State #41, Hot Cider Hustle, Bloomington, MN, 10/20/18, Part 2

I woke up at 6 am on race day, 45 minutes before my scheduled alarm. This race was generous with its start time: 8:30 am, a nice departure from the usual 7 am start times. It was good to sleep until 6 am, but truth be told, I didn’t have a very sound sleep. I was restless most of the night probably with some race nerves and thoughts of Purple Rain and the Mall of America swirling in my head. 

As promised, the morning weather greeted us with a frigid 37 degrees, and the temperature was on the way down. The winds were whipping at around 15 mph or so. Not exactly the lovely fall weather I was hoping for. Andrew was a trooper to join with me on this one. We drove to the parking area for the race which was really close to our hotel, and then we didn’t want to get out of the car. The walk to the starting line was super windy and cold, a sign of what we were in for. We stopped at the porta potties on the way, and ended up in the corral line up with only about 15 minutes to spare. That was fine with me, as this was not a day to be hanging around outside for long periods of time. We took a quick selfie and briefly admired the lake and surrounding area. It was really pretty, but I don’t think we really took the time to appreciate it. With all the cold, all thoughts were just on getting started, and more importantly, getting done.

Cold people in front of a lovely lake.

The race stepped off right at 8:30 am on a paved walking path near the Normandale Lake area in Bloomington. There were some large office/corporate buildings in the area, but as we rounded the corner and up the hill out of the starting line area, we passed a recreation area with a ski jump. That’s something you don’t see every day! 

View from starting corral. Pretty fall colors.

We crossed the street from this recreation area and headed in to a nearby nature preserve called the Highland Lake Park Reserve. We ran along a paved path all through this, and surrounding us were lovely wooded areas and prairie grass. (Click on the imbedded link to see how lovely the grassy topography was.) The path was curvy and had rolling hills all throughout the park. One thing I noticed once I got moving was that I warmed up pretty nicely, and largely throughout the course, we were protected from headwinds. That was good. Don’t get me wrong…I could still feel the wind loud and clear, but often we were protected by hills, berms or trees. That helped tremendously. It was cold, but at least the wind wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Around mile 4 I spied a few sparse snow flurries. Yikes!

It was hard for me to keep track of exactly where we were with this route, as there were many loops, turn-arounds and out and back spots. The topography throughout was very similar though; landscapes of beautiful autumnal wooded and grassy lands. I just wish it had been about 10-15 degrees warmer so I could have enjoyed looking around more. By mile 8 we exited the Highland Lake Park area and headed back toward the start, but we took a left turn on to another paved walking/biking path for an out and back stretch. It was only about two miles or so for this part, then we headed back toward Normandale Lake where we began.

At this point, we entered the Normandale Lake area on the recreation road access and ran along for a bit there before turning and looping back and then out to run about three quarters of the way around the lake in the opposite direction of the start/finish zone. For me, this was the most difficult part of the race. As our running direction shifted in this part, the wind was in our faces for the majority of the last few miles. This, with a few late mile hills plus cold and fatigue setting in made for slow going. Again, it was beautiful terrain running along the lake, but I just couldn’t appreciate it as much as I would have liked with the weather being what it was.

I pushed as much as I could to get on to the finish line. The last 100 meters or so took me past a beaver dam! That  was pretty cool. On to the finish I went, crossing in 2:04:31, good enough for 6th place in my age group. Not my fastest time, but respectable given the conditions. I collected a bottled water, coffee mug and my medal and headed straight for the hot cider station. As promised by the name of the race (Hot Cider Hustle) the finish line included hot cider for all runners, a perfect finish line spoil. Andrew was already waiting in the parking garage (it was way too cold to hang around outdoors after sweating for two hours…).

We met up and traded race stories. He finished in 1:53! Great job, cousin! Back to the hotel we went, and I think a hot shower never felt as good as it did after this race. We relaxed a bit as we enjoyed a late check out time. Andrew had an earlier flight than I, so we said our goodbyes and he left around 1:00 pm or so. 

I decided to research a restaurants in the area to see what might be close by and super yummy so I could have lunch before I went to the airport. I found a place called Hazelwood Food & Drink, but I didn’t realize that when I put the restaurant’s address in to Waze, I neglected to put in the address number. I jumped in the car and soon found myself in the middle of Minneapolis, not anywhere near the restaurant which was supposedly near the Mall of America. Oh well, I figured I’d just give up and head to the airport for whatever I could find for food there. Lo and behold, as I drove along Minnehaha Avenue in Minneapolis, I saw a really cool looking neighborhood establishment called The Howe. Named for the neighborhood where it resides, the restaurant looked crowded from the parking lot and people were coming in and out, so I decided at 1:45 pm on a Saturday that this place was worth checking out. 

