My bedtime was 15 minutes ago, but I couldn’t let the day end without a quick post to remember my 3rd Raceversary (I have no idea how to spell it, but you know what I’m talking about…).

It was exactly 3 years ago today that I ran my very first race – the Big Sur Half Marathon!

I signed up for it on a whim and:

- Didn’t know what “wicking clothing” was (I used the race shirt during the race).
- Had never heard of “taper” before.
- Ran my 2 longest distances (9 and 10 miles) the 2 weekends leading up to the race.
- Wore a fuel belt for the first time during the race.
- I could barely walk after I was done.

I had no idea it was the beginning a new hobby addiction.

Fifteen half-marathons later and I can still say that it remains my favorite half – by far!

I picked up Audrey a little before 5:30 am and we headed up to the City. On the drive up, I commented to her that there was quite a bit of traffic on the freeway for that early on a Sunday morning. I mean, I knew a lot of people ran Nike, but I expected that most of them came from out of town and were already staying in the City.

We had planned to park at the Ellis/O’Farrell garage, where Audrey (a multi-year veteran of NWM) always parked on race morning. There was traffic getting into the downtown area but once we got to Ellis St, we found that it was closed off! No wonder that garage wasn’t listed as a recommended parking area on the race web site. And here we thought we were being smart.

We drove around for several blocks (because you can’t make a left turn in this City!) and eventually found parking at the Fifth and Mission garage. We got there just in time because there were only 248 spots left (and a long line of cars waiting to get in). The streets were filled with runners making their way to Union Square. We ducked in a boutique hotel to use the facilities – a nice advantage to having a race start in the touristy part of town.

We made our way over to Powell & Geary St to drop our bags off at Gear Check. And so did everyone else. It was a chaotic mess. A complete mob scene. I was crushed in every direction with nowhere to go. And there was no one from the race directing traffic. Being only 5’0″ tall, I was overwhelmed and started to feel claustrophobic. We heard people saying that there were no crowds further up Geary St, but we didn’t know how to get out of the crowd. A girl to my left grabbed her friend’s arm (who was on my right) and started to plow through. Audrey and I latched on and drafted off of them to get out of there. Once we were finally out of the madness we found that just a blocked away, there were rows of buses and handfuls of volunteers waiting to help people check their bags and no one was there. Even worse, there was a whole block of porta-potties that weren’t being used.

Once we dropped off our bags at Gear Check, we used the facilities again, and then made our way up towards the starting area. We had less than 5 minutes before the first wave started and ran up to Post St. We realized that we were with the 14:00 min/mile group and didn’t have a prayer of finding the corral we were supposed to be in. Gah! We raced as far ahead as we could but somehow knew we were still in the wrong corral.

{many runners ran with bags}

{Audrey and I before the start}

Photos courtesy of Audrey

Just before we crossed the Start Line, we saw Kerry and were so excited to see a familiar face! She, Audrey and I started the race together and immediately began doing the bob and weave. Something I would do for the entire race. From the get-go, it was walkers galore. But I knew we had started behind our corral so I just patiently tried to make my way through the maze of people. Somewhere after the first mile I looked around and realized that I had lost Kerry and Audrey. I was so sad. I put on my earphones, turned on my iPod and continued darting around people.

We ran through the Financial District, then along the Embarcadero, through Fisherman’s Wharf. We ran up 2 mini hills at Hyde and Polk Streets, which was a pleasant surprise. I thought we were going to run through the Aquatic Park, which is very narrow. With 22,000 runners, I was afraid of what the congestion would be like.

What I found was the congestion was saved for the aide stations. I’ve run big races before, but I had never seen such a massive wave of people clamor for Gatorade and water! It was kinda unreal. I tried to stop and get a cup of water, but it was such madness that I just continued on. I was so glad that I had decided to run with my fuel belt.

When we got to the Fort Mason Hill, I was determined, once and for all, to run up the entire thing. It is a short, but steep hill that kicks my butt every time. I trudged along, but the walls of walkers made it impossible to run. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and yelled, “If you’re walking, please move to the side.” As soon as I yelled it there was a huge cheer from everyone else also trying to run up the hill.

Disclaimer: I walk during races. I walked during this race. But when I walk, I look over my shoulder and when it’s clear, I move to the far side, and then start walking. I don’t stop in the middle of the course, or travel in packs making it impossible for others to pass by.

Eventually I felt that I was expending way too much energy trying to bob ‘n weave and realized that it wasn’t going to let up. I finally decided to just go with the flow and enjoy the rest of the experience as much as I could. From here on out I walked, ran easy, and pushed the pace whenever I felt like it and when the crowds would allow for it.

I knew the course was tough, but I had no idea just how tough it was.

This was probably the toughest half-marathon I’ve run. It is harder than the San Francisco 1st Half Marathon. Although we didn’t run across the Golden Gate Bridge, we ran up the hill to it, then turned left and continued up the hill that you hit coming off the GGB. I started to have bad flashbacks to my SFM 1st Half Marathon race where that hill was the death of me. I told myself to just make it to Mile 8 where Katie and the gang would be cheering.

When I hit the downhill, I wanted to take it easy. I heard someone yell, “Just let gravity do the work.” I tried to just coast along and not push myself because I didn’t want to shred my quads like I did after this year’s SFM 2nd Half Marathon (it took me days to recover from that).

As I approached Mile 8, I spanned the crowds looking for my spectating friends. I was on the far left of the road and wasn’t recognizing anyone. Then I heard the cowbell. You see, Katie had a huge cowbell at the Half Moon Bay race a few weeks ago, and I knew she’d have it with her again. I still didn’t see them, but I heard the sound of the cowbell and gravitated towards it. First I saw Page in her Boston Marathon jacket. Then I saw Dennis, Jessica and Katie with her! I was so excited that I ran over and gave them hugs!

{photo courtesy of Page, probably the only race photo there will be of me}

They picked the perfect spot to cheer – in the middle of a soul-crushing hill.

{the sign they made to cheer us on!}

Seeing them was just the pick-me-up I needed to continue along. I think people underestimate the power of spectating – there is nothing more uplifting than seeing familiar faces during a race! I truly appreciated them being there.

The bobbing ‘n weaving and hills continued (what else was new at this point), but the miles still seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, I found myself running down a huge hill (where a girl came to a dead stop right in front of me – she’s lucky I didn’t run her over!) towards the Cliff House. We turned left at the Cliff House and hit the Great Highway and I knew I was closing in on the final miles. The crowds were bigger and louder and I loved it.

When we turned up JFK Drive into Golden Gate Park I told myself, “You have this. You’ve been running this route all summer. It’s a piece of cake.” It was the easiest time I’ve ever had running up this hill. Then the course split – half marathoners turned right, full marathoners kept going straight. At that very moment I felt so sad for the full marathoners. The temptation to turn right would have been too much for me to handle. Kudos to every single full marathon finisher!

I glanced down at my Garmin and it read 12.56 miles and I thought, “I’m almost done!” Except when I looked up, I saw the 12-mile marker and realized that my Garmin was off by over half a mile, thanks to all the bobbing and weaving. This was the only point during the race that I felt defeated. I still had a whole mile left to go. Sigh.

