Running: Running this mile wasn't seven minutes in heaven

This summer, I ditched my usual fall marathon training and decided to focus on shorter races, sprinkling my calendar with 5Ks and 10Ks and leaving open the possibility of doing a late fall half marathon.

My main race, though, is the Fifth Avenue Mile, which is in New York City on Sept. 13. It's just one mile. How much could it hurt? And how hard could training be?

Answers: A lot. And hard.

"As distance runners, we have gotten accustomed to the strategy of the longer races. We like warming up and settling in to a pace," said Gerard Pescatore, a Road Runners Clubs of America certified coach - and my coach. "We tend to make adjustments along the way as necessary. The longer races are comfortably uncomfortable. There is time to adjust and time to zone out."

The mile, though, is a different animal, especially for someone like me who is accustomed to racing longer distances. We reach a higher heart rate and fatigue stage almost instantly.

"Even though it's over quickly, time appears to stand still while you're racing a mile. Seconds become an eternity. The runner feels stuck in a moment he or she can't get out of," Pescatore said.

Running the mile well, says Ryan Lamppa, founder of the Bring Back the Mile campaign, which works to make running the road mile popular, is tricky, too. "To do so requires both endurance and speed training to hold race pace - and also later in the final stretch to kick hard when you are hurting," he said.

This meant much different training. Instead of building miles and endurance to get me through a long race, I hit the track once a week to do 400 meter repeats. I slogged up and down Haddonfield's Center Street Hill, which my local running friends and I now call - somewhat affectionately - "Torture Cake" because the hill has three tiers. I got serious in the weight room, spending over and hour each week strengthening my legs, but also my core and upper body because those muscles would come into play more in the mile than in a longer race. Saturdays I turned over to the stadium at Haddon Township high school for a workout that involved stairs, but also sprints, walking lunges, high knees, and skips with the goal of building explosive speed.

The last time I ran a timed mile was in high school gym class as part of the President's Challenge physical fitness test. I finished in 7 minutes, 14 seconds. My B-goal in the Fifth Avenue Mile is to beat that. My A-goal is to run under seven minutes.

On Monday night, I met with Pescatore on Kelly Drive to see how bad the mile really hurt - and to see where I was at in my training. After a mile warm up, Pescatore set the pace, and then called out my splits every quarter mile.

As promised, the fatigue and pain set in quickly. By the first quarter-mile, my upper chest burned. I tried not to think about it - or about anything, but I couldn't hit that Zen state I usually go to in longer races.

At the half mile mark, my mind and body flagged. I need to do this all over again? I thought. I tried to tell myself that the pain would be short but then my legs started to let me know they weren't happy, and my right calf twinged.

The third quarter mile was my slowest, but after I crossed that mark, I knew that I was almost done. All I had to do was run a distance equal to one lap around the track as I had done dozens of times this summer.

"Use your arms," Pescatore told me, and I did, remembering all the time I had put into the weight room to be stronger and ready to do this.

I picked up my pace and passed Pescatore, who let me go ahead and cross the one-mile mark solo.

"Seven oh two!" he called.

I was disappointed - and not. Running under seven minutes in a trial run would mean I had a better shot of doing it on race day. But running with one person on Kelly Drive is not running down Fifth Avenue along with a pack of people to the tune of a cheering crowd. And now at least I know what the pain will be, that I can get through it, and that it'll all be over in - hopefully - about seven minutes.

Belmont Plateau Hall of Fame Classic, 7:30-11:30 a.m. 1-mile Run/Walk, 5K cross country race. Belmont Plateau, Fairmount Park, Montgomery Drive & Army Road, 19131. myphillypark.org

Hot Diggity Dog 10K Trail Race and 2-Mile Fun Run, 9:30 a.m., Mercer County Park, West Windsor, N.J. Fee: $38 (10K), $23 (fun run). buckscountyspeedsters.com.

Rock 'n' Roll Run Back to School 5K, 1 Mile, & Tots Dash, 9 a.m., St. Charles Borromeo School, Cinnaminson; RunBackToSchool.com; overall, team, and age-group awards; T-shirt for preregistration. $20 pre, $25 race-day for 5K. $15 pre, $20 race-day for 1 Mile. $10 pre, $15 race-day for Tots Dash.

Holy Child Academy 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Kids' Run, 475 Shadeland Avenue, Drexel Hill, 8:30 a.m. $20: 5K; $10: Kids, Run.