It was a super cool restaurant/bar with an edgy vibe. Loud, hard music played, the bar was backed by lots of shiny bottles, sports were on the tvs and tons of locals were enjoying a late lunch. Billed as a Bar & Kitchen, the menu was breakfast and pub centered. I settled on the spicy benedict, which was awesome! It was like an eggs benedict, but with jalapeño bacon and chipotle hollandaise sauce. Um, YUM! It was spectacular post-race food. I left full and happy, on to the airport. 

After fueling my rental car, I returned it and made it through airport security in a snap. Thanks Minneapolis for a lovely, albeit FREEZING half marathon and some pretty special local attractions. I would love to explore more of this land of lakes sometime in the future. 

State #41, Hot Cider Hustle, Bloomington, MN, 10/20/18, Part 1

I arrived late on Thursday night at my hotel, and my cousin Andrew was already there ahead of me. He was nearly asleep, so I felt kind of bad showing up feeling wired from my travel. We chatted and got caught up with each other. Our last race together was in June of 2017, so it had been awhile. We turned in after learning that the Red Sox had won the final game in their division play off! Off to the World Series!

Our first full day together was Friday, and we planned to head off to visit the famous Paisley Park, home of the amazing musician Prince. The property was made in to a museum after his passing, and we both really wanted to see it.

It wasn’t far from where we were staying, but I was really surprised when we arrived. it looked more like a warehouse or industrial building than the home of a world-wide phenom like Prince. But that all changed once we went inside.

Paisley Park exterior shot.

Additional building at Paisley Park.

No photos are allowed inside the property. In fact, they make you power your phone off in front of one of the officials and then they take your phone and put it in a locked pouch that you carry around until you get to the end of the tour. The entryway and ticket area was purple, of course, with footage of Prince playing on televisions and the first hallway displayed some of his gold and platinum albums. It was amazing just being in this space that he spent so much time in. A staircase extended upward just inside the front door, but we weren’t privy to that area of the building. 

We waited for a few minutes while our tour guide got ready, and then we entered the atrium area. This space was a square shaped area in the center of the building with cathedral ceilings that extended two stories up to a ceiling of skylights. Natural light flooded the area that held two purple couches and was surrounded by several smaller rooms. Along the back of the atrium was a glassed off area known as the “small kitchen.” We were told that this was where Prince at many meals and hosted friends often. It was set up like a diner with black and white booths along the wall and a tv so he could watch his sports in there. From the atrium area we could also see a balcony above that had a cage of white doves on it. 

The other doors that surrounded the atrium were all tributes to various albums of his and were filled with memorabilia related to each one. Guitars, clothing, art images, etc. filled these areas. We also were able to see his personal office just off the atrium. It was lush and serious but also cozy and soft. The high point of the atrium and one of the most moving moments of the tour was learning that Prince’s ashes were located in an overhead replica of Paisley Park located just at the top of the first story. His spirit is truly in every part of this building. 

Next, we were off to the main recording studio in Paisley Park. It was a round room, with walls covered in gorgeous wooden planks. It was a large open space with two sound rooms. We could see some of the equipment he used most often, a mixing machine and synthesizer that were pivotal to many of his songs, including “When Doves Cry.” We also saw the microphone he used to for singing. It was in a seated area, which is not typical for singers. They usually stand to sing because it is easier to get the correct breathing and notes that way. Prince usually sat when he recorded because he was also doing all the production at the same time. Amazing. We also saw some of his guitars in this room and heard a clip of an unreleased song. The sound in this room was amazing of course, and we learned that many, many guests had joined him in this studio over the years including Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Celine Dion, James Brown, REM and Stevie Wonder. It was emphasized that Paisley Park was a place for all artists to make music on their terms. 

Next we saw the rooms dedicated to Prince’s three films, Purple Rain, Under the Cherry Moon and Graffiti Bridge. Each room was amazing in itself, filled with artifacts from the films. In the Purple Rain room (which had once been Prince’s basketball court room), clips of the film were playing with the music. One of the iconic motorcycles from the movie was in there along with some of the most fabulous suits he wore in the picture. A purple piano he dance on in the movie was there, too, and you could see the scuff marks from his shoes on it. It was so wonderful to see. 

We were led through a hallway of inspiration next, which had mural of Prince and all the people who influenced him as well as all the people he influenced. On the opposite wall from the mural were various awards he won including his Grammy awards, MTV Awards and others. This brought us to his piano room which had formerly been his video arcade. This room held his very rare (one of only 14 in the world) Schimmel Pegasus hydraulic piano. We had previously viewed a video clip of Prince playing this piano in front of a live audience, so seeing it up close and personal was pretty cool. 

This room led in to probably the most amazing room in the complex, the concert stage room. Double doors led in to a massive space where Prince often hosted people for concerts. A floor to ceiling screen showed various clips of him playing live, and with each clip, lights around the room illuminated to show related clothing or instruments that were contained in the clip. Two of Prince’s cars were also in this room, a powder blue Bentley and a deep purple roadster. Wandering around this cavernous room while concert footage played set one’s mind imagining what it must have been like to be here in person for an intimate show. Many of his suits were displayed around the room, making it feel like he could have walked in at any moment. It was soulful and very moving. 

