Race Day, ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Wake up at 6:30--always fun.. Throw on some clothes, throw down some yogurt, prepare my bib, attach the little tracking dealy to my laces, ready my things, and head out the door. Roberto and I made our way to the Cuauhtemoc metro, met up with Gerardo, and subwayed down to Bosque de Chapultapec, where the festivities were already in full swing. No warm-up. We stood around for a while, stood in line at the line, and "boom!" we were off! Actually, it was more like a subtle clap and the masses in front of us starting moving; I don't think I crossed the start line until 40 seconds, and even then was in a congested mass, so I had the plan to cut a minute off my time for accuracy's sake. So I'm feelin' good, blazing fools through a K, still trekkin' through 2k, definitely feeling it through 3k, but I like where I am and I know I'm more than half-way through. Then there's a fork in the road: this benefit featured both a 5k and a 15k race, and I didn't know they were running together, and definitely didn't know that there were waaaay more people entered in the 15k, so I followed the pack and turned down the 15k route. 4k comes up pretty quick, but not before a hill, and I'm feeling my lameness, but also the excitement of a kilo left of work, so I push through and make it through the next hill, which leads me to the 5k marker. ?! Wait, why is there a 5k marker if it's a 5k race... So I keep running, thinking crap, maybe it means this is the 5th kilometer...? Well after another half kilometer there's a long ass fucking hill and I end up walking, much to my extreme dismay, but a couple people run up behind me and yell at me in Spanish, so I get back on my horse, but by the end of the hill I'm trying to ask people if this is the 5k or 15k course and I learn that it's the 15k... Fuck! So I stop (now I'm allowed to, my race should be over), turn around, and try to walk back to the fork, thinking I can probably meet up with Roberto and Gerardo, since Gerardo said he would be walking and I know I was a fair bit in front of them and would start running as soon as I hit the fork. However, I did not find the fork and was instead walking around semi-lost until I found a 12k sign for the 15k (I had probably walked a couple k already), so I figured 3 or 4k wasn't that long (I saw the sign a ways away) and started running again, finding a little pack with which I could keep in semi-consistent contact. These weren't the easiest kilometers of my life, but probably the slowest and least aggressive, and when I finally reached the finish line I was relieved to say the least. As I had expected, Roberto and Gerardo were not at our meeting place and I felt pretty darn bad for taking so long, but, as I was stumbling around in the post-race area, Roberto found me and brought me to a little platform that overlooked the finish line where the two of them were breakfasting. They were both finishing up some chilaquiles and ordered me a plate and a hot chocolate. I downed it all, plus my Gatorade, and started feeling a little better--or more sentient at least. Being that we obviously hadn't had enough exercise for the day, we decided to walk back, losing Gerardo along the way (adieu! see you in Cuerna!) and showing signs of fatigue every now and then. Back at Roberto's we relaxed, I took a shower and took care of some computer biz, then bid him farewell. His hospitality was astounding: muchas gracias, Rob, cuando tengo una casa, será tu casa! Y tu tambien, Gerardo.
So I strapped on my pack and headed for Londres, remembering that it's the hipster street and has a few Starbucks' on it; within a kilometer I found one, set my stuff down, and tried to hack into some internet, but no dice. So I went to the counter to ask for the password and network, to which the cashier responded that the info was printed on the receipt, so I bought the cheapest thing I could: a tea. Of course, the network went down when I tried to log on, so I had to look like the idiot asking people how to log on, and finally the cashiers, who tested the network and came back to tell me it was down. So I waited a while and it returned. I sent out a gagillion Couch Surfing requests and bade my time. After a couple hours I received my first response, saying I could stay a couple days and to give her a call. So I wait a bit, I was probably writing my last batch of posts on here, then pack up my things and use the pay phone right outside. Much to my delight, or at least my body's delight, she said she lives in Zona Rosa, very close to where I am, and she'll head over and escort me to her place! So I wait a few minutes until Gabriela arrives and we walk all grueling 2 blocks back to her place, which is very nice and in a super great location. Though up a fair few flights of stairs... I meet her two brothers, Pablo and Eduardo, who are preparing for Poker Night (but serious, 5000 peso buy-in, managed and waited, money-making poker), set my stuff down, familiarize myself with the place, and Gabriela and I head out to do something fun! "Something fun" obviously consisted of me drinking mezcal.
We then went in to La Condesa, but, this being the Sunday after Dia de la Independencia, the city was as dead is it could be and the exciting places she knew were closed. We kept cruising and found a couple open bars: I opted for Pata Negra, the less crowded of the two (because they had a cute greeting girl) and we settled down with a couple more drinks (I had this really sugary cocktail that was like a mojito but with some sugar liquor instead of tequila) and chewed the fat. The place was pretty mellow at first but the music started improving in quality and danceability and the alcohol started kicking in, so the place became pretty fun. I didn't quite get to dancing, but my comfort level was pretty darn high having only imbibed two drinks, and I was dancing in my chair.
We left earlier than we should have; for some reason when Gabriela asked if I wanted to leave "now or in a little bit" I answered "now," but the apartment was also fun: I was thoroughly enjoying the full house and watching all of the details unfold. The poker game had grown in size, now consisting of two tables, and watching Pablo manage and cashier the whole thing was quite marvelous. I had some of the take-out they had ordered (some rice with veggies and shrimp and a few pieces of sushi) and took in the sights before heading to bed around 1.
