As usual, this is a bit exhaustive. But this is an interesting course, it’s an evening race in freakin’ August, and most of you haven’t run a 10K, or… any K’s, in a while.
OK, the course is something new. It was originally going to be on the Round-Up course, but that would have been dull, so we’ve got this. I’ve run it in pieces, most recently taking the Nike Club runners out on it last weekend.
The course map, such as it is, is at http://inside.nike.com/blogs/humanrace-en_US_AUSTIN/2008/08/04/the-official-nike-human-race-10k-course
I’ve mapped it out on Gmaps to get a (rough) idea of elevation changes. I know it says 6.3 miles. Ignore that. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2211157
Preparation
Hydrate. That’s really all I have to say. I know everyone’s wondering why this race is in August, in the evening. Simply enough, there are 25 other cities worldwide having the race on the same day. If we wanted it, it had to be August 31.
So, it’s gonna be warm, but actually, right now, the forecast for 7pm is 88 degrees, 51% humidity (!), and partly cloudy. The rain from earlier in the day should have dissipated.
For a 10K, I’d say you could eat somewhat normally, but I’d eat lunch at 12 or 1:00, get some carbs, then have a light snack or two later in the day. Going in a little hungry is OK.
Getting to the Race
OK, one really cool thing this race’ll have – bike valets! The bike area will be secured and staffed – you don’t even need your lock.
Downtown is going to be a clusterfrak (yeah, BSG geek). South First will be closed for Bat Fest (because Your Living Room and Sherry Matthews and other business are getting pissy about street closures), the state garages north of the Capitol will be taken up by the Pat Green concert goers, and south of the river, they’ll be staging for the Austin Tri Monday morning… it’s gonna be wacky.
The Nike site says parking will be available in the state parking garages along Trinity St. north of 12th St. – I wouldn’t count on that. You can park in any public metered spot or in paid surface lots. I’d come in from the east or west, stay well outside the course, and park on the street. Consider car pooling, or use Cap Metro (www.capmetro.org).
The Race
You'll start at 6th and Congress, at 6:30pm. There’ll be a good, wide start gate.
Here’s the thing - from the start to the turn at 2nd, it’s just slightly downhill. Just a seven or eight foot drop in elevation, but it’s over four blocks, just enough for your legs to feel a little too good. People will be excited, and many will be inexperienced. There’s also going to be all kinds of silliness at the start to get people hyped.
First rule of racing – anyone? Anyone? Bueller? DON’T GO OUT TOO FAST. The corollary to that is: run your own race. Not getting sucked into everyone else’s pace and being mindful and disciplined is your first and one of your most important challenges. Go out too fast here, and you’ll pay later.
Right now, just think about your body alignment, getting your hips under you, getting a slight forward lean from the ankles, not the hips. Head up, arms and shoulders relaxed. Just start off relaxed, and let the other 7,000-8,000 people around you go nuts and blow themselves out.
Don’t burn energy bobbing and weaving too much – let them slow you down a little. Be watching, and look for lines that let you thread through people efficiently. Be aware of your surroundings, and don’t cut people off. It’s rude, and you don’t want to end up eating asphalt. People will often hear you coming and slide over a little. It's OK to go through a gap between people, but nice to let them know. Sometimes, someone (usually someone wearing damned headphones) will start drifting over in front of you. The "accidental" light tap of your hand on their elbow will usually wake them up and get them to slide over.
Start setting yourself up for the left turn onto 2nd. With this many people, you don’t want to get pinched in the corner, or pushed out too far. Try to stay in the middle. If you’re on the inside, be careful, because you may have to go up and over the curb.
2nd is still an almost imperceptible downward grade. Another left onto Trinity, and it’s the slightest climb to 6th. Right on 6th to Red River – easy, flat to slight downslope.
Left on Red River, a water stop, and now the fun begins. In four blocks, it’s a steady climb of 24-26 feet. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a good, real hill. Here’s where you should start really thinking about your hill climbing form – press those hips into the hill, keep your head up, and use your arms to set the pace for your legs. Stay relaxed! Let these hills take a little bit of pace. You’ve got a lot more to come, and some good downhills that will give a little back.
Those of you who run the Turkey Trot know that 11th Street is no help. 36 Feet in three blocks. Big fun.
Right turn onto San Jacinto, and the very slight hill for half a block should feel like the beginning of a recovery. Shake out your arms, and relax into the downhill, feeling your breathing and muscles get a little reprieve.
