... that's me! Last night was all about semi-last minute errands. After work I had to do one errand for work, went to the bank to get some money for the trip, stopped off at Target to get a few things, hit Ross to look at luggage and then went to dinner with my folks... 13.5 hours after I left the house, I was finally home again. Sigh.
I managed to leave Target with only the items I went there for. Target usually sucks me in and I end up leaving with way more than I intended but last night I was a good girl. I went in for some contact solution, headache medicine, lotion, a neck pillow and throw-away sweats for the race start and that's exactly what I left with! While I was in the shoe section I heard a "Hey Lady!" and guess who it was... Claudia! She was also shopping for some last minute items. We went our separate ways after chatting for a few minutes and then end up running into each other by the lotions. A few minutes later we also run into another friend of ours who's going to NY!
While I was at Ross I get a call from my parents who had just driven into town. They flew out of Oakland early this morning for NY and rather than trying to get a flight from Sacramento to Oakland last night or really early today, they decided to just drive down last night. They met me at Ross and helped me pick out a new suitcase to replace one I have that's falling apart! From there we went over to the old Cantina, which is the new Maria Maria, for dinner. I LOVE this place! The guy who brought Bing Crosby's, Havana, McCovey's and a few other places to Walnut Creek, recently revamped the Cantina with Carlos Santana (hence the name Maria Maria). The decor is much trendier and more intimate and the food is fantastic. I had these shrimp tacos that were delicious. And once I saw the fried plantains on the menu, I knew I had to order those too!
Towards the end of dinner the three of us are sitting there and we feel this slight shaking... it almost feels like someone is shaking their leg under the table really hard. My mom says "What is that?!" Just an earthquake Mom :D My parents, living near Sacramento, haven't been in an earthquake for a long time so it was a little exciting :) A few rolls later and the excitement was over though. It was a 5.6 which is pretty good sized but I guess it was centered down in the south bay near San Jose so that's why we didn't feel it too strongly. Once I got home I did a little more packing and organizing and then it was off to bed!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
STRESS
This weekend was nice and relaxing, just what I needed before the trip to NY. Friday I met with my co-worker and her cousin in Oakland for drinks at the Conga Room. We had fun drinking fruity cocktails and gossiping about work, life, etc :D
Saturday morning I slept in and then did some MUCH needed grocery shopping. Now I finally have some food in the house :D I also did some laundry so I could start packing for NY. All this activity must have wiped me out because I went to read for a little bit and then conked out! Saturday night I made some yummy black bean soup and spicy corn muffins (minus the spicy) and watched the DaVinci Code.
Sunday was another relaxing day... I did some major cleaning and worked on the computer for a couple hours getting everything organized for the trip. I'm done making my lists and maps :)
Despite the relaxing and productive weekend I'm feeling frazzled. My body must be feeling frazzled too because not long after getting to work today I got a rager of a migraine-- distorted vision, shoulder pain, headache and nausea, which I never usually get with a migraine. :( It's not unusual for me to get a migraine every once in a while-- maybe every few months-- but it seems like I've been getting them more often over the past month :( I'm really looking forward to NY but I'm also nervous and anxious about the whole thing! I think I'm going to need a vacation FROM my vacation :(
Saturday morning I slept in and then did some MUCH needed grocery shopping. Now I finally have some food in the house :D I also did some laundry so I could start packing for NY. All this activity must have wiped me out because I went to read for a little bit and then conked out! Saturday night I made some yummy black bean soup and spicy corn muffins (minus the spicy) and watched the DaVinci Code.
Sunday was another relaxing day... I did some major cleaning and worked on the computer for a couple hours getting everything organized for the trip. I'm done making my lists and maps :)
Despite the relaxing and productive weekend I'm feeling frazzled. My body must be feeling frazzled too because not long after getting to work today I got a rager of a migraine-- distorted vision, shoulder pain, headache and nausea, which I never usually get with a migraine. :( It's not unusual for me to get a migraine every once in a while-- maybe every few months-- but it seems like I've been getting them more often over the past month :( I'm really looking forward to NY but I'm also nervous and anxious about the whole thing! I think I'm going to need a vacation FROM my vacation :(
Friday, October 26, 2007
Nike pics
Last night I got in a nice run with Pam. Amy had to cancel because her mom was flying in a day early and she needed to go pick her up at the airport. Since this was the first time I have run in the dark this training season, I went to pick up a new headlamp at REI right after work. I met Pam at 6:30 in Danville and it was already dark out... we did a similar route that I've done with Pam and Amy before we added in a little loop towards the end that gave us a little more mileage. It also meant we got to run a little more on the street where we have some light from the streetlights instead of the trail where it's much darker. I think we went about 4 miles and including the time waiting for the lights it took us about 51 minutes. It felt so nice running in the cooler temperatures, even if it was dark out!
Here are a bunch of pics from Nike weekend... the pasta party and the race itself:
At the pasta party with Claudia, Brandy, Jeanette and Lindsay!
Me, Phil, Matt, Rocky, Glenn and Jeanette before the start
The mass of people waiting to start the race... this is what Jeanette and I had to walk through to get to the potties :(
All pottied and ready to go!!
Look at my pretty sparkly hat!
The signs for Brenda and Cole along the side of the road up the first major hill... a perfect time for some inspiration :D
I think we're having way too much fun!
Cheezy grins :D
WE LOVE MAMA LISA!!!
Coming down the hill by the Cliff House to Ocean Beach.
WOO HOO we're done!! I'm holding hands with Jeanette but they didn't get a picture of both of us together :(
Don't ask me...
Waiting for Brandy... it's was getting harder to get up AND sit down :D
Yeah, Brandy!
Brandy, Emma and Lindsay, running towards the finish line!
Running in Phil in the last few hundred yards... that's me behind him with the silver skirt :)Thursday, October 25, 2007
The last Wednesday night run
Last night I met up with Amy for our Wednesday night run. We've been bad girls the past few weeks, skipping our weekly Wednesday night runs, but since last night was the last one we'd have until NY, we knew we had to do it :D
The run was nice... we had lots to catch up on-- Nike, NY plans, the crazy stuff happening at work, other drama-- so we kept the pace nice and slow. Amy warned me that she probably wouldn't stay with me on the way back-- I think she says that every week-- because the air quality was crappy and she forgot her inhaler but we ended up sticking together. :) I didn't bring my watch so I don't know how quickly we finished our 3 miles but I think it took us just a little longer than it usually does. We stood around chatting afterwards until the buggies came out and started eating Amy.
Wow... only 8 days left till we leave!
The run was nice... we had lots to catch up on-- Nike, NY plans, the crazy stuff happening at work, other drama-- so we kept the pace nice and slow. Amy warned me that she probably wouldn't stay with me on the way back-- I think she says that every week-- because the air quality was crappy and she forgot her inhaler but we ended up sticking together. :) I didn't bring my watch so I don't know how quickly we finished our 3 miles but I think it took us just a little longer than it usually does. We stood around chatting afterwards until the buggies came out and started eating Amy.
Wow... only 8 days left till we leave!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Nike Race Report
Saturday my alarm went off at 4:45. I actually slept really well... I wasn't too nervous about the race and the sofa bed at Rocky's parent's house was surprisingly comfy :) I got dressed, at my 2 bananas and Luna Bar and then Rocky's brother Martin came by to pick us up and take us to the start area.
We got to the start area a little after 6:00 am and Union Square was already packed! We met up with the team, did our team shout outs and then headed off to check our bags. The bag check was a complete nightmare... they had all these buses lines up and under each window was a letter. There was one poor girl standing outside the bus giving us all stickers for our bibs that corresponded to the bus number and window letter. Because everyone was in such a rush to check their bags, everyone was crowded around this one girl trying to push ahead to get a number. Uggg, such a pain. After checking our bags Claudia, Jeanette and I headed to our coral area to line up. Jeanette and I needed to use the potty one last time so we dashed as quickly as we could (which wasn't quickly at all with the mass of people) to the porta potties and then back. The gun went off at 7:00... and nothing happened. About 10 minutes later we finally started moving, and 15 minutes later we were across the start line!