But it was the “Chocolate Mile” where they handed out Ghirardelli squares. I grabbed one thinking it would be a boost, but then I got scared because I was super sweaty and didn’t want it to melt all over me, so I ended up throwing it in a trash bin. There were a couple of people running along next to me as we ran down the final stretch on MLK Drive. We looked at each other and said, “Let’s do this.” We turned right, back on to the Great Highway and finally saw Finish Line. We sprinted towards the Finish and congratulated each other as we crossed it.

Official Time: 2:24:57 – not my best, not my worst, but good enough for the day.

As promised, firemen in tuxes greeted us. Personally, I think it would have been better if they were in actual uniform, but that’s just my opinion. I thankfully accepted my Tiffany’s box and made my way through the Finisher’s chute collecting my food, shirt, etc. All of a sudden my feet hurt and all I wanted to do was sit down. I found a curb, plopped down and just sat there for a while drinking water and congratulating the ladies around me. I tried to text my friends to see where they were at, but the phone service was horrible and nothing was getting through.

As chaotic as the Start Line was, they did the Finish Line right. There was space to move around, and it was very well-organized. There was a tent for yoga and stretching (I stopped in for a few minutes), another one for massages, and the bag check buses were so easy to locate.

I collected my gear, then once again found Kerry. We sat on a curb for a good 45-minutes recovering and recapping our races. Somehow we managed to find the rest of our friends and we had a fun time sharing our stories from the day. For me, this was the highlight of the race – being able to share this experience with my amazing friends.

{Cate and I}

{Kerry, Jana, Cate and I}

Photos courtesy of Jana

I’m glad I got to experience the Nike Women’s Marathon at least once in my life, but it’s a “one and done” race for me. Believe it or not, as soul crushing (my new favorite phrase) as this course is, I didn’t really mind it.

It’s a good course for a training run, but it is too congested for the participants that this race attracts. That being said, kudos to everyone who finished. Both distances are accomplishments to be proud of – wear your Tiffany necklaces proudly!

{Finisher’s “Medals”}

Half-Marathon #15 is in the books!

{Half Marathon Race Shirt}

This is not the race report I expected to write. I expected to write about how I finished Half Marathon #15. Instead, this race report is about my first DNF (Did Not Finish).

All week I had complained about this race because the course was so hilly. And it was. But earlier in the week, during last Thursday’s run, I thought to myself, “So this is what it’s like to run without any aches and pains.” Because for the first time, I haven’t felt any. Nothing. The yoga craze that I’ve been on has paid off and I’ve felt so good lately. And that’s how the first part of this race was for me.

But let’s back up to last night.

Saturday Night

My family commemorated the 10-year anniversary of my Uncle Jerry’s passing. We went to the cemetery to lay flowers on his grave, and then went to dinner at Red Lobster, his favorite restaurant (seriously, it was). For the most part, I was mindful of the race, and ordered a Caesar salad (no dressing), the broiled seafood platter (scallops and shrimp – didn’t eat the sole) with a dry baked potato. But I also had a cup of clam chowder and 2 cheddar biscuits. I figured that I was planning to burn 1200+ calories the next day, so I indulged. For the record, I do not think anything from this meal played a hand in today’s race.

However, I didn’t get home until after 9 pm and had to be on the road by 4:45 am this morning in order to get to the race in time to pick up my bib, timing chip and race packet. I hurriedly threw all my gear together, answered a few emails, and then went straight to bed. I had gotten 8.5 hours of sleep on Friday night and knew I’d be lucky to get 6 hrs on Saturday night (I need at least 7 to feel functional).

Sunday

Morning came too soon and I pressed snooze a few times. Too many times where I didn’t get out of bed until 4:30 am. I quickly got dressed, threw my gear in the car and was on the road by 4:48 am. So essentially, I didn’t eat breakfast and had nothing in the car with me except for GU. No biggie, right? I decided that since I usually eat a pack of GU right before a race starts, I’d be fine. Mistake #1

I also was excited to try out my new iFitness belt. It has the toggles to hold a race bib (no safety pins needed!), but also did not have the water bottles. I figured I’d just drink whatever they were serving on the course (had no idea what it was). Mistake #2

You can see where this is going.

The race was in Petaluma, which is a whole county north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a 60+ mile and 1+ hour drive for me. The roads were super dark and windy and at times I wasn’t sure where I was. But my GPS led the way and I arrived shortly after 6 am. I parked 1 block from the Start and had no problems getting my stuff. I met up with RoadBunner and her BF, and then met up with Jessica, then Kerry just before the Start of the race. This race was small and so low key that we were chatting away until we heard the gun go off signaling the Start.

{Me, Jessica and RoadBunner)

{Kerry, me and RoadBunner}

The 5K and half-marathoners started at the same time. The police also kept us to half of the road, so there was a limited amount of weaving. I think this worked well for me because the hills started right away and it forced me to stick to a pace where I didn’t exert myself so early in the race.

The hills were no joke – up or down. There was one lady who kept yelling, “I love down hills!” and I kept thinking, “She does know that this is out and back and she’ll have to climb it on the way back, right?”

I felt so good during the first 4 miles – like REALLY good. We actually saw cows (quite a bit of them), along with dogs, sheep, goats and a blondie horse that kept running around in his corral. There were also a lot of folks who set up chairs on their lawns to spectate and cheer us on as we ran by. It was rather quite enjoyable and made the crazy hills more bearable.

But then my stomach started to churn. Then turn. There were port potties at the aid station along the 4th mile so I stopped. I thought to myself, “Well this is a first, using a porta potty during a race.” But when I got in the porta potty, I ended up puking. Puking Espresso GU and whatever PowerBar sports drink they served on the course in a porta potty is the grossest thing ever. Like EVER.

I got back on the course and tried to pick up the pace again, but I just couldn’t. I’d run a few yards and then felt like heaving again. Except, there wasn’t much of anything to heave.

Along the 5th mile I saw Jessica heading back and knew she’d place. I yelled out that my stomach was killing me and she yelled back, “Bad hill!” And yes, it was. Most brutal one ever.

I tried to run/walk it but just didn’t have much energy in me. There was an aid station just before the turnaround but at that point I couldn’t even stomach drinking water so I decided to end the misery. I have another half scheduled next Sunday and there was no point in prolonging the suffering. So I asked them if this was also a medical station. The look of panic came upon their faces and they said, “Uhhh, we have a first aid kit, what’s going on?” When I told them that I was done, they told me to go to the turn around and there were volunteers there who could help me.

I walked up to the volunteers and asked them if they were with the race. They said yes and when I uttered the words, “I can’t finish”, I unexpectedly started to get choked up. I was a little surprised because I had made the decision so matter-of-factly. They were so supportive and understanding, and called for someone to come and pick me up.

{the amazing volunteers who helped me out}

Shortly there after Kerry came by; when I saw her I started to get choked up again, but she gave me a big hug and offered words of encouragement. It made me feel a lot better and I told her to just continue on.

My ride came and chauffeured me back to the Start Line where I met up with Jessica, 5th place Overall Female!, and RoadBunner’s BF. We watched RoadBunner finish strong, and then met Todd, a fellow Daily Miler! Then Kerry, RoadBunner, RoadBunner’s BF and I went out to brunch. I had dry whole-wheat toast and bacon, which still made me feel queasy.