On the long downhill to 15th Street, do not go crazy and try to gain time. Again, those of you who have run the Cap 10K down this hill know that people go flying down it, only to crash and burn slogging up 15th. Maintain form – hips under you, light turnover, not letting your stride lengthen out too much, not letting your knees get any straighter than usual, and not striking too much on the heel. Even if you’re conservative and hold back a bit, your turnover will increase (hello, gravity) and your stride will naturally lengthen a bit. You’re going to get some time back here, and you’ll get a lot more in the last two miles of the race, so just let it happen naturally.
Water stop 2 is at 13th and San Jac. Tell them thank you, but you’re really looking forward to Rob’s water stop, which is supposedly really cool.
Left turn onto 15th, and a good hill – about a 24-25 foot climb over two blocks. Just be glad you’re not going all the way up. If you’ve done this right, you’re going to see some of the people that zipped by you on San Jac.
Right turn onto Congress. A little downward grade to MLK. Look for water stop three, at the end of mile two, in front of the Bob Bullock Museum – I’ll be there at that water stop, yelling at you.
Right turn onto MLK, and a nice downhill. But then back up to Red River. This is a long grind, even after the left turn onto Red River. In fact, just look forward to climbing 90 feet in about half a mile, from San Jac and MLK all the way to Manor and Red River.
Ignore the Nike map here – it says you’re turning on Robert Dedman. Unless 26th has a third name there, you’re turning left on 26th/Dean Keeton. A long, glorious downhill where you’ll get back about 70 feet of that last climb. Again, though, don’t go nuts. Hold what you got, be patient. Red River to Guadalupe is just the fourth mile, and you’ve got a long, tough uphill ahead, from San Jac all the way up to Guadalupe. Take a deep breath, shake out your arms, relax, and hit the hill at a steady pace. Keep that head up.
Left on Guadalupe. You’ve covered four miles. Shake everything out, and relax. Up to now, you should be periodically assessing your pace, preferably on the few flats you’ve gotten, not when the uphill is sucking or the downhill is effortless. But in terms of finishing the race and possibly upping your pace, this is the first time to really look at what you’ve got in tank. If you can turn the pace up, do it, but do it gradually.
At about 23rd and Guadalupe, you start getting a downhill, and your legs should start really feeling a little bit of life again.
Right on MLK, downhill. Right on Lavaca. At 15th, you’ve covered five miles. Look again at what you have left for this last mile. Lavaca is mostly flat to about 11th. If you’re racing this, trying to push yourself for time, and you’re in reasonable condition to do so, now's the time to dig in and do it.
I like to look at a course beforehand and pick out three-four “go points”, at which I’ll push the pace up. I PR’ed one 5K in which I was horribly hung over, because I planned ahead, and had it set in my mind where I was going to turn up the pace.
Past 11th, the downhill is steep enough that you can let it carry you a little. This is a go point. Remember, do it with proper form, hips under you, and quicker turnover, not longer stride. With a mile left, you can be pushing your breathing and heart rate up a bit. Stay relaxed!Left on 9th, right on Colorado, and here’s your payoff – a steady 100 foot drop in half a mile! Keep your form, but go – you’ve only got about 1,000 meters left, 500 of it downhill.
Left turn on second – don’t let up the pace as it levels off. Hang in, you’re close.
Left on Congress. Go point. Pick someone ahead of you, and decide to gradually catch and pass them. At this point, choose your prey wisely, and pursue them patiently. Then pick another. Crank out three blocks, to 5th, then kick it all out to the finish on 6th – use faster turnover, really moving the arms – don’t try to muscle or stretch the legs to the finish – you don’t want to pull a hamstring, here.
Get your very cool finisher's award. Drink beer. Listen to music.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Team Spiridon Nears The Start Line... Wait for it...
Look! New content! As already seen in email!
Well, I hope all you slacky slackers are enjoying your slacking, cause it's about to end.
Team Spiridon begins its second half marathon/marathon training season on Tuesday, September 2, at 6:30pm. Here's your handy, pocket-sized, easily digestible list of details:
1. We'll meet every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning up to the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon (it's not AT&T anymore).
2. Tuesday evenings will be at 6:30 until the confluence of several events - Daylight Savings Time ends, workouts get longer, and it gets cooler. I'm thinking sometime in October. At that point, we'll meet at 5:45pm or 6:00pm.
3. Saturday mornings will be at 7am, with the exception of a few longer runs.
4. Alternate Workouts: If Saturdays don't work for you, or you need to miss one, I'll probably be doing my long runs on Friday or Sunday mornings, so we can work that out.
