Most winters, all but the most hardcore Iowa runners have to take some of their running indoors. For many this means grinding away on a "dreadmill" with stinky, sweaty gym rats annoyingly close in your personal space. However, two races in the Kansas City metro offer a far different type of indoor run just three hours away.
On January 29, my girlfriend, Val, and I ran the Children’s TLC Groundhog Run. This race takes place entirely underground in a system of large, street-width tunnels that make up the Hunt Midwest Subtropolis. The subtropolis is located just north of the Ameristar Casino not far from Worlds of Fun on the east side of KC. Parking was simple in the casino parking lot with shuttle buses to the subtropolis entrance. The 5k ran at 9 and we arrived shortly after that race started to pick up our race packets and T-shirts for the 10k which started at 10. Race goodies were a bit sparse with just a plain cotton race shirt and some flyers for other races.
The race was chip-timed and limited to 3,500 participants. It reached capacity shortly after the new year. The course was made up of a 5k loop with 10k racers going around twice. I was excited at the prospect of a pancake flat course, but there were some gentle, rolling hills in there that caught me by surprise. I had two concerns going into the race. One was that there would be a lot of sharp turns requiring significant slowing. There were really only two turns that required some slowing. My other concern was that the air quality would be poor. When I'm running I get a bit of an entitlement-attitude that I deserve fresh air since I'm out working hard. I get annoyed if I have to run through cigarette smoke or near a busy, exhaust-smelling road. Overall, I'd say the air quality was great. There was just one 50 yard section that had a strong rotten-egg smell, but it happened to be shortly before the finish line. I was so pooped by the end of my second lap that I was actually thrilled to hit the nasty section as it signified just a minute or so of intense exertion left. The air temperature also fluctuated more than expected. Some sections felt like they reached nearly 70 degrees while certain areas took us close to the tunnel exits and temperatures dropped to more pleasant low 60s. I can't say that the scenery was great, but it was somewhat intriguing. I was interested to see that many major companies as well as the government use the subtropolis for storage. I pondered what government secrets might be hidden underground in KC.
Both Val and I enjoyed our runs. Post-race treats were fairly standard with fresh-looking cinnamon rolls being the main premium treat. Overall, I would highly recommend the Groundhog Run as a great option to beat the usual winter running blues. I learned from another runner that a similar race takes place in a different tunnel system on the west side of Kansas City in early December each year. Check out the Jingle Bell Run/Walk if a race like this sounds up your alley (or tunnel) and you just can't wait till next January.
Post-race, Val and I tried Fogo de Chao Brazilian Churrascaria. It was a great, unique dining experience with a tantalizing salad bar and 15 delicious barbecued meats available. Each diner is given a coaster with one green and one red side. If you set it on the table with the green side up, one of the courteous waiters will arrive every minute or so to offer you a different cut of succulent meat sizzling off the skewer. Everything we tried was delicious. I especially enjoyed the smoked salmon from the salad bar. We walked out very satisfied! These Brazilian barbecues are also available in other larger metros such as Minneapolis.Compass Chiropractic
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