Last week, we put on our first road race: The Brown’s Creek Breeze. Formal planning started back in December, but the idea for it came before we even opened the store. A training partner and I had envisioned the trail as the perfect place to have a blazing-fast time trial: a gentle downhill, few road crossings, and a good chance that the wind would be at your back as you descend into the valley from the west.
It took some convincing for the DNR to grant us a permit. They are understandably protective of one of the busiest stretches of state-trail in Minnesota. Washington County and the City of Stillwater also required permits. We submitted the paperwork for these and made our pitch to the Gasthaus and River Siren Brewing for their roles as hosts at the beginning and end of the race (of which they graciously accepted).
As race day approached, we kept chipping away at the details. Porta-potties, race-day shuttles, course marshals, and timers were all acquired. While it was our first go at this, we’d run scores of races before and had plenty of mentors to check our work and offer suggestions.
We wanted both a fast race and a community-based event. One that helped support Stillwater’s legendary Cross Country teams while giving racers a chance to test their limits and aim for a PR.
It’s weird prepping for a road race rather than racing it. The night before, I had all the pre-race jitters, but also enjoyed a cocktail. Sleep was hard to come by as well. There were simply too many scenarios playing out in my head. We were getting all dressed up for the dance, but without a date.
We rose early like we normally would, drove to the start area well ahead of time and made sure everything was ready to roll. All of this felt like pre-race. And then the siren sounded, everyone took off and all of a sudden, it was just us.
We quickly hopped into our car and took off for the finish line. Despite the advantage of being in a vehicle, the reality is that we’d have stop signs and parking to navigate while the lead runners would be relentlessly clipping off 5:00 miles.
The weather couldn’t have been better: sunny and 40s. Perfect for anyone eyeing a fast time.
Watching runners come rolling into downtown made all the preparation worth it. It was humbling to hear about all the PRs and great experiences for the day. We’ll bottle this feeling up: it’s bound to be 35 and raining some year if we get to keep doing this.
If I’m honest, I was a little bummed that we didn’t get to race it ourselves. It was just the sort of race that we envisioned.
It’s not like I completely missed out though. A week before the race, I convinced a buddy to race the course as a time trial. The result: my first PR in 11 years.
Not too bad for year one.
A big shout out to all the volunteers, racers, and sponsors who made last weekend a reality.
Here’s to hoping for many more Brown’s Creek Breeze to come!
See you out on the trails,
John and Kate