Run Aintree 10k

Liverpool was freezing, but I still got my third-best 10k result.

Look at that pretty medal.

Why Liverpool 

When I thought of this running idea, I made a list of cities I wanted to visit and tried to find races in them.

Liverpool was on that list, and I was happy to see there was a 10k at Aintree Racecourse because February, much like January, had slim pickings in terms of the types of races I'd consider doing.

The journey

I mentioned in my last post that I was worried that rail strikes would prevent me from getting to Liverpool, but luckily, it ended up affecting services that were scheduled after I was set to arrive in the city.

That being said, the service I originally booked on to and that was listed on my physical train ticket ended up not existing in the end, and I may have had a mild panic that I was going to have to pay extra on the train because I didn't have the right ticket. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

What did happen, though, was on my second train, I ended up sitting next to a door between carriages that could only be manually shut, and every time someone passed through the carriage they didn't close the door behind them. This meant all the people sitting near me and I had to take turns to keep this door closed. Great teamwork. 

Getting to know Liverpool

In the hunt for free things to do, I made my first stop in the city the Museum of Liverpool. About 20 minutes into my visit I realized there were lockers, and although my backpack was a bit too heavy to carry around, I thought, well how much longer will I really be here. I was there for 90 minutes. Lesson learned here is if a locker is available, you take it. My back is still screaming at me.

City view from the Museum of Liverpool.

What I took away from this museum is that Liverpool really misses its overhead railway. From 1893 to 1956, Liverpool had a 7-mile electric elevated rail line along the Docks that had to close due to rising costs to maintain it. The public was not happy with this, and I can't blame them. An overhead railway sounds like fun. 

The most random thing I saw at this museum was a novelty postcard someone had made for Pope John Paul II's visit to the city in 1982. It was a parody Monopoly board called 'Popopoly' that of course had Holy Water Works as one of its spaces and a Communion chest in the middle.

Because nothing is more welcoming to a pope than a parody game board.

Being that this city likes to remind you of the fact that The Beatles are from here, the top floor of the museum had an exhibition dedicated to John Lennon and Yoko Ono's relationship. It was actually really emotional to walk through, especially seeing old TV interviews of them talking about the criticism they received for getting together. 

On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, at the entrance to the exhibition, they kept playing the chords to 'Imagine' on loop, and my only thought was that the security guards who keep post there must hate that song by now. 

Post-museum, I headed out for dinner to a Japanese place I read was cheap but with big portions, and oh my goodness, I don't think I had ever had such a massive bowl of ramen in my life. All in the name of running, of course.

Also, I burned my tongue on the piping hot miso broth, and I can still feel the effects. 

My first Airbnb experience

A year ago, the idea of staying in a stranger's house on my own would have been out of the question. Then again, the idea of running 10k would have been unbelievable. 

Now that we're living in a new age of Lauren, I'm doing things that would have previously made me uncomfortable or scared all in the name of challenging and improving myself. Meeting and interacting with new people is pretty much the top of that to-do list.

Also, let's be real here, an Airbnb is almost always cheaper than anywhere else.

I feel like I really lucked out on my first Airbnb experience. My host was incredibly nice, and we spent my first evening chatting for 3 hours on everything from Brexit to The Bachelor (and I appreciate anyone who appreciates The Bachelor).

For all my concerned family members reading this, I would like to clarify that I'm only selecting hosts who I can see have lots of positive reviews. I'm not looking to challenge myself by staying with creepers.

The run

One of my reasons for selecting the place I stayed at was that it was along the train route to my run. No walking 2.2 miles to run another 6.2 this time. Aintree Racecourse has a train stop right next to it.

I think one of my favorite parts of doing races is when you start to converge with all the other people in athletic wear. Being in a new city, I second guess myself at everything, including wondering if I'm getting off at the right stop or if I got the date wrong. But then that moment comes where you first see people in their running gear, and there's this calming reassurance you've made it to the right place.

This race was 2 laps around a racecourse, so I must admit, I wasn't particularly excited about the run itself  as it's not exactly an interesting route. However, it did feel like a safe choice in a month where I could be dealing with snow and ice (and sure enough, this was coming off a week of the coldest temperatures and snow in the UK).

I didn't want to part with my hat.

It was predicted to rain during the race time, and I was not looking forward to the prospect of the run being both cold and wet. The temperature was just below freezing when I arrived, and I delayed handing in my bag with my coat in it until the last possible second. In the end, though, the rain held off until later in the day and the sun was shining all the way through. Thank you, sun.

I don't look entirely dead. 

As for the course, I dreaded the incline last month, but to be honest, it kept things more interesting than this entirely flat run. I ended up a bit slower, but still clocked in a third personal best at 59:15.

Train ticket troubles

Not wanting to waste daylight in a city with more to see, I ventured back into Liverpool city center after my post-run shower.

In a world of increasing self-service facilities, the train station I was at weirdly only had a person-operated ticket booth. This led to some unfortunate human error when I asked for a return ticket with a railcard, but the lady sold me standard fare.

With 2 minutes until the train arrived, it didn't seem worth it to argue over £1. I'm still bitter, though.

State-based dietary decisions 

Once in the city, my first stop was to go eat a massive meal. While searching for Liverpool cheap eats, I came across this all-day breakfast place called Moose Coffee. On their menu they had a selection of eggs benedicts that were named after US place names depending on what the eggs were served with.

As a native of the Garden State, I felt obligated to order the New Jersey variety which meant it was served with home fries - and I have to say, they were really good home fries.

What was less nice was the bagel this was served with, but I was expecting that because this is the UK and not the tri-state area. Certain kinds of greatness just can't be replicated elsewhere.

A Titanic exhibition, naturally

I got in some more free museum action, checking out the Martime and International Slavery Museums. I went to the former's exhibit on Titanic and was greatly amused at its constant mentioning that it was a 'Liverpool ship'. It wasn't built there, it never sailed there, but because White Start Line was a Liverpool company, the city would like to make it know that it was their baby. 

They also had a few props from James Cameron's 1997 classic, which were made with ivory and tortoiseshell obtained from rare animals and subsequently seized at customs. A real ethical film production.

'UK Border Agency Museum' should not be a thing.

Once the sun set, I most happily headed back to where I was staying and finally let my poor, weary legs rest. If there's something I learned from January's run, it's that I need to take an extra rest day this week. Bring on the self-control. 

Next run

Anglesey 10k

After 7.5 years living in the UK, I'm finally making my first trip to Wales.