I paid my money and was handed a shirt. I asked, "Do I get a number?" and was told, "No, this isn't a timed run." I don't even know what that means.
The start was announced as, "Go down to the road and make a right." So I marched down to the road, asking someone along the way, "Is this the start?" "It is for me," the fellow runner replied. OK then, I guess we're off.
Five minutes in, my pace was just under eight minutes per mile. That's just sad, I do that on my own with no one watching.
I picked up the pace a bit running behind a red-shirt, until he took a stroller from someone along the way and started pushing it along. I passed him and a few others.
The last lap ended with a sprint. When I drove up I noticed a checkered flag at the side of the road. The announcer said something about it being one mile to go, actually I think she said it was the one mile mark. But when I passed it I took off, passing a few more people along the way.
I pulled my phone out to see how far I had to go (via Nike+,) and was informed I had run 3.4 miles. I kept going, even though I didn't see a finish line. I jumped over a low saw horse barrier and tapped my phone again, (I guess I hit the wrong button because a few minutes later the robotic female voice said, "30 minutes...")
I think I did the 3.5 miles in around 26 minutes. I have no idea where I placed, and I'm not even sure if I even finished in the right spot. But it was 60 degrees out, not too tough, and after the race I joked with the red-shirt about, "This guy had time the kidnap a baby along the way."
Not bad for a preseason race. But if they're not going to give us numbers before the race, at least have a finish line at the end with someone saying, "You're 8th, you're 9th, you're 10th..."
