hey, did you know that san francisco has a lot of hills?
yeah, so did i.
but i severely underestimated just how hilly those hills actually are. which makes for a very craptastic 14 mile run. which could potentially make for a craptastic marathon. *sigh*
the one good thing about san francisco is that the weather is almost always runner friendly. which meant i could wait until after rush hour traffic to make the trek to the city. i packed my bags, a cooler filled with post workout nourishment and made the hour drive to union square. i parked in a garage and started donning my running gear when i realized that i had forgotten my headphones!!! argh! there was no way i was gonna go 14 miles with no tunes or cues from my nike+. luckily niketown was right there. though i had to go into the store totally geeked out in my nike visor, nike sunglasses, and nike tank, in full running gear complete with my hydration belt. then i plunked down $30 for overpriced nike headphones.
i decided that it would be a good idea to start running the actual marathon route so that i would be mentally and physically prepared to handle the course. i know from experience that running in a new place wigs me out because my brain has no visual references to tell me how far i've gone and how much more i have to go. plus i knew that if i didn't get any real hill training in, it would be a very real possibility that my legs would crap out on me. i followed the map from the race website as best as i could, and prayed that none of the roads i would have to run would be too dangerous during normal non-race, non-closure conditions.
so niketown is where i started. the first couple miles i weaved in and out of mobs of pedestrians, rushed through intersections and tried not to get run over. once i hit the embarcadero though, it was pretty smooth sailing. long flat blocks and i made nearly every green light. fisherman's wharf was a little crowded but not the clusterfuck i anticipated. from there i ran along the marina right into a fierce headwind. by that point i was about 5 miles into things. i started to tire so i took a gu and a walk break. i bought a water at little stand and refilled my bottles.
next came the stretch towards the golden gate bridge and the famous mile 7 with the bad ass hill. i ran through chrissy field and at one point missed my turn and ended up at fort point. so i doubled back and found "the hill". mother bitch! bikers dismounted their bikes, but damn if every single runner powered up. i was not one of those runners. i did my best but man, it was a no go.
and actually all of the presidio pretty much sucked ass. after that hill, came another. a long slow sucky ass hill. basically miles 7-10 were a combination of running, walking, whining, doubting, and near crying. i just could not will myself to run. my legs from my knees down were not happy. tight calves, tight soleus, rickety knees. all i could do was concentrate on just moving forward and enjoying the views of ocean and million dollar homes.
and while for every uphill there is a downhill, i don't much enjoy downhills either. but at least i was back to running. once out of the presidio, i ran in the bike lane on el camino del mar. and for the first time i was in a part of the city i'd never been before. i cursed every damn tree, every house. i was so tired. and my legs were seriously spent.
but i trudged on. because i saw the ocean! and a block before i reached ocean beach, right at mile 11, i spotted my oasis. BURGER KING!! just in time because i needed water and food. even though i had 2 gus by this point, my stomach was rumbling. and i figured if eating on the run was good enough for dean-o, it could be good enough for me. i popped into the BK for a bottled water and a small fry. yes, a small fry. i figured it had salt and simple carbs.
i popped a few tasty morsels in my mouth and held onto the bag for dear life. only 3 more miles to go through golden gate park. this is where the route got tricky because the map stopped naming roads through the park and i had to go by landmarks. the dutch windmill, the golf course, spreckles lake. and if i got lost, all i had to do was head for the panhandle and the japanese tea garden.
the last three miles were a pathetic attempt at running. my mind was long gone, my spirit pummelled and defeated, my legs tight, sore and pathetic. i ran when i could but mainly i walked. during this time, i just tried to pull myself together. figure out what i could learn and what i could do to make the next longer runs not suck so much. and therefore make finishing the marathon a reality.
i decided that i would run all my remaining long runs along the actual route. i also decided that it was imperative that i take my nutrition and hydration much more seriously. this is all stuff i already knew and should have been practicing already, but the thing is is that when i started thinking too seriously about this marathon thing, i would totally wig out, start to doubt my abilities and it would just spiral into total freakout, meltdown. so i'd been taking a more laidback approach, focusing on just one run at a time. this run however was a very rude awakening. and i'm hoping that the next month and a half before my taper is enough to be prepared.