We ran the first few miles at an easy pace... partly because we didn't want to push too hard at the start, and partly because we couldn't go any faster. I don't remember ever being so frustrated with all the slower runners and walkers than I was at this year's Nike. Now, I'm a slow runner so I know I have no reason to complain about the slower runners... but I think if people would line up in the correct corral, there wouldn't be as many problems with people having to weave around the much slower people in front of them. There were numerous times in the first few miles that I thought I had lost Claudia and Jeanette because they had to weave around one side of a slower group, and I had to weave around the other side, or one of us just got stuck behind them. :(
Right before the first major hill at mile 6, Jeanette had to take a potty break so Claudia and I forged ahead. As soon as we rounded the corner and started up that hill we started walking. A few minutes later here comes Jeanette running by us! She ran up that hill and then waited for us to catch up. We repeated this pattern during each little hilly section... Jeanette would run past us and then wait for us to catch up when the course leveled out. Around mile 7 we saw all the posters that the teams had made for their honorees and placed along the side of the road. We saw the poster for Cole, wishing him a happy 5th birthday, and right next to it the poster for Brenda with a picture of her cheering on everyone during last year's Nike race! Those posters provided some inspiration exactly when we needed it!
We ran out of the Presidio and into the Sea Cliff neighborhood where all the fancy houses are... including Robin Williams' house! Going, going, going up and down the hills :( Running above the ocean with the gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge! Right around mile 10 we started down the hill near the Cliff House. At this point Jeanette and I had lost Claudia :( We had run a little ahead of her and when I turned around I couldn't see her anymore, although she later told me she was waving right at me :( Above the Cliff House we ran into one of my old mentees Lisa and I got a sense of deja vu! Two years ago she also did the Nike half marathon when I was her mentor and I ran into her at the same point along the course. Here we were two years later in the exact same spot!
Once we came around the curve near the Cliff House we had an incredible view of the ocean. You could hear everyone around us, especially those from other states, ooohing and ahhhing. The sun was out, the waves were crashing and it was an amazing view. But, since the sun was out, it also meant it was starting to get a little warm :( After running down the Great Highway for a bit, we turned up into Golden Gate park and finally got some shade. Jeanette and I stopped to say hello to a couple of TNT people and look back along the course to see if we could spot Claudia behind us. No luck :( We continued through the park, which was slightly uphill, and passed by the Bison, who were nowhere to be seen.
Right before we reach the 11 mile mark, the half marathoners split from the full marathoners, who continue up through the park. We made a hairpin turn and started back down through the park towards the finish line. We passed through the Polo Fields where Ghiradelli Chocolate was giving out little chocolate squares. We also passed through this weird, Las Vegas-ish tunnel with tv screens and loud music. Kinda cool but a little surreal after you've been running for 12 miles! The last part of the course through the park is thankfully downhill before you turn back onto the Great Highway for the grand finish. Jeanette told me I better not ditch her down the finish line, and I told her the same thing. The problem is that every time I make that turn, and hear the crowds cheering and the finish line music blaring, I kick it into high gear! Jeanette complained that I was sprinting but she kept up with me and we crossed the finish line with our arms raised together!! Yippee... we're done!!! I think our finish time was a little under 3 hours.
We were greeted across the finish line by some very cute firemen dressed in tuxedos handing out our Tiffany's necklace. We grabbed a box, got our chip cut off and then grabbed our finisher shirt. The shirts are cute but for some reason they decided not to give out the usual performance shirts... instead they were a technical cotton/poly blend that fit MUCH smaller than the finisher shirts usually do. I'm kind of bummed I won't have a cute pink shirt to run in for NY :(
Jeanette and I made our way to the TNT tent to grab some food and goodies before we headed back out to wait for Brandy and Phil. At the tent we ran into Claudia, who came in about 5 minutes behind us, and Rocky, who had come in quite a bit before us :D They had some yummy sandwiches, cookies, chips and even SODA!!!! I was a good girl though and downed some Gatorade before I had some soda. On our way out of the tent towards the course I looked behind me and everyone was gone... I backtracked a ways and found Claudia and Jeanette talking to a SF Chronicle reporter. He was interviewing them about the race and TNT. Jeanette spoke very passionately about Brenda and Cole and all the reasons why participating in a race like this is important. The (very cute but married) reporter seemed very interested in a number of things we talked about but of course only one thing made it into the final article... "Jeanette Hurwitz of Antioch and her friends from Team in Training decided to do the shorter course Sunday. That's because the women - novices no more - plan to run the New York City Marathon in two weeks. "This," Hurwitz said, "was a training run.""
After our 15 minutes of fame we headed back out on the Great Highway to wait for Brandy. She had done the early start at 5:00 so she wouldn't have to worry about meeting the cut off, so we knew she would be coming in soon. We parked ourselves about a half mile from the finish line and cheered for the runners while we waiting. The weather was so nice and warm... great for us, bad for the people still running :( After waiting a little while we spotted Brandy and Brian coming down the Great Highway... when we reached us we all joined her to walk (and then run) the final half mile. Right when we approached the finish line chute, Brandy's sister, who was there with some other friends and Brandy's daughter Emma, passed Emma over the barricade so she could run in with Mommy. At first she looked a little shocked... like why am I being passed off to these people, but as soon as she grabbed her mom's hand and started running, a smile popped up on her face. She was SO cute running in those last hundred yards with Brandy! And even Brandy had a big smile on her face, despite already running those 26 miles! WOO HOO BRANDY... YOU DID IT!!!! We all gave her a big hug after she crossed the finish line and then headed back out to wait for Phil.
Phil didn't do the early start so we knew he should be coming our way soon. We didn't have too long to wait before we saw his smiling face running down the Great Highway. Phil's past two marathons weren't that great of an experience for him so I was really hoping that this marathon would be better... judging from that smile on his face he was either having a great time, or a little delirious from the exertion and the heat! We asked him how he was doing and he said GREAT! We all ran with him towards the finish line and damn him... he smoked us all! One by one we he outran all of us down the chute except for Rocky! We gave him a big hug afterwards and then headed out to the buses to pick up our bags. CONGRATULATIONS PHIL... you achieved your goal and proved to us that a FUN marathon is possible!
Rocky, Claudia and I picked up our bags from the bus and called Martin to let him know we were ready to be picked up. They took us back to Rocky's parent's house were we were greeted with a yummy lunch :D Yeah! More food to shovel in my mouth! After eating and visiting we grabbed our bags and headed back to the East Bay. By the time I finally got home it was after 4:00 and I was still in my stinky, sweaty running clothes. I took a shower, too a nap and relaxed for the rest of the night.
All in all I had a wonderful time... I think it was actually the most fun I've ever had during a race. I think part of that was due to the fact that we just took it slow... we didn't worry about finishing in a certain time... we just had fun and did the damn thing! The next day the only part of me that was hurting was my quads and my sunburned face :( Today I'm pretty much back to normal! Now I just have to get ready for NY in just about 10 days... AHHHH!!!
We got to the start area a little after 6:00 am and Union Square was already packed! We met up with the team, did our team shout outs and then headed off to check our bags. The bag check was a complete nightmare... they had all these buses lines up and under each window was a letter. There was one poor girl standing outside the bus giving us all stickers for our bibs that corresponded to the bus number and window letter. Because everyone was in such a rush to check their bags, everyone was crowded around this one girl trying to push ahead to get a number. Uggg, such a pain. After checking our bags Claudia, Jeanette and I headed to our coral area to line up. Jeanette and I needed to use the potty one last time so we dashed as quickly as we could (which wasn't quickly at all with the mass of people) to the porta potties and then back. The gun went off at 7:00... and nothing happened. About 10 minutes later we finally started moving, and 15 minutes later we were across the start line!
We ran the first few miles at an easy pace... partly because we didn't want to push too hard at the start, and partly because we couldn't go any faster. I don't remember ever being so frustrated with all the slower runners and walkers than I was at this year's Nike. Now, I'm a slow runner so I know I have no reason to complain about the slower runners... but I think if people would line up in the correct corral, there wouldn't be as many problems with people having to weave around the much slower people in front of them. There were numerous times in the first few miles that I thought I had lost Claudia and Jeanette because they had to weave around one side of a slower group, and I had to weave around the other side, or one of us just got stuck behind them. :(
Right before the first major hill at mile 6, Jeanette had to take a potty break so Claudia and I forged ahead. As soon as we rounded the corner and started up that hill we started walking. A few minutes later here comes Jeanette running by us! She ran up that hill and then waited for us to catch up. We repeated this pattern during each little hilly section... Jeanette would run past us and then wait for us to catch up when the course leveled out. Around mile 7 we saw all the posters that the teams had made for their honorees and placed along the side of the road. We saw the poster for Cole, wishing him a happy 5th birthday, and right next to it the poster for Brenda with a picture of her cheering on everyone during last year's Nike race! Those posters provided some inspiration exactly when we needed it!
