Ok - so Sunday I did a 10k with my daughter. It was down the street from my house sponsored by the YMCA. (link for race info here: http://www.ymca-snoco.org/Locations/...ydd.ashx?p=390)
Last year's slowest time (Yes, I always look) was 1:22:xx - which is about my 10k time right now. I set my goal at finishing closer to 1:15:xx - there was a decent group finishing around that time but I WAS prepared to be DFL (dead effing last - a technical term LOL)
What I was NOT prepared for was having to stop and ask directions because there were no volunteers left and the cones/signs were down by the time I got close to the finish line!!! I had to navigate the final 3 turns without help!
I was NOT last - there was one runner behind me and about 5 walkers WAY behind me. There were other events they were doing - kid dashes and such. But it seems to me that until the LAST runner crosses the finish line, they should have the arrows up at least!! I literally had to find someone to tell me where the finish line WAS!!!
I'm angry, humiliated, frustrated and I don't even know what else. I finished in 1:17:30 - 5 minutes off my best time but, apparently, still not fast enough for this race. The website doesn't list a cut off time - up until mile 5 there were still plenty of volunteers all cheering me on. The last mile however was desolate...I probably spent at least 2 minutes asking for directions and trying to figure out the course - I made it to mile 5 in 1:01:xx - so I was running 12 minute miles - until the last mile which took me 16 minutes - and I wasn't out of energy.
So today I'll probably write a letter to the YMCA letting them know how utterly disappointed I am. They robbed me of the joy of finishing and feeling proud. I'm angry about that. If there was a cut off time - I would have honored that and probably not entered - and usually a cut off time means they're going to open the streets to traffic and they send a shuttle out to pick up runners. The final stretch of this race had a parade in 2.5 hours so it wasn't going to be open to traffic - there was NO reason to take the course down.
Anyway. should I send in the letter? they can't do anything to give me that finish back - and frankly I dont' want to run a race with them again. A YMCA membership however...kidding, just kidding.
I will write some sort of letter - at least maybe in hopes of preventing this from happening again. One of the people that I finished with was running his first 10k - he was robbed more than I was. I'm just so utterly disappointed. I should be thrilled.
Last year's slowest time (Yes, I always look) was 1:22:xx - which is about my 10k time right now. I set my goal at finishing closer to 1:15:xx - there was a decent group finishing around that time but I WAS prepared to be DFL (dead effing last - a technical term LOL)
What I was NOT prepared for was having to stop and ask directions because there were no volunteers left and the cones/signs were down by the time I got close to the finish line!!! I had to navigate the final 3 turns without help!
I was NOT last - there was one runner behind me and about 5 walkers WAY behind me. There were other events they were doing - kid dashes and such. But it seems to me that until the LAST runner crosses the finish line, they should have the arrows up at least!! I literally had to find someone to tell me where the finish line WAS!!!
I'm angry, humiliated, frustrated and I don't even know what else. I finished in 1:17:30 - 5 minutes off my best time but, apparently, still not fast enough for this race. The website doesn't list a cut off time - up until mile 5 there were still plenty of volunteers all cheering me on. The last mile however was desolate...I probably spent at least 2 minutes asking for directions and trying to figure out the course - I made it to mile 5 in 1:01:xx - so I was running 12 minute miles - until the last mile which took me 16 minutes - and I wasn't out of energy.
So today I'll probably write a letter to the YMCA letting them know how utterly disappointed I am. They robbed me of the joy of finishing and feeling proud. I'm angry about that. If there was a cut off time - I would have honored that and probably not entered - and usually a cut off time means they're going to open the streets to traffic and they send a shuttle out to pick up runners. The final stretch of this race had a parade in 2.5 hours so it wasn't going to be open to traffic - there was NO reason to take the course down.
Anyway. should I send in the letter? they can't do anything to give me that finish back - and frankly I dont' want to run a race with them again. A YMCA membership however...kidding, just kidding.
I will write some sort of letter - at least maybe in hopes of preventing this from happening again. One of the people that I finished with was running his first 10k - he was robbed more than I was. I'm just so utterly disappointed. I should be thrilled.
Comments
Good job with your race. You should be proud of your new time, even if you would have done better if the course and finish had been clear.
On the bright side...
YAY!!! You did it! :::aplauding::
You did great! Don't let the disapointment get to you. Keep up the good work. :)