City of Lakes 25K

I run a fair number of races in town, mostly half-marathons.  And while I don't plan on saying much on this blog about my training, etc., I do feel like this would be a good place to review some of my experiences at various area races.

First off, you really couldn't ask for a prettier urban race.  Two figure eights around Lakes Calhoun and Harriet, on a day as sunshiney and autumnal-feeling as today, made for a pretty perfect experience.  The roads around Harriet can be a bit potholey, as proved by my stumble around mile 7, and a chunk of the route around Calhoun is run on concrete, quite possibly the most annoying surface to run on, but these were both minor aggravations. They probably don't even rise to the level of being aggravations, just less-than-perfect.

Another thing I really loved about this race was the swag.  I need another race shirt like I need another pair of black heels (I have roughly 6 pairs of black heels).  So I'm pretty stoked by the pint glass and key chain alternative.  These are two things I will actually use, instead of a race shirt that will likely 1) fit funny and/or 2) be ugly.

The MDRA always does a great job organizing their races, so I should probably get crackin' and become a member instead of paying full price for most of the races they host. And this experience may have been the one to push me into membership territory. Great organizers, great volunteers, and a route that proves, once again, that Minneapolis is a fantastic place to be a runner.

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