I blame my smart phone...I hardly sit at my desktop anymore. The 955 unopened emails that sit in my Outlook are testimony that I have been sucked in the vortex of easy email on the Crackberry. If only I could blog from it...nah, keyboard too tiny!
So let's see...what has happened since October 12th?
Landed in San Francisco, took the BART into the city, found my hotel (a block and a half from the station), checked into the tiniest room EVER, walked (yes, walked!) the hills of San Fran looking for Beach Blanket Bimbo, only to arrive exactly 1 minute before they closed the doors, and was therefore forced to sit at the stage. And by at the stage, I mean with my knees firmly squashed against the stage, and having to carefully look up (didn't want to see what I didn't want to see!!!) to watch the show. After all that, it was just m-eh. Found an Irish pub after, so I could have a Guinness (okay, two) and then finished the night off with a couple of slices from the pizza joint across the street from the hotel.
Hit the Expo first thing Saturday morning, which was good, since the line-ups wrapped all the way around Union Square most of the rest of the day! Yikes!! After breakfast at Sears (not the store, but a diner up the road from Union Square), we wandered into DSW, where, somehow we managed to misplace 2-3 hours and a quite a bit of cash! I tend to get frustrated shoe shopping, as there's hardly ever my size, and when there is, it's just a hair too tight. But I still managed to come home with a pair of Reeboks for Crossfit, a pair of red Vans and...crap, can't think of what else I bought there! That's just sad. More wandering, dinner at a fabulous Italian place we stumbled upon, before heading back to the hotel for an early night.
Woke up at the crack of stupid, to meet up with 24,999 other insane people at Union Square, for the race start at 7am. I am so thankful that a) my hotel was a half a block from Union Square, and b) I screwed up and put down my per km pace and not my per mile pace. I was in corral 2, rather than corral 5 or 6 where I should have been. Took them over 30 minutes just to get to the start mat...I needed all the help I could get!
The course is a nice one...yes, there are hills. It is San Francisco, after all, but all in all, nothing too daunting or that bad, really. Ran from Union Square down towards Pier 1 (is that where the store name came from???), and then along the waterfront past Fisherman's Wharf, and Ghiradelli, before our first hill. After a little run up, we bobbed and weaved our way to Golden Gate park, and some really big hills. Sadly (but from a cooling perspective, perfection) it was foggy and misty the whole race, so not a lot of good views, but the run through Presidio was nice, and through the big park, and then off to the Ocean Highway. I spent the entire race freaking out that I wouldn't make the cut-off (1:30pm - "strictly enforced" if you read all the hype) and therefore all that would be for not. I felt the blister form early on, but kept forging ahead, and when it blew at mile 20 (and trust me, it blew!), I leaned on the endorphins to make the pain go away and kept going. 6:16, I think was my official time, or a mere 10 minutes before the finish line closed. But I got my necklace, which I wear every day, and my hug from the fire guy, and even some TLC from a great group of medics ("OMG - you have a baby toe growing on your blister!"). Toured Alcatraz that night (rule #1 - keep moving) and did a 5 stop wine tour on Monday, walked all over San Fran on Tuesday, before flying home (and changing flights to avoid huge layover in Vancouver again) on Wednesday.
Would I do San Fran again? Probably, as it was fun, but I'll do the Half next time. Same bling, half the pain!!!
Marshaled for Halloween Howl and Rogue's Run...let's face it...I just like to dress up.
Back to Banff for Winterstart 2012, my last race of the season. Sold my Last Chance Half bib, and marshaled instead, and that's it for me until February, and the Hypo Half. Going to pace for my favourite instructor in January (he's teaching the Half, but I'm registered for Vancouver marathon again, so I'll adapt the training) and while I've committed to a "mile a day" in December, I'm really easing up on the running till then. Need to get Mr. Left Leg sorted out for good. And my weight. Gah. Next topic...
Crossfit started on Saturday, and it's a good pain. That's what I keep telling myself. It's not as much cardio as bootcamp, but twice as much hard work. Did a ladder WOD (workout of the day) of 21-15-9-15-21, in which we alternated between squat presses (35lb bar) and pull-ups (I used a box), for a total of 81 of each. Monday was a 20 minute AMRAP (as many reps as possible) WOD of 10-10-10. Presses (35lb), kettlebell swings (18lb) and box jumps (12"). Discovered that my left leg is not particularly fond of the box jumps, but it'll just have to learn to love them. I will not quit!!!
Marshaled again on Sunday (every runner should volunteer once a year, if not more, for a race, whether it's package pick-up, marshaling, handing out the food afterwards...you need to give back) for the Last Chance Half, and had a blast cheering on my friends on a cold November morning. Good thing I had the world's cutest dog join me for the job.
Smiling,
1 comment:
So glad you’re back in the blogging business, Carol. I love hearing about your marathon and running endeavors. Makes me want to start running again.
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