I knew months in advance that I wanted to participate in this race. Last year I fell in love with the Rock'n'Roll race series and was thrilled that finally I would not have to travel to participate in one.
My experience began on Saturday when I ventured downtown to visit the expo and pick up my race bib. I expected crowds; what I did not expect was a two-hour wait just to enter the expo. In my humble opinion, the venue selected for this event was a poor choice given the sheer volume of people expected to attend. The police enforced a strict limit on the number of people that could be in the building at any given time, and that number was quite low. What surprised me was that while I was inside it felt pretty empty considering the number of people waiting outside!
I spent that night downtown since I live outside of the city and it would have been a bit of a commute to get downtown in time for the start of the race. Some old friends hosted me for the night and fed me a delicious carb-heavy meal while we caught up on life since we'd last seen each other. Like the night before any race, I slept lightly and woke up often. Finally around 7:00 I pulled myself out of bed and prepared my typical pre-race peanut butter toast and banana. As I drowsily nibbled on my toast I watched the rain streaming down the large dining room window. I'd heard rain falling for most of the night and each time I awoke, prayed that it would stop by morning. Eventually it slowed to a light drizzle, but the unmoving clouds suggested there was more to come. So, I suited up and added a rain jacket and hat to my ensemble, courtesy of my friends.
Around 8:15 I made my way to the Metro and began the short journey to the start line. Since I was staying only twenty minutes from the finish line, I didn't need to leave anything at gear check. As my train inched closer to my stop, the cars filled up with runners of all shapes, sizes, and nationalities who all nervously swayed side to side, checked and rechecked their safety pins, and chatted in hushed tones. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we reached our stop. As we poured out of the train car and shuffled down the packed platform like sardines in a can, I tried to breathe deeply. The low ceilings of the Metro stairway paired with the pressure of the crowd from all sides made me anxious and all I wanted at that very moment was to be above ground. Soon, we emerged and that's when things got really interesting.
Chaos. That's the only way I can describe the scene that unfolded before me as I reached the top of the Metro stairs. People in neon ponchos, police, flashing lights, blaring music; I didn't know which way was up. Like a sheep being led to slaughter, I fell into step with the massive wave of runners marching towards what I could only assume was the starting line. Being a slower runner I was banished to the last corral, so I had to walk for a long time. The official start time of 9:00 am had already been reached before I found my place, but due to the sheer number of people crowding the streets, they had barely moved.
As I inched toward the starting line my pulse quickened with the thumping music blaring from the massive speakers overhead. The emcee pumped up the crowd and before I knew it we were off. As usual I started out running crazy stupid fast, and my energy soon fizzled out. The rain held off for the first five kilometers before giving in to a light mist. By this point I was drenched with sweat from the rain jacket so I peeled it off and tied it around my waist. I knew it would not offer me any protection from the rain but I just couldn't handle how hot the jacket had made me.
A few kilometers of running through the mist gradually progressed into heavier and heavier drops until I was being pelted with heavy rain. Surprisingly I managed to keep my feet mostly dry by avoiding puddles, but somewhere around kilometer 15 I turned a corner that led to an incline and walked right into a huge stream of water that was running down the hill. In those two steps my feet were completely soaked and I plodded through the final stretch with heavy feet. Somehow I still managed to get a good picture on the course!!
Perhaps the most challenging part of this race -- aside from the rain -- was that the final 5 kilometers were a loop around the park where the finish line was. The whole time I could hear cheering and loud music, but I couldn't see anything due to the wall around the park. Each time I turned a corner I encountered more runners who had already finished the race and were heading home with their medals. I got my final wind when I finally entered the park and could see the finish line. I sprinted to the finish and made no effort to pose for the cameras I knew were waiting for me. The rain was coming down in sheets and just streaming off the bill of my hat. I was so thankful for that hat, because without it the rain would have just run down my face.
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| If this doesn't scream hardcore, I don't know what does. |
After crossing the finish line I received my medal, a "poncho", and the typical recovery snacks. There was no place to get out of the rain, so I didn't stick around for very long. After snapping my finish line selfie I made a beeline for the Metro and made my way back to my friends' apartment to shower, get warm, and put my feet up for a bit before heading back to Camarma.
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| I've always wanted to wear a cape. |
Considering the awful conditions I faced on this run, I was quite pleased with my time, which was 2:47:43. It certainly wasn't a PR, but it wasn't my worst time either. I really, REALLY enjoyed running this race so there is a very good chance that I would make a special trip back to Madrid next spring to run again!