I didn’t have any appetite for the rest of the day, but managed to have some soup for dinner. Physically, I’m feeling a lot better now. At the race I was completely fine with my DNF and even texted to my running coach that “there will be other races.” But as the day progressed, I began to feel pretty crappy about it.

I’m supposed to run the Half Moon Bay Half Marathon next Sunday, but I’m having mixed feelings about it. I’m not sure if I’m up for another race. I still want to run it, because it is such a beautiful course, but I’m contemplating dropping down to the 5 or 10K. I guess we’ll see how the week progresses and go from there.

As for the Moo Cow Race itself, it was a feel-good one. Sure the course was tough (RoadBunner says it’s the toughest half she’s ever run – harder than Nike!), but the spirit and energy of the race was just so “homey.” I definitely would recommend it and run it again. In fact, I do plan on running it again – I need redemption, and that cowbell medal (the whole reason I ran this race to begin with)!

This weekend 2 favorites of mine converged – running and baseball = The Giant Race. Here’s how the weekend went.

Friday

ART
I visited my chiro for an ART session. If you’ve ever had an ART session, you know that they are very intense, but fairy short, usually 15 minutes or so. This particular session was at least 45 minutes, if not longer. Dr. Eva started to work on my right hamstring, but it was pretty tight and almost sore to the touch. She had to massage it for a while to loosen it up before she could really get started with the ART. It was so intense that I broke out in a sweat.

Next she worked on my piriformis, which actually wasn’t too bad at all. She did hit a couple of tight spots but it was more relieving than anything else. She had me stand up to do a forward fold and could tell that something was still pulling on my right side so she decided to work on my upper calf. I didn’t think I was having any calf issues but once she started working on it, I realized it was pretty tight too. Funny how the chiros can always find the spots that torture you the most. I left the feeling a little abused but overall, much better.

Orange Friday
The game the night before the race is called “Runner’s Night”. We had the opportunity to buy game tickets, which are usually in the upper deck, in the worst area of the park. Having experienced this last year, Karin and I ditched those tickets and sat in our friend’s Club Level seats.

We had a little bit of an adventure getting into the park, but once we did we spent most of the time combing the club level for “carb-loading” food. I had my usual baked potato (with pulled pork, grilled corn, broccoli, mushrooms, bacon bits, salsa, etc). But you can’t be in the Club Level and not have dessert. So we decided to split some gelato and strawberry shortcake – yum!

Personally, I wish Runners Night was held the game after the race. I had to leave the game early so that I could get a full night’s sleep and be well rested for race day. I was home and in bed by 11 pm but found myself wide-awake at 2:30 am. I was paranoid that I wasn’t going to be able to fall back asleep and started having all kinds of doubts float through my mind. I started to feel bruising from my ART session and seriously considered skipping the race and just being a spectator. But I paid a lot of money for this race (it’s quite pricey for a half) and didn’t want to let it go to waste.

Saturday

Pre-Race
I was up at 5:30 am and realized I didn’t have anything to eat for breakfast. I barely had enough cereal to fill a bowl. I had meant to make some oatmeal the night before but forgot to. I found one last English muffin so I threw it in my bag, along with a Gatorade and was out the door by 6 am. Although the race didn’t start till 8 am, I wanted to make sure I got parking in Lot A (closest to the Start Line and ballpark).

I sat in my car for about 45 minutes eating my breakfast. I still wasn’t feeling very motivated until PunkRockRunner reminded me that he was racing an Ironman on Sunday. That was enough to get me over my pity party and I headed over to the start area where I met up with Courtney, Aron and Audrey…

…and my friend Mark.

I lined up in the very crowded starting corrals with Audrey, eating a GU right before the race started.

Race

The GU was a nice pick-me-up; once I started running, I felt quite energized. I needed it too because the first few miles were spent weaving through people. I expected this for the first couple miles because the group I was assigned to was “Group B” which was for 9:00+ min/milers and walkers. But at Mile 3 I was still weaving through walkers.

Though the weather conditions were perfect – foggy and breezy, I still double-fisted through every aid station because I wasn’t sure where or how many they were. Turns out, there were 4, which you hit twice on the out-and-back course. I managed to run up most of the Fort Mason hill and took another GU during Mile 4.

I was cruising down along the waterfront at the Marina, enjoying my playlist when I came upon a large group that was causing a bit of a commotion. I looked up and saw Brian Wilson, All-Star closer for the SF Giants! I whipped out my phone from my belt and threw to the first guy I saw and ran up to him to take a photo.

Apparently he was there for quite a while high-fiving and taking photos with runners. How awesome was it to have a Giant out on the course supporting runners of their own race?! I was stoked and had a permanent smile on my face for the rest of the race!

I continued onto Crissy Field still with a huge grin on my face. The course looped at Mile 7, closest to the GGB. See how foggy it was? You can’t even see the span of the GGB.

{thanks Mark for the photo}

On the way back I started to get tired and this time walked back up the Fort Mason Hill while eating my last GU. One way or the other this darn hill owns me. Actually everyone around me was walking up it as well, until a girl came on by and started cheering us on and telling us to keep going. It was a nice little pick-me-up so I picked up the pace and thanked her for the motivation. We kept passing it each for the last 5K.

Ideally, this would have been a nice race to PR at because the course was mostly flat and the weather conditions were ideal. But after the Brian Wilson encounter where I stopped for a few minutes, I kinda gave up on that idea. But at Mile 11 I ran into Mark. I told him that if I pushed hard I could be close to a PR so he told me that we should at least try.

Unfortunately, the last few miles were spent weaving around the 10K walkers. I understand in a race like this the participants are likely to be more fans of the team than fans of running, but I wished they knew a little more about race etiquette – like how about moving to the side and not walking 10-people wide? Especially if you have strollers. I was seriously hating the strollers.

I crossed the Finish line at 2:15:59, missing a PR by 55 seconds. Had I not stopped for the photo op, I would have had it, but I don’t regret it. Meeting Brian Wilson was well worth a PR. I would do it again in a heartbeat! Best race photo ever!

Post-Race

Up until this point, the race experience was great. Then we got to the Finish Line where I could barely cross it because it was so backed up. It was horrible. HORRIBLE! The same thing happened last year and I was hoping they would have fixed this, but they didn’t. (Check out Aron and Courtney’s race reports for photos of the ugly mess.)

I hopped over the rope just so I could stretch and walk around to bring my heart down. The ushers yelled at me at get back over. I told them that this is how people get injured. I had to push my way to a corner where there was a little room for me to circle around and do a little stretching.

The line slowly moved forward where we were handed bottled water and medals. We crossed by home plate but there was no photo op this year. I eventually met up with Audrey…

…and had to climb the stairs (more cruelty) to get to the bobble head line. If you’ve been to the park, here’s some context to what it was like:

- Finish Line was in front of Left Field bleachers
- Got smushed walking down the 3B line to home plate
- Followed the line along the 1B side and climbed the stairs to the main level along Right Field

It was packed and slow moving. My legs had already stiffened up on me. We proceeded on the Promenade Level back towards the home plate area where we were handed a bag with the typical race expo coupons and flyers.

