My 2012 San Jose Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon began like many other races: in close proximity to a porta-potty.
No, really, here’s a photo of my view just as the gun went off. The porta-potty was to my immediate left and in front of me were several dozen runners, patiently waiting to walk onto the course from the side of the street. (Note for next year, San Jose, if you plan to have a record 14,000+ runners again, do allow more space for each corral, will you?)
So anyway. Having taken care of all bodily needs at another porta-potty (one featuring a line of at least 50 people, may I say), I said a quiet little prayer that I wouldn’t have to pee again for at least 13.2 miles and tippy-toed across the start a mere 2 minutes, 24 seconds later.
I started my RunKeeper, pushed shuffle on my favorite Spotify playlist, and the second the first song started — Savage Garden’s Affirmation — I knew, I just knew that this race was going to be epic. Read more