There is something “off” about people that wake up at 5am to go running. Fortunately for me, I was never really “on” in the first place. This morning that’s exactly what I did, I awoke at 5am and headed to Seattle to get my run on. My running partner had to attend to more important things, so this was my first solo race. I was a bit apprehensive about going alone, but it turned out to be a smooth day.
Smooth flow number one-Timing. I arrived an hour and a half before race time. This ensured zero lines when picking up my race packet.
Smooth flow number two-Parking. Arriving early means prime pickins for parking. I was literally parked 30 seconds from the starting line.
Smooth flow number three-First to use the biffy. Ohh this was a real treat. A brand new outhouse, ready for me to destroy. An hour and a half driving in the car was more than enough time to brew my morning…what rhymes with brew..
Smooth flow number four-Starbs across the street. I was able to walk to Starbucks, get a coffee, feel the crack caffeine sink in, and use the biffy a few more times before the race.
The smooth morning continued as I laced up my shoes with my sweat pink laces, and I headed off for a walk around the lake.
I awkwardly asked for my photo taken, it was almost like asking Santa for an unreasonable gift..it’s just..awkward.
If you look closely you can see an adorable vein protruding from my neck. This was obviously due to the caffeine stuffing its way through my blood stream. Bring on the shakes! You’ll also notice a small chunk missing from the bottom left corner of my race number.
If you thought I waited until after I ran to get my free doughnut you are out of your mind. I was not going to wait in a line and get the bottom of the barrel doughnut, I wanted first picks.
Post race I only took one bite out of that horse hoof. I had an upset stomach so I decided I wasn’t going to eat the whole thing. DO NOT fret, I gave it to someone else. NEVER waste! I still got my celebratory bite, and that was all I needed.
Speaking of upset stomach, yesterday I had similar tummy issues and I only ate a bagel and a protein bar. I was sure my run today would be affected due to this. I could only muster a few bites of a sandwich this morning, and a few sips of water. During the run I felt sluggish. My chest hurt, and I wanted it to be over. Come to find out, I managed a PR and ran the fastest 5K to date. I ran 3.12 miles in 29:58, a 9:36 pace. I ran a race on this very same course two months ago and my time then was a minute and 34 seconds slower. I’ll take the improvement! I only wonder what my time would have been had I fueled properly.
Although I wasn’t hungry for a doughnut (blasphemy!) I went to Mighty-O’s to get myself a vegan sugar fix.
I figured there is no way to justify buying a dozen doughnuts for yourself..so I settled on 5 mini’s.
To sum up this post, today I ran my first race alone, I ran for doughnuts, I ran faster than past races, I christened a port-o-potty (seriously this is a big deal), and I survived the streets of Seattle without getting hit by another car. I think my post title pretty much says it all. I’d say it was a successful day.
Q: Best post race treat you’ve received, or if you’ve never completed a race what WOULD you run for? Few things can beat a free doughnut…except maybe a free cat.
The shoes themselves aren’t much, but the laces get me spotted from yards away. Multiple times now I have had someone tell me, “I saw your pink laces and knew it was you!” Or, “Those laces are hard to miss.” I like to think people driving in cars have this same thought, and notice me before they hit me.
