In Blog Tours and Linkups June 28, 2015

Run Where I Live

Welcome to the Run Where I Live tour!

The San Francisco Bay Area is a runner’s paradise. The City itself is filled with so many places to run. Like big hills? I don’t. But if you pick any street with a cable car, such as Powell, you are guaranteed to run up a major hill. (If you’ve got some free time and want even bigger hills, drive over to Tiburon and run through the neighborhoods.) Prefer a flat course? Run The Embarcadero. You can start at the Ferry Building (a major landmark) and head East, running past and around AT&T Park, home of the Giants. I particularly like this stretch at night when there is a ballgame, or just to see the East Bay Bridge lit up at night. The Embarcadero is a popular spot, so you’re sure to run past other runners. Another popular spot to run is the trail through Chrissy Field and Fort Mason; it is connected to the path up and through The Presidio and up to the Golden Gate Bridge. You can opt for a flatter run through Chrissy Field, or take the hills through The Presidio and Fort Mason. You can park at or near Sports Basement, which hosts a number of running groups (check the calendar) and is an excellent source for running supplies from socks to fuel to shoes and everything in between.

Running is very popular in the Presidio, Chrissy Field, and oh yeah, we have a bridge. (Picture of the starting line for Run 10 Feed 10 2014)

The San Francisco Bay Trail is a project that aims to connect a loop all the way around the Bay. It’s not there yet, but it does provide 500 miles of gorgeous views from relatively flat trails. You can download maps, narratives, and more information than you ever wanted to know by visiting the official website. While you can buy maps at various locations, your smart phone should be more than sufficient to get you where you need to go—and if you plan to do an out-and-back, you don’t need more than directions to the starting point–or you can just check out the map of the whole trail. The parts that are NOT in San Francisco are pretty amazing.

Alameda: Bay Farm Island

Since I live in Alameda, I’m partial to the Alameda portion of the trail. The easiest place to find parking is probably near the Alameda ferry terminal; if you’re taking public transit to Alameda, the ferry is the only direct connection to San Francisco. (I don’t park there, so use your favorite mapping app to find it.) Since I work at the Harbor Bay Club, I tend to park near the dead end of Packet Landing Road and walk the few feet from the dead end to the trail; if I go for a run after I teach 6 a.m. Monday yoga, I share the trail with some cyclists, a few other runners, some walkers, and locals walking their dogs. (To get to Packing Landing Road from 880, exit High Street towards Alameda—that’s right if you are going South, and left if you are head North. After you cross the bridge into Alameda, BEWARE! The speed limit is 25!! Continue on High Street until Otis Drive, then turn left onto Otis Drive. Follow Otis as it curves around to the right, and cross the bridge to Bay Farm Island. Take the very first right available after you cross the bridge, to Island Drive. Turn right at the first light, onto Robert Davey Jr. and then turn right again (there’s a light) onto Packet Landing Road.)

Packet Landing is a dead end street. I park in the road, walk to the end of Packet Landing until I hit the trail, then I head to the left, which gives me a view of both San Francisco and Oakland as the sun rises behind me. You’ll run past little parklets and inlets, through to the ferry landing and parking lot. If you run this in the morning you should pack sunglasses—the sun will be in your face as you run back to Packet Landing Road.

View of the city (and Karl The Fog) from the Bay Trail, Bay Farm Island, Alameda

You can also opt to run right from the end of Packet Landing, as the Bay Trail stretches in both directions. As you come to the bridge from Bay Farm Island (where Packet Landing Road is) to Alameda’s original island, you can choose to either run over the bridge (there’s a separate pedestrian/bike bridge) or continue around Bay Farm Island. I like to run around Bay Farm, as the trail starts to get a little tiny bit hillier, through protected parkland filled with chirpy birds, and eventually to the model airplane field. If you choose to take the bridge, bear left after you cross (crossing the street with care and WITH the light) to stay on the Bay Trail.

Alameda

Another option is to start on Shoreline Drive, on the main island of Alameda. This is where I live, so I tend to start here and then choose to either run to Bay Farm and back, or to run into the sunset until the sun is gone and then turn around and go home. You can run through Crown Memorial Regional Shoreline, and along the edge of the commercial South Shore Center. There is a ton of (free) on-street parking in this area as well. I live about a mile away, and I love to do evening runs on this path so I can watch the sun set over San Francisco.

Alameda has a long history as a Victorian-era vacation spot. While the spas and amusement parks are gone, and trolleys no longer bring in city vacationers, much of the architecture remains. You can take a run to follow this walking tour from the SF Chronicle, or you can pick up the local American Volkssport Association club’s map and directions for a 10k featuring Victorian Alameda at Cafe au Lait (3215 Encinal Avenue).

Oakland

Oakland lives in San Francisco’s shadow. If you’re from outside of California, you probably only hear about Oakland in a negative context. Oakland is, however, a really cool town. It boasts two huge half marathon events–Run The Town and The Oakland Running Festival–and has one of the best simple and flat runs: Lake Merritt.

