Half-Assed Runner

Archive for the ‘10 Mile’ Category

For the second year in a row I ran the Monster Dash 10 Mile race.  Last year this was probably my happiest running experience as I ran the entire 10 miles without walking which was my longest continuous run ever.  Since then I’ve run a bunch of half marathons and even managed to finish a marathon.  My longest continuous run now stands around 18.5 miles.  But the Monster Dash 10 Mile run remains a bright spot as I never thought I could run double-digit miles without stopping.

This year I debated either skipping the Monster Dash or running the half marathon instead.  I managed to meet my quota of 12 half marathons this year and I’m burned out on the distance.  My wife decided last year that she wanted to do the Monster Dash and I convinced her to try the 10 mile distance.  I finally decided to run it with her.  I offered to pace her, but she decided she didn’t need/want me helping her, so I was free to run my own race.  This worked out great as I needed a “win” after disappointing results in my last few races.

I got to skip the expo this year as my wife picked up our packets.  The jacket is pretty nice this year and I like it better than last year’s jacket.  It still has the “woman’s zipper”, but fits well and feels good.

Race morning rolled around and neither of us were too excited to run.  We’ve both been suffering from mild head colds.  Plus it was 24 degrees when we woke up.  I told my wife that it was the same last year as it was 26 degrees at the start of the race last year.  It was actually a bit warmer (30 degrees) this year, but did not warm up during the course of the race as much as last year.

We hit the road and instead of trying to use 94 to get to the start of the race, we decided to attack it from the south.  Great idea, except for the fact that 494 went to one lane around the airport.  I wasn’t panicking because were being driven by a friend of ours and would be dropped off with plenty of time to get the race.  In fact, that’s what happened: we got dropped off about 1.5 miles from the start.  I was wearing my manly tights with running shorts over them and a short-sleeved tech shirt.  I was wearing the Monster Dash jacket over the shirt.  I planned to leave the jacket, but I was too damn cold to do it.  I knew I would not be able to keep the jacket on the entire run, so I would have to tie it off around my waist.  My wife was in costume (I went as a “runner” again this year) with 4 layers.  She said later she got hot around mile 2, but was fine afterwards.  We obviously have different biological temperature regulation units. 

We got to the start line around 8:20.  I was shocked that there was plenty of room for runners to line up.  I decided to start with my wife so we lined up just in front of the 10 minute pacer.  The cumulative body heat of 10,000 runners warmed me up so that I probably could have done without the jacket.

Soon enough the race was underway.  We moved forward about 100 feet, then stopped dead.  I don’t know if Team Ortho did wave starts or not.  If so, we were in the first wave.  It took over 5 minutes of walking, but once we hit the starting mats we were able to start running immediately.

I stuck with my wife for the first half mile.  I figured that we were just under 10 minutes per mile as the pacers did not pass us.  I picked up the pace slightly to get past some large groups of runners.  I was surprised when Endomondo announced a 9:11 first mile.  It felt at least 30 seconds slower than that.  I was pretty happy to hear this pace as I wanted to run this race around a 9:20 pace.  A mile later, Endomondo told me that I clocked a 9:02 mile.

I felt like I was pushing just a tiny bit but felt fine.  The biggest issue was the jacket.  As I warmed up, I unzipped it more and more.  By mile 2, it was completely unzipped.  I would have to take it off and tie it around my waist.  Not a big deal, but it would kill time.  It didn’t really matter much as the first water stop was almost 3.5 miles into the race and I was getting pretty thirsty by that point.  I walked the entire stop and drank a cup of water and blue stuff.  This would be my slowest mile (9:29).

I was feeling great at this point and miles 5 and 6 were just under 9 minutes each.  I knew that the course was a gentle downhill, but last year I didn’t appreciate how beneficial that is.  After some hilly halfs this year, I was loving this course.

