After waking up waaay too early for another long morning race trip, we arrived at the park to find it chilly but clear and sunny - the perfect weather for a March race. Though there was snow on the ground around the park, the roads were clear and dry. I was a little bundled but not overly layered as I've been in the past for spring races. We were more than an hour from home but I still saw several runners from the Cleveland area and chatted a bit with them before the start. When we finally set off down the hill, I was feeling pretty good. That changed abruptly about a mile later, as my insides started twisting for "that time" again. Why do I always run races when I know I'm going to be suffering?? Fortunately there were well-placed portos and I was able to regroup a bit and get back to running, but I did have a few moments along the course where I was dizzy or sick and had to fight to keep moving.
The brutal hills didn't help, either. I believe there were something like 22 hills along the course, and since it's largely an out-and-back, you get to go up and down some of them twice! Suuuuper fun, guys. Between the terrain and my body's rebellion, I was pretty sure I'd actually end up bombing this race. But then my GPS chimed in and told me I was moving along pretty quickly. Apparently some of the trail training I'd been doing through the colder months was keeping me in better shape than I realized. And although the race was sometimes pretty sparse, there was always another person around when I needed a little oomph or pacing to keep me on point.
By the end of the race I was feeling much better. Knowing I had already fought for so long helps, and made it easier for me to push up the last couple hills. When I crossed the finish line in well under 2:30, I was nothing short of amazed! Without running consistently I assumed the elevation changes and physical distress would have ruined me, but apparently I am even stronger than I realized. That's a pretty great feeling! Unfortunately I couldn't get an elated finish line photo with my hard-earned medal right away, though, because the race was OUT of medals. They told me to wait a little bit and they'd bring more, so we hung out in the pavilion where they had a fireplace and some warm refreshments to keep our blood flowing while I waited.
Once I finally had my medal, it was time to hit the post-race pasta lunch hosted by a local restaurant. Lunch was just basic pasta and bread but any full meal is a nice little touch after running 13.1 miles. The place was a little hard to find and looked a little sketchy from the road, but apparently the restaurant is a popular higher-end establishment (and yet I don't recall the name, my bad). We didn't stay long, just enough to stuff a couple platefuls down our gullets before heading back home, but we enjoyed the food and the whole experience. The rest of the day was spent in well deserved nap mode!
Mill Creek Distance Classic Breakdown
Organization: While the race on the whole was well organized and a positive experience, I have to take some points away for not having all their finisher medals available at the finish line. Sounded like someone left a box of them at the office or something, so I had to wait a good half hour after finishing to be able to get my finisher medal. At least they didn't run out completely! But the course was well supported with aid stations, which I didn't think I'd need due to the cold, but I just can't pass up an electrolyte at mile 8 with my heavy sweating problem. Packet pickup was a snap and the post race gathering in the little pavilion was nice, though I probably wouldn't have stayed so long if I didn't have to wait for my medal...
The Course: As promised, the entire route was incredibly hilly. I honestly can't remember a single stretch of road that was flat for more than maybe a tenth of a mile. Winding, curvy hills, steep hills, long gentle hills... If there was an elevation change in that park, we were running on it. Despite the level of difficulty, though, the park itself was incredibly beautiful. Early March isn't usually all that green, but enough of the forest was starting to awaken for us to enjoy the beginning of spring blossoming. Challenging courses are becoming old hat for me (as much as they can) so I rather enjoyed the experience. Have a much faster than anticipated finish time certainly helped leave a positive impression of the course, I must admit!
The Swag: This was a pretty cheap race, and is definitely one for which the swag speaks to the price. While the course was well supported with aid stations and police where needed (a factor of the race value that is often overlooked), the race shirt is probably one of the most bland I've ever received and will probably end up in a donation bin before long. It's a tech material but it's not high quality and the sizing was way off, so it's much too big for me to wear. The finisher medal is also one of the most bland in my collection, but is at least fully customized to reflect the name of the race and the highlight bridge we crossed, so that's a kind of cool feature. I'm certainly not complaining about the quality - if I recall correctly I paid maybe $35 for a half marathon? The fact that I got ANYthing is pretty cool at that price, but I wanted to note my observations for anyone who might not have a million race shirts yet or loves flashy bling.
The Bottom Line: Actually, a great race! Perfect if you're looking for a challenge, easy on the budget, small enough to let you do your "thang" while still having enough participants to warrant good support and attention to detail... I wish Youngstown could be a little bit closer, but even with the drive, you can't beat this race for the price. There's a good chance I'll be running Mill Creek again in the future!
Congratulations one half a month for a year would be a challenge just to find the races!!👊
ReplyDeleteAnd that was just through March! I haven't stopped yet ;)
DeleteCongratulations!! You are a rockstar!!!😁
ReplyDelete