The Epic Saga - Miles One through Five

Mile One

We started moving and as I had been warned by friends, there is just no way to run that first mile. Just way too many people. But I'm glad because it gave me a chance to really savour the moment!! It was really dark and probably cold, though I didn't feel it at the time. My family was going to be waiting at the Jamba Juice Cheer Location at Mile 0.4 -- except the route never passed by there!!! Luckily they were paying attention and relocated themselves.




Catch the great shirts and signs?? All thanks to my wonderful SIL who was the Head Cheerleader!! If it wasn't for her, my cheering section would not have been quite as cheerful :)





It was so still and quiet as we approached the Embarcadero.


Miles Two and Three
Still walking...though this is when we begin to pick up our pace and start to run. We move to the left in order to pass the walkers. Pretty cold still so I decide NOT to check my long sleeve shirt at the coat check at Mile 2.5. I figure that I'll just chuck it at some point along the route. (As it happens, I never do get rid of it because the temperatures stay pretty cool all day and I alternate between hot and cold later on.)

Amy pulls ahead around now. This is not uncommon as she often starts out faster than Missy and I do. We guess how long it will take to catch up with her...


Miles Four and Five
We run along Fisherman's Wharf. It is so early that we actually see the baker at the Boudin Bakery hard at work on those sourdough rounds and baguettes. Missy takes his photo and he seems thrilled to have several thousand women wave to him as he starts his day.

We go through the Presidio which has a little rough terrain. Mostly because the sprinklers are on full-blast and the paved route is soaked. So Missy and I opt to brave the unpaved grass and bushes on the other side of the drenched path. Coach Bob had warned us to keep our shoes dry no matter what the cost. And so we did.



Coming next: the dreaded San Francisco hill

The Epic Saga Continued

The Start

The wake-up call startled me out of sleep at 4:10am. It was easy to get dressed as I had left everything by the side of the bed. Felt sort-of like a fireman, really. Just had to jump right in.

I had told my family not to meet me in the lobby and it was the right decision. I was really pretty nervous in that funny way that I get sometimes. Can't sit still. Can't stop talking. Irritable. You get the picture.

PC came down with me mostly because I needed his wallet! Breakfast was available for purchase and I had no intention of running with a bunch of change in my Batman belt. Half a bagel, Gatorade, and a banana was the perfect way to start the day.

We were all just milling about and I'm not certain if that was a good way to get rid of the nervous energy or it just created more of it. Check out all the reflective material in the lobby!

The hotel was just a couple of blocks from the starting line so it made sense to walk and use that as a brief warm-up. We got to the start area and it was a little chaotic. Since we knew that our pace was pretty slow, Team Tortoise had elected to do the early start. I am so very grateful that we did -- and for several reasons. First of all, had we done the 7am start, it would have taken us about 30 minutes to actually cross the start line.




Do you see how far back we would have been?? We would have been in that grey area towards the back and would have missed the inspirational stuff leading up to the actual start. I'll address some of the other benefits of the early start at a later point.

Anyway, we hung out a bit and then one of the other girls & I went to check in our bags. Gave me a last chance to whip out my Body Glide and prevent chaffing. Rule of thumb: any place than can chafe will chafe!

Only TNT (Team-in-Training) participants had the option of the early start. So imagine a huge sea of purple...

Carol Lewis, Hall-of-Famer and Olympic Long-Jumper, was the emcee at the start line and she really got us pumped up. She called out all the TNT teams by chapter and then we counted down together.

Next up: The Miles

Think you know me??

There are so many people in my current life who have known me since I was a very, very young girl.

How well do you actually know me??

Take this quiz & find out:

The Randomness of the Rivster!

Good luck!


Credit Notes: Many thanks to PepGiraffe for introducing this idea to me. I've know PG her entire life and still scored miserably. 'Course, I don't test well ;)

Whew...I did it!

It was awesome!! I am really sore and tired, but so happy.

Pre-Race

The Pasta Celebration was a little disappointing. I had envisioned a huge plate of plain spaghetti. Instead, it was three types of pasta in sauce. A little too heavy on the garlic, if you ask me. The bread was great. And there was plenty of food. But it just wasn't what I had wanted for the night before the race.

