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Five Race Day Surprises

July 30, 2015 By: Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC38 Comments

Here we are again with another Friday Five. This week we are talking about five race day surprises. I expect there will be a lot of creative takes on the theme! I kept it pretty simple mostly because I had a hard time with this one! Per usual, I’m linking up with my girls Cynthia and Mar for the #Friday Five. You can read our linkup rules here. Please, please, please follow the rules! Note that if you don’t play nicely, we will delete your link. Have a wonderful weekend!

five race day surprises

  1. Weather. Ah yes. Too hot? Been there too many times to count. Too cold? Hello, Marine Corps 17.75k. Just perfect? Ah, the sweet spot. That’s always a pleasant surprise. 
  2. Unexpected PR. This doesn’t happen that much, but when it does (like when I ran this 10k), it’s the best! Another fun unexpected PR happened at last year’s Fit Foodie 5k. That was definitely due to me chasing my faster friends. Pace bunnies for the win! 
  3. Friends. I’m a big fan of meeting people at races. Usually I plan for it, but in the last few local races I’ve run, I’ve had folks who read the blog introduce themselves. That is always a fun surprise. Please do say hi if you ever see me out on the run! 
  4. Tummy issues. Meh. Not the best – in fact, kind of the worst surprise ever. I won’t go into detail but let’s just say that spending time figuring out what you can and can NOT eat on the run is valuable time spent. 
  5.  Swag. I’ve talked about some of my favorite race swag recently, but sometimes races will have a surprise finisher’s item and that is always fun! 

Tell me about your race day surprises – the good and the bad! 


Comments

  1. Daisy @ Fit Wanderlust Runner says

    July 31, 2015 at 12:02 am

    OMG I have experienced all of those. The worst stomach issues surprise, I had to literally stop at every bathroom. Definitely no PR. Also when I did my first triathlon I thought it was going to be so hot. It was literally 95 degrees the day before. I remember praying to have cooler weather. Then during the middle of the night it rained and come race morning the water was actually warmer than outside! It was about 50 degrees! It even sprinkled when I was on my bike ride.
    Daisy @ Fit Wanderlust Runner recently posted…Delicious Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread Recipe!My Profile

    Reply
    • Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC says

      July 31, 2015 at 8:49 am

      Stomach issues SUCK! There are few things more uncomfortable than spending a race in a bathroom :/

      Reply
  2. karen - Fit in France says

    July 31, 2015 at 1:12 am

    Unexpected PR is the best surprise ever ! Love it on those days when everything just falls into place…. Have a great weekend !
    karen – Fit in France recently posted…Friday five : Avoiding Race Day SurprisesMy Profile

    Reply
  3. lacey@fairytalesandfitness says

    July 31, 2015 at 4:25 am

    I agree. It’s always a nice surprise at the finish to get another piece of swag, rather than just a snack a drink at the end.
    lacey@fairytalesandfitness recently posted…What we’ve gained through our blogMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Lisa @ RUnning Out Of Wine says

    July 31, 2015 at 5:47 am

    I love the unexpected PR…hasn’t happened in a while though! And stomach issues are the worst.
    Lisa @ RUnning Out Of Wine recently posted…5 Race Day SurprisesMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Susie @ SuzLyfe says

    July 31, 2015 at 6:03 am

    A great race day surprise is when a particular spectator just makes your LIFE. You know, like the two girls dressed up as bacon and eggs that keep me going throughout Twin Cities. Or gives you all the candy when you have run out of fuel. Gotta love that!
    Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…My Forever Favorite: A Tribute to My Mom on Her BirthdayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC says

      July 31, 2015 at 8:47 am

      Omg. Those girls sound amazing!!!! Also now I want bacon!

