Santa Rosa Marathon

Me with my finisher's wine and jacket at the expo

  

The Santa Rosa Marathon! My first marathon of the year...

My friend convinced me somehow that I should try to qualify for Boston this year. Keep in mind that my pace was/is much slower than the last time I qualified for Boston, not to mention the qualifying times cut off about 5 minutes from 2011.

Typical me jumped into it without much hesitation. I also dragged my running buddy Brian into joining me, even though his one and only prior marathon experience was less than enjoyable.

Santa Rosa sounded great. It was right before the Boston registration would open. It is also notorious for being a relatively flat and fast course. The added perks that sealed the deal were the cool jackets and the bottle of wine that you received at the expo.

I drove up with my boyfriend, and we stayed at the Best Western Garden Inn just a mile from the race. The hotel was a little disappointing from first glances, but I learned to love the place even though it had a minor ant infestation (but hey, our house is way worse) and had a very low budget/economy feel. It had the essentials though, and then some. Air conditioning, a hot shower, a comfy bed, and a little microwave and refrigerator.

I haven't ever been so nervous for a race before. I had overtrained in my efforts to qualify. I had bought a special running plan, and it ended up just being too much for me to take. Yet I kept going even if I started to feel injuries coming on. In result, by the time of the race, my legs were completely toasted and even a five mile run would leave me breathless and in pain. I had no idea how I was going to tackle 26.2 miles if I could barely do 5...

My Strava race course map

I had trained for it though, and I had gone just slightly over 20 miles. I knew that I was more prepared than most, but I also knew that my legs were suffering from some serious overtraining injuries and that it was going to be an uphill battle.

First thing's first! The expo. It was at the De Loach wineries and was all outdoors. Besides a pretty backwards and confusing entry (you had to go all the way to the end to get your bibs and then work your way up front), it was nice. I found the people to be friendly, but a little bit pushy. (No I don't want to do your race! I don't even want to do this one really!)

The jackets were super nice! They were light and I'm sure I'm going to use them for a lot of running occasions. The wine bottle was also nice...a "Finisher's Red". I haven't drank any yet, but I'll be sure to update you if anyone is dying to know.

After a nice gluten free pasta meal at Ca'Bianca Ristorante Italiano, I headed back to the hotel where I proceeded to freak out about not eating enough and making last minute runs to the grocery store and finally to Wendy's for french fries and a baked potato. Yes you heard me. And it was good! Don't judge.

Jon and I at the start

The start was at 6am downtown Santa Rosa. It was initially going to be a 7am start, but because of some heat waves earlier this summer they decided to be safe and move it to 6. I welcomed that decision with open arms because I know Santa Rosa's heat can get unbearable. It was pitch black though, and even though I didn't use the port-a-potties at the beginning, my friend said that they were pretty dark and scary and he had to download a flashlight app to see anything (although he regretted that he could see anything).

Luckily the weather was just right for us. There was a humid twinge in the air that made it comfortable yet cool at the start. We sought out the 4:15 marathon pacer and decided to try to stick with her as long as possible at a comfortable 9:53 pace.

The course was nice. It was mostly asphalt which I kind of hated. I was longing for soft dirt to run on, and there was only a short moment where I got my wish. The aid stations seemed to be every 3 miles or so, which were nice. I heard that some runners missed out on gatorade, but I brought my fluid and snack filled back pack so I wasn't relying on the aid stations.

I did however start to feel a blister coming on at mile 3.  At mile 16 I had to stop, and it was a constant battle trying to stay ahead of the pacer. (sorry but I have to post the picture!!!) Hoka One One, I love you, but please fix yo' toe boxes!

Blisters!

My poor friend Brian

I caught up to my friend Brian at around mile 18. He started out strong, but he started getting really bad leg cramps. Not to mention he had horrible chaffing going on in his chest region! Band-Aids, people! Band-Aids!  I knew that that t-shirt he got last minute was a bad idea. I mean it was a great cause, but never wear anything new on a race day!

The pace group caught up with us around mile 20 and it was just the thing I need to stay on target for a 4:15 marathon.

I crossed the finish line in 4:14 which was fine by me. I can't say that I'm not disappointed, because I am. It's my slowest marathon to date, and 35 minutes slower than my PR! The race was also full of super fast people, so I was put nearly in the bottom 4th.  Woe is me I guess. I should be grateful that I have two working legs! Kind of.

Finishing Photo

The finish was fun. I met up with my boyfriend who ran the half marathon and PR'ed. There was a pancake breakfast, coffee, beer, and a ton of fruit. My favorite was the fresh cold watermelon, which I now firmly believe should be at the end of every race.

My friend came in a bit later, and his only gripe (yet completely significant and justifiable) was that by the time he came in they completely ran out of bottled water, and a lot of other things. The half marathoners that came in before us snagged most of it which is really disappointing...especially after over 4 hours of pain.

Would I do it again? I think so. It was a beautiful course, with some great swag. The race directors seemed very sincere and passionate, and the facebook page was updated constantly with race information or answers to concerned runner questions. Like a fine wine, I think this race will get better with time! Again. Sorry about the blister photos.

Check out those giant finisher's medals!

