1st Race of 2010!!

Saturday morning - it was here. MY FIRST RACE OF 2010! Leo and I were signed up to run the JFK 5k at the C&O Canal in Georgetown. So once Mel arrived at my place, we headed out (the runners were Leo and me, and our fan club was Mel and Mikaela).

It was about 30 degrees outside (it got MUCH warmer later that afternoon), and we were FREEZING. Not only were we QUITE chilly, we were also at the most unorganized race any of us had ever seen. We got to Georgetown, parked, and headed to the registration table (which opened at 8am, and the race started "promptly" at 9am), which was MILES long. Like UNBELIEVABLY long. Still can't pitcure it? Picture Black Friday, lines at Wal-Mart long. Ok, maybe not THAT long, but you get the picture. It was a LONG line.

So about 20 min or so of standing in line, the 'hosts' (for lack of a better term) came down the line with the D-tags (chips you put on your shoe so you can track your time) and just ripped them off and gave them to us saying "After the race, just email us your name and tag number".

Ok, if you've never been in a race before here's how it USUALLY goes; you go to the packet-pickup/registration table and give your name. They then give you a bag with your BIB (the number you pin to your shirt) and your D-Tag - both of which are already recorded to be tied back to you. Sometimes the bag also has fliers for other races as well, but not always.

So as you can see, this was QUITE strange since noone would have record of us running, our d-tag number, or even if we had paid. And we didn't even get Bibs to run in :(

So we gather under the bridge and wait to line up. Oh, little did we know we would be hanging out for like 30-40 more minutes - IN THE FREEZING COLD! So Leo and I bounce around (wasting precious running energy) trying to stay warm.

It turns out the 20k (yeah, there was a 5k and 20k - but we decided to start small with a 5k) started further back then us, so once they were all lined up, they had to run past our start line, and THEN we could line up and run.

Once we FINALLY got lined up, we got to start. I tried to stay with Leo as long as possible - but when he cut all the way to the left, everyone formed a brick wall and I wasn't able to get over, so I lost him. That wasn't before I saw a dead deer on the side of the trail we were running on though.

So once the race was over (Leo of course beat me) my gun time looked to be about 29:17 (I would offer up my net time, but the results arent up yet).

Leo was at the finish so we grabbed some gatorade and went to the car (the girls weren't at the finish so we hoped they were at the car since they had our phones and keys!). Luckily on the way to the car they ended up behind us, so we found them.

Eventhough the race was FREEZING, it was still a decent run. HOWEVER I did realize things I hate in a race:

- JACKRABBITS. You might know this term from driving. The person in front of you is driving slow, so you change lanes to pass them and then they speed up so you can't pass. In running, it's very similar, but there is a twist: you're running your own pace, and a person comes around to pass you, but when they get in front of you they slow down, making YOU change your pace to suit them. It's QUITE annoying - ESPECIALLY when there is a ton of room around you for them to run in.
- STROLLERS. Ok, now I know some parents LOVE to run with their children, hence the running strollers. But seriously, can you feel anymore like a slow-poke when one of them passes you??!? I don't care HOW slow of a runner you are, and HOW LONG they have been running, it's STILL a slap in the face.
- RACE START-UP CLUSTERFUCK. Ok seriously, we ALL are running the same race. We ALL are starting at the same time. So the fast people need to be in front, the moderate runners should be in the middle, and the slow runners should be in back. And if you're running in a group, get in the back too. It's hard enough to start out and find your pace without a million people bumping past you, or your being stuck behind a slow person (sorry in advance if you get stuck behind me - but I try to start in the middle). This ends up resulting in people running on the grass (if your racing on a trail), sidewalks (if your running on a street course), etc. and they can injur themselves (leo twisted his ankle some in the beginning of the race). And if you're running in a group: DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO RUN AROUND A GROUP OF 3 OR MORE PEOPLE SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE LENGTH OF THE PATH?!?!?! Seriously, it's ridiculous.
- END OF RACE CLUSTERFUCK (not as bad as start-up). Ok, when you cross the finish line, you're tired. You're out of breathe, and you just want to stop. SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE. But if you stop dead in your tracks as soon as the race is over, you're GONNA get run into. Everyone behind you is still running at full speed to the finish line, so get out of the way. Just move to the side and keep walking to cool down. Or head to the food/drink station to recover.

So, there we go. It looks like 2010 is off and running (pun intended)...

- apes -