Fall colors in the park surrounding the Lake Merritt loop

Get to Lake Merritt from San Francisco via BART, exiting Lake Merritt station or 19th Street Oakland station (both are a similar walk from the path around the lake). One loop around Lake Merritt is 5k. This is now a popular spot for runners in the evenings, now that there are strings of lights all the way around the lake. If you’re looking for a timed loop or two, come out to the Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders’ Fourth Sunday Run. Bibs and timed results for just five bucks.

Emeryville

Recently I found a gorgeous section of the Bay Trail in Emeryville (where I used to live). Emeryville makes a nice start for a run because there are so many options for post-run refreshment, including my favorite, Rotten City Pizza. (Did you know that Earl Warren, future Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, once called little ol’ Emeryville “the rottenest city”? True story!) But run first, pizza later. To get to a gorgeous section of the Bay Trail, you can drive to Powell Street and towards the marina area (use Trader Vic’s for an address, but park along Powell Street after you cross under the freeway). You can choose to run towards San Francisco or Berkeley marina–both provide flat, paved trails and gorgeous views of the Bay.

If you are looking for a group run (or workout) in Emeryville, check the calendar for Athleta in the Bay Street shopping complex. They often host a Saturday morning group run. If you start from Athleta, you can park in the Bay Street parking garages, and run from there, towards IKEA, and on to the new span of the East Bay bridge. This route is largely unshaded and has no water sources, so please take water if you run in the summer.

Group Runs

Prefer to run as part of a group? Check out the following options:

A Runner’s Mind is a fantastic local running store, owned and operated by people who love running more than I love pizza. (Which is to say: A LOT LOT LOT.) Locations in Burlingame (near South San Francisco and SFO) and San Francisco (on California Street). They have group runs (and do hill repeats, if you’re into that sort of thing). A Runner’s Mind also hosts other run events, call them to find out what’s going on this week–there’s probably at least one thing not listed on the website.
Marathon Matt’s Run Club has evening runs and track workouts during the week, with long runs on the weekends. While these are part of a paid seasonal series–a bargain, at 50 workouts/runs for $150–I bet you could join in for just a few bucks, and meet the funnest bunch of runners in San Francisco. Contact him at marathonmatt2 @ hotmail (.com)
Road Runner Sports Berkeley hosts the Thursday night monthly Adventure Run series. It is also the starting point for the local Team Red White and Blue runs. Call the store, as the Team RWB events are not listed in the online calendar. (Road Runner is also a good home-base location for a run around Berkeley. Ask the friendly staff for recommendations. After your run, treat yourself to coffee from Philz or a Farm Burger, both of which are just around the block.)
Dolphin South End Runners is a club that sponsors Thursday evening races all over the city during the summer. Check the instructions; Thursday races are cash-only so please bring exact change.
See Jane Run has stores in both San Francisco and Oakland. Check their calendar for weekly runs and workouts, then check out their gear.
Nike Run Club (and Nike Training Club) launch from both of the San Francisco stores. If you’re staying near Union Square, go eat some hills with this crew.

The Run Where I Live Tour

Next tour stop, Australia! Your run-tour guide will be Erin Runs Around. You can find a list of all of the tour stops at Live Run Grow.

In Events May 25, 2015

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco–threepeat!

2015 is my third year with the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco half marathon. The race organizers got some things right from the first year, including runner transportation from the finish line to the start and copious amounts of pre-paid parking nearby. Some things took just a little bit of a learning curve (such as teaching newer runners what a “bus box” is so they stopped freaking out and claiming they were “diverted” or “cut short”).

This year I made the very silly decision to run the second Livermore Half Marathon on Saturday and the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco on Sunday. I’m not sure I noticed the dates when I signed up for the events more than six months in advance. Yes, wine was involved–I’ll write more about Livermore later. Livermore and the after-party demanded a post-event shower, which demanded a post-shower nap. Suddenly it was time to leave for the expo if I wanted to get there before it closed. Yikes!

A quick trip to San Francisco later, I grabbed my bib and shirt. Per usual, no line. Next a walk through the Brooks shop with Rock ‘n’ Roll themed merchandise, Moving Comfort bras, and the very best shoe porn.

So very many cute things I managed not to buy!

I’m quite proud of escaping without a new running wardrobe, since I love the blues and greens in this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll collection. The expo had a few things that were new to me, and some of the usual vendors. To my delight (and my wallet’s demise), there were also some surprises.

Is that a Clinique Bonus in your booth, or are you just happy to see me, Macy's? — Is that a Clinique Bonus in your booth, or are you just happy to see me, Macy’s?

True confession, I am a sucker for the Clinique bonus. Since I needed a new eye crayon and a less harsh lipstick for everyday wear, this was pretty much perfection. The best part is that it was right next to the booth I was actually looking for: Go Tape.

