Starting 2015 with one mile: A Run Oregon recap of the 2015 Capitol Mile

Photo credit: Gordon Cully of GCCPhotography
Looking at who was toeing the starting line, I knew I was not going to come close to placing well – and I had come to grips with that. Young and fit runners, decked out in their high school, college, and team uniforms were aching to start things off right with a little friendly competition. As soon as we took off, there was a clear delineation of who were the “pros” and who were not. The elites quickly separated themselves into one pack of about 12-15 and I fell into the front of the second pack.
Now let’s get back to humbling. A mile is a mile is a mile. It’s 5280 feet of pavement that most people can do, but a smaller number of people can excel at. After taking the majority of December off to nurse a sore knee (and a full appetite), I came to the event knowing I was out of running shape. But I still felt energized and my passion renewed from my time off. I had a goal in mind…and I fell way short. My lungs were short of breath quicker than I wanted (perhaps made more challenging with the cold winter air), my legs were tired earlier, and I had no push and drive at the end. Yes, it was humbling.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy my time at the event – far from it in fact. With the cheap entry price I paid ($10+ service fee), I received not only a coffee mug, but the first racing mile of 2015. It got me up and out the door and got me 5280 feet into what is sure to be a great year of running and racing!
Nice recap Matt and thanks for using my photo!
Thanks for braving the temperatures and taking some great shots!