My ‘Miracle Mile’

April 13, 2016

Running Expert Nate Vandervest shares how he realized his high school running dream — 18 years down the road

Isn’t it strange how some things happen for a reason, but it takes years before you realize it? This is one of those stories. It took a long time to come full circle — or oval, more accurately.

It was spring of my senior year of high school. I was on my way to having a very successful track season in which I would run the 400 meter and 800 meter races exclusively. I thought of myself as a fast kid who could last longer than most. Thought of running the 1600 meter race never entered my head; it was just too long a race. Although that distance wasn’t for me, I was very competitive. I got wind that the Presidential Fitness Mile Champion was my friend and teammate. Because we’d never run head to head, I protested this designation and the teacher agreed — we would race.

This would be quite the run off.  My teammate was one of the best distance runners in the conference and I was one of the best 400 meter runners in the conference. Unfortunately for me, he had experience and intelligence on his side. He knew that if the pace stayed pedestrian, I would easily out kick him at the end. I should have known this would be his strategy, but instead my inexperience at this distance told me to just hold on for dear life and hope for the best at the finish.

The gun went off and others gathered to watch. First lap was in the books and I felt just fine.  Second lap, my buddy kept the fast pace going but I had no problem sticking with him. Third lap my “friend” pushed the pace in hopes that I would chase — and I did.  Now we were to the fourth and final lap. All I have to do is outkick him at the end. That would have been a great way to end this story, but with 300 meters to go the cement legs feeling kicked in as I watched my “acquaintance” pull away from me. I pushed as hard as I could, still wanting to make this performance respectable. Who was I kidding? If I would have beat him, that would have meant my entire high school career was spent running the wrong event. I finally reached the finish line.  Lungs burning, head spinning, exhausted, I heard my physical education teacher yell out “5:01.”

Fast forward 18 years. I have made a living specializing in making runners faster, stronger and less injury prone. In doing so, I have used myself as the guinea pig and example for many different training protocols. A couple years prior, I had bested my college 10K PR (personal record), along with lowering my 5K PR. There was one PR that had always been in the back of my mind — that 5:01 in the 1600 meter. I took to my old friend, the track, for a change in my workouts. It didn’t take long for me to realize how much I loved running fast around the oval.  After a handful of weeks it was time to see if all my work was paying off. 

I started the watch and didn’t look down at it until I hit the finish line, 5:03! So close! It got me excited since my last lap was way too strong and I knew I could make up time in the middle of the race. A couple weeks of training and out to track I went to try again. It was early October and couldn’t have been a better day to set a new record. I took off … way too fast. This time I was watching my splits so I knew what I needed to do for each lap. Second lap, right on pace, just need to hold steady now.  Third lap, four seconds slow, everyone knows that this is the toughest lap in the sport but I still have some time banked from going out too fast.  Final lap, one second under pace! Final time 4:57!

I had finally done it. At the age of 35 I had run faster than my 17-year-old self. It just goes to show that staying consistent pays off. For 18 years, I’d wondered why I couldn’t have run two seconds faster that day in May. Well, the answer is simple. If I would have run under 5:00 back then, I would likely never have tried it again. It was just one of those things that I had to try to see if I could do it again. The problem now is that I think like a competitive runner. The what if I train some more/have a pacer/don’t go out so fast questions pop into my head.  I know I can go faster but for now I am taking in my accomplishment and looking forward to whatever is next.

So the next time a race doesn’t go your way or you miss out on that “magic number,” just remember there might be a purpose for that sometime down the road.

Always Running,
Nate Vandervest
Running Coach, CSCS, CES

Nate is a running coach and strength coach who specializes in running assessments, strength training and personalized running programs. For more information, contact him at [email protected].