2 Races in Less Than a Week: Knott's Berry Farm 10K and Wicked Wine Run!

Two races within one week. I definitely didn’t plan this but my boss offered me a free bib and I didn’t want to pass that up. And I’m in training for a half marathon anyway, so I would have been running regardless. And races are fun, so why wouldn’t I want to do two races within a week!

Knott’s Berry Farm 10K - Renegade Racing - March 8, 2015

I was really excited for this race for multiple reasons: 1. The medal featured Snoopy and Woodstock, 2. Running through an amusement park is always a good time, and 3. Tyler agreed to run with me again and he always makes races fun. The race was a good time but I gotta say the volunteers could have stepped it up a little bit.

I went down to Buena Park a day early to pick up Tyler and my race bibs. The website clearly said in order to pick up a bib for another person I needed a signed waiver from the participant as well as a copy or photo of the participant’s ID. Turns out I didn’t need any of this. The packet pickup was littered with blank waivers and a list of all the participants and their bib number was posted on the wall. So when I went up to pick up the bibs and all the volunteer asked for was my name, bib number, and a signed waiver without asking for any form of ID, I was a little upset. Anyone could have walked up, picked a name and bib number off the wall, forged a signature on a waiver, and picked up as many bibs as they wanted.

The volunteers were also lackadaisical when it came to checking bags, noses in their phones until we got their attention. Also, the bags were marked with flimsy tape that could have easily fallen off. Also, and this has nothing to do with the volunteers but was still an annoyance, timing was done by chips that we had to twist tie to our shoes and return at the end of the race before we could get our medals. If we lost the chip, be would be charged for losing it. Now, most timing chips are attached to the bibs so it was a stressful that I might have to pay if I lost it. Tyler and I picked up a lost chip along the course so that runner wouldn’t have to pay the fee.

But enough of that, on to the good parts! Tyler and I were treated to free massages before the race, and lined up in our corral. We were somehow in two different corrals even though we submitted the same pace time at registration and even though I was in corral 5 I had to drop back to 7 to run with Tyler. Eventually the corrals got all smushed together and we had the chance to start with corral 6, but Tyler didn’t want to cheat and we hung back until corral 7 started.

The start was signaled by an old-timey Westerner who shot a shotgun up in the air and we went

right into the park. The park was playing its usual park music, which was old-timey Western-y and highly featured a banjo. We ran through the coasters and soak city (which I wished was open so I could cool myself down in the water while making progress). It was fun and our energy was high. We even modified our intervals, running longer than three minutes before we took a walk break.

The course then took us on the roads of Buena Park which was nice though not anything too interesting. There was a strip of roads that I noticed that were named after the planets with the first row on the block called Planetary Road. The volunteers on the courses were great, putting their phones in the orange cones marking the course so that the music playing from them was amplified. They also gave out copious high fives. There was music at some points and Tyler discovered a song by The Cure that he enjoyed (“Close to Me”).

When we got to the six mile point, Tyler wanted to sprint the last .2 miles. I tried best I could but he was way faster than me. He did hang back and cross the finish line with me though and after we clipped our timing chips off our shoes we received our medals and got in a long line for the free boysenberry pie. The line went fast and we got our pie and sat and enjoyed it. We also enjoyed our free chocolate milks that we picked up at the expo before the race and Tyler carried during the whole run because I was worried all the free milk would be gone after the race (which it was). After getting some race photos, we took a stroll around the small expo and headed home.

It was a fun race, but I hope they tighten up the packet pick up. It wasn’t the cheapest race so it would really be a bummer if someone’s bib was picked up by another person. We had an incredible pace, 11:30/mile, and it felt really easy which gives me huge hope for improving my pace in the future and gaining some new PRs!

Wicked Wine Run 5K - Europa Village, Temecula, CA - March 14, 2015

So my boss offered me her bib for this run because she couldn’t make it anymore. When I found out how far away Temecula was I was hesitant but hey, I wasn’t doing anything and it was a free race so the distance wasn’t that weighty of an excuse. I made my way southeast to Temecula, enjoyed the beautiful mountainous drive, and arrived at Europa Village.

After a pretty hefty $15 parking fee (though I couldn’t complain too much because again the race was free) I parked, picked up Jena’s bib and enjoyed the hour and a half before the race start. The car was close enough that I was able to walk back and forth to it, dropping off some freebies I picked up at the small booths they had there. There were food trucks but I wasn’t going to fill my stomach with heavy food before running.

