Sunday Run

Sometimes life can bring you moments where things seem a bit blue and leave you wondering what's next. While it doesn't cure the blues, a great run and great friends sure does help remind you what is important in this world and brings a smile to your face.

10 miles in sunny SF w/Alyssa and Sesa

2011 in Review

I'm not a huge "make a big deal of the new year rolling in" gal, but I do take a moment to think back on the past 365 days and reflect on the path taken.

2011 was a year of highs, lows, sideways, backwards and forwards. Through it all, I weathered the storm and came out all the better.

Highlights of 2011:


1. Leonard (aka BootNabber) came into my life, or me in his, not sure which

2. I found the most amazing group of runners and am lucky to feel part of a running community. I posted about this before, but they will never truly understand what they bring to my life.

 
 

3. I stayed gainfully employed. I never take this for granted.

4. I was lucky enough to say goodbye in person to an amazing women. A women I called "grandmother" for many decades.

5. I continued to complete 26.2 miles this past year; twice over

 

6. I felt loved all year long by my family

7. I was graced every day with wisdom, kindness, love and attention by my best friends; Sandi and Ben.

8. I've grown as a person a lot in the past year. I think my friends would say I am stronger, wiser and braver than I have ever been.

9. While I haven't found love, I have met some wonderful people along the way and still believe the love of my life is out there; somewhere. Yes, I'm a romantic at heart :-)

So this is what morning looks like...

For a good part of the year, I had been longing to make it out for a morning run before work. But my efforts typically went like this:

1. Make a running date to meet early
2. Wonder late at night why I made such a date
3. Set alarm
4. Cancel alarm in the middle of the night
5. Text running date cancelling
6. Lay in nice warm bed

I was determined to make this happen before years end. This past week I emailed Aron of RunnersRambles and pleaded with her to HELP ME MAKE THIS HAPPEN! She quickly responded with date & time.

So on a cold Wednesday morning, I met up with Aron for a hilly trail run. We started in the black of morning and were treated to lovely views as the sun began to surface.

 Why, hello early morning moon!

UC Berkeley Campus

While getting up wasn't easy, the workout, the views, the accomplishment and especially the company made it more than worthwhile. SO GLAD I accomplished one of my goals. YEA ME!

Happy camper; early morning camper!

Thank you to Aron, you are a great addition to my 2011. Looking forward to 2012.

CIM Spectators Report

I covered 26.2 miles on Sunday from a unique vantage point. I was lucky enough to have the honor of cheering for some amazing ladies as they covered a great distance.

My day started off on a great note. I woke up easily at the pre-dawn hour of 4:00am. The only other time I am ever up at 4:00am is when I am preparing for my own marathon, and I have to tell you, I was SO EXCITED that I wasn't the one running today :-) I went to pick up Beth  (she has a great race recap here) and we headed out on what would be an adventurous day.

We made great time to Sacramento, where the California International Marathon takes place. As we arrived, my first goal was to find gas.

Hello 1 mile left on the tank

How does stopping for gas, then fixating on getting to Starbucks at 6:00am lead to meeting Sacramento's finest? A one-way street. After getting gas, I turned down a street that couldn't have been more than 50 yards. I quickly realized it was a one-way street, but Beth and I both agreed NO ONE WAS AWAKE AT THIS HOUR! Except that one police car heading towards me. Bat a few eye lashes, convince the officer "no, I was not drinking at 6am, but that is a good idea" and he let us go. Not sure he was thrilled when I asked if I could get a picture with him for the blog. Note: My interactions with Sacramento's finest would not end here. More on that later.

Beth and I made our way to Starbucks, grabbed some much needed caffeine, then set off to meet up with the wonderful Karin. I was looking forward to hanging out with Beth & Karin, who I have met several times, but typically we are running and have less opportunities to chat. Can you say bonding time today?

Beth, Karin and I made a great cheer crew.

Our first stop was around the 7 mile marker. We disembarked from the Jana Mobile and chatted with the police monitoring this intersection (more on that in a minute) and set-up camp. Our goal was to try and see each of the East Bay Runners at this point, then catch them all again at the finish. The tricky part? We haven't met a few of them outside of Twitter. Spotting someone you know on a marathon course is tricky, but try finding someone you don't know! We came prepared for that situation with some awesome stand-out signs. No, I am not vain enough to put my own name on my sign, my goal here was that it would be easier for the runners to identify us, if they saw my Twitter handle on the sign. And it worked :-)

I figured CIM was a great time to put my rape whistle my Uncle sent me for those "solo running days" to good use. And all I can say is, it's really loud. Took a full day to get my hearing back. Sorry Beth & Karin!