We ran out of the Presidio and into the Sea Cliff neighborhood where all the fancy houses are... including Robin Williams' house! Going, going, going up and down the hills :( Running above the ocean with the gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge! Right around mile 10 we started down the hill near the Cliff House. At this point Jeanette and I had lost Claudia :( We had run a little ahead of her and when I turned around I couldn't see her anymore, although she later told me she was waving right at me :( Above the Cliff House we ran into one of my old mentees Lisa and I got a sense of deja vu! Two years ago she also did the Nike half marathon when I was her mentor and I ran into her at the same point along the course. Here we were two years later in the exact same spot!
Once we came around the curve near the Cliff House we had an incredible view of the ocean. You could hear everyone around us, especially those from other states, ooohing and ahhhing. The sun was out, the waves were crashing and it was an amazing view. But, since the sun was out, it also meant it was starting to get a little warm :( After running down the Great Highway for a bit, we turned up into Golden Gate park and finally got some shade. Jeanette and I stopped to say hello to a couple of TNT people and look back along the course to see if we could spot Claudia behind us. No luck :( We continued through the park, which was slightly uphill, and passed by the Bison, who were nowhere to be seen.
Right before we reach the 11 mile mark, the half marathoners split from the full marathoners, who continue up through the park. We made a hairpin turn and started back down through the park towards the finish line. We passed through the Polo Fields where Ghiradelli Chocolate was giving out little chocolate squares. We also passed through this weird, Las Vegas-ish tunnel with tv screens and loud music. Kinda cool but a little surreal after you've been running for 12 miles! The last part of the course through the park is thankfully downhill before you turn back onto the Great Highway for the grand finish. Jeanette told me I better not ditch her down the finish line, and I told her the same thing. The problem is that every time I make that turn, and hear the crowds cheering and the finish line music blaring, I kick it into high gear! Jeanette complained that I was sprinting but she kept up with me and we crossed the finish line with our arms raised together!! Yippee... we're done!!! I think our finish time was a little under 3 hours.
We were greeted across the finish line by some very cute firemen dressed in tuxedos handing out our Tiffany's necklace. We grabbed a box, got our chip cut off and then grabbed our finisher shirt. The shirts are cute but for some reason they decided not to give out the usual performance shirts... instead they were a technical cotton/poly blend that fit MUCH smaller than the finisher shirts usually do. I'm kind of bummed I won't have a cute pink shirt to run in for NY :(
Jeanette and I made our way to the TNT tent to grab some food and goodies before we headed back out to wait for Brandy and Phil. At the tent we ran into Claudia, who came in about 5 minutes behind us, and Rocky, who had come in quite a bit before us :D They had some yummy sandwiches, cookies, chips and even SODA!!!! I was a good girl though and downed some Gatorade before I had some soda. On our way out of the tent towards the course I looked behind me and everyone was gone... I backtracked a ways and found Claudia and Jeanette talking to a SF Chronicle reporter. He was interviewing them about the race and TNT. Jeanette spoke very passionately about Brenda and Cole and all the reasons why participating in a race like this is important. The (very cute but married) reporter seemed very interested in a number of things we talked about but of course only one thing made it into the final article... "Jeanette Hurwitz of Antioch and her friends from Team in Training decided to do the shorter course Sunday. That's because the women - novices no more - plan to run the New York City Marathon in two weeks. "This," Hurwitz said, "was a training run.""
After our 15 minutes of fame we headed back out on the Great Highway to wait for Brandy. She had done the early start at 5:00 so she wouldn't have to worry about meeting the cut off, so we knew she would be coming in soon. We parked ourselves about a half mile from the finish line and cheered for the runners while we waiting. The weather was so nice and warm... great for us, bad for the people still running :( After waiting a little while we spotted Brandy and Brian coming down the Great Highway... when we reached us we all joined her to walk (and then run) the final half mile. Right when we approached the finish line chute, Brandy's sister, who was there with some other friends and Brandy's daughter Emma, passed Emma over the barricade so she could run in with Mommy. At first she looked a little shocked... like why am I being passed off to these people, but as soon as she grabbed her mom's hand and started running, a smile popped up on her face. She was SO cute running in those last hundred yards with Brandy! And even Brandy had a big smile on her face, despite already running those 26 miles! WOO HOO BRANDY... YOU DID IT!!!! We all gave her a big hug after she crossed the finish line and then headed back out to wait for Phil.
Phil didn't do the early start so we knew he should be coming our way soon. We didn't have too long to wait before we saw his smiling face running down the Great Highway. Phil's past two marathons weren't that great of an experience for him so I was really hoping that this marathon would be better... judging from that smile on his face he was either having a great time, or a little delirious from the exertion and the heat! We asked him how he was doing and he said GREAT! We all ran with him towards the finish line and damn him... he smoked us all! One by one we he outran all of us down the chute except for Rocky! We gave him a big hug afterwards and then headed out to the buses to pick up our bags. CONGRATULATIONS PHIL... you achieved your goal and proved to us that a FUN marathon is possible!
Rocky, Claudia and I picked up our bags from the bus and called Martin to let him know we were ready to be picked up. They took us back to Rocky's parent's house were we were greeted with a yummy lunch :D Yeah! More food to shovel in my mouth! After eating and visiting we grabbed our bags and headed back to the East Bay. By the time I finally got home it was after 4:00 and I was still in my stinky, sweaty running clothes. I took a shower, too a nap and relaxed for the rest of the night.
All in all I had a wonderful time... I think it was actually the most fun I've ever had during a race. I think part of that was due to the fact that we just took it slow... we didn't worry about finishing in a certain time... we just had fun and did the damn thing! The next day the only part of me that was hurting was my quads and my sunburned face :( Today I'm pretty much back to normal! Now I just have to get ready for NY in just about 10 days... AHHHH!!!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Sleep. Eat. Train. Repeat.
I love looking at the clever and cute shirts that people make for races... the saying above was one of my favorites. There were also the girls in pink tank tops with "I'd rather be drinking champagne" written on the backs. I think my two favorites where the girls dressed as Batman and Superman, complete with capes!
Saturday morning I was able to sleep in a little since we weren't heading to the city until later that afternoon. Of course my body wouldn't let me sleep in too long :( I got up, finished packing, ate some leftover Thai food and just hung out. A little before 2:00 I made a quick trip to Long's to pick up gatorade, water and bananas and then headed out to Claudia and Rocky's. I was going with them to the Pasta Party and then to Rocky's parent's house to spend the night. We got to SF about an hour before we were supposed to meet the team for pictures prior to the pasta party so we walked around the mall a little bit.
At 4:00 we met with the rest of the East Bay team outside the Moscone center for some group pictures. At 5:30 the doors of the Moscone Center opened up and we were among the first in the door. TNT Pasta Parties are a fun experience, especially for these big races. The first thing we heard when we walked in the door was the cheering. Hundreds of TNT staff and coaches were lined up, many dressed in crazy purple and green outfits, yelling, cheering, clapping and just making a whole lotta noise as we walked down the stairs into the room where the pasta party was. And man was this a HUGE room! I think it was the biggest pasta party that I've even been to... tables and tables of food (the usual so so salad, pasta, veggies and bread...healthy, but not that exciting) and then more tables for the 8,000 plus people attending the pasta party.
After filling up we got seated, ate our food (got kicked out of our table... urg, don't get me started) and then the program begin. First up we heard from John "The Penguin" Bingham who shared his humorous insight into the racing experience. I've heard him speak at each of the Nike Pasta Parties I've been to, and his speach is the same each time, but I still crack up :D After John, we heard from Joan Benoit, the marathoner who won the gold the first year they had the women's marathon in the Olympics. She was less funny than John but still had some very inspirational things to say. The last speaker was Amy Barlett, a recent cancer patient and survivor! Hers was a very inspiring story... I think we all teared up when she emotionally told us that she is now a Survivor!
After the Pasta Party coached gathered everyone around and we sang Happy Birthday to Cole, who would be 5 today. It was very emotional and more than a few of us got teary eyed. We did a big group hug and you could feel the sadness we had for those who weren't there to share this with us--especially Cole and Brenda, the nervousness about the race but also the excitement we felt to just DO THE DAMN THING, as coach likes to say :D
After we finally left the pasta party, Claudia, Rocky and I headed out to his parent's house in Daly City. The had nicely offered to put us up for the night so we'd have a shorter trek to the start line the next day. We spent the rest of the evening chatting with his parents, laying out everything for the next morning and decorating our shirts. At 10:00 we were off to bed so we'd be ready to get up early the next morning...
...Race Day report coming tomorrow!