The line continued along the Promenade Level (so we’re circling back along the 3B line towards Center Field. Along the way we were given bagels, bananas and Safeway shopping bags. That was cool.

Finally, by 1B we picked up our Timmy Lincecum bobble heads, then had to continue on to get our Nike Dri Fit shirts. I actually really like the shirt – I think it’ll still chafe me, but at least it’s much better than last year’s shirt. And to their credit, they didn’t run out like last year.

After getting my shirt and bobble head, I was ready leave. Instead, we were forced to pass by the “expo booths” all the way to Center Field. It was chaotic. The ushers were upset and yelling, “This is so unorganized!” Yes, it was. I wasn’t happy that we were forced to walk through it and not have the option to just leave.

We finally made it to the Marina Gate where we had to walk down the stairs (even more cruelty).

Courtney had patiently waited for Audrey and I. We headed to lunch at Momo’s where I had my traditional burger and fries. I sometimes think the only reason I run races is for the fries, since I only allow myself to eat them after a race.

All in all, there were some nice things that were improved from last year:

- Not running out of shirt sizes
- Giving us a real bobble head and not a mini Lou Seal one
- Mailing us our race bibs and chips
- Parking in Lot A

I still think they need to fix the Finish Line debacle, the whole “forced expo” exit and walkers merging with runners. But overall, it was a fun experience (mostly because of the Brian Wilson sighting) and I think we got a new Giant fan out of it!

Half-Marathon #14 is in the books!

Next up is the Moo Cow Half on Sept 18th!

I have the personal belief that half-marathon race reports should only be half as long as full marathon race reports well, because you only ran half the distance, right? That being said, I have a lot to say about SFM so this one is going to be a little longer than it should.

Last year I ran the First Half and signed up to run it again.

{got this photo from the SFM Facebook page. i love the sea of humanity on the GGB!}

But having hurt my foot in June, I decided to switch to the “easier” (I use that term loosely) 2nd Half instead.

{2nd Half Marthon course}

Since the First Half starts at 5:30 am, I had reserved a hotel room in the City for the night before the race. After switching races (the 2nd Half doesn’t start until 8:30 am), I was going to cancel it, but my friend Wendy said she’d join me in the City so we checked in to the Hyatt Embarcadero on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday Dinner

We met Audrey, Sandra and Sandra’s BF for dinner on Nob Hill. We did what any runner typically does before a race – carb-loaded on Italian food. It was soooooo good, but I have come to the conclusion that carb-loading is overrated – at least for me. Why do I think this?

I ate a bunch of rosemary bread and pasta. I rarely eat bread and pasta so eating it before a race is just not a good idea. The rest of the evening and next morning I felt sluggish and bloated. Next time I will just stick to eating the type of carbs that I usually eat.

Sunday AM Pre-Race

My natural body alarm clock woke me up at 3:30 am. My first 2 thoughts were:

1. I’m up so early I could go and spectate the start of the Full and 1st Half races (that didn’t happen).
2. The last thing I want to do is run today (feeling sluggish and bloated).

Before checking into the Hyatt, I received an email notifying me of a pre-race pasta dinner for $22 and a “Grab and Go” race morning continental breakfast with no price listed. So with the cost for one meal listed and no cost for the second meal, wouldn’t you assume that the second meal is free?

Well, I did so I didn’t bring or buy any food for breakfast. So I was really annoyed to find out that there was no free continental breakfast. There were granola bars and pastries for purchase.

Luckily, there is a Noah’s Bagels around the corner so I picked up a bagel there, then we made our way to Mission St where the shuttles were waiting to bus us to the start of the 2nd Half Marathon in Golden Gate Park.

It was a typical San Francisco morning – cool and foggy, but the temps in GGP were about 10 degrees cooler than downtown.

{wendy and i at the starting area}

We got to GGP just in time to see the 3:00 Full Marathoners racing by. It was perfect timing because I knew that a couple of friends should be passing by shortly after that. A decent sized crowd had gathered and it was so much fun for cheer. It helped me get over that “I don’t want to run” feeling.

First I saw a guy running with the Japanese flag. It got me all choked up. Then, right on cue, I saw Katie flying by! She looked so good and was pumping her arms to get the crowd to cheer louder! I knew that Sandra, Audrey and Layla were cheering further in the park so I quickly texted them to let them know that Katie was on her way.

Shortly after Katie, Alyssa came running by. She had told me what she was going to be wearing so I spotted her right away and started yelling her name. I was so happy she saw me. She trained so well for this race and I knew it was going to be her day.

By that time Kerry (who also ran the 2nd Half) arrived so I left the spectating area to meet her.

We chatted for a while, and then I went off to the potty lines (my 5th or 6th time of the morning) and then dropped off my bag. It was time to start our race.

The Race

The 2nd Half started on JFK Drive and headed toward Ocean Beach before turning left and up MLK Drive. This is essentially where Sandra had me run the Sunday before and I was so glad that I did.

Most of the hills in the 2nd Half, especially the tougher ones, are all in GGP so I knew what to expect. While that didn’t make it any easier, I mentally accepted it and just embraced the hills. For the most part. After a few miles of continual climbing, turning and climbing, the hills got old really fast.

I saw Audrey and Layla just before Mile 3 and was so happy to see them. They started yelling and jumping up and down when they saw me and I ran over and high-fived them. It was a real pick-me-up!

{best sign ever!}

Approximately the first 6 miles of the 2nd Half ran through GGP and with every step I kept thinking m*f’ing hills! And I also mentally drafted an open letter to Mayor Lee telling him that he really needs resurface much of the park. Too many uneven surfaces and potholes!

For this race I had planned to drink a Generation UCan drink before the race, take a GU mid-way and just drink water at the aid stations. The UCan drink instructs you to drink it 30-minutes before you run, but since I had to pee so many times before the race started, I was afraid it was going to make have to stop during the race to pee and I didn’t want to do that. So I ended up drinking about .25 of it then taking a GU every 4 miles. Since I ran (for the first time) without a fuel belt, I double-fisted my way through every aid station, just drinking water.

Somewhere around Mile 6 we finally exited the Park. It felt so liberating!

We ran through The Haight (i.e. Haight/Ashbury), which was my most favorite part of the race! It felt great to run down an empty Haight Street. There are so many interesting sights and sounds and I just tried to take it all in – I even smelled brunch!

Around this time I first glanced at my watch and thought that I really should slow down. But The Haight was the start of some serious down hills that were just as tough as the up hills. I really tried to, but it was tough to slow down.

The miles just ticked by and before I knew it, I was in the Mission. I remember thinking to myself, “Wait, this race is going by way too fast.” Some of the best crowds were in the Mission! They had a nice vibe going and really kept the energy up.

It was around this point that I noticed the motorcycle guys (in addition to SFPD the course security/support was a motorcycle gang) changing the course. All morning I had been so confused by runners merging from other streets, but then I remembered Aron explaining that there were alternate routes to allow for traffic. Made sense.

Eventually I got to Mile 10, which is around Potrero Hill. It leads to the industrial area behind AT&T Park. I ran through this area for last year’s Giant Race and I hate it. It is so ugly and desolate. This is where I started to struggle. My legs felt fine, but I started to have a hard time breathing – like I couldn’t get enough air in my lungs.

