Picking up from last time –
As I started to get closer to the end of the Super, the 6 o’clock hour started to tick away, and I was pretty terrified.
When I got to the end, I elected to skip any obstacles with mud. I did not want to be freezing cold again as it was getting later in the day. I did not go in the gauntlet, or submerge myself under the wall as I did at the end of the Beast.
As I got down for some burpees before going to the finish line, one of the volunteers said, “I don’t fault anyone for doing whatever you need to at this point.”
That person was trying to be nice by telling me everything was totally cool and fine with not getting back in the mud. But of course I took it as, “ugh. I’m being pitied. That sucks! But I also didn’t pull a usual Aurora who’d think, “I’m not weak. I can do it!” – and then would most likely proceed to promptly turn around and get in the mud.
Nope, at this time I was exhausted (and semi-logical) Aurora who accepted that pity, did some burpees, and then went jumping over fire.
I made my way through the finish chute as quickly as I could – getting my timing chip cut off, grabbing another ticket for another shirt, and then running for my life over to the bag check area.
That’s where I saw a sight that tickled me, and was one of my happiest moments of the day. By this point, it was about 6:20pm. We had 10 minutes! So, everyone was running over to bag check while just yelling out their last name (to get their next bib). It was hilarious.
Those 8 or so minutes I spent in gear check were so interesting to me – watching everyone hurriedly get ready.
People were shaking as we were trying to put the band through our timing chips. Thankfully, the nice volunteers helped us with that and said they’d basically become pros at it throughout the day.
Every person who walked up to the booth after I got there opened with, “What time is it?!” And volunteers patiently answered, “5 minutes to spare,” “2 minutes to spare,” etc.
I didn’t see anyone turned away, ’cause I was out of there just before 6:30.
As I was pinning my bib to my shirt, one person looked at me and sort of incredulously asked, “What are you doing?!”
I said I was putting on my bib, but was told that was basically a fool’s errand because bibs so frequently tear off. If you have your chip and your headband don’t waste your time with safety pins. It’s 6:25. Who has time for safety pins?!
That was some solid logic, but alas, my bib was already on. I then grabbed my glow bracelets, and realized I had no idea how to put them on. A spectator tried to help me get them over my hands – when we realized on accident that if you pulled hard, they came apart then snapped back together. Yay for teamwork (and happy accidents).
With barely any time to spare, I ran through the start – yelling out my catchphrase, “Let’s do it again!” as I ran past the DJ, giving him a high-5. And I’ll pick up with the Sprint next time.