Revlon 5K for Women's Cancer, Los Angeles

Theresa and I with our medals after the run.

In the aftermath of last week's Orange County Marathon, I decided to take a week off from training.  No running at all, no gym, and while I didn't run out and raid In-N-Out Burger, I didn't exactly stick to a rigid diet program.  Plus, the blisters on both insteps continued to burn and throb.  It was so bad during the week that I actually wore tennis shoes to work . . . without socks.  By Friday I was feeling a little better but I was fully prepared to walk some of the 5K if I had to.  No point mangling my feet any further.

Fortunately, this was a charity event with more of an emphasis on fundraising, solidarity, and supporting a cause than on split times and personal records.  We received our race bibs in the mail, but there was no official timing on the race.  Theresa and I were both entered in the event, and we took the opportunity to run together and make a fun morning of it. 

The drive to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum took about 90 minutes, no traffic since it was about 7:00 on Saturday morning.  Or, I should say, no traffic until we got off the freeway.  The last two miles before the Coliseum were gridlocked, and it took a lot longer than it should've to get into the parking lot.  Once there, though, we were able to pick up our shirts and get to the starting mob without any trouble.

The race was hosted by Halle Berry and Andy Garcia, so we got a quick glimpse of them during the starting line ceremonies.  Looking around, we saw lots of teams supporting friends and family members with cancer.  Maybe there's something I'm not aware of, but I a lot of the team names centered around some sort of veiled profanity.  I'm no prude, and I understand the spirit, but team names such as "Uck-fay" and "Cuck Fancer" come off -- to me, anyway -- as being a little bit tacky.  "Tough Titties" okay, that one's kind of cute, but the others?  Not so much.

So Halle, Andy, and a couple other minor celebs kicked off the event and the thong of runners and walkers and strollers began surging down Figueroa Street.  The pre-race information said that the "runners" would start at 8:45 and the "walkers" would start at 9:00, but that rule was universally disregarded.  So those of us who'd chosen to run (slowly, in my case), had to weave our way through the walkers, strollers, and stander-stillers.  In an official race this would've been immensely frustrating, but in this setting it was only mildly inconvenient.  I'm sure the woman I elbowed understands.

I'm kidding, of course.

You can sort of see Andy Garcia on the stage, in the light shirt and hat right above the red star.

And now for the Moment of Irony.

As you may recall, in my training and preparation for the San Diego Half Marathon and the OC Marathon, I spent a lot of time worrying about having to use the facilities during the race.  I focused on diet, made sure to do what I needed to do pre-race, and in both of those races it worked like a charm.  In fact, not only did I not have to poop during the races, I didn't have to poop for a few days afterward.  But now, less than two miles into a charity 5K, I found myself in desperate need of a toilet.  I started scanning the bushes alongside Adams St.  Considered an alleyway.  And then, up ahead and to the right, I spotted my salvation.

Wendy's.

The deed done, Theresa and I completed the 5K (actually it was 3.5 miles -- told you this was unofficial), crossing the finish line inside the Coliseum together.  We received our medals, had a water and some fruit, and headed home.

My feet survived, so now I can focus on gym training while they finish healing, and then it's back to the training runs.  My next event is the Ontario Mills 10K on June 8, so I'll mainly be doing 5 and 10K training runs until then.  The weather is getting hot, and with no half marathons on the immediate horizon, I'm going to focus on diet and fitness for a while.

Which is a good thing -- I'm feeling kind of blah and pudgy this week, so it's a great time to re-focus.