On Top of the World

The Nike Women's Half Marathon San Francisco - or how I rekindled the joy of running... again.

I have been plagued with tendinitis in my left foot this summer. This case of tendinitis was not caused by running,  but by wearing the wrong shoes to work.  No, I didn't wear heels, in fact it was a flatter wedge, probably too flat and not enough arch support or stability.  Wearing those wedges for one 8 hour work day has given me a summer of slow running and a lot of walking the dog.  Knowing that I needed to keep training for my fall and winter races kept me going.  Between the SDTC and Rehab United, I always had someplace to run and someone to run with.  I ran up and down the hill at Torrey Pines State Beach,  local runners know the one,  plus the hills in Del Mar and in my own neighborhood, which made all the difference come race day. 

Hubs and I flew up to San Francisco the Friday before the race only to find that BART was on strike and we had to figure out how to get into the city from the Oakland Airport.  Luckily for us, someone was looking for people to share the expense of a shuttle van.  We ended up sharing the van with six other random people with the same predicament.   We all made it to San Francisco with no issues, and the weather was gorgeous.

From the van going over the Oakland Bridge to San Francisco.

Once we were in the city, and settled in our hotel room, Hubs and I met Norma, a track club friend, and her husband to retrieve our race numbers and swag.  We spent some time roaming around the expo at Union Square and did a little shopping over at Nike Town.

Normal and I - Photo op at Union Square

The race course over at Nike Town --Pointing at the finish.

We even found our names on the wall.

I'm right there!

Hubs was hungry and wanted to eat.  We ended up at an Irish pub, and I can't remember the name of it.  It was OK, but my Hubs was really hungry...

The husbands.  They look so excited to be at a women's event.  LOL.

Later on that same evening, we met Norma and husband and walked over to Chinatown for dinner.  Norma Yelped a restaurant based on the number of stars it had.  We came upon a very unassuming doorway with a stair case.  At the top of the stairs we peeked in and the "hole in the wall" room was packed, and the aroma of Chinese food was amazing.  Even though there was a wait, we stayed.  The food really was amazing.  Good choice.  I thought we had photos, but I guess we were all too hungry to snap any pics of the place or the food.

The next morning hubs and I ate the complimentary breakfast at our hotel, then decided to walk around the Union Square area.  We walked past the Expo area and ended up at the Bvlgari building.  Hubs wanted to peek inside to look at the architecture, and he even told that to the sales person.

When you're married to an architect, you get used to photos like this... lots of photos like this.

As we looked around, the sales person insisted that I try on some jewelry.  I felt kind of weird at first, but it doesn't hurt to try on super expensive jewelry that costs more than any car I'll ever own.

It goes with everything!

We did a little more realistic shopping at Old Navy -- that's more our speed, had a late Thai food lunch/dinner,  picked up some coffee* and granola bars for the next morning, and went to chill at our hotel. It wasn't long after that when I checked my Facebook and had a message from an on line friend, Michelle.  She was in a little bit of a panic because BART was on strike and not running, and BART being down caused a traffic nightmare for the locals.  She was looking for some place in the city to crash.  I offered our floor in our small hotel room, and she took the offer.

Michelle and I know each other from an on line workout support group on  Body for Life  California, then another work out site Muscle Tank, our blogs, then Facebook.  It's funny that we've never met in person until now.  We live in the same state and I know we've been near by our cities several times, but never connected.  It was as if we knew each other (in person) the whole time.  Michelle camped out on our floor with her sleeping bag and gear, and we had a great time talking about all things running and fitness before attempting to doze off.

Michelle's accommodations for the night. Photo by Michelle.

We woke up to the phone alarm at around 5:15 AM.   Being three blocks from Union Square was such a bonus since the race started at 6:30.  No getting up at 3:30AM to be out the door by 4 to beat the traffic at the starting area.  No waiting in lines at the port-o-potties.  It almost felt like sleeping in.  Since Hubs was the designated Sherpa, there was no need to drop off our things at the bag check.  We walked down to the Union Square area with plenty of time to absorb the vibe of the race, and plenty of time to get used to the temperatures.

