DSE Christmas Blind Date Relay

There's no big surprise in that I don't mind running the hills of San Francisco.

That stands for all hills except a few, one of them being Strawberry Hill in the middle of Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. It's a massive uphill that corkscrews to the top and then winds back down, all totaling a really terrible mile. Add a mile around Stow Lake, and you have a good place to do torturous hill and mile repeats.

And, apparently, the DSE run club's Christmas Blind Date Relay run.

Renee was also staying in San Francisco for Christmas this year, and we decided to make a "Friendsmas" out of the day, starting with the Blind Date Relay. You basically show up and get paired with a complete stranger. They try to pair males to females, but with more females showing up for this fun run, there were a couple same-sex teams. No attention is paid to age or speed or anything else that would normally matter. It seems like a pretty fair playing field, and it's cool to know you have a teammate on such a short and miserable run. ;)

I knew I was in luck when I drew the name of a man who went by "Tower" out of a hat. He was a tall, young man with a stride that went on for a mile in itself. Claiming he wasn't very fast coming out of racing CIM, I could tell he was sandbagging. I couldn't wait to see how fast he really was.

Each team member runs a 2-mile loop -- one mile up and down Strawberry Hill, and then one mile around Stow Lake -- before handing off to their teammate who does the same loop. The pseudo starting gun went off for the women, and after a quick jaunt up Stow Lake Dr., I found myself as the first female. I held that lead until the top of Strawberry Hill (that hill is a bitch), and then a couple ladies caught me on the way back down.

Mile 1: 7:45

I finished my lap around Stow Lake and tried to catch up to the ladies in front of me, but I was coughing up a lung. I guess I had a bit of a cold the last week or so, and the cold air this morning partnered with panting up a hill made everything come up. It was quite liberating and disgusting at the same time.

Mile 2: 7:05

I gave Tower a high-5 as he took off for his leg of the race. He yelled some congratulatory words as I approached him, then shot off like a bat out of hell. In a flash, his mile-long legs were gone.

On the uphill to Stow Lake, Tower passed the first man ahead of him, and on the way down from Strawberry Hill he caught up to the other. Holding a sub-6:30 average pace, Tower came charging in as the first man to cross the finish line.

Which meant, as a team, we finished first?!

Overall team time: 28:17 (7:04 average pace)

I have a number of "I Participated" DSE ribbons, and even a 4th place ribbon from a race earlier this year. But never before have I received a blue ribbon -- this will probably be my first and last one!

I participated -- and won!

Me & the dude solely responsible for winning our relay.

Renee and her teammate, Mort!

Overall, this fun run was everything it was described to be. I love the DSE run club because of the diversity of the crowd that shows up to every event. There are some competitive folks, some middle-of-the-pack folks, and some people who are really out just to say hi to their friends. But they are all there to have fun, and everyone is equally as pleasant.

And I can't imagine spending part of this holiday around people much cooler than that.

Merry Christmas!

Jingle Bell Hell Virtual Run

My HTC friend XLMIC decided to bring back her Jingle Bell Hell race, a run she & some friends founded a while ago that basically was a route of purely torturous running. She invited some of her friends to run alongside her on Saturday morning or run alongside her virtually if they couldn't make it.

With a weekend packed with social events I needed to get ready for, I opted to run her virtual race near my place.

The goal: Run something that resembles your own personal hell and laugh while doing it.

Where I ran: Presidio Trails.

The parts I get: Trails are pretty. Trails are better on your body. There are no cars that can (or at least should) hit you on the trails. But I really have a hard time with them. Flat, packed dirt is one thing. Mud and hills are another. I don't like them and this was an uncomfortable run for me.

The parts I don't get: MUDDY HILLS ARE NOT FUN.

A few views from my run... (Okay, I really was just taking breaks to catch my breath.)

Looks nice, huh? In theory, yes. But this was hard. There were steps. There was mud. There were people out smiling and saying good morning. (How can runners be so friendly when they are running on muddy hills?!)

Attached are my splits. You can see exactly where...
...I HIT THE MASSIVE HELLISH HILL, and laughed as I walked up part of it.
The route kind of looks like a stupid smile, laughing right back at me, does it not?! Maybe I'm seeing things.
Not fun.

Part of me was thinking that I want to try running trails at least once a week in 2012 to give my body a break from the pavement and to change things up/slow myself down. But after running this on Saturday... I'm not so sure.

Happy Jingle Bell Hell! Thanks for organizing this virtual race, XL!

Race Recap: California International Marathon

To be 100% honest, I don't remember much about the actual running of CIM, but I do know that I had a really, really fun weekend with a lot of great memories and key takeaways -- and running my fastest marathon yet was only a small blip on the weekend's spectrum. Without further ado: CIM weekend.

