Minnetonka Half Marathon

Last fall one of my friends got a group of us to register for the Minnetonka Half Marathon. At the time I was coming off my knee/hip reoccurring injury and was expecting a baby. I believed at the time that a half marathon that early in the season may be a bit to chew if I wanted to be competitive but thought I would have fun with my friends if nothing else.

I started getting serious about training in February this year which is about a month later than usual. On top of that my fall base training was almost non existent. The only thing I had going for me was I'd done a better job this year of getting in the weight room from time to time for some lifting. Problem was I was stronger but my legs felt like bricks and I was heavier than I would like.

The good news was that with all that happened in the off season my body responded pretty well. I'm not where I was at this time last year but I feel good about where I'm at. I also started taking my asthma inhaler again last month and it's helped significantly. I now know why people stop taking medication only to laps back into where they were when they needed it. I thought I was fine until I started hitting the inhalers again. My lungs started coughing up phlegm, yummy, and I was able to breath much easier.

The other problem this year has been the weather. I have yet to ride my bike outside and have only been running outside for a few weeks. Last year I hit it too hard when I got outside and injured myself and never seemed to get back on track the rest of the year. This year I was careful about hitting it too hard but that meant a decrease in mileage. So far it has paid off both in avoiding injury and being able to spend more time with my family.

As race day drew closer I was not as excited as I usually am. I set my goal at somewhere between 1:25 and 1:30. The race is a relatively flat course with a bigger hill to start with rolling hills after that. The plan was to start strong but not go out too hard and hope to find a good rhythm.

Before the race I ran into Erik Hendrickson and local legend Tony Schiller. Both great guys and we got in a few words before the race to see what everyone was up to in the off season. Erik has his second baby on the way and is working on grad school. I hate to say I'm glad because he is a serious triathlete and it means one less guy to worry about. At the same time I know it sucks for him to give up his passion. Hats off to him though and I hope to see him around the races as a spectator or volunteer.

The gun went off and I got caught behind some people who pulled the old 100 meter dash then crash. I had to do some evasive maneuvers to get in a good position and then just let my legs get into it. It was ridiculously windy and since this was a point to point race it meant I knew I had an unrelenting head wind for the next 8-9 miles of the race. I got in a small draft pack that disintegrated fast leaving me in no mans land. A couple of guys passed me who looked like they were serious runners who were almost taking it easy. I decided to let them go and the decision paid off as they were soon out of sight.

Two guys then caught me from behind so I made a tactical decision and picked it up a little to get a draft. It worked for a bit but then one of them took off leaving it to me and another guy. I let him take the lead for a couple of miles and then took over on a hill and gave him a break. Then he took it back and started putting a gap between us leaving me in no mans land again. This time it was for good.

As the race went on I was feeling good but a little cold yet warm. I wore leggings and arm warmers. My face was taking the brunt of the cold though. At mile 8.5 I was in 14th and feeling good. Unfortunately I started hearing foot steps behind me. One guy passed me, then another. I started thinking I was bonking or something was going wrong. Did I start too fast? Was I in trouble? I kept checking my rear from time to time to see if my friend Scott was coming up on me. Luckily I did not see him.

With about two miles left we made a turn and got the benefit of the wind at our backs. I started to turn it on as best I could but two guys turned it on just a little faster. With about a half mile left I knew I had one guy behind me. I again turned it up a notch and was able to put a little gap between us.

As I crossed I saw 1:25 something. I was ecstatic as I thought that a 1:27 was more of a realistic goal given 34 degrees and 20-30 mph head winds for most of the race. Scottie then came in right behind me at 1:29 and change. Scottie also turned in a fantastic race. We then went up to see our other three friends cross the line. Our friend Tim came in at about 1:40 and Brent and Wu at about 1:58. Problem was I was not prepared for the cold wind and standing around after the race.

I started getting hypothermia waiting but thought I was ok. After that we went to Park Tavern to celebrate. Unfortunately my freind forgot his wallet at his house and needed his ID so I had to drive all the way to his place then back to Park Tav. I thought I was fine until I took off my Under Armor in the parking lot and put on a dry t shirt. It was like I jumped in 33 degree water. I instantly started shivering like hooker in church. I then spent the better part of an hour walking in circles around our table, drinking tea and holding a warm glass of water to warm up. A poor showing to say the least but my body just didn't know what was going on. I'll remember not to sit for so long after a race next time and bring better clothes for the finish line. That is if I ever do another race in crappy conditions like that again.