Tuesday, March 31, 2009

This run is not challenging enough.. Can I run it backwards?

So here's the race report, pictures and all, including no official finish time, since I didn't get timed. Good to know though, looking back if I would have ran the half I would have won my age group. Wha-Wha... Anyways, oh well, what can you do. I decided race morning to limit myself to the 5k, because I had looked at the course (shocking!) and knew that it was a a giant loop. Once I was seven miles out, I was seven miles out and had to finish to come back to the car. I knew I could probably run a solid seven miles, but a half marathon doesn't end at seven miles and after that who knows what would have happened. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY wanted to run the 1/2, but I knew that I would be dealing with being sick for a lot longer if I did run it, and I was already over the whole being sick thing and wanted to feel better asap.



I also know I am uber competitive. This would have been disastrous and probably would have ended in me pushing myself WAY to hard and getting even more sick, missing more days of work, being sick in Hawaii, the list goes on. So I 5ked it up, and even that was out of control for me. I decided not to bring Claude so I wouldn't be checking my splits and super worried about my time and just have a good solid run. We set off and I was with the back of the pack because started with my cousins and I also like working my way up through the pack. Stupid, but whatever, don't judge me, I was on medication.



We take off and the course for the first mile and a half is on a paved neighborhood like street. I race through the crowds zigging and zagging my way around people. I was the one who held onto the car key because I was going to finish the race first and it was going to be cold so I wanted to wait in the car for a while. I tucked the key in my shorts like so.


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I was feeling great and thought to myself, "Well three miles is good for me to do, and it's not too long so I will have to run it fast since usually I wait way to long to pick up my speed because I dilly dally around and then the race is over." I shot out of there like a rocket. Probably about 3/4 of a mile down the paved road I reached down to feel for the key. IT WAS GONE. I literally stopped in my tracks and tried to remember who had the key because before the race we were going back and forth with who was going to hold on it. I PROMISED I wouldn't lose it, but I couldn't remember it I had actually left with it. I turned around and jogged back scanning the crowd for my cousin to ask her if she or her sister had it, or if it, gulp, was me.


I jogged around people dodging them and getting the strangest looks ever. I thought to myself that people could just think that I was out for a run and not expecting the race to be happening but then I realized that I was wearing a bib number to totally give me away. I was scanning the ground walking with my head down against the crowd and looking for my cousin all at the same time. I saw her and started screaming her name, but then alas, her ipod was in so I had to weave through the crowd to get her attention. I caught up to her and asked her about the key. She told me that she thought my other cousin had it and my heart kind of leaped. I didn't lose it! My cousin had it! I then started to go further back to find her and make sure she had the key.


Weaving, still looking for a key, I finally found her at the back of the pack and asked her about the key. Instantly her face said it all. I HAD THE KEY, not her. I lost it. So then I traveled further back to find the key on the road. YUP, I had been passed by ALL the walkers and runners at this point. I was jogging my way back to the starting line, my head down and scanning the street for anything that looked liked a key. This was when all the zigging and zagging was coming back to haunt me, when I noticed something black laying on the pavement up ahead of me. I ran to it and scooped it up off the ground; the key was found! I was in very last place! So many great things happening at once!


I then turned around, key in hand and started running fast again. I quickly caught up to the crowd of walkers and joggers in the back and made my way all the way back through the crowd. I remember when I left the pack, I was behind a guy with a shirt that said SAVE THE DRAGON, in reference to the nearby lake since it looked like a dragon. I wanted to catch up to him. I worked my butt off the remainder of the race to pass people and get back up to where I left off. I passed my first cousin, and showed her the key with a big smile! I then made it my sincere vow to pass my next cousin. I looked and looked for her and then all of a sudden I was right next to her. I passed by her and showed her the key too, she looked relieved.


As I passed the 2nd mile, a dual stroller pushing dad wearing a SuperDad shirt was giving his baby in the stroller a new bottle and making sure the other baby was holding on to his blanket. I thought DANG DAD YOU ARE LEGIT, and I passed him, and smiled. I then realized it was roughly eight more minutes to the finish line for me. So I kicked it into high gear. I had no idea what my time was, I wasn't wearing a watch, I don't know how far I ran. It was then when I truly regretted leaving my poor Claude in the car. The last mile was on some rolling hills and I love me some rolling hills. A lot of the runners I were around were guys and I could tell they were wondering where I came from, and they were sad to get chicked. Then I saw him, SAVE THE DRAGON MAN! I passed him by and before I knew it I saw the Purple and Yellow Start/Finish line. Right when I saw that my ipod got really lose and flapped down by my wrist. So I held onto that with one hand, had my headphone cord flying all over the place and held onto the key tightly in the other hand. I was a mess.


