The race started at 7am. I went to bed around 11:30 pm (whoops) and woke up at 3 am. I had already gotten all my stuff ready two days prior
I ate my usual breakfast of cereal and tried and tried going to the bathroom, and even though I've been regular for the past few months, my body just didn't want to do its business.
5 o'clock rolled around and it was time to go. I was so nervous and excited! Martin drove me into the city and dropped me off a few blocks away from the start. I immediately hit the porta-potties and dropped off my bag at the bag check.
There were so many people there already and this was an hour before the start.
I thought it was going to be cold, so I wore an old hoodie. I wish I would have checked it in with my bag, but after sitting around with a for a bit before the start, I just left it there since it was pretty warm already.
I met some nice people from Utah and we chatted a bit. One of the ladies had run this race last year. I was concerned about the hills, but she said she didn't even remember them so they couldn't have been that bad. They were really nice and even offered to take a pic of me.
How loser-ish do I feel with no friends?
Finally, the national anthem was sung and I got into my corral. It took 12 minutes to cross the start line.
The first couple miles went through the Financial District. There were so many walkers it was ridiculous. And not just single ones, but huge groups forming walls, which were hard to move past. What the hell were they doing in the faster corrals? I think my splits for the first few miles were well over 12:00 min/mile paces because of them. I wanted to start out slow, but this was a bit much.
My garmin started going wacko because of the buildings, so I discounted anything it said after. I started getting a stitch in my side at Mile 2. WTH? This never happens. I knew right then that this was not going to be a good running day.
I tried pushing all negative thoughts aside and finally turned on my iPod to tune all the people out. We ran along the piers and it was quite pretty. Most of the course was very scenic. My plan was to walk the hills to save energy for the whole race. There were so many hills!
At the top of one of the first big ones.
I was pretty mad at this point, with myself and all the people, but my faith in humanity was restored when a really nice lady saw me and offered to take the pic for me.
We ran down this hill and then along Fort Mason.
And then it was time for the hill. A solid one mile 300 foot climb for Mile 6. Ugh! Yeah, I walked it. The run down was pretty fun, though. I love running down hills. I almost took a couple of guys out. We all laughed and I apologized.
Around Mile 8 or 9 there was another hill by some pretty houses. I was hating life by now and I actually posted something on facebook to try to distract myself. They had orange slices at this mile and they were so sweet and delious! I wanted to eat nothing but oranges for the rest of my life after having eaten these.
More smaller hills followed and then we were headed into Golden Gate Park. The half-marathoners split up at Mile 11. As miserable as I was this early on in the race, I knew without a doubt I was going to finish the full.
The course map showed we had a chocolate mile at Mile 12. I looked everywhere for folks handing out chocolate, but nothing. I was mad. This part of the course had us going into Golden Gate Park and then doubling back. I saw runners coming back and started looking for my friend, Lisa. Immediately I saw her. I was so happy! She put her hands out and gave me the biggest smile. I was just going to high-five her because I was all gross and sweaty, but she gave me a hug. I felt so much better after I saw her. I continued on with a smile on my face because of her. I saw a lady put her hand out for a high (or low) five and I slapped it. Then I saw a lady right behind me do the same thing and ran past me smiling. Ooh, I guess that wasn't meant for me. Whoops. Haha.
I texted Martin letting him know I was at Mile 12. Initial plans were for him and the kids to cheer me on at Mile 17 and then again at Mile 25 when I doubled back. They were all up late the night before so I wasn't really expecting them to make it.
Around Mile 15, I was surprised that I wasn't feeling too bad. I mean 15 miles is pretty damn far. Finally we ran out of Golden Gate Park and along the Great Highway. Now I was starting to feel super tired. I saw the pacer for the 5:00 group pass me. I knew I wasn't going to make that time, so I just mentally said bye and trudged along at my own pace. By this time I figured I would try and run a mile, walk a minute. But sometimes I would keep running and sometimes I would need to take a walk break earlier or longer so that didn't really stick.
Most of the Great Highway was flat. But then more hills came. Gah! Right before Mile 19 we went up a hill and came down to Lake Merced. It was such a pretty sight going towards.
The course runs around this lake for a little over 4 miles and back to the Great Highway a few more miles for the finish back at Golden Gate Park.
Well, running around this lake was ugly, both asthetically and physcially. We didn't run right next to the lake. Instead, we had a chain link fence to our right, couldn't even see the lake, and cars and ugly apartments and gas stations to our left. Oh, and jacked up roads underneath our feet.
It was during this part of the race that my legs started acting weird on me. I would run and my left foot started to roll in on me. WTH? My left shin also started to cramp. I think they were related. I would walk and it would feel better after a while. But then I would start to run again and it would do it again. I couldn't walk the rest of the way to the finish! But I also didn't want to accidentally land on my ankle and break it. This was a miserable, miserable time.
And then I saw them right before Mile 22! People handing out chocolate! Hooray! Spirits lifted!
I ate three of these suckers and wanted to go back for more. I felt much better and started an easy jog.
Finally we were back on the Great Highway for the final stretch. I was trying to figure out my splits and figured that if I could do the last three miles at a 12:00 min/mile pace, I could still make 5:30. My shins started cramping again and my foot started doing that weird thing again, so there was a lot of walking done for Miles 24 and 25. My head and lungs wanted to run, but my legs weren't having any of that. I was pretty upset, but I realized there really wasn't anything I could do about it.
At the Mile 25 mark, I just told my body that it was going to run and it was not going to cramp or roll its foot in on me. Goddamnit, I was going to run that last mile. And my body listened.
I thought I saw the finish line up ahead and picked up my pace. Haha, turns out it was a Ryder truck. I wanted to slow down and walk a bit, but there were so many spectators at this point that I couldn't lose face. Instead, I just picked up my pace, and ran through the finish, arms up.
Hooray! Marathoner!
Final time: 5:30:31. Close enough! Yay!
A hottie fireman gave me my Tiffany's necklace. They gave you a safeway bag and some water and wrapped a warming blanket around you. Nice. I grabbed a bagel and started my way around the finish area. I hopped in line to take a finisher's pic with two cute firemen. I hope that pic comes out nice. I apologized for being so sweaty, but they were super nice and put their arms around me anyway in the pic and told me congratulations.
I picked up my bag and called Martin to see where he was at.
I napped in the car on the way home. Ate a Big Mac, fries and a Coke once we got home. Napped again. Ate. Napped. Ate. Then went back to sleep for the night.
Not too bad of a day.
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