5. Money. Stupid money. I'm sticking with $150, same as last year, because I don't want to have to go through thinking about it again. Returning members, let's say $140, rewarding you and allowing you to recoup some of last year's waffle iron contributions.
5(a). If money is really an issue for you, let me know, and we'll set up a payment plan or something. If you aren't sure of your commitment or ability at this point, talk to me, and we'll work something out.
5(b). If you want to charge it or whatever, you can use PayPal. Go to www.paypal.com, and click "Send Money" (duh). My email address, of course, is robhill45@gmail.com.
6. How Ready is Ready? I'd like the half marathoners to be able to run 3-4 miles coming into the training. Marathoners, 5-6. If you're not there, let me know. There's time yet, and we can work with you to get you up to speed.
7. Charity - We'll be choosing a couple of charities, one for peoples, one for animal peoples, to raise money for. Be thinking about that.
8. Nike Human Race - If you aren't running the big Nike Human Race on August 31 (nighttime race), I could use your help working at my water stop. We've got a sweet spot right in front of the Bob Bullock Museum, you get a cool Nike Human Race volunteer shirt, we'll have fun, and you'll get to go to the big Ben Harper post-race concert. And, it's as close as some of us will get to being part of any human race. Contact me if'n your interested.
9-11. These are the things I can't think of right now, that I'll remember as soon as I hit "send".
OK, that's it for now. If you have questions, holla. We'll have some new faces, and they all seem to be cool people that will fit right in. I know it's hot, but just think how nice it's going to feel in a couple of months. We're gonna have some fun, and we're gonna run well. See you in a couple of weeks...
Well, I hope all you slacky slackers are enjoying your slacking, cause it's about to end.
Team Spiridon begins its second half marathon/marathon training season on Tuesday, September 2, at 6:30pm. Here's your handy, pocket-sized, easily digestible list of details:
1. We'll meet every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning up to the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon (it's not AT&T anymore).
2. Tuesday evenings will be at 6:30 until the confluence of several events - Daylight Savings Time ends, workouts get longer, and it gets cooler. I'm thinking sometime in October. At that point, we'll meet at 5:45pm or 6:00pm.
3. Saturday mornings will be at 7am, with the exception of a few longer runs.
4. Alternate Workouts: If Saturdays don't work for you, or you need to miss one, I'll probably be doing my long runs on Friday or Sunday mornings, so we can work that out.
5. Money. Stupid money. I'm sticking with $150, same as last year, because I don't want to have to go through thinking about it again. Returning members, let's say $140, rewarding you and allowing you to recoup some of last year's waffle iron contributions.
5(a). If money is really an issue for you, let me know, and we'll set up a payment plan or something. If you aren't sure of your commitment or ability at this point, talk to me, and we'll work something out.
5(b). If you want to charge it or whatever, you can use PayPal. Go to www.paypal.com, and click "Send Money" (duh). My email address, of course, is robhill45@gmail.com.
6. How Ready is Ready? I'd like the half marathoners to be able to run 3-4 miles coming into the training. Marathoners, 5-6. If you're not there, let me know. There's time yet, and we can work with you to get you up to speed.
7. Charity - We'll be choosing a couple of charities, one for peoples, one for animal peoples, to raise money for. Be thinking about that.
8. Nike Human Race - If you aren't running the big Nike Human Race on August 31 (nighttime race), I could use your help working at my water stop. We've got a sweet spot right in front of the Bob Bullock Museum, you get a cool Nike Human Race volunteer shirt, we'll have fun, and you'll get to go to the big Ben Harper post-race concert. And, it's as close as some of us will get to being part of any human race. Contact me if'n your interested.
9-11. These are the things I can't think of right now, that I'll remember as soon as I hit "send".
OK, that's it for now. If you have questions, holla. We'll have some new faces, and they all seem to be cool people that will fit right in. I know it's hot, but just think how nice it's going to feel in a couple of months. We're gonna have some fun, and we're gonna run well. See you in a couple of weeks...
Friday, August 8, 2008
Jenn Squishes San Fran Hills!
As seen on ESPN and "The View", Jenn completed her first half marathon out in San Francisco last Sunday. Here, by her own hand, is the much-awaited report. OK, the first part is probably not by her own hand, unless she's gunning for a job with S.F.'s Convention and Visitors Bureau Propaganda Department:
Photos of me: (I think I found every single photographer on the course) http://www.marathonfoto.com/index.cfm?RaceOID=27892008M1&LastName=LANG&BibNumber=24293&Mailing=16254
CourseNote: The Second Half Marathon Course runs a separate loop from the Full Marathon Course between Miles 1 and 2. Otherwise, the Second Half Marathon Course is the same as the second half of the Full Marathon.
