So I did a video about this and you can watch it by going to My Craziest Pre-Race Experience Yet. Here's the written version that I'll be posting on the Sojourners' blog as well (which is a part of Runner's Corner in Orem, Utah), which is the running club I currently belong to and the club that has sponsored me with some racing and training shoes:
Background info: The race was the Deseret News 10K, held in conjunction with the Deseret News Marathon. Packet Pick-up with race number, timing chip etc. was set for Friday and Saturday up in Salt Lake. Amy and I decided we didn't want to go up to Salt Lake, pick up a race packet, come back to Provo and then go back up again on Monday for the race. I found out I would be able to pick up my packet the morning of the race so I planned to wake up early as the race started at 6:00 a.m. I printed off Mapquest directions, but failed to look at the estimated travel time.
For some reason I have this erroneous fact embedded in my brain that it takes precisely 30 minutes to drive from Provo to Salt Lake. That might be true if there wasn't construction, stoplights going out of Provo and into Salt Lake, and traffic in general. I think maybe I made it there close to 30 minutes one time because my buddies (Joe and Aaron) and I were late for a wedding, so we sped. Anyways... back to the story.
So Sunday night (7/24/11) I got everything ready to go. My parents had let us borrow their mini-van and my plan was to leave at 4:30 a.m., get there at 5:00 and be able to take a little power nap before I warmed up and got all ready for the race.
The night was rough. I have an 18-month-old stud muffin who refuses to sleep through the night and he was having a rough night for whatever reason. I usually stay in bed/the room no matter what, but I talked to Amy briefly and we decided it would be best if I went out to the living room.
Originally I laid down on the floor which I like because it feels better for my back. I sleep on my stomach with my head turned to the side. The family below me had to have been watching a movie, an action one at that, because I could hear guns and sirens etc. and good for them, that's their right and I'm glad they were watching a movie in the living room and not the bedroom. So I moved to the couch.
I woke up at like 2:30 a.m. and went to the bathroom. Then I transferred back down to the floor and slept until my alarm went off. Everything went smoothly except I ended up leaving 5 or 10 minutes later than I had wanted, but that was fine because I had planned in a lot of extra time to arrive. I had my green smoothie with chia seeds, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, juice concentrate + water that I had prepared the night before and then blended in the Magic Bullet in the closet so I wouldn't wake up Amy and Kimball. I was set and I drove off in the dark.
By 5:50 I had made it to about American Fork-ish so that's when I started to worry a little, but I thought that if I had to forego my nap plan that would be fine, just as long as I could find a bathroom and go before the race. I arrived in Salt Lake around 6:30. That's when I realized I was an idiot and after all these years living in Utah and driving from Provo to Salt Lake I still had not learned that it takes 45 minutes+ to get there. So I'm driving along, following the directions and I feel myself start to go further than I thought I should be going. Turns out up by the University of Utah they have names for the streets, but down close to the center it changes into numbers. I realized I was lost, the race was going to start in 30 minutes with or without me AND I really needed to go the bathroom (and it was #2 to make matters worse.)
By about 6:45 I said a little prayer, told Heavenly Father this race was important to me and I needed His help because I was lost. I turned down a street and had an impression to look at the course map instead of the Mapquest directions. The Course map had some of the major roads mapped out on the grid and after studying it for about 2 minutes I realized I was going parallel to the race. I turned and just gunned it East in the direction I now knew I needed to go.
I finally found the road I was looking for, but surprise, surprise, it was blocked off by the police for the race. I was stopped at a light behind two cars. I put the van in park, got out of the car, walked towards a police officer and yelled, "How do I get to the race?" He said, "You gotta turn around and turn left at Sunnyside." I got back in the van, turned on my left blinker because I was in the lane going straight and I needed to make a u-turn. I finally was able to make a u-turn and headed towards Sunnyside.
