The course route and distance were changed 48 hours before the event, which was challenging after I had planned and prepared for a different experience. This was going to be my first 10k in a long time (like 8 years). I had envisioned a long, gorgeous 10K through the city of Santa Monica and temperatures ranging between 65 and 70°.
The event itself: Where? How long? When? Weather?
The modified course went along Ocean Avenue, with views of the Pacific Ocean on one side and Silicon Beach high rises and hotels on the other. It was actually really pretty. At sunrise, there were cotton candy clouds. Because of the high rises, most of the course was shaded.
The start and finish were very close to the world-famous Santa Monica Pier. The finish line festival was at the 3rd Street Promenade, which is closed to cars. The event organizers asked everyone to please come on Saturday for early bib pick up. But when I walked through the same day, there was no line at 6:00 a.m.
I woke up at 4:00 a.m. I left my house at 4:30. I arrived at the parking structure around 5:30. I changed out of my pajamas into my running outfit and braided up my hair. I left my car at 6:00 a.m. and I paid for 4 hours of parking for $9. It felt icky immediately after I got out of the air-conditioning. The humidity was 89% at that point. I found the LA roadrunners and took a picture at 6:30. Then went to the very front of the corrals to be interviewed by KTLA prior to the race start time of 7am.
It kind of went south at this point because after our interview they told us we had to go from the front all the way to the back and it was extremely crowded. Some of the LA roadrunners very smartly made a gap in the fence right behind the athletes with disabilities. So they went off in the first wave.
According to the event organizers there were somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 people. Since they had changed the start time from 7:30 for the 10K and 8:30 for the 5K now it was a 7:00 a.m. rolling start for everyone. They let another wave go about every 4 minutes. I went to stand off to the side because the crowds were very overwhelming and everyone was pushing and shoving to get an earlier start.
I woke up at 4:00 a.m. I left my house at 4:30. I arrived at the parking structure around 5:30. I changed out of my pajamas into my running outfit and braided up my hair. I left my car at 6:00 a.m. and I paid for 4 hours of parking for $9. It felt icky immediately after I got out of the air-conditioning. The humidity was 89% at that point. I found the LA roadrunners and took a picture at 6:30. Then went to the very front of the corrals to be interviewed by KTLA prior to the race start time of 7am.
It kind of went south at this point because after our interview they told us we had to go from the front all the way to the back and it was extremely crowded. Some of the LA roadrunners very smartly made a gap in the fence right behind the athletes with disabilities. So they went off in the first wave.
According to the event organizers there were somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 people. Since they had changed the start time from 7:30 for the 10K and 8:30 for the 5K now it was a 7:00 a.m. rolling start for everyone. They let another wave go about every 4 minutes. I went to stand off to the side because the crowds were very overwhelming and everyone was pushing and shoving to get an earlier start.
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| I didn't hear the National Anthem at all |
In the last 5k that I did, the 2024 Corona del Mar Scenic 5k, I started way too far forward in the 12-minute mile corral, and I don't run a 12-minute mile, so it was discouraging having everyone passing me. Well, that race didn't have corrals either, so let's say I started in the middle of the women's pack. This time, I decided to start a little bit further back in the pack, and therefore, I would be running with people who also run at my pace. What I didn't realize is that meant I would not cross the starting line until 40 minutes later.
The time was not such a big deal, but with every minute that went by, was another minute that the sun was above the horizon. It kept getting hotter and hotter. I had a hydration backpack, and I had filled my bladder with ice, but the longer I was waiting, the more the ice was melting, and by the time I started running, there was no ice left.
After 7:15, I realized that if I didn't get in the corral, I would never get a chance to start the race. So I just walked up to the end of the pack. I stood next to a nice couple who lived in North Hollywood and would be running the LA Marathon for the first time. It was nice to have a chit-chat to pass the time.
I started to panic because right when we got up to the starting line, the announcer said if you don't finish the first loop of the 5k by 8:15, then you cannot do the second loop to make 10k. When originally, the emails that they had sent out said as long as you can do a 15-minute mile, then you can do the 10k.
If you do the math, with me starting at 7:40, That's an 11 1/2-minute mile. I know I don't run that fast so at the time when I crossed the starting line I was already very upset because that was a change that was made morning of that was not in any of the emails. But I remained optimistic throughout the race, and I told myself I would just make the decision at the U-turn whether I felt good like I could do another loop or if a 5k would be enough for me that day.