The Panda Bear Night Run

On August 17th, 2013 I partook in the Panda Bear Night Run in Alma, Michigan.

There were a few reasons why I wanted to do this race.

1. It was cheap. At $25 for a half marathon which includes a headlamp, I couldn't resist!
2. It was my first night run.
3. It was near my home town in Michigan.
4. My family and friends would join me!

I wasn't very well trained for this race. This past month or two I have been dealing with some seriously overtrained legs. Not fun. And no I don't just mean tired. I mean, my legs feel sharp stabby pains going through every muscle at every running step I take. They also feel like they are going through quicksand with bricks strapped to them, and my heart rate is usually through the roof since my effort level is skyrocketing. Basically, a half marathon felt like a marathon and even my five mile run had me stopping every half mile.

I had the Santa Rosa marathon the next weekend though, so I decided that if I didn't do the entire half marathon that mentally I wouldn't be prepared to do 26.2 the next weekend.

My energy and excitement for the race perked up when I realized that I had a solid pack of family attending the race (my mom, two aunts, a cousin (and her daughter) mainly walking the 5k), and a friend that drove hours to hang out with me and run the 5k. They were great support, and really good energy to have around. My friend and I decided that we needed to dress up like pandas and scrounged the nearest dollar store for some thick eyeliner to use as panda markings on our faces.

The half marathon started at 9:00pm at a school in Alma, MI. It was a great place to start, and even though the only bathroom was the one in the school, it seemed to work out alright. There were quite a few people attending, I'm not exactly sure on the numbers but there were several hundred for all three races (5k, 10k, and half marathon).

The organization of the bib pickup could have been smoother. The 5k line went quick, but the half marathon line was a little bit brutal and probably moved 5x's as slow. They seemed to have gotten everyones bibs mixed up (including mine, which they just scratched out with a sharpie and hand wrote my name on the bib) I was excited to have gotten my free headlamp though. It had two light functions...blinding or blacklight. It seemed that there were a variety of types of headlamps given out, and I assume they were all either donations or on sale at a nearby store because the brands were all over the place. I thought mine looked dorky until I looked at the girls next to me and it looked like she was about to go digging in a coal mine for the remainder of the night.

The 5k runners got these cute little blue flashlights that I doubt could last very long, but they did have the race name printed on them which I was a little jealous about. The 10k runners got a hat light that they could clip on to a baseball cap.

As for other spirited pandas, we weren't the only ones that decided to go all out. In fact there were probably 10 other pandas at the race, and we all acknowledged each other as we passed by.

The actual run was down a rails-to-trails trail (old railroad tracks that have been paved over and that are now used as bike or walking paths throughout Michigan). It was pretty rural, and the city lights dimmed out quickly. I don't know much about the scenery since it was so dark, but in the short moment that I could see, there was plenty of farm land and trees.

The 9:00 start was just early enough to see the sun completely set, and in the first few miles I was seeing fireflies on all sides, as well as many low flying bats eating the swarms of bugs we were running through. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful and peaceful, but there were a LOT of bats. I was more fascinated than freaked out to be honest, but it's something to take note on.

The course was straight and flat. Very. Very straight. And very. Very flat.  It was all asphalt too, which wasn't very forgiving on my aching legs. One of the few other complaints I had is that there were not enough volunteers to block any oncoming traffic through the crossing points, but since it's rural Michigan there was not much traffic to stop.

Once the sun went completely down it started to get a little scary since I was in the middle of the woods in pitch black. The runners thinned out and there were moments when I felt completely alone (although only for a short short moment or two). The only aid stations seemed to be at the turn around for the 10k, and the turn around for the half marathon. I wished that there was at least a bathroom somewhere in between, but those needing to relieve themselves were S.O.L. and doomed to trek into the darkness to do their duty.

I crossed the finish line at 1:55:45 which was surprising considering how bad of shape my legs were in.

The post race food? There wasn't much, but then again what do you expect for $25 registration? There were some cookies that I didn't eat because I felt kind of gross and I wasn't eating wheat. My family seemed to enjoy them though.

We instead decided to treat ourselves to a reward of McDonalds (it was supposed to be at the 24hr Coldstone, but they were closed for a short time at midnight).

I would definitely come back again to do this race. :) The only thing I would probably want to change is that I would wear a face mask and glasses because they were so many bugs out at night. All in all it was a lot of bang for the buck, and it was fun running at night among the fireflies.

SF Giants Race 2013

 Oh the Giants Race.

I have done this race three times now. I haven't enjoyed it a single time. I do believe that it has potential though, that's why I keep going.

Year 1 that I went was very, very hot. It had an 8am start in the middle of summer and there is not much shade at all on this course. Quite unforgiving!

The next year was better, but we got a late start and spent most of our energy weaving through people, and seeing a lot of people tumble and fall in the process because you can bypass people by hopping up onto the cobble stone road center which is pretty unsafe and you're just asking for a sprained ankle.

This year was more like last year. My running buddy realllly wanted to do the race because they showed a picture of a very sparkly medal that is supposed to be like the World Series rings (I guess). I'm not a sports fan, and me getting into the Giants now would just not be very genuine of me.

