Rock and Run? Not!

It’s half – past one a.m. I am up and I am sick. All because I chose to run through the rain at the Rock and Run race last June 19.

Now, I wasn’t forced to run. It was my choice to brave the rains. I’d still say it was an adventure. But I’m pretty sure I won’t do it again anytime soon.

It’s no fun having an aching head, a stuffy nose and an itchy throat. Not to mention, being glued to the lavatory so I can blow out and throw up all these nasty viruses.

One thing’s for sure, if another race is organized by Junior Chamber International, I’d probably think twice before joining again.

I’m usually an optimistic person. But from the beginning, as I claimed our race kits, I already had a gut feel that things won’t go smoothly. It was one of those times that I wanted to be wrong.

But I was right.

Sweat and burn

Registration for Rock and Run 2010 was pretty easy. I registered on the 10th and there was only one other participant registering before me. So I was done and out in 20 minutes.

I did think it was inconvenient to come back to Runnr on the 16th just to claim the race kits. For one, Bonifacio High Street (BHS) is not the most accessible place for a QC commuter like me. I even asked the person in charge of the registration if there was an option to have the race kits mailed to our home address. I’d gladly pay the additional fee just to have that convenience.

But the girl said no. So I left it at that.

On the 16th, I spent my lunch break going to BHS to claim our race kits. I imagined it would be a breeze too. I’d just go to Runnr, present my receipt and get my race kits.

But no. BIG NO.

I arrived at BHS to see three tents set up as the claiming counter. There was already a long line in the middle and relatively shorter ones on the sides.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if the participants weren’t standing and waiting under the sun. Under the scorching heat of the midday sun. (Did I hear you say heat stroke?)

Fortunately for me, the line for 3k was relatively short and I had an umbrella and water bottle with me. But I had to march in place the whole time I was waiting because even the pavement was burning through my flats and to the soles of my feet.

The line was short but it was so S – L – O – W. I can’t even remember how long I waited because I would have been more frustrated if I knew how much time I wasted waiting in line.

The lady before me was very poised and calm as she patiently waited for her turn. When she finally got to the claiming table, she was told that her race kits weren’t available yet because she registered later than the 10th. She was asked to wait again until her race kits arrived.

The classy lady didn’t even throw a fit and even patiently stepped aside so I can have my turn.

It was clearly stated in the information brochure that claiming period was between the 16th and 18th but there was no detail at all that said you can’t claim your race kits on the first day if you registered later than the 10th.

To be fair, I did receive an email notification as well as a text message that my race kits were ready for claiming. I RECEIVED BOTH NOTICES ON THE 17th!

Anyway, at the claiming table, I understood why the line was going so slow: the person in charge had to go through different piles of lists to check the names, then an assistant had to scour through piles of race kits strewn on the ground to retrieve them. Wow.

Spell: disorganized.

The lady in charge even gave me hubby’s singlet in the wrong size. I had to ask her twice to replace it. But I kept my cool. Getting fussy and throwing a bitch fit won’t help at all.

One participant went to the claiming table and asked the lady in charge if he can just leave his receipt with them and claim his race kit later at the store. She insisted that’s not allowed. So the guy spoke out what everyone must be thinking: we all just escaped from our lunch breaks to claim the race kits, but we didn’t expect we’d be waiting through long, slow lines under the heat of the sun just to get them. We all have schedules and we don’t have all the time in the world to bear with their seeming inefficiency.

Again, to be fair, I did overhear her speaking with her boss that they were undermanned and they were having a hard time distributing the race kits.

But if everything wasn’t ready, was it so hard to postpone the claiming period another day? Granted it was already on the brochure, but a simple text message notification on the 15th would have done the job.

It’s understandable if they can’t hold the claiming at the store since the long lines might disrupt the operations and bother some customers. But a couple more tents at the claiming area to shelter the participants would have been handy too.

Can you tell I was already feeling miffed even before race day? Anyway, despite all that, I still had high hopes for Rock And Run.

It was a cool way to present a race for a cause and I wanted to be part of it.

S***k and walk

We were at BHS as early as 3 p.m. to get a good parking spot. But there were already a number of runners hanging out and strolling about the block.

