Zoom! Yah! Yah!

Published January 5, 2020

Q #29 – Do you have an elevation chart?

A – Absolutely! As you will see below, there are no elevation changes: 1012 feet above sea level the entire race!

Start–1-2–3–4–5–6–7–8–9–10–11–12–13–14 –15–16–17–18-19–20–21–22–23–24–25–26–Finish

*1012 feet —–.–.–.-.–.–.–.–.–.-.—.—.—.—.—-.—.—.—-.—.—.—.—.—.—-.—.—.—-.–.—– 1012 feet*

Marathoning in January – in Minnesota – my first INDOOR marathon.

Easy inexpensive flight to Minneapolis; 45 minutes south to St. Olaf’s College in Northfield. Zoom! Yah! Yah! Folks: this one’s been on my calendar for almost a year. Limited to 58 participants. Race site promises a constant 62 degrees & completely flat. Hard to beat those kinda stats in January. LOL>

4am alarm. Shower, hotel check-out. Tostrud Center in-the-dark scavenger hunt (why are all college campus maps so confusing). Bib pick-up, registration… meet-n-greet? Yep. EVERY runner’s assigned a lap counter. Come on, I can certainly count my own laps – you do it in tens; not crazy difficult [‘til lap 93 & marathon-brain sets in]. Zoë from Lakewood CO, my counter. Like a younger version of Ash 😊

Pre-race announcements. Quick check that everyone has a travel buddy. Zoom! Yah! Yah! away we go.

Short indoor lap – hard to break the pack mentality. Went out way too fast… like I always do.

One. Five. Ten laps. Sub-9 minute mile. 7:20/mile. Sprint, sprint. Stayed close to a runner, who’d ultimately finish second female. Crazy fast for this back-of-the-pack runner. LOL>

Bell. Every 30 minutes. Finish the lap you’re running, then change direction. Aside from breaking up the monotony, suppose to help with balance. Lap, lap, lap. I arrived thinking how would I mentally manage 100 loops… only to find I had glossed that section. One hundred FIFTY laps today. Yikes!

2:05 Half. 15 miles, walking. So are the 2 college elites. One would drop, the other finish 5^th.

Bell. Switch directions. Zoë! What lap? 93. I ask again. Lap 105. Lap 110. Nerves settle. Panic subsides. Consistent walk/jog pace. It’s a lotta laps – and I went out crazy fast. 40 to go. Upbeat again. Runners cheering other runners. Bell ring. Switch direction.

BIG CHEERS echo Tostrud Field House as marathoners start finishing. AWESOME to hear our lap counters chant folks’ names.

4 hours & 100+ laps together, you build a kinship/familiarity. Gal with pigtails, ripped Ironman, Minnesota Gopher tee. Lady in pink, Reggae-hair white guy. And then, FINALLY… it’s your turn. LOVE LOVED the college atmosphere. HIGHLY recommended!

[Mark your calendar though, sells out quick 😊]