Saturday morning I was able to sleep in a little since we weren't heading to the city until later that afternoon. Of course my body wouldn't let me sleep in too long :( I got up, finished packing, ate some leftover Thai food and just hung out. A little before 2:00 I made a quick trip to Long's to pick up gatorade, water and bananas and then headed out to Claudia and Rocky's. I was going with them to the Pasta Party and then to Rocky's parent's house to spend the night. We got to SF about an hour before we were supposed to meet the team for pictures prior to the pasta party so we walked around the mall a little bit.
At 4:00 we met with the rest of the East Bay team outside the Moscone center for some group pictures. At 5:30 the doors of the Moscone Center opened up and we were among the first in the door. TNT Pasta Parties are a fun experience, especially for these big races. The first thing we heard when we walked in the door was the cheering. Hundreds of TNT staff and coaches were lined up, many dressed in crazy purple and green outfits, yelling, cheering, clapping and just making a whole lotta noise as we walked down the stairs into the room where the pasta party was. And man was this a HUGE room! I think it was the biggest pasta party that I've even been to... tables and tables of food (the usual so so salad, pasta, veggies and bread...healthy, but not that exciting) and then more tables for the 8,000 plus people attending the pasta party.
After filling up we got seated, ate our food (got kicked out of our table... urg, don't get me started) and then the program begin. First up we heard from John "The Penguin" Bingham who shared his humorous insight into the racing experience. I've heard him speak at each of the Nike Pasta Parties I've been to, and his speach is the same each time, but I still crack up :D After John, we heard from Joan Benoit, the marathoner who won the gold the first year they had the women's marathon in the Olympics. She was less funny than John but still had some very inspirational things to say. The last speaker was Amy Barlett, a recent cancer patient and survivor! Hers was a very inspiring story... I think we all teared up when she emotionally told us that she is now a Survivor!
After the Pasta Party coached gathered everyone around and we sang Happy Birthday to Cole, who would be 5 today. It was very emotional and more than a few of us got teary eyed. We did a big group hug and you could feel the sadness we had for those who weren't there to share this with us--especially Cole and Brenda, the nervousness about the race but also the excitement we felt to just DO THE DAMN THING, as coach likes to say :D
After we finally left the pasta party, Claudia, Rocky and I headed out to his parent's house in Daly City. The had nicely offered to put us up for the night so we'd have a shorter trek to the start line the next day. We spent the rest of the evening chatting with his parents, laying out everything for the next morning and decorating our shirts. At 10:00 we were off to bed so we'd be ready to get up early the next morning...
...Race Day report coming tomorrow!
Friday, October 19, 2007
GOOD LUCK NIKE RUNNERS!!!
With Nike just a couple of days away, I want to say GOOD LUCK! to everyone who is running the full or half marathon, but especially to Brandy and Phil who are tackling the full marathon!!
I've done the Nike Half Marathon since it first started 4 years ago and it's always been a special race... it's a Woman's marathon (boys can of course run it too but the focus is on us girls :D); it's a race FOR the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; the course is tough, but gorgeous with it's views of the Golden Gate Bridge; and of course there is the Tiffany's necklace at the finish line! But this year it will be an especially special race. It just happens to fall near both the 6 month anniversary of Brenda's death, and Cole's 5th birthday. What better way to celebrate these lives of these two amazing people than running a race dedicated to raising money for a cause that was very close to both of them!
I know that when the going gets tough, which it always does at Nike, I'll be thinking of Cole and Brenda-- I know they'll be out there in spirit pushing us along :D And for anyone who needs a little extra inspiration and motivation while they're climbing that first big hill around mile 6, keep your eyes on the side of the road and you'll find it ;)
Last night I went over to SF to check out the Nike Expo and pick up my packet. I BARTed over with Amy, Anita, Jeanette and Raji and a bunch of other TNT peeps who were on the train with us. We met up with Brandy at the Expo in Union Square and spent the next few hours checking out all the goodies, drinking free wine, shopping at Niketown for some Nike swag, and drinking MORE free wine. At 7:30 Amy, Anita and I met Claudia and Rocky for dinner at my favorite Union Square restaurant, the Daily Grill. :D I had a yummy Crab Louie salad and since I'd already had two glasses of wine, thanks to Amy's bad influence ;), I had a beer too. Shhh, don't tell Coach on me! After dinner we all hopped back on the BART train and I made it home by about 10:00 :( I was so pooped I didn't even read when I got in bed... just went straight to sleep! Tonight I'll be carbo loading and resting up before Nike on Sunday!
I've done the Nike Half Marathon since it first started 4 years ago and it's always been a special race... it's a Woman's marathon (boys can of course run it too but the focus is on us girls :D); it's a race FOR the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; the course is tough, but gorgeous with it's views of the Golden Gate Bridge; and of course there is the Tiffany's necklace at the finish line! But this year it will be an especially special race. It just happens to fall near both the 6 month anniversary of Brenda's death, and Cole's 5th birthday. What better way to celebrate these lives of these two amazing people than running a race dedicated to raising money for a cause that was very close to both of them!
I know that when the going gets tough, which it always does at Nike, I'll be thinking of Cole and Brenda-- I know they'll be out there in spirit pushing us along :D And for anyone who needs a little extra inspiration and motivation while they're climbing that first big hill around mile 6, keep your eyes on the side of the road and you'll find it ;)
Last night I went over to SF to check out the Nike Expo and pick up my packet. I BARTed over with Amy, Anita, Jeanette and Raji and a bunch of other TNT peeps who were on the train with us. We met up with Brandy at the Expo in Union Square and spent the next few hours checking out all the goodies, drinking free wine, shopping at Niketown for some Nike swag, and drinking MORE free wine. At 7:30 Amy, Anita and I met Claudia and Rocky for dinner at my favorite Union Square restaurant, the Daily Grill. :D I had a yummy Crab Louie salad and since I'd already had two glasses of wine, thanks to Amy's bad influence ;), I had a beer too. Shhh, don't tell Coach on me! After dinner we all hopped back on the BART train and I made it home by about 10:00 :( I was so pooped I didn't even read when I got in bed... just went straight to sleep! Tonight I'll be carbo loading and resting up before Nike on Sunday!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Guess who's doing the NY Marathon?
Well, besides me! Katie Holmes, aka. Mrs. Tom Cruise!! I about died when I read that yesterday! I have to admit that even with all the Tom Cruise/Scientology craziness that she's involved with now, I'm still a big fan... I'll always think of her as sweet Joey Potter! Maybe we'll see her picking up her race packet at the Expo, or maybe in line for the porta potties, or even running along the course!! Yeah right, with thousands upon thousands of people out there and the entourage I'm sure she'll be surrounded by, I'm sure we'll never see her! But I can always wish :D
Last night Amy was off at a fancy schmancy gala so we had canceled our usual run. I wasn't too sad about that :D I did a little shopping, relaxed, got introduced to accupuncture (which was actually kinda fun :D) and then watched some tv. A nice relaxing night :)
Last night Amy was off at a fancy schmancy gala so we had canceled our usual run. I wasn't too sad about that :D I did a little shopping, relaxed, got introduced to accupuncture (which was actually kinda fun :D) and then watched some tv. A nice relaxing night :)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Pride lasts longer than pain
I've been looking through the NY Marathon website and found an article on how to find motivation during a race... I condensed it a little bit:
Finding Motivation
For up to two-thirds of a marathon motivation is the last thing you’ll need. The challenge, instead, will be to keep all that crowd support from pulling you to an effortless-feeling early pace that you won’t be able to maintain later. Even for the lead-pack runners, the first sixteen miles are usually a time to pull back on the reins a bit, try to tune out the screaming masses, and keep some energy in reserve for the late-stage moves that are sure to come.
The last third of the race is a different story. Motivation can come from outside for a while, but the kind that you create yourself is even better. Find the positives in your situation: You’re competing in a major athletic event. You aren’t out of energy; you’re drinking your fluids and using your other thoroughly tested speed-enhancers, like salt tablets and PowerGELs. You’ve got thousands of runners on the course with you, all with the same main goal—to finish well. You’ve put in a great deal of hard work, both in training and in the race so far, to get to this point. Every step, every second, is getting you closer to your goal.
Dr. George Sheehan, a cardiologist, record-setting age-group runner, and seminal writer during the 1970s running boom, could be very long-winded about racing. But he once said something so ideally simple that it’s been inscribed on marathon finishers’ medals: “Pride lasts longer than pain.” If you find yourself about to back off the personal-record pace you’re on, or about to tell the group or companion you’re running with to go on without you, or about to yield to the urge to walk; if the discomfort of the marathon’s final miles threatens to undermine all the confidence that you’ve built, think of how proud you’ll be after the race at having resisted the urge to surrender. Then hold out a bit longer. You might be surprised.
