It’s time to lighten it up around here! Race bloopers, anyone? I’ve made a few, for sure. I know I tend to get kinda serious on the blog, but I do like to laugh at myself occasionally. There’s plenty to laugh about!
Well, this one above was more like cry about. The time I wore a brand new pair of socks — the exact same color and style I’d worn in previous socks. The only time I ever lost a toenail and got a blood blister (so far, knock on wood).
The first is always special
My first half marathon was definitely special. What made it just a little more special? Mr. Judy noticing on race day that my timing chip (the old school kind that loops around your laces) . . . well . . . it wasn’t mine.
I’d carefully checked my bib, but it never occurred to me to check the timing chip. We got it squared away, but he was never able to track me.
I know where it starts! Or do I?
This was also a first: my first 10k. I got there early. I started walking . . . and walking . . . and walking. When I didn’t see other runners milling or a start line, I realized I didn’t actually know where the start was.
I literally ran to the start — getting there just in the nick of time to get my timing chip (again, old school!) and line up. I certainly got my warm up that day.
The time I listened to the weather forecasters
Never listen to the forecasters. If you’re traveling (I was) pack for at least 10 degrees more or less than what is forecast. Don’t listen to your husband making fun of how much you’re bringing and bring that extra outfit when you’re traveling by car.
I was so looking forward to my flat, scenic ME half. The forecast was for roughly 50 and cloudy. I awoke to low 60s and not a cloud in the sky. It didn’t help that water stations ran out of both cups and water a couple of times.
Just to add salt to the wound, as we headed home through the mountains the next day it snowed.
The time I left the water bottle on top of the car
Another half we were driving to. At the time I was training using a handheld water bottle. Which I put on top of my car (the one we weren’t taking) as we packed the car we were taking — and it stayed there as we drove away.
It was a small race, in a small town, and nope, I wasn’t able to purchase another water bottle for the race. I relied on the aid stations. Luckily this was a very well run race and despite the unseasonable heat (again!), I PR’d.
The time I lost my visor . . . or did I?
We spent a few very happy days in Sedona before my half just outside Phoenix. I went to lay out my running outfit for the next day and . . . no visor. I went through my bags more than once. I knew it was going to be very sunny and very hot and I needed a visor!
We finally found one (it’s amazing how hard it was to find a visor suitable for running in such a sunny area!). Of course I found the visor I’d brought as soon as we got back to the hotel. I didn’t wear the one we purchased and we returned it (and I didn’t get heat stroke!).
The time I lost my shoelace . . . or did I?
Remember this one, Marcia @ MarciasHealthySlice? Marcia kindly gave me a ride to the buses that bussed us up the mountain for our UT half, so Mr. Judy didn’t have to get up at o’darkthirty. I was all ready, came down on time, checked everything once more and . . . no shoelace.
I was using a hydration vest at the time, and it didn’t fit quite right (but I loved it) and I needed that shoelace to make sure it was closed properly. Marcia patiently waited while I went back to the hotel room. Yup, the shoelace actually was in the hydration vest all the time . . . sorry, Marcia!
The time I video’d . . .
I’m willing to bet most of us have done this one. I run with my phone in the pocket of my skirt. Somehow I managed to put it on video and apparently push the button to start it, too. Yup, I video’d the inside of my pocket for God knows how long!
Final Thoughts
So many of these race bloopers were so anxiety-inducing at the time, but in the end, everything turned out just fine. There’s a moral in that!
Have you done any of these mistakes? Which one/s?
What race mistakes have you made?
What do you look back on that was so important at the time, that you now get a good chuckle over?
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Chocolaterunsjudy 
Hahaha, Judy, this is hilarious! I think I’ve done ALL of these except for the shoelace one.
I once was in the starting line for a race when another runner noticed I had no chip. Ehm, WHAT CHIP? Panic-struck, I raced over to the registration table to get my chip while the gun went off. I started that race about 5 minutes late, but thanks to the CHIP, my race time still counted.
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Getting to a 9 am race at 8am and finding out it starts at 10. Good thing I bought a book to read.
Getting to a 9 am race at 7:45 but it starts at 8 am. They let me park close and I ran.
Having a power failure and your alarm clock does not go off. You drive 1 1/2 hours at top speed and the race start time gets delayed due to traffic.