This concert hall opened up in to Prince’s private night club where everyone was welcome to hang out when it was open. Often it was only known by word of mouth or sometimes posted on the internet. I can only imagine what it would have been like to hang out there. Mind blowing. 

This ended our tour except for the gift shop where they ran a loop of Prince’s performance in the rain at the Super Bowl. As we were browsing for our souvenirs, Prince sang “Best of You” by the Foo Fighters, and I commented out loud about it. The cashier said that the Foo Fighters had taken the Paisley Park tour the day before! They played in Detroit the previous night and made the trip. We just missed them! I can’t imagine being in the same tour with Dave Grohl & co. Crazy!

I bought a t-shirt and had my phone unlocked, and then we went outside and snapped a couple of shots of the exterior of the building. What an extraordinary place. I left feeling a sense of peace, love, generosity, soulfulness and inspiration. Prince truly was a musical genius of our generation. His legacy will live on for all eternity. I’m so glad I had the chance to experience this amazing home. 

Our tour took an hour and a half, and after we went to pick up my bib number for the race. We headed to a local gym and managed to get everything without any trouble. Next we found a great little Italian street food take out place where we had lunch and talked about our tour and other things. It was so nice to just hang out and not have any major agenda to worry about. Paisley Park had been such an incredible experience. It was good to just let it sink in.

Paisley Park t-shirt.

We headed back to the hotel to nap for a little bit, then we headed to the Mall of America to check it out and have dinner there. Andrew visited the mall years ago, but I had never seen it. Wow! First of all, it is massive with just about every store you can imagine! Next, there is an entire amusement park in the middle area of the mall. Rollercoasters, rides of all kinds, ferris wheel, zip lining, you name it, and it is whizzing by in that place. 

Amusement park in Mall of America

It's Sugar candy store at MOA.

There are huge LEGO figures flanking the LEGO store, there is a mini golf course, aquarium, escape room, and goodness knows what else. We walked around a bit, and then set off to grab dinner. 

Restaurant menu shot.

Us at dinner.

We ate at Cedar + Stone which was the restaurant in the Marriott Hotel (also located in the mall). The food was amazing. We split an order of polenta frites covered in sautéed mushrooms. I ordered risotto for dinner and Andrew got an amazing burrata pizza and a salad. We had a nice relaxed meal, got our carb load on, and then walked around the mall a bit more. We had to take a peek at the aquarium. I still can’t believe there’s an aquarium in there! It was fun to see everything, but we both wanted to get to bed somewhat early, so we set out for the hotel with one quick stop at Walgreens for some last minute race necessities. 

Mall of America aquarium ray/skate tank. 

LEGO sculptures at MOA.

I got to bed later than I wanted to, around 10 pm, but since I didn’t have to be up at an ungodly hour for this race, I figured it wouldn’t be too bad. I fell asleep with the song Purple Rain firmly stuck in my head. 

Color-Fall!

My goodness and my apologies...I am just now realizing I haven't posted anything here since August! I missed September completely. Wow! So much has been going on in life in general that the running blog has been shoved off to the side, but today I just had to post about a super fun color run we had at our kids' school. Done as a fundraiser for the school, families could register their kids and other members to participate. Each registered runner received a white t-shirt. 

Before...white shirt...getting ready to run.

The distance of the race wasn't measured, but runners ran or walked around 4 color stations on the course where colored powder was tossed to make the shirts (and participants) very colorful. Despite the fact that it was a rainy morning, everyone had a super fun time getting wet and colorful. The finish of the race featured each runner tossing a packet of colored powder into the air to make a huge color cloud to really get everyone covered with colors. (As if we weren't already!) It ended up being a really fun time for kids and grown ups. Many thanks to all the volunteers and parents who helped set up the fabulous event! (Photo credits to Karie Madigan and Nicole Birdsey--thank you!)

Me and the fam after the run.

Complete color explosion post-run!

In other news, I've completed 3 weeks with my running club kids at school, and the club is going well. All of the students are well on their way to completing their half marathon or marathon distances, and we are all so excited about our "final mile" race on October 30th at Rentschler Field. I'm so proud of the students who are participating. Most of them are able to run 2 miles each week at practice. That is sure something I couldn't do when I was in elementary school. I think we all enjoy the stress relief of running and the fresh air we get after school at our sessions. I'm so glad I decided to make it happen this year. 
I'm only one week away from my next half in Minnesota. This will be state #41 on my way to all 50 states. I'll be running with my cousin, Andrew, in Bloomington, home of the Mall of America. It should be a blast, as we will participate in the Hot Cider Hustle. We also plan to make a trip to Paisley Park, which will surely be a highlight of this trip. I can't wait! I promise to post about the run soon after the trip...no more two month lags on the blog.