Spirit Run 10K

EVENT: Spirit Run 10K
DATE: Sunday, March 30, 2008
LOCATION: Newport Beach, CA
RACE BEGAN: 7:00 am
FINISH TIME: 54:33

After 7 half-marathons and 2 fulls, this was my first 10k. My sister looked at me as if I was dorky when I raised my hand when they asked who was running their first one.

I remember taking off very quickly because my third Nike+ Sport Kit chip died on me, and I had nothing to track my pace. At one point, I was able to see the front of the pack, but that did not last long. I slowed down after the first mile and probably some of the other subsequent ones.

It drizzled the whole time as we were running the two large loops around a business area of Newport Beach. At around mile 3, I even saw a sizable rainbow. Because we went around more than once, there were four chances for photographers to capture a pained me. My left calf was extremely tight and never really loosened up. Both quads gradually became stiff, especially on those weeny inclines that seemed like mountains.

By the time I hit mile 4, I thought I was actually at 6. This was one of the longest 6.2 miles of my life (except for marathons)!!! At around mile 5, my sister passed me, and around 5.5, I slowed (not walked) for some water. When I saw the 6 marker, I tried to sprint, which I did for a while but could not sustain. I came in a 54:33, which was a little surprising since I was expecting a 56-something. I'm surprised at how they were able to come up with a time in spite of a lack of chip timing (they used the bib's bar code). How do they do that??

The post-race area was a walk away but nice. I ate a piece of banana, a cube of cheese, a swig of orange juice, and Choklat Crunch samples.

Later on, I found out I had placed second in my division (F 19-24). Apparently college-aged chicks don't run or something. I should have attended the awards ceremony, but I had no idea. But I believe I get a keychain, which, if strung on a thick ribbon, is a "medal." So maybe I didn't run a race without a medal after all.

I'll update later with the race pictures (hopefully) and my fake medal if I get it.