The start line is located at 36th and John F. Kennedy Dr just North of Rhododendron Island. Starting just footsteps away from Spreckels Lake, watch as children of all ages play with their remote control sailboats. Once you've started your race, be sure to greet the Bison as you pass them on your right. This course takes you through the beauty of Golden Gate Park. As you run around Stow Lake, you will find the waterfall and pagoda awaiting your arrival. Running towards the city streets, pass by the Rose Garden and take one last glimpse at the Conservatory of Flowers.
Run back in time to experience the 60s once more. See Sharon Meadows, home of the free rock concerts and run through the Alvord Lake Tunnel before arriving in the legendary Haight Ashbury District. Transition from the 60s to the Latino flavor of the Mission District. Run by the produce marts and taquerias as you make your way towards the Potrero District and into the developing Mission Bay/China Basin District. Here you will see warehouses, old shipyards, and the new UCSF Medical campus.
For the final stretch of the race, run along the promenade behind AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Run under the Bay Bridge and head straight for the Cupid's Arrow where you will be greeted with the finish line. The course ends along the waterfront on the Embarcadero at Folsom.
There were a couple of reasons for picking the second half to run: 1. we got to sleep in until 6:30 instead of running 2. it was a bit more flat, and the steeper hills were down hills 3. I didn't have to run over the Golden Gate Bridge (while Penelope thought that would be cool, I don't like being on bridges, especially ones that big and over that much cold water :-) )
Friday night we met up with some of Penelope's awesome friends for some great Cajun food at Cajun Pacific. It is a restaurant in a house, fits maybe 20 people max in Outer Sunset. There I met Sue, who was nice enough to pick up my bib and shirt. I am sure if I had gone to the expo, I would have walked way too much, and be tempted to buy new shoes :-) When we got back home, I immediately put my race bib on my shirt. I had to make sure it was perfect. Penelope couldn't help but laugh at me. (It wouldn't be the last time she laughed at me due to the race.)
Saturday night I packed my bag with my long sleeved shirt, yoga pants, and hoodie. (I wasn't sure that I would need the hoodie. It was quite warm in San Francisco that day, like mid to high 70's) By Sunday morning, I decided I didn't need the hoodie, so I took it out. I made a wonderful breakfast of toast with peanut butter around 7:00. The race would start at 8:20. Around 7:30, Alex came by to tape up Penelope's knee and drop us off at the start (Thank you so much Alex!!!!) We got to the park around 8:00 or so, dropped off our bags, and got in the 3rd wave group. We tired looking for Sue, but couldn't find her. The night before, it got much cooler, the temp was a perfect for running - low to mid 50's.
Penelope and I started off running together, but I knew she was going to be faster then me. I kept up for a few 100 feet, but then remembered that if I went out too fast now, it would add on much more time later. I dropped back to my pace, about a 12:00 min/mile.
Since we were joining in on the full marathon race, there was a water station at the first mile.I didn't' need water or the sport drink, but I stopped anyway and took both, because, not only did they have that, they had beer! And really, it wasn't enough that I was wearing my Team Spiridon shirt, I had to truly represent the team out there - and took the shot of beer :-)
By the time I got to mile 1.7 and over the first mat, I was feeling really good. My legs were not cramping at all, which they usually do by mile 2. I don't know how much of that was due to the massage I had on Wednesday, all the water I drank the rest of the week, the cooler temps, and/or the fact that I wasn't out drinking the night before. I'm thinking it was all the massage. By mile 2 I was warmed up, and took off my hat. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it for the next 11 miles. I tried putting it in my back pocket but that didn't work, so I ended up strapping it on to my shirt sleeve.
Between mile 4 and 5, the first half marathoners were finishing. They had some extra bananas for the full marathoners, and us. I thought about taking one, but decided I didn't really need it, and didn't need to risk upsetting my stomach. I was feeling fine taking both the water and sport drink every two miles.
