I realize now that I should have tried to actually RUN a little more, instead of at the very end to make it look good as I crossed the finish line.
Because, if I had RAN just a little more and actually passed up a couple more people, I would have not had to wait around another hour in the freezing cold to get the medal I just earned.
It's a major award and I earned it....
And as I crossed the finish line a volunteer was supposed to hand me one....
I watched as the runner in front of me got his....
And heard the volunteer tell me...wait for it...
"We're out of medals."
Say what????
You are out of medals???? I walked for that medal. I paid for that medal - this run was not cheap!!!
Ok, so maybe that is not totally fair. Come to find out, they just ran out of medals at the 5k finish line.
I could go to the 10k finish line and get my medal. Or I could wait a few minutes and they would send some from the 10k finish to the 5k finish. My choice.
Ok, I could wait a few minutes. I was still warm from walking/running (a little).
Well the few minutes turned into over an hour - I kid you not. The wait was longer than it took me, or any one else for that matter, to run/walk 5k. By that time, I was freezing - as were the nearly 100 hundred other runners/walkers who finished the 5k behind me (I wasn't last as I had feared all week- yay me!).
It was not a pleasant wait. They kept telling us that the medals would be sent to different locations near the finish...wait right here, no wait over there, no we will bring them here.....
And then, when the box of medals finally arrived, it was handed to the unnamed (because I do not know it) person (I will not say gentleman, because he is not) in charge. Mr. Non-Gentleman grabbed the box and literally plowed (like a football linebacker) through the crowd of waiting finishers, actually knocking into me (and a few others) almost dropping me/us to the ground. He ran right through us and kept going 100 yards to the food tent where we had been told the medals would definitely not be sent (after we had been told they would be there and then not and then yes and then...).
[Sigh]
There were other snafus along the way that kind of irked a few of us....conflicting packet pickup instructions, and changing parking and busing info. The event is the first annual, so the planning should only get better, right? I am not sure I will make the trip back next year to find out. It was pretty expensive to begin with and I am not sure I trust them to plan better enough next year to make it worth it. Standing in the cold for an hour was the last straw. Granted, we could have waited in the over-warm, overcrowded gift shop but every few minutes we were told the medals were on the way. I just did not realize that it would take the same amount of time to go 3 miles by car that it took me on foot. My bad.
But all in all it was a fun walk through downtown Cleveland.
And there were posters along the way with trivia about the movie.
And there was plenty to do downtown had I chosen to stick around, but a hot bath seemed to be calling...
And best of all, I had a personal best time: 55:56.7
OK, so maybe it is not that great, but it was my first official walk,and I can only get better, right?
And my daughter and her friend, who actually ran fast enough to not have to worry about getting get a medal before they ran out, also had personal bests....under 35 minutes.
Yay us!
So I may not do the Christmas Story Run next year, but I have resolved to keep walking and to register to walk in at least one other run this spring.
Who knows, next time I may even RUN a little more than the last 10 yards:)
No comments:
Post a Comment