An entry into the race (I think I got it when it was $90) gets you a shiny medal, a pretty nice t-shirt, and the infamous bobble head that some people stand outside the expo to try to buy off of you. I don't see the appeal in those either. I do like the t-shirt though, and I would actually wear it unlike most of the race shirts I get.

My friend and I are training for a marathon so today's run was supposed to be 16 miles. We arrived at 6:15 so we could squeeze in a 3 miler before the race. There was already a lot of traffic coming in at that time, but we snagged a pretty ideal parking spot. My boyfriend got stuck in the awful traffic and made it to the race in the nick of time. We decided to do a more relaxed start since it's chipped, and we went to the portapotties before while the race started.  Oh, and the portapotty lines are kind of ridiculous. There are definitely not enough at the start and there's a GOOD chunk of people that start this race late due to the bathroom lines and the parking situation.

Naturally starting later does pose the problem that we are behind EVERYONE and have to weave around walkers and joggers that aren't really paying attention. It was really frustrating because there's so many runners and not enough road. Nobody responded to my shouts of "to your left" which got pretty tiring. I ended up tacking on another half mile to the race just from weaving back and forth.

It didn't seem like there were that many aid stations, but I honestly rarely stop at them if ever, so I can't tell you how great it was.

The course is nice, especially if you're new to SF and want to see the city. It takes you along Embarcadero and through the Fisherman's Wharf, and down toward the bridge (but not over it). It's a pretty flat course, but there are two noticeable 80ft hills that might take your breath away for a bit if you're not prepared for it. It's mainly concrete except for the gravel section through Chrissy Field. I used to hate that part, but now I'll take anything that's not concrete and rejoice at the extra give.

Probably the coolest part about the race is that you finish on the field. I finished in 2:00:49 which was disappointing but my legs are tired and I'm definitely feeling the effects of over training. (I also had to make a quick portapotty stop) The post-race food is alright, they are sponsored by Safeway so you get a grocery bag and then fill it with pita bread, a greek yogurt, a banana, and some chips. They heavily promoted reusing your water bottle and had several coolers at the aid stations and the finish of cold water to refill with.

All in all, part of my bitterness is my own fault for always starting late at this race and not getting to my proper corral a the right time. I find the race just to be mediocre though, nothing wows me, but I'm pretty sure if you're a giants fan or a baseball fan at all, that this would be a pretty great race for you to do. The race is also pretty young (4 years) so I imagine that it will improve year after year.

Esprit De She - Palo Alto 5k

I wasn't really looking to run any additional races since my race schedule is filled to the brim, but I couldn't resist signing up for the Esprit de She (sponsored by Athleta) when I got an Active.com email saying that I could get free shoes for doing so.

The first 100 people to enter in the coupon code and register would get a free pair of Skecher's GoRun2 shoes. I was pretty quick to pounce on it, so I actually got my shoes within a week (I think?). I wasn't exactly timing the shipping, but it was pretty awesome because I got to pick my color of shoe and it shipped for free! This is my 2nd pair of free Skechers since I won one at the Road Runner Sports Adventure run a few months back. The shoes are actually surprisingly awesome considering that they're Skechers. They are lightweight, comfy, yet low to the ground with a 4mm heel drop. I'd recommend them for sure!

Back to the race. It was only $35 total, so it was easy to justify. It was also on a Thursday night at 6:30, so it didn't interfere with my weekend long runs.

I convinced a friend to join me for the race, so we headed out early since traffic is kind of awful and we weren't sure what the parking situation would be like.

Turns out that there is plenty of parking! We got a decent spot, and still had time to roam around the mini expo that they had there. The race came with really cute tank tops, as well as lots of free samples (Luna bars, drink mixes, lotions n'such). There was a manicure station, and a massage station as well. I didn't bother waiting in the line for a manicure though. The part I found funniest was seeing the feminine products outside of the portapotties. That is a first! Inside the portapotties there were also little bouquets of fake flowers to fem it up. It surprisingly did make it more pleasant seeming.

The race was definitely full of women. I think there were only 4 men total, and over 400 runners there. I'm not usually very into the all women races. There's a bit too much of the whole "girl power" vibe, but this race kept it classy.

The race started at around 6:30. I wasn't sure how fast I could get my legs moving since they were in a lot of pain from my previous runs that week. I started out with an 8:30 pace, and managed to weave around some people. The trail was narrow and it was difficult to pass.  It was flat and on dirt which I loved. It looped around a little airplane runway which kind of surprised me when the first of many planes took off.

It was pretty nice temps that day, but the wind was picking up a bit. After being nearly taken out a few times at the turn around (the narrow path turns even more narrow when you have opposite direction traffic), I managed to pick up the speed and finish in 34th place with a 7:46 min mile.

I ran right into the empty massage stations.

The after food was great and included several types of sandwiches, green salad, and greek yogurts. We were also given tickets for two drinks at the end, which we were given the choice of 3 types of drinks. I chose some raspberry/grapefruit mojito thing, which was pretty tasty. I didn't go back for my 2nd, because it was starting to get a little brisk.

Overall it was a great race, and I'll definitely be returning!