because i ran from point to point, i had to get back to my car. my plan was to take a cab, but i quickly figured out that sf is not so much a cab kind of city. luckily it is a bus city. and after walking a mile further, i was able to find out what muni line i needed to take to get me back downtown. it gave me time to stretch though i didn't realize if i had just walked a block further i could have bought a gatorade at a gas station.
about 3 or 4 stops into my bus ride, someone actually came down to sit next to me. seriously dude? i have been running for the past 3 hours and you choose ME to sit next too. i mean sure my nips were at full salute since it was chilly in my wet tank, but seriously, i could not have looked or smelled that good. though after a quick glance around the bus i realized i wasn't the dirtiest person on the bus. ah, the joys of the city.
after traversing down haight, we finally made our way downtown where i made a beeline for a hotdog stand for a salty jumbo pretzel and a vitamin water. the pretzel ended up being a smart purchase because the swath of parchment paper made it was the perfect size to shield my chest and offending nips! i scarfed the pretzel down during the 4 block walk to the garage where my other treats awaited me. i threw on a long sleeve shirt and dug out my accelerade and grapes. by this point i felt totally bloated from all the liquids. once i had my fill, i grabbed my bags and headed for the gym.
for a spin class.
just kidding! who do you think i am?! i headed to a sf branch of my gym for a much needed shower. there was NO way i was gonna drive home in nasty running clothes. although i do have to say that my new running skirt was dry as a bone! but it felt ever so good to get into a warm shower, dry off and get into my jeans, dry socks, and my warm hoodie. by the time i changed it was about 5 pm. my original plan was to have dinner at a greek restaurant downtown but i realized that even after eating dinner, i would be stuck in rush hour traffic during the ride home. so i called my tita who lives in sf to see if she was home, and she was! score! she offered to make me fried chicken so it didn't take much twisting of my arm to forego gyros and hummus for homemade goods. and green tea ice cream! WOOT!
so now here i am, well fed, more rested, watching MTV with my cousin waiting out the traffic. i am definitely going to have to eat better and drink more before my long runs. because i'm realizing now that the only time i peed today was this morning. once when i woke up and once before i left for sf. also, i was under the wrong impression that because i have been stuffing my face the past 2 weeks that i wouldn't need to "carbo-load" before my run. dumb. dumb. dumb.
from here on out people, my training is gonna have to be different. much more serious. much more focused. let's hope it's not too late to pull this marathon outta my ass!
splits:
1: 12:04
2: 12:04
3: 12:09
4.19: 14:45 (i thought i hit the splits button but didn't)
5:10:56
6: 12:59
7: 13:22
8: 14:14
9: 14:39
10: 15:27
11: 14:32
12: 12:49
13: 13:19
14: 13:31
T: 3:06:51
15:14:56 (walk to bus)
15 comments:
starting from the end - and for once speaking from experience - you have 9 weeks and a 14-miler under your belt so you have enough time to train and make this marathon a reality.
considering the hills, it probably is worthwhile to train in the city, but sometimes I feel like looking at and running on the course is a little bit tougher mentally. When I run down here, which is the marathon course, I try to avoid associating any feelings with particular parts of the course, because whenever I pass that place I know I'll get stuck in the same trap. So what if the hills sucked today, next week you'll be better prepared and have a better run.
And, while 2 weeks off probably calmed a lot of aches and pains, I bet it is the cause of the tightness so next week that will be better also.
enough babble from me - hope you wake up feeling strong for running 14 miles and confident in your ability to "do this thing."
I don't know anything about full on marathon training BUT I do know that you'll be able to do this thing!! ;D ;D I think it's a great idea do train on course and it looks like you've got a good plan til the D-Day :-)
About the nips . . .you could be me and have them "on" ALL THE TIME!! It looks like I'm walking constantly excited. Barf. It sucks and yet is another reason NOT to have kids.
