Race Day in Puerto Vallarta, 5 Kilometers. Was out partying and didn't get home until 3:30 and got at least an hour and a half of sleep before I took a taxi to the Sports Park. My friends that I was out with were asking me how I was going to make it to the race. I'm all, "I've trained this way. I've had to run before with very little sleep and a hangover, so its not nothing I'm not used to." Of course that night I meet a hot guy that is really easy to talk to, but he has a boyfriend. Went to my usual taco stand before heading up the steps to the condo and the proprietor complimented me on my costume from last night. The taco stand was still open when I headed down to take a taxi in my marathon gear. So what was my first race like??? Had a great taxi driver who took me right behind the park. It was probably only like five minutes after six and I was way early for the race start. They had a dj playing disco to get everyone fired up. I could have really have taken my time getting there, but I didn't want to miss this for nothing. Lots of runners were warming up on the track, but being a trail runner, I sprinted across the soccer field and did some yoga stretches in the middle. I had to take a sh@t, but as soon as I went into the portapottie I lost my sh@t and just had to contend with a sh@tty belly. It really f!cking stunk in there. Wasted time bopping around and about 20 minutes to the start I ran into that Canadian, Mike, whom I met at the Blue Chairs after I registered. I was modeling my race shirt and he came up to me and asked me about the race and I told him how to sign up and lo he was there to run the 1/2 marathon. I'm glad I was able to inspire someone modeling!!! We shot the sh@t for a little bit and his race was about to start so I begged off and went up past the start to cheer him on, but I never saw him as he passed the gate. So then it was my turn to race. 7:00 gun. Really couldn't figure out the countdown clock but found a place midway in the pack. Stretching, mentally preparing myself and actually feeling quite ready to kick it. So the gun goes off and then all of a sudden all the people in front of me start casually strolling! I'm like WTF? I need to get to the front of the pack. It felt like the first part was really slow and it took me at least a mile to weave through people and get a spot where I was in the clear. Then I was mostly running with the women from Oscar's Restaurant. The sun was coming up and it was starting to get really hot. I didn't want to take off my race shirt because I didn't want to be disqualified. At the aid stations they had water in these little plastic tubes that you could bite into and suck. I grabbed two and sprayed the other one around me. And finally reached the turnaround at the Naval Station. Only I guess about a mile and a half into it and I really felt like I was running slow and not able to get a good breath. I know that the heat and the sore throat had something to do with my oxygen uptake, never mind being out all night and running on a flat brick surface rather than the dirt and hills I'm accustomed to. I'd have to say I got only about a half mile past the turn around when I broke down. My f!cking left calf. The injury I had a week before decided to manifest itself again. Pain. f!ck. There was no way I was going to quit. I tried a few gaits that I was doing on the trails here at home but really couldn't find a way to run without pain. I just did the best I could and muscled through it even though I knew that it could be possibly dangerous, but then I figured that this kind of situation may happen again in the future and I have to learn how to deal with it. That was what this whole 5k prep run was all about anyway. So I just ran as best as I could trying to take it easy and not slow down. What really sucked was that, endurance wise, I was at a point where I had intended to accelerate, but my injury wasn't going to let me do it. I didn't want to f!ck myself up harder so I couldn't race on this Sunday. So I ran as well as I could, other people were passing me, but I stayed in close with the ladies from Oscar's. That had to be the longest 3 miles of my life When I think of it, its just like from the Museum to the Beach, but it seemed to take forever. I had no tunes and running on that flat brick was something different. I kept on looking for landmarks, but it seemed as if they took forever to appear. Finally I passed the Mega Store and knew that the end gate was in sight. I powered up and increased my stride and people along the side lines were cheering. With about 100 meters left there was a woman runner just ahead of me and barreling towards the finish. I gave it all I got and sprinted hard to catch up. The harder I ran the louder the cheers on the sidelines got and she saw me coming and sprinted harder to. It was a neck and neck finish, but there was no f!cking clock at the finish so I have no idea how we did. I was running so hard I ran into a guy just talking to people at the gate. Dude. Get out the way. So I got my medal, a yoghurt, banana and bottle of water. I was so f!cking proud to do what I did. Stripped off my race shirt and walked around just trying to get my heart rate down and walked across the street to catch a bus back to Olas Altas, my neighborhood. The bus came quicker than I thought and everyone on the bus kind of gave me an amused sn&gger when I got on the bus half naked and dripping sweat. WELL HOW THE f!ck ELSE IS AN OLYMPIAN RUNNER GONNA LOOK TAKING THE BUS BACK TO HIS f!ckING CONDO IN PUERTO VALLARTA??? As tore up as I was I'd do it again any day of the week. So anyway later that day, I tried to sleep as best I could out on the deck, but then my room mate Matt woke up and I made some coffee and I saw the dolphins frolicking off in the ocean. Just as they always are, they are there when I'm doing something serious and exhibiting my commitment to running. Yah dolphins. U know how much I love you and how inspired you make me to keep going. Even though Im f!cked up physically, you give me the spiritual and emotional endurance to preservere, and that's why I'm gonna keep doing it. They were doing the fairy ring and really showy offy leaps into the ocean. Thank you dolphins. We are worldwide, but we rock the Pacific. Now I just gotta do my best to prepare for my upcoming races, injury, illness, et. all.