My First 5k

New Year's Eve is a time for reflection...

Notes on the Portland First Run 2010

• At the start, I could see the full moon, and stars shining between the clouds. It was warm, about 50.


• By the end, I was completely drenched, every layer soaked and clinging to the skin, and the temperature had gotten a lot colder. (I would've thought I would have felt a bit warmer, at least while I was moving.)


• The city had shut down Naito parkway so we could run in the road. Along the route, people came out onto their balconies and cheered as we went past. We were part of the New Year's show.


• At the start of the run, I remember one couple sprinting alongside on the sidewalk. He was wearing a suit, she had taken off her high heels and was running in her short silvery glitter dress. They weren't part of the run, but I was impressed with their sprinting ability.
  


• At the party afterward, all I wanted was a cup of water. None of the runners I saw had one. Every volunteer I asked pointed me toward a booth where they were selling bottles of water. After the crowd had cleared, I finally found a table off in a corner where one guy was pouring water into cups. There were dozens of cups of water sitting there untouched.


• Maybe it was something I ate. Earlier in the day, I thought my stomach was tying itself in knots because of race nerves or something, but it still hurt after I was on my way home. It did seem a bit unfair that in a Max train where I was probably one of the few sober people, I was the one feeling nauseated.


• According to a self-appointed expert I met on the train, the newer Max cars can hold 947 people. If so, that's how many people I shared the ride home with. It was quite a festive atmosphere, like the party had spilled out of the bars and onto the train instead. Very happy group. It was sardine-room only, but still they cheered when one last optimist squeezed onto the train -- with his bicycle and a drum set. And for some reason, the crowd sang the National Anthem on the way home.

Dancing in the streets... or at least on the curb...

Summary: Despite my best intentions, I went out too fast at the start (it was either go fast or go under -- the crowd was packed tightly together and even the people dressed as walkers for some reason started out at a run). I ended up getting winded and walking a lot more than I'd planned, which is discouraging. Nevertheless, my calf muscles are sore today, so I must have gotten something of a workout. I think my sour mood today is based partly on the lack of sleep. I went to bed after four, and the dog got me up early because she needed to use the facilities. You'd think a dog that smart would've worked out how to let herself out.