Beat over the head with politics

Today I rode my bike to and from work (can't walk right now because somehow I messed up my ankle (somehow being a gorgeous pair of 4" heels)). Riding home I almost got taken out by a prop 8 sign!

I was riding along the Embarcadero paying more attention to the cars on my left than the sites on my right although occasionally my eyes did veer to the bridges and water. It's a good thing I took in the sites - when I glanced to the Ferry Building, I saw a sign coming at my head - an avid political activist was thrusting his sign at traffic but didn't notice me (I hope he didn't notice anyhow).

With all these propositions and media recommendations for how to vote, it's tough not to lose one's head!

OK, gotta get back to studying the CA ballot.

Inspired

I normally hate forwards, but when cheese-it sent me one today (good friend Lisa - I don't have delicious cheesey snacks sending me things ... but yum would that be nice) I had to read/watch.

Here's the story of Team Hoyt:
True Story ...
เรื่องจริง ...

A son says to his father: 'Dad, would you be willing to run a marathon with me?'
วันนึงลูกชายได้พูดกับพ่

อของเขาว่า 'พ่อครับ พ่อจะไปวิ่งมาราธอนกับผมได้ไหม'

The father, despite his age and a heart disease, says 'YES'.
ถึงแม้ว่าตัวคุณพ่อเองจะอายุมากแล้ว แถมยังเป็นโรคหัวใจ เขาเลือกที่จะตอบลูกของเขากลับไปว่า 'ได้ซิลูก'

And they run that marathon, together.
หลังจากนั้นทั้งสองก็วิ่งมาราธอนด้วยกัน

The son asks: 'Dad, can you run another marathon with me?' Again father says 'YES'.
อีกวันนึง ลูกชายได้ถามพ่อของเขาอีกครั้งว่า 'พ่อครับ พ่อจะวิ่งมาราธอนกับผมอีกครั้งได้ไหม' แน่นอนว่า พ่อตอบกลับไปว่า 'ได้ซิลูก'

They run another marathon, together.
เขาทั้งสองก็ได้วิ่งมาราธอนรายการอื่นอีกครั้งด้วยกัน

One day the son asks his father: 'Dad, would please do the Iron Man with me?'
และอีกวันนึง ลูกชายก็ถามพ่อของเขาอีกครั้งว่า 'พ่อครับพ่อจะลงแข่ง Iron Man กับผมได้ไหม'

Now just in case you wouldn't know, 'The Iron Man' is the toughest triathlon in existence; 4km swimming, then 180 km by bike, and finally another 42 km running, in one stroke.
(สำหรับคนที่ไม่รู้ว่า Iron Man คืออะไร มันก็คือไตรกีฬานั่นเองในภาษาไทย รายการนี้จะรวมมนุษย์เหล็กจากทั่วโลกมาแข่งขันกันโดยแบ่งออกเป็น ว่ายน้ำ 4 กิโล ปั่นจักรยาน 180 กิโล และ วิ่ง 42 กิโล โดยไม่มีการหยุดพัก ใครเข้าเส้นชัยก่อนเป็นผู้ชนะ)

Again father says 'YES'
และก็อีกครั้งหนึ่งที่ผู้เป็นพ่อไม่ได้ตอบปฏิเสธ 'ได้ซิลูก'

Maybe this doesn't 'touch' you yet by heart ... until you see this movie:
บางทีบทสนทนานี้คุณอาจจะยังไม่เข้าใจ และยังไม่เกิดความประทับใจกับมัน...จนกระทั่งคุณได้ดูคลิปต่อไปนี้


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJMbk9dtpdY

Run, reuse, recycle, reward?

Starting the running group, and volunteering for the running group for kids here in the city, I started noodling on how the economy is going to effect the holidays AND how the two could maybe help each other ...