I was surrounded, however, by some of the most supportive people in the world. You already know that I was with MrsGiraffe, PC, ActorBro, SIL, and JockBro. Rounding out the table were Missy and her SO and Amy and her SO. We are the most spirited three-some there is!!




After the dinner, our entire team met for a brief last-minute meeting. Mostly instructions...not too much rah-rah. We could have used more rah-rah, if you ask me. Took pictures and then headed back to the hotel.

Team Tortoise had a brief meeting in the lounge in order to plan where our supporters would be along the route. To be honest, this started making me nervous and I though I was going to freak out. So I left the map with them and headed back to the room. Nerves were really getting a hold of me, and I knew that I needed to start getting my stuff ready for the next day.

Note to self: in the future, prepare race stuff before that pasta dinner not after the dinner.

I pulled out everything I was going to need for the next day. There really is something theraputic about the process. It was reassuring to lay out each item and make order out of things when inside all I felt was chaos. I set out my clothes my very supportive husband did too.



I filled my bottles with Gatorade and water and stuck them into the ice bucket. Needless to say, I was not the only one with that brilliant idea. The ice machine on our floor was completely out of ice and I went to the 9th floor in search of some.

I ordered my wake-up call and then listened to my relaxing playlist on the iPod. It must have worked because I quickly fell asleep and to my surprise, slept quite well.


Coming in the next installment: The Start and The Miles

All Hail the Running Rabbit

Yes, you read that correctly. All along the route I heard, "great job, Running Rabbit," "go for it Robbie," "looking good Robin." And I would just mutter, "rabbi. It says rabbi." Once-in-a-while, I heard someone say "Shalom," which I though was pretty funny.

Well, faithful readers -- I did it! I am now a marthoner. I am also a very, very sore marathoner. I will go into more details tomorrow because, as you might guess, I am one very tired girl. However, let's just say that I'll be coming home with a slight limp. I really strained my IT muscle. That is the iliotibial band that runs from the hip and extends to the outer side of the tibia. It started to give be problems around mile 14, which made for a very long race! Rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories should help, but I'll be pretty sore for a few days.

It was an amazing day and I am still overwhelmed by what I've been able to accomplish. The Tiffany finisher's medal, while really cool, is just the icing on this cake. I did something today that only 1% of the population does, albeit a bit slower :)


I'll give full race details tomorrow and will post pix soon!

Comments

They are welcomed!!

When I visit other blogs and see that no one has commented, I think, "how sad. No one is reading this poor person's work."

And then I realized that people who read my blog must think the same thing.

So, please -- if anyone is reading this, please comment. If I was writing solely for the sake of writing, I'd just keep a journal!!

A wonderful way to spend the morning

s-l-e-e-p-i-n-g! What a treat to sleep in and not have to get up for an early Saturday morning run. Or to worry about the kiddies.

So ActorBro and I slept in. Went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch and then walked around through the Expo. THe Expo is actually not so impressive. Because this is Nike's Marathon, there are not the usual vendors here. Just three Nike tents. THe only highlight is the Godiva stand with free samples. Yummy!

PC, MrsGiraffe, JockBro, and SIL all arrived safely. MrsGiraffe took ActorBro to their hotel and I am going down for a much-needed nap!! Cool lotion for my tired feet (thank you Principal Brown!) and I'll be out in no time. I'll have much more to report after the Pasta Party tonight. Highlight -- keynote speaker, John Bingham.

Time for some Shut-Eye

I love my children...I really do. But it is such a treat to sleep and not worry about them waking me up during the night -- which has been somewhat of a regular occurance as of late. Of course, ActorBro kicks and grinds his teeth in his sleep...

I digress.

So ActorBro and I got all dolled up for the VIP reception. We looked pretty good, though we suspect that ActorBro was actually wearing JockBro's pants. Long story. Anyhow, we got on the shuttle and headed to the party, which was being held at City Hall. Now I don't have a lot of experience with City Halls. The one in Fountain Valley, for example, is comfy and homey. Rather like Fountain Valley herself. Remember, Fountain Valley is a nice place to live!! But the Fountain Valley City Hall is certainly not in the same league as the one here in San Francisco. It is one of the most stunning buildings I've seen! Incredible architecture.