Leave it to the British to understate the difficulty of the end of a marathon. Ron Hill, who once won the Boston Marathon, described a particularly miserable few miles as “a bit of a bad patch.” The phrase is good to keep in mind, because it suggests that the rough section has an end. Marathoners experience remarkable resurrections when they can “feel” the finish line; when the remaining distance becomes a mentally manageable one. As bad as you may be feeling, you can also come out the other side of the bad patch. Believing that this is possible will help you when you can’t yet feel the finish line.
Remember: If a marathon were an easy task, it would never have deserved such an important place in your life. You took this on because it’s difficult but possible. Late in the race, the “difficult” part will be proved true. Remember the value to be found in overcoming worthy obstacles, and then prove the “possible” part true, too.
Finding Motivation
For up to two-thirds of a marathon motivation is the last thing you’ll need. The challenge, instead, will be to keep all that crowd support from pulling you to an effortless-feeling early pace that you won’t be able to maintain later. Even for the lead-pack runners, the first sixteen miles are usually a time to pull back on the reins a bit, try to tune out the screaming masses, and keep some energy in reserve for the late-stage moves that are sure to come.
The last third of the race is a different story. Motivation can come from outside for a while, but the kind that you create yourself is even better. Find the positives in your situation: You’re competing in a major athletic event. You aren’t out of energy; you’re drinking your fluids and using your other thoroughly tested speed-enhancers, like salt tablets and PowerGELs. You’ve got thousands of runners on the course with you, all with the same main goal—to finish well. You’ve put in a great deal of hard work, both in training and in the race so far, to get to this point. Every step, every second, is getting you closer to your goal.
Dr. George Sheehan, a cardiologist, record-setting age-group runner, and seminal writer during the 1970s running boom, could be very long-winded about racing. But he once said something so ideally simple that it’s been inscribed on marathon finishers’ medals: “Pride lasts longer than pain.” If you find yourself about to back off the personal-record pace you’re on, or about to tell the group or companion you’re running with to go on without you, or about to yield to the urge to walk; if the discomfort of the marathon’s final miles threatens to undermine all the confidence that you’ve built, think of how proud you’ll be after the race at having resisted the urge to surrender. Then hold out a bit longer. You might be surprised.
Leave it to the British to understate the difficulty of the end of a marathon. Ron Hill, who once won the Boston Marathon, described a particularly miserable few miles as “a bit of a bad patch.” The phrase is good to keep in mind, because it suggests that the rough section has an end. Marathoners experience remarkable resurrections when they can “feel” the finish line; when the remaining distance becomes a mentally manageable one. As bad as you may be feeling, you can also come out the other side of the bad patch. Believing that this is possible will help you when you can’t yet feel the finish line.
Remember: If a marathon were an easy task, it would never have deserved such an important place in your life. You took this on because it’s difficult but possible. Late in the race, the “difficult” part will be proved true. Remember the value to be found in overcoming worthy obstacles, and then prove the “possible” part true, too.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
OMG...
... It really just hit me today that NY is right around the corner. I've been thinking so much about Nike coming up this weekend that it hadn't fully sunk in until now. After this weekend, I only have one more weekend before we leave for NY. Now the stressing begins...
Claudia has been our travel director for the trip and she figured out a lot of the trip details for us: She (and Amy) got our flights figured out and picked the hotel. She also got us a ride to and from the airport in NY. And we know where we're having dinner on Friday night. Check. Check. Check. And check! Now that leaves only 50 more things we need to figure out! Okay, that's a LITTLE bit of an exaggeration but it almost feels like there is that much to do. :( And unfortunately, Claudia's just like me... we have the OCD travel disease. We have to obsessively make sure that EVERY detail is planned and organized. The best cure for this disease is lists... lots and lots of lists. :)
Ms. Amy canceled our run for tonight so I think I'm going to be plopping myself at the computer once I get home and making lists... lots and lots of lists... and even some maps. :D Ahhh, I feel a little better already.
Claudia has been our travel director for the trip and she figured out a lot of the trip details for us: She (and Amy) got our flights figured out and picked the hotel. She also got us a ride to and from the airport in NY. And we know where we're having dinner on Friday night. Check. Check. Check. And check! Now that leaves only 50 more things we need to figure out! Okay, that's a LITTLE bit of an exaggeration but it almost feels like there is that much to do. :( And unfortunately, Claudia's just like me... we have the OCD travel disease. We have to obsessively make sure that EVERY detail is planned and organized. The best cure for this disease is lists... lots and lots of lists. :)
Ms. Amy canceled our run for tonight so I think I'm going to be plopping myself at the computer once I get home and making lists... lots and lots of lists... and even some maps. :D Ahhh, I feel a little better already.
Monday, October 15, 2007
3 weeks to NY!!
With the NY Marathon just 3 weeks away (eeekkk!!!) this last weekend was scheduled to be our 20 miler. Since everyone's schedules were a little crazy, none of the teams were doing that high of mileage this weekend, and 20 miles is way too hard to do on your own, most of us decided to split out 20 miler up into 2 days. I was going to do 10 miles on Saturday with the team (they had a Mentor Led Run) and then on Sunday do Primo's Half Marathon in Danville-- that way I'd have people to run with both days, and have a supported run with water stops on Sunday.
Saturday morning I was up and out of the house a little after 7:00. I met Raji and the Summer/Fall Diablo Valley Teams out at the Berkeley Marina. It was a great day for running... the rain from Friday was gone, the skies were clear but it was still nice and cool. Raji and I started out together and stayed together until about mile 3. She ran into one of her mentees and ran back with her to give her the packet she needed for Nike. The team was only doing up to 9 miles so I went out .5 past where their turn around was. I was pretty much on my own until I saw Rocky on his bike around mile 6. He kept me company (THANK YOU!!) for a few miles and then went to check on one of his mentees. I finished 10 miles in exactly 2 hours. Not the best time but it had started to warm up a little and I was feeling a little sluggish-- I also wanted to take it easy knowing that I had to do 13 miles the next day.
After the run I went to Danville to pick up my race bib and shirt (a very nice long sleeve tech shirt), went home, ate, napped and then got ready for the evening's festivities! Claudia, Rocky and I were going out to BFE... oh sorry, Antioch, to watch our favorite band East Bay Mudd play a concert at the El Campanil Theatre. Before we left for Antioch we went to dinner at Pasta Primavera so I could do a little last minute carbo loading. The concert was a lot of fun... EBMUDD did a 2+ hour concert that took us all on a musical journey from the beginning of R&B, to Motown, across the border for some Santana, through the era of Soul and Funk and then settled in the East Bay with some Tower of Power!
Although I got home pretty late, I could NOT go to sleep. Even though the race the next day was meant to be a training run for me, I was REALLY nervous about it. I wasn't worried that I wouldn't be able to finish the race, but since it was a very SMALL race, I was really worried that I was going to be the last to cross the finish line. I finally got to sleep, but didn't sleep very well. :( When I got up to get ready for the race I was still nervous and could hardly eat. All I could manage was a banana and a little water... I took a Gu with me hoping that would give me some energy before the start. Once in Danville at Primo's Pizza (race central) I got my chip (which was on a strip of wet suit material that velcroed on our ankle) checked in my sweatshirt and chatted with a couple of TNT people I ran into. At 7:30 we were off!
The race itself was pretty uneventful. We wound around the streets of Danville, and up and down a few little hills. It was actually kind of fun to see these neighborhoods that I've never been in. I saw A LOT of Halloween decorations too! I went out a little too fast... I was afraid that I was going to be left behind by the pack. After I saw that I was NOT going to be the last one in, I slowed down a little bit. According to the official times, my pace for the first 6 miles was 11:48 and my pace for the last 7.1 miles was 12.55. Whoops :( One reason I was having a hard time pacing myself was that my usually oh so reliable Garmin never did find the satellites and so couldn't keep track of my mileage, or compute my pace. I had intended to keep an eye on my pace and not let myself get above a 12 minute mile. That didn't work. :(
After we wound around the streets of Danville, we did a few miles on the Iron Horse Trail. This was a little boring but I knew I was getting closer to the finish line. Once we got to Bishop Ranch, we turned right off the trail and made a big loop around the Bishop Ranch office buildings. I had been feeling a little sluggish from miles 6-11 (I think the miles from the day before were catching up to me) but I got a second wind during the last two miles. I think it helped that a few people around me were pooping out and I was starting to pass them. :) I finished with a final time of 2:42:32. Not my best time, but definitely not my worst, especially considering that I had done 10 miles the day before. And I am proud to note that there were 14 people who finished behind me!! WOO HOO!!
