As a final competitive chapter for a relatively new running partner, Beth H. and I agreed to have a 1-mile footrace. It started a week or two ago when she PR'd on a test mile at 7:23. I recognized this time; it's also my mile PR. "We should have a race," I said.

We're moving out of town this weekend, so it had to be soon. And today worked out as a speed workout for both of us; 4 miles for me and 5 for her. I figured I'd use 2 miles as a warm-up and 1 mile as a cool-down.

It was warmer than either of us are used to running in (76º - 79º). Certainly not the heat of the dead of the day (mid to upper 90's this week), but also not the cool of the morning (upper 50's to lower 60's).

Beth called "go" and we were off on a 1-mile circuit that I used quite a bit for my cross-country kids in town last fall when we would do mile repeats. It's a relatively flat course, although there is a gradual climb for the middle third that you get back in one downhill of about 100-150 yards.

I took the lead from the beginning and the first road we crossed about 50 yards into the race I realized I was chasing off a large doe. I pretended to be heading in its direction for a few steps until I noticed a spotted fawn following mommy. Their path was nearly perpendicular to ours, but fortunately not a terribly close encounter.

Beth shouldered past me at about the 1/4-mile mark and she would not relinquish the lead. By the first turn (~0.32 miles) she was 4 seconds ahead of me. By the 2nd turn (~0.6 miles) she was 12 seconds ahead, and by the bottom of the hill she was 17 seconds ahead. I think I gained back about 4 or 5 seconds in the final 0.2 miles, but she had a comfortable lead going into the finish.

This was fun. It would be fun to truly make this an annual event.