I came to my first NETC Track Tuesday on Halloween in 2023. I immediately recognized that this was a great group of runners, who were also a lot of fun. I saw this through all the crazy costumes during the workout and the post-track happy hour that week. Since then, I have tried to make it to Track Tuesday and the Saturday long runs as much as possible. As I go through this post, it is really great to see how my initial impressions have continued to hold up to reality and how much more NETC has proved to be an amazing group of people.

Over the past 8 months that I have been running with NETC, I noticed that I became a better runner, gotten faster, progressed in the workouts, and felt more connected to a community. When it was time for NETC’s yearly training and event for Better Your Mile (BYM), I was excited to take part for the first time, dive deeper into this group of people that I looked up to, start a new training process, and of course see if I can set a new PR for my mile time, which was previously 6:07 and which I hit during a NETC Track Tuesday.

On week 1 of BYM there was a lot of hype both for the kick-off of BYM and also for the first night at the Catholic University track. I started with the 5:45 group, who I had been running with at Track Tuesday for a while at this point. The workout was 16x400. After the workout, I remember feeling like I floated through those 16 laps, which is the best feeling as a runner. That runner's high was likely due to the combination of the positive energy that night, the sparkling new track lanes with what seemed like infinitely more space compared to what we were used to having at Cardozo, and the post-workout ice cream sandwiches that NETC brought for us. But I also knew I felt too comfortable. I knew I had more to give if I wanted to give my best effort.

I vividly remember Lindsay, the pacer for the 5:45 group, telling us that we should consider moving up in pace to align ourselves with where we wanted to be in the mile. So in week 2, I jumped up to 5:30. It always feels a little nerve-racking to get out of your comfort zone. Those nerves and uncertainty about how it will play out. While I was a little anxious about moving up, I managed to hang onto the group, and it went even better than I imagined it could.

I believe it was this week that the 5:30 pace group, according to some, was having “too much fun” by smiling, dancing, singing, and talking our way through a rather tough workout, and therefore “not running fast enough.” I prefer to think of it as smiling through the pain and always bringing a good vibe. While this was all in good spirits, I thought I might have more effort to give.

In week 3 I wanted to jump up a bit further to see where I could keep up. I started with the 5:00 group. The workout was a reverse ladder from 1600m down to 400m. I ran that first mile with the 5:00 pace group, which was paced at a 5:30 mile and it certainly felt like my fastest mile to date as it was the first time in a long while that I was too tired to keep running. I was smoked after that first rep in the workout and had to drop back to 5:30 for the rest of the workout. I found my limit. Having the different pace groups and being able to move between them during the workout is a great part of this training. It is so beneficial to test different paces and find where your limits are. After the workout, my watch read the first mile as 5:17 and my new mile PR. So I figured I would set my goal mile time between 5:00 and 5:20.

For the rest of BYM, I kept running with Patrick’s 5:30 group. After another couple of weeks, I started to hit my stride and feel like part of a team, particularly in the 5:30 pace group. The workouts got progressively harder but the camaraderie in the pace group got stronger and stronger each week. Running on Patrick’s shoulder and next to the same people every week made for a close-,knit group. Everyone was committed whether it was raining buckets or blistering hot. Multiple workouts were so difficult that I wasn’t sure if I was going to finish the rep we were on. But the people around me who were working just as hard kept me pushing forward. On occasion, they would notice that I was struggling and wouldn’t let me drop off even if I wanted to. They would tell me that we were almost done, run next to me, help me control my breathing, or motion to me to keep moving forward. Having someone next to you, who is a better runner than you, not only pushes you through a difficult part of a workout, but once you get through it, it also gives you proof to yourself that you can do it. It gives you the confidence that you can keep up despite the doubt you may be feeling in the moment of the run. I think every runner gets to experience this doubt and reassurance cycle. Running is simple, but it is not easy. No matter what your pace is. There will always be those moments when the run gets hard, something starts to hurt, and you question if you can keep going. The best part though is when you do keep going and you finish the workout and realize that it wasn’t so bad after all. This is also the confidence you need to run a mile at an all-out pace. So as much as the workouts were designed to improve our physical speed, they were also training our minds to simulate what that mile would feel like on race night and give the reassurance that it’s possible to make it to the finish line.

I moved back up to the 5:00 group for the last 2 track workouts of BYM to test those paces again and see if I could reasonably set my goal time for the BYM race as 5:00. I don’t know how reasonable it was, but I did it anyway. A lofty goal that I had no idea if I could do it, but I wanted to try to go for it all. Going for it all was what this program was for and what we were all encouraged to do. As tough as those workouts were, I was definitely not singing, dancing, and talking through any of those laps, I made it through to the other side feeling strong, confident, and like these 8 weeks was worth every bit of effort that I put into it.

The training for BYM was complete. I went to every Track Tuesday and most of the Saturday long runs. I noticed how much more I was making friends with the people I’ve been running with week in and week out. It was as if BYM and the harder workouts were bringing everyone closer together. While I was certainly looking forward to getting a faster mile time, what I found was an even bigger sense of belonging in a community and a bunch of new friends who I have more in common with than just that we run in circles together every Tuesday.

I was beyond hyped up for race day. The hay was in the barn, the work had been done, and I was rested and ready to run these 4 laps as fast as possible. I had never been to a track meet race before, so I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but as soon as I showed up to Cardinal Stadium, the vibes were immediately through the roof. The weather that night couldn’t have been more perfect. There was a great golden hour forming. The sponsor tents for Ascis and Bandit were set up. The live DJ was blasting music. The official timekeeping was all set up. There were a million bananas and sports drinks to grab. Runners were showing up with all their race gear and pre-run dinner. Everyone was talking about what heats we were in and checking in with our pacers for a rundown and final pep talk before our runs. Everyone I spoke to generally had the same pre-race nerves I was feeling. I knew I wasn’t in this alone. After some quick intros from NETC, the BYM races began, and the gun went off for the first heat. It was so electric.

