My first road race over 10K in three decades reminded me why I prefer to run alone. The crowd was greatly supportive. "Adelante Colombia!" many yelled. A vuvuzela even blared. But a disorganized start put thousands of slower runners ahead of faster ones. So I spent the entire race dodging past the less-than-lithe, many of whom had passed me in the first-mile euphoria. But race organization was otherwise great. Gotta love those plastic bags full of water at the aid stations. Just bite and suck and pour the remainder over your head. Lucky for us it was overcast, with a brief but freezing five-minute downpour at mile 11. As hoped-for, I finished under 1:50, in 1:49.39. My NikePlus iPod gizmo for some reason declared my race over (i think the sensor's batteries are near gone after a year of use) when there was still more than a mile and half to go. It's a terrific pacing tool, though I must say I totally enjoyed the 1:55 pacer with the helium balloon attached to his back. Ran with him for awhile then smoked by after passing the wife, who snapped the featured photo at 7 miles (not far from our house) as I asked aloud, "Can I stop now?" I fear my jocularity was lost on my fellow runners. This is, after all, a Spanish-speaking country ...
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