About that Grand Blue Mile…

Call me crazy, but I like taking on challenges that lead me out of my comfort zone.

Enter the 2024 Grand Blue Mile. 

Downtown Des Moines. On a sunny (and windy) Tuesday evening. Two days following a speedy 10K. Why not? 

Staying cozy and content feels good, but it doesn’t allow us to see what we’re capable of. That said, the experience can be both humbling and scary…but also invigorating! 

Affiliated with the Drake Relays, the Grand Blue Mile takes place on the Tuesday of Relays Week. Now in its 15th year, it draws a big crowd of both recreational runners and elites (the latter vying for titles in the USATF 1-Mile Championship). 

This 1-mile race takes place in downtown Des Moines, at the Western Gateway Park. The start line is situated at the corner of  Locust and 17th, and ends a few blocks over at Grand and 13th. 

I first ran this in 2018, surprising myself with a sub-8:00 finish (and a 3rd place AG). I returned in 2019 (recap HERE), and clocked a major PR (7:23) and a 4th place AG. The GBM had to go virtual in 2020 (thank you, Covid). I decided to return this year to test the waters. I knew a PR was out of the picture, due to my lack of training (for any distance, LOL), but why not see what the legs  could muster? 

ready for the start line

I met Jim downtown, somewhat near the race site, around 5:45. We were both running in the “competitive” wave, so my start time wasn’t until 6:45 and his was at 7:00. 

Although the pre-qualified racers (those in contention for the USATF championship titles) have their own specific waves, the rest of us have a choice of recreation (any and all paces) or competitive (recommend 8:00 pace or faster) divisions. All race times are combined, so it’s a matter of what kind of herd you want to run with. Having run with the “recreational” peeps both times prior, I opted for the competitive wave this time around (to avoid the kids, the strollers and the numerous walkers). 

Not being a naturally-gifted sprinter, a 1-miler is tough (as if racing a mile would be easy LOL). I say that because there’s no time for fluff (water stops, adjusting one’s pace or “making up” for a slower-than-desired start). It’s #RunFast from right out of the gate. 

Even though we’d had a fast-paced power walk to the race site, and had done a lot of pre-start line stretching and dynamics, I still felt ill-prepared upon hearing the starter’s pistol. 

I should also mention I was feeling crazy thirsty. I’d had some water while driving in, but had left it in my car. It had been over an hour since parking, though, and my mind thought it needed some hydration. Once over the start line mat, that perceived “thirst” became obsessive, LOL

Since there weren’t as many runners in the competitive division, it was easy to cluster towards the front…which meant I felt a subconscious obligation to stay with the group. I honestly had no idea how fast I was running (my pace perception is non-existent, don't forget). It didn’t feel like I was running super fast or hard, because I was going with the group. But crossing the 1/4-mile timing mat had me feeling like I was about to crash and burn. I knew then (finally!) that I needed to reign-in my breathing and make an effort to do my own thing because most of these gals were much faster than me. 

I heard my name a short ways after the 1/4-mile mark. It was Shaina! She snapped this pic of me… I gotta admit I look much stronger than I was feeling (ha! #truth). 

The stretch on Locust is just over half of the total distance, so it feels like you’re running forever in the same direction before you cross the actual 1/2-mile timing mat. My throat was a dry, scratchy (and painful) mess. My legs were struggling to do their thing under such an unfamiliar too-fast pace. And my breathing was all over the place as well. 

Just after the 1/2-mile mark, we turn left on 8th Street, run for a block, then take another left onto Grand. Although the 3/4-mile mark is in sight, the finish line is still a longs way off in the distance. 

By the time I passed the 3/4-mile mark, I could tell my breathing was doing better, but still not great. My entire body felt depleted, and I don’t know how my legs were even functioning because I felt so exhausted. I had to keep telling myself to press on to the finish (though I was SO tempted to pullover for a split second walk break). And my throat hurt like crazy.

Funny thing, I don’t remember seeing the timing clock above the finish line, but I do remember all the people cheering. And I definitely remember hitting the stop button on my Garmin (#priorities). 

I grabbed a Gatorade and did my best to calm my breathing. I walked around for a few minutes, and snagged a quick pic with my buddy, Herky (the University of Iowa mascot).

I then found a spot on the race course, near the 1/4-mile mark, and did some stretching. The men’s race began a few minutes later, so took my place and watched for Jim. Did I mention it was a windy evening? He nearly lost his hat!

So, how did we do? In a nutshell, much better than expected! My 7:50 official time was a nice surprise (my Garmin showed 7:52); and the 3rd place AG, even better. The gal who took first place (in my AG) clocked a solid 6:44 (gulp); the second place gal ran a 7:44. Jim finished in 8:04, and he was very happy with that as well, given the fact he hasn’t been running much (let alone training for the GBM). 

A 6:57 pace for that first 1/4-mile? No wonder I was on the verge of crashing!

A few minutes later, the USATF races were underway. The women went first. It was fun watching them on the big screen (via the camera on the “pace” car). Rachel McArthur broke the tape in 4:33. The 2nd place gal finished one second behind her (4:34); 3rd place gal was another second later (4:35).

Vincent Ciattrei, the men’s champion, finished in 3:57. The 2nd and 3rd place finishers were right on his tail (3:59 and 4:00). Unbelievable!

So, to say this was an exciting evening on the streets (in the running shoes) would be an understatement. A lot of runners turn out to run a "simple" mile - there were 886 men and 877 women that finished!. In addition to the men's and women's 1-mile races, there also was a kids race and a Mascot Madness run (which features various collegiate mascots, from around the state, running a very short race in their gear).

As mentioned, I ran the 10K two days prior, so also running the GBM gave me Bulldog Double status. The Bulldog Double runners had yellow colored bibs, so the volunteers would know to give them their appropriate medals.

All runners received shirts for swag, though. The shirts are a cotton blend, and unisex sized...but I love the color and graphics.

Anyways, that's my story of the 2024 Grand Blue Mile. For such a short distance, it comes with a lot of effort, sweat, and mind power. And it's all over within a few minutes, LOL.

Have you ever done a 1-mile race? If you'd done any of the Sunday races (5K, 10K, or Half Marathon), would you have been enticed to do the Grand Blue Mile also? 

I'm linking this with Zenaida and Jenn for the TuesdayTopics Linkup. 

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