Masters of the Mile
Twenty-eight Rose City athletes competed in the fourth Portland Track Summer Series at the end of July. We’re sharing their stories. Today, Sarah Ting and Ryan Misjan reflect on their experience racing the mile as masters athletes.
Sarah Ting
Sarah Ting (183) en route to 6:02.40 at the Rose City Mile earlier this year.
The mile is something I really only run once a year at Rose City Mile. As I’ve gotten older my times have gotten slower and though I knew this would most likely happen, I still think I have some speed left in me. I have run the past two years with the master’s women’s division. I’ve felt in those two years that it’s hard to find someone who is my pace or closer to what I want to do, with some of the women being either incredibly fast or slower than my goal.
Since joining that division, I’ve seen my times get a little slower, in part due to running alone for a lot of it. And in part due to me mentally giving up. When I saw there was going to be another chance at Grant with the open division, I knew I wanted to give it a try but was worried if I didn’t get under 6:00 I’d be disappointed again.
Going into the race I had a hectic work day, didn’t eat all that well and had even gone on a morning run with a friend, so I wasn’t at peak performance. I was letting everyone know because I, like so many, have doubts in myself. Anyways, it came time to race and I wasn’t sure how it would go, but I knew I wanted to run with people I knew. Everyone was running in the under 6-minute wave so I joined that group and hung on for dear life.
The first two laps weren’t so bad, but I could feel myself getting tired and getting doubtful on the third when I moved into last position as my friends were pulling away. I told myself to remember that even last is fast in this group. On lap 4 I just held on and saw the clock say 5:57. I was so close to the finish that I didn’t know if I made it or not. I had started my watch a little early so it was over 6 by less than a second.
I left the race not sure what I did but saw my niece on the sidelines so excited for me and wanting to tell me I did a great job even though I was last (which she would be in tears about ha). Anyways, I still didn’t know how I did until the times were updated this past week and I squeaked under 6! Now this isn’t my fastest mile, but it’s my fastest in about two years at age 42. So I’m happy but of course, still wondering what I could do.
Ryan Misjan
Ryan Misjan, right, reenacts his narrow victory over Jonathon Tran, left, at the Rose City Mile earlier this year. Photo by Ryo Gokita.
I was encouraged to share an old guy’s perspective on my first mile race living life in the masters category.
Quick peek at the result: 4:56. For how my legs have been feeling and how the training had gone, I thought dipping under five was the potential, so I’m considering it a win and feeling overall really satisfied with it.
A small part of me is longing for faster days just a few years ago, but I’m feeling more content than anything in this new age bracket, quietly rooting on the young bucks as y’all slowly push me off the record boards and inspire me to explore the Masters lists.
My final thought is how I can’t remember a time in my running career where I’d had more fun than at the Wednesday morning 5k/10k track sessions the past months. It seemed like every week there was a new and standing cast of RCTC characters to rip around and share pacing with. The energy and motivation is infectious!