Go Tape comes in smaller rolls with pre-cut strips, and larger uncut rolls.

A friend turned me on to Go Tape. I’d tried kinesio tape a few times before, but somehow it just peeled right off around the edges so by the time the race rolled around it was less like tape and more like decorative flaps. Go Tape is sticky and stays put, so I was really happy to see them taping at their booth.

I had my shoulders taped by one of the pros taping that day. My tape-r was also an athlete. Turns out her “day job” is working as a doctor in the pediatric ER! I found out she had a sports injury while in school and was really frustrated that the kinesio tape available to her wasn’t sticky and would peel off before she was done with it. That’s why she loves to spread the Go Tape love. Clearly other runners have caught on, as people were still trying to get in line to get Go Tape-d even as the dudes in uniforms were trying to kick us all out of the expo. I grabbed a quick bite and a drink with another one of this year’s Rock ‘n’ Blog team, but naturally totally neglected to photograph it. Drat.

Thanks to pre-paid, guaranteed parking and a seamless shuttle system, I arrived at the starting line plenty early. (Earlier than I like to get up, in fact.)

O'dark Thirty in San Francisco — O’dark Thirty in San Francisco

The course starts right out at the beach, along the highway (which–fortunately for us–was not covered in sand as we started). That means less-than-gentle ocean breezes blowing through our bones as we waited and huddled for warmth.

It was a chilly morning, with many people opting to keep their “toss” layers instead of tossing them. It wasn’t long before we had all crossed the start and were working our way through the neighborhoods.

Did I mention the neighborhoods have hills?

No bands in the residential areas, as no sane people are up at this hour (just runners). Everyone was looking forward to those gorgeous views of the Golden Gate, and we had scored some sweet, clear skies. We got a teaser look through the residential areas, before we hit…

Kind of a warning sign... — Kind of a warning sign…

A Hill. Not just any hill, but the great big one leading up to the smaller one that is the lead-up to the Golden Gate Bridge. Fortunately for the runners, this section of the course was OWNED by the San Francisco November Project. (If you don’t know who they are, you should.)

There were costumes, noise makers, signs, and plenty of hands to high-five, plus the bridge teasing us in the background.

It's left-side-cheer-tunnel by the November Project! — It’s left-side-cheer-tunnel by the November Project!

These are people who voluntarily get up at obscene hours for group workouts, so they understand the special kind of crazy that is running races. Mad props, guys! You made my race.

Not to be outdone, right-sided cheer tunnel decked out in bright duds — Not to be outdone, right-side-cheer-tunnel decked out in bright duds

Just past the November Project there was a designated selfie-station, complete with props and a faux Instagram frame.

Since I live close enough to go running in the Presidio pretty much any time I want to, it is easy for me to forget that this is DESTINATION race; even people who don’t stop for pictures stop for pictures.

Selfie-station even had a hastag — Selfie-station even had a hashtag

The course went up to the Golden Gate Bridge, and over it and back again. My phone’s battery was starting to run low, as was my energy (because running back-to-back half marathons with hills was not my best idea). I feared dropping the phone off of the bridge! Since you had to run out-and-back across the bridge, I had the opportunity to wave and yell HI! to my fleet-footed friends.

The view from "the other side" — The view from “the other side”

The course wound down the bridge exit and across Marina Green. Even with the Bay breeze’s chill in the air, there were at least a half dozen other things going on: big cycling event, smaller charity run, farmer’s market, and an assortment of random runners, cyclists, frisbee players, and very happy puppy dogs. Past the parks and back into the urban heart of San Francisco, around mile 9 I decided that coffee was definitely in order. (Hey, it worked for me in Dallas!) It wasn’t until mile 12 I found my opportunity to buy a hot mocha from a local establishment. I even got the extra whipped cream.

photo 5 (3) — I wasn’t “Quik” and neither is my mocha, but this somehow seemed appropriate…

Since I was seriously lagging, I missed all but the end of the concert (which is fine, as I was post-run-dazed and trying to absorb caffeine). The finish line had the usual assortment of salty things, bananas, chocolate milk, water, Gatorade, and the Michelob Light beer tent (which I skipped since I don’t do beer). There were also some fun additions, including a Sambazon mobile cafe! After thankfully accepting some bottled samples, I checked out the available açai bowls.

Acai you need some refreshment... — Açai you need some refreshment…

This was the first year I knew plenty of other people running, but didn’t traverse any significant portion of the course with someone I knew. Overall I think the Rock ‘n’ Roll crew did a great job with this race, and the gorgeous weather didn’t hurt. Now if I could just convince them to coordinate with the Livermore Half Marathon so I don’t end up with back-to-backs in 2016…

P.S. If you want to read more from the Rock ‘n’ Blog team, here are some options:

Pavement Runner on the course preview

Andrew Rich’s photo essay (much better pics than mine!)