Dicktown Dash 5K/2 Mile, Sicklerville, N.J. 9 a.m. 5K/2Mile $20 pre, $25 post, Family of 4 $75, pre only. Starts at 60 Meetinghouse Circle.

Run for Bud 5K, Somers Point, N.J. Kennedy Park on the waterfront. Race Director Sean McGuigan seantmcg@comcast.net.

Eagleswood 5K, West Creek, N.J. 9 a.m., $20 entry fee. Starts at Eagles Nest Airport, Stafford Forge Road.

A.O.H. Div. 2 Newtown "Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Kilt Tilt 5K, 1-Mile Warrior Walk, & Festival." Green Parrot Restaurant, Newtown. Into Tyler State Park & back. Warrior Walk: 8:15 a.m.; Kilt Tilt 5K: 8:45. Fee: $30 5K; $15 Walk until 9/18; Add $5 after. AOHNewtownPA5K.com; KiltTilt@gMail.com; 267-685-6201.

Fall Festival of Races, 10K, 5K, and 1-Mile Fun Run, Horsham Township Community Center, 8:45 a.m. 10K: $35, 5K: $30, Fun Run: $15. horshamrotary.org.

Michael Fisher Foundation 5K/1Mile, Sea Isle City. 9:30 a.m., $20 pre, $25 post, T-shirts preregistrants. Starts at Gazebo, foot of JFK Boulevard on the Promenade.

Roxborough YMCA Fourth Annual Fit Family 5K Run/2 Mile Walk, Philadelphia, Forbidden Drive at Valley Green, 9 a.m.; prizes, T-shirt; race day registration 7:30-8:45 a.m.; register online at philaymca.org/run; $30 adults, $10 children (5-17), 4 and under free; strollers welcome.

Hoot, Waddle & Stroll 5K/1-Mile, Medford, N.J. At the Cedar Run Wildlife Sanctuary.

OCNJ Half Marathon & 5K & 10 Mile

Noncompetitive Walk/Run, Ocean City. ocnj.us.

WXPN Musicians on Call 5K, Penn Park, 3100 Lower Walnut St. 8:30 a.m. $45 through 8/3, $50 9/1-28, $60 On-site registration (if available). All pre-registered get official XPN 5K Run T-shirt, entry into Post-Run Dance Party at World Cafe Live. All proceeds benefit WXPN Musicians On Call. xpn.org

Middletown Community Foundation 5K Run/ 1-Mile Walk, 8 a.m., Neshaminy High School, 2001 Old Lincoln Highway, Langhorne. Fee: $22 until 7/1, then $25. raceit.com

RSVP 5K Run and 1-mile Safari Walk, Elmwood Park Zoo, Norristown. Begins 9 a.m., registration opens at 8. Fee $29 for adults, teams welcome. Free admission to Elmwood Park Zoo that morning for runners and family that accompany them. runtheday.com

Daniel Sweeney Memorial 5K & 1-Mile Walk, Pennypack Park, Pine Road entrance. 5K at 11 a.m., walk at noon. Fees: 5K $30, walk $5. danielsweeneyfund.org

Greenway 5K Run/Walk, Pulaski Park at North Delaware Avenue and Allegheny Avenue, 9-11 a.m. $20, Walker (no bib) $15. drcc-phila.org

Flyers 5K, 9 a.m., Wells Fargo Center. Fee: $40 through Oct. 14, $45 day of. PhiladelphiaFlyers.com

5th Annual Mothers Matter 5K Run & Walk, Washington Lake Park, Sewell, N.J.; pre-register at runsignup.com; more info: laurenslegacy.org.

Princeton Trail Run, 9 a.m., 3.5 miles, Mountain Lakes. princetonac.org/events/mountain-lakes-trail

run lakes@princetonac.org

9th Annual Browning Ross Bob Kupcha Memorial Run, 5K, 1-Mile Run/Walk, 9 a.m. National Park, N.J., Firehouse (Grove Road and Hessian Street) Red Bank Battlefield. $20 before 10/20, $25 after. No dogs in 5K.

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Mount St. Joseph Academy's Miles of Magic 5K Run/1-Mile Fun Walk, 9 a.m., Flourtown. Benefits Stephanie Leonards Roman Memorial Scholarship. On-site registration: 8 a.m. $25. runtheday.com

Bark in the Park 5K, 10 a.m. Rose Tree Park 1671 N Providence Rd, Media. Fee: $30. www.firstgiving.com/delcospca/bark-in-the-park-dog-walk5k-run-2015