Runner's Den 5K

My take away from the Rock 'N Roll 1/2 was to build strength and pace. I've employed Jeff Galloway's Miracle Mile training drill to do just that. Galloway's Miracle Mile consists of:

• 4-5 minute walk


• Jog an 880


• Run 1 minute / Walk 1 minute


• 4 Acceleration Gliders (Run for 15 seconds at regular pace; increase speed over next 15 seconds; then glide from the momentum built during the run


• Run 1 mile at a fast pace


• Repeat as a cool down

I've done the Miracle Mile drill on two Sunday mornings at the Scottsdale Community College track. Beautiful running surface, mountain views, and solitude make the perfect training mix.

The Runner's Den 5K winds its way through the neighborhoods of North Phoenix. Heavy rains on Saturday night cleared near dawn. The sun esacaped a batch of renegade clouds that followed the storm minutes before race time.

I started near the back of the small band of runners who showed for the race. I am guessing these are the folks who'd run regardless of the conditions. My plan was to start at a slow pace and keep it as long as I could.

Most folks broke quickly from the start, and, soone enough, I was at the back of the pack with the very slow walkers. I kept plodding along. I began passing the faster walkers and then the fast walkers. I felt strong and kept going and kept going turn a corner on the course and passed the 1.5K sign.

I had never run that far before. Never found the pace or thought I had the strength to do it. I began passing runners who'd started quickly and lost their wind. My thighs started to ache and then came the 2.5K sign. Uncharted territory!

I stopped at the water table and grabbed a drink. From there to the finish I ran one minute and walked on minute. During the one-minute runs I used another Galloway technique; I counted how many times my right foot landed. I tried to increase the right-foot landing count on each one minute run.

I finished the 5K in 36 minutes and change: a full two minutes plus a few seconds better than my last 5K time.

I am lucky. I know it. I am not fast. Never was. I am gaining strength. I have new goals. I am a finisher.