Wharf to Wharf Race

I cheated.

NO! I didn’t choose to watch ‘The Cosby Show’ instead. I didn’t load up on New York Super Fudge by Ben n Jerry’s either. I did run. But, I ran where I wasn’t supposed to.

Santa Cruz Wharf to Wharf Race – Everyone seemed to be making a big noise about last Sunday. I had been trying so hard to keep up with all the top-2007 events, I didn’t even notice about some local ones. The event was completely ‘sold out’.

In full dismay – I got up early in the morning – (well dismay because I wasn’t registered and more because I had to get up really early in the morning for an event I wasn’t registered for) – hoping to at least cheer the lucky ones and probably run on the beach.

What I saw a little later is what I am a little ashamed of but I have already forgiven myself for that. On my left and on my right were runners – few of the 15000 runners. There were 40 live bands – some young crazy people and some old crazy people singing to the tunes of plain utter noise which at the time proved to be phenomenal – helped in maintaining the momentum. YES! – I joined the registered runners with absolutely no registration.

Luckily I was not the only one. In any other organized event – there are no chances but this one was a little different. How could I tell? There were guys with beach shorts, girls with ‘bebe’ tops and old ladies out for their early morning walks. The number ‘15000’ is a little hard to keep a check on. Most of all – there were bibs missing on a lot of them. Overall – there could have been 5000 extra’s. Alright – I did a pathetic thing but you can’t say I missed my run!

The track of 10 kilometers went through the residential area and so it was a picnic day for all who made a bold decision to stay home on a sunny day – people gathered in their porch and lawns with their extended families enjoying a nice afternoon with barbeque & beer. It was a sun-screen day.

I cheated but let me confess – I absolutely loved it.