Day 68 and SVHM Race Report

I don't really recall too much of the race, which is why I took pictures . . . which didn't help in me recalling much.

So here's my report in pictures with maybe a few blurbs.

This is an image from behind the wheel a bit after 6 in the morning heading to the place where it's HAPPENING! The beginning of the day. From Soledad, we are taking buses to the mission where the start begins.

I should have taken a picture of where the buses picked us up, but I'm a dumbass. We were picked up in the towns lone high school.  Below is probably the only picture of me on the web. Along with my friends sitting behind me. Ernesto and Charity. They are engaged and I'm supposed to be his Best Man. Though I'm really slacking off in the that department. I have NO idea what I'm supposed to do for his bachelor party. Any suggestions?

Everyone here is milling around trying to stay warm. It wasn't too bad when we arrived. But a few minutes after, it got a bit breezy and colder.

And as you can see, this is Ernesto embarrassing the shit out of Charity. In the tent behind them is the bagel and banana spread.

It's like 10 minutes before the start of the race and we've been ordered to go to the start . . .

. . . which Ernesto wanted an action shot in front of.

From here on out in the picture report, it'll mainly be pictures of the mile markers. Like I said, I'm a dumbass and should've planned on taking more of the surroundings. So here's a picture of the first mile marker next to the port-o-potties and hand wash station . .  and some runners and fields.

Keep an eye out for that tutu. She was taunting me throughout the race. I passed her and she's like "Oh, really!"
 Not really. I was thinking that after mile seven because she passed me and I was like "Hell no!" I did pass her AND her sister. Their mom beat the crap out of us though.

And here' s mile marker two. The chick stretching was with this dude who was in the port-o-potty behind us and she was getting antsy waiting for him. We passed each other at least twenty times throughout the race.

Here's mile marker three . . . and a car . . . and some barbed-wire fencing . . . and trees. Sorry, nothing interesting to report on this picture.

This is a blurry-cam picture of mile marker four and some of my fellow masochists.

And we arrive to our first aid station. Manned by the lovely young ladies of Notre Dame High School. FYI: At the time I arrived at this aid station, Danny Tapia (winner of SVHM 2012) was pretty damn close to crossing the line. He finished in 1:07:17.613 (Like thousandths of a second matter to ME!). At every aid station I passed, I tossed back at least three cups of fluid. I didn't get sick this year because of it.

Here's blurry-cam pic number 2. This one features my fellow masochists and fields and a hill.

Here we are arriving at mile marker six. As a side note, the shirts for this year were pretty sweet. Beautifully designed. Here are our beautiful models showing the back of it.

Mile marker six again along with our model. Also of note, I was feeling pretty good at this point . . .

It was a bit before mile marker seven that I had to start the run/walk strategy. The marker was also set up weirdly.  It was parallel to the road. Oh! And here's a small cliffside with a field on top of it.

As you can see in this picture of mile marker eight, runners are starting to drop off and begins seeing walking more. The lady in green was a badass. She was an older woman who finished WAY before I did. I think this was the only time she walked. The freakishly tall dude next to the marker on the other hand finished WAY behind me . . . like 30 minutes behind me. I don't know if he got hurt or what.

This picture was supposed to be a gratuitous picture of a smoking hot chick and her friend. The one in red. She also happened to be wearing Vibram FiveFingers Bikilas! I kept up with them as best I could using the view as an incentive, but they just kept going and I had to walk :(

Here's blurry-cam pic number 3. And mile marker 9 along with my fellow masochistic laggers. The VFF Bikila hot chick was still within reach . . .

Mile marker ten marked the point where I felt like I was back in East Salinas. The ladies on the right were speaking spanglish and annoying the shit out of me. Speak english or spanish! FUCK! Sorry, it's one of my pet peeves. I used that as an incentive to get the fuck away from them as quickly as possible.

Mile marker eleven and this guy knew NOTHING of who had won the race. Though he had a radio which he pulled out of his pocket just as I was passing by when he got a call from someone at the finish area. Jerk.

And this was probably everyone's favorite station. The Strawberry Stop! I think I ate like 10 strawberries. They were SOOOO friggin sweet and juicy!  Then again, maybe it was just my body screamin' for fuel. Oh! And mile marker twelve.

 Here we are at the bend nearing the finish line, which you can see in the distance. Also that annoying bitch must've passed me (and lost her friend at some point) while I was wolfing down the strawberries because I don't remember her doing that. I did beat her though. She walk into the finish area.

And here is me crossing the timing mats (there were two). I was really running at this point, hence the crappy angle of the camera. And also another lover-ly view of one of our models in the tech shirt.

I finished the race in 2:47:05.983 (Seriously?! Thousandths!) It's funny that in this shot of so many people, I can only spot one Waldo wearing this years tech shirt.

This is my godson's football team volunteers serving up some awesome tri-tip sandwiches!

And that's it. I hope I made it an entertaining read. Next year I hope to break 2:15!

GD

i'm done typing. run smiley :)