The idea:

Run, Reuse, Recycle, Reward

A store could sponsor a clothes drive where people could donate old clothes (from that store) that would go to low income children in and around the Bay Area. Each item of clothing could get 1 “Kharma buck” which =s $1 off a purchase at that store (or something). The “Kharma bucks” themselves could actually be tree seeds (Matt and I gave these for our wedding (insert "awww") that people could keep and plant, or give back to the store for their $1 off and the store would plant (maybe even with kids in the community) – full circle helping.

My thinking here is that the government is pushing money back into the economy (which can be good) but a lot of the spending is going to spas and bonuses. If people help people and spending begets reward, maybe people will be more encouraged to help? And get rewarded? And reward (because rewarding drives more business through the rewards that are rewarding others). I'll stop rambling.

Random ideas - I'm full of 'em! (both randomness and ideas :) )

How's that for a footprint?!

Pumpkin time!

This morning I thought I saw a man in costume on my way to work. Nope, he was just wearing a cape ... odd ... maybe he was off to some ritual (work?) or maybe he was just early for Halloween.

To get ready for Halloween, this weekend Ryan, Linzy, and I resurrected our own Halloween rituals (no capes involved). Pumpkin carving!

At first I tried to set up with just place mats and a plastic bag - Linz and Matt quickly corrected that.









Then we got down to work - a salami and cheese plate, SATC on the DVD player, and gossip galore, we were ready to carve:

Here's the thing, though - Linz is the artistic one, Ryan is the realistic one, and I'm ... um, the knee jerk one?









We couldn't decide what to carve, so I did the first thing I saw - a candle (we have a TON in the living room). Linz was a bit smarter and stuck with Halloween fashion:









Maybe next year will bring more creativity ... and an SATC movie part 2.

Lululemon fun run

Today was definitely a Monday - I woke up, walked to Pete's and got coffee, got to work and spilled the entire thing in my lap while on the phone with our CTO, and the day progressed from there. Luckily, though, it's another Lululemon Fun Run day.

All SFites are welcome to meet up at Lululemon on Union St. at 6:30 (30 short minutes away) to hit the streets of the Marina, meet new people, and take in the views on 3, 5, 6, or 8 mile runs. I've mapped out a few runs and will provide directions for more. I need the motivation right now because if I didn't have the fun run I'd be on the couch eating cheese plate and watching TV :).

After this run, Girls on the Run will be partnering with Marathon Matt for a half marathon training starting in February. Our first race will be with the Santa Cruz half marathon and potentially the Marin Half.

All participants will get the same Girls on the Run of the Bay Area Team Tiara benefits (only those we have arranged not national) as well as the following:

· A comprehensive training schedule

· 2-3 Professionally coached run workouts/week (USATF/RRCA certified coaches)

· A $25 Fleet Feet gift certificate

· A technical training shirt

· 100+ fun teammates to train with

· A fundraising strategy workbook

· A personal fundraising webpage

· A Weekly email newsletter supporting training/fundraising

· Ongoing training/fundraising support

· Program management (marketing, advertising, recruiting, etc.)

· Much more!

More to come on this - watch this space!

Birthday weekend

I had one of the best birthday's ever this weekend - and that's saying a lot. Friday afternoon Matt and I left work early and drove up to Healdsburg. The drive was brutal through Marin with traffic galore, but worth it in the end. We went to the Healsburg half expo to pick up my # (I ran the half on Saturday) and then checked in to one of the nicest B&Bs - the Old Crocker Inn. Then we made it out to dinner at a pizza place (wine country style) downtown and off to sleep early.

Up by 5:30 we drove to Clos du Bois for the race. Matt dropped me off and made his way to nap by the Sonoma lake.

The start was a mess - the race coordinators forgot the #s and timing chips at the finish line so nearly 1,000 people were waiting in line to get their number. The start line was so narrow it was an opsticle course to get across the first time block. But the views and sunrise were well worth the chaos.

I ran the EXACT same time as the Nike Half Marathon coming in at 1:37. I placed 2nd in my age group (woot!) and even won a bottle of wine - very nice. Now I'm paying for the pace, though - somehow in mile 1 I pulled a muscle and am now hobbling around.

After the race we hung out with GGRCers for a bit enjoying the free post race tasting, and then went off to explore the wine country.

