Charm City Cluster

My friend Steve S. mentioned a few weeks ago that he likes the running exploits of the Widow Fike. Since I’ve not mentioned any of my latest running adventures I decided to poke a bit of fun at myself for the Baltimore Half Marathon I ran on Saturday in where else…Charm City. For those of you not up on the local jargon, Baltimore is referred to as Charm City…so let me explain the cluster…

I had signed up to run this race months ago. Most of my runs are scheduled 4 to 5 months out on my calendar: some even longer. There are several reasons I schedule so far in advance, one is to make sure I get into the race prior to a sell out, another is to be able to book travel and secure housing if I am traveling out of state. Finally, when I finish a race, I book one or two more so that I don’t become complacent and find I am morphing into a couch potato.

For those readers that are not runners, I’ll explain some of the terms and processes as I recount this weekend’s run so that you understand what I’m talking about.

Prior to large races, there is a runner’s expo with vendors for the sport. At the expo, runners show up with some form of identification to claim the runner’s packet, which contains the bib worn in the race (you runner’s number). Often times, the bib has a strip on the back which “chips” a runner as they run through the starting gate or a chip is provided to attach to the laces of your shoe. These chips continues to time a runner throughout the race where timing strips are place to provided times at the “split” (the halfway mark) and many other check points that vary by race. Finally, the finish line is the last “chip” point and a runner can then look at there net time: start to finish, at the split, and so on and the results will also provide a per minute mile recap as well as how you placed in your age division.

Sometimes there is a malfunction and a runner’s time is not recorded, or in some cases, I have seen the shoe chips lying in the road because they have not been attached properly to a runners shoe.

If a runner is photographed along the race route, you are identified by your bib number and will receive an email following the race letting you know you have pictures to order. So even with no time recorded, you often times have your medallion and pictures to show your participation.

I signed up ages ago to run the half marathon on October 16th in Baltimore. Because I run on so many weekends, I don’t even focus on the next race until the race at hand is completed. I check off a race then focus on the next weekend. So, when the e-confirmation for my bib pick up arrived via email for the Baltimore run I opened it right away because, I ran on Long Island the weekend of October 3rd and had a well-earned week’s break before the Baltimore Half.

I had know for some time that the Baltimore race was sold out and bib deferrals and upgrades and downgrades were completed, no exceptions. Upgrades and downgrades are moving from the half to the full and full to half. A deferral is deferring the run to the following year and can be for a variety of reasons to include injuries.

I opened my email confirmation saw my bib number of 1230 and thought. “Wow, I got a low number for this race, it must have been because of my early registration.” Then my eyes focused on the balance of the email and I read the word FULL. Yikes, is that in reference to the sold out race? Ha…not so much, there I sat staring at a confirmation for me to run a full marathon. How did that happen? When I registered; I must have hit the wrong button. So, I called the company I book my races through and they confirmed I was registered for the full marathon. I run half marathons; 13.1 miles and I’m done. I’ve never run longer and I was sick to think I was finally going to run the 26.2 miles full marathon I always talk about doing.

My head was reeling and I was sick to my stomach. So, I called the race management company to see if there was the slightest chance of a correction. Corrigan Sports Events is a great company. They answered the phone and listened to my explanation and told me in the nicest of ways that there would be no change. So, I began with my questions. If I run the half will the chip on my bib work? The response? Most likely not because the chip has been programmed for the full. Curses, the running devil was going to make me run the full, I just new it. My next questions was reasonable, “If I run the half with the full bib and finish the race as a half marathon runner will I be handed a full marathon medallion because I’m wearing a full marathon bib.” The gent thought and said more than likely because the volunteers know to hand out the medallions based on the bib worn.

This probably needs a bit of an explanation here. When a full and half marathon are run on the same day and course, the runner’s bibs are color-coded. One color for the full, another for the half, and with the Baltimore race, there was a third bib color for the relay runners, and let’s not forget the 5k race…lots of colors, lots of medallions.

Crikey. Could this get any crazier? I didn’t want a full marathon medallion for running a half marathon. So, I was trying to spool my brain to the fact I’d be running 26.2 miles. I called my girlfriend Em, to explain what I’d done. Em, was signed up for the half, but due to a stress fracture, planned to be “team sidelined” to cheer me through the race.

I was resigned to the fact I’d be running the full because it was the honest medallion to win, by which I mean, I’d run what the bib designated. I figured the race goddess was pushing me to test my limits.

Well, Goddess bless Em, she immediately offered me her half bib to use and run the half. I didn’t accept right away because I was still mentally crunching the full marathon and soul searching my fortitude to determine my ability for the full. I suppose I was facing trial by fire. I had iteration after iteration running though my head and I finally called Em to accept her offer. I would have run the full if it were not for the fact I have a half marathon next weekend in Myrtle Beach. I was worried that I couldn’t recover sufficiently enough to run that race.

So, I emailed a friend Jimmy M. to see if he wanted my full bib and he let me know he was already registered and running. He suggested I ask anther friend of ours if she was interested. So, I did. She was excited to be able to run the full and then the good deed took a crazy turn and the cluster continued.

I’d been very clear that I would be picking up my bib at the expo on Friday and LK could then make plans to retrieve the bib from me. I was staying in Annapolis all weekend and could either meet up prior to the race on the morning of the race, or she could plan to be at the Expo at the same time Em and I would get there on Friday. So, when I received an email suggesting she wanted to go to the Expo on Thursday and could get my bib for me, for her. I had to send the DO NOT PICK UP MY BIB response. For the love of God, could ya pick up the effin’ phone. Hell no! Text and emails back and forth and I was not a happy runner. I even sent a private message on FB to make my point. I wanted it very clear that I’d retrieve my own bib. I’ve had LK retrieve a bib for me in the past and that too was a giant cluster.

