Everything is A-5K

All throughout the night, I could hear the rain falling. I hoped that the rain would pass and be cleared up by the time a I woke up, and when I did actually wake up, it looked like that would be the case. At least this time, I was in my own bed, and didn't have dreams about running in the wrong direction and getting stung by jellyfish.

I got in the car, and began driving to the race venue. Nervous as hell, thinking about the race.

Moments later, an insane downpour started. INSANE. So much, that in the car, I couldn't see much in front of me due to the harsh rain - I had to slow down.

I arrived at the course, retrieved my race chip, and tied it onto my right shoe.

Now, my shoelaces were certainly not that white by the end of the race. Come to think of it, my whole shoe was a completely different colour. Come to think of it, all of me was a completely different colour.

While waiting for the race to start, the rain got heavier and heavier, and it got colder and colder. From standing there alone, I got soaked through.

I got many comments from fellow bloggers saying that I should wear a cap to keep the rain off my glasses. But what to keep the rain off my cap? My cap was completely soaked through, and I could see the droplets of rain dripping off the visor. Like a waterfall dribbling a couple of centimetres in front of my forehead. All the while I'm thinking, "I haven't even started running yet." Just my luck I happened to pick up a fitted black jumper to wear over the top of my running gear, since from the looks of things, I wasn't going to be running in a t-shirt.

There was no way that anyone could be protected from the rain and maintain some vision. The only way that you could be ensured that you were protected from the rain was to wear a full body suit - head included, in the style of Louross from Hell's Kitchen.

After what felt like an age, I saw Running Bastard Andrew's big grin near the registration tent. Half of me wanted to hug him due to the relief of seeing a familiar face, the other half wanted to give him a big smack in the chops. After all, I didn't even know that this race series existed if it weren't for him and his Oh-Lookit-Me-I-Be-Runnin-Up-Volcanoes madness. Turns out he'd been sitting in his car, making videos.

I can't tell you the number of times that I've watched that video, but I always LAWL at the "Wheeeeeeeee!"

While we waited for the race to start, standing there, shivering, I'm pretty certain that both of us were thinking the same thing. "Are we FUCKING mad?"

[Disclaimer: All of the photos I have taken were taken after the race was over. The weather is pretty clear in all of the photos.]

I was quite thankful that I'd run the course beforehand, since the glasses were in bag, I would only be able to see a couple of metres in front of my face. Mind you, I wouldn't have been able to see one centimetre in front of my face with the glasses on - with the amount of rain we're talking about, we might as well have changed into our swimsuits and taken a dip in the puddles on the side of the road.

At one point, I turned to Andrew and said "Dude... I can't feel my hands."

After that, we started going a bit loopy.

Race Marshal	...and there will be hydration stations at 2.5kms at the end of Surrey Cres... not that you'll be needing it...
Marshmallow	Oh absolutely. If we need a drink, we can just run with our mouths open!

Andrew	Shit, I can't believe this rain!
Andrew	I should've brought my shampoo.

Andrew	Last one up the hill is a rotten egg!
Marshmallow	...
Marshmallow	How old are you again?
Andrew	Twelve.

I heard the ducks and geese in the nearby park squawking, having an absolute ball in the rain. With them clucking away while waiting at the start line for the horn to blow, I was just about ready to throw something at them. Ah well.

Finally, after what felt like an age, the horn got tooted (that... sounds much dirtier than I intend it to) and we got started. Andrew zoomed off, saying "See you at the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend..." (that's my attempt at indicating that his voice was trailing off.)

Even with the rain, and the mob (one thing you can never really simulate in training unless you somehow manage to hang a universally tasty object from a radio controlled car and get the extended family to chase after it.)

As I mentioned in my earlier post, there was a hill for the first kilometre - the one that my Dad said I couldn't climb. Despite the driving, harsh, thick rain, and the fact that every time that when my feet landed on the ground all I heard was *squish, squish, squish*, the hill wasn't as difficult as when I first did it a week ago. I'm sure that's a combination of confidence - "I CAN do this hill. I did it last week!" and adrenaline.

When I reached the top of the hill, the rain stopped. I carried on, and my face started to get warm and I began to sweat. I lifted up my left arm to use my sweatband to wipe the sweat off. Hah, what a joke. Instead, I got a cold, wet, smear of water all over my face. Great move, Miss Marshmallow. You're drenched through and through but your sweatband will stay dry so you can wipe your face.