Another great night at the B&B and back to the city to recover. Crossing the bridge we were welcomed with the familiar fog of San Francisco - it's hot in Healdsburg and the fog was an inviting embrace coming home.

This is not a beauty show!

I don't know a single person that enjoys going to the DMV. And I can't imagine I'd much like working at the DMV - you get irate, confused, or grumpy-from-being-in-line-too-long-all-day people constantly.

Today I went to get a new license - I'm turning 29 (gasp) on Saturday which means my latest license is expiring. When I arrived at the DMV I found that a) I forgot my Citibank ATM card at home, b) I forgot my checkbook at home, and c) I didn't know the pin to my new ING card. Great. Thinking they might take credit cards now, I waiting through the line and got to the window. Nope. So off I drove to Citibank to pull cash and then drive back to the DMV.

Finally, back to the DMV, paid for my new license, and then slammed with the big one - "you need a new license photo." Eesh! I worked from home! Which means PJs, no makeup, and glasses - the backup pair. Made it through the picture and finally got back to my car - when I looked in the rearview I found a) my poneytail was on the side of my head ala 1988, b) I had coffee beans in between every tooth, c) managed to somehow put lipstick on part of my lips (top) but not all (dorky). I went back into the office to ask for a retake and it went something like this:
"Hi sir, sorry, but I realized I had coffee in all my teeth - may I retake my photo?"
"No."
"Why?"
"What, do you think I'm supposed to check out everyone's teeth?"
"No - not at all, it was my fault. May I retake?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Do I really look like I have time for this?"
I looked behind me and saw no-one in the photo line (despite the lines of people ready to complain about expired plates, etc.).
"No sir, I'm sure you're busy - I can smile fast ... I cleaned my teeth, I'll be quick!"
"What DOES THIS REALLY LOOK LIKE A BEAUTY SHOW?!!!"
He picked up and started ranting on how my hair and gloss looked bad but it wasn't his place to give everyone help with looks for the photo. Oofa. So of course I left on a passive aggressive note:
"Sir, I'm sure you're having a bad day. I'm sorry for that. I'll leave - I'm OK with my coffee teeth photo. I hope you feel better."

And in 3-weeks time, I'll be celebrating my coffee-teethed-fuzzy-haired-jammer-clad-license photo.

Mind Games

Does running help your brain work better? Can it help with comprehension and reading? Can it make one smarter by stimulating different parts of the brain?

I don't have answers, but I do have opinions ...

Before I worked in tech I taught at Lindamood-Bell (LBLP), a learning processes company that works 1:1 with children and adults with learning differences - logical move, right? The job was amazing and I think the research LBLP, as well as other learning organizations such as Scwab, did and does is phenomenal.

Based on my recent activities/learnings I wonder ... Does running help the brain?

At LBLP we helped people learn techniques for reading and comprehension. On the reading side, a lot of it was through activating the frontal and parietal lobes by picturing letters and creating sounds (phonemes). We'd move to putting words together with more techniques (i.e. "Super E makes a vowel say its name") thus activating the occipital lobe. On the comprehension note, we'd help create images. Have you ever noticed when you read you can kind of picture the happenings like a movie? Some people can't so they need help becoming their own "director" of literature and creating imagery.

Most of our students were children but there were a few adult learners in there. I think children were the easier ones to get in the door (they could skip the step of "admitting there was a problem or difficulty" and go straight to that dreaded moment of learning). Adults often were tougher - it's embarrassing admitting you can't do something.

We had one man (Mr. G) come to us who had been working on a factory site. He'd been there for over 20-years and always did a great job. The site manager left and when a new manager came on board he wanted everyone to read and execute. Mr. G couldn't read and execute so he was fired. We had another student (one of my favorites) who came to us in her 60s. She was retired, a grandmother, and a hapily married woman. But she was at a reading and comprehension level of a 2nd grader. We worked on visualizing letters and putting together words. We created pictures with paragraphs and stories. When she left she was reading and comprehending at a highschool level and I gave her a "Shopaholic" book as well as some Mark Twain.