I was definitely beat after the race so I picked up my medal (not as impressive as the shirts), my goodie bag (a bottle of water, a bottle of CytoMax, a Clif Bar and a chocolate chip cookie) and caught the shuttle back to Danville. After some food, a shower and a nap, I got up to make some appetizers before heading over to Claudia and Rocky's for dinner. Claudia and I read this blog everyday called The Pioneer Woman and she also has a blog with a bunch of yummy cooking recipes. Our dinner was made up almost entirely of recipes from her blog. I made these Jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Claudia made Ree's (the Pioneer Woman) slow cooked brisket and twice baked potatoes. YUMMMM!!! Just what my belly wanted after a weekend of running. Of course we had some yummy wine and ice cream for dessert. I was a happy girl!
This week I'll be preparing for our last "long" run before NY... the Nike Half Marathon on this Sunday! Tiffany's necklace, here I come!!
Saturday morning I was up and out of the house a little after 7:00. I met Raji and the Summer/Fall Diablo Valley Teams out at the Berkeley Marina. It was a great day for running... the rain from Friday was gone, the skies were clear but it was still nice and cool. Raji and I started out together and stayed together until about mile 3. She ran into one of her mentees and ran back with her to give her the packet she needed for Nike. The team was only doing up to 9 miles so I went out .5 past where their turn around was. I was pretty much on my own until I saw Rocky on his bike around mile 6. He kept me company (THANK YOU!!) for a few miles and then went to check on one of his mentees. I finished 10 miles in exactly 2 hours. Not the best time but it had started to warm up a little and I was feeling a little sluggish-- I also wanted to take it easy knowing that I had to do 13 miles the next day.
After the run I went to Danville to pick up my race bib and shirt (a very nice long sleeve tech shirt), went home, ate, napped and then got ready for the evening's festivities! Claudia, Rocky and I were going out to BFE... oh sorry, Antioch, to watch our favorite band East Bay Mudd play a concert at the El Campanil Theatre. Before we left for Antioch we went to dinner at Pasta Primavera so I could do a little last minute carbo loading. The concert was a lot of fun... EBMUDD did a 2+ hour concert that took us all on a musical journey from the beginning of R&B, to Motown, across the border for some Santana, through the era of Soul and Funk and then settled in the East Bay with some Tower of Power!
Although I got home pretty late, I could NOT go to sleep. Even though the race the next day was meant to be a training run for me, I was REALLY nervous about it. I wasn't worried that I wouldn't be able to finish the race, but since it was a very SMALL race, I was really worried that I was going to be the last to cross the finish line. I finally got to sleep, but didn't sleep very well. :( When I got up to get ready for the race I was still nervous and could hardly eat. All I could manage was a banana and a little water... I took a Gu with me hoping that would give me some energy before the start. Once in Danville at Primo's Pizza (race central) I got my chip (which was on a strip of wet suit material that velcroed on our ankle) checked in my sweatshirt and chatted with a couple of TNT people I ran into. At 7:30 we were off!
The race itself was pretty uneventful. We wound around the streets of Danville, and up and down a few little hills. It was actually kind of fun to see these neighborhoods that I've never been in. I saw A LOT of Halloween decorations too! I went out a little too fast... I was afraid that I was going to be left behind by the pack. After I saw that I was NOT going to be the last one in, I slowed down a little bit. According to the official times, my pace for the first 6 miles was 11:48 and my pace for the last 7.1 miles was 12.55. Whoops :( One reason I was having a hard time pacing myself was that my usually oh so reliable Garmin never did find the satellites and so couldn't keep track of my mileage, or compute my pace. I had intended to keep an eye on my pace and not let myself get above a 12 minute mile. That didn't work. :(
After we wound around the streets of Danville, we did a few miles on the Iron Horse Trail. This was a little boring but I knew I was getting closer to the finish line. Once we got to Bishop Ranch, we turned right off the trail and made a big loop around the Bishop Ranch office buildings. I had been feeling a little sluggish from miles 6-11 (I think the miles from the day before were catching up to me) but I got a second wind during the last two miles. I think it helped that a few people around me were pooping out and I was starting to pass them. :) I finished with a final time of 2:42:32. Not my best time, but definitely not my worst, especially considering that I had done 10 miles the day before. And I am proud to note that there were 14 people who finished behind me!! WOO HOO!!
I was definitely beat after the race so I picked up my medal (not as impressive as the shirts), my goodie bag (a bottle of water, a bottle of CytoMax, a Clif Bar and a chocolate chip cookie) and caught the shuttle back to Danville. After some food, a shower and a nap, I got up to make some appetizers before heading over to Claudia and Rocky's for dinner. Claudia and I read this blog everyday called The Pioneer Woman and she also has a blog with a bunch of yummy cooking recipes. Our dinner was made up almost entirely of recipes from her blog. I made these Jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Claudia made Ree's (the Pioneer Woman) slow cooked brisket and twice baked potatoes. YUMMMM!!! Just what my belly wanted after a weekend of running. Of course we had some yummy wine and ice cream for dessert. I was a happy girl!
This week I'll be preparing for our last "long" run before NY... the Nike Half Marathon on this Sunday! Tiffany's necklace, here I come!!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Bye Bye Bubbles
My poor little fishy has passed away :( I came home last night from work and he was in the same position he's been in for the past few day-- just laying sideways on the bottom of the tank. When I looked closely I could tell that he was still breathing, but just barely. I did a little internet research on sick Bettas and I think he had Dropsy, which is fatal for fish. He was also very old in fish years... Claudia and I got him a little over 3 years ago-- most Betta's live only 1-2 years, especially if they came from a pet store. After I got home last night I took a nap and when I came back out of my room I could see that he wasn't breathing anymore :( How I will miss my little fishy... even though he was just a fish he was the first pet that I had all on my own.
A couple of years ago I thought Bubbles was going to die... he wasn't eating, wasn't really swimming around and didn't seem himself. Claudia and I asked Rocky to draw a memorial picture of Bubbles in case he did kick the bucket. I'm sure Rocky thought we were crazy but he did it for us anyway :)
A couple of years ago I thought Bubbles was going to die... he wasn't eating, wasn't really swimming around and didn't seem himself. Claudia and I asked Rocky to draw a memorial picture of Bubbles in case he did kick the bucket. I'm sure Rocky thought we were crazy but he did it for us anyway :)
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Even MORE Marathon fun...
The last few days have been pretty uneventful for me, which is why my last few posts have had nothing do me :) Monday night Claudia and I took our friend Karen out for her birthday at PF Changs... of course the food was yummy and we had a good time :) Tuesday I got a migraine in the morning at work... the rest of my day pretty much sucked :( I didn't go to track that night and instead spent part of the evening cleaning out my fishy, Bubbles', tank. He's been looking very sickly and the I think the end is near... I was hoping that a clean tank would help but it hasn't :( Yesterday towards the end of the day at work, I got ANOTHER migraine so I canceled my run with Amy and went home to lay in bed. Today I am better... still a little headache but not as bad as the past couple of days. My fishie, on the other hand, still looks like he's at death's door :(
I got a really good laugh though when I watched this video that my friend Lindsay sent to all of us crazy marathoners:
I got a really good laugh though when I watched this video that my friend Lindsay sent to all of us crazy marathoners:
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
More Marathon craziness!!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
After a humiliating defeat in Mexico's presidential election last year, Roberto Madrazo appeared to be back on top: He'd won the men's age-55 category in the Sept. 30 Berlin marathon with a surprising time of 2:41:12.
After a humiliating defeat in Mexico's presidential election last year, Roberto Madrazo appeared to be back on top: He'd won the men's age-55 category in the Sept. 30 Berlin marathon with a surprising time of 2:41:12.
But Madrazo couldn't leave his reputation for shady dealings in the dust. Race officials said Monday they disqualified him for apparently taking a short cut — an electronic tracking chip indicates he skipped two checkpoints in the race and would have needed superhuman speed to achieve his win.
According to the chip, Madrazo took only 21 minutes to cover nine miles — faster than any human can run. "Not even the world record holder can go that fast," race director Mark Milde said.
In a photograph taken as he crossed the finish line, Madrazo wears an ear-to-ear grin and pumps his arms in the air. But he also wore a wind breaker, hat and long, skintight running pants — too much clothing, some said, for a person who had just run 26.2 miles in 60-degree weather.
Madrazo's outfit caught the attention of the New York-based marathon photographer Victor Sailer, who alerted race organizers that they might have a cheater on their hands.
"It was so obvious to me, if you look at everyone else that's in the picture, everyone's wearing T-shirts and shorts, and the guy's got a jacket on and a hat or whatever," Sailer said. "I looked at it and was like, wait a second."