I went without music until mile 6.  The combination of the crowds and costumes kept my mind occupied.  I took a GU at the water stop around mile 6.5.  This was the only mistake I made.  I ate a flavor I hadn’t tried before: Mandarin Orange.  I figured that you can’t really mess up orange, but this thing tasted like medicine and ass.  Miles 6 through 9 were all run around a 9:15 pace.

I kept holding back a little bit as I wanted to make sure I had some energy left for the last mile.  There was only one hill of any significance and it was around mile 7.  I knew that the last half mile was downhill and fast, so I was saving my energy for that.  I felt great.  Nothing hurt, I was pushing the pace only slightly, and I was feeling much better after removing the jacket (hell, I was sweating in the 30 degree weather).

I didn’t see the mile marker for mile 9, but Endomondo announced it.  I toyed with really picking it up at this point, but I was feeling slightly tired and didn’t want to fizzle out prior to the end.  I told myself I would speed up after passing the giant inflatable rainbow bridge.  Unfortunately, that bridge was not on the course this year.  Rather unceremoniously, the 10 milers and half marathoners split and I could see the finish line.  I picked up my pace and finished with an 8:35 final mile.  The race clocked showed 1:37, so I wasn’t sure of my chip-time, but I was happy to see it as just south of 1:32.  I had shaved 10 minutes off of last year’s time and felt great.  It was nice to have a good race for the first time in quite some time.

I nabbed the standard Team Ortho food bag (banana, chips, mini salted nut roll).  I was a little disappointed that there was no bottled water (there were cups of water) and no foil blankets like last year.  Not a big deal as I had my jacket with me.  I saw the line for the buses to the half marathon finish area and was glad I didn’t have to wait in it this year.  I think that the bag check was at the half finish, so bag check would have been a waste (and a logistical nightmare) for me this year.

I walked back past the finish line and waited for my wife.  She had a great race as well and finish only a bit slower than I did last year.

We found our friends and our son and started walking back to the car.  Little did I know that this would be an almost 2 mile hike.  It was still just above freezing and I was cold as hell by the time we got to the car.  We did get to see the sweeper car and the last runner as she hit mile 8 [I would HATE to be the last runner as the sweeper was literally 15 feet behind her].

My wife wanted to head to the half marathon finish line to enjoy a beer.  I was shivering by this point even with the car’s heat cranked and I talked her out of it.  We decided to hit Coopers in Saint Louis Park as she could still get her free beer and I could avoid the crowds and hopefully warm up.  When we got to Coopers we were the only runners there.  By the time we left, there was a pretty long wait for tables as a bunch of Monster Dash runners (many from the 5K race in Minneapolis) had the same idea we did.  After three cups of coffee and some tomato basil soup, I was finally warm enough to drink my victory Guinness.

We had a great time at this race.  It’s a huge race (they announced 11,000 10 mile and half marathoners (but only 9400 finishers, so that might have been inflated/rounded up) and 3,000 5K runners (in Minneapolis)), but I feel it’s really well-organized.  The course is an absolute dream to run as it’s pretty and downhill or flat for 95% of the race (10 mile).  The swag is nice and so is the medal (I’m kind of burned out on the Team Ortho wedge medals though).  It’s a blast to see all of the crazy costumes and there is great crowd support as well.  I will probably do this race again next year.

Today was not my day.

I got up right before my alarm went off at 5:45.  I showered, packed my gym bag, and generally dicked around.  My plan was to get to the race by 7:15 am to park, pick up my packet, and get ready to pound out 10 miles.  I ended up leaving the house around 6:40 which meant that 7:30 was a more likely arrival time.  I had to get gas, so that slowed me up as well.  My planned bowl of oatmeal and/or bagel for pre-race carb loading (my excuse to carb out) went out the window as the monkey had managed to eat the last bagel and the last packet of oatmeal.  I grabbed a Twix bar at the gas station instead.
I actually made really good time and hit the Huron exit at 7:20 am.  Plenty of time…except that this race was far more popular than I realized (the 10 miler sold out) and I spent the next 20 minutes moving about .75 miles.  Much like the Monster Dash, I needed to break from my planned course of action and go into panic mode.  I took a different route to campus and parked in the medical center ramp.  I then jogged the half mile or so to the football stadium.  As I approached I heard “ten minutes to race time” over the loud-speaker.  I weaved my way through the crowd and headed to the third floor to get my packet.  There was a packet pickup on Friday, but I did not have time to make it down to campus last night.

