It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Race season! With friends! At BDR! You all know Best Damn Race is one of my favorite race series, and I was so happy to be back in Orlando for the 10K + 5K Challenge. BDR Orlando usually falls the same weekend as Gate River Run, so choices must be made. This year, I was happy to be in the 407 with Meghan.
About The Race
Best Damn Race is a running series created for runners by runners. The goal is to provide a big race experience at a local race price. No matter your age, ability, experience or pace, it’s all about having the best DAMN race experience. BDR offers a unique registration process which allows super low prices for early registrants (for example, a 5K starts out with the price of $15 and stays at that price for the first 200 who register), making races affordable and accessible. Additionally, the theme of “Run, Eat, Drink, Party” is serious business. Every race entry includes: race shirt, finisher medal, bib, goodie bag, free food, free beer, and more! It’s always a great time!
The Night Before
I was a woman on a mission on the Friday before the race. First up, I had a dog walk, and only then could I make the drive to Orlando. Meghan and I opted to pick up our packets on race morning, so we went out for dinner and drinks, drank wine by the pool, and called it a night. I didn’t even set out a flat runner. It was madness.
Race Morning
On the plus side, Meghan lives incredibly close to the race venue at Lake Eola, but the 10K had a 7:00AM start time, so we were out the door by 5:45. We found street parking and picked up our packets. Meghan had the foresight to bring a bag for gear check so we were able to stash our belongings. It was a beautiful morning, and we had the chance to use real bathrooms before taking our place at the start line.
The 10K
After the National Anthem, we hit the road, literally. I usually go on autopilot for this race: I’m not familiar with the area, so I just follow the signs and the runners ahead of me. This year, however, there was a major course change. In my opinion, it was not for the better: we missed a lot of the shady, residential streets, and spent a lot more time on unshaded, industrial streets. It was fine, just not super interesting. There were plenty of hydration spots, because the 10K course shared space with the half marathon that started at 7:35. Thanks to that, we had water and gatorade, and also stops for gels and Girl Scout cookies. The Gatorade and cookies were the absolute burst of sugar I needed due to the intense heat.
Intermission
We crossed the finish line, collected our medals, and met up with D and M, who were there for the 5K. We had a few minutes, plenty of time to grab a beer and use the bathroom. There was time to chat, snap some photos, and then move back to the start line for the 5K. I was really ambivalent about it, but everyone was all in, so what the heck?
The 5K
This course was much better than the 10K. While it wasn’t entirely shaded, we had the benefit of some tree canopy and the neighborhoods we ran through were full of gorgeous homes. We power walked most of this, just due to the heat and the blazing sun. And I was super glad that Gatorade was still an option for 3.1 miles… a good electrolyte drink is so helpful on a warm day. Our crew made it to the finish line with smiles on our faces!
The After Party
Sadly, I couldn’t hang out to celebrate. While Meghan grabbed our bags, I collected my challenge medal We grabbed a quick cocktail for a toast to our victory, and then I started the hike back to the car. I wanted to snag something to eat the food tent, but the line was pretty long, and I had two dog visits to get home to. Poor planning, but I did what I could. That being said, the music was pumping, the drinks were flowing, and everyone was having the best damn time!
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good: Really, BDR is awesome. The race shirts were nice, the medals were adorable with their citrus theming (I got a lime for the 10K, lemon for the 5K, and red grapefruit for the challenge. The half was an orange). There are great photo ops, plenty of food (think pizza, chips, granola bars, cookies, diet coke and energy drinks), and cocktails. I love the Lake Eola location, and the volunteers are wonderful. There are also tons of free photos from all over the course. I love that detail.
The Bad: I didn’t love the 10K course. I didn’t hate it, but it just wasn’t as pretty as in years past. That being said, it was well marked and safe, and all that jazz. I just like things to be more visually interesting.
The Ugly: The weather. I’m not ready for summer.
Final Thoughts
I’ll be back at Gate River Run next year, I think but I always enjoy Best Damn Race. Whether I’m in Orlando or Safety Harbor, it’s a great little racecation, with plenty of distance options and so many great details and special touches. I had the best time, and it was fun to spend time with friends.
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