A couple of minutes on the flat, and this freaking 80 year old woman zooms past me.

What the hell?!

Uh... never mind...

So I kept on going, and before long, I make up ground on the woman, who had decided to start walking. I overtook her, and continued to run. Not 30 seconds later, again, the same woman zooms past me.

I'm all like, "Dude... am I hallucinating? I thought I just passed her? Or is it possible that she's doing the 10km race and she just freaking LAPPED me in 30 seconds?!?!?"

I keep on going, and then make ground on her, as she had started walking again, and yet again, she came up again and overtook me. I'm all like, "For crying out loud! Can you DECIDE whether you want to be behind me or in front of me PLEASE?! I'm trying to use you as a marker, and you're messing with my head!"

Another... erhm... highlight of the race was when myself, a race marshal, and another guy runner nearly got run over by a car. The race marshal held her hand out to stop the traffic, and gestured to the two of us - myself and the guy - to cross the road. We began to cross, but the car that she had told to stop, didn't stop. It kept on coming closer and closer and closer and in the end the marshal had to pretty much put her hands on the bonnet of the car and shout some rather abrasive remarks to get the car to stop.

I approached the 2.5km water station, where there were four, rather bedraggled folk, arms extended with styrofoam cups filled with water. Almost to oblige them and say "Yes! You are a necessary part of this race! We appreciate you!", I took a cup as I ran past. Though as I lifted the cup to my lips, I realised only after the entire contents missed my mouth and went all over my face, down my chin and chest, that it's rather difficult to drink water from a cup while you're running.

Well... at least I was drenched already from the rain, noone could tell that I'd just dribbled 250mL of water all over myself. Note for next time - run with a bib.

Race Annoyance #1
People out for their regular Sunday morning run, running in the opposite direction to the rest of us. Sure, you're out for your run, but dude, it's not like there's a race held every week. The lot of us were side stepping, colliding with normal runners who wouldn't move to the side for the mob. And when the mob tried to give way to the runner, they would all bump into each other, and end up being a standing, confused flock of sheep in the middle of the course.

Race Annoyance #2
People within the race, who are on the slower side, hogging the footpath. Time after time I would encounter several walkers and it would take some rather creative gymnastics to get past them. Now, guaranteed, I'm not the fastest runner. But at least I stayed to the side of the footpath so that the faster people could overtake me easily. Including that bloody woman who must've over taken me about 9 times.

And the biggest annoyance of all.

Race Annoyance #3
Race participants STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COURSE to have friendly conversations with non-participants who happened to be out feeding the ducks. Dude?! What the hell?!

There was quite a steep downhill stretch after the water station and one slip and you would find your self roly-polying down the hill in a rather unglamorous and quite possibly painful manner. Of course, since this road was steep enough as it is, what happens? It starts to rain again. There were definitely a couple of places where I thought I was going to go skating, since it was that slippery.

During the last half kilometre, it felt like my achilles were about to explode. I rounded the corner, and passed Andrew who was holding up his video camera, big chesire cat grin on his face. I think he said something like, "It's not over yet!", though as far as I was concerned, he could've said, "You've won 12 million dollars!", and I would've still felt like giving him the middle fingered salute.

As I rounded the last marker, I decided to sprint for the final stretch. Easy idea in theory.

Race Annoyance #4
The final stretch being littered with potholes.

Never mind that given the weather, said potholes were full of water, splashing icy-coldness around your ankles. I guess one advantage is if you ever roll your ankle, the water will ice the injured area, stat!

The finish line was set up and I used all of the energy I had left to power over the line. As soon as I had made it, I doubled over, completely out of breath. Andrew, who had waited for me at the finish line, was saying stuff to me, but all I heard was "mrghlnrghlmrglsmhpughf". Turns out he was telling me to get out of the way, but even if I had heard him right the first time, I could barely move my legs since my achilles and calves were absolutely shot.

Andrew asked me with the biggest smile on his face, "Any thoughts?"

A bazillion four letter words were on the tip of my tongue. While I would've liked to have said something eloquent and inspirational, instead, in between breaths I blubbed, "Andrew... you're MEAN!"

Not exactly a gold medal speech.

After I managed to breath normally again, the euphoria was undeniable. I fucking did it! 5 kilometres, that's like... a kilometre, FIVE TIMES.

My time? A personal best of 36:43. I'm pretty pleased given the... 'circumstances'.

The only thing that felt better than finishing the race?

The hot shower when I got home.