I took my first walk break, which would be the start of a few during the last 2 miles. I’d pick a street sign or marker to walk till then start running again. It was not fun.

But then I saw the Lululemon cheer squad. THEY. WERE. AWESOME! They had a ton of people cheering with music blasting. I high five’d all of them as I ran by. I don’t think people understand how much it means to have someone there cheering for you. Even if you only see them for 5 seconds, it’s a huge mental lift to know that someone is there waiting for you; you just need to get to them. It really does make all the difference in the world.

The last 2 miles were really tough. I felt bad for the full marathoners. Most of them looked like they were just over it. SFM is crazy hard and I applaud all of them for running it. But seeing them walking made me feel like it was okay to walk too. So I did.

Then I looked at my Garmin and did some calculations in my head (it took me a while since I am not good with numbers) and I realized that I could be close to a PR. I got a little excited since I wasn’t even trying to PR.

So I started running again and willed myself to keep going.

I knew it would be close but I just kept telling myself each step brings me closer to the Finish Line.

But where the hell was it?!? I lapped my Garmin at 13.1 miles and cursed another course that ran long.

When I crossed the Finish my Garmin read 13.37 miles in 2:14:41, which would have been a 25 second PR. But with the problems I’ve been having with my Garmin since I did the software upgrade, I still wasn’t quite sure.

Immediately after crossing the Finish Line, we were forced to come to a full stop. The line was backed up for medals and photos. I immediately felt my legs start to cramp up because there was no place to move. This is the only thing I would recommend changing about this race. Move the medals and photos much farther down the Finish Line chute – like after the food.

Speaking of food, after about a 10-minute wait in the medal line (I skipped the photos) I was handed a bag of scones, fruit and granola bars (the bag made it so much easier to carry everything), and then free Jamba Juice! And then free Zico coconut water!

I waddled my way over to the official results tent and learned that my official time was 2:15:21 aka missing a PR by 7 seconds. I was sad for about 10 seconds then just shrugged it off. I wasn’t trying to PR and was really happy with the way the race went so there was nothing to be sad about.

I collected my Half-It-All Challenge medal, which just happens to be the best medal ever! If you ran each half in consecutive years you qualified for this medal. I am so, so, so glad I decided to switch races. It is so beautiful and I love it so much!

Post Race

Aron arranged a post-race lunch so we all made the mile walk down the Embarcadero to Pier 23 where we ate, drank and shared our race day stories. I *LOVE* these people – they make running in the Bay Area so much fun!

Wendy and I had to check out of the hotel by 2 pm so we left shortly after 1 pm. As we began our shuffle back to the Hyatt, I could feel blisters on my feet and told Wendy that we were taking the first Pedi cab that came by. And we did. It was the best $10 ever spent.

Final Thoughts

- I realize that I am in the minority, but I love the 2nd Half way more than the First Half.
- Thank you to everyone who came out to cheer and volunteer.
- The Half It All Challenge Medal is the best medal I’ve ever received.
- SFM is one of the best-organized races that I’ve run and it makes me love San Francisco more – if that’s even possible.
- Congrats to everyone who ran SFM, especially the full marathoners – running in San Francisco is the real deal!
- Thank you Sandra and BF for taking such great photos and sharing them with us!
- I highly recommend adding the Beastie Boys to your running playlists!

After a quick flight home from Vancouver, I hopped on another flight and headed out to New York for a self-imposed Spring Break, hence the lack of posts for the past week.

Since not much is going on these days, I’m going to take the next week and write “catch-up” posts of all the things I wanted to write about over the past 7 days but never did.

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For me, one of the special things about the Vancouver Marathon was being able to run it with my cousin Lauren. Despite being a few years younger than me, we’re very close.

When we’re together, we sometimes head to the track together for a short run, where she runs effortlessly, like a deer. I’ve tried to get her to run longer distances with me, but she always reminded me that she’s a sprinter (who also ran Division I Track for a few years).

Last Christmas, as I was registering for the full marathon I asked her if she wanted to run the half. She was hesitant; reminding me that 3-miles is a long run for her. But at midnight on New Year’s Eve, she told me she wanted to do it so I registered her right away before she could change her mind.

Unfortunately, the chaos of school (she’s in her last semester of college) and work, kept her from training for the race like she wanted to. However, she did manage to get a few longer runs done in the last few weeks before the race – the farthest distance she ran to date.

When she met us in Vancouver on Saturday, I asked her what she was fueling with during the race. She had no clue and hadn’t heard of GU before. Luckily, I had packed a few extra gels for her. She tried one and seemed to like it so she decided to race with them — except she had nowhere to hold them. Fortunately, iFitness belts were being sold at the expo. She found one she liked and proclaimed that she no longer needed to carry a purse – she would use her new fanny pack — all the time! ☺

On race morning, the half-marathon started 30 minutes before the full, so I headed to the Start Line with them and could tell she was a little nervous. But if there’s one word to describe this girl it’s tenacious. Personally, I was really excited to see how she would do at this distance.

I thought about her the entire time I was running, wondering how she did. If her phone had worked in Canada, I would have been texting her to find out.

After my race was done, I was so excited to see her and find out how she did. She didn’t have a Garmin so she could only guess that it was somewhere around the 2 hour mark. That afternoon, I anxiously kept checking the race web site to see her official results and guess what — she was spot on. She ran it in 2 hrs and 54 seconds!

I am so, so proud of her! This was the first time she’d run that far! She said it was hard but there were so many people spectating, she refused to walk in front of them! ☺

Not only does she hold the family record, she did it without training. Imagine how she could do if she did?!? It’s a good thing we’ll have another opportunity to find out.

That very afternoon, inspired by her performance, her Dad (who I ran the Seattle RnR Half-Marthon with in 2009) registered the both of them for the inaugural Portland Rock ‘n Roll Half-Marathon, scheduled for May 2012. And of course, her Mom and I will also be joining them.

That being said, she’s already caught the racing bug so I wouldn’t be surprised if she runs a race or two before then. ☺

Sporting her new Lulu jacket I promised her after she finished the race – pretty good incentive, eh?

I volunteered at last year’s first annual Oakland Running Festival. It was my first time volunteering at a race, as well as the first time I got to see winners cross the Finish Line. As I handed out mylar blankets at the Finish Line, I heard runner after runner yell, “I hella heart Oakland!” in reference to the amazing crowd support provided by the residents of Oakland. I wanted to experience that for myself making it a “must-do” race for me this year.

Expo:

I met Layla at the expo where we moseyed around, checking out sales and such. Usually, whomever I’m at the expo with rushes me through so it was nice to take our time and browse around. The only purchase I made was several packets of Espresso GU at Layla’s recommendation (double the caffeine!).

After the expo we had some lunch and made plans to meet up in the morning. We are both training for May 1st marathons (me in Vancouver, her in Eugene) and were using the half-marathon as a training run, with a total of 17 planned for the day. So we decided to do our extra miles before the race because honestly, who wants to run extra miles after the Finish Line?

