Yesterday was my last run with Team Oz, not counting the San Antonio race (RNRSA), of course! It was all the way in Livermore and, since it was the 20-miler for the full RNRSA marathoners, there were staggered starts. I knew I couldn't stay till the end of the run, so if I wanted to see everyone, it meant I had to be there at 7:30am!
I should've learned by now that the 7:30am group wouldn't leave on time. Boy, was that an exaggeration! I think we all left more or less together around 8:10am or so. But it was fun because we got to spend quality pre-run time together.
In fact, the team got me a little going away present. (Actually, it's sorta big and it's pretty heavy!) When I first arrived and got out of the car, I walked right by the open rear hatch of Lindsay's car and she yelled, "DON'T look in my car!" Fine! I wasn't anyway. Big weirdo. :-) As we stood around waiting for everyone to get there, I moved around a bit, and Lindsay kept yelling, "DON'T turn around!" All right, already!
The surprise was a huge basket full of goodies from Trader Joe's for our road trip out to Colorado. How cool is that?! It's perfect! Especially since there is no Trader Joe's in Colorado, which Lindsay had heard me lamenting on more than one occasion. (Expansion into the state isn't even in the store's 5-year plan; how will I live?!)
Also in honor of my last run with the team, Lindsay decided to run with me. When she announced this, the coaches almost fell over! She usually never trains with the team, so no one ever sees her run! Of course, she does run quite often, and she seems to always participating in races with her mom. Heck, she's done like 20 million bazillion races, including half- and full marathons! But the coaches couldn't let her escape with out a healthy dose of razzing.
The plan was for Lindsay and I to run out and back a few miles together, then I'd run a few more. (She only wanted to go four miles and I needed to get in eight.) Well, Gary goes, "Why don't you run with me -- I've got a shortcut!" Oh dear. I've heard this before! But, the more the merrier, so Gary, Lindsay, Coach Haakon and I headed out in the reverse direction on the course.
Haakon had marked the course in the wee hours of the morning, and at select intersections, he stopped to chalk additional arrows on the ground. Gary's plan was to do the 10-mile loop so we didn't have to go out and back, but we'd shave part of the loop off by cutting through a few neighborhoods. I looked at Gary and asked, "Is this your way of trying to get us to run 20 miles today?"
Fortunately, we didn't get lost and the shortcut worked, although it only cut off one mile instead of two. All in all, though, it was a good run! We even managed to run a bit under a 10 mile/minute pace, at least according to Gary's watch. Not too shabby!
By the way, how cool is this bumper sticker on the back of Jon's truck? 
It's one week post-Nike, so I'd better add some race day details!
Our Nike Spirit Squad had a blast! We caravaned at 6:30am from the Lafayette BART station -- in the pitch black. The drive into the city was a breeze; parking, however, not so much. The Avenues are always a gamble, and around 7am, "normal" people are sleeping, so street spaces are less than plentiful. After lots of circling, much patience, and a few pleas, we all finally found places. Phew!
We then picked a great spot along the course, just inside Golden Gate Park near the Dutch Windmill -- right past mile 11. At first the runners going by were somewhat few and far between, but they were fast! Gradually their numbers grew until there was a sea of people streaming by, many of them wearing purple.
This is going to sound weird, but I can honestly say I've never seen so many bananas being eaten, and I've certainly never stared at so many people's chests before! The bananas were clearly popular swag from the water stop, and we had to kick many a peel out of the way lest runners slip on them; seriously. As for staring at people's chests, well, I couldn't help it! (See, you always knew there was something strange about me.) I was trying to find people's names on their jersey because I know it can make a huge difference to hear someone cheer for you by name. So I tried!
In addition to screaming our lungs out, we rang cow bells and jingle/Santa bells and held signs. It was a blast! I learned that it's actually pretty hard to pick runners out of the pack. Most of our teammates saw us on the sidelines before we saw them running by. And then in a flash, they were gone! I heard later, when we met up with a few of them at the finisher's tent, that our cheering gave them a boost of energy and motivation. Hooray!
Following our stint on the sidelines, Dene and I jumped into the action at the TNT finisher's tent volunteering to hand out food. At least it was warmer in there since the tent blocked the wind. When our shift first started, the fast marathoners were coming by, and while they looked tired, they looked happy. When I said, "Congratulations!" they smiled back and thanked me. As time went on, however, finishers began to look more and more haggard. Some were limping, others were on the verge of tears. My "Congratulations" brought mixed reactions. Some would find a smile buried within their pain, while others just scowled.
Either way, I could sympathize; completing a marathon is an emotional feat, and I remember well how volatile I was in San Diego. In fact, watching the slower finishers come by at the end of Nike reminded me why I'm running 13.1 miles this fall instead of 26.2 -- because it's really ridiculously hard on your body and it's an incredibly challenging thing to do! I have so much admiration for marathoners, no matter how quickly or slowly they go. Their feat is simply astounding. Maybe, just maybe I'll do one again, but for now, I'll stick with the half. :-)
I don't think I've ever cheered so loudly or so long for so many people before! And I'd never spectated at a major race, either. But I have now, and I loved it! I must say, however, that I am wiped out! Granted, my exhaustion is nothing like that of the participants who ran and walked, but it's very real. It's as much from cheering as it is from volunteering in the TNT finisher's tent after the race handing out sandwiches and cookies. But I'll get to that when I write more about the day.
