Registration is online and fairly easy. The cost for the 3-way is the same as signing up for all three races separately. At first I wanted a discount for buying the whole enchilada, but I got over that pretty quickly.
Packet Pickup and Expo: This thing is for real and it's done right. It's my favorite expo that I've ever been to. All the volunteers walk around in shirts that say "Grunts" and have pictures of pig snouts. I was curious how many people signed up for the challenge. There were two boxes of packets for the Three way challenge and one box (that seemed very not full) of packets for the Four Way challenge. P&G always has a big presence at the expo and gives away tons of stuff to everyone, not just runners. Mom found some shirts for Jazzercise she liked and got me a couple running shirts too. I also got 3 shirts, one for each race I'm doing, the poster and the 'bag' this year which is a cooler. I was hoping for a replacement of the duffel, but the cooler looks nice. 3-way and 4-way runners can ONLY go to packet pickup on Friday. Once I saw the logistics, it made sense.
10K is the first race on the agenda, 8am Saturday. Mom and Dad came out as my cheer team. Funniest line before the race goes to my mother who was all "I've never seen so many people in line to go to the bathroom". I think they technically had enough port o potties but just barely. The starting line was jammed and it took almost the entire first mile for the racers to get sorted out by pace, and for the walkers to fall all the way to the back. I love that this race is friendly to walkers. There were 3 water stops on the course which is normally a lot. My hydration strategy was somewhat different since I was running so much over the weekend and I did take water or gatorade at each stop and was glad for it. My goal for the race was to run even, not hard, which I was able to do. I knew I had a lot left in the tank when I sped up the last mile and passed about 100 people. (I wish I was exaggerating.) Points for good organization go to the race, because they asked me to wait until after the 5K to get both medals, so I wouldn't have to run 3 miles with a medal around my neck. Smart.
10K recommended for everyone who wants to go that far, walking or running. They do keep the course open for walkers and it's supported with 3 water stops. Yes, three. It's great for racers and experienced runners because it's a challenging course. It's great for newbies because it's so well supported. It's great for everyone in between because it's just that good.
5K. I was able to find my parents in between races and hang out for a few minutes. I tried to stay loose but that was basically impossible, as proven by the 14:00 mile I "ran" as the first mile of the 5K. This race was super friendly to kids and families as well as walkers. I wished this race had corrals even more than the 10K. The corrals should be "adults and high school cross country teams who want to run/race", then "families with kids, elementary school track and cross country teams", then walkers. I almost took out a couple kids on this race, not on purpose or out of frustration, but because they'd sprint by me and then stop in front of me. Also as predicted, this was my slowest race. I again passed about 100 people in the last mile. The volunteers at the finish were awesome, helped me get both my medals and congratulated me. There was also tons of food. Although for some reason my parents can never (and I mean never) navigate from any part of the course to the finish. They need better directions for spectators.
5K recommended for anyone. It's a 5K. There's first timers, racers, schools, walkers, families, everyone. Racers and fasties need to know to get to the front of the pack in front of the school kids. Everyone else, be patient because the course is crowded.
Rest the rest of the day The goal for the rest of Saturday was to rest and eat. I came home, took a hot shower, and got into my compression gear straight away. I stretched for 10-15 minutes then had lunch and napped. Followed by some snacks and another nap, and more snacks. I couldn't eat very much, but I kept trying to get the calories back. We had dinner at a friends house and I came home and went to bed early.
Half-marathon day I got up at the crack of dawn. I like to park near the starting line which is always a bit of an adventure. I usually get down there really early and then have breakfast in the car. Since it always rains on Flying Pig day, I like to be able to stay in the car as long as possible anyways. I had two sets of alarms. One to get me out of bed and a second in case I fell asleep again in the car before the start. Smart.
Starting line - they did a weird thing this year with the port o pots. They had the great wall somewhere that I never found, but they had about ten in each corral (Pig Pen) as well. That looked like such a good idea until it wasn't. By the time the gun blew, each pot had a line about 10 deep in every corral I walked past. I was in corral F (goes up to H), so you know I walked by a lot of people standing in line. It's a chip timed race, so not crucial to start with the gun but it still sucks not to start with your pace group. There was a bit of rain but an impressive sunrise and a great rainbow.
 |
| My face is thrilled - because corral F is literally half mile from the start. |
Finish line - there's always tons and tons of food in the finisher's chute, and tons of volunteers congratulating the runners. The thing I hate the most if how everyone stops while exiting the chute and reuniting with family. It bothers me because usually my legs seize up after the race and it hurts to stop moving. Does that make sense?
Half-marathon recommended for everyone. For experienced runners, it's quite a challenging course with a long climb and a long technical descent. For first time runners, it's one of the most supportive courses I've ever been on, with more water stops and volunteer support than you can believe. For walkers there is a 6 or 7 hour time limit for this course so you do have time to finish.
3-Way 'Premiums' - were possibly the only real fail for race organizers. (They're usually super organized.) I didn't really understand that I'd have to go to a separate place outside the finisher chute to collect the 3-way gear, or what the gear was. I only figured it out when looking at an event map and saw the tent marked "3-way challenge finishers'. Most people never figured it out and the Pig is mailing their gear to them instead. It's not a super big deal and I'm sure they'll do something different next year. (Read: Put the tent in the finisher chute please.)
Safety - I was really curious about safety in light of Boston. We got a couple emails before the race, and then some information at the expo as well. Participants were told not to try and stash any running gear by benches, bushes, under cars, etc because items would be cleared in security sweeps. Bag checks all had to be in clear plastic bags. We were also given extra clear plastic bags for any spectators, so they wouldn't have to carry back packs or large purses (see what I mean about organization, so thoughtful). Runners were told there would be increased police presence on the course. I definitely noticed more presence at the starting line, Saturday with the SWAT team and Sunday with Navy personnel (yes, Navy), but honestly didn't notice too much more along the course. At the finish line, they had much more space between the actual finish and where volunteers were handing out medals and water, but that was the only real difference from last year. Honestly, I appreciated the change.
SWAG - In addition to the awesome course, and awesome volunteers, and awesome organization, the SWAG is also the best. This race is popular for the 50 states club and other marathoners because of the awesome medals. I also got shirts for all three races, plus a bonus shirt for the 3-way. Every year there's a race poster. Every year there's a 'bag' of some kind. I have a duffel, backpack, and this year was a soft sided cooler. I heard there's also a messenger bag but that was the year I missed. Did I mention P&G gives out free stuff at the expo. Last year we came home with toilet paper for a month.
3-way recommended for - nutso runners, anyone who likes to get out of bed super early multiple days in a row, ultra marathoners needing a training challenge. I know my people.
Would I do it again? I signed up for this in the midst of a wild winter. Jackie put it best when she said "mind-f*ck". I knew running would help me feel like a good person, and I knew I'd run more if I had something in mind during training. There are circumstances I'd do it again or do the 4-way (maybe that just once) but I don't think I'd drag my parents around for as much cheering because that wore all of us out.
Instagram
No comments:
Post a Comment