We were in the park for the first 6 miles. It is a beautiful park, but by mile 4 I was pretty tired of running through it. I wanted to get on the actual streets of San Fran. About mile 5 the 2:30 pace group caught up with me (I was ahead of them for a while). I decided to pick up my pace and try to run with them (all for you JD) I ran with them for about a whole mile down Haight. I lost them on one of the alternate routes. (in order to keep the foot traffic manageable, they had runners run on different streets). Also, once out of the park, I got to run some hills. I ran up all of the hills. Most of them were comparable to hills here in Austin. there was only one steep hill, not as steep as Wilke, but still substantial. I liked that hill the best, because, well, it was downhill :-)
While on Haight I noticed there were trivia signs every few hindered feet. There were things like, "who was the founder of the Sierra Club?" answer "John Muir." It really helped keep the wall at bay. I also saw a guy from Texas. Some of you may wonder, "how did she know he was from Texas?" Well who else by a Texan would run in Texas flag running shorts (I really need to get a pair). I talked to him for a bit. He was running the full marathon. He had just run one 3 weeks earlier in Montana. He's been running a marathon a month since November of 2007. His goal is to run one in every state. Unfortunately, he had already run one in California earlier, but his friends wanted to do the half, so he came out with them. There were one or two live bands out there, and then some DJ's playing music. One thing that really surprised me where the number of people who were running by me with their ipods on so loud, I could hear their music. Yes Rob, I was running with mine, so I could use the Nike+ feature, but I had the music so low, I could hear other's music. That and about mile 4 I was tired of listen to my music, so I had taken out my earphones.
We stayed on Haight for a mile and half and then turned right on Buchanan for block, then a left on Herman and another right on Guerrero. That put me close to the 8 mile mark, where I went ahead and took my Advil to keep the aches down, and ate my Luna Moons (that seems redundant, but that's what they are called.) At mile 8, took a left on 16th Street and headed towards the bay. At this point I knew I was more than half way done and still felt good and relaxed. However, by mile 9 I was noticing I had blisters on both my feet. Right on the balls of my feet. It now hurt with every step I ran, so I walked a little more. Walking was okay. I was still around the same group I had been with for most of the race. My pace was still steady. I knew if I would run, it would be over quicker, so I ran through the pain, and when I couldn't I walked. I knew I was good on my time.
When I got to mile 11, we were along the bay. All I wanted to do was walk the rest of the route. And I think I would have, if it hadn't been for all the photographers. I was thinking, "I will not be caught walking on film, its bad enough I was caught with the headphones." So I ran. We ran around the SF Giants Stadium. This was my least favorite part of the race. We were now off the street and running on concrete. To make maters worse, it wasn't even level. I don't know if that is how it was designed, or due to an earthquake, regardless, it wasn't fun.
After running around the Stadium, there was just one more mile left! I dug deep, found the energy and finished strong. At one point I saw some women who had just finished the full marathon. They were wearing there medals. I noticed they were 4 times larger than the one I would be getting. I decided then, that I would definitely be doing the full next year!
After crossing the line, I received my first (hopefully of many) Mylar sheets and then my medal. I went through the line to get my food, and water, and electrolyte replacement drinks and then over to pick up my bag. It took them a while to find it, but I was so happy when I was able to put on my long sleeved shirt. The sun hadn't broken through the clouds at all. That was okay while we were running, but it was now cold. I made my over to the ferry building to find Penelope to go back home. We caught the tram and then had to hike a few blocks to her place. That was okay, but she lives at the top of a hill, a hill comparable to Wilke here in Austin. That wasn't too fun.
The original post-race plan was to shower, take a nap then head down to LA. Penelope had to visits some sites down there. After were got all clean, we decided we still had energy, so we skipped the nap and head South. Six and half hours later, we were in Anaheim. So, for those of you wondering, sitting in a car for 6 1/2 hours, not really a good thing after running 13.1 miles, especially if you already are prone to tightness in your calves. We get to the hotel, and check in. I literally limp/gimp my way to the front desk and then to the room. Penelope of course is laughing at me. I think the front desk staff was laughing at me, I was even laughing at me. How was I going to go to the, "Happiest place on Earth," the next day, if I couldn't even walk to my room? The next morning, my legs were a little better, not much but better. So we ate breakfast, and then Penelope dropped me off at Disneyland - where I spent the whole day walking around and riding all the rides. I can't think of a better way to celebrate running my first half marathon.
Photos of me: (I think I found every single photographer on the course) http://www.marathonfoto.com/index.cfm?RaceOID=27892008M1&LastName=LANG&BibNumber=24293&Mailing=16254
CourseNote: The Second Half Marathon Course runs a separate loop from the Full Marathon Course between Miles 1 and 2. Otherwise, the Second Half Marathon Course is the same as the second half of the Full Marathon.
The start line is located at 36th and John F. Kennedy Dr just North of Rhododendron Island. Starting just footsteps away from Spreckels Lake, watch as children of all ages play with their remote control sailboats. Once you've started your race, be sure to greet the Bison as you pass them on your right. This course takes you through the beauty of Golden Gate Park. As you run around Stow Lake, you will find the waterfall and pagoda awaiting your arrival. Running towards the city streets, pass by the Rose Garden and take one last glimpse at the Conservatory of Flowers.
