Michael & Liz are Bloggable

Liz and I are HUGE fans of the Biggest Loser television show, so when we heard they were going to be in Myrtle Beach, SC this weekend hosting their own 5K, we absolutely had to go! It's only a short drive and we love running. We got there on Friday around lunch and walked around the event area while they set up. Registration was at 4PM so we had some time to kill.

We got up early morning on Saturday and went down to the race and stood around just looking for old contestants from the show. They had a big introduction of all the contestants as well as Bob Harper at the beginning and fortunately we were right up front to see it all. We were literally about 5 feet away from the stage. When the episode is aired in November, if they show any scenes from the beginning of the race where Bob is saying hello to the crowd, Liz and I are standing right in front in red and light blue shirts.

So the race started and it was a little difficult to weave around people at the beginning. It certainly wasn't a race people went out to win. The motto was "Don't Compete, Just Complete". Well you all know me, I'm not out there to do anything but compete. So my competing was difficult to manage around all the completers. . I ended up getting 11th based on the overall time out of 2600 people. Our chip time was messed up though. We only started 30 seconds behind the gun time. My time based on the gun was 22:15 and my chip time is supposed to be 21:45. It claimed I ran it in 20:04, which would be awesome but not true.. Not sure how that happened. Liz ran the race, the entire way without walking, with a time of 38:05 (based on my watch). It's her first 5k in years and she's super proud of her time.I really enjoyed seeing her approach the finish too.

When we finished we walked around and stood at the finish line looking for famous people. Here is Pete Thomas from Season 2 was there:


And from Season 9, here is Sherry. At first we actually got her confused with Helen who won Season 7.



Then there's the man that needs no introduction. I am a huge fan of Bob Harper. He is the franchise and the reason why the Biggest Loser is so successful. I think he's classy and has done so much to promote healthy living in the 10 seasons on the Biggest Loser. I dread the day that Biggest Loser gets canceled or he leaves the show because I seriously enjoy the entertainment and motivation he provides. We were not bold enough to call him over or request a picture or handshake or anything. That's just not our style. So as classic introverts do in this awkward situation, we just creepily stand to the side and take pictures: 


The highlight of the day for Liz (and me too I guess) is that right at the start line, Liz saw him and threw up her hand and he gave her a high five. I have to admit, I am super jealous. That would have made my day/year.

Yes, this picture is as close as it looks. He was saying hello to someone was standing one person down from us along the finish line fence: 

As the last finishers began to roll in, in true Biggest Loser fashion, they found the person with the most heart-wrenching story. A person so improbable to compete in the 5k and they surrounded them with cameras. I am sure in the episode you will see this person's story. Here's the finish from afar with Bob and some cheerleaders:


Here is the post-finish interview they were conducting as well: 


We found someone with a fancy camera who knew what they were doing to take our picture. I had already changed out of my running shirt and number though. We had such a good time at the event. I think the nice thing about Liz and I are that we operate with the same mindset all the time. We got to the race at 6AM when it doesn't start until 8AM. We sat there and watched the sunrise. As we stood there at 7:15AM she points out "check out the cars waiting to get in the parking garage". When trying to decide when to get to the race, it was no question that we'd get there crazy early and sit around. It's much better than rolling in late with all the stress that entails. She's also super punctual, so when we want to leave at 5:45AM, she's ready at 5:40AM. I love it, that's my girl. 


After the race and "celebrity" watching, we hung around and then went back to the hotel. We cleaned up, got some lunch, and then took the dogs back to the event where there was supposed to be a post-race party. It was lame since everyone had already left. So we walked down the boardwalk and Liz snapped this picture of Daisy chillin' in the shade. She's too adorable.