This past Saturday was the Revlon Run/Walk event. I’m calling it a 5K, but technically it was 3.5 miles (in case you didn’t know, a 5K is 3.1 miles).
This race holds a special place in my heart. The Revlon Run/Walk in 2008 was my very first 5K. My dad and I did it together.
Even though it was a very crowded event, my dad and I also decided to do the race in 2009.
I hadn’t done this race since then, but since I have a goal this year to do 5 5Ks, I figured why not add this one to the list?
My best friend, Kate, also decided to do this 5K with me. She did the Hollywood Half 5K too, but she ran that and waited for me at the finish line. This time, she was willing to walk with me (and I’m grateful that she did).
The morning of the 5K, we took the lightrail to where the start line was (much easier than driving and parking there!). The race started at 9am, and as soon as we got off the train we both noticed how warm it was. We found a water station by the start line, drank some water, and waited in the shade by the start for the race to begin.
Finally, we were off. Not moving very quickly, but we were moving. And pretty much right away, we both were feeling the heat (turns out, it was about 83 degrees when we started).
We made it to mile 1 with no problem. A little slower than I’d like, but that’s ok.
From mile 1 to mile 2, we were both starting to feel a bit cranky. It was a combination of the heat, the crowd, and I’m thinking dehydration.
After we saw the mile 2 marker, we knew we were past the halfway mark. Somehow, that last mile almost got me. We walked right past the lightrail station as we were walking. If I wasn’t so gung-ho on getting my medal at the end of the race, I might have just ended it there. I was hot, sweaty, and starting to be in pain.
Finally, we entered the coliseum, where the finish line was. We entered the tunnel to go onto the field, and was so beyond happy to literally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
We crossed the finish line, got our medals, and grabbed some water and snacks. I took a quick victory photo so I could email it to my parents.
And then we went straight to the lightrail to go home. We were both so miserable and tired. I got sunburnt (despite wearing SPF 50 that morning) and I just wanted to get home and shower.
After I was home, I reflected a bit on this race. Honestly, it was pretty awful. Kate agreed with me that this was the most unbearable race she’s ever done (and she’s done a bunch of big ones). But I did finish, and that’s important.
There’s a picture I’ve seen on Pinterest a couple of times. It’s a photo of someone walking at a race, and the caption says “You are still lapping everyone on the couch”. That’s how I have to feel about this race. My time sucked, I had a pretty bad time, but I did it and crossed the finish line. That’s more than a lot of people could say.
Hopefully, my 5K that I have in 3 more weeks goes a lot better. Oh well. Here’s to finishing #3!
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