Sunday, March 2, 2008

oh my

Let's just say it wasn't my morning.

8:05am
Get on the subway to go to Coogan's Salsa Blues and Shamrock 5K up at 168th St.  This was good since the A train was running local today.

8:25am
Realize just before 155th Street that I have forgotten my NYRR chip. Uh oh. Get off at 155th St. and get back on the downtown train. Again, the A train was running local

8:46am
Text my running buddy Meryl that she should start without me, if I make it I will be late.

8:50am
Convince a cab dropping someone off outside my building to wait for me. "I'll be going to Washington Heights!" I yell at him.

8:56am
Head up the West Side Highway in said cab. I kind of can't believe he waited for me!

9:07am
168th St. Pay the $18.50 fare with debit card, tip with cash, get receipt. Get out of cab, peeling off sweatshirt and bag. Toss bag at luggage pile at appropriate bib number.

9:09am
Volunteers guide me around the starting line - the finishers are 5 minutes away.  I do not get to cross the start mat with my chip.  Unsure what this will mean for my time.

9:10am
Off and running.  There are about 5 other people in the same late boat as me.  I feel crazed but am happy to just be running.  A few minutes in I am actually passing people.  (About the time the finishers pass me as the course doubles back on itself.)

Mile 1
My right quad, the one that started seizing up toward the end of yesterday's long run, starts to tighten up again. Ugh.

Mile 1.5 - turnaround
Right quad is not having it.  I actually stop and stretch.  Manage to run another couple hundred yards and stop to stretch again.  All the people I managed to pass, are now starting to pass me.

The Next 1.6 Miles
I mostly walk.  Walk.  Ugh.  Every time I try to run, the quad refuses.  I do not want to do permanent damage and a finish time is no longer an issue, so I stretch, walk, stretch, walk - all the way to the finish line.  I am passed by speed walkers, mentors with unhappy middle school-aged runners and skipping fathers with their 7 year old daughters.  I am feeling pathetic.  I have even turned the nike+ off.  

Finish
I'm done.  I retrieve my bag (not hard, there are only about 2 dozen left in the entire pen.)
Grab an undeserved bagel and get back on the A train heading down town.

125th St.
Putting my sweatshirt back on, I notice that the zipper on the arm pocket of my running jacket is open.  This is where I usually keep my driver's license, ATM card and cash.  I pull out $10, my license and.......nothing else.  My ATM card, the one I used in the cab is gone.   I check my pouch (I'd brought my phone to the race) and find only my phone and my metrocard.  All pockets and my bag are checked again.  Nothing.  Nada.  Pretty sure I threw my card and the taxi receipt in the trash can as I threw away a Cliff Block bag right after I got out of the cab.  Or I put it in the arm pocket and it fell out when I took my running jacket off and tied it around my waist.

10:30am
Home at last.  Triple check all pockets and pouches.  The ATM card is officially gone.  I call and report is missing. Sometime today I'll have to figure out what things I have automatically deducted through that account since the number will change.  Total cash on hand? $11

And here's the kicker.  Seems that if you don't cross the starting mat at a race, your time is calculated from the start time of the race.   My finish time on my results reflects the time on the clock when I crossed the finish line.  49:43  Oh well.

Let's hope the day doesn't get any worse!



No comments: