always pee before a race

On Saturday I ran the Parkway half marathon, which is run along the American River parkway in Sacramento. The parkway runs for 32 miles along the south side of the American River. Beautiful views, a nice paved course for runners and bikers. But it is not wide enough for a race of nearly 3000 people. Also, the park where it starts is fairly small without nearly enough parking for the four races that were held (half marathons for runners and a separate one for walkers, a 5k, and a kids run.) So I parked in the nearby neighborhood, and some people parked at a local high school and rode buses in.

I underestimated the amount of traffic and the difficulty finding a parking space, so I made it to the park only 10 minutes before the race was to start. I saw the huge lines for the porta potties and realized that there wasn't time for my usual prerace bathroom trip. I thought that I would be OK without one. Then once I squeezed into the crowd at the spot for my expected race pace (better races ask people to line up based on their pace or expected finish time, so that slower runners are toward the back.) Just before race time, the race director announces that the last bus is running late and it will be just a little bit before we start. Well, 20 minutes later we're still packed like sardines and my bladder is really complaining. For some reason the race has a local bagpipe and drum group start the race by marching through the runners while playing. I've always like bagpipe music, but it seemed a little strange. So we finally start to run - well, walk at first because of the crowd.

Within a quarter mile I realize that there is no way that I can run 13.1 miles without emptying my bladder. So I find the first bathroom that I can, get out of the race, stand in line (making a runner stand still while other runners are going my makes us really crabby), and finally go and get back in the race. By then I'm way behind my expected pace and am among slower runners. So I've weaving and dodging around people, trying to speed up. My first mile took over 10 minutes with the bathroom break, so I decide to speed up the next few miles to catch up. That was a mistake! I hadn't really trained well for this race. The weather didn't help - April had more than twice the average monthly rainfall and I missed a few long runs because of it.

By mile 3-4 I was back at my expected pace, but toward the end I was paying for going too fast in miles 2-4. The last two miles of the race were really difficult, but I made it through. My time was about 1 hour 57 minutes, so not my best but not bad for me. I was tired the rest of the day.

I didn't find a nice ass to follow at this race. I don't set out to do this, but if there is a guy with a nice looking ass going about my pace I'll run behind him. It gives me something to look at, and I can kind of zone out and not worry about my pace. This race had lots of nice natural scenery, but not the male anatomy kind.

So the lesson that I should learn from this is leave the house earlier, arrive earlier, and always pee before the race.

running, marriage equality

I went for my usual three times a week run last night. It was not nearly as cold as the last few weeks, 48 F when I got back. I enjoy running. The activity helps me feel energetic, and I think that it helps with stress. I don't feel right when I can't run. I broke a toe a few years ago and really missed it when I couldn't run.

The DC (that's Washington, DC) city council passed a marriage law this week. It should be signed by the mayor soon. Congress can overturn it, but with the Democrats in control probably won't. Nancy Pelosi probably won't let it come up for a vote. Every state that passes marriage equality (that's the term that I prefer - it emphasizes that we only want what everyone else already has) is a big plus. I am hopefully that here in California we can overturn Prop 8 with another proposition in 2012. I am also interested in the challenge to Prop 8 in federal court - that trial starts in less than a month. Another legal challenge is Massachusetts' challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act. I think that if the judges would objectively review that lawsuit without anti-gay bias then DOMA will be declared unconstitutional. I'm trying to do my part to change people's minds and perceptions about gays. I'm as out as I can be, I talk about my husband and son, I have a marriage equality sign in my front yard and on my car. I also want to be out for those who can't be out yet - Poppy, Jeremy, John, Mikey, the baseball guy whose name I can't remember, and others whose blogs I read. I feel very fortunate to have married my husband last year while it was legal to do so in California. Hopefully when you guys are ready to marry your guy it will be legal everywhere. I guess that it already is for you in South Africa, Poppy.