I finished by a guy who was running and then decided that he didn't want to get chicked by me as I started to pass him. His wife yelled for him to sprint at the end! Bummer dude, because he got big time chicked. I think my finishing time was right around 27:05. Who knows what was going on there. I didn't get the official time because I signed up for the half marathon and they didn't time me. I even asked the person handing out the wine glasses for the half marathon after if I could have one since I signed up for it but got sick and limited myself to the 5k. She snapped back at me that no they were only for the FINISHERS OF THE HALF MARATHON. Yea, got that lady, pretty sure you didn't want me to barf on you as I finished my 1/2 so you should be thankful I didn't make an attempt.


The 5k course was overall pretty much the best course for my liking, not too hilly, but still some smaller hills and paved with a little dirt and you can see the finish line from a little bit away, so you know it's coming. If I was in tip top shape I would have loved to run it hard and I would have loved to run the 1/2, but some things are not meant to be. Both my cousins PR'ed and I succeeded in getting the worst 5k time of my entire life. Score one for the Chic Runner.


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This is a reenactment of what the key might have done... Slipped out the bottom of my shorts. Fail.


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After the race with the key.
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As you can see it was a really pretty area, but this is my thumbs down for my race time.

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My cousins and I after the race, happy to be done with the 5k for sure.

So yes, the race was completed, I didn't have Claude the one time I really needed him, but I did find the key, so all in all a success. I am going to go for a run tomorrow and get my training plan back on track because I have definitely not been on track because of this sickness. I have to get working on my mileage again so that I can continue to train for my full marathon at the end of May.

Hope you enjoyed the debacle.

xoxo

PS oh by the way (congrats on making it this far down the post...), tomorrow I'm having a GIVEAWAY!!! Be sure to lurk by then! :)

61 comments:

Amy - the gazelle said...

27 would be a PR for me! Way to go, getting a time like that & running the first bit THREE TIMES! You're such an overachiever! :)

Anonymous said...

LOL That's just an awesome post!! Great job finding the key!! And, 27 would be the biggest PR for me! Girl, I'm struggling to get in the 30's!!! LOL Sad, I know!

No Longer Using said...

WOW- crazy crazy crazy story! i could NEVER have predicted that is what happened, haha. but WOW i can't believe you found the key! that is so lucky !!! phew. great story. one of a kind :)

girlrunningaround said...

LOL! At least it was a memorable race. Great job (even with the turn around)!

Aron said...

lol you are hilarious... i had a feeling when you said running backwards yesterday you had dropped something :) you still did great and i am sure those miles you were running were super speedy!! hope you are feeling better and can get back on track soon!!!

Billy said...

Danica, you are too funny...man, I wish I was there to witness that one. Too bad Claude wasn't along for the ride. Curious to see how much distance you actually put on out there.

Sorry you couldn't run the half. Oh, and I would've told that beeyotch that you had PAID to get a wine glass!

Mrs. M said...

I can't believe you found the key!

LyndsAU said...

the key story is great! memorable at least :)
good job :)

Susan said...

At least you got a good story out of all the craziness!

Melanie said...

This may be one of the funniest 5K stories I've ever heard. I love your shorts by the way!

Chocolate & Chants said...

I would be more than happy with a 27 minute finish time for a 5K! I loved your post, especially the way you described how you crossed the finish line - it made me laugh out loud at work, I bet people are thinking that i'm crazy, laughing at my computer screen.

Hope you're feeling better!

Alisa said...

Well your 5k was probably more like 4 miles =). Great job! I think you did the right thing by not running the half.

Look at you and those booty shorts...wish I had the guts.

Bootchez said...

27 would also be a PR for me . . . to think that you did that with all the running back and forth AND being ill, kinda makes me ill! Well done!

Niki said...

LOL. What a great story to tell! I would be happy with a 27 min finish time!! Good job on getting back into the race!

Running Through Life said...

I am sure you will never forget this race. Great story!

Marcy said...

Girl you need to tie your key into your kicks from now on! HAHA! You nut!

Please tell me it's the Onlineshoes one. I want to win sumfin damn it! :P

Unknown said...

that's really nice and friendly to give all those people the extra head start. still a great time.

Adventures in Newlywed said...

Wow, what an ordeal :) Glad you finished though!

Marlene said...

OMG, that is the funniest race report I have ever read. Sorry! What a bummer not to have Claude - would have been funny to see just how far you ran! PR for the LONGEST 5K. :)

Lucky in Love said...

What a crazy story!! That is awesome though that you caught up to where you were! I can't believe you had to go back to the beginning...and then still passed all those people! Girl...you are a rock star!

RunToTheFinish said...

OMG I did that one time on a trail and it was awful! I had to back track 6 miles!! I was crying and histarical at that point.

J.J. said...

yea...but that sure made for an interesting story!

Julie {Angry Julie Monday} said...

Sorry to laugh..

But that was hilarious..

I ALWAYS have something happen at a race.

Felice Devine said...

