Fiesta 5k Ole'

 

Today Linda and I traveled to Seattle for the Cinco De Mayo Fiesta 5k Ole' race at Volunteer Park.

 

OFFICIAL RESULTS:

 

Me:

635/1201 overall

13/27 age group

 32:21 chip time

10:26 pace

 

Linda:

794/1201 overall

30/60 age group

34:37 chip time

11:10 pace



 

When we got there, 2 hours early, we went & got our race packets & then went back to the car. We got a nice close parking space and by thinking ahead I got turned around and was at the end of a lane so it was easy to leave.

But first we had to change clothes before the race. Me, twice.

I didn't want to run in shorts if it was going to be cold but it was warming up and I was planning on working it so I put my shorts back on.

 

When we returned to the park it was a bit breezy and we were both chilled so we stood by this brick wall, which was radiating warmth from the sun and blocking that breeze. Warmed us right up.

 

When I signed us up for this race just 2 weeks ago there was a GREEN WAVE that was timed or the RED WAVE which wasn't timed. There was no additional charge for timed so I chose that. I'm glad I did, it gave me a reason to run a bit faster than I might have.

 

here we are with 10 minutes to go about 50 people back from the front of the green corral.

 

Countdown & we go. Stop. jog in place. stop. walk a couple feet. stop. Walk, jog slowly.

After about a quarter mile we were able to get into a steady pace, at about .75 mile I heard her phone say we were keeping a 10.09 minutes per mile pace and I knew I could go just a titch faster and have a slight chance to get a PR.

 

So I had to leave her behind. But it was ok, with 3000 people on course and it being a small course, there was no chance of getting lost. The roads were shit, I saw 3 people fall and another guy trip badly.

I was feeling good at a mile, keeping pace with 2 other girls who looked good and strong, just my speed.

At 2 miles I knew I had a little more in me and it was going down hill but I had NO idea of how the course went, its turns of hills or anything. So for the first half of the last mile it was gently sloped downhill and I went a bit faster, thinking I wish it would turn because we have to go back up this hill. The turn around was in the middle of the mile and on the way back I figured out Linda was about 30-45 seconds behind me. I handed her my small water bottle and kept going. I had no watch on myself so I had no idea of my time but I still felt good.

 

The hill was a bugger and it slowed a lot of people down but I stayed strong and passed many of the people who had passed me earlier. One couple in gray shirts who had jumped in front of me earlier & then slowed down and blocked me were now beside me again and I passed their asses and didn't look back.

With 1/10 mile remaining, it was still a bit uphill and we couldn't see the finish line. They had strategically placed it behind a sharp turn.

 

I finally saw it and was pretty glad and I didn't stop running until I was over the line, both blue lines. Most people were stopping before then but that's just stupid, the race isn't over until you cross it.

 

I was there in time to see Linda FINISH and got this cool picture and shes even smiling.

 

Then we went and ate bagels and tacos; there was a taco truck contest and you got to vote for them. And buy tacos, online they made it sound like you would get free tacos, but no, we had to buy really expensive small tacos from street vendors. I had a shrimp taco, it was OK. Just OK. But I was starved since breakfast had been 5 hours earlier and the bagels weren't enough. And the bagels were dry.

 

And finally the beer garden was open and both of us were BEER VIRGINS before today. Today we actually took advantage of the free booze being offered and we collected it.

We had strawberry 'Ritas.

Yum.

 

We didn't wait for the band of anything like that, we just decided to go home.

One the way back to the car Linda took a picture of the UW arena and I took a picture of her taking a picture.

 

I finished in about 32:40, that's the time on the clock. I actually was a bit faster than that because I crossed the start line about 30-45 seconds after the official start time.

And of course we forgot to check our results before we left. And of course they aren't posted online yet.