Pre-race fun times

On Saturday morning, the beautiful Courtney picked me up from my house and we headed straight to the CIM expo in Sacramento. There, we met up with Katie and Naomi. We had fun dinking around at vendor booths, met up with fellow San Francisco Marathon Ambassador Laura, bought cowbells for future races (can you believe I still don't have one?), picked up our race bibs/t-shirts, and parted ways. After the expo, Court & I pre-carb-loaded on sandwiches from a tasty bread shop in Sacramento, and then we headed straight to the grocery store for the real carb-loading that was about to happen.

Courtney, Katie, me, and Naomi, all excited to unite outside of SF for once.

Courtney, Laura, and me at the SFM booth

Courtney's parents are probably the coolest parents on the planet, and I think it would be nice if they'd adopt me. That isn't going to happen anytime soon, but the next best thing did happen: They let us take over their house for the evening to host a runner/spectator pizza party and sleepover, complete with nail painting. (Thank you so so so so SO much for your hospitality, Courtney's mom & dad!)

We were leaving SF for ONE DAY. How much stuff do two girls need?

Carbs courtesy of Court's parents.

MORE CARBS.

Cute little Layla & me

Painting my nails during a break from Sticking myself.

Best way to calm pre-marathon nerves: Friends.
Layla, me, Courtney, Michelle, Don, Angela, Sesa

5:00am Sunday morning rolled around, and I found myself excitedly eating what I could stomach of my breakfast, all while annoying the half-awake runners who were groggily stumbling around the house. I had high hopes for this race, and my energy was equally as high.

It's much too early for real smiles.

Our good friend (and volunteer for CIM) Layla dropped us off at the race site, we made our way to the Wall-o-Port-o-Potties, the sweat bag drop, and finally the famous starting line. I don't remember much except giving my friends good luck hugs, jumping around during the National Anthem, then toeing the marathon start line for the 5th time in a year and a half.

Photo courtesy of Katie's husband

The race

I had a distinct pacing strategy for this race, thanks to my good friend XLMIC. As a result, I was ONLY thinking about pace during this race. I was one of the un-fun runners who didn't high-five the kids out there or chuckle at any witty signs (but I did thank the volunteers for handing me water). I noticed the never-ending hills and a few people running in costumes around me; but for the most part I missed the sites and most of the spectators. I was focused on hitting my paces, getting water when I needed it, and pushing my limits. I was so focused that I missed fueling by a half mile more than 3 times, I only saw my friends in 1 of the 3 places they said they'd be cheering at, and I just tried to pick people off to keep myself going forward.

XL's pacing strategy for my race was this:
Miles 1 & 2: 8:30

Miles 3 & 4: 8:20

Miles 5-20: 8:10

Miles 21 & 22: 8:05

Miles 23 & 24: 8:00

Miles 25-26.2: 7:55

This would ensure a negative split (something I have never done), an overall pace of 8:10 (also something I have never done), and a finishing time of 3:33:55 (something I never thought I'd even dream of attempting).

Miles 1-4, The warm-up:

1: 8:24

2: 8:28

3: 8:23

4: 8:28

The race starts with some pretty significant downhills, so it was verrrry tricky trying to control a warm-up pace. I kept checking my watch every quarter of a mile or so, but I was also running with Angela for the first few miles and she helped me keep myself honest. I wanted to bust out and bank time on the downhills while I had the energy and terrain, but this is clearly a plan that has repeatedly failed me in the past. This was the time to try new a new strategy here: I had nothing to lose. Hopefully treating the first miles as a warm-up would make a marathon seem "easier" at the end.

Miles 5-8, It's go time:

5: 8:12

6: 8:12

7: 8:11

8: 8:11

I don't remember much except looking for my spectator friends after my true "go-time" clicked over at mile 5. I saw my friends at 7.5, and they were adorable with their signs, whistles, cameras, and excitement! It was such a boost seeing them out there, and it made me feel good to know people who cared about me were there to cheer me on.

The best spectators at CIM: Karin, Beth, and Jana

Miles 9-22, I'm rollin':
9: 8:10
10: 8:07
11: 8:08
12: 8:04
13: 8:06
14: 8:11
15: 8:20
16: 8:10
17: 8:04
18: 8:11
19: 8:07
20: 8:07
21: 8:07
22: 8:07

I have no recollection of anything race-related during these miles. I noted that the weather was perfect, I felt like I was hardly sweating, the miles were FLYING by, my lips kept getting chapped for some strange reason, and the wind was non-existent (good thing, since it has been so windy lately!). That, and I was excited that I was actually doing it -- I was getting close to my goal paces while controlling my breathing, and I felt optimistic about being able to PR. I tried to sip water every mile and just hold on.