As we took up post, our fingers & toes quickly became numb. The weather was around 40 degrees. But there we waited. With the help of Jessica back home who was texting us marathon split times, we were able to predict when each friend would run by. And it started...FAST Katie came whizzing by, quickly followed by Caitlin. Then the rest followed suite: Alyssa, Courtney, Angela and Naomi (we missed spotting Sesa, Michelle and Kristine).

We departed mile 7, only to learn our first mistake, take more care when parking for a marathon. We were trapped! We couldn't go right or left, as that would put us on the marathon course and we couldn't go back out the way we came, as that would entail crossing over a cement median. Here is where our reputation with Sacramento's finest would come into play. I approached the office and asked when they would allow u-turns at the intersection, to get around the median. He indicated for safety reasons, they need to wait until there is a 100-yard break between two runners; his estimate was 45 minutes from that moment. We were thoroughly depressed as that meant we might miss FAST Katie and Caitlin's finish. We pulled out to wait in the u-turn lane and within 2 minutes, the officer started to let the cars u-turn. He flashed us a big smile as we passed. The powers that three ladies can have on an officer ;-)

We decided to hit mile 20 and cheer on Caitlin and Katie before making it to the finish. These two ladies are simply amazing. The grace and speed with which they run, leaves me in awe. I will never see a 3-hour finish time, but they allowed me to experience it through them on Sunday. For that, I am thankful. For one day, I was an elite runner :-)

We had so much fun at the finish. We cheered on every runner, friend or not. This is the spot where dreams come true:

All-in-all, it was a tremendous day. I felt grateful to be part of each runners journey. They are each inspirational, amazing and beautiful. As Beth pointed out on her blog, there are some tips for those spectating a marathon:

1. Know what your runners are wearing to make it easier to spot them. Also, have each bib # jotted down.
2. Cheer for everyone! Each person out there needs encouragement. As much as possible, make eye contact with a runner and cheer as if you were speaking to them personally. You will be amazing at how many thumbs ups, smiles and thank you's you will get in return.
3. Ensure your signs are colorful and witty. Beth made a great sign about toenails and many runners got a kick out of it.
4. Ensure when parking along the course, you can easily get back out and move to your next mile post.
5. We learned that yelling "You did it! Smile." at the finish line was the perfect thing. So many runners cracked a smile as we screamed at them. Several looked at us and you could see the excitement creep on their face as they realized they were about to finish their marathon.
6. Identify a good meet-up place after. A finish line is a chaotic mess. Your runners shouldn't need to worry about tracking you down. Organize this in advance.

To the ladies of CIM who graciously allowed me to be part of their journey, you all did great. So proud of you! I've never enjoyed 26.2 miles as much as I did on Sunday!

Nike Women's Marathon Recap

Sunday marked my 13th full marathon. I wasn't sure if 13 would be lucky or unlucky in this case. Turned out to be a bit of both.

Sunday started off well. Alarm went off at 4:20am. Got up, felt rested and alert. Showered, ate 1/2 a bagel with peanut butter on it. Walked the dog and I was off into the dark morning. The one good thing about early Sunday marathons is, no traffic!

Pre-race picture with Leonard

I made my way into San Francisco and easily found parking near the start line; Union Square. I made a pit stop in the Sir Frances Drake Hotel (which was clearly a host hotel for TNT runners) and was treated to a real bathroom, with toilet paper AND a flushing toilet. Rare find on marathon mornings.

The start area of most marathons is always an experience in and of itself. There is so much electricity and excitement in the air. I always find myself looking around and watching the faces of other runners and wondering what their story is. Is it their first marathon? Are they coming back after some set-back (illness, injury)? Are they going to have a PR today? This race however was slightly different for a few reasons.

1. It was mainly women. I would hazard a guess that less than 5% of the runners were male.
2. It was a sea of TNT runners (team in training). Lot's of purple jerseys.
3. There were many running abilities present

I made my way over to the school buses that were acting as the bag drop, said goodbye to my phone and all contact with the outside world and headed to the start line. No more pit stops for me. Just the infamous; stand and wait. I was lined up by 6:30am, but the next 30 minutes went by quickly. I scanned the crowds looking for any familiar faces, as I knew a lot of the people I had met recently while running would be tackling this course. I was unable to find anyone and was slightly disappointed. I wanted to offer up my "good luck" and just seeing a familiar face race morning always calms the nerves. At the last minute, I did spot Alisyn in the crowd and we spent a few minutes together before the gun went off (then we lost each other in the masses).

I had heard before hand that the Nike Women's Marathon course was not an easy one and the full marathon wasn't that well received. I was nervous and filled with anticipation to see how these two facts panned out. They pretty much were spot on.

