This coach recently took a vacation from NYC, coaching, and America – and spent a week in Cancun. While I won’t bore you with stories of drinking island cocktails on the beach, rowdy dance parties, and foam parties, I somehow found the motivation to hop into a local race while in Cancun, and that’s what this blog is about.

Personally, I love to travel and run. It’s a great way to see new places and get away from your hotel and the “tourist” areas. When we booked a vacation to Cancun, Chris found out that our resort was hosting a 5K/10K race while we were in town, to benefit children in Cancun with cancer. This seemed like the perfect activity, and so we signed up for $20.00 USD the day before – which also covered a medal and a tech shirt. Talk about a deal.

The night before, I cut back on booze consumption and only went to the dance club for a few hours. We were in bed by 11pm and ready to get up at 5:45am, which seemed pretty darn responsible for vacation. The next morning, we walked 1.5 miles to the starting line. It was VERY humid outside – even for Cancun.

The first real difference we noticed about a race in Mexico – no bathrooms. Not a single porta potty along the course or at the start/finish. Perhaps you get what you pay for, and or $20.00 fee meant they skimped on potties? Either way, this was a surprise. Even very small races back home have some sort of facility. Oh well. I had to get creative and pee pre-race, which wasn’t a big deal. It also became quickly clear that this was a race very few tourists were running. The field was almost all locals, which surprised me since the race was hosted by our resort. Therefore, everything was communicated in Spanish. Nothing was ever announced in English, and so we had to listen carefully and give up control. Following the crowds was the only option.

The 5K/10K were on the same course, starting all at once. The 5K split off to finish while the 10K runners ran the course a second time. I was one of the top 3-5 runners during the first loop, and told myself to relax – maybe some of these ladies were running the 5K. After the first mile, humidity hit me like a wall. It was extremely humbling. I’m sure my Ultra training and lack of speed work was a factor, but my sweat rate and core temperature became an issue before very long. It’s a strange feeling to have a wave of heat pour down from your head and through your body. I don’t know how these locals made it look so easy!

Another big difference was the kindness of other runners. Around mile 2, one lady and I kept swapping places and were pulling/pushing each other along. When we got to the first aid station, where water was handed in sealed plastic bags you tear open with your teeth, she grabbed one, took a few sips and then offered it to me. I declined, as I was more in awe of the water bag concept and this runner’s kindness. By the time we got to the 5K split, I dropped her and she finished a few minutes behind me. I ended up taking two bags later in the race – embracing the way runners hydrate in Cancun and giving my body some much-needed water.

To my surprise, the women in front of me were still on the course after the 5K mark and forging ahead. My hope that they were racing the 5K was squashed, and I knew there was no chance I’d catch them. They were out of sight unless we were on an out-and-back portion, and my body was crumbling under the weather conditions and I couldn’t get my legs to move any faster. Again, so humbling.

As I closed in on the finish line, a bike escort brought me in – which confused me for a few minutes. I knew I was either 4th or 5th female, just shy of a cash prize, so the escort was odd. Folks shouted words of encouragement in Spanish, and Chris was there cheering too. He ran the 5K, and thought I was perhaps 3rd female. I told him I was pretty sure there were 3 ladies ahead of me. In what was my slowest and hardest 10K of my life, I was thankful when the finish line was behind me.

A huge table of fruit, coolers of water, bottles of coconut water, and thermos of Powerade waited at the finish line. We waited for the award ceremony, which included honoring the children in the area benefiting from the race. These little cancer patients were so cute, and for a minute it made my suffering for a 10K seem small and silly.

I won 1st in my Age Group, and laughed when the announcer stumbled on my obviously non-Spanish name. As I made my way up to the top of the podium, the two ladies in 2nd and 3rd were incredibly sweet. High fives, hugs and kisses for all. Again, very different from any race I’ve experienced in the US. My prize was a day pass to our resort for two people, which of course we couldn’t use. I gave my prize to a runner as we walked back to our resort. He was extremely thankful, and said he and his girlfriend would love to use it. I was happy my prize didn’t go to waste!

Age Group winners.

When we got back to our resort, we were ready for a huge breakfast, drinks and relaxing in the hot sun – and we spent the rest of the day relaxing and maybe drinking too much. It was great to get out of the resort area, meet some locals, and get our legs moving. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – traveling and running are an awesome combination.