Nike Human Race 10K

"HARDER. BETTER. FASTER. STRONGER. The Nike+ HUMAN RACE 10K ended with a BANG. Runners had the time of their lives as they made their way through a 6.2 mile course featuring 9 global performances ranging from Japanese Taiko Drummers to French Can Can Dancers. Host Randy Jackson was able to keep the show rolling with exciting special guests such as Olympians Lisa Leslie and Jessica Mendoza. Nine-time Grammy Award winning artist Kanye West rocked the stage as he performed hits ranging from Stronger to Flashing Lights. Common kept the energy up with a surprise performance of his hit ‘Go’ and ‘Get Em High’ accompanied by Kanye on back up. The night was capped off with a vibrant fireworks display which set the sky ablaze. It was the perfect ending to the perfect race with the energy and passion that only LA could deliver."

This article comes straight from Nikeplus.com with a small glimpse of what last night (August 31, 2008) was all about! Two friends of mine briefly told me about the race maybe a month ago and I immediately was interested in finding out more information. It turns out that the $35 fee for the race also goes to one of 3 charities that you choose. I chose Livestrong over Ninemillion.org and WWF. You also receive an official Nike Human Race shirt that all runners must wear during the race, and it also serves as your ticket into the after show; a performance by Kanye West and Common!

I've been running 3 miles around the Pasadena Rose Bowl about every other morning (waking up at 4am) for the past couple of months and have been waiting for the next exciting run to participate in. A 10K was a perfect race to be my first! I have been so excited during the whole month of August and when the weekend of the race finally hit, I was in the zone! I rested all of Saturday and ate/drank accordingly, keeping sure I was well hydrated and fed.

Sunday was race day with the starting time of 8:31:08pm, and let me tell you, it lagged!!! I stretched throughout the day and grew more and more anxious with each passing hour. My friends picked me up at 5:30 pm to head over to the LA Coliseum to get there early and avoid traffic and parking chaos. On the drive over there, I realized I had forgot the headphones and arm band to my iPod! I was so bummed! I even took the time that day to create a special, fast-paced playlist for the race to keep me at a steady pace! I was so worried that this would effect my performance and my time! I chose to stay positive and to treat my forgetfulness as a challenge to overcome. Over the next 2 hours, 12,000 runners showed up to be a part of a world wide race, the largest one to ever take place in the same day. Cities all over the world held the same race with Los Angeles being the last city to complete it. 10 minutes before go time, Randy Jackson (American Idol) took the stage to pump up the crowd. People were dancing to the music, cheering, and jumping in place until seconds before it began. WE WERE OFF!!!

The crowd movement started off slow since we were all herded on a large grassy field in order of our average mile time. I placed myself in the 11 minute mile crowd only because that's where my friends felt most comfortable. Once we all began, it was tough working my way through the slower runners. There were so many of us, and we were using 2 lanes on the streets of LA so it was crowded. I ran the entire race on the far left side, basically on the double yellow lines that divide the traffic. People were cheering each other on and were making comments to each other like, "this is amazing!" and "this is the coolest thing ever!" I soon realized that the sound of footsteps from the hundreds of runners around me plus their positive and supportive comments was a much better soundtrack to run to for my first race! There were also small side stages with acts from Hawaiian dancers, drummers, Can-Can dancers and other performances that represented the other running countries. There was plenty to keep me focused and steady. The entire run went by so quickly! I didn't stop once, not even for water or Gatorade at the side tables on the route. I had my eye on the prize and just focused on weaving through the slower runners and making my way to the finish line. I will definitely place myself in the 9 or 10 minute mile group next time so there will hopefully be less walkers which means less dodging and weaving through them when they decide to stop right in front of you! Anyways, I felt great through the whole thing until I had about 1/2 a mile to go. I was still in good shape, just had some pain in the left side of my chest when I breathed. It was easily forgotten as soon as I hit the last stretch where a large crowd of spectators and supporters stood on both sides of the lanes, cheering and congratulating everyone as they raced by. I felt so proud, excited, and truly special to had been a part of a great cause and to have accomplished a personal goal. Of course, with all of these emotions hitting me at once, I neglected to check out my time as I crossed the finish line as well as to grab a special Nike race bracelet they were handing out. I did grab a water bottle and a cup of yogurt and granola and headed the meeting spot that my friends and I agreed on. I was drenched from head to toe in sweat and in glory :)

After the race, a special musical performance by Kanye West and Common took place on a stage built on the grassy field where we all originally gathered. It was awesome to be among the 12,000 glowing (sweaty) runners that just took part in the same thing I had done. Everyone was stoked to rock out to an amazing artist who pretty much stole the show. The night ended in a BANG with a crazy and impressive fireworks show above the stage. I am so glad I was a part of this event and am now looking for the next race to sign up for. The Long Beach Marathon is soon approaching and I think I'll attempt half of it (13 miles)! Let the training begin!