The TC 1 Mile: An Appropriate DNF
One thousand six hundred nine meters down Nicollet Mall.
This is the TC 1 Mile.
What do those meters mean to you? Perhaps it has been years since you’ve run, and this was finally your chance to take another crack at the whole running thing. Maybe you run it every year, and 2014 was just another race on the calendar.
It could have been the corporation you work for talked you into doing it (and you were relieved when the cancellation was made). You also could be one of the thirty-four elites who traveled from all over in hopes of winning that big paycheck.
Whatever your reason, this event was important, and one that the Twin Cities takes pride in.
TC1 Mile Cancelation
This year, due to weather, the TC 1 Mile was forced to DNF. DNF is race lingo for “Did Not Finish.”
Side note: I use DNF rather than DNS (did not start) because there was so much preparation put into this event that a DNS would discredit all the hard work that was done to make this possible.
To any competitive person, a DNF beside your name can be both unfortunate and demoralizing. While the TC 1 Mile’s DNF was unfortunate, it should definitely not be demoralizing. Twin Cities In Motion had to make a call and ensure the safety of everyone running the race. Whether you are a joe jogger or the fastest miler so far in 2014 (cough cough, Will Leer), each and every one of your safety was put into consideration.
I was not there when the call was made, but I can only imagine how difficult it must have been. I would personally like to thank Twin Cities In Motion for making that difficult decision because as I write this (on Thursday, May 8th around 7:30 pm), lightning is flashing outside my window and thunder is roaring… and I live two blocks from the finish line.
What Will You Do Next Year?
While the DNF will be placed next to the TC 1 Mile in 2014, that doesn’t mean there will be a DNF there next year! In fact, many preparing for the 2014 TC 1 Mile still made the most of it.
I know various groups got out there and ran anyway. Although they weren’t racing down Nicollet Mall in front of thousands of spectators, these people met at tracks or Nicollet Island to still get in a good workout.
Mill City Running had an impromptu mile time trial. Team USA MN went to Macalester to do a track workout. Both invited others along to participate. Did you do anything to burn off some of that pre-race energy?
Runners Endure
I think that is the beauty of this sport of ours. In the midst of adversity, we usually make the most of it. Take the New York Marathon for example. When it was cancelled for that diva of a hurricane Sandy, thousands of runners still met in Central Park to run the equivalent of a marathon!
So this year the TC 1 Mile didn’t happen. These things happen. Unfortunately, David Torrance won’t be able to try and get Nick Willis into retirement, and we didn’t see Will Leer’s magical beard powers put to the test. I guarantee you, these elites will be back. And, so will you. Take pride in the fact that you spent the last month or two training for this event.
No one can take away that training you did, and it won’t just disappear either. Use that as a baseline for another race. The number of road races in Minnesota is astonishing. Look at the race calendar, pick another one, and keep grinding away. I know that’s what all the elites are doing.
Make the best of the situation, and use it to fuel the fire for future races, which will hopefully include the TC 1 Mile next year!
