For those of you who didn't hear me shout it from the rooftops, I did finish the trail
marathon! But it wasn’t a sure thing… As luck would have it, the day before I
had a pretty horrible cold. I know that might not sound so bad, but I was
worried that I’d have a fever for the race and really hurt my brain/body by
running 26.2 miles in that state. Or that I’d pass out on the trail somewhere. But then as I was moping around, I realized
I’ve ran in way worse situations. Like the time I got extremely lost at a
county park, then ran out of water, then had to bike 10 miles home. Or the time
I ran in Colorado in hot-as-hell temperatures with no shade, then ran out of
water, then had to hike a mile back to Madeline’s place. Or the time I ran in
NJ in the dark at 5am and wasn’t sure if I was seeing deer or bears crossing
the road in front of me. Or, that time I twisted my ankle in a state park here
and had to limp 7 miles back to the car. Or…you get the point. I’d have no
problem running with a little cold.
The morning of the race
passed in a blur of bananas, peanut butter, and porta-potties. The first few
miles, I ran in the middle of a huge pack and barely even noticed I was
running. Once the pack finally broke up, I was so happy not to be stuck behind
someone that I barely noticed I was running. It wasn’t until around mile 13
that someone near me announced we were halfway done when I really thought about
miles. I am eternally grateful to the volunteer at the water station around
mile 15 who took my hydration pack off, filled it with water and ice while I
was downing sports drinks, and helped me put it back on. And to the lady who
poured water on my head. Armed with the most delicious ice cold water, I
was still feeling really great. Oh, and my cold? I continually collected dead
leaves to blow my nose with since I can’t do snot rockets but other than that
it was fine. Roughly miles 17-20 I chatted with another racer which was an
awesome distraction. It wasn’t until after we parted ways that I finally began
to really feel tired. The last three miles were brutal. I was so tired that at
mile 25 I didn’t even look up to see the views of the Pacific Ocean that this
race is famous for. Passing through the finish line I was overwhelmed by
emotions but also thinking just one thing: I was so freaking relieved to be
done!!
 |
| Pre-race chilling |
There were so many
things I wanted to do after the race (walk! stretch! cheer people on!) but
mostly I just sat on a bench eating chips and drinking beer, enjoying the
special moment that comes after you just finish pushing your body above your limit.
Thank you to everyone over the last few months who ran with me, pigged out with
me, offered moral support on the phone, or just pretended to care about my
crazy running endeavors.
 |
| If I had actually swam in the ocean I think I would've drown so I settled for wading |
The next weekend Owen
had training for the National Guard so I went to San Francisco for the day.
Remember how I had been desperately hoping for rain? Let’s just say that I got
my fill that day. Amid a steady downpour, I walked along the Bay for too many
miles until I finally arrived at Fisherman’s Wharf. It was packed with
tourists, overpriced restaurants, and souvenir shops. The sea lions chilling on
the docks were the real deal though. Famished and soaking wet, I sought refuge
at In-N-Out, a California fast food chain which did not disappoint. My next
destination was Ghirardelli Square, where I whiled away a few hours looking out
at the Golden Gate Bridge, seeking refuge from the intermittent rain showers,
and getting as many free Ghirardelli chocolate samples that I could con from
them (I only got 2). On my way back to the train station I walked straight
through Chinatown, then splurged on some new socks at a running store I passed
by (to be changed into on the train home). At this point, the rain had finally
let up and I was truly beginning to appreciate how unique San Francisco is. I
was dazzled by people hanging off cable cars and streets steeper than the
Sierra Nevadas. On the train ride home, I settled in with a good book, a dry
pair of socks, and some well-deserved chocolates. There’s nothing finer.
 |
| The sea lions were unfazed by the rain |
 |
| Classic CA coastline |
 |
| Still trying to figure that out too |
At work last week, I realized that not only am I a running store employee, I’m also part therapist,
doctor, coach, and technology guru. From “what pace should I do my long run at?”
to “can you help me walk on my broken leg?” to “what’s my iPhone passcode?” I
feel like I’ve heard it all.
This weekend we reverted
to college mode and stayed up ‘late’ watching movies (late for us is now
midnight; I’m pretty sure in college that was my usual bedtime). Yesterday we checked
out Pinnacles National Park, the newest national park only two hours south of
us. This place was in the middle of nowhere. The road leading into the park was
only one lane wide (technically one and a half lanes wide in some spots,
according to the park brochure). The park is named for its pinnacles, and we
did a nice loop hike up into the rock formations. I rocked hiking poles for the
first time and although I felt a bit like my 80-year-old self, I’m totally hooked now.
 |
 |
| Navigating around the base of a pinnacle formation |
Today we finally had our lazy weekend day indoors while listening to the steady rain outside. This was something we had fantasized about in the summer when the damn sun wouldn't stop shining. We did venture outside once to explore a
county park in the Santa Cruz mountains near us and the short trip was well worth it.
 |
| Our reward for hiking in the rain |
Coming up next, less than two weeks until I go to New Zealand to visit Kelli! I leave the night of election day which I don’t think I could have planned any better. Let’s just say I’ll be taking advantage of the free drinks on the plane ride when they announce the results.