      Reply
  6. Coco says

    July 31, 2015 at 6:10 am

    Snow was biggest race day weather surprise at the Reston 10 Miler last year. Then there was the incident that shortened the Cheery Blossom course …
    Coco recently posted…Running Rules I Always BreakMy Profile

    Reply
    • Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC says

      July 31, 2015 at 8:47 am

      Oh yeah – the inaugural 9.39 miler 🙂

      Reply
  7. Hollie says

    July 31, 2015 at 6:34 am

    I think the biggest surprise for me is a PR. My best races were always surprises.
    Hollie recently posted…Lengthy Wedding PostMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Pam and Christine says

    July 31, 2015 at 6:49 am

    Great list of surprises. I think my biggest race day surprise was also a PR, just 3 weeks after Boston and my food poisoning episode. I also ran a race without checking out the course map in Asheville, NC. That was a really bad surprise!
    Pam and Christine recently posted…Jeff Galloway’s Tips for Running in the HeatMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Erica @ Erica Finds says

    July 31, 2015 at 7:02 am

    All of the surprises I could think of were kind of bad so I went with a different 5 today. Boy, an unexpected PR would be a nice surprise!! I did see a moose in a race once – SURPRISE!
    Erica @ Erica Finds recently posted…Friday Finds: 5 Podcasts You Don’t Want to MissMy Profile

    Reply
    • Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC says

      July 31, 2015 at 8:46 am

      Haha, I hear you. This was a tough one for me! And wow. I’d say a moose would surprise the heck outta me!!

      Reply
  10. Michelle says

    July 31, 2015 at 7:23 am

    PRs are always a nice surprised! Why are they always surprises when we work so hard?? lol. I would’ve loved to write about this, I need to pay more attention to your topics one day! Always enjoy reading though! Happy Friday!
    Michelle recently posted…Quick Fix Chia Protein BitesMy Profile

    Reply
  11. April @ RunTheGreatWideSomewhere says

    July 31, 2015 at 8:15 am

    Unexpected PRs are the best race surprises every! 🙂

    Reply
  12. Amy Lauren says

    July 31, 2015 at 8:33 am

    I finally remembered to participate (btw thanks for announcing the topics in advance so I can pre-write!). Unexpected PRs are the best even if they are few and far between. Tummy issues are the worst but that can happen any day, but it’s so much suckier on race day- especially in a goal race! I hope you have a great weekend!
    Amy Lauren recently posted…Friday Five: Five Race Day SurprisesMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Lesley says

    July 31, 2015 at 8:42 am

    I’ve been lucky and only had stomach issues once. It was before the race and I was fine during it, but I was super worried.
    Lesley recently posted…Allie’s StoryMy Profile

    Reply
  14. Kathryn @ Dancing to Running says

    July 31, 2015 at 9:13 am

    Snow, sleet, and rain during the St. Patrick’s Day Double earlier this year has been my biggest race day surprise. You never think you’re going to get all three of those during a single race, which also made for a very slippery course.
    Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…August 2015 Monthly GoalsMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Angie @ Pace with Grace Blog says

    July 31, 2015 at 10:31 am

    I agree that stomach issues would be on my list along with the weather. I used to check the weather incessantly prior to my races but have learned its best to just let it be since there isn’t anything you can do about it! Now I check it the day before so I can plan for what I will wear. This seems to help!
    Angie @ Pace with Grace Blog recently posted…August Goals + My WeekendMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Tara @ Running 'N' Reading says

    July 31, 2015 at 10:37 am

    YAY! We had some of the same ones, Courtney!! At first, I was kind of stumped by this topic but, once I started thinking about it, it was really easy – ha! Thanks so much for hosting another fun Friday Five; hope you have a great weekend!
    Tara @ Running ‘N’ Reading recently posted…Race Day SurprisesMy Profile

    Reply
  17. Ilka@Ilkasblog.com says

    July 31, 2015 at 11:18 am

    Tummy issues are never good – that can totally ruin a race. I like that you mentioned an unexpected PR – what a great thought. So true!
    Ilka@Ilkasblog.com recently posted…Friday Fives – 5 Race Day SurprisesMy Profile

