Victory in the Mile

It stood for a long time, 11:11—my personal record in the mile.  It stood for more than half of my life, and it also stood as a physical threshold I thought I’d never cross.  It stands no longer.

Slightly before noon Thursday, as Laurie and I took to the neighborhood course on which we’d oft-prepared, it was unseasonable cool and just slightly overcast: the perfect weather for running.  With my journey mentor Joseph present to witness and document my special moment, trainer and project set off to challenge a bit of my history. 

I was ten pounds lighter and had two weeks of conditioning since last recording a mile time just four seconds short of my goal; and I certainly did feel stronger, lighter, and faster than ever.  But races longer than sprints are all about pacing, and Laurie—the expert handler, wearing my running watch and monitoring the feedback—was quick to hold me back to a clip that I could keep up. 

My breathing, I’d noticed, has gotten quite better the more I’ve run.  As we were in the fresher half of the mile I note how I was no longer desperately sucking air in and out.  Instead it was deep, measured breathing at a regular interval that wasn’t required at first, but was in anticipation of the tired homestretch.

As we entered the final straight, Laurie called out the distance remaining and, seeing Joseph near the finish I slipt off my figurative reins and opened up, giving it all I had.  After a few hundred feet, the reality of being still over 315 lbs and not having closing endurance caught up with me, as did true fitness herself, Laurie.  With a rarely used bark of “Don’t stop! Don’t you dare stop!” Laurie brought me through the mile finish line; but what about the time?

Hearing drum rolls in my head, I grabbed Laurie’s arm to manipulate the watch still on her wrist, searching for the time…10:11!  A minute under!  “Beat it by one minute!” I yelled to Joseph, down the street.  “You CRUSHED it by one minute!” Joseph declares.  And I stood corrected, excited as I was, like a child, exchanging hugs, handshakes, congratulations, and thanks all around.  

Walking back to Five Seasons, I realized that not only had I crushed my personal record by a minute, I’m only 12 seconds shy of breaking ten minutes.  The 13-year old Mark might have held the 11:11 mile record for 14 years, but he would never have dreamt of breaking the 10 minute mile mark.  With over a hundred pounds to go before I make my ultimate weight goal, I don’t think I’ll beat 10 minutes, I’ll crush it!  I can’t 

wait!