For now, it suffices to say that Team Oz rocked the Nike Women's Marathon! Everyone finished, and some of my teammates even had personal records. On a hilly course in San Francisco, that's most impressive. Look for more details in the days to come. Congratulations team -- I'm so proud of you!
Here's a link to the San Francisco Chronicle article.
Thursday evening was all about TNT past and present, with no running involved!
My first stop was the Cheesecake Factory overlooking Union Square. I promised to bring dessert to my "spring team girls" dinner party/reunion, and there's nothing better this time of year than pumpkin pecan cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. I don't even like cheesecake, but this dessert is to die for! (It helps that I looooove pumpkin.) If you've never had it, I highly recommend it, but get it now before it's gone, as it's only sold seasonally.
Before I could leave San Francisco and head to Sharon's new house in San Ramon for dinner, I had to walk across the street to check out the Nike Expotique in Union Square. It was like no other running expo I've ever been to -- not that I have that many to compare it to, but still! There were manicure and massage stations, and Thursday was ladies night!
I met a bunch of my teammates there: Heather, Jenny, Shannon, Lynsey, and Janice. We enjoyed seeing well-known athletes, including 
Brandy Chastain and the first ever women's Olympic marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson. Plus, we got to partake in complimentary wine, crackers, cheese and fruit. Pretty snazzy expo, if you ask me!
Post-expo, I reunited with Tonya, Sharon, Ginny, Becca, and Shanin. It was great to see so many of the girls who helped me complete my first 26.2 miles! Tonya has been training on her own for the Nike Women's Half, and Shanin recently ran the Rock and Roll San Jose Half-Marathon. Yea girls! We had a wonderful time catching up and hope to do it again during the holidays.
I've been MIA, I know. But I'm still here, and I'm still training! Although I'm training less with the team these days and more on my own simply due to competing interests. I've gotten out of bed early the last few mornings to get a good three miles in before starting the day. It's chilly out there! I donned my fleece hat this morning, and the gloves will follow soon if the weather keeps moving toward fall. I recently had the privilege of providing some marathon advice to a first-time marathoner (a non-TNTer). I can't take credit for it, as the tips were passed along to me by my coaches! However, since the Nike Women's Marathon is this weekend and many of my teammates are running the race, I thought I'd post what I shared: - Don't do anything new on marathon day. That includes wearing any new clothing or fuel belts you haven't tried out during training, as well as eating anything you're not used to consuming before or during a run. Sounds simple, but I've heard horror stories, including one from an experience marathoner (and one of my teammates) who ate raisins before his race to impress his health nut friend. All I can say is it was a bad, bad idea, and he paid the price. On that note, stay away from fiber entirely the 24 hours before the race!
- Think about your pre-run meal routine and bring anything you may need to replicate it with you.
- Don't go out too fast and be sure to fuel yourself properly along the way (water, electrolytes and carbs). A (half) marathon is no time to be stubborn.
- Don't even think about sitting or squatting down once you're past about 18 miles -- you may not get up again! (This is not as much of an issue for half-marathoners.)
- If you're flying to a destination race, don't check any of your running gear. Bring it on board with you and stow it at your feet or in an overhead compartment. It would be awful if the airline lost your checked bag and your running gear was inside!
- Above all, enjoy the race, take in the scenery, and be kind to other runners around you!
I'll be in San Francisco on Sunday to cheer for my friends and teammates. I've never been a spectator before, and I'm really looking forward to it! I'll post photos and write about the race once it's all said and done. Go Team!
Yesterday was my last run with Team Oz, not counting the San Antonio race (RNRSA), of course! It was all the way in Livermore and, since it was the 20-miler for the full RNRSA marathoners, there were staggered starts. I knew I couldn't stay till the end of the run, so if I wanted to see everyone, it meant I had to be there at 7:30am!
In fact, the team got me a little going away present. (Actually, it's sorta big and it's pretty heavy!) When I first arrived and got out of the car, I walked right by the open rear hatch of Lindsay's car and she yelled, "DON'T look in my car!" Fine! I wasn't anyway. Big weirdo. :-) As we stood around waiting for everyone to get there, I moved around a bit, and Lindsay kept yelling, "DON'T turn around!" All right, already! 
Also in honor of my last run with the team, Lindsay decided to run with me. When she announced this, the coaches almost fell over! She usually never trains with the team, so no one ever sees her run! Of course, she does run quite often, and she seems to always participating in races with her mom. Heck, she's done like 20 million bazillion races, including half- and full marathons! But the coaches couldn't let her escape with out a healthy dose of razzing. 
The plan was for Lindsay and I to run out and back a few miles together, then I'd run a few more. (She only wanted to go four miles and I needed to get in eight.) Well, Gary goes, "Why don't you run with me -- I've got a shortcut!" Oh dear. I've heard this before! But, the more the merrier, so Gary, Lindsay, Coach Haakon and I headed out in the reverse direction on the course.
Fortunately, we didn't get lost and the shortcut worked, although it only cut off one mile instead of two. All in all, though, it was a good run! We even managed to run a bit under a 10 mile/minute pace, at least according to Gary's watch. Not too shabby!
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