DFL -> DNF

if people are scouring my search history, they should be very concerned

Two weekends, two races, two very different results.

Last weekend was a 10K and I was Dead Fucking Last. So far in the back that they left the timing mat down and one girl stood there with one solitary medal for me.

This weekend, I attempted a half marathon and Did Not Finish. In my defense, I really had to pee.

This race was two loops, so I passed the starting / finish line twice before looping back for the final crossing. This is important.

Well.

There was not a single port-a-pottie on the race course. NOT. A. SINGLE. ONE.

It wasn’t bad enough that I was so far in the back, they had pulled down the timing mat at the halfway point. I was so far back that the cops forced me onto the sidewalk (Which, thanks, Doral. You’ll be getting my bill from the ER for the broken ankle.) I was so far back that near the halfway point, all the water stations within three miles were poofed. I was so far back that the cops were gone after I turned back for the final five miles.

I was so far back that I decided to pee instead of crossing the finish line.

Hear me out.

When I got to the finish line with three miles still to go, the clock read 3 hours and they were starting to tear it down. I finish in 4 right now.

Near the finish line is the one and only public restroom on the entire course.

My choices were absolutely ridiculous:

1) pee my pants, finish in four hours, but not cross the timing mat (DNF)

2) step off the course, take my pee, finish in 4:15, but not cross the timing mat (DNF)

3) walk down the finisher’s chute, pull my bib off, head to the bathroom before crossing the timing mat, pee, and go home. (DNF)

Option 3 was my best one, I’m sad to say. 

Did I say I really had to pee?

I went over to the official timer - after I went to the loo, of course - and told them if they were waiting for me, I wasn’t finishing.

Do you know what he said?

He said that they could leave the timing mat down if I wanted to finish, but they had to clear the road. That’s why they were tearing everything down.

Well, fuck me.

Honestly, I don’t regret my decision. I made it based on the knowledge available to me 10 miles in and with a full bladder.

I am writing to the race director, though.

1) I know I’m slow, but tearing down the finish line at the three hour mark of a half marathon AND NOT POSTING THAT THERE IS A TIME LIMIT is just rude. I would have never signed up if I knew I had to run a 3/3:30. That’s not possible right now. (Maybe they don’t actually have a time limit, because I was allowed to continue. I just lost all race support.)

2) You honestly can’t expect people to go 13 miles without a bathroom break. The 5 and 10Ks at Disney always have lines at the port-a-potties and public restrooms and those are less than half of a half marathon.

The funny / sad thing about this is that I never have to pee during a race. NEVER.

Well, never say never.

But on the flip side, my PHRC shirt made me a new friend. She was an Eagle, but she didn’t make the transition to the FRC. I can’t say I blame her, but it was nice to put the name to the face. We run a lot of the same races, so it will be nice to know someone at the races, even though she smoked me right off the start line.

Aaaaaand, speaking of the FRC, I’M GOING TO DETROIT!

(Who the fuck is ever excited about going to Detroit?)

I’m meeting up with my pocket friends and we’re going to run the Freep Marathon Weekend.

I’m actually running the International Half Marathon, 5K, and one miler.

I’M GOING TO CANADA!

I posted a picture of my renewed passport with the caption: I’M GOING TO DETROIT! and um, yeah. There was one comment on the status questioning my sanity, but I actually received several DMs asking me if I was OK.

Oh, I am so far from OK… but that’s not related to this.

Also related to FRC - I just did a Battle. Finished with 89 miles over 10 days. I capped three times. We won the race (wooo!!!!), but the best part of all of it was my team. I haven’t been on a team that gave me the warm and fuzzies in a long time. 

Oh, did I mention? The course for Battle took us from Erie, PA through Canada, Detroit, Northern Ohio (Toledo, Sandusky, etc.), and back to Erie. Toledo was… fun. Nothing like reliving some of the worst years of my life.

I have stories about stuff and things and I’m not in the right headspace to talk about them right now.

Seems to be the story of my life.

I can part with this, though:

March 18th was the 32nd anniversary of my mother’s death.

She died when I was 16.

She has been dead for double the amount of time she was in my life.

Talk about a mindfuck.