Cell phone "selfie." 

I still look sleepy, but Michelle looks ready to go!

Almost ready to go - the white t shirt is off!

Making our way to the start!  Look, it's the crack of dawn!

Aaaaaand, we're off.  Michelle immediately took off, and looked really good as she went ahead of me.  She mentioned something about not really running for about 3 weeks, but I never would have known.  This time there was virtually no weaving around walkers.  I ran the entire race.  Even though I slowed down on the hills, they weren't as intimidating as I  remembered.  I took advantage of the downhills and just let gravity do it's thing.  The weather was perfect for running.  The temperatures never went higher than 55 degrees, and it was foggy for most of the race.  As the miles went by, I noted how good I felt, and by the time I hit mile 10, I was still feeling pretty good.  Mile 10 is where I pretty much gave up when I ran it in 2011, and walk/ran the remaining 3 miles because I felt so crappy.  I felt energetic for the entire race.  Mile 10 came this time, and I still felt great.  The last three miles went by easily.  My ETA for this race was 2:40, only because of the tendinitis, but I guess all that hill training and walks with the dog did help.  I finished in 2:27:56, and I was THRILLED with that.  It's not my fastest half marathon by far, but it was 14 minutes faster than when I ran it in 2011.

My cell phone refused to work properly after I finished, (iPhone -  ever since the update I've had issues), so there's no photos with me and the cute firemen in tuxes giving out the Tiffany & Co. blue boxes with white satin ribbons, with the necklace inside. 

The weather was fine for running, but after stopping and the sweat cooled my body, I was freezing.  I did get a mylar blanket right away, but I was chilled.  Hubs finally found me and I was able to put on a warm, long sleeved top. 

Not quite the post race pic I was hoping for, especially with those cute firemen, but I got my bling! I'm happy, freezing, but happy!

Hubs was trying to track down Michelle since he had her gear back containing her warm clothes.  She ended up at one of the Nike concession tents and bought a warm long sleeved pull over t-shirt because she was so cold, but she was still happy to have even more layers once we found each other.

There was Sofia Champagne served in the post race area.  It cost extra, but I really wanted some because it's one of the few bubbly wines that I can drink and not have issues.  Champagne in little cans is actually pretty good. 

FIt doesn't feel so cold after a little bubbly...  Cheers. 

We spotted some SDTC peeps at the champagne area.

Happy finishers!

This was the t-shirt they all wore...  LOVED it!

The finish area was not as roomy as it had been in the past because part of it is on federal property, which the race organizers could no longer use due to the government shut down.  There were about 30,000+ people crammed in a small area.  The line for the bus back to Union Square was a bit long, but it eventually moved.  Waiting in line wasn't so bad, as we chatted with happy race finishers.

The Bling

After a hot shower, some food, and a long nap, hubs and I went out on the town that evening.  We went to dinner at John's Historic Grill for some awesome martini's and steak.  It was a fabulous meal to end a very, very good day.

Cheers. 

Because BART was still on strike, we had to find another way to the airport the next day. We couldn't find a shuttle that was going to Oakland's Airport. All the shuttles were going to San Francisco's Airport. We ended up with a "taxi" which ended up being a guy in a 3 piece suit driving a Lincoln Town Car. We felt special, but it wasn't exactly inexpensive either. We left super early to avoid any traffic, but there was none, and we arrived at the airport much quicker than anticipated.

 Are you still with me? I know this is a longish post, but I haven't posted anything since August. I have just a few more thoughts...