I was in heat 16, so I had plenty of time to kill before my race and when I needed to warm up. Everyone that wasn’t racing or getting ready for their heat was cheering for the runners on the track. I remember watching a lot of runners come through the finish line with a new PR, throwing their hands up and celebrating. There was an equal amount of people getting to the sidelines after their race and falling to the ground in exhaustion. That is what it looks like to give it everything you have. I also remember how surprised I was with how many people were ahead of their pacer in the heat. Some runners finished 15-30+ seconds ahead of the pacer, which I thought was impressive. That can probably be attributed to the high vibes and all the amazing training everyone went through leading up to this event.

As the night went on, heat after heat, runners would finish their race and the vibes stayed high all night. I was inspired by everyone who had already raced, and I was ready to run to give it everything I had, but I would be lying if I wasn’t incredibly nervous about attempting to run a 5:00 mile. I did my best to put those nerves aside, focus on the races that were going on, chit-chat with all the other runners, and do what I needed to do to get ready for my race.

The sun went down, the Friday night lights went on, and it was time for me to start warming up. I threw on my headphones just for a little extra hype and got to work. I was in the zone and ready to go.

My game plan was to stick with our pacer, Mike, for as long as I could, then fight through the 3rd lap and give it everything I had left on the 4th. Our heat lineup was stacked with other amazing runners who I had gotten to meet throughout BYM. For me, there was a little bit of an intimidation factor and feeling like an imposter among a lot of great runners, still unsure if I’d be able to keep up. But I was ready to put it to the test, give it my best effort, and prove myself right that I could keep up. You never know until you try.

The gun went off, and it was time to run. I was feeling great. I stuck with my plan to keep up with Mike for as long as I could. I could hear everyone cheering as we were running our laps. Spectators were spread out around the track, so no matter where we were in the lap, we always had someone cheering for us and telling us to keep going. Our first lap was very fast - my watch clocked it at 65 seconds (4:20 pace). Even though we were way ahead of pace I was feeling great through lap 1 and most of lap 2 so I didn’t think too much of it nor did I want to start slowing down. I managed to barely keep up with Mike through the 800 and it was all going according to plan, but that was about to quickly change.

Now on the 3rd lap, I knew it was going to be a fight, and what a fight it was. The pain from running the first two laps faster than a 5:00 pace set in, and I started to feel like I wasn’t going to make it. I kept running but I was on the verge of giving up. That voice started to creep in and say that I was slowing down, which I was. While I was once up front, I was then getting passed so I felt that I wasn’t keeping up with these runners who seemed to be effortlessly moving past me. My legs were screaming in pain, and I was out of air. I thought there was no way I was going to make it through this lap. I did my best to combat those thoughts, and by the time I finished that internal argument, the 3rd lap was over, and I was onto the last lap. I suppose that is a benefit to racing the mile, it is going to hurt a lot, but ultimately not for long.

I clung to all the cheers from everyone on the sidelines, the runners next to me, and the few that I could see in front of me. I got my second wind, not to mention some relief knowing that it was just one more lap. It was time to empty the tank and give it everything I had left.

I rounded the final turn and was onto the last 100m, just on the heels of Dan Cao, who was blazing fast ahead of me. We both kicked it to the end and had a pretty epic photo finish.

I finished my race, and it took several minutes for me to start to feel normal again. I was barely able to stand. I got to the sideline and was greeted with lots of high-fives, hugs from my friends, and people telling me that they didn’t know how I held onto it. I had worn the pain I was feeling on my face. I saw my official final time - 5:12. A new PR. I was stoked. I watched the last two heats in absolute amazement.

One of my post-race thoughts was that the numbers aren’t what matters. It’s great to have goals to push yourself. What matters is committing to the process. What matters is effort. Especially when it gets really hard. Especially when it feels like you can’t take another step and you feel like quitting, but you don’t and keep pushing forward. How you do one thing is how you do everything. This mile was a chance to give it everything you have. The vibes, the crowd, the racers, the pacers, the 8-week BYM programming all contributed to a perfect recipe to run as fast as possible for 4 laps. As hard and as scary as it was, I also had a lot of confidence built up over the 8 weeks of running at these paces. Don’t underestimate who you’ll become when it’s time to rise to the occasion. We are all capable of so much more than we may think.

And what truly matters most of all is the people around you, who continually support and believe in you. Nothing meant more to me that night than a hug from a best friend, all the high fives, and sharing some laughs over a cold beer at the brewery after the race. Not even the shiny new mile PR on Strava.

We were then able to celebrate the next night at the NETC track prom, which was one of those parties where you just had to be there. It was to celebrate everyone’s hard work throughout BYM and the race. And let me tell you, while NETC is a top tier running club and some of the hardest workers I have ever seen, they also really know how to party. My kind of people. It was great to get some time outside of running to build closer connections with everyone who I have been running with every Tuesday night.

A huge thank you and a round of applause for NETC for such a fun and challenging experience during this Better Your Mile. For creating this wonderful community. Community is everything. Running with this crew is hands down one of the biggest factors for me getting better at running, getting faster, and more importantly enjoying running and feeling like I have a place where I can be myself with a bunch of other cool people.

Even though just 8 weeks long, BYM felt like a very transformative time. I gained a lot of confidence as a runner at paces I never thought I would run and made some great connections with like-minded people. Now I am excited to keep building on that. Here is to continuing to get better on and off the track, maybe a little faster for next year’s BYM, and making more meaningful connections. I’ll see you at Track Tuesday.

BYM 2024 - A Runner’s recap

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