We spent the waiting time at Krispy Kreme and grabbed a bite of a double chocolate doughnut.

By 5 p.m., we headed back to the car to change into our singlets. It was then that we noticed the huge dark cloud approaching the area. Uh oh, it was definitely going to rain.

Thirty minutes later, there was heavy downpour.

We joined most the runners who converged along the boutiques, unsure of whether the race would proceed. Although it was stated in the rules that the race will push through rain or shine, this was the really heavy kind of rain. The kind that makes you think twice and want to go home.

By 6 p.m., Kernan decided go ahead to check what time the gun start would be for the 10k, assuming that the organizers might have pushed back the time to wait for the rain to let up even a little bit.

I was waiting for him to return for an update but he never came back. From a distance, I could see participants already running to the starting chute and I realized he just went ahead and ran.

For a moment, I was very hesitant to race because I wasn’t sure if my body could take it.

But another part of me felt challenged to run. After all, I was already there. It was just rain. I thought I’ll be okay.

Besides, I didn’t want to have a DNR (Okay, I made that acronym up for “Did Not Run”) on my record.

I was just a little bit sad because it was the first race where I got to use my pink running shoes. And it just got wet and soaked in muddy puddles.

As I dashed to the starting chute, I saw other runners standing on the side lines. I wasn’t sure if they were already finished or they were waiting for the rain to stop.

I asked the marshals on the starting lane if the 3k category had already started but they all gave me blank stares. I had to ask them thrice if I can already start running. Until one of them seemed to have finally come to his senses and told me, “Takbo na po kayo.”

I was the only one running at the time. There was no one behind me or before me. I suddenly got scared to run alone.

It wasn’t dark yet but there were cars along the race route and I was suddenly unsure if I was going the right way.

I just kept running but I veered toward the sidewalk. A few minutes later, I started feeling the cold seep into my skin. I slowed down to a walk to preserve my energy.

Thankfully, after a few meters, I saw three 3k runners ahead of me. I thought as long as they were in sight, I’d be okay.

Of course, I never got to experience the “rock” part of the run. I only passed by one stage along the 3k course, and all they were doing was shouting “Go! Go! Go!” while beating the drums.

I was walking more than running. I threw away my hopes of setting another PR. The only thought I had in mind was:

I just want to finish this race.

Besides, it was difficult to go fast. I had to watch out for the cars along the race route. With the rain coursing down my face, I had to make my hands like a car wiper so I can see where I was going. There were also some flooded areas which made me go slow. No one wants to fall in a manhole. Though I was actually drinking some of the rain water on my lips, I was starting to feel thirsty.

At the last kilometer, I found hope in a Pocari Sweat booth. I’m not sure if I was allowed to get a bottle there but I just went ahead and got one for myself.

Knowing that the finish line was near, I started to run again. I was determined to cross the finish line running.

I did.

I was happy I made it while still wondering what my running time was. It felt like the longest 3k run of my life.

It was already dark when I arrived at the event venue. It didn’t help that the actual area was poorly lit too. I couldn’t tell right away which line was for which. I found my way to the loot bag tent and lined up with the other runners. Thankfully, the line went fast.

But there was only one claiming booth for all the categories and, once the other runners arrive at the venue, I was certain it was gonna be a very long and very slow line.

Again, I was right.

I waited for Kernan at the finish line and I was happy he made it despite having a little ankle injury. Considering the circumstances, I couldn’t bring my camera to the area so I don’t have my standard shot of him crossing the finish line.

When we saw the long and slow line to the loot bag tent, we decided to just give it up and go home. It just wasn’t worth it.

Plan and plan

I didn’t prepare for running in the rain, despite knowing that it’s the rainy season. I have no excuse for that and I’m now suffering the consequences.

But I did hope the organizers had a well thought out back – up plan. A Plan B that would have made the event rock despite the rain. Maybe even a Plan C and D just to be sure.

I’m sure they have their reasons, or excuses. Whatever they are, it was still sad to see a cool idea go down the drain.

For what it’s worth, at least we could say, we experienced running under the rain.

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What was your experience at Rock and Run?

Posted on June 22, 2010 in Races | 6 comments

Tagged as: Races, rock and run, rock and run 2010