The world record for 15 kilometers — the distance Madrazo covered in 21 minutes — is 41 minutes 29 seconds, by Felix Limo of Kenya.
Madrazo's reputation at home was already tarnished. In 1996, Mexico's attorney general confirmed reports that he had spent tens of millions of dollars more than the legal campaign spending limit in his winning 1994 bid for the Tabasco state governorship.
While under investigation on those charges, Madrazo told police he was kidnapped for seven hours, beaten and threatened with death by unidentified assailants. Police couldn't find evidence of any such abduction, and many saw it as a sympathy ploy.
In June, Madrazo completed the San Diego marathon with a time of 3:44:06 — more than an hour slower than his time in Berlin, Mexican newspaper Reforma reported. Madrazo's office did not return phone calls from The Associated Press.
Race director Milde noted that Madrazo may have intended to drop out and taken a shortcut to reach the start-finish area.
"I don't know if it was his intention or accidental: I try to believe in the good of people," Milde said. But the fact that Madrazo appears to be celebrating in the photograph could go against this theory, he added.
Some 32,500 people finished the race and about 40 are disqualified every year, Milde said.
Monday, October 08, 2007
It was hot, hot, hot in Chicago!
This past weekend was a busy marathon weekend... there was the Portland marathon AND the Chicago Marathon. The Portland marathoners did a fabulous job... my brother kicked ass with a 4:16:59 finish time. He hardly trained, and really felt that lack of training, but still beat my best time by over an hour :( GOOD JOB BUDDY! Crazy marathoner Amy also did an amazing job with a finish time of 5:57 even... now bring on NY! Another TNT friend Rudy did VERY well with 4:05:07.
I heard the Portland weather was great for running... that was definitely NOT true for Chicago. The 88 degree heat, coupled with horrendous humidity, made for a not-so-fun running experience. One runner, a Michigan police officer, died; 49 runners were hospitalized; 250 runners were treated on-site; and for the first time ever, the 2nd half of the course was closed after almost 4 hours. If you didn't make it to the halfway point by then, you were diverted back to the start. 10,000 of the 45,000 registered runners chose to not even start the race due to the horrible conditions. Wow... those are NOT the kind of statistics you want to see at a marathon. One TNT alum was running and he did finish, although spent 45 minutes helping a man who collapsed in front of him-- he still finished the race in under 5 hours!
Compared to all this, my run was a piece of cake! I joined the EB teams for their Coached Run at San Leandro. The weather was perfect for running... nice and cool! Because part of the route is this awful gravelly surface, I had intended on running out 3 miles, and back, and then out and back again. That way I'd only have to spend about 3 total miles on the un-paved trail. But thanks to Raji, that didn't happen ;) Raji was chit-chatting away and next thing I know it's been 4 miles... I figured at this point I might as well keep going for another 2 miles until the turn around.
On the way back after turning around, Raji and I took a little detour so we could get another mile in. My brain wasn't working and I didn't get the math right so we ended up adding on a little over a half mile, instead of the full mile we wanted to do. Oh well... I guess there isn't too much different between 12.5 and 13... we can round up :D Toward the end of the run I was feeling much more pooped than Raji was... I was also having a little difficulty catching my breathe. I've been congested a lot in the morning so I think that was to blame... it felt like I had something in my throat I just needed to cough up. Sorry... that's sounds kinda gross :( All in all I felt pretty good although my feet and back were sore from the stupid gravel. :(
After finishing, Claudia, Rocky and I headed back to their house to clean up, and then went out to Sonoma for a little party at our favorite winery, Cline. They had food, live music and of course LOTS of wine. Since we had pigged out on Taco Bell on the way there we didn't eat much food, just the sinfully delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake. Ahhh, it was heaven :D Afterwards we visited a couple more wineries and then had dinner at our usual place, Mary's Pizza Shack in the Sonoma Plaza. My belly was so full of wine though I hardly ate my pesto pasta :( It did make a yummy lunch the next day though!
Sunday I went up to Vallejo for Emma and Andrew's birthday party. Even though it was a kiddie party, there were a few unaccompanied adults there too. I think we had as much fun as the kids did jumping in the bouncy house and eating the cupcakes :D I tell you, those jumpy houses are a workout! I spent about 10 minutes in there and came out sweaty and out of breathe! I'll update with some pictures later :D
I heard the Portland weather was great for running... that was definitely NOT true for Chicago. The 88 degree heat, coupled with horrendous humidity, made for a not-so-fun running experience. One runner, a Michigan police officer, died; 49 runners were hospitalized; 250 runners were treated on-site; and for the first time ever, the 2nd half of the course was closed after almost 4 hours. If you didn't make it to the halfway point by then, you were diverted back to the start. 10,000 of the 45,000 registered runners chose to not even start the race due to the horrible conditions. Wow... those are NOT the kind of statistics you want to see at a marathon. One TNT alum was running and he did finish, although spent 45 minutes helping a man who collapsed in front of him-- he still finished the race in under 5 hours!
Compared to all this, my run was a piece of cake! I joined the EB teams for their Coached Run at San Leandro. The weather was perfect for running... nice and cool! Because part of the route is this awful gravelly surface, I had intended on running out 3 miles, and back, and then out and back again. That way I'd only have to spend about 3 total miles on the un-paved trail. But thanks to Raji, that didn't happen ;) Raji was chit-chatting away and next thing I know it's been 4 miles... I figured at this point I might as well keep going for another 2 miles until the turn around.
On the way back after turning around, Raji and I took a little detour so we could get another mile in. My brain wasn't working and I didn't get the math right so we ended up adding on a little over a half mile, instead of the full mile we wanted to do. Oh well... I guess there isn't too much different between 12.5 and 13... we can round up :D Toward the end of the run I was feeling much more pooped than Raji was... I was also having a little difficulty catching my breathe. I've been congested a lot in the morning so I think that was to blame... it felt like I had something in my throat I just needed to cough up. Sorry... that's sounds kinda gross :( All in all I felt pretty good although my feet and back were sore from the stupid gravel. :(
After finishing, Claudia, Rocky and I headed back to their house to clean up, and then went out to Sonoma for a little party at our favorite winery, Cline. They had food, live music and of course LOTS of wine. Since we had pigged out on Taco Bell on the way there we didn't eat much food, just the sinfully delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake. Ahhh, it was heaven :D Afterwards we visited a couple more wineries and then had dinner at our usual place, Mary's Pizza Shack in the Sonoma Plaza. My belly was so full of wine though I hardly ate my pesto pasta :( It did make a yummy lunch the next day though!
Sunday I went up to Vallejo for Emma and Andrew's birthday party. Even though it was a kiddie party, there were a few unaccompanied adults there too. I think we had as much fun as the kids did jumping in the bouncy house and eating the cupcakes :D I tell you, those jumpy houses are a workout! I spent about 10 minutes in there and came out sweaty and out of breathe! I'll update with some pictures later :D
Friday, October 05, 2007
Sooo Tired :(
The craziness of this week just caught up with me big time :( And this weekend offers no respite :(
Last night I took it easy-- did some unpacking and straightening up. AND caught up on some of the TV I missed lately :) Claudia and I were supposed to be taking our friend Karen to celebrate her birthday, which I wasn't here for on Tuesday, but she's really sick :( so I ended up having a free night.
Last night I took it easy-- did some unpacking and straightening up. AND caught up on some of the TV I missed lately :) Claudia and I were supposed to be taking our friend Karen to celebrate her birthday, which I wasn't here for on Tuesday, but she's really sick :( so I ended up having a free night.
Tonight I'll just be hanging out, getting ready for tomorrow's 13 miler in San Leandro and packing for Saturday day-- after the 13 miler I'm heading straight to Claudia and Rocky's to get ready for a little trip to Sonoma for the day. Then on Sunday it's off to a kiddie birthday party in Vallejo for my friend Brandy's two kids... Emma will be 3 and Andrew will be 1. What cutie patooties they are! :D
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Short run, short update :D
I met Amy last night for our Wednesday night run. Amy is tapering for the Portland Marathon and she really wasn't in the mood for running but I made her do it :D Since I missed my usual track workout on Tuesday, and didn't think I'd be able to run tonight, I knew I needed to get in at least one run before this weekend.
Our pace was nice and slow on the way out. It wasn't too warm and we had some nice shade since the sun is going down earlier now. When we got to the turn around at about 1.5 miles we took our usual walk break. Amy wanted to walk the rest of the way since she was tapering... this is crazy marathon Amy that we're talking about so no way did I let her get away with that! If it was anyone else but her I might have given in but I knew she could handle it :D
All in all it was a nice run... and I was home in time to eat some dinner, take a shower and catch up on some of the tv I've missed over the past few days!
