Hopefully all you other participants had a great run this weekend. If not I hope you did something else fitness related and fun! Enjoy!
Week of April 22 - Peak schedule week. I will do my longest runs this week. Except that I don't because I pick up a head cold + allergies. Damn You Germs and pollen!
Friday April 26 - My mom offers to take my son for an overnight! We pack his bag along with his soccer gear and schedule to meet up at his soccer game the next day which is the last time we think about it. Date night with my lovely wife, had a great meal!
Saturday April 27 - Final long run day. Did some chores around the house first, but it's getting late in the day so it's now or never. Decide that the best thing to do is run around the streets for a while and end up at the soccer fields. Ends up being a great run. Do a couple of laps around the fields to finish and on the second pass notice that no one from his team is here. Having spent the past 24 hours not thinking about my son's soccer game, my lovely wife and I realize that we never double-checked the schedule to see which field we were supposed to go to. Parenting Fail! Went to FroYo as consolation.
Thursday May 2 - Went to Value Village to purchase my pre-race sweatshirt. Made a mental note to go back and buy baggies of golf balls for $2.00! I don't want to be cold and the start line so I buy a cheap sweatshirt to wear down there and then toss to the side as the start time approaches. Its not littering, it's tradition. Comb through iTunes and create my new playlist for the big race. Picked out 4 or 5 new songs to add, so that was fun.
Friday May 3 - Picked up registration packet, seamless. Wandered around the convention center looking for a tee shirt but didn't want to spend $40. Apparently my ambling style of wandering/rubbernecking around the booths cause one proprietor to ask, "Hey buddy! Is that knee pain bothering you?"
Me: "Huh?"
Salesguy: "The way you're walking...are you in pain?"
Me: "Uhhh...no just fine thanks. I don't have bad knees."
Salesguy: (makes face) "Oh, ok then."
Noticed as I walk on that he was, of course, selling some type of super fantastic healing agent that I'm sure is all natural, herbal, non-GMO, hypoallergenic, odorless, greaseless, naturopathic, homeopathic, chemical free, additive free, and probably science free as well.
I did leave walking more upright and well balanced, maybe he did cure me!
Eventually find a great shirt to buy donating proceeds to a Boston Marathon charity organization.
Saturday May 4 - Told my lovely wife, "May the Fourth be with you!" she didn't get it. She did inform me, however, that white socks will look ridiculous with my new black shoes. So she very nicely went and bought me some. Worked on, in great detail, matching my playlist to my approximate race pace so that I would have the 'right' songs at the hardest hills. It didn't work out so I don't know why I bother. Besides, if they made the list they're all good right? Went to the right soccer field today. Parenting Win!
Sunday May 5 - Race day! Had laid out all of my gear the night before and was up early enough to have a light breakfast. Shoes and socks? Check. Shirt and shorts? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Keys/wallet/phone? Check. I'm off! Get down to the studio here to stretch out and my regular parking spot was open. Yes! Except for the fact that I have forgotten my race number. I drive home, and drive back in about 4 minutes.
Security concerns were tight so I didn't expect to see any backpacks or such. Apparently, however, a homeless person's shopping cart piled high with various objects does not constitute an, 'abandoned package', as it was parked right in front of my studio door. I didn't hear any ticking so I moved it and went in. Pinned on my number, peed. Ate half a banana, peed. Stretched out for 15 minutes or so, peed one more time. Walked down to my start area and wondered if I had to pee again.
It was a hot day already so I took off my sweatshirt and tied it up in a tight ball. Many people attempt to toss theirs onto the trees lining the street. I chose not to do that and aimed for it to cross over the fence. I wind up and let my shirt ball fly which comes untied almost immediately and hits a woman square in the face. I appologize profusely and recieve a courtesy smirk before slinking away.
Happily meet up with one of my clients in the start area and we take pictures of eachother.
The race goes fantastically and I beat my best time by almost 4 minutes. 1:12:49, good enough for 6590th place!
Me and my Iphone
WTF podcast with Marc interviewing John Hodgeman of "The Daily Show" and the "I'm a mac, I'm a PC" commercials. Interesting guy, funny.
