by Tracy Wynant
Race review for the Albertina Kerr's Race of the Roses, Portland, Oregon, April 13, 2014.
Race review for the Albertina Kerr's Race of the Roses, Portland, Oregon, April 13, 2014.
History: This was the 16th year for the Albertina Kerr Race for the Roses. The Albertina Kerr organization has been in Portland, Oregon since 1907 and offers programs and services for children and adults with developmental and mental health challenges. 100% of the net profits from the race filter back to the community through their services.
Stats: This appears to be the second time that I’ve done this 5K race based on another race shirt I have in my drawer. I surely must have walked the first time some number of years ago since I have no recollection of it. There was also a 10K and Half Marathon. Registration stats showed north of 3900 people signed up and that 3000 crossed the finish line. As one of those finishers I add my fourth medal of the year to my collection, although I did have to shell out an extra $10 for it!
Stats: This appears to be the second time that I’ve done this 5K race based on another race shirt I have in my drawer. I surely must have walked the first time some number of years ago since I have no recollection of it. There was also a 10K and Half Marathon. Registration stats showed north of 3900 people signed up and that 3000 crossed the finish line. As one of those finishers I add my fourth medal of the year to my collection, although I did have to shell out an extra $10 for it!
Pre-race Swag: The goodie backpack was filled with some good stuff including a Jamba Juice coupon, snacks, and a Red Bull. The shirt was a nicely designed tech shirt with a cute logo. On packet pick-up day, we were a little disappointed in the amount of vendors hawking their wares but we gained some good information on other upcoming races that offered our prerequisite medal for finishers.
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Perks: The race was staged and began at the Portland Convention Center. This means a big building with lots of space to keep you out of the unpredictable Portland April weather, and REAL bathrooms prior to race start. The weather proved to be excellent, although a little chilly at the start. My friend, who was running the Half, declared the brisk 41degrees at the start “hot”. I was still fretting about whether to wear my jacket. Opting for stuffing it in my gear check bag, it proved to be the correct decision. What a glorious, sunshiny day in the Rose City.
Course: The 5K course was very scenic. We crossed two bridges and wound through downtown P-town. I was determined to keep my eyes up so that I could appreciate the beautiful day and the sights along the way. I did manage to catches glimpses of the river and a freight train that patiently waited for a throng of runners to cross the tracks. The second bridge was my undoing, however. I get freaked out at the slighted incline. I haven’t trained for hills. I don’t like hills. I don’t do hills. When I turned the corner for the last half mile of the race, I was faced with the on-ramp from Hell, or possibly to Heaven, since it was going straight up. I told myself I could do it, but only made it a short distance before I caved and was walking. Although what I imagined it was a quick walking pace, this proved to be my undoing for a PR. I missed it by one minute. My much younger, faster, and skinnier friend finished the Half with a PR, shaving seven minutes off her time!
Course: The 5K course was very scenic. We crossed two bridges and wound through downtown P-town. I was determined to keep my eyes up so that I could appreciate the beautiful day and the sights along the way. I did manage to catches glimpses of the river and a freight train that patiently waited for a throng of runners to cross the tracks. The second bridge was my undoing, however. I get freaked out at the slighted incline. I haven’t trained for hills. I don’t like hills. I don’t do hills. When I turned the corner for the last half mile of the race, I was faced with the on-ramp from Hell, or possibly to Heaven, since it was going straight up. I told myself I could do it, but only made it a short distance before I caved and was walking. Although what I imagined it was a quick walking pace, this proved to be my undoing for a PR. I missed it by one minute. My much younger, faster, and skinnier friend finished the Half with a PR, shaving seven minutes off her time!
Post-Race Swag: There were lots of food options available after the races. Two different lines were nicely spaced out allowing a smooth flow with no congestion and offered the normal bananas, oranges and water, but also featured bagels and cream cheese, Muscle Milk, and some delicacy from Dave’s Killer Bread called “Sin Dawgs” that my walking buddy friends were very excited about. The best reward, and frankly the biggest draw for us, were the free mimosas! By the time we got in line for mimosas, the crowd had dispersed and it moved quickly. Of course we tried the tactic of asking for two mimosas each but were denied with good humor. Little did they know that we were sly, charming, and determined to have another trip through the beverage line. This was quickly accomplished by wrangling two coupons from a couple of under-21-aged runners, spying and nabbing one misplaced/lost coupon on the floor, and sweetly and politely asking another person directly if they were going to use their coupon. SCORE! Four more coupons and another mimosa for each of us. We even remembered to remove our first wristband to avoid conflict and raised eyebrows from the alcohol monitors. Every person also received a beautiful long-stemmed rose after crossing the finish line.
Overall, I would say it a great success for the race organizers, much fun for myself and running/walking friends, and an opportunity for me to find out that even though I detest an upward elevation, I probably should work on it. It was also my first try at keeping my eyes up and aware of my surroundings. I did make a conscious effort to try to relax and enjoy myself. Although I have a long way to go, I did fare a little better. So it all came up roses at the Race for the Roses in the Rose City.
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