Hallowed Ground

Sept 10 - 17

Total Mileage - 26.4 (now I just need to do this in one day)



Totally worth it

This week was full of ups and downs.  Got a really good run in on Tuesday then flew to Portland later that afternoon.  Knowing that Voodoo Donuts was on the way to our meeting on Wednesday, I made sure to get my run in early.  Flying on Tuesday and Wednesday totally wrecked me and I had to move my Thursday run to Friday.  I was hoping to have two days rest before the half marathon, but such is life.

We rolled into the Bay on Saturday afternoon and I started to prep for Sunday.  We had the obligatory pasta dinner and I called it a night early.  I needed to be down at ATT at 7:00 and although the race day instructions said to utilize BART my dad pointed out that no train runs on Sunday before 8:00.  Major problem right?  Nope, Dad saved the day (as always) and drove me into the city, then went back to the East Bay to get the rest of the family. 

Dad dropped me off at 6:45 and I walked in from China Basin, along McCovey Cove (a homeless guy told me I had cool shoes) and toward the stadium.  I checked in at Willie Mays plaza and headed out to the starting corral.  This run brought out a lot of interesting people and some fantastic costumes.  Lots of Black and Orange, a ton of people in Tutu's (not all of them women), one guy dressed as a Banana (he finished in the top ten) and 3 guys dressed in full Dodger gear (idiots).  Lots of people stopped and commented on me running in Vibrams (how are people not used to them yet) and told me that I was crazy.

We could hear the 5k runners take off and we started making our way down 4th street to the start line.  It took nearly a half an hour to get up to the starting line and then I was off.    You could not have asked for a better day in the city.  Foggy and 50 degrees for the first hour and then the sun broke through and it was in the high 60's / low 70's.  The run took us along the Embarcadero, underneath the Bay Bridge, and toward Fisherman's Wharf.  It was pretty crowded for the first 3 miles until we made the turn out of the Wharf and headed up the hill at Gharadelli Square. 

You could hear the runners ahead groan when they saw the hill.  It made you wonder what was up ahead and then - - BAM - - a giant hill.  I pushed hard on my forefeet and made it through.  Now it was down hill by the painted ladies and towards the Golden Gate.  The leaders were already on their way back and their course split off and headed up toward Fort Mason Green .  The crowd was starting to thin out now.  There will still plenty of people on the course, but you had enough room to move around.  One of the biggest surprises happened around mile 6 when we went from sidewalk to soft gravel trail.  WooHoo!  For some reason the concrete in the city felt harder than the concrete in the burbs.  The soft trail was fantastic and really helped save my legs for the last half.  It was pretty smooth sailing as I ran right along the water with the Golden Gate and The Rock in full view.  I wished that I could have taken a picture, but I had a PR to set. 

I got back to the base of the hill at Fort Mason and saw that the hill was insane.  There were plenty of people pulling off to the side to walk it, but I decided that this was where I would try to pick up some time.  I again pushed as hard as I could (my heart rate jumped up into the low 200's) and headed to the top.  Once there though, I realized that I then had to go back down the other side.  I hate running down hill as I have a hard time keeping a fluid stride.  I'm pretty sure I was saying "ouch" out loud with each step but as I hit the bottom of the hill I knew that I just achieved something I would not have been able to do in my last half marathon. 

10 Miles down, 3.1 to go.  "Just a 5k left," I thought to myself.  Back down through the Wharf and toward the park.  There were a ton of people on the street cheering (in many cases for no one in particular).  I ran under the Bay Bridge again and caught sight of the park.  The finish was in view.  The course pushed us up onto the sidewalk that runs along the back of the park and along the marina.  I entered the stadium through the right field arcade and the finish line was in sight.  I can't imagine what it feels like with 41,000+ fans cheering, but the 5-10k people that were at the stadium cheering was enough to boost my adrenaline big time.  I dug down and sprinted as hard as I could along the warning track and crossed the finish line.  2:24, a new PR.  My family was up in the left field bleachers holding a huge sign and it was great to see them.  I collected my medal and walked around the field.  Totally amazing.