Half Crazy Mama’s event recap

Do Things Always race recap with VIP (and much better pictures than mine)

In Events January 3, 2015

The New Years Double

This is an EPIC tale, EPIC failure, and EPIC accomplishment. I doubt it will sound as incredible as it felt, but here is my story…

I’m a member of the Half Fanatics club. It is related to the Marathon Maniacs, and is sometimes seen as the younger sibling, while others view it as a completely different kind of animal (since the half marathon and marathon are totally different races). Membership requires completing a specific number of races in a certain period of time, and there are different levels/ranks you can move up as you complete more races.

In 2002 after I finished the Portland Marathon, I said I would never do another marathon. “Never say never” came to bite me in the butt as the 2014 Dopey Challenge included my fourth marathon. Anyway, while I said I would “never” qualify for the Maniacs I realized that the earliest level “only” required two marathons within a 16 day time frame. Since I had already decided to run the Dopey Challenge again, all I needed was to find one marathon within two weeks of the Disney Marathon that had a generous time limit and I could qualify. It would be a one-and-done, I thought. So I reached out to the running community for suggestions.

Eventually I settled on The New Years Double in Allen, TX. This is the end of a race series, and offers a 5k, half marathon, and marathon on 12/31 and on 1/1. You have the option to run on a single day, or to run both days. If you do a race on each day, that’s a double. There is also the option for the “Double Double,” which is a 5k each day followed by either a half or a marathon each day. All of the past participants who nominated this race had good things to say about the race and the director/organization. Since I was going to spend the cash to get all the way to Texas, why not do two marathons? I registered as soon as I had decided, because these races sell out early every year.

Preview: I have nothing bad to say about this race.

Pre-race communication was excellent. Questions posted to the race’s facebook page were answered promptly, and the race director was very polite to those asking very stupid questions (and yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question). The race director was even very polite to the whining runners who decided to drop out of the races because they didn’t like the medal designs. (No, I’m not kidding.) Other participants chimed in to answer many questions too (many of them should have ended with either “…just like it says on the website” or “…as stated in the email dated…”). Instead of one massive pre-race email, information was doled out in three shorter messages during the weeks prior to the event. All deadlines, including refunds and drops, were clearly stated.

Pre-race planning was also great. There were special prices at multiple hotels near the start. Medal and shirt designs were revealed. There was plenty of parking and even a printable .pdf map for the parking lots, plus a specific address for GPS direction purposes (the races start in a park, and putting in the park name doesn’t necessarily lead you to the parking). Locals had multiple opportunities to pick up their packets before race day (and to drop off old shoes for Soles4Souls), and there was also a Friday packet pick up opportunity; packet pick up was also available before each race, and after the race starts on 12/31.

Leading up to race day, I thought I was pretty well prepared. While I didn’t put in as many miles as suggested by the recommended training plans (available on the event website), I had spent plenty of time cross-training the back line of my body–after many races I finally figured out I needed to add strength to my glutes and hamstrings (I’m a quad-dominant runner). Despite the fact that I lived in Texas for years and should know better, I had this silly idea that Texas would be hot. Not so much. I’m thankful one of the pre-race emails had the predicted temperatures (30s and rain) and reminded us to check the weather to pack accordingly. I loaded my suitcase up with my Sugoi fleece-lined tights (for Eve) and my CW-X compression tights (for Day). I packed two beanies, extra socks and shoes, and layers for both days. I packed snacks, an extra space blanket, recover compression to sleep in between races. The flight in was uneventful, I enjoyed a lovely dinner out with my Aunt Elaine and my cousin and his girlfriend, and my roommate and I completely hit it off. I slept terribly, but that’s the night before a race for me.

On race day I got up early and layered up, grabbed a mocha and a croissant from the hotel, and went to pick up my Eve bib and shirt. I planned to arrive extra early in case there was a line for bibs, and to put my drop bag in the tent. (The course is in loops, and there is a drop bag area where you can leave supplies.) Then I looked around a bit and headed back to my car because I was freezing my butt off.

"It is 33 degrees outside. What have I done?!?!?" — “It is 33 degrees outside. What have I done?!?!?”

The New Year’s Eve Marathon. I carried my giant orange flower, since part of the point of doing two marathons back to back was to see what my legs would feel like; this is in preparation for the MS Run the US, during which I’m running 160 miles over six days. (Click HERE to donate your latte money.) The course is four loops for a marathon and two for a half, with a large part of the loop forming an “out and back” such that you pass by other runners on your way in and out. The first two loops were pretty awesome. There were a ton of Maniacs and Fantics in the house, and loads of people waved and shouted about the flower. For the second loop I walked most of it with a sweet guy who had just planned to relocate to Austin who was finishing the half and ran him through the chute. I spent some time talking to another great guy living in Hawai’i who was working on the 50 Marathons in 50 States. I had planned to take it easy–no need to burn out on the first day, right?The third loop had significantly fewer people, which made it more challenging. By the fourth loop I was pretty much the only runner left. I finished in 7:06.

