Nike RunHit Remix Race Report

I had been waiting for Sept. 24 for such a LONG time that I was so excited the morning of the Nike RunHit Remix. The race was by far the largest I've run in with about 10,000 people registered. The race didn't disappoint and I had a great time at it!

PRE-RACE
My girlfriend and I managed to leave on time and make our way to the downtown area at what should have been a good time. However, I was not prepared for the number of people there and we ran into significant traffic, all headed to the same spot. Fortunately, we managed to get off the freeway and into a parking lot. This was much preferred since it was easier to navigate the race area on foot. We made our way to the start area about 5 minutes before race time. She lined up with the 12 minute/mile group while I made my way to the 9s. I didn't quite make it all the way to the group, so I ended up closer to the 10s.

START
As you can imagine, it was actually a pretty slow start just because there was so many people! Since I forgot my race watch at home, I made a point to look at the start clock when I crossed - there was about 2:40 on gun time. I had to walk the first quarter-mile or so because the course was a bit narrow. When it finally widened, I was able to open up my stride and hit my pace fairly quickly.

MILE 2
No, I didn't skip a mile here. There were so many people during the initial portion of the race that I actually missed the first mile marker. That actually ended up being a mental boost because it was nice to hear, "only 3 miles to go" when I was still thinking that I was on my first mile. When the clock at the 2-mile mark read 21:00, I knew that I was right on the pace I wanted.

MILE 3
I gotta admit that I was pretty spent by the time I hit this mark. But, part of this course ran through USC's fraternity/sorority row and they were quite supportive. I was giving the kids high-fives and pumping my fist and just had a good time with it. That really helped me feel much better about the way my race was going. I focused on my breathing and realized that I was pretty normally; it wasn't labored or particularly tough, so it let me know that my body was in a good spot.

MILE 4 & FINISH
I knew that we were getting close to the end and that my pace felt steady. At this point, I had what I thought was a sign! Going into the race, my goal was to finish in under 45 minutes and I knew that my pace would have to be in the 8's to do that. Somewhere towards the end, I was passed by a lady with an 8 on her running cap. Heck, it might have even been a "B" but it looked like an 8 to me. So, I decided that I needed to stick with this lady because she represented a really good pace. She was much faster than I, but I knew that I wasn't working overly hard to keep up with her. I kept up with her most of the way to the very end.

This course was great because it ends inside the Los Angeles Coliseum. You get on the field by running through the same tunnel that all of the atheletes used for the1984 Olympics - it was awesome. That also means that about the last 200 yards of the race are downhill and I pushed myself on this portion. I hit the infield and the finish-clock read 45:08 - I did it! With my offset from the start-line, I knew that I had beat 45 minutes and felt great! I collected my medal (which is very nice) and started some slight recuperation. I then made my way back onto the course to help my girlfriend finish the last part of the race. My final, official chip time for the race was 42:55 which represents a pace of 8:35 over the distance. Considering how far I've come with my weight, I'm ecstatic with this result.

One of the nice things about this event is that there's a post-race concert, right there on the Coliseum infield. This year's headliner was De La Soul and they put on a really good show. My girlfriend & I had access to the VIP area at the race, so we just hung out and watched the show and had a great time. We also ran into my friend Barry and took some photos together.

Overall, it was a great event and I'm pretty happy with my run. Next year I'll have to have for a sub-40 minute time, but right now I'm enjoying my pictures and my race medal!