Yesterday, hubby and I ran the KidsPeace and Orioles Trick-or-Trot 5k in Baltimore, MD. We signed up for this race back in August because we wanted to race it, but also because they provided us with Orioles tickets to a game in September.
We prepped ourselves Friday night - laid out our clothes, got our accessories ready, set the alarm. You know, all the normal stuff. I was up about 5:45 a.m. so we could hit the road at 6:30 a.m. to arrive at the park about 8:00 a.m. for packet pick-up. We were completely on time for a change and off we went! We hit no traffic and we arrived at the parking lot about 7:50 a.m.
We walked over and there were tons of people there already and there were announcements being made. Uh. Odd. We walked up to the registration table for our bibs and asked the time. We were told 7:55 a.m., in 5 minutes they would lead runners to the start. Wha???? The race starts at 9:00 a.m.! No, the race starts at 8:00 a.m. Crap!
We quickly put our bibs on and tied the long-sleeve tech shirt around our waists and literally walked to the start line moments later. We had a fun time checking out people's costumes - a headless horseman, a few Wonder Women, pirates, a little Wolverine, nerds, 80s Ladies, and a cute mouse in a mousetrap. Some people went all out. Of course, there were tons of people in Orioles shirts...us included!
We started the race with an air horn and we were off. We ran from Orioles Park down to Inner Harbor and the obligatory run up Key Highway. We didn't run as far on Key Highway, which was nice. We turned around, came back to the Inner Harbor, then turned left into the neighborhoods. At this point, I had a shooting pain in my knee and had to walk the hill. Hubby was cool and we walked upwards. I started to run and it was ok. Apparently, it was the hill.
We kept going and ran steady. The pace was slow, but we kept it pretty steady overall. Unlike the Boordy Vineyards 5k in August we stayed to my half mile run/1 minute walk routine. The only time we didn't was when I had to walk up the two hills because of my knee. Shooting pain is not my idea of fun. But, other than that, we were happy to run to plan.
At the end of the race, we ran across the Baltimore Marathon finish line which we both had to smile at. Sadly, it was the wrong direction to pretend we were finishing a marathon. LOL! We ran towards Orioles Park and made a left to run around the stadium. We came up along side, then into the tunnel. At this point, I'm thinking, this is a weird place to end the race - it's dark, how do we get to the concourse for post-race snacks, etc. Then I realize, the race ENDS on the field! I really didn't know this. We were both pretty excited about that. We came onto the warning track and ran to the finish. Hubby was happy as he's a big O's fan. We walked the warning track to the 3rd base, then up to the concourse.
We walked to the food, of course. The selection was great! We got in line for the table food - cinnamon buns, apples, bananas, oranges, potato chips & water bottles. They also had open one of the concession stands and were giving out hot dogs! Totally awesome! I will say, I did not partake of the hot dogs because they did not seem all that appetizing at 9 in the morning. LOL!
We chose to stay through the awards ceremony. We rarely do, but since the Orioles manager was there, hubby wanted to. There were some fast runners there! Wow. Even the over 70 winner beat us! :-) There was an amazing video on the big screen about being a foster parent/family which caused me to tear up. Damn them!
Overall, it was a great race. Slow, but better than anticipated and better than Boordy. I am out of shape and carrying too much weight, but I had fun running yesterday. It's been a while since that's been the case. Which I think it just what I needed to get my butt back out there!
Positives
* Great race support! There was not a single turn on the course where there were less than two people indicating where to go. I never felt like I might be going the wrong direction. I was super impressed the entire time.
* While I didn't dress up, I liked how others did! It was fun watching people run by in costumes rather than just running gear. It made me smile. :-)
* Race shirt! Long sleeve tech shirt. Yes, the back had all the sponsors, but the front just had the above logo on the right top chest area. Very clean and neat. Also, very soft. I liked it.
* Finishing on the field. How can you not love a run where you finish on the field??
* Post-race snacks! Loved the idea of hot dogs, though I didn't partake. The cinnamon buns were amazing! I have no idea who donated them, but O.M.G. they were awesome!
Negatives
* None. Seriously. I walked away completely happy with the race, every aspect. There are few races I say that about. I 100% recommend running this race to everyone. Not only is it a great cause, but it's just a really great, well-organized race. It will go on next year's running schedule when the date is announced. Hope you'll join us!
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