4 posts tagged “marathon”

While I didn't have a lot of time to see the city I was able to get some sightseeing done.  On Friday evening we got in a bit late due to our flight being delayed so we headed over to the expo after putting the luggage in our rooms.  It was pretty nice: there was an efficient set up for getting your bib and chip, stations for free manicures, foot massage, and back massages, product placement for Luna bars and moons, goody hair elastics, jamba juice, JetBlue, as well as a Team in Training area, free yoga, and treadmills/shoes/iPods set up for testing out the Nike+ system.  We were all pretty hungry so we went to a late lunch/early dinner and then went to Niketown.

Niketown is enormous...it was pretty overwhelming the sheer size of the

store" and the amount of people in it.  There were a lot of marathon clothes but I decided not to get anything and come back in the morning since the lineup was long and an employee told me they had more stock.  Then I went out to check Macy's which also had some marathon garb and almost bought a hoodie there because there was no lineup....but decided against it since there was a free silk screening at Niketown and I rightfully suspected we'd have to show a receipt as proof of purchase. 

Then I came back to the expo to check things out more thoroughly.  There was a considerable amount more of people there and I am not known for my patience...so I picked the shortest line possible and went to the manicure station.  Then I was thinking about getting in line for the massage but the line was outside the tent.  So I lined up for a foot massage instead.  Then I wanted to go back to the hotel and thought I'd get the massage the next day.

Saturday I woke up and headed to the Expo, which was mobbed so I just went right to Niketown without going in.  There was a massive lineup but I really wanted a hoodie so I waited 20 mins to get INTO the store.  Of course they were all sold out of the one I wanted and I decided against the baby pink one since I don't like pink very much.  I did get a pair of running pants and a new sports bra.   Lesson learned: get free massages and marathon clothes ASAP!

Then I decided to go to Fisherman's Wharf.  Because of the wait for Niketown I ended up missing my teammates while they were down there but I enjoyed it a lot by myself!  The weather was gorgeous and it was nice to walk along the wharf.  I also ate some steamed prawns and crab, mmmm.  I also watched the bakers at Boudin Sourdough bakery.  So I was there for quite a while and then took the trolley back (sooo much fun and definitely worth the $5.00!)

After that it was onto the pasta dinner which was crazy.  There were SOOO many people there and as we walked in people clapped and cheered for us which was very surreal.  The pasta and salad was very yummy and the speakers at the dinner were great! John "The Penguin" Bingham  from Runner's World (my picture of him came out blurry, boo...) gave a humourous yet advice laden talk and Joan Benoit Samuelson was there to speak as well!!  It was absolutely wonderful to listen to her; it was definitely inspiring.

Then it was off to bed and an early wake up for the marathon!  After the marathon there

was some notice of brain melt.  Such as on the ride from the finish to the hotel "I don't remember it taking so long to GET here in the first place....oh wait...we RAN there..."  Then there was a lovely ice bath, and then curling up in the fabulous hotel beds with comfy duvets and lots of pillows...until we decided to ready ourselves for the victory dinner.  It was a tough call ;)

  The victory dinner was much more low key than the pasta party.  There was a little speech but basically we just ate food, haha.  A lot of people left right after they finished eating but my teammates and I stuck around a little longer and watched some people dance and maybe possibly joined them for "The Electric Slide" and "Livin' on a Prayer" haha.  On the way back to the hotel we stopped by a pub but it was super crowded so we just walked in and right back out.  Some teammates wanted to go celebrate but my roommate and I were content enough to go back to the hotel.  We thought it would have been around 1:00AM and were shocked when we saw the clock revealed it wasn't even 9pm.  Needless to say, I slept well. :)  The sleep was much deserved though and needed since it was an early morning to catch the flight back to Vancouver.

  

I will attempt to review the marathon in this post but I have a feeling the words won't come close to how I felt about the experience. 

Over 950 km (600 miles) of training logged and it all amounted to this day, Sunday October 21st, 2007...

I woke up nervous, ten minutes before my alarm went off...I had set out everything the previous night so I didn't have to think much when getting ready.  I had brought a pack of oatmeal with me for breakfast since that's what I normally use.  However, I forgot a spoon.  So I tried to improvise and it wasn't working so I ate a  gel instead.  Threw on my sexy garbage bag and headed out to meet up with my team.  We took a quick picture and headed to the start. 