Course description and evaluation of event logistics
Honestly, I feel like it would have been better to let everybody who registered for the 10K start before everybody who registered for the 5 K. It seemed like there was no rhyme or reason as to who got to be in the earlier waves, and it wasn't really communicated very well.
Mile 1 I was feeling okay, but because the course was now a out and back, The signage was very confusing. The first sign you saw said mile 3, then you saw mile 1, then you saw a mile 2, and then mile 1 again, and then mile 3 again. I understand that the organizers were having double-sided water stops so that participants would have more opportunities for water. And there was a misting station around mile 2. As I walk to the finish line festival I heard a lot of other participants say that the signage was very confusing, so it wasn't just me that was disoriented by this.
I decided that I would just keep running until I saw my friend Yaya, who I did not start with. I figured she probably started in an earlier corral than me and I would see her at some point as she approached the U-turn and as I was still going out. That was really helpful as a distraction. I did see her the first time when I was in my first or second mile and she was in her second or third mile.
The dew point was 69 and the humidity was 76% and the temperature was 76°F when I crossed the starting line. At every water station I grabbed two cups, one to pour on my head, and the other one to pour on my arms and legs. It felt more like swimming in a hot tub than running.
Mile 1 I was feeling okay, but because the course was now a out and back, The signage was very confusing. The first sign you saw said mile 3, then you saw mile 1, then you saw a mile 2, and then mile 1 again, and then mile 3 again. I understand that the organizers were having double-sided water stops so that participants would have more opportunities for water. And there was a misting station around mile 2. As I walk to the finish line festival I heard a lot of other participants say that the signage was very confusing, so it wasn't just me that was disoriented by this.
I decided that I would just keep running until I saw my friend Yaya, who I did not start with. I figured she probably started in an earlier corral than me and I would see her at some point as she approached the U-turn and as I was still going out. That was really helpful as a distraction. I did see her the first time when I was in my first or second mile and she was in her second or third mile.
The dew point was 69 and the humidity was 76% and the temperature was 76°F when I crossed the starting line. At every water station I grabbed two cups, one to pour on my head, and the other one to pour on my arms and legs. It felt more like swimming in a hot tub than running.
I feel like the runners never really got a chance to spread out or find pace groups in any kind of way that made sense because everybody was just all lumped together. The party pacers were just standing around on the sidelines cheering. There were faster runners coming from the back and like running into people. Because the start line was open all the way until 8:30 a.m. for people to begin.
How I trained for the event
I did a good amount of training runs in Nebraska. Those runs were done under conditions similar to the race day, i. e. warm and with high humidity. And I knew that I would have to run a little bit slower, or take walk breaks to cool down. But I also knew that if I didn't get to the U-turn by 8:15 I wouldn't be able to finish my 10k so I was rushing.Around mile 2, I felt like I started running out of gas. I had eaten a banana and two PB muffins at 6am. I ate two fruit strips at 7am. But since it took so long to get started, I already had burned through all my fuel, walking around and waiting in corrals. Luckily I had packed half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so I had to walk while I ate that. Let's just say my fueling plan failed. I could have benefited from something with more electrolytes.
Mile 3, I was flying, it was downhill. My music was bumping. I started looking out again for my friend Yaya who had already made the U-turn so she would have been in her fourth or fifth mile when I was in my third. I was running when I saw her. But then I started to feel my right hamstring locking up. I walked a little bit. I tried to start running again and it was a no-go. I almost started crying as I approached the U-turn. I wasn't running any faster than my training pace, but I also wasn't running any slower. I did not adjust my pace for the heat and humidity. I was so pumped because of the race day energy.
One of the coaches for the roadrunners said my name and asked me if I was going to stop or take the second loop. It made me feel so good that she called me by name. But I told her my leg was cramping up, so I would call it a day. I crossed the finish line around 8:30. I tried to run across the finish line, so hopefully, my finish line photo will look cool, like I'm not in pain. I crossed the finish line with another woman who is a working mom. She was like I have to work a 12-hour shift tomorrow. I'm not doing another lap. So, I had to accept that this was our right decision.
