Best Damn Race Safety Harbor 10k/5k Challenge

I planned to write my first real post about my latest race, the Best Damn Race 10k + 5k Challenge. The format of this race was to run the 10k first, at 6:45 AM, then run a 5k at 9:00 AM. I planned to take lots of pictures, detailing everything I observed. But, I’m a slacker and didn’t do any of it. I have, though, realized that the people who do a great job of detailing their race are amazing.

I only took one picture, and that was of the bay between the races.

I like getting to races early. I’m talking, 1 to 1 ½ hours before the race starts. It calms me, I don’t have to rush to find parking and fret about traffic. I arrived at one of the parking lots at 5:30 AM, and was lucky enough to find a spot in my regular lot (I run the course several times a week). After parking, I put on my current podcast, took out my pre-race drink (Vega One Pre-Workout Energizer), and sent a text to my friend letting her know that I arrived.

I hung out in my car for a few minutes, then got another text stating some of my friends were in Starbucks, warming up for the race. I joined them and discussed strategies for the day’s events.

I wasn’t planning on racing hard on Saturday, but I did plan on running with a friend who I hadn’t seen in a few years. She didn’t have any goals other than finish, so we were both ready to run together.

The Best Damn Race Safety Harbor races start in downtown Safety Harbor, right outside of the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. The race started, we ran, and then we finished. The volunteers and organizers of all the races did an amazing job. The course was well marked, and there were plenty of water stops and volunteers available to help.

After the 10k, we had an hour to kill before our next race. We walked around some to keep our legs from tightening up and went down to the boardwalk in Safety Harbor to take a picture of the water. I tried to take a scenic selfie but failed miserably. I definitely need more practice in the photography realm 😊

Before the 5k, we both decided to up the pace, and push a little bit more. However, we started in the back and had to wade through all the traffic, so we weren’t able to up our pace. But, that was no problem, since we both decided to take our time and enjoy the act of running.

After the 5k finished, we got some food, met some friends, and discussed how each person did that day. This is my favorite part of racing, the post-race meetups.

Next time, I’m going to take better notes and a few more pictures of my race. Hopefully, I’ll get better at this. 😊