Along the way I had a variety of thoughts. I’m awesome. I can feel the strength from the cross-training. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that Pilates class on Monday. I’m really doing another one of these tomorrow? Runners are the nicest people. I’m freezing. I’m an idiot, what was I thinking? This isn’t so bad. If Mom can deal with chemo, I can be cold for a little bit. I’m a sad, sad sack.

"Quick! Somebody call Bon Jovi! #halfwaythere #runnerd #runthisyear" — “Quick! Somebody call Bon Jovi! #halfwaythere #runnerd #runthisyear”

And then I finished. Almost last, but DONE! I picked up my finisher’s medal, a heat sheet, and my drop bag before limping towards my car (halfway, the guy driving the golf cart picked me up to finish the trudge, which was super nice). There was one woman behind me. Turns out running in the cold makes me much slower than I thought, though I was trying to take it easy, and came in at 7:06. My Bia told me SIUBC and it took me awhile to figure out what that meant.

A quick stop at Walgreens for a rain poncho (and a scarf, and warmer gloves, and some disposable hand warmers) then I drove to the hotel where my roommate wisely steered me directly to the hot tub. Funny thing, when I first got in I felt VERY cold and the hot tub felt VERY hot. In about 15 minutes, I felt like both of us were about the same just-below-room-temperature. Hm. A quick shower, a wiggle into my compression tights, and I was off to dinner with my roommate from Georgia and the nice guy who had just made plans to move to Austin. He chose the venue, a delicious place called Napoli’s Pizza (1512 East Exchange Parkway, Allen, TX 75002 in case you’re planning for next year). Great place–locally owned, delicious everything especially the garlic knots, and friendly customer service. From dinner we basically headed straight to bed–at the geriatric hour of 9:00 p.m. It must have been New Year’s Day somewhere.

"I totally earned this carb-fest!" — “I totally earned this carb-fest!”

The New Year’s Day Marathon. I double-checked my phone and the weather app at least 10 times due to the forecast–20s and freezing rain. My roommate looked out and said the sidewalks looked dry. Liar. As I went to take my luggage out to the car, I was pelted with rain and stopped to add a layer and put on the poncho. I picked a larger mocha and a muffin and drove over to pick up my bib and shirt (which came with a plastic bag, multiple faux tattoos, and a box of Advil cold and sinus for which I am very thankful!). I set my drop bag down and huddled under the drop bag tent with a much, much smaller number of starters than the Eve race.

Along the way I realized that running in the cold is miserable. This is why when I wake up for a race and look out the window and see rain, I STAY HOME. I dislike being soggy, and I really dislike being COLD and soggy. It was in the 20s to low 30s, and during the first loop there was ice on the tree branches. The pants I had on top of my compression tights got wet and sloshed in a swingy way as I was running. It was fun to have people cheer for the orange flower–and I remembered to bring my runner cards to hand out–but it got soaked and heavy, and the water made the fake fuzzy stuff come off of the stem and it started to chafe, so I dropped it after the first loop. After the first loop I also dropped the Hokas I was wearing–and good thing I could not feel my feet, as they gave me the craziest ugly blisters on the last joint of my big toes–put on dry socks, and changed into Brooks Adrenaline. During the second loop I realized that not only could I not feel my feet, I couldn’t feel my thighs either; I was having difficulty steering when I was walking, much less running. The hand warmers started to kick in around the start of the third loop, but there were fewer and fewer runners, and I couldn’t see most of them anyway because of the rain covering both sides of my glasses despite the visor partially shading them. I spent a good portion of the first two loops thinking just a few thoughts: This is miserable and I am so cold I can’t stand it; If I feel this bad on the second day of running, how on earth am I going to do six days, oh man I hope Nebraska is warm in June; I can quit after I finish this loop; I can’t believe I came all this way for an expensive DNF. It is really cold and I did this why??

I also repeatedly talked to myself, out loud and everything: I CAN do this. I WILL do this. I AM DOING this. I am strong. I am brave. I am unstoppable.

During the “out” portion of the out and back segment of the third loop I was fortunate enough to meet a runner named Dexter, who has got to be one of the finest human beings on the planet. At first we were both walking and we chatted a little bit, but then when he said he also still had one loop left, I remember how hard it was to do that cold fourth loop alone and decided to tag along. Dexter is a runner from Loma Linda, a Marathon Maniac (#5473), and had helped Mike (another runner) finish the Eve race. Dexter has many, many more marathons under his belt and I am certain he could easily have looped me and finished a LOT faster but he chose to stay with me and help me on the course. I’m so thankful, so lucky, and so blessed to have met Dexter. Seriously, if you know of any award for best exemplar of a runner who is also a kind and generous human being, please let me know so I can nominate Dexter. We had a great conversation, which effectively distracted me from the cold and the pain. When we hit the end of the third loop the announcer told us we had missed the cut-off to start the final loop (the same thing I’d heard the day before), and then the race director stopped us to make sure we knew they were going to shut down the aid stations at a specific time and we might miss them, Dexter said, “They don’t scare me,” and he promised me we could finish.