Waiting around for the beginning was lots of fun.  We weren't awake so we found ourselves giggling at many things that were probably no where near funny, lol.  I kept getting this feeling that I was forgetting something "sunscreen, body glide, underwear, pants, socks, shoes, bra, singlet, bib, hydration belt, gels, camera, hat, hair done up, chapstick, washroom break, etc..." I hadn't forgotten anything.

As we approached the start line I kept saying to myself "start slow, watch the pace, don't rush" and we were off!  It was pretty crowded at the beginning so we walked a bit until people spread out...THEN we were really off ;) It was already hot out at 7AM and I was glad I decided to wear a garbage bag to keep me warm instead of a long sleeved shirt like a lot of people we passed.

Through the entire race I ran with two  others: Shawna and her sister Shena.  We scavenged lai's from the sidelines and put them on our running hats ("If you're going to San Francisco/be sure to wear/some flowers in your hair") I don't think people got that unless we explained it, haha, oh well.  It was a lot of fun! 

Running along Fisherman's Wharf, past a little harbour, and along the ocean was just amazing!  At mile six we hit the largest hill which continued until mile seven with the elevation going from 0 to 300 during that distance.  I ran up the entire thing though and before we knew it we "ate that hill for breakfast!" At the top there was an oxygen bar with quite the lineup but we figured we should stop for the full experience - it was funny and I don't know if it helped any but definitely smelled good.  Reportedly Robin Williams house was there as well...I have no idea if this is true or not and sadly he did not stick his head out of said window to say something funny ;)

We continued on.  Along the way were signs with reasons to run, messages from cancer patients, lots of people cheering including some witty signs that were much appreciated (ie: people dressed in Alcatraz criminal suits holding one that said "Run like you stole something!!!")

It was around the 1hr 45min mark that I realized I hadn't taken in anything nutrition-wise and hardly any gatorade or water.  Oops.  I got completely caught up in the whole marathon buzz atmosphere.  I tried to pay much closer attention to this from then on.  We "ran" into another teammate and she took a picture of us before the road (I think around mile 12) split for the 1/2 mary people and it started to sink in that there was still quite a ways to go.  One foot in front of the other.  I wasn't feeling any pain at this point thank goodness!  We ran around Golden Gate Park which was gorgeous, and by the bridge (actually I think that was a bit before the park) and there was a pedicure station...Is anyone else thinking "wtf?!"  Yeah, last thing I wanted to do was take off my runners in the middle of the marathon to have someone PAINT MY TOENAILS that will probably fall off later anyway.  Seriously now.  Who planned that?!  After the run, ok, awesome...still a little sketch with the sweaty achy feet...but IN THE MIDDLE?!  Yeah...ok that's enough of that rant, haha.

After we went down a rather steep hill along the oceanside and hit mile 18.75 where we crossed before noon (if you didn't you were not allowed to complete the race) so that was awesome knowing that we would not be turned around.  To be quite honest from about mile 12 to that point is a blur.  I was "in the zone" feeling great but also in my own thoughts.  It was great "me" time and for the most part I tried to take in the stunning scenery San Francisco has to offer and thinking about nothing yet everything.

Some things that I don't remember exactly where they were in the race:
- Ghirardelli Chocolate Mile.  Ohhh sweet heaven that was the best tasting chocolate in the world at that moment.  I bet it had to do with running so bloody far, haha.  I know you aren't supposed to try anything new on race day but I couldn't resist this little square of deliciousness (I highly doubt many women could.)  Fortunately, no GI revolts after that. 
- Which segways into the fact that we took three washroom breaks through the race and I was pleasantly surprised that they were stocked well with tp and seat covers. 
- Running and singing is quite a skill; along the course we ran past a girl that had "It's My Birthday!" on the back of her shirt so we sang "Happy Birthday" to her which was a lot of fun!  "O Canada!" was also done twice, lol.

