Follow up on the weekend race recaps

I had just a few notes to add to the weekend race recaps.

First -- and foremost -- the lady with the cane was not at Saturday's race like I had expected she would be.  She was, however, at the half-marathon!  I saw her shortly after we started and was "Dammit!  Lady with a cane!!"  I am happy to say that she was behind me the entire time.  Actually, that could be why she didn't recognize me when I saw her face to face; she's using to seeing my backside ;) 

Reason to Run continues to put on some of the best after-race spreads of any of the races I've been in.  It's more than enough to compensate for the prayer they do before each race and the lack of experience in the other areas of the race (the awards are always goofed up).  There is always a ton of food -- too much, really, they always end up trying to get us to all take more food with us -- and it's good stuff too, bagels, peanut butter, bananas.  In fact, the Race for the Roses people this year could have taken lessons.  I was less than impressed with the Roses this year.  Their food was almost all sit down stuff you needed utensils for:  cereal, coffee cake, yogurt.  Literally a couple of cups of water on the table.  I want stuff I can grab and shove in my mouth. 

There was also very little going on after the race.  No swag; last year they had some awesome chapstick and running socks.  I was standing next to the people giving out roses for several minutes before I finally asked if I could please have my rose.  No medals this year, which is fine, but instead they did after-race photos.  I looked like I'd been dragged several miles across pavement after the race; I really didn't need to immortalize that.  A before-race picture would have been better.  Or even a free race pic. 

They had pace leaders this year for the half and when I saw the 12:00 minute mile pace leader I had to laugh.  At least 70, hunched over form, white hair, ambiguous gender (I think it was a woman, but I wouldn't swear to it).  Yeah, but I wasn't laughing towards the end of the race when I saw that granny/gramps had somehow snuck past me -- way past me. 

Lastly, I wanted to give a big thanks to Radioactive Girl for her fabulous comment on my pre-race post.  Her words (with an Aussie accent, natch) definitely came to mind several times during the race and did much to inspire me when I was feeling my lowest (and slowest).  Now I just wish I'd seen her post about her kitty before the race as well; I'm still laughing.

Cheers,
the CilleyGirl