The packet pickup lines were based on first letter of your last name.  For the first (and only time) today something went my way: my line only had two people ahead of me.  I checked in and got my bib and shirt.  I signed up for a large shirt, but was told only 2XL were available.  Fuck it, I can use it as a tent.

It was now less than 5 minutes until the start of the race.  As I headed downstairs and outside, I deftly pinned my bib and tied the shirt around my waist (good thing it was a long-sleeved tech shirt).  I followed two other time-challenged 10 milers to the starting area.  The national anthem was just completing as I wiggled into the starting wave.  Very soon after that, we were off.

Shortly after crossing the starting line, I noticed that I was right next to the 10 minute/mile pacer.  My goal for this race was to complete it with no stops and to finish with sub-10 minute miles.  I decided to follow the pacer.

This lasted until the end of the first mile.  Runmeter was telling me that I was at a nearly 11 minute pace (not sure how accurate that was as Runmeter tends to give me splits that are slower than what it actually records).  I felt good so I decided to leave the pacer.  I figured that I would bank some time and if I lost steam I could always fall back and rejoin the group.

The next 6 miles went very well.  My average went from 11ish to 9:36.  It bounced up again to 9:48 around the 7 mile mark.  I was well on my way to hitting my goals.

The weather was once again glorious.  60 degrees, low humidity, sunny and clear with a slight wind.  Just 10 hours earlier it was 40 something, cloudy, and raining.

We crossed a bridge over the Mississippi river right before the halfway mark.  A bald eagle swooped down and fly about 20 feet above our heads.  I was feeling great.

2.5 miles later I lost my mojo.  There were a couple of hills before this point.  Two pretty good-sized ones (one really early in the run).  I had peeped the race profile and thought that the worst hills were around the 4 mile mark.  I was wrong.  Starting around the 7.5 mile mark the combination of hills and loss of energy did me in.

Part of this was mental.  Around the 7 mile mark I saw runners turning left and hitting a good-sized hill that lead to an overpass.  I noted that they looked like they were speeding up.  As I made it to this point I found out that I would not be making that left…I would continue to the right and hit a turnaround.  The runners on the left were on their way back and they looked faster because they were faster.  This section went uphill, then downhill, then REALLY uphill.  I finally broke down and took a walk break on the “really uphill” section.  I felt a little defeated, but I kept it short and told myself I would make it up on the downhill.  Which I did.  Then I hit the uphill to the overpass and all was lost.

At this point I was not the only one walking, but that did not make me feel any better.  To add to my disappointment, the 10 minute pace group passed me at the top of the hill.  This crushed my spirit.  I had been doing mental math and figured that since I had been running 12 seconds per mile faster over nearly 8 miles, that I was about 1.5 minutes ahead of them.  My two walk breaks had eaten up all my “banked” seconds.

I pulled myself together and decided my goal over the last couple of miles would be to catch and pass the pacer.  This plan failed at the next (slight) hill.  Once you take that first walk break, it just becomes easier and easier to take more.  I even started walking on flat areas.  I was running out of steam.

The finish line is on the field that the Gophers play football on.  This is fitting as they play football about as well as I run.  As we neared the stadium I summoned my last bit of pride and told myself I would run the rest of the way.  This should be easy: completely flat, cheering crowds, and only .5 miles to go.  I ended up walking…TWICE.  Before you enter the stadium you run around the outside.  I was not mentally prepared for that.  I kept thinking “Where the fuck is the entrance?  When will this hell be over?”

When I finally ran down the tunnel and hit the turf, I did pick up the pace.  The finish line is televised on the jumbotron so I got to see my sweaty beaten ass cross the finish line on a huge screen.