I spent most of my time in the winery’s courtyard before the race. It was HOT (90 degrees) and I was searching for as much shade as I could get. There was plenty in the courtyard and they were also misting water which was a great relief. I picked out a spot and sat in the shade and mist, drinking two full water bottles before the race even started.

About 15 minutes before the race I headed to the start line. I grabbed what little shade I could there but immediately regretted not bringing some sunscreen. People were slow to arrive to the start line so I got a great spot right up front in the first wave. And honestly, I probably needed it.

See, my sister had run her first 5k that morning in Ohio and she had finished with a time faster than any of the 5ks I had ever run. Granted, she is 14 and she’s got the more athletic genes, but still, I’m the runner in the family! I wanted to see if I could match or even beat her time. I wanted to increase my run/walk interval from 3 mins/1 min to 4 mins/1 min and I had a great time the previous week during the Knott’s 10K so I wanted to push myself.

This was NOT the course to do it on. There were nasty nasty hills, and hills set off my exertional asthma in the worst way. And even though I knew this, I pushed myself too hard on the very first hill and the rest of the race was super painful for me. I walked a LOT. There were numerous hills and even when there weren’t the heat and my asthma made running really hard. So not my best race. And I learned, once again, that I must WALK all hills. Otherwise, it makes for a terrible experience.

Luckily, the course was beautiful featuring expansive views of the mountain ranges while winding the the winery’s vineyards. I didn’t end up with too terrible a pace, 11:55/mile, and I did get a free glass of wine at the end, though I had to wait to cool down and catch my breath before I could drink it. The winery was a wonderful place to relax after the run; there was a live band playing and friends were enjoying bottles of wine (which made me start planning on coming back with friends in the future). I stayed and took it all in for about an hour after I finished before heading home. And after snapping a few pictures of the sunset, I bid ado to the pleasure and the pain that was the Wicked Wine Run.

Star Wars 10K: Fireworkin' for the Weekend

Notable costumes:

Star Tours ship with R2D2 pilot

Jar Jar Binks

Cute Ewok hats

Barf

Fast Pass Tickets

Hoth Leia

Admiral Ackbar

Have you ever lived in a war zone? Well, it felt like one last night in our hotel room. Apparently, the fireworks (which you can “see from the pool area” according to Kevin the front desk guy) are launched right next to our hotel. It sounded like the building next to us was getting bombed. Tyler mentioned that he was glad I wasn’t asleep because I probably would have woken up screaming.

The fireworks ended pretty quickly and it was time for sleep! 3:30am came bright and early and we were up, but not with as much gusto as Friday. We got dressed and ready and headed over to the race. It was colder today for me as I was not covered in fur.

We headed straight for the corrals again since we were in E, the last corral. I was sad to see that E did not get the same pleasures as B: no speakers, no big video screen to show the announcers. We huddled together in the quiet and cold for about 40 minutes before we started shuffling up to the front. It was a long walk to that start line.

Like the day before, R2D2, C3PO and the race announcers started us off! I think we were closer to the stage this day because we passed right by the droids and it felt like they were really there with us.

Then started the endless dodging. It was so crowded and no one was paying attention to the fact that there were runners or that it might be courteous to NOT walk 5 across. We started on the road and that was difficult because we were constantly dodging the little reflectors in the road. Then we got into the park and we were dodging people. It felt like people took up the whole middle of the course to walk and runners had to try and squeeze by on the sides.

But we got through it and it was a GREAT course! I was unlucky/lucky enough to have to go to the bathroom part of the way through. I knew I wasn’t stopping at the first, second, or third restrooms because these all had LONG lines. But right as we came into California Adventure, I was able to experience what it was like walking right into a top of the line Disney park bathroom, immediately doing my business, and getting back on my way. It was glorious and I wish all race bathrooms were like this.

Disney had a great written message going on their marque encouraging runners that the force was with us. We got a new version of the “sharp turn ahead” message warning us that the road was dividing ahead (which we didn’t notice). Lots of people were jumping into empty ride cars, even in the backlot, to take pictures. It was pretty cool getting to go into areas marked “Cast Members Only” and experience what the backlot of Disney was like. There was a building for every little thing, and even cafes for the employees to dine at. We somehow smelled spaghetti somewhere along the way. The water stops came right when I needed them and the volunteers were great about cheering us on, using a choreographed cheer to do so.

I really enjoying running in my Queen Amidala costume, or as one of the third shift janitors called out, my “Princess Amidala” costume. I got a lot of great comments on it from other runners :) It was really a treat to run in. Though there weren’t as many photographers (and it was hard to get a picture sometimes because of how crowded it was) so I hope I get at least one good picture of me in this costume.