Per Neuroscience For Kids here's how the brain works:

Frontal Lobe:

• Concerned with reasoning, planning, parts of speech and movement (motor cortex), emotions, and problem-solving.
• LBLP days suggested this is the first "touch" in learning - often activated by looking up. This is why (I think) teachers often look at students' eyes when trying to catch a bluff - looking up is trying to activate a memory. Looking down is trying to come up with one (right and left offer different activation points but I don't know what they are).
  

Parietal Lobe:

• Concerned with perception of stimuli related to touch, pressure, temperature and pain.
• LBLP days taught me this was the phoneme part of the day (i.e. /A/ says "ah" or "ae" and sometimes "uh").
  

Temporal Lobe:

• Concerned with perception and recognition of auditory stimuli (hearing) and memory (hippocampus).
• In my LBLP days I learned that the Termporal Lobe managed putting together phonemes to make small words and conjunct sounds (like pst).
  

Occipital Lobe:

• Concerned with many aspects of vision.
• In my LBLP days I also read studies that the Occipital Lobe managed comprehension (that movie part of the brain) and putting together full words and sentences.

So the running connection - do you think people activate all parts of their brain when running?

• Frontal Lobe: looking to the heavens - "why did I sign up for this?!"
• Perietal Lobe: recognizing activity through sound "ow ow ow"
• Termperal Lobe: putting it together - w-a-t-e-r
• Occipital Lobe: the whole story "I see skies of grey ... and I think to myself, what a wonderful run ..."

Jokes aside, I think any kind of activity helps the brain. I'm sad that PE and the arts (another great stimulous) are being slowly taken out of schools.

The economics of running

Watching the stock market teeter totter brings me to thinking about the economics of running. Sure, at first one might think it's an inexpensive sport - you just throw on shoes and go, right? Alas, no - on top of the physical gains and costs (on the upside: euphoria, runner's high; on the downside: occasional clicky knees, cramped arches, and so on) there's a handful of wallet denting needs.



The attire:

Tops:
I'm prone to 3/4 running tights and tanks. On the tank note, I go for whatever is clean. I like the Lululemon running tanks ($40+), Nike tanks ($30+), and the $5 bin tanks from Sports Basement. I'm also a big fan of wearing race shirts - I mean heck, I paid $30-80 for them! Also, I love seeing other runner's in the same race ts - there's always the unspoken "yep, I faced that hill, too."




Bottoms:
I've never been a fan of the short shorts for running and somehow I just can't get into the running skirts. I don't play tennis, I don't cheer, I run. Lately I've been loving the CW-X tights but they come with a hefty pricetag ($80+). The CW-Xs support the IT band which is a nice coo. They're not super cute, but they get the job done.







Shoes:
I love shoes. Manolo's, Jimmy's, Donald's, and Tod's... my boss thinks I have a penchant for "trannie" shoes. Heck, if that's the case, they have good taste!

Running shoes come with a pricetag close to styley shoes. I've tried a handful and have made the mistake of buying sale running shoes that were the wrong size or wrong fit to save a few - big mistake. I'm still running in Asics 1120s and am a fan - the pricetag definitely helps rack up frequent flier points, though. Not to mention the running socks - there are dry-wick socks, ankle for long runs, wool for cold runs, blister free (yeah, right), support socks, and more - all coming in between $5 and $20 a pair. I'm liking the Puma socks right now, but whenever I go to do laundry I end up losing a few, so lately my socks have been a Puma Adidas combo. I may be a label lover, but I'm not that loyal.

The rest:
On top of apparel there are the big expenses of running. Races can run $30 for a nice trail race to $110+ for a marathon. This doesn't include the travel - I've dropped $300+ on hotels and travel this year alone! When Boston comes along this number will soar.