This is Dexter. If you see him, say hi and tell him he's a rock star and a hero! — This is Dexter. If you see him, say hi and tell him he’s a rock star and a hero!

The fourth loop was hard. Harder than hard. My hardest race or run. I stopped to use the bathroom and told Dexter to go ahead, I’d catch up. (Note: pulling compression tights on is even harder when they are wet.) I ran, walked, ran, walked, and ran some more, and could see Dexter’s bright orange hat bobbing in front of me. At the final aid station–the one right at the turnaround point–Dexter was waiting for me. “I was worried about you!” he said. Again, he could have kept on going and finished much earlier, but he didn’t. The Allen Lady Eagles Lacrosse Booster Club staffed that station, and had left us a pizza and several cups of electrolytes and water. (One of the moms there turned out to be from Livonia, MI which is where I lived until I was six.) Dexter carefully pushed me to keep going. On the way back I had to take several dead-stop breaks, mainly because I was having serious trouble breathing. I was beyond snotty, all of my accessory breathing muscles were sore, and my throat felt about three sizes smaller than usual. Dexter kept on pushing me.

As we crossed the finish line–pretty much desolate–Dexter borrowed the Mile 26 sign from the UT Dallas Alpha Phi Omega crew who were tearing down the course. I posed for some pictures with Dexter while trying my best not to burst into tears (which I did as I limped over to my car). I drove over to Dexter so we could trade contact information. I expected just a business card, but Dexter also handed me some chocolate covered macadamia nuts from his native Hawai’i and a medal from Loma Linda. Seriously, nicest human being ever. (For my friends who are wondering: he’s older and happily married. You are not off the hook.)

It took quite a bit of time for my car to warm up, which is okay because I had to cry a little more and wipe off my glasses. I wrapped a space blanket around my legs and took off my wet mittens. The drive to my aunt and uncle’s place in Coppell took longer than I’d anticipated, but that was quite likely the most amazing hot shower I’ve ever had. Followed by catching up with my Uncle John and then a delicious pasta dinner made by my Aunt Elaine (such a creative cook–corn bisque and toppings, pasta with vegetable ribbons in a lemon caper creamy artichoke sauce, and homemade cupcakes with homemade gingerbread icing and homemade Andes mint icing). I phoned home to say hi to Dad, and crashed early.

To give you an idea of how much harder and colder Day was, race organizers reported 1404 timed finishes on Eve, and only 1073 on Day. Many, many thanks to the race organizers and the volunteers: Boy/Cub Scout Pack 811; Team in Training with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; Allen Lady Eagles Lacrosse Booster Club; The Collective for Orphan Care and Education (providing resources for those in need in Kenya); and UT Dallas Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity.

This was probably my only year for this race (as there are multiple other New Year race I want to hit), but it was great. If you are looking for a challenge or back-to-backs, I highly recommend the New Years Double in Allen, TX.

In Events August 28, 2013

Santa Rosa: Every Run Is A Good Run

My running goal was never “to win this race.” I am fond of telling people that I look at racing this way: I’ve seen the Olympics, and at the end they give the people who win a big medal; every time I cross a finish line someone hands me a medal, so I must win A LOT of races!

A classic first-child/Type A/perfectionist/otherwise-driven personality, sticking with something that I’m not particularly “good” at (and frankly that I don’t know I like) is challenging for me. One of the ways that I have kept myself from getting crazy insane and overly serious about running is the Sparkle Skirt. It is pretty much just like it sounds–a skirt with sparkles on it. Totally ridiculous, as you can see:

On the left you can see me in the Sparkle Skirt (a commando model, since I like to wear compression shorts/tights) posing with my running buddy Kat and everyone’s favorite beagle after the Santa Rosa half marathon this past Sunday. (Santa Rosa, for those who don’t know, is the home of Charles Schultz. There is even a small Snoopy-shaped labyrinth.)

The Santa Rosa half marathon (and marathon and 5k) is in its fifth year, and it has hit a sweet spot that many older races can only dream of achieving. As you can see from the photos (credit to Kat, by the way, as they are hers), the race comes with a sweet spinner medal on a fat custom ribbon, and instead of yet another race shirt all runners receive a track jacket. (The jacket came in a men’s and women’s version–blue and pink respectively–and features reflective stripes and venting mesh. They run true to size, even in the women’s sizes.) Santa Rosa is also the only race I have personally attended where packet pickup takes place at a winery–with wine tasting. What’s not to love??

