Post-expo on Saturday, I went to Road Runner Sports and picked up the right size of the CW-X tights - SO GLAD I MADE THE TRIP. These things were lifesavers. I also grabbed a couple Undercover Cami Bras that were on sale, and I have to say that I'm completely thrilled with them. I don't have a whole lot going on in that department, exactly, so support has never really been my issue. But the fabric is super soft and they're seamless, which is delightful. Plus, the bottom band is nice and wide, so it covers the heart rate strap for the Garmin. Win win!
I tried to relax for the rest of the afternoon and evening. My mom made her tuna casserole, which was another delicious excuse to carbo-load. Then I laid everything out, called David, and went to bed. By the grace of God and the exhaustion of walking around and running errands all day, I actually ended up getting a good night of sleep, which I know made a huge difference in how I felt on Sunday.
The alarm went off hatefully early on Sunday... 4:50 am, to be exact. I was planning on leaving my house at around 5:30 to get to the starting area (let's take bets on whether or not that happened) and I wanted to give myself plenty of time to wake up and get ready. Obviously I hit the snooze button. Please. But eventually I got up and got moving, and forced my dad to take some more obnoxious pictures. Unfortunately, due to camera trouble, they turned out blurry... but I will make you look at one anyway. This was what I called my "running fast" pose.
My dad was nice enough to drive me down to the starting area, and got me all set for the cold. Luckily, there was no rain or snow on Sunday... we were all a little worried since Saturday was so rainy. That being said, Sunday was COLD. What you see in the running fast pose is what I was planning on actually running in - the 3/4 tights, a Nike Dri-Fit Tank, and random blue Nike jacket I got at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and have no idea what it is specifically. Do you recognize that jacket from the expo? Yeah. I apparently don't believe in laundry. But again, I digress. What I ended up wearing to the starting line was all that, plus long armwarmers, fleece gloves, a throwaway turtleneck, and two garbage bags. I was the prettiest girl at the race.
Glaring at the camera... still blurry. Forgive me. Don't zoom in, your head will explode.
And yes, what you see behind me is, indeed, a donut shop. Lamar's Donuts, specifically, otherwise known as some of the best donuts on the planet. We stopped here before heading over to the drop off area so that I could get my race number and trash bags on. Gorgeous. My dad liked the irony, so we got some good "Jessica with the donut shop" pictures.
Yes, that's me... corral 14. This is the corral you get put in when they ask you for a finishing time and you laugh for a few minutes before you realize that they're serious, and that there are people who are actually going for a time rather than simply trying to run the race and not die before crossing the finish line.
After the donut shop photoshoot, my dad dropped me off near the starting line, and I spent some time walking around. This might not have been the smartest idea before running that many miles, but it was about 35 degrees outside and walking kept me warm. Plus, I was trying to find the fancy schmancy VIP Porta Potty area. Yup. You read that correctly, kids. Brooks does a VIP Porta Potty deal for many of the Rock 'n Roll events (maybe all, I'm not completely sure). I laughed when I first found out about it, and wasn't even planning on trying to get into it, but it turns out that if you spend enough money on the Rock 'n Roll merchandise, you gain access. And we all know I rock at spending money, so there I was, with a little VIP Porta Potty sticker.
If you're planning on running one of the Rock 'n Roll races this year, GET THE VIP PORTA POTTY PASS. This thing is a game changer. My only complaint about the whole thing was that they didn't explain where the VIP area was, so I spent a long time wandering around looking for it. But in that time, I passed the rows and rows of porta potties with at least 25 people waiting for each one. Yikes. And just to be clear, I HATE porta potties. Hate them. I will avoid them at all costs. So when I actually found the VIP area, I was thrilled - it wasn't porta potties! There were two trailers, one for men and one for women, that were "climate controlled" (read: HEATED, praise the heavens), and had four tiny little stalls. The toilets flushed and there were real sinks with real water and real soap. When I got there, it was only about 20 minutes until the first corral was set to start, and yet I only waited behind about 7 or 8 other women. Delightful. And at the end, a Brooks volunteer offered me Lifesaver mints and Shot Bloks on toothpicks! It was so cute I could barely stand it. Did you hear me, kids? GET THE VIP PORTA POTTY PASS. You can laugh at first, but you will thank me. I promise.
After my porta potty adventures, and bonding with some really nice women in line who thought it was relatively hilarious that I was wearing trash bags (say what you will, but I was warm), it was time to get my iPod on, get the Garmin on, and head over to the starting line. So...
Coming soon (finally)... Rock 'n Roll Denver Half Marathon Recap Part Three: The Race!
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