I've run some challenging courses, but for me, this was the most challenging. I could tell by mile 1, that my legs didn't feel right. Apparently, I felt rested, but they did not. Then the hills came. It seemed like one hill after another. I recall at one point turning a corner and saying out-loud "You have got to be kidding me, another hill?". I admired all those runners around me who just powered up those hills. I kept trudging up the hills, all the while wondering if I would be able to finish this marathon. Around mile 6, I did something I rarely do, I pondered stopping right there and getting a DNF (did not finish). I just felt like I did not have it in me, which was very disappointing as 2 weeks earlier, I had a great 1/2 marathon and felt fantastic the entire time. This thought plagued me for miles. Then came mile 8. I looked left and saw them. I yelled, I jumped in the air, I waved frantically. It was Katie, Page, Dennis and Jessica. Honestly, seeing any familiar face on the sidelines is like getting a second wind. I don't quite think spectators realize the importance they play for those running the race.

Katie, Page, Dennis & Jessica's sign at mile 8

I got my second wind and I kept running. But the sails died out quickly. By mile 10 I began to second guess myself again. For the next mile I argued with myself if I should just turn off at mile 11 and finish the 1/2 marathon and be done with it. Mile 11 came and went. I continued trudging along. My mile splits were a range of times. I was not consistent to say the least. By mile 12:55, I said to myself; "just drop out. Today is not your day". I have never been closer to quitting a race than at that moment. All I kept thinking was "You have 13.5 more miles of this". I don't know how, but I just kept going. One foot in front of the other.

I began walking through the aid stations to ensure I was taking in enough fluids. I felt so thirsty the entire race. Others told me this was due to the humidity. I had taken in a gel at miles 6 and 13 and had planned my 3rd one around mile 18.

Around mile 15.5, we emerged from Golden Gate Park onto the Great Pacific Highway. I loved this portion. Not only did the weather feel cooler, but it was a nice downhill for a mile or so. I personally love the downhills and loved them even more on this day. My lungs felt like they had been working in overdrive, the downhills felt like a place for them to rest.

At mile 17, I got another treat, my friend/coworker, Jose and his son came out to cheer me on. They drove all the way from Antioch. It really meant a lot to me. I would see them again around mile 24.

Me surrounded by my posse waving at Jose

Then the clouds parted (figuratively speaking) and something wondrous happened. I had 8 miles to go. I felt drained. My mental energy was gone. And then they appeared. Katie, Page, Dennis & Jessica. I knew Katie and Jessica had planned to meet me around mile 18 to run with me the last few miles, but I had no clue Page & Dennis would be there too. I have never felt so worthy and touched. I know that sounds corny, but to have 4 people jump in (2 of them strangers) and run with me, cheer for me, pep me up, do anything they could to ensure I stayed in a straight line and got to the finish, it literally was a great moment.

By mile 19, all I could think about was an iced-cold Diet Coke. I maybe drink 1-2 per month, so no clue why that drink popped into my head, but I would have likely given $100 bucks for it had someone been holding one.

Me and the posse headed around Lake Merced. This is a 4-mile stretch with few spectators and not much scenery. The fab-4 did whatever they could to keep my spirits up. I got cheers. I got tips. I got energy from them. They also helped cheer on other runners and I witnessed a few who were walking, pick up their pace and run off into the sunset due to the encouragement of the fab-4.

I continued with my walking through aid stations. I was digging deep just to make it to that finish line. I recall asking Katie "Will we make a 4hrs 15 min? I would be extremely thrilled with that time." and she responded "No. We will not see 4hrs 15 minutes. I won't let you. You have a sub-4 in you. Let's go.". Going into this race, knowing the difficulty of the course and the not-so-great comments I had heard about the latter portion of the course, I had told myself first goal was to finish, second anything under 4:30 and your dream goal would be 4 hours.

Walk break time! (Photographer: Page)

Katie and gang were tracking my pace closely and doing the math to see how close to 4 hours I could get. It would be VERY close. At mile 26, the fab-4 bid me adieu and I was left to run the .2 miles alone. I knew they had given me a gift by running with me and I knew I had to give them something back, I kicked it into high gear and found the energy I felt missing that past 13 miles. While I didn't hit 4 hours, I came so dang close. 4 hours, 1 minute, 57 seconds. I was thrilled. I had just completed a race that only hours before I thought for certain I wouldn't finish.

I received my finishers medal, t shirt, Tiffany's necklace, got my water and headed to get my bag from the bag check.

In the end, #13 turned out to be lucky, with some unlucky challenges along the way. I was glad I overcame them, glad I finished and glad I got to do so with familiar faces. That was likely the best part of the day, sharing it with others. So many wonderful and talented women ran this race, I consider myself lucky to know a few of them.