Finally, there are the "non-standard" costs of running. The cost of maintenance. As with owning a car, the body takes tuning and fixing. This includes chiropractors ($20 co-pay), acupuncturists (another $20), podiatrists ($20 co-pay + $350 orthodics), and physical therapy ($20 co-pay). Eesh!
Grand total (drum roll ...):
$40 (shirt) + $80 (pants) + $10 (socks) + $60 (chiro, acupuncture, physical therapy) + $350 (orthodics) + $90 (half marathon) = $630 !!!

Sticker shock aside, just think - runner's high, a brain break, time alone, fitness, meeting new people, seeing gorgeous sites, etc. =
300 cups of coffee; 3 nights at a nice(ish) hotel; one pair of Manolo's; car insurance for a quarter; new tires; or ~ 7 months at the gym. Not to mention, stress overload, high cholesterol, new wardrobe (in either size direction), a drug habit (to replace the runner's high), or other sports cost more. I vote for running.


Well, at least runner's are helping support the economy.

Rules of Engagement

When runners start competing for more than just the precursory t-shirt at the end of the run or against others (I still am just running to beat my last time ... and to get the shirt, I admit) the rules of a race can be hugely important. I first realized this when running an Envirosports race at Angel Island. I had signed up for the 25k and on race day dropped to the shorter distance. When I finished it turned out my time was the best (woot woot!) but, unfortunately, because I had changed that day the coordinators had to add 12-hours to my time (blech). I found a mention of this after much distraught finally on their site hidden in an About page in tiny print. Shame on me, though, for changing course.

Here's a worse one, though: "At Women's Marathon, Fastest Time Didn't Win."
At the Nike Marathon this weekend, a 24-year old woman (Arien O'Connell) ran the fastest time of her life (congrats) and the fastest time in the race (amazing!) But ... because she didn't start with the "Elite" runners, she couldn't claim first. Rules are rules.

I took a look at the USA Track and Field competition/rule book online (it covers longer races, too) and was amazed to find 341 rules spanning 213 pages. Yikes!

I think I'll stick with running to beat myself and get a cool shirt - not too concerned with the rules (except stay on trail, don't get in the way, no iPods (when that's a rule), have fun).

Nike Women's Half

Let's skip to the finish - the results - for the Nike half marathon I ran 1:37:27 (with my first few miles at 6:30) and placed:
14th in my age group - out of 1840
33 female overall - out of 10939
54 overall - out of 11533

Happy happy morning! The Nike Women's Half (and full) was yesterday and it was an incredible race. (Yes, this is the same puffy pink sweatshirt race crew I ranted about months ago - I'm proud to admit I can change my opinion). My friend Jamie wasn't feeling ready to run so she gave me her bib (which was INCREDIBLY nice considering how many people try to get in and can't). Saturday we made our way to the expo and battled the crowds of women getting mani pedis to get the number. The expo itself was a pretty cool event (and I still think it was Oprah worthy) - there were Jamba Juice stands giving free smoothies, manicure stations, makeup giveaways, fitness evaluations, and more. All this contributed to the overflow Union Square faces on weekends but since I was partaking it was pretty fun.

Saturday night we went with Matt's family and friends to North Beach for a carbo load Italian dinner - the place was packed with other runners talking about how to overcome the "wall" and mindgames one can face while running. After dinner I was off to bed early to be sure I wouldn't miss the 5:30am alarm.

When my alarm rang I wasn't sure I wanted to do the race anymore - bed was so comfortable. But I got up and did the runner morning ritual - shave, brush, clothes, power bar, coffee, nerves, and Matt drove me over to Union Square. It was an incredible site with over 20,000 runners lining up. I made it up fo the 6:30-8:59 group and started stretching and getting more nervous. Before the race there were a few speakers - a SF politician, an amputee (who was amazing - she just did the Kona Iron Man), and a Leukemia survivor. The seas of purple around me cheered for all the speakers but the loudest roar was for the survivor - many of the purple clad were running for family or friends and it was truly heartwarming.

The course was amazing - down to Fisherman's Warf, over to Chriss Field, up to Presidio and around, down to the park, end at the breakers in front of Beach Challet. At the finish line firefighters in tux's handed out Tiffany's necklaces and there was more schwag to be had.

