There were a few things I forgot to talk about in my previous posts about this race.
As I washed my race clothes today (prepping for Atlantic City this weekend), I remembered shoving my clothes into my bag when I changed at the airport, and I thought about the couple of things I meant to mention.
For one thing, there was this really cool looking Richard Petty Driving Experience on the day of the expo. You could ride in the passenger seat as someone drove you around in a race car (or if you wanted to pay a lot more money, you could drive the race car yourself). For all you NASCAR fans out there, this might be the half marathon for you, for that experience alone.
I thought about doing it, but then I thought “that’s the price of a race entry right there.” I’m not all that familiar with NASCAR, so though I thought it would be super cool, it wasn’t on the top of my priority list. I overheard some people who did it. Everyone seemed to love it. However, I didn’t meet a single woman who liked her photos from the ride. Apparently the suit and the helmet made everyone feel fat. So, remember your good angles, ladies (and gents)!
Even though I didn’t try the driving experience this year, I wanted to mention it on the blog so that I could remember a special reason to go back another year (and to let any of you NASCAR fans know that it existed). (Although, apparently you don’t have to do the half marathon to do it. It exists in many other places, including Walt Disney World.)
The other thing I forgot to talk about – Remember how I was so excited to stay in a host hotel? Well, I learned the downside of staying in one. Apparently, everyone requests a late checkout, so the hotel won’t always grant one. Check out time at that hotel was 11am. I had to check out before the race. (Of course, for faster people this is a non-issue. I suppose the real lesson here might be to get faster.)
When I got to the airport after the race, I changed clothes and shoes. I flew to Cleveland for my layover, then back to New York, then took an airport shuttle to the subway, then rode the subway for an hour and forty-five minutes before I got to take a shower.
I didn’t much care. I don’t really have a sense of smell. Shower, no shower – it’s often all the same to me. The people next to me may have cared, though. Probably not this time, though. It was an easy race in a great climate, and I mainly walked the race. I wasn’t all that sweaty.
Ah, the little things I learn through doing more half marathons and traveling for more of them. I’ll continue learning, and continue racing, this weekend in Atlantic City’s April Fool’s Half Marathon.