By this point I think it was about 5:52. I knew that it was going to come down to the wire. I forgot to mention that I had warm-ups on and was planning on changing into my race clothes after I got my packet. Well I needed to buy time where I could so I started changing as I drove. I took off one shoe, chucked it in the back. Took off that foot's sock, chucked it. The other shoe, the other sock. At Sunnyside the light was red, so I adjusted my seatbelt and took my shirt off. Then I took my Sojourners jersey and put it on as the light turned green and I turned left up the hill.
I saw a bunch of runners all headed in the general direction so I followed and eventually found a parking spot. I turned the car off and hopped into the back of the van as I took off my pants and put my shorts on. I think it goes without saying a naked from the waist down for a few seconds and after I had put my shorts on I looked to the left and saw that there were people in the car to my right. I was a little shocked for half a second, but the adrenaline was pumping and I forced my socks on, then my flats without tying them and bolted out of the van (locking it of course, but in a bolt-like fashion.)
I just started running fast in the direction all the people were heading. Then I saw the long line of porta-potties. I was saved. It was 5:56 and I thought if I could get in one right away I would only need 1 minute and 20 seconds. Then I saw the long lines of people. There were like 30-40 porta-potties and about 10 separate lines of people each at least 12 people long. I decided the race was more important than going to the bathroom and I figured if it was urgent enough I could find one along the course because I STILL NEEDED TO GET MY RACE NUMBER AND CHIP!!! So I asked this lady and she pointed in a direction and I ran away mid-sentence, but when I got there there was one lady stretching. Definitely not it, so I asked her and she said to go to the start line. So I went there. The time is now 5:57 and I found the son of the race director who I had met a while back during Cross Country season. I don't think he recognized me, but I talked to him like I knew him. I asked him how I could get my number, and I think he was a little shocked, probably thinking, "Are you joking?!" Nope, not joking brother, long story I'll tell you later. But that exchange of words never happened and he told me to go to a certain streetlight.
As I was running a guy started singing the national anthem. I put my hand over my heart and continued to run. There were three guys under the streetlight. Nothing there were wearing identified them as race-helper people, but I saw envelopes and knew that's where I needed to be. Then they announced they would be starting the wheelchair division, and the running 10K one minutes after. The time was approximately 5:58. I think they were like 1 or 2 minutes behind and thank goodness!
I got my packet, ripped out my chip and race number. The tiniest zip-ties ever created were included so I could attach my chip to my shoe. It felt like I was threading a needle as I poked this tiny zip-tie through this tiny hole then through my shoe laces, and then I realized I had done it from the wrong side, had to take it out, flip it around and re-do it. I finally got it, pinned my race number on frantically and ran towards the front. I sandwiched myself in the mosh-pit start and 10 seconds later the gun went off, except it wasn't a gun, it was a guy saying "Ready, set, go!" I really like the gun, but I wasn't about to argue.
As I started I said another prayer and asked God to help me not have to go to the bathroom until after the race. My strategy this race was to start out a little slower. I have a tendency to think I'm in better shape than I actually am and I wasn't about to make that mistake again and kill myself. I just let the hills take me. I made it a game in the first 2-3 miles to consistently catch people AND keep track of them. I caught 30 in the first mile, about 25 during the second and then I think I lost count during mile 3 and started racing.
I was actually pretty consistent in my miles and the race was awesome. I tried to tell as many people as possible during the race that I thought they were doing great. I love it when people say "You too." It's inspiring to me. I want to lift people up and I want to be lifted up back.
As I was running the last 100 meters I heard someone yell out my name. I turned briefly and caught a glimpse as to who it was, but I wasn't sure.
My previous PR was 36:30 for 10 kilometers. Today I ran 35:13. Not bad. A 1:17 PR without a proper warm-up and without using the bathroom. Maybe that's the secret.
I went back to where I had heard my name and it was a mission companion of mine from when I served a mission for my church in Argentina. He was the companion that I ran the most with while we lived in Argentina. Then I used the bathroom. Then I did a cool-down barefoot at Liberty Park which is an awesome park. And that's the end. Crazy pre-race, awesome race, great post-race. I was and am happy.
