Rose City Mile — Karen Poole Fitness

Saturday I ran my first ever 1 mile race at Duniway Track in Portland, OR. This was also my first official race since having Logan! Why did I wait so long?

I didn’t train much for this race. I actually ended up winning an entry via an Instagram contest 3 weeks before, so that was my training window. Instead, I used this as a baseline for my fitness.

The Start Line

Lining up at the start was a bit intimidating. Girls from all over Portland were there, girls that run the Olympic Trials! Still, it was fun and electrifying to be a part of a race like that. There aren’t many towns other than Portland where you get to race side by side with pros!

The gun sounded and we were off! I felt good about just getting out for a race (and not running with a stroller for once)! I paced myself on each lap and pushed as hard as I felt comfortable. It was actually a strong, steady effort for me and on the fourth and final lap I even had a bit of kick left!

Was it my best performance, no. Was it a fun challenge to get me back into racing post-baby, YES!

Takeaways

I’ve still got it! Okay, so this wasn’t my fastest mile, but it was fast for where I feel I am at in my running journey. I ran a 7:07 minute mile (while far from a PR), is still great for having almost zero training.
I felt I had more left in the tank. I started the race holding back because I didn’t want to lose momentum halfway through, but at the finish, I know I had more to give. I feel like I could easily have run sub-7 if I had pushed myself just a bit harder.

The Finish

Finishing a race, any race is an accomplishment. Showing up for yourself and testing your limits is something that can help you grow. I loved this race and hope to come back again, better trained next time! Hopefully in a few years this little guy can join me at the track for a kids race!