Minnesota Half Marathon

I spent this past weekend in Minneapolis for a quick escape from Chicago. The main reason I booked the trip was to run the Minnesota Half Marathon on Sunday morning, but an added bonus was being able to hang out with Craig the night before the race.  

View of downtown Minneapolis from my hotel room

My hotel was located on Nicollet Mall, which is the major downtown hub for shopping and restaurants. I had a couple hours to spare before meeting Craig, so I decided to do a little shopping. While it may look like there are a lot of stores, I was disappointed by a noticeable scarcity of physical items filling the racks. A former Saks 5^th Avenue (now a Saks outlet store) is a mere shell of its once high-end positioning. Signs for 70% off were filling the store and even those prices weren’t enough to entice me to buy any of the dated styles on the racks. Places like Macy's and The Gap were not much better, so I quickly abandoned my quest to purchase something.

I would imagine that the gigantic Mall of America is where most local residents go for their shopping needs. It’s amazing how much different some Midwest American cities are from their European counterparts. In Europe, all of the action happens downtown – from shopping to nightlife. This is simply not the case throughout the United States, where city centers become ghost towns after regular office hours. (Anyone who has ever been to the Chicago Loop at 5pm on week days will see people literally running to the train station so they can get back home to the suburbs). 

Despite my disappointment in the shopping options along Nicollet Mall, I was highly amused by the people along the street. There was a group of young kids wearing headphones and dancing enthusiastically to their music (which was silent to everyone else). They attracted a lot of attention – including mine – and I watched for a while, hoping for a flash mob. Unfortunately, the big finale never materialized, so I was just walked away with a combination of amusement and confusion.

My first real feeling of “Minnesota” happened in Target, when the clerk asked me if I wanted my Powerade in a bag.  It sounded more like he was saying “beg” or “egg”, but I luckily noticed him pointing at a plastic bag and understood based on context clues.

Shortly after my shopping adventure, I met Craig (who conveniently lives next door to my hotel) and we set off for dinner. Weather was absolutely perfect, so the restaurants were all pretty busy. We ended up getting burgers and beer (the perfect pre-race meal). After dinner, we stopped at his friend's place – which was absolutely beautiful – and had a couple more drinks. There, I was treated to more Minnesota accents. Our final stop for the night was at a trendy bar, which was cool enough to thrive in even the snobbiest of cities.

By the end of the night, I had concluded that my earlier impression from Nicollet Mall was slightly misguided. The city of Minneapolis actually does have a vibrant city center and offers a pretty impressive selection of bars and restaurants. If the only thing missing is good shopping, this city still makes the grade in my book.

One of many outdoor dining options in Minneapolis

The next morning, my alarm clock went off FAR too early and I still felt a little drunk when I peeled myself out of bed. What was I thinking to only allows three hours of sleep before a half marathon?  I quickly threw on my shorts and jogged to the light-rail since I'm too cheap to pay for the $60 cab ride between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.  I also just enjoy riding public transportation. (My overall assessment is that there were far too many stops, but the train was super clean and modern). 

By the time I arrived at Upper Landing Park for the race start, I was finally starting to wake up. I picked up my race number and was amazed by all the different options to participate, from in-line skating to a 5k or half-marathon relay. It truly was an event for people of all skill levels. 

View of Saint Paul from Upper Landing Park

The course, itself, was out-and-back along a 3-lane highway. The river ran along one side of the street and the city of Saint Paul was perched above on a cliff. I wouldn't characterize the views as "scenic" but it was certainly pleasant enough. 

The back half of the course felt monotonous to me because I was essentially running alone.  The runner in front of me maintained a consistent pace and I used him as an anchor for my own effort. Part of me enjoys being alone on the course, but maintaining an aggressive pace requires internal motivation - something that does not come easily when I am so tired. 

Closing in on the finish line, I was really proud to see a sub-1:25 time on the clock. I didn't clear it by a lot (8 seconds, to be exact), but that time always marks my mental distinction between a solid performance and a disappointing one. 

I was actually impressed by the pockets of people who came to cheer on the runners and skaters, even though I didn't personally know any of them. After the great support a few weeks ago in Maine, I was actually a little sad to know that I would finish the race without an entourage to cheer me on. Perhaps my internal drive to "just race" is starting to fade, as I seek out a more social experience.

Finish Line of the Minnesota Half Marathon

Race Medal

I still had a few hours before heading back to Chicago, so I walked through some cute urban neighborhoods near my hotel.  There was a craft fair in a nearby park, filled with a variety of art vendors and food trucks. I smiled as I watched people casually browsing through the items for sale and enjoying the relaxed afternoon. Summers in the upper Midwest are so short that it's great to see people really maximizing the warm weather. Although Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota, I get a very "small-town" vibe there. A perfect example was a small box that was filled with books for people to borrow and return at their convenience. I doubt you would see a "little free library" in Manhattan!

Little Free Library in Minneapolis

My last stop before heading back to Chicago was to visit the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Other than the well-known "Spoonbridge and Cherry", I was a little underwhelmed by the sculptures. Lots of people were enjoying the park with their families, but I wouldn't recommend this as a "must-see" attraction in the Twin Cities. 

Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture

I am very happy as I reflect on my weekend in Minneapolis. For a long time, I have taken racing so seriously that these trips started feeling like business. This time, I decided to take a different approach and balance the social element with my racing goals. My race performance may have suffered a little, but it was totally worth the sacrifice for a fun night out.