I stretched over in the Giants bullpen (and stole some dirt) then walked over and grabbed a bagel (which Emily later stole) and took a pic at home plate.  Unlike the first go around, I did not feel like I had been hit my a truck.  I think I could have gone 3-4 more miles. 

Thanks to my family again for making the trek (its like herding cats trying to travel with 2 kids) but it is always great to see them at the finish line.  Now all I need to do is double that distance...yikes.

Dumbest Injury Ever

Sept 3 – Sept 9

Total Mileage – 25.5

Not a great way to start the week.  Remember the mini-van that I talked about last week?  Well, it may have just led to one of the dumbest injuries ever.  I was parked on an incline and was standing outside the driver door.  I left my wallet in the car and went to reach back across the driver’s seat into the passenger’s seat and the door attempted to close.  Unfortunately my foot was in the way and the door slammed right above the inside of my right ankle.  I have a hard enough time staying injury free week to week from just running, I don’t need any outside influences trying to bring me down.  I’m pretty bruised up and it hurts to run for the first half mile or so, but once I get past that I am good to go.

Due to the Sacramento heat and the general time constraints of life, I have been doing a lot of my training the past few weeks on a treadmill.  Last weeks 7 mile run was the first in a long time on the street and boy was I sore Monday morning.  I ventured out yesterday for what was supposed to be a 12 mile run.  I was really planning with sticking with that, but then the unthinkable happened.  I got lost in a neighborhood that I have run through a million times (ok so maybe 25 times, but a million sounds better).  I was going to run through Del Webb and cut through a pass-way that leads out to the trail.   I don’t know what happened, but I could not find it.  I ran through that section of the neighborhood twice figuring that I must not have been paying attention.  Still could not find it.  I knew where I was so it was not a big deal, but I could feel anxiety building up.  I ended up running back out of the neighborhood and catching the trail a little further up.  I passed the pass-way that I was looking for from the trail side, so I know that it still exists.  By the time I got back towards the house I was at 12.7 miles, so naturally you may as well run the extra half mile.  I came in a few minutes short of my last half and I’m hoping that adrenaline will take those minutes off my time this coming Sunday. 

There is no real reason for any anxiety but I am starting to get stressed that I will be slower than my last half (incidentally my first half) and that was an off road trail.  I am still grappling with the 26.2 distance for the December race as well.  I cannot imagine running another 13.1 miles after the first 13.1 miles that I ran yesterday.

Running is supposed to be a stress reliever right?  I know that by Saturday I’ll be feeling ok and will be ready to go.  I am traveling to Portland tomorrow and Wednesday (looking to get a run in just to say that my training has now been in multiple states).  Time to focus on breathing, getting a few extra carbs (hello pasta), and making sure that I am almost to the point of being over hydrated before the weekend.  See you at the finish line…

Coasting...ok not "coasting" per se...

Aug 20 - Aug 26          Total Mileage: 21.2

Aug 27 - Sept 2            Total Mileage: 18.2

Not all that much new to report over the last two weeks.  Continuing to build on base mileage and trying to make sure that I listen to my body.  My nagging Achilles soreness is back and I am doing all I can to keep it at bay.  I have come to the realization that it is just something that I am going to have to live with. 

I am at that point in the training program where I am finding it really hard to limit my mileage.  I want to extend my shorter runs to 4 or 5 miles, but I know that there is a reason that the training program wants to limit and taper mileage.  I'll just keep plugging along and continue to build on my base.

In other news I have officially became a sensible adult.  I now own a mini van (technically my wife will be driving the mini van) but it is still a very sobering thing to say.  I hate to admit it, but it is really cool and so dang convenient. 

As a Giants fan (beat LA) do you have any idea how cool it is to get a package from 24 Willie Mays Plaza in your mailbox?  My race tag for the SF Giants half arrived.  Just a few weeks to go...