10K in Den Haag

A couple of months ago I decided to sign up for a run in The Netherlands. I found a 10K (6.2 miles) in Den Haag scheduled for 14 March. I thought it would give me plenty of time to train. However, those two months flew by and let me say I was not prepared. But I did have a fantastic time and the entire experience was one of the greatest cultural realizations. I packed my bag this morning with a change of clothes and extra jacket then caught the 11:20am train to Den Haag. The race was scheduled to begin at 1pm, I arrived around 11:40am and began my adventure. I honestly had no idea where I was going and I walked out of the train station to be pleasantly surprised by mobs of runners headed in the same direction. I took a chance (a pretty good one) and ended up at the grounds. The next step was to find my bib number and D-tag (shoe timer). I walked around looking at the signs written in Dutch and realized that I was a tourist. Mind you, I've been living in The Netherlands for a bit over two months now. I began to look around for people with their bib numbers and found the tent that housed them all. Upon arrival, I was asked many questions in Dutch and found myself smiling then shying away as I kindly responded, "Do you speak English?" I was in luck, the man led me in the right direction and I was able to get my number after writing down the spelling of my last name and handing it over to the nice woman. It was a strange experience and I was the odd man out.
Step one was successful. After dropping my bag off at the bag drop area; which took some time to find, I was almost ready to run. The sky was grey as usual and the sun was hiding away, I thought for sure it would rain. I pinned on my number and strapped the timer to my shoe, then took a jog around the grounds. About 20 minutes to 1pm, I headed over to the starting line and continued warming up. It was quite chilly and I knew my muscles were stiff. A woman approached me and asked me a question (in Dutch) I was not able to answer, so she quickly switched to English. It's almost like a light switch in the brain, I was amazed at her talent. She asked me about the letters posted on the signs and needed to know which one to stand at, I was just as confused as her so we headed to the back of the crowd.
Starting time was approaching and I began to get a little anxious, probably from the nippy breeze. The speakers were blasting some sort of Dutch pop song and people were dancing and stretching and laughing all around me. I joined in and figured I may as well have a good time as well, even though I do not understand Dutch, beyond thank you & you're welcome. Before I knew it, the cannon went off and I was running through the cobblestone streets of Den Haag. I could not have seen the city in a better way. It was amazing to run past the landmarks and winding canals. I forgot about the grey day and the smile on my face grew as I kept on running.
The race was flat, which I was very grateful for, and the distance was not too bad. I enjoyed the run and definitely the experience. After the race, I am used to being offered carbohydrates and sweets. However, after this race and after receiving my medal and t-shirt, I was given a great big bratwurst with many toppings and a pile of french fries with mayonnaise. I could not have been more surprised or happy. It was a truly Dutch experience. While retrieving my bag I was once again approached and had to claim my tourist identity. The man just kept on walking, as he seemed to be in quite a hurry. I made it to the bag drop counter and retrieved my bag. I ate my bratwurst and fries while watching some children play in a pile of dirt nearby. After finishing, I headed back to the train station and found my train to Leiden. Despite my aching knees, I had a great time exploring Den Haag on this grey afternoon and an even better time being emersed with the local Dutch. There is so much to learn!