Run 4 Bacon

So this happened.

At the last minute, it almost didn’t.

Arriving bright and early at the venue, I approached the tent to pick-up tee and bib, got a look at the course map, saw the diagram was so full of rolling hills that the course looked like humps on the backs of a line of camels and, for the first time I got scared. So scared that I seriously considered turning around and driving back home.

Had it not been my fright was outweighed by my wanting that finishing medal, I WOULD have.

The event turnout was good, considering it had been rescheduled and relocated; but it was obvious the reschedule/relocation and conflicting with other races scheduled for the day had an impact.

The race organizers were able to keep their word about providing plenty of bacon.

There was a bacon station on the way up, on the way down, a bacon bar at the finish line.

There was NOT the option of turkey bacon, NOT the “other bacon themed items” and NOT near the number of bacon costumes to be expected … only two, including the bacon-costumed guy I ran into at last week’s Spooktacular.

There were a couple pig hats, pig noses, and about six/seven Ms. Piggy; and, of course, my bacon leggings.

And speaking of going down, there were three areas on the course where going down was scarier than going up. I swear ... I almost cried going down one of them, because it was so steep I visioned falling forward and rolling down.

I didn’t check my time before leaving the venue, but I’m sure – because of the hills, I posted well over an hour.

There were others behind me, so though it was a slow finish, I wasn’t last.

As for tomorrow’s 5K, there isn't a medal to spur me on, just a tee and opportunity to rack up more walking miles. And, just like with the Bacon Run, there’s chaos. One site has the race on Monday the 26^th, another Sunday the 25^th.

A telephone call asking for clarification was not returned, as was an email. Not a sign of a this being a successful event, so I’ll do what I think makes sense, which is to head out tomorrow morning.

I’m not expecting any hills, because the course is through the City of Ontario.

Also, because of the chaos and the fact it’s the City’s First Annual Monster Run, I’m not expecting a lot of people. So, if it looks like a dud, with few participants, this time I will have no problem with turning around and heading back home. Well, perhaps not directly home, as there are several malls and a Trader Joe's in the area.