12k - Postponement (AGAIN)

So I get to work today...and find this email in my inbox:

Hello April,

We are emailing to inform you that the DC Road Runners/Capital Hospice 12K has been postponed again due to snow and ice on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, the Custis Trail and Bluemont Park.

Subject to approval by Arlington County, we are rescheduling the race for Saturday, April 17th.

OK seriously?!?! POSTPONING AGAIN!?!?

1) Move the location if you need to!
2) I need this race BEFORE I run the half marathon (next month)
3) Rescheduled to my BIRTHDAY - YEAH RIGHT!

Looks like another non-race weekend, a race that I NEEDED to do. Guess I'll have to run on my own then...maybe this time I actually WILL.

- apes -

Snow + Wind = Blizzard?

As everyone who has a TV (or if you live in the DMV you looked out your window) knows, we got snow. I don't mean a light dusting....but enough snow to conjure up the names "Snowmaggedon", "Snowpocalypse", "Snowtorius B.I.G.", and "Snowgasm" among many others. Also enough to keep me out of work for 3 whole days (4 if you count the week before - 6 if you count the bike shop being closed on the weekend).

Well, it's also enough to cancel both my races (2 separate weekends). So here's the NEW schedule of my races:

Capital Hospice 12k (7.5 miles) - moved from 2/6 to now on 2/20 (perfect, because now I have time to work off all the alcohol/fried chicken I consumed during my snow days!)
Love the Run you're with 5k (3.1 miles) - moved from 2/14 to now on 2/28

Now while that is super convenient for me (and my training) - I did make sure to give some thoughts/networking done for the marathon in Oct....

I ended up out and about on Wednesday night (after a day of TRYING to sled at Iowa Jima. Really, it consisted of sitting on serving trays like back in college. The trays in college were much more efficient). Where I ended? Liberty Tavern, as it is ALWAYS open in the worst weather. So after a few Hot Toddy's (sp?) to warm me up I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a while. I mentioned to him about the marathon and his response was "How about I just sponsor you". Sponsor eh? When I asked what that would entail, he said "I'll give you $10 and you just write my name on your jersey". Great Idea? I THINK SO! I could get a plain white running jersey and mark it up with names of my "sponsors". Works for me!

But then it got better...

We headed over to O'Sullivans (of course). As I was talking to one of the bartenders he asked how my running was going (Leo and I used to stop in during our runs for water). I told him about the marathon, and about the sweet drinking game (see below for rules) I thought up for my friends. But I told him I needed a place for them all to gather to play. Of course, he said "Just tell them to come here!" So I went a step further..."Why not have O'Sullivans be a sponsor!?! I'd wear a 'follow me to osullivans' sign on my jersey, in exchange for food and drink when I get done". We agreed, and shook hands to make it official. After thinking about it - I may see if this 'sponsorship' will just cover the entrance fee, and food after. Great idea? I think so!

Marathon Drinking Game (so you can play on your own): To prepare, you need to register (once it gets closer) to receive my check-point updates. Then, the day of - have a pep talk with your liver - it'll need it. Once the race starts, take a shot. Every time you get a text saying I passed checkpoint, take another shot. When I finish, take your final shot. Now, you can easily substitute this with chug a beer, etc. DO NOT WORRY - the checkpoints are NOT every mile. It is every 5k (3.1 miles). So there will be about 30 min between each shot....the further into the marathon I get, the more time between shots you will have (as there's no doubt I'll get slower). It'll be about 8 or 9 shots in the span of 4 or 5 (or maybe 6) hours. Now, if I am friends with you enough to have ever drank with you, I know you can handle that. If not - you should try anyways.

So in my imagination, here's whats happening: I run past a checkpoint, the text comes into the bar - and a round of shots is ordered. This goes on for a few hours, and others in the bar decide to get into it as well. Once I get to the bar, everyone is hammered (YAY!) and there a lots of new people to make friends with...because I helped get them drunk without even being there!

So in real life here's whats prob gonna happen: I run past a checkpoint, the text comes into Leo at the bar - and he orders a shot. He gets hammered on his own, well not on his own - I am sure he will be WITH people, but he will be doing the shots on his own and is blacked out by the time I get to the bar. I don't really get to meet new people, and he has probably already wandered home. Oh wait, I just remembered....he's running it too. Crap! Who's gonna be in charge of the game now?!?!? Hmmm....looks like I need to do some recruiting.

- apes -

12k Race on Saturday

So this weekend I have signed up for a 12k race (http://www.dcroadrunners.org/sign-up/custis-12k) along with Leo and Juan. Now 12k is about 7.5 miles. Well, that's a little longer than I have EVER ran!

The longest I have run has been 6.4 miles (just on my own) and I haven't even ran in like 2 weeks. So I am sure I will be STRUGGLING with 7.5 miles. I thought I would have PLENTY of time to get ready for it (until it snuck up on me) but with the basketball game taking up my only evening to run last week, and then Monday I just could NOT get motivated - I just haven't ran.

Now, recently we got a TON of snow up in Northern VA/DC - including last night, and more snow is scheduled all week, AND weekend.

So as much as I want to run the 12k on Saturday, I wouldn't mind it being cancelled (due to weather) since I have been slacking. The race is by the SAME super-unorganized group as the 5k from January, and apparently it's not even a chip-timed race, we have to keep our own time. WTF?!?!? - so yeah, a cancellation wouldn't be SOO bad for me...but I DO need the training.

- apes -

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 -