Run back in time to experience the 60s once more. See Sharon Meadows, home of the free rock concerts and run through the Alvord Lake Tunnel before arriving in the legendary Haight Ashbury District. Transition from the 60s to the Latino flavor of the Mission District. Run by the produce marts and taquerias as you make your way towards the Potrero District and into the developing Mission Bay/China Basin District. Here you will see warehouses, old shipyards, and the new UCSF Medical campus.
For the final stretch of the race, run along the promenade behind AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Run under the Bay Bridge and head straight for the Cupid's Arrow where you will be greeted with the finish line. The course ends along the waterfront on the Embarcadero at Folsom.
There were a couple of reasons for picking the second half to run: 1. we got to sleep in until 6:30 instead of running 2. it was a bit more flat, and the steeper hills were down hills 3. I didn't have to run over the Golden Gate Bridge (while Penelope thought that would be cool, I don't like being on bridges, especially ones that big and over that much cold water :-) )
Friday night we met up with some of Penelope's awesome friends for some great Cajun food at Cajun Pacific. It is a restaurant in a house, fits maybe 20 people max in Outer Sunset. There I met Sue, who was nice enough to pick up my bib and shirt. I am sure if I had gone to the expo, I would have walked way too much, and be tempted to buy new shoes :-) When we got back home, I immediately put my race bib on my shirt. I had to make sure it was perfect. Penelope couldn't help but laugh at me. (It wouldn't be the last time she laughed at me due to the race.)
Saturday night I packed my bag with my long sleeved shirt, yoga pants, and hoodie. (I wasn't sure that I would need the hoodie. It was quite warm in San Francisco that day, like mid to high 70's) By Sunday morning, I decided I didn't need the hoodie, so I took it out. I made a wonderful breakfast of toast with peanut butter around 7:00. The race would start at 8:20. Around 7:30, Alex came by to tape up Penelope's knee and drop us off at the start (Thank you so much Alex!!!!) We got to the park around 8:00 or so, dropped off our bags, and got in the 3rd wave group. We tired looking for Sue, but couldn't find her. The night before, it got much cooler, the temp was a perfect for running - low to mid 50's.
Penelope and I started off running together, but I knew she was going to be faster then me. I kept up for a few 100 feet, but then remembered that if I went out too fast now, it would add on much more time later. I dropped back to my pace, about a 12:00 min/mile.
Since we were joining in on the full marathon race, there was a water station at the first mile.I didn't' need water or the sport drink, but I stopped anyway and took both, because, not only did they have that, they had beer! And really, it wasn't enough that I was wearing my Team Spiridon shirt, I had to truly represent the team out there - and took the shot of beer :-)
By the time I got to mile 1.7 and over the first mat, I was feeling really good. My legs were not cramping at all, which they usually do by mile 2. I don't know how much of that was due to the massage I had on Wednesday, all the water I drank the rest of the week, the cooler temps, and/or the fact that I wasn't out drinking the night before. I'm thinking it was all the massage. By mile 2 I was warmed up, and took off my hat. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it for the next 11 miles. I tried putting it in my back pocket but that didn't work, so I ended up strapping it on to my shirt sleeve.
Between mile 4 and 5, the first half marathoners were finishing. They had some extra bananas for the full marathoners, and us. I thought about taking one, but decided I didn't really need it, and didn't need to risk upsetting my stomach. I was feeling fine taking both the water and sport drink every two miles.
We were in the park for the first 6 miles. It is a beautiful park, but by mile 4 I was pretty tired of running through it. I wanted to get on the actual streets of San Fran. About mile 5 the 2:30 pace group caught up with me (I was ahead of them for a while). I decided to pick up my pace and try to run with them (all for you JD) I ran with them for about a whole mile down Haight. I lost them on one of the alternate routes. (in order to keep the foot traffic manageable, they had runners run on different streets). Also, once out of the park, I got to run some hills. I ran up all of the hills. Most of them were comparable to hills here in Austin. there was only one steep hill, not as steep as Wilke, but still substantial. I liked that hill the best, because, well, it was downhill :-)
While on Haight I noticed there were trivia signs every few hindered feet. There were things like, "who was the founder of the Sierra Club?" answer "John Muir." It really helped keep the wall at bay. I also saw a guy from Texas. Some of you may wonder, "how did she know he was from Texas?" Well who else by a Texan would run in Texas flag running shorts (I really need to get a pair). I talked to him for a bit. He was running the full marathon. He had just run one 3 weeks earlier in Montana. He's been running a marathon a month since November of 2007. His goal is to run one in every state. Unfortunately, he had already run one in California earlier, but his friends wanted to do the half, so he came out with them. There were one or two live bands out there, and then some DJ's playing music. One thing that really surprised me where the number of people who were running by me with their ipods on so loud, I could hear their music. Yes Rob, I was running with mine, so I could use the Nike+ feature, but I had the music so low, I could hear other's music. That and about mile 4 I was tired of listen to my music, so I had taken out my earphones.
