Race #7 in 2014

Race #20 Overall

CCC14 Bib

So I start up writing a recap to one of the best races ever and realize that perhaps I needed to write a small recap from the first bridge run.  I guess I’ll work on that next.  For now I’ll recap the annual Easter tradition which is the Crescent City Classic, one of the fastest 10Ks in the country.  I believe several 10K records have been broken in New Orleans in the past.  The current world record holder in the 10K was there, and wouldn’t you imagine, he WON.  But he didn’t set a new record, although I’m sure it was a course record.  27:43:59!  That’s just insane.  Leonard Komon was crossing the finish line about two minutes after I started the race.  That’s just amazing.

Start

So this year I ran with a friend and coworker who has just recently rediscovered running as well.  She just graduated from running a 5K non-stop.  Now she’s going to run a 10K nearly non-stop, but she doesn’t know it just yet.  Haha.

Parking was a little different for me this year.  The superdome wasn’t open like years past.  Not sure if it was because of security or what.  I was just sad because superdome parking for race day was only $5.  But luckily, the hotel garage down the street took racers and only raised the charge up to $8.  That was about a $4 savings from the usual charge.  So I parked in that garage and then made my way to the starting lines.  There was a security line to enter the area up by the elites, but further back where the regulars were, there was no security.

‘Float’

The corrals moved through a lot better this year than last.  Instead of merging into Corral F, we actually stayed behind them this year and moved across the start line in an orderly fashion around the 25 minute mark.  Of course, there was still the issue of all the walkers and strollers in front of us after we started ‘running’.  I’m still amazed at two things, how corrals are not monitored towards the back, and how people who fully intend to walk, or pull wagons/push strollers, or walk dogs, are allowed to sign up for or line up in corrals well in front of the walking corral.  Really annoying.  The race asks for predicted start time and I estimate 60-75 minutes because I don’t expect to run it faster than an hour.  But i think I’ll be signing up for the next corral up in future years.

 So we start the race and of course we spend most of Poydras trying to negotiate the walkers and strollers.  It always opens up a little more on Peters but it can still get tight in the Quarter, especially around the French Market.  Once you get to Esplanade, it becomes much more manageable because you get multiple options (northbound/southbound/neutral ground).

Band on Esplanade

I got ahead of my coworker through the Quarter but we met up again on Esplanade while I was stopped to film a local jazz band.  Then we finished the race together.  Turns out that firetruck of beer is really a reconfigured fire truck that is a beer dispenser and is owned by Drago’s.  I didn’t know that last year.  No wonder it’s ok for ‘firefighters’ to hand out booze.  We also ran through a water sprinkler around Mile 4 which helped to cool things off a bit.  Now’s probably a good time to mention that the weather was nearly perfect.  It was a cloudless sky and the temp was around 65-70 throughout the race.  It couldn’t have been much better.

The DeLorean pull float – post race

We ended up finishing almost right at the 70 minute mark (garmin time).  As far as official times go, well, I didn’t have any idea for several days.  It seemed the ‘official results’ had my bib crossing the line nearly 25 minutes later and it didn’t have my name or any info to go with it.  After a little bit of thought, I was able to figure out that the chip didn’t appear to register at the start but did at the finish and just took the clock time.  After I emailed the race officials about this, I found out that the timing company actually had a much more chronic problem.  Turns out they messed up times for over 400 people, mainly people who had bibs mailed to them, but for some reason that information wasn’t entered into their timing database.  After a few more days, they seemed to have gotten parts of it fixed.  Turns out that the chip did in fact register a start time, but didn’t add it to the results because it had no information for me.  So I ended up getting an official time after all that actually matched my garmin time by within 3 seconds.  I’m glad that was straightened out.  Even though it was a timing problem and not necessarily the race director’s fault, the race team was extremely helpful and friendly through the whole process.  I told them that I thought this was one of the best 10Ks in the country and that it definitely part of my annual tradition now.  I also told them how impressive it was to have people from around the world come here for a 10K.

Walking back past the cemetery.

Back to the race.  It did take a while to make it into the post race party, but it wasn’t too bad.  They did hand out medals again this year.  That was a nice perk.  Being as medals have gotten really popular recently, I’m wondering if they will start doing it every year now.  I do like the crescent medals.  The post race event also had some really, and I mean really, cold beer.  Nice!  I also got my race tshirt there since I didn’t drive down that Friday to pick it up at the expo.

After about an hour there, we decided to head back, but instead of waiting what could have easily been an hour in the shuttle bus line, we decided to walk back along Esplanade towards the beginning.  I think this was actually a great idea.  We ended up walking past or with several other people who had the same idea.  It took us about 75 minutes to walk about half the distance and make it back to the Quarter where we decided to have a post race celebratory drink and pizza on Bourbon.  Also a great idea.  We needed extra pizza though to ensure we were sober enough for the drive back.  Haha.

2014 Medal

So all-in-all, another successful Classic.  This is definitely my favorite 10K race so far.  Philadephia would be my favorite half marathon.  Favorite 5K?  I don’t know; there’s just too many really.  Favorite marathon?  Well, I haven’t graduated to marathons yet and doubt I do anytime soon.  Speaking of which, it’s time for another half marathon.

Race: CCC14

Date: April 19, 2014, 8AM

Place: New Orleans, LA

Time: 1:10:12