Picking up from yesterday –
Brooks brought a whole new theme today. Usually, it’s a carnival theme; today, they had a “pure running heaven” theme, with someone playing the harp, big golden gates, and all that jazz.
Get this. Someone I went to high school with was working in the Brooks heaven display, all dressed up in a little toga outfit and everything!
We said hi quickly, but didn’t get to catch up since he was working and all.
I felt a bit bad for people around me today, ‘cause I think I may have been a little crazy – even more so than usual – to everyone I interacted with. I had stayed up all night in the hopes of being tired enough to go to bed at a normal hour and sleep a lot before this race. (How many times am I talking about staying up all night on this blog?)
I have a weird sleep schedule, and usually go to bed at the time I’d need to be getting up for the race, so I needed to do something about it. What I’ve found is:
Stay up all night leading into the race – not fun. Stay up all night the night before the race, sleeping like mad the night leading into the race – actually works out pretty well. (Makes sense, right?)
Since I was coming off of no sleep, I sort of had a bit of the crazy eyes, and the roundabout, slow thoughts and speech delivery. But I held it together in an okay way… I think.
Somehow, Drea and Rusty in the Santa Barbara Half Marathon booth dealt with me in that state, and really made me want to do their race. They had lots of energy, and seemed really passionate about running.
I had never really thought about the Santa Barbara Half Marathon as a race I was excited about (or even sure I was doing) until I met them.
Why you ask? The Santa Barbara Half Marathon is the final half marathons in the Southern California Half Marathon Series. Don’t even get me started on that series.
Actually, what am I saying? This is a blog. Of course get me started on it!
In the SoCal Half Marathon Series, they give a list of races as possibilities. If you run 4 (including the final race – the Santa Barbara Half Marathon) , you get a special medal at the end. You all know I’m total a sucker for medals.
I don’t love speaking ill about things; I don’t like tearing people down when there’s already so much in this world that will tear you down. But, I’m still a human being with opinions, and my opinion is that I don’t much like this series. Everything I hear from them never seems genuine. The only vibe I’ve ever gotten is that they’re out for money.
They don’t seem like runners who want to make extra money. They seem like people who want money and happen to get it from races. Yay, capitalism and everything. Go make your money, for sure! But, please, make a quality product/campaign/whatever you’re selling. Generally, that means be passionate about what you’re starting.
They didn’t have the website go live until after the first race had already happened! I’m on their mailing list. They could’ve easily emailed and said, “Sorry we’re having trouble getting the site up, but the series is still happening. The first race will be this one.” But they didn’t.
One of the races on their schedule got cancelled. There was no apology or anything. They just eventually changed it, and moved on. Maybe I’m getting the wrong vibe, but the one I’m getting is that they don’t care about the participants.
Obviously, I have free will. I could choose not to do this series. You cannot boycott this series, because it’s made up of a lot of individual races (which I guess you could boycott, but it wouldn’t be as effective. They wouldn’t be able to tell you weren’t running because of the series).
All of that to say, I saw a booth about a race I wasn’t excited about that made me actually want to do the race, instead of begrudge it as a “ugh, I guess I’ll do this one ’cause I want the extra medal, but considering the series it’s in, it’s probably not gonna be very fun” race.
Also, unicorns, rainbows, and ’80s pop music. I wanted to leave you with great, wonderful, happy imagery ’cause I don’t like to end on negativity. (Sometimes a girl’s gotta call someone out though, you know?)
Surprisingly, I have even more to say about this expo, and I will finish it all out tomorrow with part 3.
Aurora you have such good writing skills. When I read your blog, it transports me back in time to when I was your age. Your writing style reminds me of E.L. James, the lady that wrote the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy. I could see you going to work for Brooks, traveling to all of the different marathons and representing them at the expos!
You are so sweet to me! 🙂
Hi there… So my comments on sleep. I’ve been told, and I’ve tried this, that having a really good night’s sleep 2 nights before the race is more important the night before. Using tea or unisom, I make sure I have a really good, deep night of sleep.
My comments on events that suck… I’ve had a few. Not all can be perfect. I just finished my 10th half running the Diva half in Myrtle Beach. Great event. Remember the good ones and get the medals from the bad.
Keep up the great writing… We’re reading you 🙂
Hey Tina, thanks for the comment! I’m glad to hear that you’re reading! 🙂 It’s so nice to be reminded I’m not just talking into an empty void of cyberspace.
That’s an interesting take on sleep. I’ve really found it helpful to get awful, short (or no) sleep 2 nights before; it’s the only way I can guarantee that I’ll be asleep early enough and have great, deep sleep the night before. For me, getting a good night’s sleep the night leading into the race can really make or break my experience.
Congrats on another successful race!