Monday, December 15, 2014

Christmas 5k (ish)

I ran a 5k Saturday.  It started well.  I really enjoyed mile 2, a delightful slightly downhill section.  I was feeling pretty good and setting myself up to have a great 5k race.  Until, that is, um...we got lost. Technically, I guess we weren't lost, but at the very least...confused.  The route was not marked well. There was a 12k and 5k running simultaneously and the timers just didn't use enough signs.   Perhaps they didn't think it was necessary?  The pavement was not chalked either.   The little pack of runners I was in actually stopped several times, threw our hands up, and said "which way"?  I'm serious.

Jenny deserves the
Spirit of Christmas Award

Our 5k ended up being closer to 3.5 miles or a 5k-ish, so to speak.  My friend Beth said it perfectly..."Hey come and run the Christmas On The Coosa Design Your Own Route!"  Naturally, we all complained loudly when we finally made our way across the finish line.   The timers said they announced before the race which turns we should make.  I don't live there and don't know the street names.   Oh, and we also found out they "didn't bother to measure the course".  Are you kidding me?


It wasn't all bad.  On the much brighter side, it was a beautiful sunny and chilly morning.  We received a fleece beenie instead of the usual T-shirt and *** wait for it *** I won overall female.  Overall Female.  Yes, it was a small race and there were faster females in the 12k.  But {hold the phone}, I'm not going to discount my win, as I typically would.   No!  I had to pass the second place female three stinking times.  Let me say, when you stop and throw up your hands in confusion you do tend to lose any lead you have.  I also stopped to tie my shoe!  (I forgot to check them before it started!  Duh.)

You know what?  I've run hard all year, by cracky, to the very edge of exhaustion actually.  I'll take that overall trophy, thank you very much!  Naturally, I celebrated with a peanut butter waffle.  Whoop whoop.

Has any one else ever run a poorly marked route?



23 comments:

  1. A trophy. How cool. You deserve it. Yes unfortunately I ran a poorly marked 10k. Sucks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I didn't have a Santa trophy! Different.

      Delete
  2. Go you!! take the trophy and run ;) great accomplishment no matter how big or small the race was.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! I ran away as fast as I could before they could change the results!!!

      Delete
  3. Woo hoo! Congrats on #1 overall!

    Gah, how frustrating that the course was marked poorly. I never listen at the beginning when they say which street names to follow. 1, like I can remember it, and 2, I am not familiar with the area, usually (like you said). Sigh. Sorry that happened!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Our running club times many local races. They are excellent at marking the pavement with huge arrows. You can't miss them.

      Delete
  4. Wooot for the win! A win is a win so huge props to you! Boo on the getting lost part. Glad it didn't jeopardize your win.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Luckily, I guess everyone else followed our lead.

      Delete
  5. Congrats on winning overall female! That's huge, no matter how small a race it is! I had to laugh at getting lost, though, and the fact that they didn't measure the course?! Glad you made the best of it plus came out with a win.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Can you believe it was their 12th annual run? The route was different. Why wouldn't you measure it?

      Delete
  6. Congrats on the win! Yeah, I ran a race and had to stop to ask the volunteers which way to go. Found the finish line, though!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's what counts...making it to the finish. I wish there had been a volunteer to ask!

      Delete
  7. Big Congrats on the overall first place win!!!!! Your such an awesome runner!
    What a crazy course, I would have been so confused too, that is insane!
    Once in a marathon I came to a section where it wasn't marked and there was a volunteer standing on the corner their were only runners a bit of a ways behind me at the time. I had two choices a very steep hill, or a downhill. I looked at the volunteer and nodded as I went straight starting up the hill, she looked me straight in the eye and nodded back.
    For some reason I caught the other runners behind me in the corner of my eye running down the hill on the side. So I turned around and I asked the volunteer, are they going the right or wrong way? She said oh, ya your supposed to go down the hill, then she said, sorry I didn't know you were in the race too???? I said, yeah, the bib on the front of my shirt makes it kinda hard to tell I guess. I usually am pretty nice to volunteers, but I ran quite a ways up the hill before I had the urge to turn my head and look behind me to the side...
    Anyhow, sorry for the long story:) My point was to say, I totally understand I don't like it when courses aren't marked well, and I hate when your feeling confused and not sure what to do. At least you figured it out and still got the win, and your shoe tied:) Great job!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The last mile was through a city park with a crazy congested Christmas fair going on. We kept asking people which was to go (thinking they were volunteers) but they looked at us like we were nuts! It was mass confusion. The win did help my feelings, though.

      Delete
  8. Congratulations on your 5k race and winning overall female. I eas once running a small marathon that was poorly marked. No one directly ahead of me and I made a wrong turn. -L

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I so appreciate a well marked course. Our running club does the BEST job directing races. Following the person in front of you can also get you in trouble.

      Delete
  9. I can't follow the paper directions either. LOL. I once trained for a local half that had 60+ turns written out on paper. Huh? Crazy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congrats on first place female....that is awesome. My first ever race the course was poorly marked and I almost cried when I realized I was headed the wrong way., And I still got 2nd in my AG which was so exciting. Enjoy your victory and passing that girl 3 times!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Getting an award does help when you have a frustrating race!

      Delete
  11. Too funny! That happened to me once too. Just the getting lost on the course part not the part about winning :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Woot woo!!! Congrats on your first place female win! I can't believe that the course was so poorly marked... that must have been incredibly annoying. At least it didn't cost you the win. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately for everyone behind us, they followed our lead. Thankfully there we no females in front of me.

      Delete

I enjoy reading your comments. Thanks for taking the time to leave one!