Half-Assed Runner

I had waffled about whether or not I wanted to run this race.  I think Lake Harriet is beautiful, but the parking and crowds turn me off.  In the end I decided to do the race because it’s been over 2 months since I ran a race.  A day after I signed up, the race filled so I was pretty lucky to get in.

I exited the house 20 minutes behind schedule and had to stop to get gas on the way in.  It’s about an hour from my house to Lake Harriet.  I ended up parking .7 miles from the start.  I may have been able to find something closer, but this was close enough and I knew that if I fed the meter enough tasty quarters, I would not get ticketed/towed.  I left my car at 8:30.  I still had to pick up my packet and stow the race swag (pretty nice green 1/4 zip jacket) before my race began at 9:10.

It was a gorgeous day for early March in Minnesota.  It was 44 degrees (about 20 degrees above normal for this time of year) and sunny.  There was a steady wind that made it feel a bit colder.  I went with running pants and a long-sleeved tech shirt.  I did get a bit chilly at points before the run, but nothing unbearable.  Some runners decided to act like it was June and wear t-shirts and shorts.

I jogged a bit of the .7 miles to the race area (near the band shell).  Packet pickup was quick and easy.  The “packet” consisted of your bib and jacket.  I probably had just enough time to jog back to my car and stow the jacket and get back before the start of the race, but I just didn’t feel like it.  I also knew that wearing the jacket would be a bad idea as I would get very hot.  So I decided to try the bag check.  You simply grabbed a clear bag, dropped your gear in the bag, then tore off a number from your bib and pinned it to the bag.  You then stowed you bag in the area that matched the last number of your bib.  When the race was over you retrieved your bag and showed the tag to a volunteer who made sure it matched your bib number.  Pretty smooth and it saved me 1.5 miles of jogging to my car and back again.

I walked around a bit then sat near the band shell.  Even though the race was sold out it did not seem nearly as crowded as the Reindeer Run I did here in November.  Tons of runners wearing green (I don’t have any green running gear so I went potato gray) and plenty of costumes.  There were a few vendors and the after race snack area looked well stocked.  There were also a handful of what looked to be portable gas fire pits for runners who needed to keep warm.

The 10 mile race began at 9am and the 5K runners were told to line up near the boat launch.  The line had markers for each minute/mile pace.  I had planned to get closer to the front than normal due to the congestion during the Reindeer Run, but instead settled in with my fellow 9 minute milers.

The race started on time and we…walked to the starting line.  This was not unexpected due to the crowd (and the relatively small path/road at the start).  Since this was not a chip timed event, I started Runmeter when I hit the start line, then noticed the actual start line 35 seconds later.  I noted to shave 35 seconds from my final time.

The race was slow and congested.  There seemed to be more room than the Reindeer Run (and no dogs), but passing was still a pain in the ass.  I still can’t believe the number of people who line up near the front and then walk…usually three or more abreast.  These tend to be fat ham beast women who then get pissed when you have to squeeze past them.  I’m to the point where I’m going to start elbowing them in the kidney as I pass by.  I know that I’m not Usain Bolt and this is an untimed fun run, but I did pay to run and there’s no advantage to the walkers to start near the front.  Meh.  End of rant.

The race was congested the whole way, but there seemed to be enough room to comfortably pass after the first mile.  I was able to hit my stride about then as well, so my frustration level dropped significantly.  My legs felt heavy and – after Runmeter announced a 10:30+ first mile – I knew I was not going to PR, so I just settled in and tried to keep a steady pace.  There were a couple of small hills on the route, but for the most part the course was flat.  The 5K did not have any water stations.  The wind only became a (minor) factor on the last mile of the race.  It was blowing from my left, so it didn’t slow me down much.

The 3 mile point was marked with a large banner (I don’t remember seeing the 1 or 2 mile markers) and it appeared sooner than I expected.  Runmeter was measuring short again (even though I definitely did not run the tangents).  I picked up the pace a bit and then again when I saw the finish mats (the mats were for the 10 milers) although I did not hit a sprint pace.  I finished in 28:50 (once I subtracted the 35 seconds from the time).  A little better than I expected, but not a blazing time.

I walked back to the bag check and got my jacket.  I grabbed a bottle of water, green cookie, and scone.  I walked back to my car and enjoyed a bit more of the unseasonably warm weather.  I saw some of the 10 milers on my way back.

All in all, a pretty nice race.  It was crowded, but not overly so.  I was happy with my time and glad to see that my 5K pace hasn’t slipped a ton over the winter.  This is only my 3rd 5K that I’ve completed without taking a walk break (2 of them on this same course).  It’s funny how quickly we acclimate to conditions.  Last year at this time I would have shit my pants at the prospect of running 3 miles.  Now I think of that previously frightening distance as my short, easy run.

Next weekend I will be running a 7K on Saint Patrick’s Day.  I hope to have a similar minute/mile pace (9:18) as this race and I am guaranteed a PR due to the odd distance.