Where the Hell Did I Park? - Sangria Dash 5k Race Report

Registration opens June 1, 2020 - click the photo for details

I did a new race yesterday, a race that called itself a "trail race," simply because I really wanted the medal. But, with all my complaints, it was a great race!

I'd already done packet pickup the day before at the mall, so I didn't have to worry about that.

Random swag (Keychain, pen, race sticker)

Awesome black race shirt that ACTUALLY FITS ME!

When I woke up, hoo boy, it was a lot colder than I was expecting. I think it was about 49º when I rolled out of bed at 5:45. Assuming it would warm up a little, I did layers - I ended up in a skirt, Zensah leg sleeves, tee, quarter-zip long sleeve, a Gasparilla Challenge jacket I rescued from the trunk, a Bondi Band to keep my ears warm, a hat, and a pair of handwarmers. I left around 6:30, telling hubby I'd be back in a few hours, and by then it had "warmed up" to 52 degrees.

What? Who doesn't listen to ragtime versions of Disney music?

I thought the race was in Hawthorne, but it ended up being much closer to Cross Creek. It was an adventure, because I had no idea where I was, and soon, we actually ended up on dirt roads... shit, we're way out in the country!

The prevalence of brake lights showed me how many people aren't familiar driving on dirt roads!

It reminded me a lot of where my grandmother lived, and I was feeling very peaceful, and a bit homesick. Once we got through the gates of Island Grove Wine Company there were a lot of volunteers on hand to direct traffic to parking locations.

Blueberry fields on the left (also, part of the course)

I got parked way out in BFE, and tried my damnedest to remember how to get back to my car. I even turned around to take a photo of where the parking lot was, in relation to the starting area.

Remember this... it's important later!

I had plenty of time to gear up at the car - where it was warm - and that's when I decided that the Gasparilla jacket was a good idea. It was cold. It was overcast. And, shit, it was getting misty, too. This is going to be a hard race, mentally speaking.

When I got up to the starting area, there were loads of people and lots of tents to check out, so that kept my mind preoccupied and not thinking about the weather.

Truly a dreary, drizzly day

LOTS of people here to run!

Eventually, it was time to go to our corrals... but there weren't any... Despite the email saying that there'd be some corrals, it was just an open area full of bodies (most bodies were not prepared for the weather, either...).

Yep, that's a Running Mickey tattoo

As we all froze, waiting to start, we did the National Anthem and then took off, around the pond, and into the woods behind it.
 

Still more people coming

Most of the trails were really just hard-packed grass lining the blueberry fields, so I was feeling much more sure-footed than I was expecting.

This is a pretty good representation of the whole race... dirt and grass

There was a water stop at the 1.25 mile mark. I was very upset to see that Jesus hadn't shown up yet (water... wine... get it? Shut up, it's funny).

Excuse me... this is a winery? You gave me water?

After the water stop, we starting some patches of dirt roads. For those of you don't aren't familiar with dirt roads...when they get damp, the top layer turns to mud, but the bottom layer is still dirt, so little by little it sticks to your shoes in chunks.

I was always with a good chunk of people... never really alone back here

There wasn't a lot of dirt roads, though, by 2 miles, we were back on grass.

More grass, super-slippery

And that's how the remainder of the race went, until we got to the big open field... To add distance, they had this weird open loopy thing happening, which was a little "cross-country"-esque. Not a fan. 

I was more interested in the huge field full of archery equipment when I got here

Then back into the woods for another half-mile or so.

This was maybe the most "wooded" part of the race

Finally, we came out of the woods and it was the finish line.  I was so freaking cold!!!
 

I "warmed up" enough to pull down the zipper, that's it!

Getting this awesome medal? SO WORTH IT!!

My official time was 55:26 (pace 17:52), which, honestly, isn't that bad for a trail race in this weather. I came in 787th out of 912 total finishers, and finished 76th out of 84 runners in my age group. 

I walked around to get some funk out of my legs, and spied IGWC's awesome beautifully restored International Harvester Truck, so I kind of snuck behind it to peek into the windows and take a photo with it. I got busted by one of the Winery's owners - or did I? - and he volunteered to take a few photos of me IN the truck! How cool!
 

Trying so hard to be cool

...and failing so miserably

Race entry included wine tastings and a free glass of wine. I am not a drinker, but I decided to give it a go. I tasted their Blueberry Moscato, the sweetest one they had, and their most popular wine. I know nothing about wine, but this wine was just as "winey" as any other wine I've tried, so after 2 sips, I chucked it into the trash.

Yeah, no...

There were HUGE lines for the free glass of wine (which I never got; the ticket is floating around the trunk of my car, actually). I wandered around, looking at all the vendors, then hung out waiting for the awards and raffle, all the while wondering... Is it getting colder???

These two were adorable. He kept rubbing her arms and legs, swaying back and forth to keep her warm

Shocker, I won no award, and I won nothing in the raffle, and I packed it in around 10:30...

Now, where was my car?

When I looked at the photo I took, and compared it to where I was, I could make heads nor tails of where the hell I was.

I walked down one area for a little bit, but then turned around because it wasn't that one.

So it had to be this second one! I ended up chatting with another runner who'd asked about my Gasparilla jacket, and after 5 minutes I realized, nope, it wasn't this parking area either...

So, I backtracked back to the start area and watched where people were walking... Okay, I haven't gone down that way yet, my car must be down that way!

Oh, thank God, this is the right way!!!

See the red lines? I went to probably half of those lots before I ended up in the right place (the Star)

I didn't have a lot of speed left in me but once I realized I was going in the right direction, I took off in a fast walk, threw myself in the car and cranked the heater! Jear Deezus, it was still only 52º outside, but I was an ice cube!

You got it, Ray! I'm outta here!!

I drove into Hawthorne, and changed clothes at Love's Truck Stop, then picked up a sausage biscuit from McDonald's and I was home by noon.

Hubby - holy shit I love this man - had taken the space heater out of storage and set it up so that I could change into my jammies in a warm area as soon as I got home (because he knows I hate to be cold). I greatly appreciated the gesture, but I actually needed to keep the jeans on so I could take the Kiddo to work and then have my tire looked at. When I got home again, I spent the rest of the day in aforementioned jammies, and vegged out on the computer.