I just ran my first 5k! And there were zombies!
Yesterday I participated in the first
Run For Your Lives event and survived the whole thing. Wanna hear about my day? Yes you do.
My run time was registered for 3:00, so we left for Baltimore before 11:00. At 12:45, we were 4 miles from the event parking lot when we hit the traffic. Apparently, 10,000 participants tend to block up single-lane roads. By 2:00 we had traveled approximately 1 mile, and knowing I would be late for my time slot, I got out and started walking. 40 minutes and 3 miles later, I had walked a "warmup 5k" and got on the shuttle bus to the event. The bus dropped us off about half a mile from the actual entrance, so more walking ensued. At the event entrance, I was greeted by a friendly security employee who made sure I didn't have any food in my bag, and told me that my bottle of water would have to go in the trash(how else are they going to sell their own bottles for $4?). By 3:00 I had picked up my race packet, checked my gear and got in line to start the wave, just as it left without me. No matter, they let me take the 3:30 wave and I was off!
The course was actually very enjoyable. Kudos to the zombie actors and the makeup crew. We climbed over obstacles and slogged through numerous mud pits, all the while guarding our precious flags from the zombies all around. It was a blast! My final time was 48.16.1 which was waaaaay slower than my usual time, but that was one exhausting course! After I slid under the chain-link fence to cross the finish line, I stepped on the "Not a Zombie" sensor pad and got my completion medal. Loved the free water and bananas.
Then the fun started. About an hour later(5:00), the rest of the people in my group had parked the car and made it through the gates. I rinsed off with the provided freezing hose water and changed into dry clothes in the designated changing area, an open field. After everyone got a chance to run, it was getting dark. Hundreds of people from neighboring states who spent hours waiting in their cars and at least $100 got turned away for a chance to run.
But I got a ticket for a free beer, which is oh so valuable to someone under 21.
So we were fed up, as were many others, and walked back to the shuttle bus line. Spent about an hour there waiting in the dark. One group of guys even tried to buy my place in line. It went something like this:
(while pushing some money at me and practically yelling)"Heeeey Chris my man thanks for holding our spot in line!" (then in a hushed voice) "Come on dude we've got something important to get to."
I politely declined "I don't think so, pal."
And they walked off with a pleasant "Man, fuck that asshole..."
Needless to say, my dignity is worth more than three dollars.
So yeah, not an enjoyable experience.