Race Day:

I woke up on Sunday not feeling that great. I had stayed up my later than I should have and knew I was going to pay the price for it. The full started at 7:30 am, and the half started at 9 am, so Layla and I planned to meet up around 8 am, which would give us plenty of time to get our 4 miles in before the start.

I dressed in shorts and a double layer of long-sleeve of t’s, bringing along warmer clothes just in case it was colder in Oakland. When I got there, I parked at the Marriott where the expo was held. It was a warm place to wait at with real bathrooms – no porta potties! When I walked outside, I knew I had dressed perfectly; it was overcast and cool – perfect running weather!

We made our way to the Start area and took a few photos:

The half and full races started on separate courses so we decided to run the first 2 miles of the full course which is up Broadway, hanging a right onto another street. I wanted to take it easy on these miles, knowing I still had another 13 ahead of me. Once we reached 2 miles we turned around and headed back, just in time for the start of the half.

At this point we parted ways as Layla moved up to the pace group that she was aiming for. I settled in with the 10-min/mile group and found myself standing next to one of my colleagues! It was nice to see a familiar face in the crowd.

I quickly ate one of the Espresso GU’s and before I knew it, we were off. While there were no corrals, there wasn’t too much bobbing and weaving. The streets were wide so there was plenty of room for everyone.

I don’t spend much time in the East Bay, let alone Oakland, so although I’ve lived in the Bay Area for the past 13 years, I had never seen most all of Oakland. Oakland has a reputation of being a rough town, and seeing officers stationed at every corner kinda confirmed it. But the crowds, officers included, were so spirited and supportive. There were people (not huge crowds, but loud enough) lining the street through almost every neighborhood. To say I wasn’t feeling the greatest was an understatement, so the high-fives from the spectators and officers were definitely a pick-me-up.

There were also a few members from the Oakland Fire Department who ran the race. The course passed by several fire stations and at each one the firemen lined up outside and cheered on their own, as well as everyone else.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous to run through West Oakland, but I think that’s where the best aid station was! There was also some interesting graffiti. One in particular said, “Stay Punk!” It reminded me of the East Bay’s own Green Day (WHO I LOVE!). I wish I took a photo of it.

I can’t remember where, but somewhere along the course I saw the Lululemon cheer van. I ran over to high-five them and saw that they were handing out free stuff! I got an orange headband! I stuck it in my fuel belt and sadly dropped it at the Finish area when I took it off to take my Finisher’s photo. I am SO BUMMED about that.

I started to feel tired a lot earlier in the race than usual. Then I remembered, “Oh wait, I had already done 4 miles.” As my headache continued, I started to feel a cramp develop in my right calf – in the area right below the outer knee. It had given me problems the week before on my 15-miler, but went away pretty quickly, but I started to feel more intense with every step. I double-fisted my way through the aid stations thinking I must be dehydrated and hoped that it would help. It didn’t.

Soon it was all I could think about. As we ran along Lake Merritt, through mud, every step on the right leg hurt. It didn’t help to try to stretch it out because it’s such an odd area, I wasn’t sure how too. I kept telling myself, just make it to Mile 11 where Kerry was spectating.

As soon as I saw her I started waiving my arms. I was so happy to see her! I stopped and we chatted. I gave her an update on the race, she gave me an update on other friends who were also running the race and then she snapped this quick photo.

After seeing her, I had only a mile and a half and I knew I could do it.

This girl in a pink shirt and I took turns passing each other. I made it my goal to finish before her. But every time I tried to take a surge I felt the cramp and had to lay off. At the start of the last mile Dr Dre’s, “I Need a Doctor” came on my iPod. How appropriate. On the home stretch, down Broadway, the girl in the pink shirt made a push. I thought, “oh no”, so I willed myself to push too. I remember running down Broadway thinking, “Where the heck is the Finish?!? I can push like this for much longer!” Then the course turned and I saw the Finish and sprinted for it as Green Day’s “American Idiot” blared in my ears. Oh the irony.

The Finisher’s area was extremely congested, but I was able to collect my medal, grab some water and oranges, and take my Finisher’s photo. Then I headed straight to the medical tent. They sat me down and summoned a massage therapist who started working on my calf. He found the knots immediately. It was painful, but extremely helpful. After about 10-15 minutes they put some ice on it and wrapped it in an ace bandage and sent me on my way.

I wanted to wait for the others who I knew were running the full, but I had left my change of clothes in the car and I was absolutely freezing. Karin had paced Ron up until the last few miles and had told me he should be finishing about a half hour after me. As I walked back to the Marriott, I passed by the Finish Line and saw him crossing it! Perfect timing!

I spent the rest of the day, parked on my couch, downing a double double with fries.

I think this may have been my slowest half marathon in terms of pace, but I did not run this race for time. I ran it for the experience and Oakland did not disappoint! The crowd support definitely lived up to its reputation. Thanks Oakland! And congrats to everyone who ran this year!

This is my 17th year of Spring Training ball (give or take a couple of years) and my second year of adding a second Spring Training trip to the desert. I justify the second trip by running a race – the Run for Ryan House Half-Marathon. Running and baseball – could there be a more perfect weekend?

I probably should have read last year’s race report to refresh my memory on the things that didn’t go so well – big fail on my part.

Friday
Like last year, I took a 6 am flight from SFO to Sky Harbor Airport. This meant a 3:30 am alarm. Once I arrived in Phoenix, I picked up a car rental and headed straight to Scottsdale Stadium to catch a G’s game. It’s also Spring Training for fans and I need to acclimate to sitting in the shadeless sun. It was much warmer than I expected (80′s) and needless to say, by the time the game was over, I was exhausted.

From the ballpark I headed to DC Ranch in North Scottsdale to pick up my race packet. The race holds a tiny outdoor expo and I was in/out of there within 15 minutes. Then I sat in Phoenix traffic for a 1+ as I made my way to the West Valley where I stayed on this trip.

{raffle boxes – each runner got 1 raffle ticket but could purchase more}

Saturday

Pre-Race:
I managed to get almost 7 hours of sleep, but like last year, when the alarm went off at 5 am, the last thing I wanted to do was run a race. I dragged myself out of bed, got ready and had a bagel and downed peanut butter breakfast. I have not had much of an appetite the past couple of weeks and had to force myself to even eat half a bagel.

We were on the road by 5:45 am, which should’ve gotten us to Scottsdale by 6:15 am – plenty of time to park, use the port-a-potties , stretch, etc. However, the great state of Arizona decided to shut down a massive portion of the freeway (who does that?!?) for road construction and we had to take a 30-minute detour. Once we got on the freeway, I had complete disregard for their 55 mph speed limit and booked it. We got to the race with just a few minutes to spare and I didn’t have time to do my usual pre-race business.

The Race

Right after I had gotten there, the half’ers were called to the starting area and we were off.

The first 2 miles were downhill. I didn’t want to get caught up in the hype and take off so I hung back and just cruised along. It had been cold and breezy before the start, but once we got going, it was nice – 58 degrees.

Although this was my 11th half-marathon, each one presents new experiences. Today, for the first time, I had to pee really bad during the race. So at Mile 3 I had my first sighting of a port-a-potty and took off for it. The line was about 4-5 people deep and cost me a few minutes. Mile 3 was also the first hill, albeit it wasn’t too bad at all.