We stayed on Haight for a mile and half and then turned right on Buchanan for block, then a left on Herman and another right on Guerrero. That put me close to the 8 mile mark, where I went ahead and took my Advil to keep the aches down, and ate my Luna Moons (that seems redundant, but that's what they are called.) At mile 8, took a left on 16th Street and headed towards the bay. At this point I knew I was more than half way done and still felt good and relaxed. However, by mile 9 I was noticing I had blisters on both my feet. Right on the balls of my feet. It now hurt with every step I ran, so I walked a little more. Walking was okay. I was still around the same group I had been with for most of the race. My pace was still steady. I knew if I would run, it would be over quicker, so I ran through the pain, and when I couldn't I walked. I knew I was good on my time.
When I got to mile 11, we were along the bay. All I wanted to do was walk the rest of the route. And I think I would have, if it hadn't been for all the photographers. I was thinking, "I will not be caught walking on film, its bad enough I was caught with the headphones." So I ran. We ran around the SF Giants Stadium. This was my least favorite part of the race. We were now off the street and running on concrete. To make maters worse, it wasn't even level. I don't know if that is how it was designed, or due to an earthquake, regardless, it wasn't fun.
After running around the Stadium, there was just one more mile left! I dug deep, found the energy and finished strong. At one point I saw some women who had just finished the full marathon. They were wearing there medals. I noticed they were 4 times larger than the one I would be getting. I decided then, that I would definitely be doing the full next year!
After crossing the line, I received my first (hopefully of many) Mylar sheets and then my medal. I went through the line to get my food, and water, and electrolyte replacement drinks and then over to pick up my bag. It took them a while to find it, but I was so happy when I was able to put on my long sleeved shirt. The sun hadn't broken through the clouds at all. That was okay while we were running, but it was now cold. I made my over to the ferry building to find Penelope to go back home. We caught the tram and then had to hike a few blocks to her place. That was okay, but she lives at the top of a hill, a hill comparable to Wilke here in Austin. That wasn't too fun.
The original post-race plan was to shower, take a nap then head down to LA. Penelope had to visits some sites down there. After were got all clean, we decided we still had energy, so we skipped the nap and head South. Six and half hours later, we were in Anaheim. So, for those of you wondering, sitting in a car for 6 1/2 hours, not really a good thing after running 13.1 miles, especially if you already are prone to tightness in your calves. We get to the hotel, and check in. I literally limp/gimp my way to the front desk and then to the room. Penelope of course is laughing at me. I think the front desk staff was laughing at me, I was even laughing at me. How was I going to go to the, "Happiest place on Earth," the next day, if I couldn't even walk to my room? The next morning, my legs were a little better, not much but better. So we ate breakfast, and then Penelope dropped me off at Disneyland - where I spent the whole day walking around and riding all the rides. I can't think of a better way to celebrate running my first half marathon.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Week O' Dumbness, In Which Team Spiridon Glurgled, Rode, and Ran to Glory. And Beer.
Last week was a brief moment of activity in an otherwise eventless running summer for many of us, a sure sign of the sweating and heavy breathing that will soon be upon us again.
First up, Christina raced the Small Texan Triathlon in Boerne last Sunday. It was "international distance", which I think means that no one could agree on what the actual distances were. OK, actually, it means a half-mile swim, a 45k (30 mile) bike, and a 10K run. Yeah, I know, it sounds horrible to me, too.
Though it was a small triathlon with about 300 participants, it was a great crowd - I have to say, a bit more collectively supportive and friendly than at some other tri's I've seen... I was also impressed by how many pretty serious (and talented) athletes were out there - for a small field, there was an unusual number of extremely nice bikes (including a woman with what appeared to be the Cervelo that Team CSC rode to team, white, and yellow jerseys in the Tour de France, which was ending that same Sunday), $3,000 wheelsets, and teardrop aero helmets.
We drove down there early (the first stupid thing about triathlons is this... earliness), and it was beautiful morning - about 73 degrees at the start, with the water temperature about the same.
