Running for Butterbeer… The Ministry of Magic 6.2442 Miler Race Recap

Let me start off by saying, I loves me a virtual race. Combine that with a Harry Potter theme and you are basically 100% guaranteed that I will sign up.  So far this year, I have completed 4 Potter-inspired “virtual” races varying in distance from a 5K to a 5-miler (all completed on my treadmill, of course you are shocked). 

Visitor Entrance to the Ministry of Magic

Yet when it came time for the Ministry of Magic 6.2442 Mile run on July 31 sponsored by the Hogwarts Running Club I decided to hit up my PIC Melinda for a running partner and take this joint to the streets! (Why 6.2442 miles ran on July 31 you may ask? Because 62442 spells “Magic” on the muggle phone that doubles as a guest entrance to the Ministry of Magic and July 31 is Harry Potter’s birthday, for those of you who didn’t know that I may need to rethink our friendship).

Now, in full disclosure I have been nursing an Achilles injury sustained during the Neon Run 5K the previous weekend and probably should not have opted to run over 6 miles less than a week after the injury, but what can I say, I am a glutton for punishment and obsessed with all things Potter.

We decided to start early to beat the heat, so at 6:30 AM we met in Baker Park to start our run. Things started out fun, the weather was nice and I was still in an overall great tolerable mood… that was until we reached the Mount Olivet Cemetery leg of the course, which is about 3.5 miles
long. 

Side note – Mount Olivet Cemetery is VERY old, and is where Francis Scott Key is buried, ya know, the guy who wrote our national anthem, so in that respect it is pretty interesting.

Mount Olivet Cemetery - Civil War Section

However:

1. I find running in a cemetery creepy (especially when there is a weird dude on a bike who just keeps lapping you with no apparent destination in mind)
2. I really wanted to stop and look at the civil war section of the cemetery where the soldiers were buried because I am a history geek but the PIC kept cracking the whip and making me soldier on (see what I did there?)
3. By this time I realize that an Achilles tendon needs time to heal and it is angry at me… VERY ANGRY

When we leave the cemetery to head back to Baker Park it is pretty much down hill and completely shaded until the park so my mood returned to being great tolerable. As we ventured into mile 5 I realized that I hated Melinda I had to give in and placate my angry Achilles by giving up on running and instead walking the last mile. Being the dear that she is, the PIC stuck with me instead of forging on with her run (now I feel bad for telling her “shut up, I hate you” at least 5 times during the race).  

Now I am not exactly sure what our finishing time was, primarily because at mile 6.24somethingorother I spotted a guy walking 3 wiener dogs in the park and my A.D.D. kicked in so all I wanted to do was  pet those dogs, thus totally forgetting to stop the Garmin - oopsie.

We ended the race with a quick photo op with our medals and of course, breakfast (I picked up the tab to make up for all of the “shut up, I hate yous” uttered during the run, it seemed like the least I could do). 

  

In the end we had a great time and a lot of laughs through my tears of pain. But if I am going to keep it real – I had loads more fun with the PIC on Sunday at the Orioles game and pre-game brunch with bottomless mimosas at the Hotel Monaco, just sayin.