I've learned that I need to stay away from drinking any alcoholic beverages at least 2 days before a race. I really don't drink a lot, but pre race rituals are important -- which includes not drinking, and I had a much better race this year. I saved the drinks for after the race, and those two drinks were so much more enjoyable.  I've learned that no matter how slow I'm going, I'm still moving. As long as I keep up the training I will never become stagnant. I surprised myself buy doing better than I was anticipating.  Never doubt your training.  I've learned that after feeling lack luster and less than excited about running, that it will come back and have that "new" feeling again.  It felt new at Nike this year, and I feel excited about running again. I've also learned that you can never have too many friends, even if they come from the "internet." I'm often asked if I get worried about meeting people I've only known from workout support sites or blogs. "What if they're creepy?" "How do you know?" I've never had a reason to worry. After a certain amount of time reading their posts you just know, you get certain vibe from a person. I've met several people from workout sites and blogs, and each time it has been great. I really enjoyed meeting with Michelle in person, and I hope we meet again in the near future.  I also had fun spending time with Norma who we know from track club.  It was nice to see a different side of her.  Finally, I've learned that my Hubs made a pretty good Sherpa.

...and he still likes the window seat.

Song from August Wednesday, August 14, 2013: 
Summer Breeze - Seals & Croft  

PEACE
*Pre race ritual - Buy a handmade coffee per our specifications at Starbucks, then put in the fridge or set in an ice bucket for race day morning.  

TNT

Tonight I attended a Team in Training meeting for the Nike Women's Marathon and Half Marathon and two other events. The presentation explained why they are raising money for lymphoma and leukemia, and the people who are affected. They showed a video of TnT participants and the excitement of being a part of events, people cheering, etc... They talked about training, mentoring, a person with leukemia or lymphoma who you are running for, and the part about fundraising. I would need to raise $3,300.00. Yes, $3,300.00. A portion of that goes to training, transportation, lodging, and a couple of TNT pre and post event gatherings. They also discussed how they would guide us with the fundraising part, and they also mentioned that most people find that to be the most intimidating part of joining TNT. Yes, I am intimidated. The presentation itself was nice, and we met with some of the coaches. My coworker attended as well, and she had more training questions than I did, since this is her first long distance run event, and she is running for her husband, who has just been told he is in remission of lymphoma. Right now everything they presented to us seems very cut and dry. You do the fundraising and you get to be a part of an event that is sold out. I won't know how it is, exactly, until/if/when I sign up. I'll decide in a few days. I've heard from some people that TNT makes you feel like a rock star, but I've also heard from several track club members who have participated in TNT is that the training isn't as organized as what the SDTC has, but SDTC isn't a fundraising group. (In fact, one of the favorite routes TNT runs is actually a route that one of the former SDTC coaches designed). When I brought home the TNT information to my husband, he was floored with the dollar amount. I also brought up something they told us about corporate sponsorship, if his office donated a certain dollar amount, his office logo would go on my singlet. He replied with "I can go to Staples and get a computer generated iron-on transfer thing and put my logo on your singlet for $5." GAH! I told him that wasn't the point and that if I was going to do this TNT thing I would need his support.

As I had stated in my last post, I had/have mixed feelings about TNT. Fundraising was the biggie. I feel weird about asking friends, family and colleagues for money, but I do understand the reason behind it. It's horrible to lose someone to cancer. I know first hand. It rips your life into a zillion pieces when you lose someone you love to an untimely death due to cancer. Raising money for research, treatment and awareness will help to wipe out cancer. The other mixed feelings part is that, even though training is offered, many TNT particpants are not completely prepared to take on a marathon. Many are newbies who didn't put in enough training. I've talked to an RN who volunteers at the SDRNR Marathon medical tents that the majority of the injured she treats are TNT members. It is honorable that they want to step out of themselves for a great cause, and perhaps the pain is worth the effort, and I do applaude that. There are some other touchy points with non TNT runners, such as race ettiquite - like when trying to pass and you say something like "On your left" - and none of them move over so you can pass, and feeling left out of the groups only cheering for the "Team." I cheer for everyone, not just people from my own little group.

The only way for me to find out about TNT is to do it for myself. However, as of right now, I am still undecided.