The course leveled out at Mile 4, and then hit another hill at Mile 5. It was definitely the steepest climb of the race – and that is saying a lot because there was a lot of climbing.

Miles 6 to 7 ½ were downhill but I tried to stay controlled and not completely let loose and crush my quads.

Miles 7 ½ to 11 was one steady climb. This was the “challenging” part that the race organizers had described. Along the way I kept asking people how much more climbing there would be; I may or may not have cursed out an officer for giving me a smartass answer. ☺

Somewhere along Mile 8 I just gave up the fight and just accepted the climb. It was there, not going anywhere and there was nothing I could do about it. While it was physically tough, it was mentally tougher because every time the course turned, I thought it would level out or go downhill, but it just kept climbing.

The temperatures were climbing and we all know how much I hate hot weather; i.e., I hate running in anything over 60 degrees (yes, I live in the Bay Area and I am spoiled – I know this). I stopped at every aid station for water and sport drink. So it’s no wonder that I had to stop to pee again, somewhere around Miles 10 or 11. Twice in one race after never having in any previous races! At least this time there wasn’t a line.

After the second potty stop my stomach started gurgling and I realized I hadn’t eaten any of the Hammer gels I had with me (usually at Mile 5 and 10). The thought of eating one just made my stomach turn, so for the first time, I went without eating anything in a race longer than a 10K.

The last 2 miles were pretty flat, except a slight climb on the last quarter mile. It wasn’t much, but after all the climbing we did, I was over it. That last bit of mileage also had some twists and turns and I felt like the Finish Line kept eluding me. I had also set my Garmin to count down the miles, forgetting to add in that last .1 miles so although my Garmin read “Workout Complete”, I wasn’t quite there yet.

I finally crossed at 2:19:11 (Garmin reading). Or 2:21:18 (Buckeye Outdoors reading). Or 2:20:17 (chip reading). Take your pick.

{wore my new shirt from Skinny Runner – a fun blog to read!}

I’ve been thinking about this all day, and I think this was the most challenging course I’ve run. The LA County Half was tough too, but I also wasn’t trained very well for it. This race was my third half in 5 weeks, and although they were all very different races, I felt way more conditioned for this one than LA one. My legs are the most sore after this race than the preceding 2, but I think if I had been mentally tougher, I would have fared much better.

That being said, there’s always opportunities to try again, and my next half-marathon will be in 3 weeks at the Oakland Running Festival!

As far as the race it self, I would definitely recommend running it:

- It is very well-organized.
- They actively participate in social media (Facebook & Twitter) to keep you updated and are very quick to respond to questions.
- The goody bag is full of coupons and goodies such as a chap stick, detergent, water bottle, etc.
- The race shirt is a tech shirt that fits well.
- There were plenty of aid stations that provided water, sport drink and energy gel.
- There was traffic on the course, but plenty of room was allocated for runners and there are officers at every intersection stopping traffic for runners. I never had to stop once for traffic.
- In addition to a 5/10K, they also offer a kids mile race to make a complete family affair.

{how cute are these photos from the kids race?!?}

- Nice bling!

I’m too lazy to write a proper report, so here’s what happened in list style:

1. The Bay Area has been having monsoon-like rain for days and I obsessively checked my Weather.com app for the race day forecast. It changed every few hours.

2. After work on Friday I went to Lululemon to get a waterproof jacket to wear and walked out with the Willpower Pullover (on sale) and the Cross Training Cap. Both in black; both held up very well.

3. Carb-loaded on sushi and ramen and was in bed by 10 pm. Checked the weather one last time and it read partly sunny skies.

4. The rain woke me up at 5 am, 30-minutes before my alarm.

5. Ate my regular breakfast (oatmeal with blueberries, almond butter and sliced almonds), dressed in tights, a long-sleeved t-shirt, the pullover and cap.

6. Packed an extra bag of dry clothes, slippers, Gatorade and banana.

7. Grabbed my iPod (with my newly updated Burn List), and new iFitness hydration fitness belt filled with Ultima drink and 3 Hammer gels.

8. I received an email from iFitness announcing their new belt a couple of weeks ago. I ordered it immediately after last Saturday’s run and it arrived a couple of days ago.

9. Walked out the door, only have to run back in to grab my Garmin (foreshadowing).

10. Clearing skies in San Mateo, looming dark clouds over the East Bay, and heavy rainfall at the San Mateo Bridge.

11. When I arrived at Marina in San Leandro, it was P-O-U-R-I-N-G. I sat in my car contemplating downgrading to the 10K. I was not in the mood to run in this weather for 2+hours.

12. Met Tara and picked-up our bibs, timing chips, goody bag and shirts. At this point, we were already soaked from the rain.

13. Tried to put on my timing chip, but my fingers were already frozen and it was so wet, the adhesive wouldn’t stick so I had to loop it through my shoelaces.

14. Met Mark, Ron and Katie, Tara rejoined us and we chatted for a bit. Then with 10-minutes left Mark and I headed to the port-a-potties for one last bio break.

15. I dropped the Hammer Gel I was going to eat before the race start in the port-a-potty.

16. Half-marathoners assembled at the start line. I turned on my Garmin only to see “Low Battery” flashing.

17. Half-marathon starts, Garmin dies less than half a mile into the race.

18. THANK GOODNESS Mark ran with me the whole time. Without his Garmin, I might’ve just walked off the course and quit. He paced me and kept me from going out too fast. Every time I started to speed up, he’d signal to slow down (we both ran with music).

19. Stopped at Aid Station #1 (1.55 miles) for water.

20. Stopped at Aid Station #2 (3 miles) for sport drink. Passed the 10K turnaround point and wished I had downgraded. Although I noticed that the rain had stopped, but it was still windy.

21. The terrain turned to gravel, which is REALLY unpleasant (I’m being kind here) to run on. And I even wore my trail shoes. I really had to watch every step.

22. Walking break at 5-miles to eat Hammer gel #1 (chocolate).

23. The fast people are on their way back so we have to run in a single file on the narrow bridges. Got stuck behind the lady in purple several times.

24. Finally reached the turnaround at 6.5 miles. Stopped at Aid Station #3 for a sport drink and a handful of pretzels.

25. Felt REALLY good for miles 6.5-8.5 (despite the gravel). There was even a downhill where I didn’t remember an uphill.

26. Walk break at Mile 8.5 because that’s usually where an aid station would have been. Took the first drink from the iFitness belt. The bottles and pouch are on the front, which is opposite from how I wear the Nathan belt. This was a little weird for me. And the bottles are also narrower, but other than that, the belt was great! Minimal bounce age and no pulling on the back.

{Somewhere around here it started pouring again.}

27. Stopped at Aid Station #4 (same station as #2) at Mile 10 for sport drink. Ripped open my Hammer Gel (orange) but couldn’t get anything to come out of it. Dumped it and grabbed a handful of gummy bears instead. Mark announced that Mile 9 was at a 9:25 min/mile, a full minute faster than the previous walk-break mile. I tell him that I usually fall apart during the last 3 miles so we slow down.

