Race Report: BMW 2-Miler Performance Classic

This is the penultimate race of the Corporate Shield race series, and is always a family favorite. It's a rare Friday evening race, and being a good German company, they serve soft pretzels and German beer afterwards. The race is held on the performance test track at the Greer BMW Performance Center. It's unique and kind of a cool thing to get to do, plus afterwards you can sign up to do "Hot Laps" where the performance drivers take you squealing around the track in one of the souped-up sports cars. Pretty neat to watch.

This year was a little bit different feel because unfortunately just as the last walkers were finishing the race, one of the young elite athletes collapsed near the finish line (he'd finished well before it happened). Everyone watched as ambulances and fire trucks came, paramedics took turns doing chest compressions. Eventually he was loaded into an ambulance, and we're still not sure of the outcome. So they cancelled doing award announcements or Hot Laps, and just told everyone to wrap up and go home. A bit of a somber ending to the night.

But back to the actual race itself!

I was flying solo for this race (Scott & D had a boys' night out) so I left work and went straight to the event site. Got there plenty early, picked up my bib, and hung around chatting with other Milliken team members. With about 35 minutes to go before the start time, I headed out on the track for a warm-up. I planned (and did) 2 miles for warm up with a couple of half-hearted strides thrown in at the end.

Who says test tracks are flat?!

I felt alright, but still very unsure of my plans/goals. I quickly made some.

Expectation goal: 14:xx
I felt pretty sure I could hit something under 15:00 (a 7:30/mi pace). Having run a 7:46/mi average pace for my half marathon PR, it seemed reasonable to expect to run 15s faster per mile for just TWO.

Stretch goal (PR): 13:xx
Having not really focused on short-distance speedwork (because duh, marathon training) I really wasn't sure if a sub-7 pace was in the cards for me. My PR for this race was set the first time I did it back in 2013, with a 14:40. Could I PR today? by how much? I had no idea.

So, with those sketchy and hastily-made goals in mind, I headed to the start.

The start gun went off and there we went... I started pretty close to the front, so I had a mix of people rushing past me plus sprinting away in front of me, and eventually moving around past some people. It was a good idea though, because I avoided any frustrating traffic jams. Halleluia. It's not a huge race (~800) but that's a decent number to squish onto a test track.

The course

The first half mile or so goes on a down slope (#1 above), then turns and climbs back up the biggest "hill" (marked #2) of the race. I say hill because it's really not big or steep, but trying to go as fast as one goes on a 2-mile race, it feels significant. I was running near a guy who had is phone or watch loudly announcing the time and pace at every quarter mile, which I typically find annoying but thinking back it actually helped me know that I was on a good pace and didn't NEED to push any harder at the start. That may have helped me maintain pace through the back half of the race.

Mile 1: 6:29

I'd lost the pace-announcing-phone guy right around Mile 1, so I didn't know my first mile split. I knew it was sub-7 or close to it, so I told myself to hold a steady pace and I'd get a PR for sure. Hooray for not needing a negative split!

The middle part of the race went pretty steadily. I felt strong through the "tease finish" where they take you almost up behind the finish line, then turn you back around for another out-and-back before you actually get to round the final curve to the finish. Thankfully I knew it was coming and I knew where the finish line was, so I could time my "kick" right. I felt myself starting to fade with about a half or quarter mile to go (I didn't look at my watch, just guessing). I let myself just run steady for the final straightaway before the finish curve, just to save a little bit for the finish. As I rounded the curve, I saw the HUGE finish clock that read 13:2x... I knew that a PR and a sub-14 was in my grasp, but I'd have to fight to the very end for it. That final curve is longer than it feels like it should be.

Sprint, sprint, sprint, almost there... FINISH.

YESSSS!!!!!

Happy on the track!

I was shocked... did not think I had a sub-14 in my tank, but there you have it. I love this "compare" feature on Garmin...

4 years of races

• First race and PR was from 2013, when I was just 2 weeks away from doing a half Ironman tri (aka the best shape of my life...until now?)
• 2015 was at 4 months post-partum
• 2016 I was back to "normal"

... and then there was today. 🙌😀💪💪

Part of the Milliken Team 

Gorgeous sunset over the track