So one month after the accident that wreaked so much havoc in my life I finally run a race. I went to one two weeks ago, but I was concerned about slipping since I was only two weeks out from getting concussed so I skipped it. This time I ran even though it was raining pretty hard, and I'm so glad I did. My time was 35:13 - pretty good! A couple things about this race....
1. Lifetime Fitness in Johns Creek was a major sponsor. That's not the part that bothered me. In order to pick up my race swag and number, I had to sign a liability form. Technically, since I didn't want to sign away my rights since I didn't even want to put up with Lifetime showing off its facilities (I run outdoors to avoid the gym membership trap), signing that form was under duress. Basically makes that form void. Second part to this debacle....if they tried to prevent me from getting my race number, I think it's technically theft by collusion. They can't keep what's rightfully mine away from me like that. It was a good race, but I think they need to revisit allowing such a large corporate entity like Lifetime to use it as one giant commercial. The need to sign additional liability forms on top of the race liability waiver was not communicated when I registered. I think if I knew that I would have been much more pleasant to deal with.
2. Running in the rain really presents some interesting challenges. First, I have been committing a runner's sin for quite some time now. I run in cotton socks. For those that don't know, you should be using socks that are made of a dry-wick material. Since my feet got wet, they never dried. And boy was that cold! In a longer race that could have created bigger problems like blisters. I actually have some on the way that I ordered online, they just haven't gotten here yet. I avoided this purchase for so long because I'm cheap.
Second, I didn't bring the appropriate jacket. I just wore one that was cute and lightweight. It was also made of cotton, and didn't dry after the race. This made me cold once I quit running. You live and learn!
So all in all (aside from making the staff at Lifetime think I was some kind of crazy bitch because I didn't think it was okay to sign away my rights) this race was good. From now on, I will be kicking it into high gear to get ready for the Peachtree. It will be the largest race I've ever been in (I think it's the largest in the US) and the longest distance to date (10k).
Some things I will be considering as I train...
- Hydration on the go. How will I carry a sports drink with me as I train on these longer distances? This is especially important because Georgia summers are super hot and humid.
- To purchase special sunglasses or to not? That is a question for the old wallet, which is feeling a bit light these days.
- Keep using my 5k running pack (fancy word for a fanny pack that's pretty streamlined)? I think I'll have to so I can have my cell phone at the Peachtree. With 55,000 runners running through downtown Atlanta it will be too easy to lose my running buddy.
***I thought of something after I made this post. This race was put on by a local high school's student council. I think they got railroaded by the grown ups, so I definitely don't blame them. I just can't believe it was okay to sign away my right to sue just to get a race number that I already signed a liability waiver for.
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