"Each step forward has a sacred meaning of its own"   Sri Chinmoy

Sri Chinmoy 2 Mile Race - Queens New York - April 8th 2017

The day after a very long journey (Bristol-Dublin at dawn, 7 hour stop in Dublin, then the 7 hours to NYC) I was up early, assisted by the time difference, and ready & raring to go at 8am for the 2 miler. As you can see the conditions were perfect - bright, clear and cool.

I started a couple of rows back and after the brisk start round the bend I found myself behind Pratul and Lukas somewhere in the top 20. Optimistic as ever! I soon reminded myself I was meant to be holding back as I was still stiff and tired from the flight and I managed to rein things in round past the finish point where we ducked into the road before swinging back on to the hard and narrow pavement on 164th Street. The hill was testing as ever but I was feeling pretty good and that meant I was definitely holding something back as planned.

When I came through the mile marker Utpal was there as usual calling splits - 6.12 this time, a fair bit down on what I was hoping for. I pushed things harder into the second mile, negotiating a ticky pinch point behind the bus stop where 2 locals were pushing a stroller and filling the entire pavement - I just made it through before they blocked it completely! Then the tougher than ever hill and a breathless push past the crowd having breakfast in Goose Pond Park and I was straining every fibre of my lungs in a desperate and doomed attempt at 12 minutes. In the end I finished in around 12:15 (give or take a couple of seconds) so that second mile was a 6.03.

Happy with that in the circumstances - starting to have doubts about breaking 12 minutes on a reliably measured course but who knows - it was not ideal prep and the second mile was only just off target pace. Hopefully I'll feel fit to have another crack at the race next weekend...

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