April 12th, 2014

avocado 1/2 marathon today (date change from feb 22)

i was excited about this race...but then it was a big disappointment at the end.

 this is the review i posted on yelp:
Got the parking pass for Live Oak Park which was nice and close, start line was right there too.  Pick up of bib on day of was smooth.  Shirt was white (bleah, and kind of see through) but has a neat avocado design on it)
However there were no port-a-potties along the way (or none that I noticed) which was weird.  Luckily I didn't need it.  
Lots of support and spectators which was nice.  Lots of rolling hills which made it challenging. 
Disappointed that the medal had the old date (event date change) and that there were NO avocados at all when I finished the half (2:11). No one I saw had any either.  
Apparently on their fb page they said they had plenty of avocados in buckets in front of the bananas.   I'm guessing that they were left unsupervised and the people that ran the 5k probably took all, if my lost of them.  (We started at the same time,  so I still had 10mi to go when many of them were finishing.) or maybe someone just took off with the entire bucket of avocados.  
I was really really disappointed.  They promised to have 'plenty of avocados' and there were NONE. 
I get that this is an inaugural race, but seriously?!?  Very disappointing to say the least.  Drove 80+ mi out for this :(

 i even posted on their fb page asking about the avocados...and they said they KNEW they didn't have very many avocados because they just didn't have them from the local growers.  so WHY didn't they let us know?  prepare for this? regulate somehow the few avocados that were there, instead of just placing them in buckets so all the 5K'ers could snag them all??
i even read another review on yelp, by a gal who ran the 5K and won her age division (time ~24min)  she commented that she was glad she noticed and grabbed an avocado when she did because they were already almost all gone!  ummm, that would mean that she finished way before 8am (it was a 7:15 start for BOTH 5K and 1/2ers) so that means there wasn't going to even be a trace of an avocado by the time i finished.  sheesh.
i get it that it's a new race, but to not regulate something like that?!  surprised they didn't just let people grab whatever medals they wanted then.  also a bit disappointed that the 'old' date was on the medal, and not the actual one.
heard too that they didn't have a single port-a-potty on course (i didn't look, nor notice because i didn't need one) which someone else mentioned is a health code violation.  hmm.  you'd think the race director (RD) should have known that.  shameful.

 got home and the boys were playing outside with the neighbors.
brenny got pouty after a bit because he was hitting too hard.
he did NOT want me to take a pouty picture of him.  =p

 then they chalked up the walkway.  always a fun thing to do!

 we had to cut short their playtime at 5pm because dashiell had a game at 6pm.  dinner and change!  quick!
he played catcher.  twice!  (first and last innings) he is really liking this position!

 did a good job at bat again, and later, while playing 2nd base, caught a fly ball!  =D
amazing~!  of course i didn't bring my camera and wouldn't have been ready anyways.  he tried to tag the runner also, but then he touched him with his glove, while he held the ball in his hand.  oops!  but good try!!

 he received one of the game balls today for his efforts!
look at his smile!!!!  =D