done! 1:26 (5:43/mile).

Stats:

Official Finish Time: 5:47

Official Pace: 5:47/mile

Garmin Pace: 5:47/mile
1/2 mile splits: 2:54 and 2:53

Place AG: 9th out of 29 (as of Monday morning)

Post Race

Analysis:

For the first time my first quarter mile wasn't my fastest. In fact it was my slowest. Maybe having a car stop me in my tracks was the reason, but it got me to slow down nevertheless! My splits were all within two seconds of each other, so for all intents and purposes they were even splits. Maybe after four races, I'm finally getting the feel of what my mile pace is? The strategy I had during the final section - where I was focused on "catching" the jogger in front of me - didn't pan out as he slowed to a walk. I didn't determine the wind direction beforehand and I think I may have been running into the wind, instead of with it.

Well, that's a wrap. My four mile times were all within nine seconds of each other, and it would appear my fitness is plateauing at the moment. I was probably in better shape in early May than I am now. In May, I still had residual upper body strength from working out in February and March which could be a bigger factor in shorter distance races (more powerful arm swings).

I'm sad it's over, but after four very similar races (in venue and final time), it is probably time to move onto another distance.

McKirdy Mile Race Pace Comparison: "Living life a quarter mile at a time"
Quarter Mile	Race #1 5/2/20	Race #2  5/19/20	Race #3 6/06/20	Race #4 6/27/20
1	1:19	1:22	1:25	1:28
2	1:24	1:26	1:27	1:26
3	1:28	1:26	1:30	1:27
4	1:25	1:25	1:25	1:26
Total	5:36	5:39	5:47	5:47

                                                                 

Post Race:

Jogged home. 

Next Up:

Maybe a 4th of July virtual race!

McKirdy Mile #3

Three weeks ago, I ran the second McKirdy Mile (of four) in and around Horner Park in 5:39. In that attempt, as well as McKirdy Mile #1, I went out way too fast in the first quarter mile and paid for it on the next three.

I was hopeful that I could will myself to start more slowly this time around and see what would happen. 

Pre-Race:

I woke up at about 7:00 am on Saturday and went for a slow two mile shakeout run around Lincoln Square. The temps were in the mid 60's and I felt nice and loose. I thought that I might have a decent shot at running my fastest McKirdy mile yet. Although in the back of my mind I knew I hadn't upped my training load over the past few weeks, so if the wind wasn't right or I didn't "feel it" by race time, I could run slower. When it comes to a mile race a handful of seconds can be the difference between your fastest and slowest race!

I sat around the house and read and relaxed until noon. I donned my race singlet, took a swig of sugary Gatorade and jogged over to Horner Park. Once again, I timed the traffic lights as I did last time, but this time, I factored in trying to get a full quarter mile in of running, before I actually got into Horner Park itself. That would mean I would need to jog out of eyesight from the lights a hundred meters or so, start my watch and start racing towards the lights.

I saw the lights turn red, and knew that I had about two minutes of the light cycles until I would have the green light to get across the intersection of Montrose and California Ave. so I jogged away from Horner Park along Manor Ave (out of eyesight of the traffic lights).

Starting point for McKirdy #3.

This time starting north and heading south

About 45 seconds of jogging in the opposite direction I turned around, started my Garmin and I was off!

The Race:

Mile 0.25:  I felt like I was holding back, but trying not to hold back too much as a race that is over in less than six minutes is one where you have to stay totally focused and push yourself throughout. I ran through the two or three blocks of Ravenswood Manor and got to the Montrose traffic light as it turned green. 1:25 (5:39/mile pace).

Mile 0.50: Just as I crossed the street, my watched beeped indicating I had already run a quarter mile as I entered the Horner Park side of Montrose. Last week I had pulled a hamstring at this point, but there was no pain to be had this time around. 1:27 (5:49/mile pace).

Mile 0.75: Over halfway there, but couldn't muster a big speed increase. The pedestrian light at the intersection of Irving Park Rd and California Avenue was red as I approached. Would I make it in time for it to turn green? 1:30 (5:58/mile pace).

My McKirdy Mile #3

Mile 1.0: No! As the traffic light remained red going north to south, I decided to take a sharp right and cross California and run the rest of the race along Irving Park Road. This sharp turn may have taken a few seconds off of the previous quarter mile. The downside to this stretch is that I had to cross six streets that intersect with Irving Park Road. So instead of full out racing I had to slow ever so slightly at each intersection (to check for cars) before I burst across. After the final intersection, I glanced at my watch to see that I had but a few meters left. I gave it one last surge and I was done! 1:25 (5:41/mile).

Stats:

Official Finish Time: 5:47

Official Pace: 5:47/mile

Garmin Pace: 5:47/mile
1/2 mile splits: 2:52 and 2:55

Place AG: 11th out of 46 (as of Monday morning)

Post Race

Analysis:

My time for #3 is a continuation of an upward trajectory in my McKirdy races. I was able to slow down for the first quarter, but wasn't able to pickup the speed for the remaining three quarters. The last section - where I had to be careful of traffic - didn't help me get a finishing kick that I wanted. Maybe I didn't plan out to run with the wind correctly, or maybe the turn at the last quarter mile cost me a few seconds. Or maybe it's my fitness and diet. I'm not improving my fitness, as it has been pretty much level - 15 miles running and 15 miles walking (dogs) per week over the last three months. So, I have no room for error if conditions or I'm not feeling 100%. I've also been less strict on my diet - consuming slightly more potatoes and bread and thus eating less fat. This seems to have the effect of dragging down my overall energy levels and upping the pounds ever so slightly. There is also the possibility that my race strategy is backwards. Maybe starting fast and attempting to hang on is actually a better strategy for me in a mile? Maybe starting fast keeps me more engaged in the race and gets my legs up to speed faster?

I only have one more shot to get this right. I'm thinking about doing my last mile on the Chicago River North Branch trail, so I won't have to worry about traffic lights and intersections, although it does have some downhill/uphill portions under the bridges. Maybe I can map out a flat course there in the next three weeks.

McKirdy Mile Race Pace Comparison: "Living life a quarter mile at a time"
Quarter Mile	Race #1 5/2/20	Race #2  5/19/20	Race #3 6/06/20	Race #4 6/27/20
1	1:19	1:22	1:25	*
2	1:24	1:26	1:27	*
3	1:28	1:26	1:30	*
4	1:25	1:25	1:25	*
Total	5:36	5:39	5:47	*

                                                                 *TBD

Post Race:

Virtual race so jogged home. 

Next Up:

McKirdy Mile #4 on 6/27