Yesterday's song:
Reach For Tomorrow - Ella Fitzgerald

PEACE

Ironic

Today I checked again on the Active.com website for the Nike Women's Half Marathon and found this:

M Irene San Diego CA Not Selected Half Marathon

Bummer.

Yesterday's Song:
Not The Doctor - Alanis Morisette - Barbie2be




PEACE

All I Really Want

I've just found out that someone from the track club received an e-mail from the Nike Women's Marathon/Half Marathon saying that she got in. I'm a little perplexed because notifications were supposed to happen on April 1, and she's not a part of Team In Training or another fund-raising group. I'm hoping I get in. I really, really, really want to go so that I can meet up with my running blog family/friends -- well, provided they get in as well. One of my coworkers even signed up. I guess there's 20,000 spots available and about 30,000 entrants. Yes, I'm getting a little anxious... For real.

I've decided not to attend tomorrow's 14 mile run with the track club. My left quad muscle is still sore. Sure, I could chance running on it, but I'd also like to remain without injury. Sore muscles happen all the time in marathon training, and that's kind of obvious, but a soreness that doesn't go away in a few days needs rest. Instead 0f being hard-headed and ignoring the quad, I'm going to actually listen to the advice I have given to others and REST. This doesn't get my husband off the hook. You know I'm going to set the alarm so he can be up and ready to run tomorrow morning without me. He needs the miles!

Yesterday's song:
My Friend Goo - Sonic Youth - Barbie2be

PEACE

I Found Out About You

I found the photo! That's my husband running on Fiesta Island at the Sue Krenn 15K. Luckily, more photos were posted the next day, and sure enough, there was his. I believe this is while he was still feeling good.

I've managed to sign up to be in the random drawing for the Nike Women's Half Marathon. It was a little difficult to even sign up for the random drawing because the site was busy. They do not give any consideration to people who have participated in this event before, unless they have run in all of their events for the past 4 years or so. I'm hopeful that I'll be selected. Someone suggested that I try going through Team In Training, but I don't want to go that route, or at least not yet. Don't get me wrong, I think Team In Training is a wonderful thing to do, and I've heard nothing but great things about being a part of it. I still want to do this run independently.

Tonight's track club run was was a tempo run for 20 minutes, walk/jog for 5 minutes, run for another 20 minutes then walk for another 5. I started out with C group but finished with the people in B group. I'm anxious to look at my stats but the BiM site is down. I'll try and post those tomorrow.

Yesterday's song:
Take A Chance On Me - Abba - Smartypantz

PEACE

Take A Chance On Me

I've received e-mail notification that the entry for the Nike Women's Marathon and Half Marathon in San Francisco on October 19, 2008 will be done by lottery. Sign-ups for the lottery start tomorrow, March 4, 2008. Just to refresh your memory, this is the event that offers a Tiffany & Co. sterling silver necklace to all finishers. If anyone is interested check out this link. I hope to get in for this year's event! I had a wonderful time (last year) meeting up with many women from the running blog family and just soaking in the event! If I get in I plan on staying in San Francisco for a long 3 or 4 day weekend. It went too fast last time. Anyone wanna try and join me?

Yesterday's song:
For The Roses - Joni Mitchel - Barbie2be

PEACE

The Information

I found a little tidbit of info regardng the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon/Half Marathon event for 2008. It's on October 19, 2008, and if you want information as to when the official sign up begins, go HERE. It still has the graphics for the 2007 event, but the box for receiving infor for 2008 is at the bottom of that page, once you get into the site. The half marathon sold out quickly last year, and the marathon sold out in a couple of days after that. They did open up a lottery to let in more runners because of the sell out, but not everyone got in. I plan on signing up for this year's event, and I'm hoping I'll get in again. The plan is to work out the details of the trip better so that I can spend more time with my blog runner friends and take full advantage of the expo. I felt like I missed out on some of the festivities last year, but that was poor planning on my part. Oh yeah, for completing the event you receive a Tiffany & Co. sterling silver finisher's necklace. Feeling motivated?

