Dream Chaser

If it's the the fourth Friday in January  I must be at the Best Western in Ithaca for the annual Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile.......
For the seventh time in ten years I've made the trek north to the Cornell campus and Barton Hall for a shot at the title Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile champion,here's a review of the past 6 efforts in the last 9 years.

2007
W/ no real mile credentials to speak of{I'd ran 400m and 800m in my 06 Masters debut} I only got in because my team mate and silver medalist at the 06 Nationals in Charlotte Scott Landis got invited and he talked me up to race organizer Tom Hartshorne
Having just lowered the club record and my own pr at  The Armory two weeks prior{sadly I don't have the data at hand to give you my time}Tom offered me a spot and still flying "under the radar" a little I surprised most people including myself w/ a second place 4.29. finish the Kerrygold cheese slice between two worthy adversaries John Hinton and Anselem Lebourne

2008
Unable to compete having suffered a stress fracture on my left foot in December.

2009
An epic tussle up the home straight to steal 3rd at the finish line from Dan Franek in 4.30.1 behind Jim Sorensen and John Hinton a finish worthy of "SportsCenter" "Play Of The Day" trust me!!

2010
Pew! a stinker 10th in 4.48.12. if my 09 finish was the stuff of "highlight reels" this was a "Video Nasty"
I knew I had no right being here that year I was still trying to get my legs back under me off the 09 achilles injury lesson learnt" know when to say no" to the race organizer....

2011
Skipped the event.....in fear of Cornell University handing me a  a whopping cleaning bill for having to fumigate Barton Hall after I stank the joint up 12 months prior.......

2012
File this one under "Bizarreo World"
So I actually finished 2nd in 4.39.9 behind Kent Lemme.....however Charlie Kern was awarded the win based on his time in the college meet that follows the Hartshorne Mile....as it finished up Charlie finished second in that race but his time was faster than Kent's 4.32.7 {4.28.1}Kent won the M40 race but was awarded 2nd and I finished 2nd but was awarded 3rd......like I said bizarre....

2013
Sat out the entire year,blew off the Indoor season due to a lack of motivation,had to sit out the outdoor season due to another feckin achilles injury

2014
If stinkin' up the joint in 2010 sucked my slow agonizing death over the second half of the 2014 race wins no favours either as I faded to 4th in 4.57.1
Out in 2.22,back in 2.35 tells its own sorry story,another vital life/running lesson learned,don't think 30 mpw will cut it cos it feckin' won't!!!

2015
3rd in 4.51.7.
A return to the podium but who knows the outcome had I stuck to my pre race aim of "going for broke" and going w/ the leaders instead of "playing safe" and getting on the podium.

And there you have it my entire Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile history,the  next chapter is is just over 15 hours away..............