Great post! You put a lot of effort into that LR, and some good eating. I love the fries. I eat cheeseburgers the day before marathons and it feels great.
I vacationed and ran in SF last month and visited most of the places you ran past. You must have ran past or near Cliff House, a favorite restaurant.
The dude on the bus probably enjoyed the thrill...
I think sometimes it takes one of those craptastic runs to get yourself really focused and ready for what is still to come. I think you have plenty of time to get it figured out and you will do great! I am lol that the dude sat down next to you on the bus after running all that way!
I completely agree with Wes that you have plenty of time to "pull the marathon out of your ass." You seriously rocked that 14-miler.
I also think your idea to keep doing your long runs on the race course is a great plan. If nothing else, it will help with mental prep.
LIke marcy, I don't know much about Marathon training, but I do believe that you are capable of doing this race! And using the race course was a brilliant idea! Persevere!
I can imagine that those hills would be hard, hard, hard, but I agree with Wendy, thinking too hard about the course may freak you out mentally when you will be perfectly capable of conquering those miles physically, come race day.
Besides, you got through 14 miles! That's more than half of the marathon!
I think you learned what you needed to. The only thing I'd add is to do some hill work. Meaning, don't just do your long runs on the actual route -- do some shorter runs on hills, and incorporate some repeats up and down those hills. The only way to get used to running hills is to run 'em and run 'em again.
As for the marathon itself, what WS said in the first paragraph above is my opinion as well. You can do this! Do watch what you eat, though. No messing around from now on.
How about that Nike running skirt? I bought it right before my injury so I haven't gotten to actually run in it. Do the little shorts ride up? When I walk around in it, they seem to stay in place pretty well.
Dude - you rock! Stop cutting yourself short, definitely focus more on your marathon-fueling, but you are gonna do just fine if you keep up this ass-kicking you've accomplished so far!
I've run this marathon and yes, the hills do sort of suck, but you are doing the right thing - you are running the hills as prep. I think you totally have what it takes! Keep it up!
Wow, great job out there. I am really impressed that you toughed this one out hills and all. Your pace was actually pretty good- even toward the end! You never gave up and that's what matters. Even thought it sucked, I"m glad you had this sucky run NOW instead of October 21. You defintely have time to fine-tune your nutrition strategy and hill training. Maybe you should be doing gels every 4 or so miles? As long as your stomach can take it, the more the merrier. Gatorade, gu, eat it all.
I ran the marathon in 05 w/ Maritza and the hills are tough (as you know!) but the good news is the second half is virtually flat. Plus, like you said, at least the weather is guaranteed perfect. You can do this, I know it. Keep it up and great job :)
major congrats for toughing it out! those are not easy hills, not an easy course. you will improve!! trust yourself and your determination.
What a creative way to do a long run! I loved all the stops and the parchment-paper coverup. I have that same problem and it once made for a most embarrassing moment in Central Park a couple of years ago. White jogbra...white, thin T...hot afternoon...lots and lots of guy glares.
Fries are good...
you can totally do this marathon. Have faith in yourself.
Good for you to keep on keeping on. Mental, as well as physical, stamina is important for the marathon. You'll do great!
P.S. I may be volunteering for the Nike Women's Marathon - I'll be cheering for you.
You deserve those fries, girl! Good for you.
That is one killer city to walk, better yet run. A couple years ago, my boyfriend and I went on one of my "walking tours," which generally means 15 miles of all day fast-paced walking in which we break only for top-notch dessert shops.
Well, by the end of that trip — WALKING, mind you — I not only had a serated tendon in my foot (and his foot was bleeding), but we were both walking sore as if we had been riding horses all day. Oh, and I lost my tour guide privileges.
You're going to kick this marathon! Are you following a training plan or making your own (I'm not skilled enough to make my own)? I just started one from Runner's World for my half marathon. It has been a great resource and an even better guide.
But you see to be well on your way. Keep kicking butt!
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