Yesterday's Song:
Who Needs Pictures - Brad Paisley - Barbie2be



PEACE

Patience

Here are some of the details of the Nike Women's Half Marathon 2007:

The night before we left for San Francisco, I only had about 4 hours of sleep, so I was going on pure adrenaline all day Saturday. In a couple of the pictures I've posted (in yesterday's post), to me, I look incredibly tired. That night I barely slept. I was thinking about the race and just couldn't sleep, kind of like a kid at Christmastime, anticipating the day ahead.

Race Day
My brother, husband and I made it to the start area at Union Square well before the crack of dawn. I tried to find Leslie and Denise, but it turned out that Leslie's cell phone was out and it was just too hard to find Denise in the huge sea of runners. I moved up to around where the 10 to 11 minute milers were waiting towards the back of that corral, thinking I would be OK. My brother and husband took a few pictures of me waiting in the dark with other runners, but the pictures turned out fuzzy.



Once the start gun went off, it took well over 16 minutes to arrive at the start line, which activates the timing chip, and that's where I started my Wireless Run Tracker GPS on my cell phone (WRT). It was slow moving after the start because just about everyone in front of me was walking or sort of jogging. I also noticed that my WRT was not in sync with the mile markers on the route. My WRT would beep several hundred feet before I got to the mile marker. It took a while but I started to weave in and out of the walkers where I could, but in some areas it was just too hard to squeeze through so I had to be patient. It was like that for the first couple of miles, then I was able to ease into a about a 9:30ish minute mile pace, until mile 6, where it bottle-necked and people started walking up hill. I had no choice but, again, to be patient and wait for an opening to run up hill. That hill was about a mile up, and I was able to run up past people who were struggling with it. There were a few more hills to go, one that was a little more steep, but I felt confident that I did all that hill training in my neighborhood, so the San Francisco hills were challenging enough but not a huge struggle. We ran through some beautiful neighborhoods. I wished I had some sort of camera hat or helmet cam to take pictures without stopping because I would look around and be amazed with the views and some of the architecture. The view after mile 10 was spectacular. The weather was crystal clear and we could see the beach/ocean ahead. At that time I didn't realize that was where the finish line would be - at the beach. At mile 11 was the chocolate. The handed me about 6 Ghirardelli chocolate squares. I wasn't sure what to do with them so I shoved them in my already crowded hydration pack. Towards the end there was a tent/canopy that we ran through which played movies of people running, perhaps celebrities, reciting words of encouragement. I really didn't pay attention because I was trying to pick up speed there and it was a little dark in that longish tent/canopy thing. At mile 12 I tried to put on the speed but I was once again stuck behind people, and I had to slow down. I thought I may have PR'ed this run, based on my WRT time, but it did not match my chip time, and the course distance was a little off on my WRT, as it gave me 13.5 miles. This is the first race where my WRT was that off from the chip time and distance.

I broke even on my time. My official time of 2:19 is about what my personal record is, but my brother reminded me that this course had some serious hills, and the other course I PR'ed (at the San Jose Half Marathon 2006) did not have much in the way of inclines or hills, and I should consider this an improvement. One little thing, though, is that I didn't put an estimated finish time when I registered, so I was put in a starting corral with the walkers. Even though I was able to change corrals, it still wasn't far up enough with more of the runners. Don't get me wrong, it's great that there was a huge contingent of walkers, and I have great respect for all of them getting out there and participating -- I was just in the wrong corral for my average mile time. I've learned to take each race as it is and quit doing the "if only I did X different" thing. It is what it is. Live and learn for next time. I'm still feeling good about my finish time and I felt fantastic on race day. This race was good for my psyche.