So from 18.75 - mile 24 was pretty frickin' tough.  The distance of the marathon definitely does humble you.  I was developing blisters (which I anticipated since my feet seem to like to do that despite blister prevention socks and body glide slathered all over them.) then I started to get a stitch.  It hurt.  So I ran with my arms up trying to breathe deeply and fill my lungs completely.  I thought this was a sign of dehydration (it was SOOOO hot out, around 32 a teammate told me later that evening) Good thing I slathered on 50 SPF even though it probably was all melting off!  Anyway, so I drank a lot of water....but fast.  Oops. 

So this stupid stitch was stabbing me and we were running around a few lakes.  Theoretically this was nice but you didn't see too much of the lakes except near the beginning and end of the loop around them.  So it was basically pavement, sun, cars, hardly any spectators, and NO AID STATIONS!!  It was definitely a struggle at a few points in those miles.  I am soo thankful Shawna and Shena were with me; they kept me going :)  At one point there was a Canadian guy from AB that spotted us and ran with us for a a while and his encouragement really helped, too.  I was completely out of liquids and down to one more gel.

Once we hit the next aid station I quickly asked the doctor if I was doing the right thing but he said I should have gatorade even though I was eating gels.  So I did and splashed one cup of water on the back of my neck to boot.  The cramp subsided in the next few minutes which was a relief!!  We were also in the homestretch as we hit the mile 25 marker!  Coach Ray and Alicia were there cheering us on which was awesome to see.  The last mile was definitely the longest seeming one of the entire race!  Good thing there was a premium ocean running view.  We crossed the finish line together and we then gladly ate some actual food and basked in the knowledge that we were now marathoners!!

I still have a hard time believing it!  It was a FABULOUS experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  I surprisingly was not nearly as sore as I anticipated in the following days (no walking down the stairs backwards like I had to after my first half and then again at 32k & no NSAID's even!!) Maybe it was the ice cold bath with a toque and Earl Grey that warded off the pain...or perhaps my lactate threshold has improved a lot, whatever it was I was thankful!  Now, don't get me wrong because there was pain; it just wasn't as bad as I expected (in fact my hips are still a little sore :P lol.)

So I did it.  I am a marathoner!  I have my finisher's shirt, my finisher's necklace, my space blanket, my 26.2 pin, and a whole lot of confidence now.

To be honest, I thought about why and who I was running for in the beginning before we even started.  Then, in the middle of it all I almost started crying because I was thinking about the affects of cancer too much so I diverted my emotions for a while.  It was definitely in the forefront of my mind through most of the run though.  The entire race was to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  It seemed like everyone had a name on their back.  Which is touching and sickening all at once.  It's great to know we all are passionate about finding a cure but with 22,100 women and 900 men racing you really wish that number was significantly smaller. 

I'll update about San Fran in general in a later post.  Sorry this has taken a while to get up!

Once again, thank you SO much to all of you that have supported me throughout this experience because I certainly would not have been able to accomplish this goal otherwise.  Run for life, my friends.

I finished the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this morning!  I am now proud to say that I am among less than 1% of the population that has completed 44.2k (26.2miles)!!!!  I have much to talk about and pictures to show that will hopefully be put up later this week...but I just wanted everyone to know that it's over (as surreal as it may be) and I TOTALLY WANT TO DO IT AGAIN!!!

The marathon is approaching ever so quickly and this has me a bit nervous!  (Ok, maybe more like 'someone might need to tranquilize me on race day' nervous, haha.)  For those of you that don't know, I have been training for my first marathon the past six months and will be participating in the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon on October 21st which is specifically raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Make a donation to cancer research if you'd like to help people with these deadly cancers out.

For the race I'll be sticking to clif shots, gatorade, and sharkies for my race nutrition as these seem to be the easiest ones for me to use.  I leave on Thursday for San Francisco, run on Sunday, and leave Monday afternoon.  I'm hoping I'll be able to see a bit of San Fran the few days beforehand since I've never been there before.  I don't think I'll be able to update while I'm there because I don't plan on bringing my computer (too much of a hassle.)  I will for SURE post pictures and recap once I've returned.

To be honest I haven't stuck to my training plan very much the past couple of weeks due to life getting in the way so really my goal will be to just do it.  This is afterall for a cause much more important than a shiny finish time.

Once again, if you have someone you know that has been affected by cancer and would like me to run in honour of them (you don't need to donate to do this) please email me!