I knew I had another 10k on my calendar in October, so if this is not the right day to do a 10k, it's not the right day, and it's all right. I walked around until 9:00 a.m. The finish line festival was underwhelming. There were few vendors. There were few giveaways or samples. And there was no expo at the bib pickup, which was disappointing. I let my husband know that I had finished the race but was slightly injured. I texted my friend Yaya to see where she was so we could meet.
I walked towards the running mamis tent and stopped at the port-a-potties on the way. We took some cute photos with our medals with the ocean in the background. We also tried to stand in the shade as much as possible. It was above 80° when I finished the race, and it was 85° by 10:00 a.m. when I left.
I walked towards the running mamis tent and stopped at the port-a-potties on the way. We took some cute photos with our medals with the ocean in the background. We also tried to stand in the shade as much as possible. It was above 80° when I finished the race, and it was 85° by 10:00 a.m. when I left.
Gear and nutrition
I'm happy that I wore my vest for the race, which allowed me to bring my speaker, phone, keys, wallet, sandwich, and fruit strips. I wish I would have brought some salt tabs. I brought a liquid IV packet, but I didn't have any water to dump it in until after I crossed the finish line. After the finish line, they gave away graham crackers, Cheez-Its, pretzels, oatmeal bars, water bottles, and electrolyte drinks. There were no electrolytes given at the water stops on the course.
It was surprising that there were no porta-potties at the finish-line festival. There was one group of porta potties near the start line, but the lines before the race were crazy long. There was another group of porta potties near the finish line, with shorter lines. I wouldn't have known those were there, except the LA Roadrunners photo spot was right by that, so I did get to use the restroom before and after the race.
I am still slightly disappointed in the overall experience because I initially registered for the 5k only. Then, the organizers changed the start times and finish times for the 5k and 10k after I had already registered so that people who wanted to do the triple 5k challenge could do both the five and 10k. I had to pay about an extra $40 to upgrade my registration from the 5k to the 10k, then I ended up running only a 5k, so I could have just left it as a 5k registration, but then I would not have qualified for the Conquer LA challenge.
It was surprising that there were no porta-potties at the finish-line festival. There was one group of porta potties near the start line, but the lines before the race were crazy long. There was another group of porta potties near the finish line, with shorter lines. I wouldn't have known those were there, except the LA Roadrunners photo spot was right by that, so I did get to use the restroom before and after the race.
I am still slightly disappointed in the overall experience because I initially registered for the 5k only. Then, the organizers changed the start times and finish times for the 5k and 10k after I had already registered so that people who wanted to do the triple 5k challenge could do both the five and 10k. I had to pay about an extra $40 to upgrade my registration from the 5k to the 10k, then I ended up running only a 5k, so I could have just left it as a 5k registration, but then I would not have qualified for the Conquer LA challenge.
The organizers said that they would honor whichever race we registered for even if we didn't run a 10k distance. If we were registered for the 10k, then it would count as a 10k. But now they're having a lot of trouble posting people's results because it's hard to tell what distance people actually ran.
I feel bad for anyone who was trying to use this race as proof of time. I'm not sure if it will count because the organizers were saying it was an unofficial 10k, not a certified distance. And for a Disney race, to get proof of time for a half marathon or marathon, you need to run at least a 10k. A 5k would not count.
Interestingly, the Rise and Run podcast has been having guests who are race directors on their show. They have had a lot of discussions about shortening races due to weather conditions. So I feel some empathy towards the race directors who had to make these decisions. But I do think it's okay to debrief individual runners' experiences of those decisions.
I hope these changes effectively prevented heat-related illnesses among the participants, staff, and volunteers. At least for me, I would have had to walk or limp the remainder of the distance, so I am grateful that the race was shortened. I may have been slightly more aggressive in getting into an earlier corral. I just didn't know!
The streets were reopened to cars after 10:00 a.m. I guess they couldn't start the race earlier because the city of Santa Monica has a noise ordinance that does not allow them to start earlier than 7:00 a.m. So kudos to RunDisney for starting their races so early in the morning. I may be a Disney runner, after all.
The streets were reopened to cars after 10:00 a.m. I guess they couldn't start the race earlier because the city of Santa Monica has a noise ordinance that does not allow them to start earlier than 7:00 a.m. So kudos to RunDisney for starting their races so early in the morning. I may be a Disney runner, after all.
AND I tested positive for COVID-19 three weeks before race day, so that may have interfered with my training and/or performance on race day.