The run was really easy and was a super quick 6.2 miles and we kept a pretty consistent 12:00/mile pace. We leisurely crossed the finish, after some stormtroopers noticed me and gestured with their guns to move along. We got our medals and pictures and I stopped at the medical tent where a very nice man from the Florida hospital wrapped my knee in ice. It was a long walk back to the hotel because of this because I couldn’t bend my knee!

Back to the hotel, where I grabbed breakfast still in costume. Tyler took a nap while I showered. When Tyler woke up his legs hurt bad so I suggested an ice bath. He was a baby about it. I filled up one of our runDisney bags at the hotel ice machine and forced Tyler to sit in the cold water for 20 minutes. He moaned and groaned but got through it and felt a lot better afterwards.

Then we walked back over to the expo to stroll around again and take pictures with our two medals. Tyler made a purchase at the merchandise store. When we entered the register area a woman stopped us and asked our names. “Tyler and Kristyne,” we offered, and the woman turns around and announces “Tyler and Kristyne finished the race!” All the cashiers clapped and cheered for us which was so surprising and felt so good. We left with huge smiles on our faces. Then we had lunch, complete with beverages in Stormtrooper mugs, at ESPNZone where we got 15% off our bill for running the races.

Back to the hotel for a nap, then off to dinner with Jena and some TNT people at Marri’s Italian restaurant. Dinner was a lot of fun. We talked about this race, past races, and future races and all the experiences that came along with them. Jena and a couple others had just finished the Dopey Challenge a week before in Florida (5K, 10K, Half and Full Marathons) and they were relating all their stories. I met a couple new friends from DC that had run the Dopey challenge with them.

We’re planning on catching the fireworks in the hot tub tonight and then re-tape some KT Tape, and then off to bed. It’s 8:19pm and all the clothes are already set out and ready to go. One more race left!

The Electric Run! Nov 8, 2014, Dodgers Stadium- Los Angeles

I usually run alone so when my friends invited me to The Electric Run I was SO PUMPED! If you’re not a runner, let me just say that running is so much better when you’re running with other people. I immediately marked race day on my calendar, planned and executed an outfit, and started counting down the days.

From looking at The Electric Run’s website, it appeared that this race would be a lot like The Color Run. For one, it was an EXPENSIVE 5K. I won’t tell you how much, but geez, it hurt a little bit to register. But my friends had invited me and I wasn’t going to pass up a chance to run with them. For another, it looked like “the hip thing to do.” Meaning, there was dance music playing in the preview video, DJs encouraging you to be happy and dance, etc. Immediately I knew this was a race for people who wanted to have fun, not real runners. And lastly, it was at Dodgers Stadium, exactly where The Color Run was.

Despite all this, I had a lot of fun at The Color Run and I wasn’t expecting anything less with The Electric Run. It took place at night lit by the most amazing light designs. I was definitely excited!

On race day I met up with my friends at their apartment. We hopped in the car and made our way to the

Looking a little flustered while trying to put my outfit together...

stadium. I had purchased a lot of cheap glo jewelry from the dollar store and between trying to put these together and putting the entirety of my outfit on, I was a bit overwhelmed for the first 20 minutes we were there. I had picked up my bib the night before but my friends had to wait in the extremely long line to pick up bibs on race day. We had to move forward once every minute or so; I was constantly trying to juggle putting things together with keeping my place in line.

I finally got everything assembled and on me (a glitter tutu that exploded glitter everywhere, pink hair spray, glo jewelry galore, a string of Christmas lights, and my typical race gear) and after my friends had picked up their bibs and put everything on themselves we were ready to go. We just made the last wave. The race started at 7:00pm with waves being release onto the course every five minutes. I think we got to the start queue around 7:45pm (despite arriving at 6:45pm…that bib line was LONG y’all). We had to wait for a couple waves to be release before us and I was getting SUPER antsy. I just wanted to run already! 

At the starting line!

Like The Color Run, there was a DJ at the start telling people to scream and dance and do crazy things to get glo sticks. I. Just. Wanted. To. Start! And we finally did! And we all started running. Even though my friends weren’t runners, we ran until the first “event.” Running was difficult though. Not because it was running, but because people insisted on walking in the middle of the course. It’s typical race manners to stay to the sides of the course if you’re walking so the runners don’t have to dodge around you. Well, I think real runners were in the minority here so this wasn’t the case. I was even heckled by people after I asked them to move to the sides. Because I almost ran into them. It was for our own safety. Geez.