Here's some of the great points about this event:
*Seeing Leslie again - Which felt like seeing a dear friend I've known all my life.
*Meeting Dori, Michelle, Elizabeth, Julie, Margaret and Denise, and a few others - sorry I don't remember their names!
*Perfect weather. It was crystal clear and mild.
*My brother and husband trying to run ahead of me so they could cheer for me. (I think they ran about 9 miles.)
*Running somewhere near Fisherman's Warf and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.
*After the last summit, after around the 10 mile mark, turning the bend on the hill and seeing the beach/ocean down below. It was breathtaking.
*The chocolate mile.
*The cute guys in black tuxes, with silver trays full of little blue Tiffany & Co. boxes with while satin bows, which had the finisher's necklace inside.
*The finish line area was at the beach.
*At the end of the day - Sleep.

I plan on participating in this race next year, arrive on Friday instead of Saturday, plan on staying in a hotel near the event, arrange to spend more time with my running friends, and take advantage of all of the services the Expo has to offer.


FIRE UPDATE
The media has been saying how much better this fire disaster has been handled in comparison to Hurricane Katrina. People displaced who are staying at Qualcom stadium are being well taken care of and constantly asked if they need anything. People are remaining calm and there is very little threat of looting in the affected neighborhoods. I did hear of only one incident of attempted looting, but the authorities were on it and have already apprehended the two accomplices. Several homes were lost, and unfortunately one life was lost, but everything is being handled well, and most people are cooperating. My home is currently not in any danger, but things can change so quickly, so we have certain items ready to go, just in case. My father lives close to one of the fires and he's ready to come to my house if the authorities tell him to leave. Everyone in my neighborhood is home, but have remained indoors. A few of my neighbors have friends or relatives who have been displaced staying with them until they're able to return back home. Hopefully, their homes are still standing. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone.

Peace

Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves

Activity: Run - Nike Women's Half Marathon, San Francisco, CA
Date: 10/21/07 07:09 AM
Distance: 13.52 miles
Time: 2:18:45
Speed: 5.8 mph
Pace: 10' 16 min/mile
Calories: 1288

Chip time/Official Time 2:19:53
(I broke even!)

I don't even know where to begin and end because this event was great! I'll just go the highlights and explain more about the run later.

Leslie and I managed to find each other at Union Square on Saturday, where the expo was held. Union Square was busy and noisy with people (mostly women) picking up their race numbers, timing chips, and enjoying the services the expo had to offer. It felt wonderful to see Leslie again.

I met Dori (She Do Run Run) for the first time, in person! Dori had arranged for a few of us (who mostly know each other through blogs) to meet up at Starbucks, just 2 blocks from the expo. At Starbucks, here's the running bloggers : from left to right - Me, Michelle, Dori, and Elizabeth. I did meet another wonderful lady there, Margaret, but she didn't want her picture taken, so she became the photographer.


I had to leave the group for a while and meet back with my husband,brother and sister-in-law for lunch, but met back with the group briefly so I could meet Julie (Juls - Keeping Pace) and her son in front of Macy's.

At Nike Town, they had a wall with all of the participant's names listed. I found me!

Look what I got for finishing! It was given to me by a really cute guy in a black tux, holding a silver tray with several little, blue Tiffany boxes on it. (I did try to take a picture of these guys with my cell phone, but I forgot to save it... DOH!)

I finally met up with Denise, who I know through Yahoo running groups! It was so busy at the start of the race that I didn't know exactly where she was, but thank goodness we hooked up after the run! Look at us modeling our finisher's necklaces!

These guys (and their friends) were hysterical. I don't know who they are but they were NOT shy about having their photos taken! If you double-click on the picture you can get a bigger view, then read their shirts! There was a large group who had different sayings on their shirts, all in support of their friends and significant others who ran in the event.

I'm near the finish line festivities at the beach! Life is good. I'll post the finer details tomorrow. I wished you were all there!

PEACE

PS
RE: California Fires
I live just north and south of some of the fires that are burning in San Diego right now. The college my kids attend has been closed and is being used as a meeting place for law enforcement, rescue teams, and fire fighters. We're OK, but praying for everyone!