Rum Run 2013 Review

Good morning! 

Workouts 
Saturday - 7.5 miles 
Sunday - Rum Run 5k 
Monday - Rest 
Tuesday - 5 miles 

I hope you all had a good Memorial Day weekend!

My Grandpa served in the Air Force for over 20 years he wasn't a pilot but worked as an interrogator because he was fluent in French, pretty cool right?!  He set a great example and both of my cousins and now my brother are serving in our Nation's Armed Forces.  

We took the Jeep out on Saturday up to Lost Lake on Mt. Hood with our friends Katie & Bryan.  It isn't a huge lake, probably 3-4 miles around, it is really beautiful and serene.  

Sarah wouldn't take a picture with us because she is a jerk she was too busy playing in the lake water.

Sometimes Katie is nice to Bryan...sometimes.  

Okay onto the reason you probably read this post, the race report!  

Sunday morning I picked up Riley at 7:45 so we could be at the race by 8:00.  The Rum Run is held in Tualatin which is only 5 miles from my house.  It was really nice to have a little more time in the morning and not have to leave at 6:00 am.  Once we got there finding a parking spot was a breeze and we walked to the starting area.  

Pre-Race 

What I like about this race besides it being so close to home is how easy and laid back the feel of it is.  You can pick up your packet the day before or you can easily grab it race morning and still have time to run your goodies back to your car.  There are plenty of porta potties and the lines for them move very quickly.  The race starts and ends at the Tualatin Commons which has a man made lake in the center.  The announcers are always letting people know how much time they have to get to the starting line and they separate the crowd into waves a minute apart to help with congestion.        

Riley and I before the race

Race

Riley and I started with the 10 minute milers because I wasn't sure where Riley would be comfortable and I didn't want us to be trampled.  Well I underestimated that girl because she really took off and we were passing runners left and right, my bad!  The course takes you through Cook Park and then a residential neighborhood where you are basically running downhill back to the lake.  You finish the last quarter mile or so of the 5k by running around the lake and finishing right in the commons.  There are a lot of volunteers and police making sure everyone stays on course and drivers are aware of you.  There is also a lot of signage directing people.     

You all know that girl! 

Post-Race

Once you finish the race there are lots of volunteers handing out water and leis.  With your registration you get a ticket for a beer, a 10 Cane Rum Mojito and Hawaiian Chicken and Rice.  We finished at the same time as Katie and her dad so we all went in before the crowd to get our Chicken and Rice.  We sat by the window and could watch the other runners finish their race which was pretty cool.  Since I was the responsible adult (ha!) I gave my alcohol tickets away, said goodbye to Katie and her Dad and took Riley and myself to Starbucks.  An iced coffee taste so much better after a run!

In a Nutshell

I really like this race and would like to do more runs with the company that puts on the Rum Run.  They are really organized and the race always has great energy.  I love this course in particular because of the majority of it being downhill, talk about a self esteem boost!  I actually PR'd at this 5k and had no intention of that whatsoever.  Riley and I finished with a time of 27:07 and both of us weren't even that worn out at the end, seriously who am I?!  I will do this race again next year and will be looking to run another Energy Event in the future.    

How did your runs go this weekend?  

Do you notice the company putting on your race or do you even care? 

- I have just started paying attention and am starting to notice different quirks about each company 

Favorite post-run/race food/drink, GO!

- Iced Coffee/Coffee