Anyway…the first event! Like me explain what events are. Every so often along the course there is an event a.k.a a specially designed light show. The first event was a light tunnel. There were a bunch of tubes arced back to back each changing color with the music that was playing. It was pretty cool and fun to run through.

The first event!

Oh, let me warn you, this was a race of selfies! It was literally designed to be so. I usually hate taking selfies but in order to capture everything it was pretty necessary to have your camera pointed at your face the whole race. 

Alright, back to the race. My friends were ready to stop running so I took off on my own for a little while. I passed the second event which was just this weird wall playing videos with shapes and colors. Kind of lame. I stopped at the start of the third event (about a mile in) to allow my friends to catch up.

This is when I stopped running for the most part. I realized that despite wanting to run the course, I wanted to experience it with my friends more. I waited for them because there were some prime picture spots up ahead, spots that just would not be satisfying as selfies.

The next event was all lit by black light and featured umbrellas hung from trees. We got to take these cool pictures where we looked like our umbrella was being blown away and we were trying to hang on to it.  This was definitely the most crowded part of the course. People were very nice and offered to take pictures.

Moving along and we hit the water station. All the cups were clear and there were fun colored lights hitting them so they all looked like they were lit up. 

Cool water station

My friend skipped the next event, as it was a looped part of the course and easily avoided ( and on a hill, which didn't make it easy for her injured knees) , but I went down to explore. It was filled with jellyfish, and sea anemone and bubbles. I think this event ran a close second to the umbrella event in terms of most people taking selfies. It was fun and I took selfies like all the rest of them, but I was eager to move on. At this point everything was feeling a little old. “Light shows and selfies.” “More light shows and selfies.” I think it would have been a little better if running was more encouraged. 

Jellyfish!

I even thought at one point I’d finish the race then go through it again running. It was a LOT of fun to see and run through, it was just such a task to get a picture of everything there. You couldn’t really do both.

Anyway, got through jellyfish lane and met up with my friend at the start of the event I like to call Candyland. There were giant blow up gummy bears, giant blow up candy canes, giant blow up cupcakes, and fog that smelled like cotton candy. The most spectacular parts of this event though were the views of downtown LA. I love downtown LA at night! AND if you were clever enough, you could use the lights from the blow up candy and get a stunning picture that exposed both your face and the city without using the terrible flash on your camera. 

Candyland was full of selfies. It took us a long time to get a picture with everything and by this time lines were forming so there was a lot of waiting. 

We got through though and made our way to the last event which was basically for the sponsors: a large tunnel that changed colors with huge blow up cans of Rockstar Energy Drink standing guard. It was fun to take pictures in but sort 
of lack luster for the final event. 

This WAS however the first place I saw a professional race photographer. Yep, right at the end was where I got my one professional picture while on the course. I mean, I get that it was dark. I understand that it’s not just a point and shoot situation here. But hey, there are things called flashes! And it would have been nice to get a pic with some of the light displays. Alas, I just got one professional running picture and one professional semi finish picture (it was at the finish but there was really nothing to indicate that you were at the finish. It was a disappointing finish line).To be fair though, we got to download the professional photos for free with no water marks. So you win some, you lose some I suppose.

But speaking of the finish…we were finally there! But instead of a nice display, there was literally a crowd of people just standing around. Because the finish sort of emptied you out onto nothing. There were some blow up pillars that said “Finish” on them and there was more water, but it was pretty sad. I couldn’t even get a good finish picture, professional nor selfie.

The after party was pretty fun. My friends and I spent a good amount of time dancing. Alfonso Riebero from Fresh Prince of Bel Air made an appearance. We got free work out shirts from Target! But again, there was no professional photographer to take your official race photo. You know, the one against the backdrop with the race logo and such? Yeah, there were long lines but in order to get a picture you had to be bold and ask someone in line behind you to take it for you. For as much as I paid for this race, it would have been nice to have more professional photos taken.

There were some free Rockstars, which were a nasty flavor according to my friend, and some free Southern Comfort but the SoCo booth was closed by the time we got around to it and the line for the bar was hella long.

So since we were tired and hungry we cut out a little early, before the party was over. We were much more eager to get some food in our bellies.

All in all a pretty good race. Cool course, fun music playing. If I would do it again, I’d definitely go through twice, once taking pictures and once running. They definitely need to step up on the “race” experience though. It was definitely a “party” atmosphere but it was missing a lot of things that people who run a lot of races, especially races that cost as much as this one cost, expect.