Finally it was over.  I was really disappointed.  I did manage to get a 19 second PR.  LOL.  Since I’ve only run two 10 milers (well, 1.75 because whatever the hell I was doing at the end of this one did NOT count as running) this was not much of a win for me.

What went wrong:

1) I glossed over the fact that 10 miles is still a long ways for me.  I did 17 miles on Tuesday.  That was a very flat course and I ran 3 minutes then walked 1 minute.  Running 10 miles with no walk breaks and hills was much more difficult.

2) Hills.  I keep saying it, but I really need to start doing hill repeats.

3) Mental game.  Once I took that first walk break, they just kept getting easier and easier to justify.

I was also wicked thirsty towards the end. I drank at all the water stops and I ended up drinking three cups (2 water, 1 red stuff) on the last water stop.  I downed a bottle of water within seconds of crossing the finish line.  I probably need to start carrying water as I will not make it through summer half marathons at this rate.  I also skipped bringing “nutrition” with me, except for the Wintogreen lifesavers I suck on.  I doubt this was a big issue, but I will definitely bring some Gu and/or Sport Beans on all future long runs in case I feel zapped and pure sugar isn’t doing the trick.

I’m thinking that the Sauconys need to go.  I’m 100 plus miles into these suckers and I’m still getting blisters on long runs.  This didn’t directly to my downfall, but it added to the “things to bitch about as I barely finish this run” list.  This pisses me off a bit as they are my first pair of “real” running shoes.  I will break in future shoes on the treadmill first so I can return them if they give me any problems.

The course itself was great and the volunteers were plentiful and wonderful.  After the first couple of miles I was never crowded.

The final insult occurred in the parking garage.  I lost my iPhone.  I think that I put it on top of my car.  It’s out of contact (old 3GS) and there does not have voice/data capability at this point, but I had just gotten ATT to unlock it the day before.  I had planned to do a month to month data/voice plan until the iPhone 5 rolled out in June and join the rest of my family in Verizonland at that time.  That plan is out the window now along with my photos from this race.  I also got to spend a couple of hours changing all my passwords.  Oh, and the parking ramp ended up costing me $15.  I must have seriously pissed off the running gods today.

Packet Pickup/Expo

Bleh!

This was my first race with a packet pickup prior to the day of the race.  Packet pickup was in downtown Saint Paul between 11 am and 7 pm.  I knew that I would not be leaving work until at least 6 pm, so I decided to pop down during lunch to nab my packet.  The drive from Maple Grove to Saint Paul should have taken me about 30 minutes each way.  Unfortunately, I decided to use 394 to 94.  It’s been a long time since I’ve gone this route.  I know it backs up where 394 dumps into 94 (3 lanes into 1), but it was noon so I figured that traffic would be fairly light.  Well, it wasn’t.  And there was construction that closed off one lane about 3 miles past the Lowry tunnel.  I got to get my road rage on as I spent an hour and a half in traffic (plus my gas light went on as I planned to fill up on the way back).  Downtown Saint Paul is still the same steaming shit stew that I remember it being.  The only bright spot is that I skipped the “event parking” ($6) at the hotel hosting the packet pick up and only dropped $1.50 (plus a 2 block walk).

I know that this isn’t Team Ortho’s fault, but I was in a pretty bad mood by the time I hit the expo.  I had remembered to bring my bib number (there was a bib look up kiosk if you forgot).  The half marathon booths were clearly marked as such.  I queued up for the 10 mile area to get my bib…then was told that I was in the 5K line.  I then got in the correct line and got my bib.  I was pointed to another area where there were bags and where they were handing out the jackets.  The volunteer who gave me my bib was super nice.  The dude that stared at me like I was from Mars at the jacket handout was less than helpful. They had huge banners denoting the different sizes.  I finally just grabbed a large and put it in my bag.  I could have grabbed a couple if I wanted.  There were some cool shirts and stuff for sale.  I really wanted to grab one of the 5K shirts with a skeleton on it (they said that they would be for sale at the race) but I was already well on my way to missing my 2 pm meeting.  I headed for the exit.  At the exit, a volunteer scans your racing chip.  After that there was a long line to get a green wristband so you could have a free beer at the race.  I skipped that line and left.  All told, I was able to get in and out in about 15 minutes.