All in all, an awesome race! I hope to get in again next year.

Potty mouth

I love blogging - sometimes it motivates me to try new things for the mere reason of writing (weird, I know), others it's a forum to vent and/or celebrate.

Recently I've been hooked on checking the stats to see what is pointing to my blog and what terms people are searching on to get here.

The top two?

1. "Crazy dumper" which apparently points to an entry about SF's beautiful, and dirty, streets.
2. "Peanuts make you fart" which refers to an entry about my flight home from Orlando (a search testament around the campaigns and upcoming election? Ala, I'm getting sick of the hot air flying everywhere, can't wait to vote, hope my side wins, but all this politics stinks?)

Fun Run #1

Monday was our first "Fun run" with Lululemon and it was SO fun. I showed up at 6:15 and the rest of the runners showed around 6:30. Most of them were co-workers and friends I recruited (thanks Rye, Vanessa, Veronica, Natalie) but there were a few locals who showed up to run with the group. We wound up doing a few shorter courses because there were quite a few new runners - the courses were:

• From Lululemon to mid-Chrissy Field (~3miles)
  
• From Lululemon to the Sports Basement and back (~3.5miles)
• From Lululemon to climbing gym (~4.5miles)

We want to do longer runs next time - the darkness may effect this, though.

If you're reading - you should come on the 27th!
http://www.lululemon.com/sanfrancisco/cowhollow/events/8655

Come run with me!

Monday I'm leading my first "Fun Run" with Lululemon on Union Street. We're starting the run at 6:30pm in front of the store. When everyone meets up, I'm going to ask people to decide how far/fast they want to go - then we'll break off in groups. I've made a few maps for folks to use (and more are on their way).

A little plug for the store that inspired me to start this:
Breathe. Laugh. Stretch. Run.
Why run with the group on Mondays?

• Meet new people
• Get motivated to go that extra mile
• Run with volunteers from Girls on the Run (myself included!)
  

And a plug for the cause that keeps me motivated:
Girls on the Run provides after school running programs for girls aged 8-13, and teaches them core life skills and values such as teamwork and fitness. At the end of the program, the girls complete either a 1M or 5K race.

You can learn more online: www.gotrbayarea.org. OR, come run Monday and I'll tell you more.

Have I convinced you to run yet?

3+miles:
Up to Broadway > up a BIG hill and into the Presidio > down to Palace of Fine Arts > back up to Union












6+ miles:
Start at Union > down to Marina Green > along Chrissy Field and the water > turn at warming hut > back up along the water > up to Palace of Fine Arts > up to Broadway > over to Fillmore > down to Union (pretty flat)

The great orchestrator

A symphony has a conductor (so does a train ... so does a semiconductor - well, kinda - it has the conductor plus an insulator. Semantics). A play, a director. A country a President (no comment), a company, a CEO (no comment again ... well, in light of our state today ... spa or massage anyone?).

What I'm getting at is any organization has a leader, either outright or not. Races have leaders - coordinators/organizers/directors/champions who blaze great trails for us to run and enjoy and provide water and snacks along the way. In the Bay Area there are countless races and almost as many ways to find them. When I first started getting back into running I remember going store to store trying to find postcards and ads for races. Then I went to Google. Then word of mouth.

Here are some of my favorite places to find races as well as a few famous races thrown in:

• Active.com: great online website for finding all kinds of events


• Dolphin South End Running Group: also a running group as you can guess from the name. Coordinate races nearly every week often as fundraisers. I'm always in awe when I see these runners around the city and the hills of Marin - a handful are in their 80s and would leave me at the starting line in most races.


• Envirosports: awesome trail races around the year. The races are rather informal and the prize is a rubber chicken. At the start of each race the director gathers all runners to sing America the Beautiful. Prices vary but come in around $30 - less if you don't get a shirt.


• PCTR: some of my favorite trail races. Courses are typically well marked, well stocked with water, and well cheered. The coordinators are ultra-marathon runners so, needless to say, the crowd that shows up are on the intense side.


