The race took place just north of Downtown Minneapolis along the Mississippi River. One large counterclockwise loop (7k is approximately 4.4 miles) with two river crossings. This is the same course as last year.
I was happy with my race last year finishing in 28 minutes flat. I was hoping to run just as well this year. It was a good winter training season with minimal setbacks. This allowed me to focus my weekday treadmill workouts on interval runs, tempo runs and strides and end each week with a 10 mile outdoor run on Saturday. I felt prepared and ready to take on this race.
With the race falling on Saint Patrick's Day and carrying a Saint Patrick's Day theme, there was much green to be seem among the thousands of runners. I started up near the front to avoid congestion. As most races are chip timed, it doesn't matter where you line up because your timer won't start until you cross the starting line. But it can be troublesome trying to weave your way through slower traffic if you start too far back in the pack.
I settled into an early rhythm running my first mile in 6:25 which is right where I wanted to be. Mile two has a cobblestone section that I found difficult to run on last year because of the uneven footing. This section begins at the end of the Stone Arch Bridge which brought us to the East side of the river and runs along Main St until about Hennepin Ave. This year I stayed on the sidewalk through this section which helped keep my mind off the possibility of a sprained ankle if I were running on the uneven stones. The wind was primarily to our back in mile two and three. I could feel the heat of the sun on my back for the first time this year.
The second river crossing around the 3 mile mark is one of the most challenging sections of the race. The Plymouth Avenue bridge is basically a good sized hill due to it's crown shaped design. We were also running into the wind as we crossed back to the west side of the river. Runner traffic was really thinning out by mile 3. I passed a small handful of runners just past the bridge, but that was the last set of runners I was able to catch and pass along the course.
With just over a mile to go as we turned onto West River Road for the final stretch. I could see one runner up ahead in the distance, but realized I wasn't gaining any ground on him. I no longer heard footsteps behind me either. I was alone for the final mile, just trying to stay mentally tough and push my way to the finish.
The voice of the public address announcer is one of the best sounds ever in a race, as it signifies you are closing in on the finish. Coming around the final turn was a large group of spectators lining the finish area. My time was 27:51, which was 9 seconds faster than last year. I was 20th overall among 8,786 finishers and 1st in my new age group among 84 finishers. I was happy with pace which I was able to maintain at 6:25/mile throughout the race.
My next race is April 14th (Goldy's Run). A 10 mile race that finishes inside TCF Stadium on the U of M campus. Hoping for more good running weather this spring, but so far so good.
Race Results
http://www.mtecresults.com/race/show/668
Finish Video
http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=536&race=668