The reception itself was nowhere near as stunning as the building. There were speeches, of course. SOme were inspirational. Wonderful crystal bowls were donated by Tiffany's for the top five fundraisers. I am truly humbled by the astonishing amounts raised by these people. The top fundraiser raised over $500,000! Simply amazing. Over $14 million was raised overall. What wonderful things can be achieved with that kind of money.

The food was pretty treify so ActorBro and I cut out after the speeches. Great parting gift -- a photo frame with the Team-in-Training logo and a coupon for a free photo taken of me by the official photographers. I'll explain more about the whole photo thing tomorrow or Sunday. What a thoughtful momento of this weekend.

We caught up with my Girlie-Girls and their guys for dinner. Except that we didn't stay. We went to the Cheesecake Factory but the wait was 2 hours long. ActorBro was fading fast so we headed to a diner-like establishment.

That brings Day #1 to a close. We are hitting the hay since I reckon I won't get much sleep tomorrow night. And even if I do, I've got to be in the lobby at 4:00am on Sunday.

Gut Shabbos...

He's Here!!!

Attention Fountain Valley -- the eagle has landed!!

Apparently you all knew that ActorBro had secretly arranged to fly in for the Marathon -- and successfully kept this info from me. How did you manage that??

I wish you could have seen the look on my face when I saw ActorBro in the lobby. Heck -- I wish I could have seen the look on my face!

Here's the funny thing -- MrsGiraffe called me earlier and wanted to know what room I was in. And then she wanted to know where I was. It was all rather strange. The Tortoise Girls thought maybe MrsGiraffe had flown in early as a surprise. Since that was so out-of-character for her, I immediately dismissed the notion before considering that some other scheme had been activated!

After lunch at Hooters (great grilled cheese, you know?), the requisite Hot Fudge Sundae at Ghirardelli (I'll burn it off on Sunday!), and a quick trip to Macy's, I meandered back to the hotel. Much to my delight, ActorBro was in the lobby, where he had been patiently waiting for HOURS!

Anyway, thank you all for keeping the secret. His presence, along with the upcoming arrival of PC, MrsGiraffe, JockBro and SIL, fills me with an overwhelming strength.

ActorBro, who was the one to get me to the $5,000 amount, will escort me to the VIP reception this evening. I'll write with details when we get back.

Stay tuned...

The Adventure Begins

So here I am in SF. Got up at the ungodly hour of 4:10am and was at the airport at 4:52am – thanks Dad!!!

Flight was uneventful. I grabbed the opportunity to catch an hour’s sleep while the pilot deftly made his way from OC to Oakland. [That is my superpower, you know. According to Beernut, I can go to sleep anywhere, anytime.]

We arrived at baggage claim the same time the San Diego team arrived. They had fantastic purple team jackets. I am so covetous!! Not surprised, mind you. Considering we didn’t even have water stops on most runs, it would have been out-of-character for us to have any spirit-building apparel!

The line at the hotel was outrageous. Some of the others just put their stuff in the bag check. Since we can’t even pick up our registration packets at the Expo until 11:00am, M and I figured we’d just get in line and see if our rooms were available. Hooray – we’ve got our rooms.

Not so fast…

Quite shockingly, when I opened the door, the TV was on. Bed was unmade. Towels strewn all over the bathroom.

How can I have made such a mess when I only just got here?!?

Apparently, housekeeping had yet to clean the room and they shouldn’t have given it to me. I called the Front Desk who transferred me to Housekeeping. The very nice lady in Housekeeping was just appalled and very apologetic. She suggested that I call the Front Desk, but when I told her that I had already done that, she apologized again and said that she was going to report this to her manager. Hey – these things happen. Not usually at a Marriott, but hey – we’re all human.

As long as the sheets are clean before I return for my nap…

The Countdown has Begun!

I am just days away from the marathon. And I am scared witless!

I have been training for months...I am as ready as I could possibly be given the hamstring injury and bronchitis.

And I am scared witless.

We had an easy 8 mile run on Saturday -- and it actually was easy. I didn't even hurt the next day.

I leave insanely early on Friday morning and will spend the day at the Expo. I am planning to really stay off my feet as much as possible on Saturday.

I will be bringing the laptop up to SF in order to blog as things are happening and as a form of therapy to get me through the nerves.