Background info: The race was the Deseret News 10K, held in conjunction with the Deseret News Marathon. Packet Pick-up with race number, timing chip etc. was set for Friday and Saturday up in Salt Lake. Amy and I decided we didn't want to go up to Salt Lake, pick up a race packet, come back to Provo and then go back up again on Monday for the race. I found out I would be able to pick up my packet the morning of the race so I planned to wake up early as the race started at 6:00 a.m. I printed off Mapquest directions, but failed to look at the estimated travel time.
For some reason I have this erroneous fact embedded in my brain that it takes precisely 30 minutes to drive from Provo to Salt Lake. That might be true if there wasn't construction, stoplights going out of Provo and into Salt Lake, and traffic in general. I think maybe I made it there close to 30 minutes one time because my buddies (Joe and Aaron) and I were late for a wedding, so we sped. Anyways... back to the story.
So Sunday night (7/24/11) I got everything ready to go. My parents had let us borrow their mini-van and my plan was to leave at 4:30 a.m., get there at 5:00 and be able to take a little power nap before I warmed up and got all ready for the race.
The night was rough. I have an 18-month-old stud muffin who refuses to sleep through the night and he was having a rough night for whatever reason. I usually stay in bed/the room no matter what, but I talked to Amy briefly and we decided it would be best if I went out to the living room.
Originally I laid down on the floor which I like because it feels better for my back. I sleep on my stomach with my head turned to the side. The family below me had to have been watching a movie, an action one at that, because I could hear guns and sirens etc. and good for them, that's their right and I'm glad they were watching a movie in the living room and not the bedroom. So I moved to the couch.
I woke up at like 2:30 a.m. and went to the bathroom. Then I transferred back down to the floor and slept until my alarm went off. Everything went smoothly except I ended up leaving 5 or 10 minutes later than I had wanted, but that was fine because I had planned in a lot of extra time to arrive. I had my green smoothie with chia seeds, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, juice concentrate + water that I had prepared the night before and then blended in the Magic Bullet in the closet so I wouldn't wake up Amy and Kimball. I was set and I drove off in the dark.
By 5:50 I had made it to about American Fork-ish so that's when I started to worry a little, but I thought that if I had to forego my nap plan that would be fine, just as long as I could find a bathroom and go before the race. I arrived in Salt Lake around 6:30. That's when I realized I was an idiot and after all these years living in Utah and driving from Provo to Salt Lake I still had not learned that it takes 45 minutes+ to get there. So I'm driving along, following the directions and I feel myself start to go further than I thought I should be going. Turns out up by the University of Utah they have names for the streets, but down close to the center it changes into numbers. I realized I was lost, the race was going to start in 30 minutes with or without me AND I really needed to go the bathroom (and it was #2 to make matters worse.)
By about 6:45 I said a little prayer, told Heavenly Father this race was important to me and I needed His help because I was lost. I turned down a street and had an impression to look at the course map instead of the Mapquest directions. The Course map had some of the major roads mapped out on the grid and after studying it for about 2 minutes I realized I was going parallel to the race. I turned and just gunned it East in the direction I now knew I needed to go.
I finally found the road I was looking for, but surprise, surprise, it was blocked off by the police for the race. I was stopped at a light behind two cars. I put the van in park, got out of the car, walked towards a police officer and yelled, "How do I get to the race?" He said, "You gotta turn around and turn left at Sunnyside." I got back in the van, turned on my left blinker because I was in the lane going straight and I needed to make a u-turn. I finally was able to make a u-turn and headed towards Sunnyside.
By this point I think it was about 5:52. I knew that it was going to come down to the wire. I forgot to mention that I had warm-ups on and was planning on changing into my race clothes after I got my packet. Well I needed to buy time where I could so I started changing as I drove. I took off one shoe, chucked it in the back. Took off that foot's sock, chucked it. The other shoe, the other sock. At Sunnyside the light was red, so I adjusted my seatbelt and took my shirt off. Then I took my Sojourners jersey and put it on as the light turned green and I turned left up the hill.
