Monday, June 15, 2009

Running update: Tapering and making logistical plans as though I'm invading a foreign country

Hello, Rock 'N Roll Seattle, could you please add a few more obstacles to the race start so that I can do more work BEFORE I RUN 13.1 MILES?

Really, people, this race now embraces every reason why I've previously shunned all non-local races.

The logistics for getting my body from my sister's house in Seattle to the race start in Tukwila on race day will take no less than the following:
  • Getting up in the fours
  • Walking in my running clothes in the dark of night through city streets
  • Taking a city bus
  • Taking a shuttle
  • Navigating neighborhoods in which I have never been
  • Making use of the Gear Bag Drop Zone so I don't have to carry/wear my pre-run hoodie
And that's all AFTER I fly across two states just to get to the right town.

People, I put less effort into planning my wedding day than I'll have to put into getting myself to the starting line of this race. And to compare logistics to my previous half-marathons, logistics for getting my body to the race start in San Jose has included no less than the following:
  • Get up in the sevens for an 8am race start
  • Park 1/4 mile from my corral
  • Leave all my non-essentials with Bubba and/or the dog (she carries her backpack to races)
  • See you in a few hours!
So, just so you know, I'm not going to spend my Taper stressing out about OH MY GOD HOW WILL I RUN ALL THOSE HILLS because I'll be too stressed trying to figure out OH MY GOD HOW WILL I GET TO THE RACE.

And that, to me, seems retarded.

I kinda wonder if by the time I actually get to the race and am standing in my corral whether I'll even have the mental stability to put one foot in front of the other to run 13.1 miles back to Seattle.

It's possible that I won't. It's possible that I will have to call my sister and beg her to drive to Tukwila to pick up my bewildered ass. It's possible that I will cry or scream in the face of strangers. It's also possible that my allergies are making me dramatic and the thought of running 13.1 miles anywhere right now sounds positively impossible.

I guess I'm just not trying to think about the honest answer to the question that ran through my head during my final long training run and that was, "What sense does it make to fly, bus, shuttle and walk across two states just so that you can run 13.1 miles?"

Because running is, like SO fun and everything that, by all means, we should create intricate travel plans just so we can go take part in this Super Fun activity in another town. Uh huh.

Right now, I'm settling for the answer, "Friend and family visits also happen in Seattle, so it's not like you're just going to run. Because that would be silly."

And I'm right, that would be silly. If by "silly" I mean "insane". Which I do.

So, if you're running this race and, say, live in Seattle and have some nuggets of inspiration or suggestions about how I might torture myself less just getting to the fucking race start, please, say something.

Otherwise, you can all assume I'm working through my Taper while calculating bus routes and waking hours with a look of sincere concern on my face.

Hey, at least I'm not worrying about the hills now. As much.

10 comments:

  1. You crack me up. I have no wisdom to offer you, but I do have a question. My sister and her husband are running Grandma's half marathon this weekend, and I want to be helpful as they run past my cheering spot. I was gonna give them sliced oranges in a baggie. Yes? The race people hand out bananas. I feel like a nice juicy orange could be a real treat. Am I smokin' crack?

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  2. Orange wedges are my post-race favorite. If I were to be in the midst of running a race though, I'd just want one wedge that I could stick in my mouth, suck down and spit out. I think a baggie would get in the way - but that's just me. Otherwise, it sounds like a REALLY nice thing for you to do.

    And bananas are gross when you're running, IMHO. Too sticky and gloopy.

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  3. First off I want you to know that I spent a great deal of time planning for your wedding and absolutely no time planning to run.

    Secondly. Um...taxi?

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  4. When you say "corral," I picture all the runners in their little shorts milling about and mooing like cows.

    I'm sure it's not nearly so amusing in real life.

    Good luck. May the Force be with you.

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  5. I'd vote for a taxi. Public transit systems scare me because I'm easily lost. I'd literally end up exactly where I'm not supposed to be which is why I rely on the buddy system. That way it's not always my fault.

    And to Alevin & Company- is that the Grandma's race in DULUTH??? If so, I live in Superior and I'm watching the race too! Small world!

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  6. Hi, delurking to say the following: navigating through Seattle is hell on earth no matter what. I'll second the commenter who suggested a taxi. Bf and I just road tripped up and down the west coast and nearly strangled each other every time we drove there while shouting "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS CITY?!" (which was only made worse by the inability to purchase liquor anywhere other than liquor stores [which close at 7 pm!?!?]).

    I'm telling you, WA is backwards!

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  7. Decca - Yes, well, now you see how much planning has gone into this race. A LOT. Although I'm liking the idea of taking a cab to DT Seattle more and more as people suggest it.

    Good call. You might just be saving my ass here.

    Kris - It's surprisingly similar, actually. We are all milling around, looking into the other corrals, bumping into one another. It's awkward and annoying and smells much like a cow pasture.

    OK, it doesn't smell too much like a cow pasture, but some of those freaks do a warm up run BEFORE the half marathon and so, they stink a little.

    Thank you for The Force.

    Sara - Ok, vote #2 for a taxi. I'm warming up to this idea.

    Kara - Vote #3. I might just call it "three's a charm" and book my cab now. Once I get a final weigh in from my sister (who is well versed in the public transpo system in Seattle), I'll make my final decision. But let's face it, I'm WAY more concerned about getting to the right place at the right time than I am about being The Girl Who Navigated Seattle in Running Shorts at 4am, so we know how this is going to go.

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  8. Thank you for the opinion! I will skip the baggie and just give them each a nice orange wedge.

    Sara, it is in Duluth! Small world!

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  9. Hmmm...you are a dedicated runner to go to all these extremes.

    My only suggestion is to contact the local running club and see if they have a carpool or member living near your sister willing to give you a ride to/from. Offer the driver a jar of your homemade jam as a thank you.

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  10. Everything will be fine. And those hills? Pfff! You're gonna cruise them like nothin' girl.

    (I did always wonder why people travel so far to race. I think I'm staying close to home.)

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[2013 update: You can't comment as an anonymous person anymore. Too many douchebags were leaving bullshit SPAM comments and my inbox was getting flooded, but if you're here to comment in a real way like a real person, go to it.]

Look at you commenting, that's fun.

So, here's the thing with commenting, unless you have an email address associated with your own profile, your comment will still post, but I won't have an email address with which to reply to you personally.

Sucks, right?

Anyway, to remedy this, I usually come back to my posts and post replies in the comment field with you.

But, if you ever want to email me directly to talk about pumpkins or shoes or what it's like to spend a good part of your day Swiffering - shoot me an email to finnyknitsATgmailDOTcom.

Cheers.