The Commoner Races by the Sea

Yesterday was one of my favorite races.  It's also my first race ever and I had not had the chance to go back since.  The Wharf to Wharf race in Santa Cruz.

Today was extra special because after the race we were getting in the car for the  stinkiest drive ever to Newport Beach for vacation.

The last time I ran this I didn't really run and coach Bob didn't run at all he was the crew.  My friend Janet did it with me and we pretty much walked the whole thing.

That's me at the finish-walking.

This year is 4 years later and I don't have a picture.  They gave us corrals this year and I put myself in 2.  Coach Bob was in 1.  Coach Bob ran a 2 mile warm up. I just walked alot and stretched out my Butt-hip which DIDN'T HURT AT ALL NOT ONE SINGLE BIT!  This is my Happy Dance

I also didn't have to stop or walk-except for water-this is huge progress.

This race is fun and similar to Bay to Breakers in a lot of ways.  This is a summary

THey are lucky I started in Corral 2

The Stinky Car

• Find the parking lot

• Get on the shuttle school bus which was Rob's first school bus ride
• Walk to the corrals where we had to show our number-which was very cool.  
• Walk around and use several port-a-potties  (no hand sanitizer at any of them-that's a deduction
• bought a cup of coffee
• did high knee kicks
• made funny jokes about being at the elite corral 

Then Rob went for his run and I went to another port-a -potty which had no line and stood in my crowd

Other than separate starts for every corral which meant there was no way I could beat the Kenyans in the elite corral

This race is fun because of the crowd, organization of it, the scenery and the course.

I did great.  I finished

463 in my Age group out of 1886
2123 Among Women out of 7902
4508 Overall out of 12671

This is the first race where I actually placed that high believe it or not.  Usually I'm at the half way number so I'm super happy.

I also beat everyone I knew except my friend Janet who wasn't even there .  I'm very comptitive so that was important-to beat everyone I knew

Except coach Bob who ran super fast.

Not lost to me was the fact that while I was doing my 10K and missing 8 miles of training running for a Sunday.  My cousin Charlie, several bloggers I follow, and some cyclists that I used to race with were competing in the Iron Man in Lake Placid.

That's 2. something mile swim (2 MILES?  IN THE WATER) followed by 114 mile bike ride and a marathon.  That's right a marathon.

That's alright good for them.

I changed in the parking lot -yes changed EVERYTHING in a parking lot -we got in our stink car and off we drove to get to vacation.