Oh goodness what a race! I normally hate to race this late in May, but was persuaded by the free entry to the waterpark that usually costs $29 dollars to enter. Race registration was $13 dollars for the run, t-shirt, and waterpark, so heck ya I’m there!
I would like to know how we can go from BEAUTIFUL non humid, but warm, weather to scorching hot and humid in 7 days? GAH!!!
Ok, so here we go….
The night before the race we made a big boo boo by stuffing our faces at a casino buffet with my parents. Clearly, I didn’t think this thing through and knew it was going to hurt us the next morning. We rolled out of bed at 6, and I was already SO not feeling it. We headed to the race and stepped out of the car…Oh. my. gosh. I started to INSTANTLY sweat and couldn’t breathe from the humidity. I checked the weather on my phone…it was 87 degrees with 94% humidity, and sunny. Awesome. I already felt yucky from all the bad food, and now I was sweating in the hot sun before the race even started. This was NOT going to go well!
The gun went off, and I took off. I did a better job of not starting out too fast this time, I think my first mile was around 8:45. I felt like I never really warmed up or got in a groove. My legs felt so heavy, and my lungs felt like they were filling with water, and I couldn’t get a good full breathe. I made it to the turn around and got some water and dumped most of it on my head. I had been keeping up with an older man, one step behind/beside him for the whole race. When we hit mile 2.5, I just couldn’t keep up anymore. I was cramping so badly and had to walk for a second. he turned around and motioned for me to come on, I gave him the thumbs up and told him to go on ahead. At this point I pretty much lost motivation. I just didn’t care anymore and wanted to be done. I kept a slow jog after that, and finally saw the finish line
I did manage to pass someone right at the end, but had that awful “I’m going to vomit” feeling the last mile of the race. Oh boy I hate that feeling!
Bobby, keep your day job. Photography isn’t your thing.
I crossed the finish line in 29:29 says my Garmin. There were 360 people running, so I started a few seconds back. (No timing chips)
I was SO happy to be done! I was literally covered in sweat from head to toe. Misery!
Bobby took this RIGHT after I finished.
Don’t you like how good I am at putting my race bib on straight? awesome. The face says it all, people.
We got a towel from the car so I could dry off, it was like I had just gotten out of a swimming pool. Yuck. Bobby said he felt awful from the get go as well, and ran over a minute slower than last week also. Wew ere a pathetic pair. When we got back to the car he felt like he was going to throw up, and he had to sit down. I had a picture of him, but for some stupid reason when I sent the pictures to my e mail they didn’t come out, and I deleted the pics from my phone gggrr….
We got our swimsuits etc. out of the car and headed into the waterpark to change and get some refreshments they had for us before the awards were handed out. As we were walking out of the parking lot there was some poor girl about my age puking her guts out. It was that hot and humid folks. No one was handling it well!
When I changed clothes my shirt was so wet I literally could wring it out and water dripped off. SO gross! We got some fruit and Gatorade and waited for awards. Out of 360 people, Bobby came in 77th, and I came in 126th. I was 5th in my age group. Of course the girls who were 1st and 2nd were 2nd and 3rd female overall, running in 21 and 22 minutes. I didn’t have a chance ha! But, the winner of my age group won last week with a time of 19 something and she ran a 21 something so it looks like everyone was a couple minutes slower today, which made me feel a little better!
I already posted about the waterpark on Saturday, so all in all it was a good day. Not exactly how I had hoped the race would turn out, but it used to be a “bad/slow/hot” race for me was 32-33 minutes, and now its 29:30, so I will chalk that up to improvement and be happy with it!
QOTD: Do you run races when it’s really hot out? I GENERALLY don’t race June-August, unless it’s something really special or just for fun, not trying to “race.”
I am so sorry your race didn’t go well, but you still did great considering how you felt and the conditions. Congrats!
While the disappointment of a bad race sucks, I kind of think they’re like bad runs. You need them to appreciate the good ones! I know you’ll have another great race again soon 🙂
A lot of my races are in April/May then only 2-3 in June/July/August then about 6 in Sept-December.
I try to do a few late morning runs in the summer to help get used to the heat that I would feel in a race.
I live in South Carolina, and although it wasn’t quite THAT hot and humid for my race Saturday, it was close. Temperature had to be close to 80 with similar humidity. Didn’t see anyone throwing up, but they did have sprinklers there for us and a lot of people said it was tougher and that their times were off. I find it so funny when I read blogs from people who don’t live in the south and they talk about running 5Ks in June and July and I’m like yeah around here it all stops around the end of May, people don’t even try haha.
Pre-race eating is always so difficult… you want to fuel your body but then you hate to run with so much food in your tummy too. It sounds like you guys had a good time at the race though and then the water park, for such a cheap entry fee that is a steal! Most races here are $25-30 and don’t offer waterpark entry, some of them hardly offer refreshments, lol.
A.L.
Doing your best at your worst is one of the things that will make you stronger. Knowing that you did the best that you could under the circumstances should make you feel really good about yourself. 🙂 Embrace the sweat and the pain. Seriously, since I’ve started looking at it that way, I feel like a warrior.
Great job! It is so hot to run when it is that humid. I can hadle hot but I detest humid. I didn’t run at all this weekend and that is what deterred me.
I don’t normally do races June – August either but I somehow managed to get a number for the Peachtree Road Race here in Atlanta this year so I’ll be doing a 10K on the 4th of July. Ugh.
Oh girl, that just sounds miserable! My goodness, sorry it was so hot and humid. 🙁 At least you got the benefit of the waterpark, though, haha! 🙂
I think you should be proud of yourself, I know how hot and humid it is over here, completing a 5k is out of the question for me… so I think a congratulations is definitely in order!
I love summer races! I hate racing in the cold. 🙂 You did great. Keep it up.
Hi! I found your blog from “I Run Because… I Can.” The heat/humidity is killing me, too. Can it just be November again? I just started running in October so this will be my first summer to race, but I plan on keeping it up even if there will be no PRs. I live in Texas and we have races called “Hottest Half” and “Too Hot to Handle”- in July and August. I plan to do them, though I’m not sure why. 😉
Said I wasn’t racing anymore till fall but got talked into a 5k next Sat… for the local school that serves developmentally delayed kids so I couldn’t say now… at least it starts at 7:15am so hopefully won’t be too awful. Debating doing Castaway Cay 5k just to say I did it but thinking racing in carribean in June is probably a sure sign of insanity 🙂
There really aren’t many races around here in July/August because of the humid heat, although I have raced in mid-July. It either rains or is crazy hot!
I am a complete spaz about having my bib straight. I don’t know why exactly, but I’m a nut about it – although I didn’t notice that yours was crooked until you mentioned it!
sorry the weather wasn’t ideal but at least even all hot a sweaty you still look super cute and managed a really good run (i would be excited for a sub 30 under perfect conditions.). 🙂 and being able to hit the waterpark afterward is a great added bonus. 🙂
aw thanks!
OMG my mom is in one of your pics…3rd pic down, to the right with the sunglasses on, how funny…I to did not have a great race time, I was around 31…usually have a sub -30. It was hot but well worth it for the waterpark day!
Too funny you were there too! Yes so hot! I ran a 5k the week or two before and ran a 28 and it even had 2 hills. Pursuit 5k was pure torture. The waterpark was fun though! That’s why we did it, too!