I called work and told them I was going to miss my meeting and took a different (longer distance, but less traffic) route back.  I was going to sign up for the Polar Dash (you can pick up your bib, chip, and fleece…and skip that race’s expo) at the expo, but was too short on time and patience to do so.  I was thinking that much of the merchandise as well as the future race registrations will be available the next day at the race as well.

Race Day

What a day.  At 6 am my iPhone honked at me.  After hitting snooze, my wife honked at me.  I showered and dressed.  I was cold as hell outside.  It was 26 degrees when I left the house at 7 am.  I had an hour drive ahead of me.  I would have left earlier, but I didn’t want to stand around outside waiting for the race to start.  I had decided that the running pants I own would not cut it.  They are too warm and I think that they restrict my stride a bit.  It was too cold to wear shorts though.  So I broke out my “compression leggings” that I recently bought.  My wife calls them tights.  She’s right. They’re not compression leggings, I just call them that to try to preserve the little that’s left of my manhood.  I would wear my tights….err “compression leggings” with shorts on top and a long sleeved tech shirt. Once I get moving, staying warm is not a problem.  Standing around waiting for the start in 20 degree weather is another thing entirely.

I did put jeans on over the tights (fuck it, they are what they are) to stay warm on the drive.  It’s a good thing that I did.  I stopped for coffee and Wintogreen Lifesavers at a gas station.  It was packed with bearded men in hunting gear.  It must be the start of some shoot at wildlife season in Minnesota.  I was very happy not to be flaunting my tights in this crowd.

I sipped about half of my cup of coffee on the way in.  I wanted the caffeine, but I didn’t want to have to pee during the race. Although yesterday was a hellish drive, I figured I could count on traffic being much lighter early on a Saturday morning.  For the most part, I was right. There was a slight slowdown when the lanes merged to only two. I was making good time.  I would be reaching the Science Museum parking lot just before 8 am.  That would give me plenty of time to stay in my car with the heat on before jogging to the starting area. Unfortunately, about a billion other people had the same plan.  The exit was backed up for a mile.  Over the course of 25 minutes, I was able to move about 1.2 miles.  It was 8:20 and I was still driving.  I had no idea if the lot had any available spots or not.  I made a decision to make a left and park at the gigantic Sears store on the other side of the freeway.  I was happy to see I wasn’t the only runner to make this choice as I spotted others (many in costume) parking there and making a mad dash for the start line.  I got out, dropped my jeans, and put on my shorts over my tights.  I grabbed my phone, headphones, some lifesavers and a Gu, my car key, and my wallet.  Normally I just grab some cash and leave my wallet in my car.  I wasn’t going to do that in this area.  This meant I had to run with that sucker in my right pocket during the race.  It was annoying, but wasn’t horrible.

After my quick change, I started jogging the half mile to the starting line near the Cathedral of Saint Paul. While waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street, I haphazardly pinned on my bib and tried to get a weather check on my iPhone.  AT&T’s craptacular 3G network was pretty much useless, but I did it did manage to spit enough bits to my phone to tell me it was still in the mid-20s.  Wonderful.

As I approached the Cathedral, I saw the mass of running humanity assembled there and heard “30 seconds to the start of the race”.  With so many runners, the race was broken up into starting waves.  I tried to get in the middle of the 9 and 10 minute per mile groups, but even if I could have accomplished this, the waves had already started, so the flags marking the paces weren’t accurate anyways.  I fired up Runmeter and Spotify.  I took a some shots of the starting area.  I wish I could have taken some pictures during the run as it was an absolutely gorgeous route, but the couple I tried were too shaky, so I decided to pass on the photos.

