I just had an amazing race and come to find out, amazing results, but lets first start from the beginning.
25:26. 6th overall, 11th female, 1st in my age devisoion.
7:49/mile PR
Totally kidding (too excited, had to skip to the end), those where my results so you now can stop reading if you want (but you shouldn't cuz I have a lot of great stuff to say)...plz don't =]
funfact:
I managed to spell my name wrong AND give them the wrong e-mail when I registered. Failblog.com
To REMIND you, I ran the DIVA 5K in San Francisco Bay today.
I got up at 4:00am (after sleeping zilch hours: nervous, Loren, and 5 de mayo...duh) After driving 4h there and back yesterday, I wasn't TOO excited to have a repeat roadtrip in two days (but I ((Loren)) didn't want to sleep alone in SF ((1 in 4 woman get raped = no bueno statistics and I didn't need to raise those chances...I know, TMI, but ysafety first!)) so I decided to man up and do the double trip.
first stop: gas (thank you F and S for lending me your car, Pruis = $25/tank) and I also got coffee. thank the lord.
since I drove up the day before, I had all the "getting lost issues" then, so today I was early/ontime. I got there at 6:25 sharp.
This entire time, my stomach was in knots, seriously, I felt like turning back every minute. but I didn't. I stuck to it, and I AM PROUD to say that I FINISHED!.
back to the race...
we (1348 racers) took busses to the start up line, which went smoothly. It was SUPPOSED to begin at 7:00 for halfsies and 7:45 for 5K, but that did NOT happen. It took a REALLY long time to get all the chatterbox DIVAS to the start-up (probably due to the amount of people and less because of un-organization, but definitely a mix of both) this bummed me out, but not enough to blow the fuse.
- 1/2 marathon started at 7:30
- 5k 7:52
so, at the start-up, I somehow ended in the middle of the un-organized crowd when I probably (definitely shouda coulda woulda) put myself out front. I had to SQUEEZ by 30-40 sardine packed crowd to even start running. It may have shaved off some of my time. may have.
and then I was off. Seriously, I was true spirited running, it was amazing. I passed by many many 5K's and 1/2's in the first half mile. my real competition where little 12 year olds (dayyum do the have baddass cardio, where do the train? haha) but seriously, I didn't catch up to my "real" competition 'till the last mile.
The turnaround was REALLY confusing. the 5k obviously had a different route and had to do a loop and actually get through the crowd to start running to the finish line.
about my last 1.5 mi I was really statring to "feel the speed" I was dry heaving (water please?) my stomache was turning over itself (puke much) and then...there was a smell of sewage...great, like really? 3 runners managed to pass me at this point (all at different times) then there was a fourth. but...
here's another shit storm (exaggeration due to my frustration), they said the race ended at the begining. so I was relived to see the pink gate. Low and behold, it was .2 miles FARTHER and you had to run up to the sidewalk first. SO CONFUSING! Sadly (and greatfully) this really messed up the lady up ahead (4th passerby) and she slowed speed as I picked it up.
Finish line:
we where first greeted with cheerleaders, the crowd, a bowa and tiara, a rose, and WATER! (i chugged the entire bottle like a wild animal), then the metal given out by shirtless fire fighters (seriously?).
I was swearing the entire time (sorry not pg13 for those in the crowd) because I was mad about the "finish line change" and the PAIN I was undergoing. (yeah, I was kinda a baby)
and then pictures...what? I first said no (red+sweaty = not photogenic), but they insisted.
It took forever to get my hair "just right" (lol yeah right) and I was off in a jiffy. There was FOOD and BUBBLY(champagne and gingerale) yum. [sorry, no pics. I really wanted to feel my first race out, see if I even like racing, before I got all "blogger on their a@$!"
so here's the overall race review:
- parking: not sure, I parked on a side street for free (booya!)
- transportation: fast and easy to find
- start: late and sooo many people in such little space. too crowded for my likings (maybe you should choose a smaller race if you don't like crowds Melissa.)
- race: very beautiful and flat. good first race or even just for fun. it was a bit hot so it would have bee nicer to start earlier. It was really pretty running by the bay but there was definitely a sewage plant near, and that mad me nauseous. The turn-around was weird, but I'm not too upset, I still got to the finish.
- Finish: WTF? ok, maybe it was my mistake to think it ACTUALLY ended at the begining, but having to run through bushed to another path to even see the finish was not what I expected. But the cheerleaders and crowd def made up for that, they where AWESOME.
- Volunteers/crowd/racers: exceptional. definitely motivational and really spirited!
overall? I give this race a 6/10 for a "serious runner" and a 8/10 for a "just for fun runner"
I had a great time, and I would DEFINITEL do it again (shh don't tell that to the Melissa who actually ran the race and felt like barfing on the crowd at 3.25 mi)
but seriously, a great experience with great results.
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