I'm sorry, but I had to laugh! You just wanted a little more distance, that's all.

Still, great job!

X-Country2 said...

What a crazy story! Talk about race drama. :o)

Very happy you found the key.

Marci said...

Great job, they should have given the wine glass, poo on her!

cody@codywestheimer.com said...

Man - that's the story! Love the pics...

Brandi said...

To lose a key, then find it, then pass up Dragon man, all within 27 minutes! Way to go!!!!! I can't even cross in that time with no distractions! You're great! Loved the post!

Being Robinson said...

You're fast, you should have grabbed the glass and just RAN! ;) I can't believe you found the key, that is amazing.

Amy said...

Wow, that's quite the race report... Thank goodness you found the key! Jeez, that would have been terrible.

Nice job on the overall finish, even with the extra.

FLYERS26 said...

Man what a crazy race!
I can't believe you lost the key, found it, and passed runners who you started with.

Jodi said...

I didn't know you made it your solemn VOW to pass me, ha ha
Great job anyway - you finished with a good time in spite of everything, and didn't push yourself too hard!

Tania said...

Still a pretty good time all things considered! Good job! Boo on wine glass lady!

Pink Pearls & Muddy Sneakers said...

ahhh! i am sick now & having such a hard time not running. the last 3 times I pushed myself running when I was about to get sick, I got MUCH MUCH SICKER than I normally do. I know my body won't tolerate it, but it is so hard to sit still when the weather is just getting nice!
hope you are feeling better :)

joyRuN said...

27:05 AND with all that back-tracking?! That's a freaking minute off my best time!

Oz Runner said...

lol, i wonder what your time would have been if you hadn't spent all that time looking for the key...funny thinking about you running against the grain during the race....great job to your cousins on their PR's too....what a witch that she wouldn't give you a wine glass too, they probably have a box of them leftover...

Kim said...

I would die for that time! :)

Sooo glad you found your key! Goose!

kilax said...

What an ordeal! I am so happy you found the key. You must have been totally exhausted after all that.

I've never heard the phrase "got chicked." Ha ha. I like it.

Denise said...

WHAT A RACE REPORT!! You have the funniest stories! Glad you found the key and great job on the finish...sick and back tracking you still did great!

megan said...

haha! That's awesome!

Anonymous said...

love the key story!!!

Anonymous said...

I would have gone crazy if I lost the key too! I think you did play it smart by switching to the 5k. Cute outfit by the way.

J said...

OK I can seriously see this happening to me at a race! we get locker keys at the gym and I like check it 800 billion times while running on the treadmill.

That Pink Girl said...

I'd take 27 - and you ran part of it 3 times - that's amazing!!!

Mrs. Realife said...

AHHH!!! I totally would have been freaking -- Sorry about your race :( but at least you guys had a ride home! LOL

Thanks for being SUCH an awesome follower... I think we'd be friends if we lived close :) (but you'd have to run alone... lol!)

kristen said...

That's something crazy. I am so glad you found it. That would have really sucked to have finished and *then* realized you lost the key. I bet you wont do that agian! After reading your story, neither will I. Good job and way to have fun.

The Boring Runner said...

I will continue to lurk until tomorrow. (or is that today?)

Perfectly Imperfect said...

Um I am jealous of your worst 5k time ever!!

jlc said...

Hahah! Loveee the reenactment of what would've happened.

Fail. Classic.

christine said...

oh man I'm always paranoid that I'll lose my key from its hiding place in my sports bra...can't believe you found a single key on the ground!
feel better!

Kristen said...

Haha great story! I am always so paranoid about dropping my keys!

Great time though despite the fact you were sick and cute shorts!

The Laminator said...

Wow...what a crazy adventure. Glad you were still able to find the key after all those people. Hope you recover from your cold well and can get back in tip top training form.

Michael B said...

now that was crazy good reading. the gods must love you...they let you find that dang key. you go. rest up for RNR! see you there.

Runner Leana said...

Wow, stressful race for sure! Glad you found the key though!!!

Anonymous said...

Your worst time, beats my best 5k time ever by @ 6 minutes! You are amazing!!!

I am sure at this point someone already commented this (you have a GREAT following :) ) but I always tie my key to my shoe.

Good story!

Tara Gibson said...

so glad you found the key!

GREAT job!

Anniversary Moments said...

and these are the types of stories that make me smile when i feel like i'm sucking wind or having a bad race day. you did great! considering it was more like a 4 miler!

Lindsay said...

lol, sorry, but too funny! glad you found the key. congrats on the personal worst, at least there's a good story to go with it!

Run For Life said...

Oh man, at least you have a great race story! That's a good time considering you had to go back and look for the key. :)

melinda said...

Ah. I always fear that I will loose my key. What a crazy race report! Great job finding the key and I know your time might be slow for you.. but think of all the people you chicked! Great work!

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