After watching a few of the EPL matches that started at 7 am, I hopped in the car and drove out to Pasadena to go pick up my race packet. They had a few locations for packet pick-up. I picked the Big 5 location in Pasadena at the corner of Rosemead Blvd and Colorado Blvd. I knew the location really well, but I have not been there in ages. Packet pick-up was really quick. One of the volunteers assigned me a bib number, but they informed me that I'll have to pick up my race shirt at the Rose Bowl tomorrow.
I stopped at home briefly. I placed my order online for Nguyen's Kitchen. I paid for the order online and scheduled for a 11:30 am pick up. I then hopped back in the car to go pick up lunch. Here was our order:
- Garlic noodles $7.45 add jumbo tiger shrimp (5) +$5.95
- Garlic noodles $7.45 add bulgogi short rib steak +$5.45
- Grilled pork noodles $10.45 add jumbo shrimp (5) +$5.95
- Egg rolls $4.45
The food was well packaged for the drive home. The quality of the food was good and the portion size was decent. If you like garlic and a rich savory flavor, then you'll probably like their garlic noodles. The grilled pork noodles was good if you prefer something not as heavy. I would skip the egg rolls though. They were way too mushy inside.
Grilled pork noodles add jumbo shrimp
Garlic noodles add bulgogi short rib steak
Garlic noodles add jumbo tiger shrimp
I left the house shortly after 4:30 am. I wanted to get to the Rose Bowl early enough to avoid any traffic which will inevitably bottleneck. I exited the 210 freeway at the Seco St/Mountain St exit and arrived at the Rose Bowl at about 5:15 am. The parking lot was quite dark, but there were plenty of parking space in lot F. I then headed over to the stadium to pick up my race shirt. On the way back to my car, I used one of the portapotties that was lined along Arroyo Blvd.
Rose Bowl
Race shirt
Jackie Robinson
The race was scheduled to start at 7 am. The start was delayed by 10 minutes as they needed to secure the course before we could be released. The first mile and a half leaving the Rose Bowl along Arroyo Blvd was full of rollers. Then there was a nice climb up California Blvd over to Orange Grove Blvd. Things flattened out a bit with a right turn onto Colorado Blvd. There was a short out and back on Arroyo Parkway followed by a right turn onto Green St. My legs sort of crapped out after mile 5 during the out and back on Lake Ave. I took a few walk breaks to try and get the legs back. The last out and back was on Wilson Ave. From there, I headed back towards the Rose Bowl.
Start line
Starting corral
As I was struggling along Colorado Blvd at around mile 8, another runner came up to me and was speaking to me in what I believe was Korean. I get that quite a bit when I wear Son Heung-min's jersey. I think he mentioned that he was originally from Kazakhstan. The details were a bit fuzzy as I was trying to hold things together and finish the race in under 2 hours. We chatted a little bit about football aka soccer. During that little chat, yet another runner came by and said that he hopes Arsenal destroys the Spurs. Haha! Such a huge rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham! During that last 5k or so, I really wanted to walk. What remained was pretty much a clockwise Rose Bowl Stadium loop. I knew that I just need to get up to Washington Blvd and then it would be a gentle downhill to the finish. Just before that right turn onto Washington Blvd, I saw my friend, Jocelyn (Joselin), cheering on the runners from along the side of the course. It was nice to make that right turn onto Rosemont Ave. I was definitely running on fumes by now. It was nice to enter the stadium and finish on the field!
So close to the finish line
Finish line
Finish: 1:57:49
Click here for my Garmin data.
I'm glad that I was able to resist walking during that last stretch and hold it together. However, the left ankle was a little sore and the right knee was a bit sore on the downhills. I think this pair of shoes is begging to be retired. Without counting the net downhill course at Iron Horse, this was the first time I had finished a regular half marathon in under 2 hours ever since the beginning of the pandemic. Unfortunately, my Spurs didn't do very well in their match with their rival Arsenal, losing 3-1.
After getting my finisher medal and a mylar blanket, I continued along the perimeter of the field. It was interesting to get a can of water. The can looked like beer, so there was a volunteer there with a sign letting us know that it's water, not beer. On the way out, I got some snacks and a banana. I dropped everything off at the car and returned to use one of the stadium restrooms. It's always nice to have running water.
Finisher medal
Water, not beer
Post race snacks
Along the way home, I stopped at the McDonald's to pick up a sausage McMuffin with egg sandwich. I only did so because I was emailed earlier in the week that I had some reward points that was about to expire!
Sausage McMuffin with egg
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