Hazel and I spent the first day of 2019 sprinting down Mammoth Road in Londonderry, NH. It was my 3rd time running the Millennium Mile, and Hazel’s first. It is a silly race, a point to point 1 mile race with 80 feet of drop.
Thanks to unusually warm (50 degrees) weather, and a 20 mph tailwind, this year was extra silly.
I felt good about breaking 4:30 this year, as I’d come close the past 2 years running first 4:33 in 2017 and then 4:30.4 in 2018, and neither of those years had a 20 mph tailwind. I got off to a good start hitting the 1/4 mile in 62 seconds followed by a 2 minute 8 second 1/2 mile before really dropping off in he second half running 69 second 3rd quarter then another 69 to finish up with a 4:25.5. It is a meaningless accomplishment and not one that is going on my PR list, but still fun to do all the same.
Hazel was nervous, but excited to run in her first grownup road race. She had to start in the middle of 1500 runners, most of whom towered over her, but with a lot of ducking and weaving she found her way down the hill in 7 minutes 50 seconds. This would be 1 minute 25 second PR for her, but I think we will hold off on putting it in the record books. She is looking forward to training for her first 5K which might be the Wally Waddle in May.