Walking 10 miles in flip flops the day before a half. I stopped halfway and bought running shoes.
Eating too little or too much or the wrong foods the night before a half.
Those are the ones that pop into my head.
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I’m pretty obsessive about race preparation, but I did get to a race I had written a whole series of training posts on to realize I never signed up! Luckily they had race-day registration. Then there’s the race I got to an hour early b/c the info focused on the 5K start time and I was doing the 15K. Not as bad as being the other way around, but bad enough in the December cold with my husband there to cheer me on!
Still holding you in my thoughts. xx
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One of my running friends got to a race she’d thought she’d signed up for only to find out she hadn’t, also.
My husband is usually quite focused on getting places early, so he’d probably be ok with getting somewhere that early (although probably not so much with the hanging around in the cold). He doesn’t come to shorter races with me, though.
Thanks, Coco!
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Somehow during a triathlon a few years back, I made a wrong turn on the bike course. Found myself in the middle of nowhere. Ended up doing an extra 3 miles-who does that?!
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I am not known for my sense of direction. I think I would have a really hard time in a tri, since I don’t bike and no doubt would be way BOTP.
People take a wrong turn all the time! At a trail race this summer, I almost did a couple of times, but luckily a friend let me know what I was doing.
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Thanks for the smiles this morning, Judy. I have wound up sprinting to the starting line a few times too. That was mostly in the days before chip timing became so widespread, so your gun time was your official time.
Bill and I are thinking about going to Sedona later this year. Maybe I will have to pick your brain for stuff to do/see there.
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Our trip to Sedona was a few years back, and it was brief. Not sure I really have that much to share, but I can tell you I absolutely loved it & really want to go back someday!
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I had a small water bottle (the kind that goes into a running belt, with a bottle on each hip) that leaked the morning of a race. I was in Alaska. I ended up running with just 1 water bottle and it was fine since it wasn’t that hot anyway. I also showed up for the Missoula half with only shorts but a cold front moved in the day before the race. I bought a pair of capris (all I could find but I really wanted pants) and ran in those and it turned out fine.
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When I did Wineglass it was a lot colder than forecast, and I ran that one in a skirt. Maybe that was why it was a PR . . .
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hahahaha! I once forgot my knee brace for a race that was out of town, and yup – had to run to Walgreens to buy one on the fly. I ended up running a super strong half though, despite my forgetfulness!!
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That would be really scary to forget something so important to you!
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I’ve gotten someone else’s race bib that had my number on it but someone’s else’s name on it. Luckily I was able to switch it that morning of the race.
My first half marathon was a disaster. I wore cotton socks, a ribbed tank top, and a pair of fleece pants….haha. I wish I had a pic.
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My first half wasn’t a disaster, but I was under trained for it. Oh no on the cotton socks!
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The video’ing your pocket is pretty funny.
I’ve forgotten my running sunglasses and had to run a 10 miler in metal aviators, which is not awesome.
I’ve also forgotten my armpocket and had to carry my phone for a race. Total rookie mistake.
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Thankfully I never, ever ran with my phone in my hand – for sure I would’ve dropped it! I haven’t *yet* forgot my sunglasses in a race, but I have just recently forget to switch my sunglasses for driving with my running sunglasses. Luckily that worked for me. 🙂
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I just did the video in the pocket thing when I was running, lol! Fortunately, my phone got really hot, so I was able to turn it off before the battery died.
Running certainly is an adventure, isn’t it?
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I was completely clueless that it was taking video. I don’t think it was too long; I don’t remember but it certainly makes me laugh now.
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Finished my first marathon. Happy! Chatted to the people I’d run with. Walked the mile up to the flat we were staying in. Discovered my chip was still on my shoe. Had to walk back down to give it in!
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Oh no! I probably would have given it to Mr. Judy to take back for me. 🙂
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I THINK it was attached to me in some way by cable ties or something that they had to snip off, I can’t remember. Anyway I do recall finding it very important to go and do it. Ouch!
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It was actually probably good for you to keep moving, but I’ll bet it didn’t feel like that at the time!
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Video-ing your pocket is such an easy mistake to make these days! I have been video-ing when I thought I was taking pictures before… woops 🙇🏻♀️
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I have definitely had it on video when I was trying to take photos, too. This at first made me scratch my head, until I realized what I’d done!
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