Will it work??

"Only" 10 Miles

I never thought that I would have the word 'only' in any type of proximity to '10 miles!' Pretty amazing, huh?

As previously mentioned, we are tapering our mileage as the race day approaches. It is just two weeks away now. I felt as though I could have kept going, though I was happy to stop at 10. I was going to take an ice bath...well, the best laid plans. I was meeting my Tante H for lunch and wanted to take a quick snooze after my shower.

And boy, am I paying for it now. I should have taken that ice bath and forgone the nap. My legs are super sore.

So here is my latest training dilemma: I have been hearing a lot about Jeff Galloway's training program. I've read many of his articles and think that he has a very level-headed approach to training/running. He advocates the use of walk breaks:

Why do walk breaks work?
By using muscles in different ways from the beginning, your legs keep their bounce as they conserve resources. When a muscle group, such as your calf, is used continuously step by step, it fatigues relatively soon. The weak areas get overused and force you to slow down later or scream at you in pain afterward. By shifting back and forth between walking and running muscles, you distribute the workload among a variety of muscles, increasing your overall performance capacity. For veteran marathoners, this is often the difference between achieving a time goal or not.

Walk breaks will significantly speed up recovery because there is less damage to repair. The early walk breaks erase fatigue, and the later walk breaks will reduce or eliminate overuse muscle breakdown.

Why the dilemma? This is NOT the approach that Team-in-Training uses. So what to do? I actually think that walk breaks would help me achieve my goal in a more effective, more enjoyable, and safer fashion. But I'm not sure what my running buddies, with whom I have yet to discuss this, would say. With only two weeks left, I don't want to mess with what has been working up to this point.

Here is what I am thinking: I will run my race to the best of my ability, incorporating what I can from Galloway's book. After I have recovered from the marathon, I am going to start all over. That's right! I want to reapproach my running -- and have fun. I'll run another race when and if I am ready for it. Until then, I just want to enjoy running as a form of exercise and stress release. I know that if I don't enjoy it, I won't do it. And to complete a marathon and then ditch running...well, I don't think that I would feel very proud of that.

Shavua Tov!!

A Rolling Pin By Any Other Name

I remember my former trainer (an Olympic athlete) telling me how she would get daily massages while she was training for her elite events. Since that was before I was training for the marathon, I thought it sounded like a nice way to beat stress. I now know why she required the hands of an expert!

I am not a professional athlete. There is no way that I can afford (time-wise or finance-wise) to keep a masseuse on retainer. A brilliant thought occurred to me during Saturday's run -- I seemed to recall that I have an unused rolling pin in my kitchen. It's not doing much good there, but maybe it would have better luck in the bedroom ;)

Well, apparently I was on to something. PC used it to loosen up some of my muscles and then I discovered that I could actually use it on myself to work out some of the tight spots in my quads and shins too.

I wonder what some of those other things in the kitchen might be used for in real life??

It's All About The Equipment

I made a startling discovery during yesterday's run -- the right equipment can really affect the run!

The good news:
(1) Fuel Belt -- a tremendous improvement over my former water holder. This fits my waist much better and also displaces the liquid all the way around.
(2) Running Shorts -- after suffering chafed thighs and general discomfort, I decided to give my old fitness shorts a try. No chafing. The only down side is that they don't breathe as well. I'll take a look on the web this week (after yuntiv) and see if I can find something that is more comfortable and breathes. In the meantime, however, I'm sticking with my old shorts.
(3) Energy Gel -- I have tried many flavours but up until now, just couldn't find anything that I actually liked. I felt that consistency was like honey, but none of the gels or GU's really tasted very good. I kept thinking that it was just too bad that honey makers didn't package honey in such a way that it would travel well. Then I found Honey Stinger. Perfect!

The not-so-good news:
(1) New Shoes -- it is suggested that runners break in new shoes several weeks before the race. Just my luck -- my shoe was discontinued. So I got the updated version and it wasn't very comfortable on Saturday's run. I'm going to try some lacing tricks and see if that helps. Otherwise, I'll have to start all over.

I got in 10 miles on Saturday. We are beginning to taper as D-Day approaches. It is just under 3 weeks away. I am starting to dream about it. Which may explain why I keep waking up so darn tired!!