I saw a bunch of runners all headed in the general direction so I followed and eventually found a parking spot. I turned the car off and hopped into the back of the van as I took off my pants and put my shorts on. I think it goes without saying a naked from the waist down for a few seconds and after I had put my shorts on I looked to the left and saw that there were people in the car to my right. I was a little shocked for half a second, but the adrenaline was pumping and I forced my socks on, then my flats without tying them and bolted out of the van (locking it of course, but in a bolt-like fashion.)
I just started running fast in the direction all the people were heading. Then I saw the long line of porta-potties. I was saved. It was 5:56 and I thought if I could get in one right away I would only need 1 minute and 20 seconds. Then I saw the long lines of people. There were like 30-40 porta-potties and about 10 separate lines of people each at least 12 people long. I decided the race was more important than going to the bathroom and I figured if it was urgent enough I could find one along the course because I STILL NEEDED TO GET MY RACE NUMBER AND CHIP!!! So I asked this lady and she pointed in a direction and I ran away mid-sentence, but when I got there there was one lady stretching. Definitely not it, so I asked her and she said to go to the start line. So I went there. The time is now 5:57 and I found the son of the race director who I had met a while back during Cross Country season. I don't think he recognized me, but I talked to him like I knew him. I asked him how I could get my number, and I think he was a little shocked, probably thinking, "Are you joking?!" Nope, not joking brother, long story I'll tell you later. But that exchange of words never happened and he told me to go to a certain streetlight.
As I was running a guy started singing the national anthem. I put my hand over my heart and continued to run. There were three guys under the streetlight. Nothing there were wearing identified them as race-helper people, but I saw envelopes and knew that's where I needed to be. Then they announced they would be starting the wheelchair division, and the running 10K one minutes after. The time was approximately 5:58. I think they were like 1 or 2 minutes behind and thank goodness!
I got my packet, ripped out my chip and race number. The tiniest zip-ties ever created were included so I could attach my chip to my shoe. It felt like I was threading a needle as I poked this tiny zip-tie through this tiny hole then through my shoe laces, and then I realized I had done it from the wrong side, had to take it out, flip it around and re-do it. I finally got it, pinned my race number on frantically and ran towards the front. I sandwiched myself in the mosh-pit start and 10 seconds later the gun went off, except it wasn't a gun, it was a guy saying "Ready, set, go!" I really like the gun, but I wasn't about to argue.
As I started I said another prayer and asked God to help me not have to go to the bathroom until after the race. My strategy this race was to start out a little slower. I have a tendency to think I'm in better shape than I actually am and I wasn't about to make that mistake again and kill myself. I just let the hills take me. I made it a game in the first 2-3 miles to consistently catch people AND keep track of them. I caught 30 in the first mile, about 25 during the second and then I think I lost count during mile 3 and started racing.
I was actually pretty consistent in my miles and the race was awesome. I tried to tell as many people as possible during the race that I thought they were doing great. I love it when people say "You too." It's inspiring to me. I want to lift people up and I want to be lifted up back.
As I was running the last 100 meters I heard someone yell out my name. I turned briefly and caught a glimpse as to who it was, but I wasn't sure.
My previous PR was 36:30 for 10 kilometers. Today I ran 35:13. Not bad. A 1:17 PR without a proper warm-up and without using the bathroom. Maybe that's the secret.
I went back to where I had heard my name and it was a mission companion of mine from when I served a mission for my church in Argentina. He was the companion that I ran the most with while we lived in Argentina. Then I used the bathroom. Then I did a cool-down barefoot at Liberty Park which is an awesome park. And that's the end. Crazy pre-race, awesome race, great post-race. I was and am happy.
No comments:
Post a Comment