Amy is leaving tomorrow for Portland so GOOD LUCK!! I think my brother is also running it so if you are, GOOD LUCK BUDDY! And GOOD LUCK to everyone else who's going to be up there running the marathon with them!
Our pace was nice and slow on the way out. It wasn't too warm and we had some nice shade since the sun is going down earlier now. When we got to the turn around at about 1.5 miles we took our usual walk break. Amy wanted to walk the rest of the way since she was tapering... this is crazy marathon Amy that we're talking about so no way did I let her get away with that! If it was anyone else but her I might have given in but I knew she could handle it :D
All in all it was a nice run... and I was home in time to eat some dinner, take a shower and catch up on some of the tv I've missed over the past few days!
Amy is leaving tomorrow for Portland so GOOD LUCK!! I think my brother is also running it so if you are, GOOD LUCK BUDDY! And GOOD LUCK to everyone else who's going to be up there running the marathon with them!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
What happens in Vegas...
I'm back! Vegas was a lot of hard work but we managed to fit in some fun too :D I went with my boss and coworker to the ERA Tradeshow which, for us in the Direct Response industry, is THE tradeshow to go to!
I spent the weekend relaxing and getting ready for the tradeshow. I haven't been feeling 100% (my guess is that allergies are to blame) and Vegas always takes a lot out of me so I decided to take the weekend off of running. Saturday I slept in, did a little shopping and hit the nail salon. My feet always take a beating in Vegas but at least my toes could look pretty :D On Sunday I was up early printing out boarding passes and then met up with Lindsay and Claudia for lunch a little later. We had a yummy meal, enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and took a walk around the Sidewalk Art Show. The rest of the day I spent packing for the tradeshow.
The next morning my alarm went off at 4:45 am :( WAY too early. I had to get ready, finish packing up and be outside waiting for my coworker Anna at 5:30. Her BF nicely took us to the airport... it felt VERY wrong to be leaving for the airport in the dark. They were a little late picking me up and by the time we checked my bag, went through security (the line went through the baggage claim area and out the door) and got to the gate, our flight was already boarding. The flight wasn't full so we were able to have a seat in between us.
We got into Las Vegas at about 7:30am and made it to the Venetian around 8:00. The first two years I went the tradeshow was at the Paris, the last two years were at the Mirage and this was the first year at the Venetian. I LOVE the Venetian! The rooms were SO big and are all suites, which means we had a seperate, sunken living room with an "L" shaped couch, desk, table, chairs and flat screen tv. Our "bedroom" also had a flat screen tv, and so did our bathroom! My boss, Anna and I went to breakfast (what ended up being our ONLY real meal that day) and then spent the rest of the day shuttling back and forth between our room for private meetings, and the tradeshow floor. Why oh why do these hotels but the conference centers as far away from the rooms as possible. At the end of the day my feet hurt SO bad and I was already starting to get some blisters, and I was wearing my most "comfortable" heels :(
During the day we had been invited to a party hosted by a big internet marking company in their (even bigger) suite. My boss really wanted to go, and of course Anna and I were happy to come along since most of these parties all have finger food and an open bar. We schmoozed with some people, made some new friends, my boss left after about an hour and at the end of the party Anna and I were invited to join the President of the company (who just happens to have a jet that he flew out to Vegas on-- no commercial flying for him!), his wife and some other DR peeps at Tao for drinks and food. Why, OF COURSE we'd go!!! More drinks, and one small Spring Roll later, we took our leave and headed over to rumjungle at Mandalay Bay for another party hosted by a fulfillment company. The party started late, and we arrived fashionably late at about 11:00 so we didn't end up staying too long. Some nice guy let us into the very empty VIP area so we could actually sit down. We got back to our room a little after midnight and made it to bed not long after that.
6:30am the alarm goes off :( It took Anna a little extra time to get ready that morning. :( Another day of meetings, walking the tradeshow floor and schmoozing were in order! It was much quieter on the tradeshow floor than on Monday... probably too much partying for everyone the night before! Around 4:30 or so we were headed back to the airport for our 5:50 flight. I brought some clothes to change into and my feet have never been so happy to slip into a pair of flip flops! Ahhh, much better :) We decided we had enough time to grab a meal at the Mexican restaurant at the airport. I think we were all in a food and exhaustion coma and that coupled with some interesting drama between a waitress, her customer and a Dallas Cowboy football player (who came to the waitresses aid) meant we almost missed our flight! We rushed down the terminal and were the last three people on the flight. Of course THIS flight was completely booked solid :(
After waiting forever for my bag, Anna and her BF dropped me off at home a little after 8:00pm. Finally I was home! I was so happy to be back and in my own bed. Vegas was fun was I was pooped!
Tonight I'm meeting up with Amy for our run... thankfully she's tapering so I'll be able to take it easy on my tired feet and poor little numb toes!
I spent the weekend relaxing and getting ready for the tradeshow. I haven't been feeling 100% (my guess is that allergies are to blame) and Vegas always takes a lot out of me so I decided to take the weekend off of running. Saturday I slept in, did a little shopping and hit the nail salon. My feet always take a beating in Vegas but at least my toes could look pretty :D On Sunday I was up early printing out boarding passes and then met up with Lindsay and Claudia for lunch a little later. We had a yummy meal, enjoyed the beautiful sunshine and took a walk around the Sidewalk Art Show. The rest of the day I spent packing for the tradeshow.
The next morning my alarm went off at 4:45 am :( WAY too early. I had to get ready, finish packing up and be outside waiting for my coworker Anna at 5:30. Her BF nicely took us to the airport... it felt VERY wrong to be leaving for the airport in the dark. They were a little late picking me up and by the time we checked my bag, went through security (the line went through the baggage claim area and out the door) and got to the gate, our flight was already boarding. The flight wasn't full so we were able to have a seat in between us.
We got into Las Vegas at about 7:30am and made it to the Venetian around 8:00. The first two years I went the tradeshow was at the Paris, the last two years were at the Mirage and this was the first year at the Venetian. I LOVE the Venetian! The rooms were SO big and are all suites, which means we had a seperate, sunken living room with an "L" shaped couch, desk, table, chairs and flat screen tv. Our "bedroom" also had a flat screen tv, and so did our bathroom! My boss, Anna and I went to breakfast (what ended up being our ONLY real meal that day) and then spent the rest of the day shuttling back and forth between our room for private meetings, and the tradeshow floor. Why oh why do these hotels but the conference centers as far away from the rooms as possible. At the end of the day my feet hurt SO bad and I was already starting to get some blisters, and I was wearing my most "comfortable" heels :(
During the day we had been invited to a party hosted by a big internet marking company in their (even bigger) suite. My boss really wanted to go, and of course Anna and I were happy to come along since most of these parties all have finger food and an open bar. We schmoozed with some people, made some new friends, my boss left after about an hour and at the end of the party Anna and I were invited to join the President of the company (who just happens to have a jet that he flew out to Vegas on-- no commercial flying for him!), his wife and some other DR peeps at Tao for drinks and food. Why, OF COURSE we'd go!!! More drinks, and one small Spring Roll later, we took our leave and headed over to rumjungle at Mandalay Bay for another party hosted by a fulfillment company. The party started late, and we arrived fashionably late at about 11:00 so we didn't end up staying too long. Some nice guy let us into the very empty VIP area so we could actually sit down. We got back to our room a little after midnight and made it to bed not long after that.
6:30am the alarm goes off :( It took Anna a little extra time to get ready that morning. :( Another day of meetings, walking the tradeshow floor and schmoozing were in order! It was much quieter on the tradeshow floor than on Monday... probably too much partying for everyone the night before! Around 4:30 or so we were headed back to the airport for our 5:50 flight. I brought some clothes to change into and my feet have never been so happy to slip into a pair of flip flops! Ahhh, much better :) We decided we had enough time to grab a meal at the Mexican restaurant at the airport. I think we were all in a food and exhaustion coma and that coupled with some interesting drama between a waitress, her customer and a Dallas Cowboy football player (who came to the waitresses aid) meant we almost missed our flight! We rushed down the terminal and were the last three people on the flight. Of course THIS flight was completely booked solid :(
After waiting forever for my bag, Anna and her BF dropped me off at home a little after 8:00pm. Finally I was home! I was so happy to be back and in my own bed. Vegas was fun was I was pooped!
Tonight I'm meeting up with Amy for our run... thankfully she's tapering so I'll be able to take it easy on my tired feet and poor little numb toes!
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