• The Schedule: similar to Active.com but a little easier to navigate.

Races of note:

• Bay to Breakers: I realize this isn't a race organization, but this is an event to look forward to year after year. It's a 12k through the city - some people run it, some drink it, some wear costumes, some wear ... none, everyone has fun.


• Dipsea: hands down one of my favorite races in the Bay Area. Also one of the harder ones to get in to. You need to apply the day this race opens and practically drive the application and check to the house of the race organizer - first come, first serve. Then, a lotto to get in.


• Healdsburg Half: this is the first year of the race (and it's on my birthday), so I can't give a race update or overview. Should be a gorgeous run - how can it not with the setting?


• Napa to Sonoma Half: a great mid-summer race that occurs in July. Also, a great excuse to wine taste after running. Beautiful race through vineyards, a great (huge) metal at the finish, and typically good weather.


• Turkey Trot: similar to Bay to Breakers - aka, not an organization, but a race. A great fun race. A short race (only 5k). This was the run that inspired me to start running again.

The great debate

So I hate to turn this blog post into a twitter-esque rant, and I'll try to refrain myself ... watching the debate I'm torn - watch, or run? I have to be honest, it's frustrating hearing some of the arguments - some just don't make sense. Some are pure politics. Frankly, I want to hear the truth and the forward thinking plans. Not the he said she said. Politics is my football - I get so worked up I stand up, sit down, talk to the TV, and hope for the best.

I'm getting so worked up watching I need to run. (Don't worry, I'm taping this, too). Off I go to think on medicare, nuclear power, the economy, health care, education, and politics.

p.s. recommended listening from my mom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkMS3Oz1xkc

Running its course

With the stock market crashing and my brain constantly wandering to my diminishing retirement fund, I'm forcing my feet to wander more to the street (heh) - mostly a push to keep myself from calling Fidelity and selling all my stocks.

The good news is San Francisco offers a handful of great running groups to help keep motivation up.

• Dolphin South End Runners - the oldest running club in the citySaturdays at 8:15am at Kennedy Dr. in Golden Gate parkWednesdays at 7:15pm in WoodsideRaces nearly every weekend (including the famed Double Dipsea)


• Excelsior Run Club (New Balance) - offers training and race infoTuesdays at 6pm at KezarSaturdays and Sundays long runs in various locations


• Fleet Feet Sports - offers training programs and fun runsTuesdays at 6pm at the store on Chestnut


• Golden Gate Running Club (GGRC) - the group I run with and adore
  Sundays at the warming hut at Chriss Field at 10am for long runs
  Wednesdays at Kezar Stadium at 7pm for track workouts


• K-Stars - from what I hear, a more intense group - great runners
  Saturdays at 9am in Golden Gate Park
  Thursdays at 6:30pm at Kezar Stadium


• Marathon Matt - a genius in marketing himself, offers training programsCurrently doing training programs for YMCA's Run for Kids - soon to come, Girls on the Run!


• Nike Running club - great running club when it's NOT Nike Marathon training (the marathon training is too overwhelming the first few weeks)Saturdays at 8am at Little Marina GreenWednesdays at 6:30pm at Niketown


• Pac West - offers great training programs and bootcamps


• Pamakid Runners - a spinoff of Dolphon Running Club. I'll be honest on this one, I found them on Google (never heard of them).GREAT running tools available on their siteThursdays at 6:30pm at Kezar Stadium


• Presidio RX - a casual run club
  Mondays at 6:30pm at the Palace of Fine Arts (always a 5mile loop)
  Wednesdays at 6:30pm at Presidio Gate (4-6miles)


• San Francisco Road Runner's Club - great for training for specific races
  Training is broken down by race runners are targeting


• See Jane Run - training programs for running and tris
  Next training program for running starts in February 2009

Soon to come (drumroll please ...) Lululemon Monday night running group!

I'm sure there are many more out there and many more to come. It's one running city - yet another reason to love the good old SF of BA.