I have to say that the wave starts were done extremely well.  Also, the walkers must have lined up in the waves behind me, because I saw very few walkers during the first few miles.  I stepped over the starting line 10.5 minutes after the race had started.  Since this was a chip-timed event, this had no bearing on my final time. I did spent a bit of time bobbing and weaving at the start, but the spacing between waves and the lack of walkers meant everyone was able to start running right away.  I left my headphones off and just took in the course and the race.

The course was beautiful.  The fall colors were in full effect.  Combine that with scenery ranging from mansions to the Mississippi, plus all of the crazy and amazing costumes, and there was never a dull moment on this run.  I didn’t put my headphones on until I hit the 4.5 mile mark (the longest I’ve ever run sans music).

I started out at a slower than normal pace.  This would be my longest race to date and I wanted to ease into it.  I found it very easy to keep a nice, steady pace due to the number of runners around me.  I’m glad I started in the wave that I did, as the pace was perfect.

My plan was to run the first 3 miles without stopping.  The first water stop would be at mile 3 and I would walk though it and then continue to Galloway this bad boy with a 4:1 run/walk ratio, adjusting the run part down as I tired.  Yeah, I know, this is a modified Galloway and not taking walk breaks “early and often” would result in me being more tired near the end.

The first two miles blew by.  I was shocked when I saw the two mile marker.  Yay for sensory overload.  I had no idea what my pace was as I hadn’t donned my headphones yet.  I didn’t even bother to look at Runmeter because I was at a comfortable pace and this was a long race.

The 3 mile mark came up along with the first water stop.  I was feeling way too good to start run/walking and one look at the crowds at the water tables convinced me to skip this one.  I was doing fine in the hydration department.  I knew that the next water stop was in 2 miles and I would get my drink on at that point.  Probably the only issue I had with the course was with the Port-A-Potties at the water stops.

They were popular and the lines extended onto the course.  So not only did you have to bob and weave around runners entering and exiting the water tables, but you also had to deal with the sudden wall of runners extending 3/4 of the way across the road as they waited to use the bathrooms.  I would suggest turning the port-a-potties around so that the door faces away from the course to encourage lines that don’t extend on to the course.

I had decided at this point that I would keep running until I hit the 5 mile mark.  That would match my longest continuous run ever.  I was still feeling good and there was no shortage of things and people to look at.  Just before the 4.5 mile mark, I finally put in my ear buds and turned on my music.  Shortly afterwards Runmeter announced that my average pace was around 10:12/mile.  It would stay within a few seconds of that average for the entire race.  I wasn’t moving quickly, but I was sure steady.

Mile 5 rolled up and I was still feeling good.  I grabbed a water and kept chugging along.  The course was almost entirely downhill from start to finish.  Not steep, but a steady course down to the river basin.  It was a sunny day, but still cold enough that I could “see my breath” for the entire course.  I was so glad that I didn’t wear a windbreaker.  I was pretty much at a perfect body temperature.  I was sweating, but nowhere near the torrents of sweat I generate on a summer run.

After passing the 5 mile marker, I congratulated myself on breaking my PR for a continuous run.  I set my next goal at 7.5 miles without stopping.  I grabbed some water at the 6.5 mile water stop and still did not feel like walking.  I was still running at 10:12/mile.

At the 7.5 mile water stop, I did technically stop running to grab some blue stuff.  I have no idea what it was composed of, but it gave me a bit of a sugar boost.  It was pretty popular as the volunteers were struggling to fill cups to keep up with the thirsty runners.

I started to lose steam at this point.  Miles 7, 8, and 9 were all run around 10:30/mile.  I could feel my energy draining and my stride getting shorter.  I just wanted to keep running, because I felt like one walk break would lead to many more and I had a shot at going the entire 10 miles without stopping.  There was one baby hill where a number of the runners suddenly became walkers.  I powered through it and enjoyed the subsequent downhill.  Around mile 8 I felt a slight twinge in my left leg.  It wasn’t bad, just a slight pain near the side of my knee.  Thankfully it never got worse, but my running form did suffer as I started to favor my right leg.

