We made it to Beaver Stadium a little before 10 am to pick up our bibs and t-shirts. On our way into Medlar Field we ran into some friends and stopped briefly to talk. We made our way into Medlar Field, and packet pick-up was arranged by last name. I walked up to the table (which was much less congested than the previous year) and gave the woman my last name. "Smith, there's probably 100 of us." She asked my first name, and then scrolled through the list. She looks up, "I'm sorry, you're not on the list." I told her that was weird, and that I could even pull up the e-mail on my phone that confirmed I had registered. She told me that when they printed the lists, they were told that some people did not make it on the list. My immediate thought was, well, why did they not print new lists then? Either way, it was not a hassle to get a new bib, there was a woman there specifically for that reason, and luckily I was not the only one getting a new bib at that time. Danielle and I walked over to the table where shirts were distributed, and then made our way back to my car.
Unfortunately, registration closed at 10:15, but the race was not set to start until 11 am. We had about an hour to kill, which worked for me so I could finish my coffee and hopefully not have it upset my stomach. It was a beautiful day, and the sun was pretty direct again. I had Danielle take this picture of me outside the stadium.
(Sun and blue skies for the Beaver Stadium run!)
Danielle and I started our run, and I had my watch set so we could do intervals. It worked out nice because we were able to enjoy the rest of campus at a steady enjoyable pace, and take note of the other changes that had been made since we had graduated. One thing that annoyed us both was that there was only one water stop along the entire route! This year we didn't stop at any of our favorite places to take pictures. We made our loop around campus and once again we were by the creamery. I glanced and my watch and saw that we had a decent time even though we were still about a half a mile from the finish. I also noticed that my hands were swollen again.
We turned into the stadium (my favorite part!), running through the tunnel onto the field in Beaver Stadium! Literally, as soon as you hit that point you feel a rush of adrenaline, and just kick it in gear to get to the 50 yard line where the finish was located. I was so excited to finish, that I totally missed Franco Harris, I was on the other side of the finish chute! Hahaha!
We hung around on the field for a while talking with friends, and then Danielle and I went to Quaker Steak for a post race lunch with another one of her friends. My mom text me to ask how the race went, and asked how my hands were. The swelling was starting to go down. After lunch, we went back to Danielle's, I showered and had to hit the road to get back home... and like that, my weekend in Happy Valley was over.
I drove back to my parents to pick up my dog because she stayed with them over the weekend. I was telling my mom about what a great time I had, and she said to me, " It will always be a happy place for you. No matter how old you are, there will always be something fun for you to do there for as long as you live." That's definitely the truth, the times I have in State College go by in the blink of an eye. I keep my fingers crossed that a job will open up in my field in the area so I can move back. Mom and I continued to talk about the race, and both she and my dad said they don't want me running until I see my cardiologist (which I called to make an appointment, and they can't get me in until the end of May). I'll update you on all of that in my next post. Luckily, the only run I'm registered for before I see my cardiologist is the Color Run, so I'll just run it very slowly (or walk it).
QOTD: Is there a favorite race you run? Or a particular part about a certain race that gets your adrenaline pumping?
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