Observations on an organized run in Brazil: Corrida Pague Menos - Etapa Fortaleza

I'm still in Fortaleza, where I ran a 10km last Sunday around the Parque de Cocó. Some random observations on the difference between a race in the US and a race in Brazil:

1. There were no lines for the porta-potties, pre-race. In the US, nervous athletes stand silently in long lines stretching and rocking to and fro, waiting for a plastic door to swing open and slap shut. (The slapping sound is far too familiar; if this is what I remember, I may need a new hobby.)

2. We all lined up for the race start at 7 AM. A military band - supposedly there to play the national anthem - first went into a jazzy rendition of "Aquarela do Brasil," which is a great song if not the actual national anthem. People swayed and danced to this, despite standing shoulder to shoulder in the hot sun. Then came the national anthem, and of course little conversations continued throughout the songs.

3. The announcer then led us in the Lord's Prayer, which most people, not including an American who hasn't memorized the Portuguese version, recited along with him. Hey, the country's still 75%+ Catholic.

My original plan had been to run the first 5km lap at a brisk pace, but then really push it on the second lap. Unfortunately....

4. It was hot! On the bus ride to the event, I passed a sign that read 29 C, at 5:30 AM. A later check of the weather online revealed that it was 80% humidity at the start at 7 AM. I wasn't prepared for the heat, having trained by running at sunset in breezy São Luís. I took to grabbing two 200 ml cups of water (which came with the foil lids still attached, forcing you to jab a finger through), one to drink and one to pour over my head.

On the second lap, I gazed for a while at the paramedics as we passed, glad they were there but hopeful that I wouldn't need their help for heat exhaustion. I took off my hat to allow my head to cool faster.

5. I finished in 47:41. That result was sent to me as a text message about two hours later (the clock time was about 48:00), which is a brilliant idea. It beat having to look up my time online a few days later.

6. Post-race, we had bananas, oranges, more water, and some disgustingly sweet sugar cube bar, which I couldn't eat. Not much in the way of protein. I must have consumed almost two liters of water, before walking the 2 km back to the hotel in Aldeota. I arrived in time to grab the last bites of the hotel breakfast.

Next race will probably be on June 20th in Porto Alegre, which will be MUCH cooler.