But wait, it gets better.

(You might want to sign up for 2014 now: http://www.thesantarosamarathon.com/ It will sell out again next year.)

Have you run the Santa Rosa Marathon? Consider giving it a go!

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There were so many porta-potties at the start/finish that I never had to wait in any line. (I never had to wait at all–I just walked along the line until I found a green/unoccupied indicator.) If you’ve ever been to a race and had to wait in line, only to find the one open potty has no paper or is already full enough to reek (or like me, you’ve waited in line so long you miss the starting gun) you know how important the porta-potty factor is. Nearby were two stands dispensing hand sanitizing foam. Best porta-potties ever. I wish I’d taken a picture, as it was unbelievable. This fact alone makes me bow in gratitude towards the organizers.

The start/finish was a combined area. As a starting area, there was plenty of room to mill about and warm up (note the total absence of lines for the porta-potties). Bag check had no line and was well-organized. Only a minimal amount of the street was closed off by barricade fences, making it easy to get around.

The course for the half marathon shared much of the course for the full marathon, and had some areas where traffic went in both directions (as part was out-and-back). Initially I was worried about (1) crowding, since I’m not the most coordinated of people and if there was a way to accidentally knock down the next Mary Decker my body would find a way to do it, and (2) figuring out which way to go, as Mom was directionally challenged (she literally got lost with a map and compass, after which the Girl Scouts wouldn’t let her lead hikes any more) and just leave it to me to run the course backwards or something. Neither of those was a problem, even with the marathon field looking about twice as big as the half field. The transition points were well-marked and staffed by volunteers, often with accompanying water/gatorade/snack stations.

The course was also pretty. Most of it was in a local/regional park with murals along the walls and/or greenery. The one thing I love about running, without qualification, is spending time outside. Blessed with gorgeous weather, the Santa Rosa half course was at its finest. I loved running alongside several vineyards, and seeing birds eating their breakfasts along the way.

Back to the start/finish, the finish chute was wide and the photographers were placed in such a way that even I couldn’t trip over them. Stepping off the course with my shiny new medal, I was greeted by volunteers staffing a fruit table stocked with cut watermelon (BRILLIANT!), oranges, apples, and bananas. Bottled water was plentiful. Stepping out of the immediate finish chute area, the park provided plenty of room for runners and their friends and families to enjoy the day. In addition to booths from the race sponsors, the finish line also had an inflatable “bounce house” for the kids, food trucks (including my favorite organic ice cream, Three Twins), a beer garden with pulled pork sliders for sale, live music, and a free pancake breakfast for the runners. My huge pancake, complete with butter and syrup, was just what I needed. After relaxing a bit and having some snacks, I walked the 2 blocks back to my car. Did I mention the organizers are smart enough to put the start/finish right next to several humongous mall parking structures? Booyah!

I will admit that initially my finish time–3:14–kinda bummed me out. Between January and July, I’d managed to whittle my time down below 3:00, but Sunday I was just beat. Was it the oncoming heat? A small touch of humidity? Oh wait! It was probably that on Thursday I donated double red cells at the Red Cross blood drive! (Somewhat ironically, the charity beneficiary of the Santa Rosa race was the Blood Centers of the Pacific.)

See you next year, Santa Rosa!

In Events August 22, 2013

Esprit de She: 5k Palo Alto 2013

Honestly, I had very low expectations for this event for a number of reasons: (1) Lifetime Fitness, one of the main sponsors, promoted and sponsored a “Commitment Day 5k” on New Year’s Day 2013 and not only was the San Francisco event cancelled, I was never notified of the cancellation and spent part of New Year’s Eve scrambling around the internet trying to figure out where I was supposed to show up. Also, still waiting for a refund. (2) The event was moved from its original location (Emeryvile, near me!) to Palo Alto, on a weeknight. Seriously guys, who plans a run for a weekday evening at the end of one of the major traffic corridors in the country?? (3) Originally the event had a 10k and a 5k, but the 10k was cancelled just a few weeks’ out.

That said, I had a fantastic time!

Pre-event: The customer service team was quite accommodating and offered to allow me to either cancel my registration with a full refund or switch to the 5k with a partial refund (the initial cost for the 10k was a little bit more than the 5k). Mad props to Stephanie Weber, the recipient of my initial email which included complaints about the cancellation of the Commitment Day run. One day I was pleasantly surprised by an email informing me I’d won a full box of Luna bars; as promised, a full box of 15 Peanut Honey Pretzel flavored Luna bars arrived at my door via UPS. Communication regarding logistics was adequate without being overwhelming.

Arrival: Parking locations were signed/easy to locate. Lots were close to the start! Check-in had a wait of a mere five minutes, with no waiting at bag check.