    Reply
  18. Kate @KateMovingForward says

    July 31, 2015 at 11:19 am

    I love it when the after race food is suprisingly awesome! Like a full-on yogurt parfait bar when you were expecting a banana–winning!
    Kate @KateMovingForward recently posted…Five Things Thursday: Summer EditionMy Profile

    Reply
  19. Rachel says

    July 31, 2015 at 1:17 pm

    I could not agree more with all of your surprises. The friends one is always fun — recently I’ve met several Insta-friends who introduce themselves to me at a race. Good times!
    Rachel recently posted…Race Recap: Race N Taste Trail 5K [Friday Five]My Profile

    Reply
  20. brittney @ corral b says

    July 31, 2015 at 3:25 pm

    GOOD: at a 5k i did once, they passed out mesh backpacks filled with sunglasses and water bottles after the finish. i had no idea that would happen!
    BAD: i caught a stomach virus before my first 5k.
    brittney @ corral b recently posted…friday five: things i miss from chicagoMy Profile

    Reply
  21. Nicole @ Fitful Focus says

    August 4, 2015 at 11:40 am

    Weather can be the best and worst surprise. I recently ran a local 10k. I didn’t think there was a medal at the end, but there was! Best surprise ever, especially because that race was a doozy.
    Nicole @ Fitful Focus recently posted…The Benefits of Having Food AllergiesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC says

      August 4, 2015 at 2:30 pm

      oh that’s a REALLY nice surprise!

      Reply
  22. Cristina @triathlonmami says

    August 4, 2015 at 11:46 am

    Yep, those are surprises alright … my favorite was finding a herd of goats (yes, you read that right) on a mountain on my bike in a race! When you thought you’d been through it all 🙂
    Cristina @triathlonmami recently posted…Race Review: Ironman Lake PlacidMy Profile

    Reply
  23. Marcia says

    August 4, 2015 at 12:28 pm

    I think I’ve had more than my share of race day weather “surprises” haha! My best surprise was running a half marathon PR 6 days after a full. Go figure.
    Marcia recently posted…Tips and Tricks for Family Travel Through ParisMy Profile

    Reply
    • Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC says

      August 4, 2015 at 4:22 pm

      that is AWESOME!

      Reply
  24. Becki S says

    August 4, 2015 at 6:20 pm

    Friends are always a great surprise! One 5k i did had a fabulous medal at the end and I wasn’t’ even thinking they had one! And while this wasn’t a surprise, last year I did a cupcake run and a huge chocolate cupcake at the end was wonderful!
    Becki S recently posted…Twin Takeover: Part TwoMy Profile

    Reply
    • Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC says

      August 5, 2015 at 9:39 am

      yummy! that’s my kind of surprise!!

      Reply
  25. Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home says

    August 4, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    How did I miss this post? And I’m more surprised when my tummy doesn’t act up than when it does. What can I say?
    Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Race Recap: Road Shark Virtual 5 milerMy Profile

    Reply
    • Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC says

      August 4, 2015 at 9:13 pm

      Lol. Tummy trouble stinks!!!

      Reply
  26. Artney @ My Pretty Brown says

    August 4, 2015 at 8:34 pm

    I’ll have to say…free race photos and one of my last races had an awesome snack pack. Oh and I loved our hoodies! Perfect for my indoor sweat sesh!
    Artney @ My Pretty Brown recently posted…Weekend Vibes! Art in MotionMy Profile

    Reply
  27. priya says

    August 5, 2015 at 1:31 am

    Unexpected tummy issues and PR go hand in hand. 🙂

    Reply
  28. rachel says

    August 5, 2015 at 8:33 am

    Yes. Great race day surprises (except for the upset tummy).
    rachel recently posted…Behind the Scenes: A Day in the LifeMy Profile

    Reply

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