Christina burned through the swim, starting at the back of her wave, but finishing before most of it, in 15:34. A fast transition, then she was off on the bike ride.
We had rode the course July 4th weekend, and it was a tough one. Long, steep hills, with little downhill payoff. The surface is a very rough, cheap chipseal for almost the entire distance, which we found to be just a bit over 28 miles. The long stretches were also conducive to strong winds, and sure enough, as the morning heated up, the wind began to blow. Still, Christina had a good ride, averaging 15.5 mph.
Meanwhile, I was going a little nuts. I sat. And waited. And watched people get on their pretty bikes and go tearing off into the day. I was jealous. I started thinking things. Stupid things. I had an iPhone. More on this later.
Christina came roaring in on the bike, finishing in 1:48, and went out again for the 10K run. By this time, though, it was burning hot. I was not jealous at this point.
It got tough out there. We hadn't checked out the run course, and when we had talked to a triathlete about it on July 4, we discounted the hill he reported at the turnaround, thinking, "Pfft. San Antonian. What do they know of hills?" She may also have been a little short on nutrition.
Still, she finished it out strong, in 1:07:09, and the day's effort was enough to place her at 3rd in her age group, and 19th female overall.
Afterwards, there were pancakes and omelettes at IHOP, a brief discussion of how dumb an idea it would be for me to register for the Jack's Generic Tri a week later, given the fact that I can't swim, and then the iPhone reappeared, and before the pancakes were gone, I was registered.
Last Thursday, Jenn jetted off to San Francisco for her first half marathon. After a year riddled with injuries, she'd trained well for the past several months, and gotten up to an 11 mile run in the past few weeks. She was ready, and yesterday, she finished in 2:37, challenging herself to run all the uphills, even if she had to occasionally walk a little elsewhere. We'll post her full report (and pictures?) when she returns from LA and Disneyland. No, really, she declared she was going to Disneyland. She might have been severely dehydrated at the time, though.
Meanwhile, in someplace that was definitely not San Francisco...
Christina was the spectator and holder of sandals this time, and I was the person in the spandex, finally able to ride my bike in competition. First, however, I had to swim, which is not something I do. At all. I spent four mornings last week at Barton Springs, trying to pick up my aborted attempts from earlier in the summer, which was itself an attempt to pick up where I'd left off last spring.
I had everything ready, forgetting only my gloves, which I hate wearing, anyway. But, as they say, man makes plans, and God laughs. Twenty minutes before race time, I was in a porta-potty, suffering in probably equal parts the consequences of Friday night, something I ate Saturday, and the anxiety that one should probably expect when they are about to sink to the bottom of a man-made lake for no good reason.
From my week o' swimming, I knew the best I could hope for in covering 500 meters was about 24 minutes. I knew that everyone else, and I do mean everyone, would finish in 14 minutes or less. My goal was to get through it, and not stand up, and not sob uncontrollably with fear.
I positively radiated confidence and fearlessness, which no doubt lent hope to my fellow competitors...
The mass start was breathtaking - a mass of determined and fit competitors between the ages of 35 and 39, carving their way expertly through the water...
And, then there was me, and, perhaps not coincidentally, reported sightings of some sort of gelatinous prehistoric monster in the lake that morning...
For one brief, glorious moment in time that I can't recall or believe at all, I did apparently move as if I were swimming...
I am proud to report that, well... I did not sob uncontrollably with fear. Oh, and I did get through it, though I am still not clear how, what with all the standing near the shore and the gasping for air and the sobbing uncontrollably with fear. But finally, I emerged victorious, placing 800th out of 806 swimmers, one of whom was a wheelchair participant. More importantly, I was able, finally, to ride my shiny bicycle with all the other kids...
Of course, Christina got lots of pictures of me drowning, but none of me being competent on the bicycle. Hmph. Fortunately, another spectator sent me the following picture of me on one of the more moderate climbs:
Suffice it to say, the bike was fun, and I got to catch and dust several of the waves of those jerks that can, you know, swim and what-not. Driven by anger at a sporting event that includes water, and a desire to ride as quickly as possible away from the water, I was able to regain a little dignity, placing 260th out of 800+ on the bike.
By the time I got to the three-mile run, of course, I just wanted the damned thing to be over, and I wanted my free beer that came with the $70 entry fee. I ran considerably slower than I had hoped, but ran all the way through. The only endurance event left was the beer line, but, buoyed by the days meagre successes, I persevered, for myself, and for everything that Team Spiridon stands, and occasionally sits, for...
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