Nike Human Race 10K Vancouver

(The dip was the the pee stop!)

This past Sunday, during my visit in Vancouver, I had the opportunity to participate in the Nike Human Race 10K. Entering the waiting area with EVERYONE wearing the same shirt was a little surreal. The race was to start at 7:15PM, which meant a twilight run. My boyfriend and I were getting antsy and a little chilly since the sun was starting to set. We had already checked in our sweats and were getting pretty excited about starting already. Perusing the crowd, I could tell this was a serious running group of people. I saw a huge team of Kenyans and family members, also invited elite runners. One the Nike site, Vancouver ended up to be the 4th fastest average finishing times out of all the cities. This is a Nike event, I know they brought some of their top runners. We arrived at the time suggested on our shirt packet: 5:30PM. The run was not starting until 7:15PM. Inside the complex was a concert stage setup, Nike running store, and food: gatorade, bananas, bagels, milk, Starbucks smoothies, and free massage stations. When we finally started lining up the antipation was high and everyone around me were pretty cordial. We stayed in Wave 6 (55mins +). This was to be a fun run with my boyfriend and an opportunity to run through the city of Vancouver to parts we would not have been able to fit in. As soon as the race starts, I realized my bladder was super full! It wasn't until kilometer 2 that we spotted ONE PORTA POTTY! Five minutes later were were back with the pack. We ran over two bridges, along the seawall where we ran thru the mid-construction of 2010 Winter Olympic athletic village.

During the race, I felt really strong and surprisingly had a lot of energy. We were worried coming into the race how much walking/standing/hiking we had been doing thru Vancouver. I think all the food we've consumed gave us enough carbs for days!

The sun eventually disappeared and all was pitch dark except the city lights. We finally see the Finish line and crossed over the 2nd to last chip timer 200 yards before the line. My boyfriend and I already planned to cross the line holding hands. All of a sudden we hear the speakers announce both our name and city "SAN FRANCISCO!" "...and it looks like its a couple holding hands!"

A great ending to our last night in Vancouver. We were awarded a tube that contained a n even bracelet.

Thanks Vancouver for a wonderful wonderful vacation! 1:08:23 was a PR for my 10K!