Miles 23 - 26.2, Mental miles:

23: 8:21

24: 8:20

25: 8:22

26: 8:13

.27: 2:02/7:23 pace

My good friend/unofficial running coach/marathon "bible"/wonderful resource RoadBunner sent me a good-luck message from Hawai'i that I got early Sunday morning before the marathon. She told me that I was a strong runner and that I needed for fight for it at the end of the race. The last 3 to 5 miles of the marathon have traditionally been the darkest for me. I battle a lot of mind games where I always end up convincing myself that taking walk breaks is the only way I'll get to the finish. Not this time. Hearing RoadBunner say "fight for it" kept playing in my head. My goal paces started slipping away, and instead of giving in, I kept repeating my new mantra.

I know marathons are not easy. I know that great things don't happen by accident. I set my sites on people in front of me, tried to catch them, and fought for it. I had a bit of a fade in these miles, but I'm proud of how well I held it together. Fight for it.

Apparently Jana took this picture of me. I never saw her.

Fight for it.

I crossed the finish line and stopped my Garmin: 3:35:44.97. I put my hands down on my knees because I was so tired and yet so happy to be done. I had nothing left in me. I looked up when I heard my name being screamed for the entire world to hear -- it was Layla!

There she was, a foot in front of me, hollering my name, grinning the brightest smile on her face, holding her arms extended with my 5th marathon medal and the biggest hug. I was so out of it when she jumped in front of me, but I do know this is THE coolest way to end a race ever!!

SO HAPPY TO SEE LAYLA!

Layla got me a space blanket (with which I covered my mouth and gagged under a few times because I didn't want to have the slightest chance of puking on her), she quickly grabbed me water, and she helped me walk over to the people cutting off our timing chips. I felt like I was truly, wholehearted taken care of at this race, and it's all thanks to Layla. No one has ever given me personal support at the end of a race -- they always just herd us off down the line like cattle. Layla took the time to hug me, congratulate me, make sure I was okay and stable and getting my senses back, boost my spirits, and chat with me for a good 15 minutes even though I was a smelly, sweaty, incomprehensible wreck. She's truly one of the greatest friends anyone could ask for ... and, not to mention, a pro athlete catcher (she just did this same job at the Kona Ironman championships! :)

I was in the best of hands at this race thanks to her, no doubt about it.

Layla & me in front of the Capitol.

Katie and me after running our hearts out.

All of us reuniting on the Capitol's lawn.

BAM.

After the race, my friends who were there and I all met up, rehashed our tales, helped each other see clearly and reaffirm that we all kick ass, and headed off to breakfast. The whole morning I couldn't help but look around me and realize that I have some of the best friends in the entire world... both in front of me, and via the text messages/emails/Facebook messages/tweets I received all morning from people tracking my progress. The support of the running community boggles my mind... I am not worthy.

Refueling at Tower Cafe

Post-race thoughts

With that, I did not make my A+ goal (3:33:xx). However, I did make my A goal (3:39 or faster). Never ever ever in my short-legged life did I think I'd run close to an 8-minute mile... let alone 26.2+ of them in a row without a break. But I did it. And I'm eager to do it again -- only I'm going to get that 3:33 next time. I think, after five tries, I might have caught the marathon bug. (Or maybe I'm still just on a runner's high.)

I set nearly a 9-minute PR. I negative split a marathon for the first time. I ran my shortest marathon to date. I never stopped to walk -- not even through the water stops. I realized I have the best support around me. I realized I can do this.

2011 has been a year that has flown by, but not without its major discoveries. I've learned that it's okay to put goals out there; it's okay to dream big, run long, and push to the point of discomfort. I've learned it's okay to fail, it's okay to admit shortcomings, and it's okay to try and try and try again.

I came into 2011 wanting to run a marathon in 4 hours, and wanting to do so after building up into a fall/winter race. I ended up accidentally getting it early on in the year, and that instilled in me a level of confidence I never knew I had. I dreamed of 4 hours, and I got 3:35.

Naturally, I couldn't do any of this without the greatest support in the world -- the people who push me, believe in me, run with me, listen to me, talk with me, and advise me. I couldn't (and probably wouldn't) do this without the greatest friends anyone could ever imagine having: The Running Community -- Bay Area and beyond. Thank you all for believing in me.

Race stats

Garmin time: 26.27 miles, 3:35:44 -- 8:12 pace (7.3 mph)

Official time: 26.2 miles, 3:35:45 -- a 8:29 PR!

Average pace: 8:12 (7.3 mph)
Overall place: 1,406 out of 5,755
Gender place: 321 out of 2,484
Age/Gender place: 60 out of 350
Air temp: 43F

Splits:
1: 8:24

2: 8:28
3: 8:23
4: 8:28
5: 8:12
6: 8:12
7: 8:11
8: 8:11
9: 8:10
10: 8:07
11: 8:08
12: 8:04
13: 8:06 (first half: 1:48)
14: 8:11
15: 8:20
16: 8:10
17: 8:04
18: 8:11
19: 8:07
20: 8:07
21: 8:07
22: 8:07
23: 8:21
24: 8:20
25: 8:22
26: 8:13
.27: 2:02/7:23 pace (second half: 1:47)