The things we carry

When I was in highschool I had floopy running hands - spaz hands I guess you could say. Mr. Taylor fixed this by having me carry a small piece or coral - he had found the coral on a beach in Greece and carrying the coral carried a tie to the original olympics (through Mr. Taylor's stories and teachings).

Now when I run I carry an iPod. My how time has changed things. What's wrong with this picture?

Side-note, Mr. Taylor recently published an amazing book called "Igniting the Flame." He is and will forever be one of the world's best teachers and coaches.

Wide open spaces - forging my own places

Running is an individual sport (occasionally a team sport, but for the most part solo) yet at the same time runners seem to have an unspoken tie - the sort you'd have on a team (minus the bum patting). Runners typically are the folks on the street who wave, nod, and smile when a passing runner needs that extra boost.

Outside of the private club aspect, running takes you into places you don't normally get to forge. Tonight I got to be in the land of the riches, when the rich couldn't even get home. My run this evening took me up Broadway past Presidio gate and down Presidio - the street was blocked off so that no cars could drive down yet me and my Mizuno transport got to. My one time of eliteness.

The run continued around the golf course and to the lake, where I immediately had a mini freakout moment tying to the whole running solo thing - I realized I hadn't seen anyone in over a mile and the only non-growing object I did see was an empty 36 pack of beer. I did not want to run into the consumer of the beer.

Devil Makes 3 - music makes rad

Saturday night Matty and I ventured to the "tender Nob." We started at La Parilla - an amazing new Mexican find with good cheap eats, and went on to Lush Lounge before going to GAMH. Lush Lounge was ... interesting. It's across the street from a methadone clinic and while we were sipping on Manhattans enjoying free popcorn, the street filled with fire engines and ambulances - eek! The bar tender said someone had just OD'd. The sad part was he wasn't phased one bit - he sees it that often. Horrible.

Shaking off the sad sites from the street, we made it to the Great American Music Hall - hands down, one of the best concert venues - for Devil Makes Three. The 2 opening acts and Devil were awesome - my feet are still sore from so much stomping - two thumbs up.

I wonder if I can count the dancing as part of my training?....

Turrets-ism

San Francisco is filled with oddities. Walking to work I often step over some of them and Friday was no exception. Friday morning walking to work I came across a homeless man who was entertaining himself - I say entertaining because he was laughing out loud while pointing at people and talking to himself. As I neared he looked up and shouted:
"F (bad word I won't write) you in the face woman!"
Then started hysterically laughing.

Um...no thank you.

305 Report

I woke up earlier this morning because I was so excited to test my new 305. The "test" didn't fare so well. After strapping everything on - the Iron Man-esque watch and the Boys Don't Cry-ish heart rate monitor (gotta throw some analogies in to paint a picture) I hit every button I could and was out the door.

The Garmin makes a noise somewhat like a 90s video game so jogging down the street I was accompanied by Pearl Jam (iPod) and beepbleepbloopblap. Kinda embarrassing to be honest.

After my first mile I looked down totally excited to see what my pace and elevation were. Turns out I hit the wrong button because the computer on my wrist read 600cal, 40min to go, 46:04 lap pace. Hm - something wrong here.

After mile two I found myself groping (sorry for the blunt description) as the heart rate monitor was making it's way down my torso and to my hips. Ugh.

In the midst of reading my Garmin, adjusting my heart rate monitor, and taking in the sun-rise (it is pretty darn spectacular over the bridge in the morning) I hit a root and twisted my ankle.

This is definitely going to take some practice.

Bay to breakers: to clothe or not to clothe?

Another year, another Bay to Breakers - and it was rad. Linzy and I decided to opt out of costumes this year - we've had three years in a row of mediocre last-minute costumes and, despite asking "what are we going to wear" for the last four-months - we came up empty handed.

We walked over to the race at 7:30. Bay to Breakers morning always entertains me - the whole city seems to wake up early (or still be up) in anticipation of the running, drinking, costumes (and un-costumes). Matt walked part way with me - he was part of a "yellow" clan with 80 other people who strategically hid kegs of beer around the city (my husband the runner - I'm so proud).

At the start - well, 5-blocks back from the start really, we dodged and threw tortillas in true Bay to Breakers style. When it was finally 8am and time to start, we moved an inch or so then stopped, started, stopped, started you get the picture) and finally ran.

The race was great - we finished in about an hour (into counting the 30-minutes it took to get to the starting line). We managed to dodge all the naked people - don't want any of "that" accidentally hitting us.

Finally, we finished the run with a B2B breakfast as it should be at Beach Challet. Yum!

Time to start planning a costume for next year.

Race place update

Yay yay yay! Envirosports updated their race report and updated my place - turns out some of the other runners did the 10k, not 18k. Despite my poor placing, I landed 2nd in my age group and 3rd woman overall.

I know that the time is what's important and beating myself - but placing is kinda nice, too.

The results are in

Although I'm still hobbling from Saturday's 18k, turns out I did OK. I didn't place the top of my age group this time - bummer! But I did PR - I landed 27th overall, 6th woman, with a pace of around 8minutes a mile. The funny think is, I'm still stuck on placing - not time so much.

The recovery: today's post-race recovery was right up there with my favorites - Matt and I walked around the city with mom for mother's day and made our way to Ducca - yum!

Too fast, to slow

This morning was the Envirosports Mt. Tam Wild Boar 18k. It was a perfect morning for a race - cool but not cold. We started the race in the stadium of Mt. Play and made our way up the rock steps and through the gate.

I started out fast. Way too fast. I was the 1st woman for about 7 miles and then hit a wall hard. After that, while dodging athletes trying to get by on the narrow single track, I dodged excuses.

The boogy man in the race:

• My knee hurt - the pain seemed to fill both my feet putting them to sleep
• My shoulder cramped
• I felt stomach sick ... now on this one I'm not sure if it was the steak and fries I had for dinner, the flu that was floating around Moscone during JavaOne, or the mileage

Enough with the excuses. Somehow, I kept going and made it in to enjoy the infamous Envirosports banana bread and free sports drinks.

Next time I'll pace.

Running etiquette: it's what your mom taught you

I've come to realize in running there's a certain etiquette that broaches Ms. Manners level.

Please and thank you
In races and on trails runners always (caveat - "real" runners - the rude ones don't qualify) say "please" when wanting to pass on a tight trail, and "thank you" once they've passed. The only times this doesn't happen is in the event of an injury or exhaustion when the voice evades the mind.

On your right!
I love this sentence in running - "on your right!" or "on your left!" act like the small horn on old-style bicycles alerting walkers or other runners someone is behind them about to cruise by. I wish I could use this one when walking to work (San Francisco streets can be brutal at rush hour) :).

You're doing great!
In races other runners are constantly pushing each other on with sweaty high-fives and kudos. And it works.