February Races that Weren't...Part 2

Adorable license plate shirt

My first race of 2014 didn't exactly work out. (See this post.)  I did get the shirt, so that's cool I guess. For my next race, my friend Allyson found this really cute 5k and 10k in Parker, which is about 25 minutes south of Denver, called the "Love 'em or Leave 'em Valentine's Day 5k/10k" in the city of Parker. Once again, I ventured to the "expo" the day before the race to pick up my shirt, number, and any goodies. The volunteers were very friendly; I was happy because I could scope out the path and parking before race day. I scored a 10 minute massage and LOT of mini Larabars and multigrain chips.  Yay for lunch-packing ease!

But oh my goodness, I sure can comically mess up a normal situation. It was rainy during the week, so there was mud and melting snow everywhere. Before I left, I walked Petey Bella in flip-flops because I didn't want to drive in muddy shoes. Once again, I was all prepared. I had my gear: my water bottle, my nuun tablets, my hat, ipod, sunglasses...ready to take on this beautiful day. Oh, did you notice anything missing from that list? Yes, you did. Shoes. One should be prepared for a race with shoes. SHOES!

Blissfully ready to run?

No, you are not ready to run.

I realized this error about 20 minutes before the race was to start. I'm not terribly familiar with any towns and stores around Denver, but especially not Parker. However, there was a silver lining-- Goodwill! I had been through Parker on my way to Castlewood Canyon-- and had to leave early due to torrential rains.  My phone GPS sent me on meandering roads to seemingly absent Target and Wal-mart stores, so I stopped at Goodwill. It was 50% off day, so the place was an absolute zoo. I sprinted to the back of the store, picked up a nice clean paid of Asics...that were a size 5. I hung my head, as only a sad Cinderella could, and picked up a pair of broken-in Swiss Gear trail shoes. They were WAY past their prime, but were my size 8. For 3.99, I was out the door and back on the way to the race. 

I made it to the race, found a parking spot, and saw that the race had already started. There were two different courses-- one for the 5k and one for the 10k. I tightened the laces on somebody else's stinky shoes, took a breath, and decided to go for it. The race had already started, but I was going to give it a shot anyway.  I rounded the first corner, stepped on a puddle of water that in fact turned out to be a sheet of ice, and slipped and crashed on my hand, cutting my palm open. Some nice joggers with a stroller asked if I needed help. 

I came around the next bend and realized that I was on the wrong course. The 10k one, not the 5k. I kept going, looking to see if they intersected and I could get back on the right path. That's when I realized that my hand was throbbing and probably needed to be cleaned, my feet were aching (already) from the ill-fitting shoes, and my bum was wet from slipping in the stupid ice. So I made a choice. The race was called "Love 'em or Leave 'em."

I left 'em.

P.S. What was running through my head as I drove around madly looking for replacement shoes? Katt Williams. Who doesn't bring shoes to a footrace? Me. I mean, Oscar Pistorious has to bring his FEET to a footrace. Glad I at least remembered those. It's NSFW, but it's hilarious...Poor Little Tink Tink.