At some point towards the end of the race there was an “energy” stop where they were handing our Tropical Hammer gels.  I grabbed one and pocketed it.  I had a GU wintergreen gel and I ate about half of it around mile 8.  Other than that, my race “fuel” consisted of a single Wintogreen lifesaver.  I guess that the pizza from the night before was more than enough energy to keep me running.

We hit mile 9 and I knew that I was going complete this race sans stops.  We passed through an inflatable rainbow colored tunnel and shortly after the 10 milers split off to the right while the half marathoners continued to the left.  At the 9.5 mile mark I could see the finish banner in the distance.  I picked up the pace and my last mile ended up being my fastest at 9:26/mile.  I crossed the timing mats and got my medal.  I hit the water and blue fluid stations and grabbed a banana.  The temperature had rocketed up to a torrid 39 degrees.  I was afraid of getting chills, but I stayed comfortable as long as I stayed in the sun.  A race volunteer handed me a brown paper bag from a huge box labeled “10 Mile Food”.  I took it and walked slowly towards the line for the buses to the half marathon finish area (and 3.1 miles closer to my car).

I was hobbling a bit at this point and if I stood still, then my legs started to hurt much like they did after my 12.5 mile run last week.  I massaged them and stretched them as much as I could.  After about a 20 minute wait I got on a bus to the half marathon finish line.  As I sat in a bench seat in a big yellow bus with a brown paper bag in my lap, I felt like I was 12 years old again.  I was a bit worried that my legs might “seize up” while sitting in the bus, but I was fine.  We got to see the remainder of the half marathon course from the comfort of the bus.  While the 10 mile was mostly flat and downhill, there was a pretty substantial hill around the 11 mile point of the half marathon.

After arriving at the half marathon finish, I pretty much just started my walk back to my car (about a mile away).  I did check for any merchandise (since I had my wallet with me) but didn’t see any.  There didn’t see to be much different in the way of food from the 10 mile finish.  I did see some runners with bottles of Muscle Milk (which I would have loved at that point) but didn’t see where they got them from.  I had no interest in getting a free beer and would rather be raped by badgers than listen to Tim Mahoney, so I started my trek back to my car.  The walk did me good as it stretched out my legs a bit.

I hate bicyclists.  I hate them because I’ve run into too many asshole cyclists.  My friend is a cyclist and assures me that for every asshole there are hundreds of decent cyclists.  I did get to witness my first asshole runners on the way back to my car.  A group of four women either decided that the big red hand means ‘go’ or that they were still on the vehicle restricted race course.  They walked out in front of a car.  The driver slammed on his brakes and the four troglodytes continued on at their slow shuffle.  If I were driving, I would have hit clipped them.  Oh well.  Four assholes out of 8,000 runners is still an acceptable ratio.

I got back to my car.  I suppose that I could balance some of the stress and time suck involved in my two treks to Saint Paul with the fact that I probably saved myself about $25 in parking costs over the last two days.  Next year I will definitely get a hotel room and stay in Saint Paul instead of fighting traffic.

The only problem I had was once I got back home.  I felt no pain up until that point.  I guess being stuck in a car for an hour messed up my legs (especially that left knee area).  It took me about 10 minutes of grimacing pain to hobble into my house.  After a hot shower, I was fine.  My legs felt “well used” but I no pain.

All in all, this was a great race.  The race volunteers were great.  The course was fucking awesome.  I will definitely run this race again next year…probably the half marathon.

Next up: a local “Turkey Trot” 5K with the family.  Then begins the long, cold Minnesota winter.  I will probably get really well aquainted with the treadmill (yuck).  Team Ortho has a Polar Dash on New Year’s Day.  I will most likely run that, but at the 5K distance as there’s no way I’m running a half marathon in that weather and after a night of debauchery.

Monster Dash 10 Mile Map