The infamous blue Tiffany's box

I think the thing I learned the most during #13 was, I am stronger than I think I am; I just need to dig deeper. And, listen to those around you. If they say it isn't a great course, listen to them and don't run the full!

In the end, I got my iced cold Diet Coke. I was happy.

Garmin time: 4:01:55 (official time 4:01:57)
Garmin miles: 26.48 miles
58/638 (age group)
399/6121 (all marathoners)
Mile splits:
#1: 7:37
#2: 8:00
#3: 8:08
#4: 8:34
#5: 8:07
#6: 8:23
#7: 10:14 (the dreaded hills)
#8: 8:09
#9: 9:32
#10: 9:09
#11: 8:35
#12: 9:13
#13: 10:32
#14: 9:44
#15: 8:56
#16: 8:45
#17: 8:52
#18: 9:19
#19: 10:15
#20: 9:35
#21: 10:00
#22: 9:08
#23: 10:21
#24: 9:46
#25: 9:33
#26: 9:22
#26.2: 8:36

Friday Faves

(disclaimer: totally stealing the idea of Friday Faves from Aron & Page :-P )

This post is to honor one of my faves this week - friendly faces. Two great gals I have met this year (Aron & Page) do a regular "Friday Favs" post, so this post is hommage to them and the others I have met along the way.

Working from home has its pluses and minuses. I miss seeing familiar faces each day. Collaborating with great co-workers in person. Having lunch dates. However, I love that I get to see this little guy day in & day out. He typically comes in a few times a day to my office wanting to sit on my lap and stare out the window. He is my zen in this crazy world.

 (Leonard)

For those that know me well, know that I am the "Frappologist". My day isn't complete without a trip to Starbucks for a "tall-coffee lite frapp-3 pumps sugar free cinnamon dolce - sprinkle of cinnamon on top". I love that my local Sbux calls out "Hey Carter" as I walk in. A great little 90 calorie drink to perk me up each morning.

My week isn't complete without a trip to my favorite Thai restaurant in Oakland, of which, I am the Duchess on Yelp! Chai Thai Noodle is by far, the best Thai in town. Same order every time: yellow curry w/tofu + pumpkin.

I thought I was in fairly good shape. I work out 5 days a week, throw in a few races each year...then I met soccer. Soccer meet Jana's legs & lungs, Jana meet what it feels like to want to collapse after 80 minutes of running around. I am playing on a league in Brentwood with my good pal (and coworker), Jose.

Lastly, the reason for my post. My favorite part of this week (and turning into one of my favorites for the year), new faces, new running routes, new friends. Tuesday night met with a great run along the Embarcadero with fabulous faces. Thanks ladies for being my favorite of the week!

Happy weekend. Stay safe. Have fun. Be. For those running the Nike Women's Marathon or 1/2 Marathon Sunday - ROCK IT!!!

Romantic Run in SF

Romance doesn't come easy these days, unless you are a Bay Area Runner :-)

Aron (runnersrambles) organized a great opportunity to get out on a nice Tuesday night for a group run. I never get to the big city on weeknights, so any excuse to cross "the Bay pond" I grab on to. I said "Jana, put your big girl pants on and get on over to that big city". OK, maybe not (or maybe I did).

I picked Aron up at her great new job (Clif!) and we headed over to meet the others at the Ferry Building. I never tire of seeing these faces:

 (Katie, Alyssa, Amanda, Karin - not pictured Aron)

We headed out along Fisherman's Warf and was witness to one of the more beautiful nights I have experienced in the city. We were met with view after view after view. Very romantic :-)

 

(Golden Gate Bridge amongst the fog)

 With the Nike Women's Marathon fast approaching (5 days...EEK!), I took it easy and logged 6.19 miles with just over a 9:30 pace. It was so relaxing and enjoyable to run a slower pace. We chatted, we dodged tourists, we took pictures like tourists, laughed, strategized about upcoming races and all around had a great time. Taking the thought from Aron, it is amazing how you can meet people from all over the country on Twitter, but throw them together in a run and it is like magic. A sense of familiarity comes over us. We bond instantly and any moments of "awkward" don't make an appearance. Runners are special breeds I tell ya.



After our fabulous run, we grabbed a bite to eat at Gott's. Having never eaten there, it was a yummy spot to finish the night. What was on my menu? My go to comfort food to remind me of home (and my Grammie); grilled cheese and tomato soup. YUM!

 

We were sure to raise our glasses to the amazing Katie for her mind-blowing finish at last weekends Portland Marathon (can you say 3 hours people?).

 

A wonderful night. A wonderful group. Wonderful food. Thanks ladies for giving this gal a great night out :-)

Next up for me? This...

See you all at the finish line!