The course: A 5k out-and-back in a regional park (Baylands Nature Preserve) that will soon be closed to all events for several years, it had both negative and positive aspects. I was annoyed by the narrow passage in a few spots, and decidedly uncomfortable on the unpaved sections, where I was literally eating runners’ dust (and crying it out from under my contact lenses). On the bright side, it was a gorgeous day to be outside, the park setting was lovely, and the water station and cheerleaders did a great job. The two-wave start was a great idea. I loved seeing the girls from Girls on the Run smiling on the course (as they passed me in one direction or the other).

The swag and after-party: Decidedly great! Instead of a race shirt, Esprit de She came with a cute tank top and reusable yellow cross-body bag (think Chico Bag, but with a cross-body design and an internal pocket). The bag had sponsor samples, of course, and more were available at the finish line. After I had a mimosa and a glass of wine, I enjoyed a vegetarian sandwich (I’m a vegetarian–meat-eater sandwiches were also available) and other snacks accompanied by live music. I spent some time chatting at the Vega booth (more on that in a later post). I skipped the mini massages, manicures, and makeovers, in part because it was getting chilly as the sun went down and in part because I had an hour’s drive ahead of me. One thing I didn’t skip: entering the “text to win” by sponsor Athleta–I won a $50 gift card!

Conclusion: I’d definitely do this event again. For one, Girls on the Run (http://www.girlsontherun.org) is a worthy recipient of funds raised by this event. Second, there were a decent number of women who were running their very first 5k. The event accommodated both the faster runners (definitely not me!) and the super slow-pokes (that’s me). Finally, I had a great time even though only one of my running buddies was there. I’m looking forward to 2014.

For more information on the Esprit de She series of runs, rides, duathlons, and triathlons, visit http://www.espritdeshe.com

In Charity July 23, 2013

Run 10 Feed 10

Disclosure: Back in 2o12, I was selected to be one of the original Women’s Health Magazine “Action Hero” team members. The main purpose of an Action Hero was to promote the Run 10 Feed 10 event, benefiting FEED. The event has changed over the years and sprouted in new cities. There’s even an app! I retired from the Action Hero program after three years, but still think this is a great event. To see if there is one near you, check out the official Run 10 Feed 10 site.

Are you Hungry?

According to the World Food Program, a division of the United Nations, hunger is the world’s most solvable problem. The problem isn’t a lack of food–we have plenty on the planet. It’s about connecting that food to the hungry people that need it. Media showcase the obvious problems daily: hungry people living in war zones where the roads used to deliver food are no longer safe, or where armed conflict has forced people out of their homes and farmers away from their fields, or in areas struck by disasters from hurricanes to annual floods to earthquakes. Since most of us see that news via wifi or high speed internet from the comfort of secure homes with heat and running water, it is easy to forget that there are hungry people right here in the United States. Hunger may not be as widespread or severe as it is in other places (the World Food Program doesn’t even operations in the United States) but it still exists.

Pizza: a treat for me, a luxury for many.

Hunger isn’t seasonal.

You might think of hunger around the holidays–when there are always plentiful food drives and various churches, synagogues, temples, and other organizations sponsor holiday meals for needy families–but a child is just as likely to be hungry when school lets out for the summer and they don’t have access to the federal school lunch program. According to the FEED Foundation, a big proponent of school meals and the charity beneficiary of Run 10 Feed 10, the number of hungry has increased more than 30% since 2007. Hungry children suffer even more than hungry adults, as an empty belly makes it hard to stay focused and learn in school. Hungry kids don’t get the nutrients they need to grow, and often suffer health problems into adulthood.

Here is your call to action: sign up now to Run 10 Feed 10 (http://www.run10feed10.com).

As you run your 10k, you’ll know you’ve fed at least ten hungry children. If you choose to fundraise, you can feed even more! The fundraising commitment–if you choose to go that route–is only $100. That’s really low and easily achievable; just ask ten of your friends to kick in $10, or ask 20 friends to donate one day of latte/smoothie money ($5), and you’re there. The events are fun, filled with women and men out to share a run and a cause. Each participant is guaranteed a friendly run and a post-race gathering, complete with your very own FEED Foundation bag.

If you’re like me, you can go grab this from your fridge. Many Americans can’t, and many don’t have a home with a fridge.

The information in this paragraph is outdated. Check out the main site, link above! Until September 1, you can use the code WHBAIN to save on your registration fee (and still feed ten meals!). The complete listing of events is at http://www.run10feed10.com While I’m based in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ll be running in Los Angeles on September 29. Other members of The Women’s Health Action Hero team will be at every scheduled event, and are creating events in other cities. Check out http://www.run10feed10atlanta.com if you are in Georgia! If you can’t make any of the events, simply run your own: you choose the when and where, and Run 10 Feed 10 will send your FEED bag directly to you.

Who’s in??

One of the original Action Heroes invites you to Run 10 Feed 10.

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If you don’t want to Run 10, you can still help Feed 10! Check out the event’s Crowdrise page, and donate to the fundraiser of your choice.