In case you don't know I'm one of the lucky ones that gets to run the FYTO race in person. I sort of forgot about it until I got this email a few days ago from Adam over at The Boring Runner.....
and I quote "
You are receiving this email because you are currently signed up for the 1st annual Freeze Your Thorns off 5K! Below are the race details and final instructions. Note that packet pickup, including race bibs, will start promptly at 7:30am and will close at 7:35am.
- Who: Anyone who is everyone
- What: 3.1 miles of the most fun you can have while wearing clothes
- Where: Papago Park, Tempe AZ
- When: Saturday January 8th – 7:30 am packet pickup, 7:35 gun time
- Why: Because I said so
- How: A combination of horse steroids and fairy dust
I’ve attached two pictures that should help you plan your perfect PR race. First, the parking directions – the Google map directions are from the 202 and Priest. Since not many of the roads are marked, I’ve tried to give as much detail in the picture as possible.
Second, the race course itself. The course will be 90% paved canal (suitable for bike riding….EMZ’s peanut) 9.5% botanical garden roads, and 0.5% botanical garden. (You need to make a quick turn through 2 feet of gravel to get on the canal – no big deal).
So that I can get an accurate count of participants, please RSVP via email to confirm your attendance. Everyone is welcome to attend. In fact, I've received a few comments of other bloggers who are curious if they can attend in real life too, so I will keep everyone posted!
I’ll have my phone with me, so feel free to give me a call with any questions on race day – ***-***-****.
Love,
Your friendly neighborhood race director"
*****************************************************************************************
SO then I went to talk to Travis.
Me: Hey, remember that race thing I told you about a while ago?
Travis: Huh?
Me: You know my blog friend "The Boring Runner"
Travis: (half laugh) ya, he's funny.
Me: ya, ya, well remember I told you he was doing a virtual race thing except for those who live around here we are going to meet to do it together "real life".
Travis: And....
Me: It's Saturday.
Travis: Okay
Me: So your going to run it with me too.
Travis: (paying more attention now) Huh? Wait, what was that again?
Me : (Repeat conversation up to this point)
Travis: So how long is it?
Me: Just a 5K. It's called Freeze your Thorns off. Get it? Arizona-Cactus-Thorns-Cold?
Travis: (No comment just looking at me)
Travis: So where is it.
Me: Someplace clear down in Phoenix, like an hour from here.
Travis: When is it.
Me: 7:30 am
Travis: 7:30 in the morning and it's an hour away?
Me: Ya
Travis: Why are we doing this?
Me: Because it's for "Anyone who is everyone" and we are someone. I think he meant to say "everyone who is anyone" but he has a newborn so the process has started so that by the time his son is in 5th grade he won't be as smart as him. (okay I didn't really say all that)
Travis: So what are we going to do with the kids?
Me: Landon can watch them.
Travis: I'll just stay home and watch the kids and you go.
Me: No way, I've never even met these people in real life, what if they are a bunch of weirdos.
Travis: Who all is running?
Me: I don't really know. I think EMZ will be there and obviously Adam.
Travis: So EMZ is the one that likes to pack heat, machine gun style and Adam is the one who is constantly making sexual innuendos and likes to post naked pictures of himself online?
Me: Ya, that's them.
Travis: They seem perfectly normal, you'll be fine.
(This is the part that shows we are an old married couple because he has no concern about my safety)
Me: You're going.
Travis: okay, whatever
Me: Oh, and I need you to win
Travis: What?
Me: Ya, because I am SO not going to win. So if you win and I'm last then really it's like were middle of the pack (this is how marriage works in my mind)
Still Me: These people are crazy runners. Really fast. And they run like 40+ miles a week or something like that.
Travis: How fast do they run?
Me: Oh, I don't know, don't worry about that. Anyway, I'll print you out the google map because the course isn't really marked so hopefully we won't get lost.
Travis: The course isn't marked?
Me: No, it isn't a real real race. Just a real virtual race, ya know, just for bloggers and friends.
Travis: Why are we going again?
Me: (Ignoring his question) So I guess just remember where we park and if we get lost we'll just meet at the car eventually. Oh ya, looking at the map it doesn't look like a loop. It looks like a straight out course.
Travis: Not a loop!? How do we get back to the car.
Me: I don't know. I guess it might turn into a 10K for us.
Travis: So just so I'm clear. We are getting up around 6 am on a Saturday to drive an hour to somewhere to run a race that isn't a "real" race just a "real, virtual race" on a course that isn't marked so we might get lost and it's not a loop so we might have to run back to our car after the race, with people who might be weirdos but run really fast and I'm suppose to "win" even though they run way more than me all while leaving out kids home?
Me: Uh, huh. Should be fun.
Travis: Aren't you "The Non Race Runner"?
Adrienne: I know, it's getting complicated.
Wish me (us) luck! I'm (we're) going to need it.
Happy Running,
Adrienne
NRR
