Mavs 5k Recap – Great Race, Great Party & Brushes with Fame!

What a whirlwind! My head is still spinning. So much happened, so much fun at the the Mavs Run This Town 5k.

The Mavs Dancers asked to take a photo with me, I obliged, and taught them to ‘leg pop’.

This race took place at 7:00 pm outside the home of the Dallas Mavericks – American Airlines Center. One advantage: they let us use the restrooms inside (instead of the normal race porta-potties).

The scene of the time.

This course ran around downtown Dallas after dark. I hadn’t run a night race in a long time, but luckily my morning runs are in the dark, so I was used to having to use my night-vision.

Not a bad view.

Unfortunately there were a few sprinklers going off along the course, which left some slippery spots on the roads. There were also a few little hills, and it was surprisingly windy…but not too bad.

The course was mostly spetcator-free, save for some people yelling at us from their apartments and a section with Mavs entertainers. That said, I still had a lot of fun and even ran within one second of my PR that I set last month.

They had laptops where you could look up your time. Very convenient.

I felt pretty good this race. I made SURE to reign it in at the start. I wanted to run a negative split, or at least even splits, and I came close. Roughly – 6:53, 7:01, 6:58. Good enough for a 21:34 finish and 4th in my age group – one freakin person from a medal…Ahh well. It was also good enough to be the 54th finisher out of 1,900 ~ I’ll take that!

We also had a bunch of bananas friends running this race. It was great hanging out with them at the post race party!

Some friends.

And look, more friends, including fellow blogger from Marathon State of Mind…

Some other friends.

The post race party was awesome – all the free beer you could drink, food trucks, and a concert by Old 97’s!!!!

Front row selfie!

Rock on!

Rockin’ Rhett!

 

I didn’t get a pic with my face, but here’s my back. Some say it’s my best side anyways.

Run Free!

After the show, we even got to hang out with the band for a little while. Such great dudes!

Even the lead singer was cool enough to hang out with fans.

In summary, it was a super fun event, and we all had great runs and a great time! Bonus – each runner gets a ticket to a Mavericks game…score!!!

#MFFL

But now I gotta rest up – I have a half marathon in the morning!!! Woot woot!

How bout you? Any recent night races? Bump into any celebs recently? Who’s also racing this weekend?

-Scott

Mavs Run This Town 5k Preview

This Thursday evening I’m running the Mavs Run This Town 5k. Even though it’s on a random school night, I’m really excited for this race. It combines a lot of things I love.

First off, y’all know that I love to run. I want to run all the miles. This race will add another 3.1 to that.

At a recent race. Givin that finish line the ole stink eye.

2nd off, I’m a huge Dallas Mavericks fan. And your race entry also gets you a ticket to an upcoming game!!

I became a fan of the Mavs when I was growing up in Ohio and they drafted a player from my home state. I’ve followed them ever since…through the bad times and good. The best times being when they won the NBA championship in 2011.

Pic I took immediately after they won. Yes, I watched the game in my retro jersey.

I really really really hope they’ll have the Larry O’brien Trophy on hand. I’d love to get a picture with it. Because after a lifetime of fandom failure following the Cleveland Browns and Indians, the Dallas Mavs World Championship is my pro sports highlight.

On the court after a recent game. Dirk is peeking out of my shirt.

Unfortunately, the team is playing a game in Louisiana the same time as this race, so there probably won’t be any of the players hangin around. I’m sure they’ll have mascots and dancers and alumni and such…and that’s cool. If it’s anything like all the effort they put into the game experience, it will be a lot of fun!

Someday though I’d really love to get a pic with Dirk Nowitzki. I came close at an FC Dallas match he was at. I got an autograph and snapped a pic of him signing it, but couldn’t get a selfie because of the crowd.

A basketball star signing a soccer program.

Third off, the post race party features a racers-only beer garden & concert by Old 97’s!!! I’m a huge fan of this band. I’ve seen them several times and they always bring a lot of energy to their shows. If you ever need a full throttle song to add to your running playlist, might I suggest their hit *Timebomb. It will put a giddy in your up.

His moves and shakes make him sweat about as much as a runner.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet the band a few times. Solid dudes. The lead singer – Rhett Miller – is also a popular topic of discussion amongst my lady friends – they describe him as “dreamy”.

Apparently I wear that hat a lot.

In summary, at this race I get to run, I get a Mavs ticket, I get free beer, & I get an Old 97’s concert. For the win!

#MFFL

How bout you? Does your fav sports team hold a race? Should I wear that old jersey on the course? Any memorable post-race concerts?

-Scott

*Warning – Click that link only if you’re prepared to have your face melt.