Capitol 10k

You might recall last year when I posted about running the Capitol 10K with our friends. If not, just click on the link and refresh your memory. The Cap 10K is the largest 10K in the state and fifth largest in the nation. It’s quite a spectacle because a good percent of the participants dress up in some sort of crazy outfits. Last year, we ran as the Indiana Jones Trilogy. This year we decided to run the race as the Flintstones, complete with foot-propelled cars to carry us to the finish line.

Our beloved Dino [Dan the Chicken Man] was unable to join us this year and we missed him.  Betty has a little Bam Bam on the way, so she met us at the finish line.

We ended up arriving a bit late, but with over 22,000 people participating in this race, we still had to inch our way through the congestion at the starting line.

A photographer managed to catch a lovely action shot:

http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/2011-capitol-10000-032711/#163000

I think I was being goofy and dancing to some band music. I don’t think, or at least I hope I don’t look like that when I run.

I honestly don’t know why more people don’t dress up for this thing because if you stand out, you get cheered on throughout the race, which makes running the 6 miles more bearable even when you haven’t trained a lick [this seems to be a trend]. About halfway through the race one of the racers led the crowd in an impromptu and very garbled version of the Flintstones theme song. One of the bands playing along the route incorporated Yabba Dabba Doo into the end of his song. We even managed to belt out the song in between gasps as we approached the finish line, although we mistimed the performance and finished the song about 50 meters too early. Oh well. During the race, we managed to plan our costumes for next year’s Cap 10K. Even little “Bam Bam” or “Pebbles” will be a part of the madness. This race certainly spoils us. It’s always a good sign when you just finish a 10K and can’t wait to do it again. It just makes it hard to ever want to run a serious race. [Which I hope to do if my rickety joints will ever recover].

On the mile walk back to our car, we were getting a lot of honks and waves, points and stares. But the funniest response to our costumes was the ambulance that approached from behind, lights on and sirens blaring which actually slowed down on its way to the call to gawk and laugh at our get up.

Another perk to such elaborate costumes…the kids now have new toys that will occupy them for some time:

Now for some ice pack therapy.

xo

nessa dee

Capitol 10K

On Sunday Jonathan and I ran the Capitol 10K here in Austin along with a few friends. It was a reunion of sorts as we did so 5 years ago. The thing about the Capitol 10K that makes it so much fun is that no one blinks an eye if you dress up in costumes. In fact, it’s welcomed. Five years ago we all dressed up in Superman shirts and wore capes, while our friend Dan was a chicken.

I had never had so much fun running 6 miles. People cheered us on, bands played music on the side of the roads, there was no pressure to run for time, and our friend, “Dan the Chicken Man” made the radio and the paper. Since then, we always said that we would run it again, but as it happens, life gets in the way, people move, and we missed the race each year. Well, thanks to our good friend Abby, who got the gang back together, we once again ran the 10K. This year, though, we had to go all out with our costumes. Our first idea was to run as all things slow, a turtle, a sloth, a snail, snail mail, and dial-up internet since none of us trained for the race. But, in the end, we decided to go as the Indiana Jones trilogy [the 4th movie doesn’t exist in our minds]. Jonathan and I were Raiders of the Lost Ark, Erik and Abby were Temple of Doom, and Dan was The Last Crusade.

It was misting and muggy the whole race. We were soaked with sweat; some of us were carrying props; Dan sported a leather jacket for half of the race; none of us had run 6 miles since 2005. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Of the 20,000 people in the race, it seemed that only about 2% dressed up. The whole race we had an identity for people to cheer us on. We kept hearing people shout “Go Indiana!” and “Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” or people singing the theme music to keep us going. Several runners cleverly commented the they were “Keeping up with the Joneses.” We took pictures with quite a few folks and even made the news as one of the “crowd favorites.” It was our 15 minutes, or more like 1 hour and 15 minutes of fame. More than that, it felt like the reigniting of a tradition we hope to keep for years to come.

Plus, I can’t tell you how fun and awkward and freeing it is to run in some totally ridiculous costume. I think I might have to dress up for every race I attempt.

xo

nessa dee