28. Somewhere on Mile 11 Mark needs a walk break because both his knees are killing him.

29. Another walk break somewhere at the beginning of Mile 12. His knees were really hurting.

30. We can see the finish line so I don’t mind people telling me, “You’re almost there” because we really were. We crossed the Finish Line at 2:15:05 – 2+ minutes faster than last year. We grab our medals and were greeted by Ron and Katie.

31. In my car, I press the clutch and feel a potential cramp coming on so I wait a few minutes, and change to dry clothes and slippers.

32. On the drive home it really starts to downpour and I contemplate what to eat for lunch.

33. I find myself at the In ‘n Out drive thru ordering 2 double doubles – dry with no sauce or cheese, cut in half – with fries.

34. At home I decide to take an ice bath, using tips from Aron. Except I’m teeth-chattering cold so I sit, fully clothed, in waist deep ice-cold water (just couldn’t bring myself to add ice). I can only handle it for 6 minutes – my feet felt like they were developing frostbite.

35. I park myself on my couch for the next 5 hours, eating 1.5 double doubles and watching 3 episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Modern Family, Who Do You Think You Are and Blue Blood.

Summary:

• This was my 3rd weekend in a row of running with other people, and the first time in ages I’d run an entire race with someone else (the other person being Veronica at my first half-marathon).

• Mark was the perfect running partner. Not only did he SAVE me from the Garmin debacle, but he also paced me really well, preventing me from starting out too fast.

• I have to admit, I liked not having the Garmin to look at every .62 miles.

• I hate running on gravel, yet this is the 3rd time I’ve run this course. The next time I am tempted to do so, please remind me of how much I hate it. At the very least, limit me to only running the 10K, which isn’t as harsh (gravel-wise) as the half.

• Confession: This morning I taped my left foot arch. I’ve been having hints of plantar fasciitis pain for the past 2 weeks but have been in denial about it. In fact yesterday was the first time I even said the words out loud. I blame wearing pointy-toed shoes and unsupportive flats. Gonna have to go back to wearing sneakers and sleeping with the boot on for a while.

• Other than my left foot arch, and slight piriformis aches, the rest of me felt fine and I didn’t feel like death at the end of the race; in fact, I felt really good the whole time!

• I am sad that I missed seeing Jess, who ran the 10K and placed in her Age Group again! Congrats Jess!

• I love seeing friends at races, which is probably why I’m signed up for so many of them.

Next one is the Run for Ryan House Half-Marathon in Scottsdale, AZ in 2 weeks – Spring Training baby!

When I woke up on race morning, the last very last thing that I wanted to do was to run a race. For once I had slept up to my alarm and I wanted nothing more than to continue sleeping. If I hadn’t made plans to meet up with friends who were also doing the race, I would likely have skipped it altogether. Truth.

Coyote Hills is in Fremont (as I just learned), which is about 20-minutes away from me. The race didn’t start until 9 am but I knew that the 5/10K had sold out, so I wanted to get there early for parking.

It was foggy and gloomy, normally the kind of weather I LOVE to run in, but I guess I’ve gotten spoiled with the high 60-degree weather we’ve been having. It felt a tad too cold for me (it was in the high 40’s when I left home) so I wore my Lulu Running Resolution LS-T and shorts. Compression shorts, which I think are the ugliest piece of clothing ever invented. They make my legs look like sausages. But my hamstring was acting up last week, so for the sake of self-preservation, I sacrificed wearing cute Lululemon shorts for them. (Be kind when you see the photos.)

While driving over the bridge to the East Bay, I debated downgrading to the 10K. I wasn’t feeling a half. When I got to the race, I lingered from picking up my bib until I met up with Elise and Deanna (they did the 5K). They managed to talk me into sticking with the half.

Since we were there so early, and the race start was delayed a bit, we had a lot of time to chitchat. I finally got to meet Jess (a Daily Mile and Twitter friend) and her boyfriend, and also visited with Ron and his family and friends.

Eventually it was race time. The half-marathon started first, so I said goodbye to everyone and joined the others lined up at the start. I don’t get nervous at races any more, but I was excited for this one because it was my first trail race. I even wore my new trail shoes (don’t worry, this was my second time running in time).

The Start Line was on top of a hill, so we started running downhill on grass. Then we ran on asphalt for a couple of miles, but also crossed this:

And even had to run in a single file like this:

{you can see my pink hat at the back of the line}

I felt so good the first 6 miles. There were rolling hills, but I didn’t even feel them.

Then the half-marathon course split from the 5/10K course and we had to climb a big hill, which was tough but paved, and doable. But then the course turned right onto dirt and grass, and then to a steep incline that I had to hike (yes, I said hike) up. There was no way I could’ve run it, which then meant the downhill on the other side of it was rather steep and rocky. I was afraid I’d slip so I had to take my time coming down. It was on that downhill that I looked up and saw Jess cheering. Judging from the medal around her neck, I guessed she had already finished the 10K. And seeing that medal motivated me for the second half of the race. And I needed it because it was at that moment that I realized we’d have to repeat the first 6 miles.

Yes, I am a dumb-dumb. When they said it was 2 loops, it didn’t register in my head that we were running the same thing twice (don’t ask, the map confused me).

It’s a good thing I really liked the course because it felt like Ground Hog day. But as we ran along the Bay, the sun started to break (and I got overheated), and I thought to myself, “How many people can say they started their day this way?” {sorry, no photos of the scenery, I stopped running with my phone a few months ago.}

The second time around the course was a lot tougher than the first. Even though I stopped at the aid stations for drinks, and ate a Hammer gel at 4.5 and 10 miles, I still got tired. The last 3 miles did me in. I took more walking breaks. My feet hurt and I was tired of running on rocks and gravel.

By this time, the crowd had sparsed out. My mind kept going back to a text conversation I’d had with my cousin Lauren. After an interval workout that didn’t go well, I had texted her and asked, “Tell me why you like sprints.” (She was a collegiate sprinter and hurdler.) She responded with, “Compete! Its only fun when you get to race people and beat them.” Okay, so I wasn’t winning anything here, but I could try and pass as many people as possible. So that’s the game that I played to get me through the last 3 miles.

At the last half mile, I thought our course would turn and follow the 5/10K course, but no, we had to climb that damn hill again…the one I had to hike up and down. Ugh. But somehow I made it…

And crossed the Finish Line at 2:22:02, which I’m pretty happy with for my first trail race.

Half-marathon #9 is in the books and it came with a cool medal…

…and the best post-race treats!

So here’s the Skinny on Brazen Racing:
• They put on FUN races, by far my favorites (this was my 3rd one)! They are very well organized and provide informative communications.
• Race fees are affordable.
• Courses are well-marked.
• Aid stations are stocked with water, energy drink, all the GU’s you could want, bananas, oranges, pretzels, candy, chips, etc.
• Quality shirts in gender-specific sizes.
• Goody bags of stuff that you’ll actually use.

• Free photos, but you have to go through Picasa albums to find yours. The photos aren’t tagged, so wear bright colors and recognize the people who ran around you. Makes it easier to find your own photos.
• And their races have a community feel. After doing a few of them, you start to recognize people from their other races.

If you’re a Bay Area runner, I would high recommend trying out one of their many races. In fact, my next one is in 3 weeks – Bay Breeze Half!