There I was doing the good deed and no good deed goes unpunished. As it turned out, I had to run with my bib and Em’s bib. So, I had no compunction letting LK know I needed my own bib. I had to muddle through several scenarios to figure out how to run the race with MY bib and Em’s chip. At least I could see the time I ran even if it is under Em’s name.

When we got to the Expo, Em and I retrieved our bibs and headed home. Em had planned to be “team sideline” and cheer my through the day, but it was painfully clear that she would not be able to handle all of the walking even though she has a walking boot on her stress fractured leg. She was worried that I’d be upset. Not at all. I explained, as she knows, I go to most of my races alone. I run with friends on many occasions, but I travel to many races on my own, run with strangers who become friends for a fleeting minute or two, and come back home.

Fortunately, our friend Gayle-Ann had mentioned she wanted to come and hang out for the race. On the drive back to Annapolis, we called the third member of PSM (pool side mafia) and she agreed to go with me. I was thrilled…I was gonna have a cheering section! I’ve never had a shouter from the sideline. I was really happy that Gayle-Ann could go, and sad that Em’s leg is so injured and sore. Gayle-Ann didn’t even complain when I told her I was leaving at 5 am…damn I love the PSM!
I got home and pulled together my race paraphernalia and doctored my race bib. I pulled the chip strips off the back of my bib and folded the top and bottom behind my bib number and affixed my number over Em’s number. Crisis averted. Pictures would come to me because of my correct bib number and the time would be attributed to Em. Ultimately, I’d get a funny story about the cluster this run had become.

Gayle-Ann and I got to Baltimore early and found the porta-potties. It was nice to be the first in line. As the dawn broke, the stadium opened up and we could use the real restrooms. I try to avoid the potties on the race route. Yes, for the non-runners, they have potties spaced along the entire race because, sometimes nature calls!

We had the fun of watching the full marathon runners start their race and we had the fun of seeing the leaders run past the half-marathon start which was their split. I even saw Jimmy start and caught him at the split to shout out and give him a high five.

Finally, the half began and I was relishing the race. Bib cluster corrected! Weather was sunny, cool, and breezy; my favorite running weather! I was determined to continue to shave time off my race as I’m over the foot injury and the lazy summer. I lost sight of the mile markers and was not sure how far I’d run when low and behold the 8 Mile marker was dead ahead. I couldn’t believe it, I’d already finished eight and only had five more to go, and I felt excellent. Really excellent. I had that break through moment and almost regretted not running the full. But, only for a moment did I think that way.

So, running through Baltimore has its Charm. There were some pretty sketchy parts of town with some pretty colorful characters on the sidewalks cheering us on. Many corners had the working girls clapping for us (I’m surprised they were still up). Some of the local neighborhoods had us running past the porn shops and adult movie theaters. As we ran past the Apex, the owner happened to peek out the front door and the runner in front of me hollered to save us seats at the 1:00 show. Ha…I love the chatter during a run…funny stuff.

We had the one gentleman jump in and run a block with us with his pants below his waist as he entertained his neighbors. Funny? Yes, but he was in front of me and I was not sure whether to dodge right or left to move around him because I was afraid either way he was going to topple on me. No problem, his lungs gave out and he stopped halfway up the block. There were the ladies who had made up their own cheer about being sassy and cheered the entire time I was in earshot. Thanks ladies.

I loved the older gentleman standing at the entrance to the Waverly Neighborhood with a sign welcoming the runners and his continued chant, “Welcome to Waverly”. What a beautiful tree lined neighborhood that was. I shouted good luck to Warren who had a sign on his back asking for just that. The sign read, “I’m Warren, wish me good luck”. I did and so did the runners around me. I thanked every volunteer I saw at the water stops and food stops. I thanked the law enforcement officials who were out in force to make sure our run was safe. And I thanked the running goddess for the absolutely picture perfect weather, my strong legs and mental agility to get up and run 13.1 miles that started out in such a clustered mess.

I think back to the comment Lori W. my neighbor made in June when she saw me throw my running bag in my car at 4 am to head to a race when I’d just come home from a business trip and managed less than three hours sleep. Lori told me I am a runner. After this cluster? Yes Lori, I will admit, I am a runner. I could have taken the cluster to be a sign to sit out this race and lament that it was too much trouble. Nope, instead I muddled through the options and found a way to run my race, shave some time and finish in 2:50, put another 13.1 on my feel, grab another piece of bling, and have the runner’s high still today.

As Gayle-Ann and I were driving home and I was chatting away from the runners high it struck me: Marathon Bib 1230. Ha! When your register for a race you have to include your approximate finish time. Naturally I’d put 2:45 as that is my high end for a half marathon. Well 2:45 is low end for an old girl like me to finish a full marathon. I had been given a “seeded” runners bib. Maybe I should have run the marathon and stepped up to the first wave and hit the pavement with the seeded runners. It would definitely be my first time and most certainly my last! I think of all the cluster mess, the bib realization on the ride home was just the last laugh I needed for the day.

Reflecting back to Saturday’s race I am so very glad I showed up to run my Charm City Cluster. Charm City was out and about, loud and proud, diverse and embracing, from Druid Hill to Waverly. Thanks Charm City, I’ll be back to run your streets next year because you certainly Charmed the Diva Widow Fike!