First Big Race Results

Yesterday I ran in the San Francisco 1/2 Marathon. It was gorgeous. This photo shows the start at 6:30 a.m. It was right next to the Ferry Building on Embarcadero. We ran next to the piers, through Fisherman's Wharf (only the runners and sourdough bakers were out - the smell was heavenly) through Fort Mason and up to the Golden Gate Bridge and back, then through the Presidio down to Golden Gate Park.

I did not finish the race. It was timed, so at 10:00 it was over - they were actually dismantling at 9:30, when I was at about the 11th mile. I ran the first 10 miles, walking about 5 times up some big hills and to take short breaks to regain strength and "gu". I ran about my normal speed (16-minute/mile) but I've never run it for that long, up that many steep hills. It felt amazing. At 10 miles though, I'll admit, I was pretty wiped. I walked another two to meet my girlfriend and get on the muni, and at that point we were done.

Could I have ran/walked to the finish line even if it was no longer there? Physically, yes. However, I was the last one running - everyone behind me had tapered off, and I wasn't completely sure of where to go. Moreover I was really proud of myself and knew that I had a couple miles of walking ahead of me, so I was okay with not getting to the finish line. Next year, I'll be crossing it in a crowd of people, I'm sure of it.

Now to shine some light on my loved ones running with me: my friend Erin crossed in 2:43, my brother Ben in 2:15 and my sister-in-law Amelie in 2:01! I'm so proud of them.

In two weeks I'll be running in the Salinas Valley 1/2 Marathon. This one is flat, and not timed, so I think I'll be able to finish it. I've also signed up for the Mermaid Triathlon on 9/26 (a 400-meter swim, 2.5 mile run and 12 mile bike ride) and will be signing up for the Santa Barbara 1/2 marathon on 11/6. This is getting addictive!

10:54 Fastest Time Last Night

Last night I took a 2-mile run on the trail around my house and really pushed myself to go as fast as I could, knowing that I'd have to sustain it for 2 miles, which I figured would take 1/2 hour. Here were my stats:

Fastest Pace: 10:54/mile
Average Pace: 14:35/mile over 2 miles

This is REALLY good. But, it shows me that I probably won't be able to keep up with my friend on our run this weekend (she's more a 12:30/mile) although I should be able to finish the run.

I chatted with a friend who's a really good runner on Monday and he said that when he ran the Big Sur Marathon he allowed himself to take walking breaks at each mile to rest. He said that there were people who passed him in the first few miles that he was passing in the end because he maintained his energy throughout. I like the idea of taking a minute to walk at each mile marker, so I think I'm going to try that this weekend. Wish me luck!

1 Week Away

Well, I'm 1 week away from my big run - 13.1 miles! It's supposed to be beautiful, starting on the embarcadero in San Francisco, then traveling up and down the Golden Gate Bridge and back through the city to Golden Gate Park. Our "wave" will probably start around 5:30 a.m., so I'll have 3.5 hours to complete it. That's an average 16-minute mile, with a 400 elevation climb. I can do this. I've walked/hiked 13.5 miles in 4 hours, climbing 1,000 feet - this is going to be hard because I'm not used to running quite this far, but it's a great way for me to measure my successes and determine where I am.

This weekend it was a little hard to keep up with my 10-a-day; I was out with friends and family for much of the weekend, and while I definitely incorporated them into my meals, I hit about 7 on Sunday and 5 yesterday. For some reason, weekdays are much easier because I can pack my lunches and have a refrigerator to store them in. It's all about preparation...I need to get better at that.

I wanted to take a quick moment in today's blog to honor the memory of a classmate of mine who passed away on Friday. Kelly Freitas (Alvarnez) had breast cancer at a very young age (31) and I know she's left this earth for another, more beautiful place. Her obituary may be found here: http://www.grunnagle.com/Obituaries.html. Tonight I will be attending her rosary, along with many throughout our community, and fondly remembering her life on earth while also reflecting on how lucky we all are for our time here together.

Running with Friends

Running with friends is so good for me. Last night DeeDee came over and we ran the trail. I usually run a 15-minute mile for about 4 miles, but last night our fastest pace over a mile was 11:45! Of course, we had to slow down eventually so we could catch up and walk and talk, but I really had to push myself for a good mile to keep up with her. Also, when we came home I made our little ones (a month apart) applesauce and big salads for us! Well, and maybe a little artisan cheese from Star Market, but very healthy nonetheless!

Pain is Just Weakness Leaving the Body

This is a phrase my friend Denise Pickles used to say often - she's a great athlete and I've found this applies to all kinds of life's trials. This week I thought of it often, especially while running. I have so much to say, I can't believe it's been so long since I've written.

First, I ran the Spreckles 10K on July 4 - what a great day! I ran 4/5ths of the 6.2 miles and it felt great. I realized I'm slow but I have a lot of stamina. Now for my time...it was 1:40 - I was one of the last 3 people (but not the last!). That means I was at a 16-minute mile. I need to be at a 15-minute mile for 13.2 miles on July 25, so I need to push myself over the next couple of weeks. Regardless of how well I do, running on the Embarcadero and the Golden Gate Bridge at 6 in the morning is going to be amazing.

The best thing about the Spreckles 10K was that I ran next to strawberry fields for about 2 miles. There are few things better in this world than running next to fragrant, warm strawberries still on the plant. I was also so happy to see some of my favorite growers out there running next to (well, maybe way ahead of) me out there. They and so many more were cheering me on and giving me words of encouragement throughout the week.

This weekend I had a good 1 hour run at a 15-minute/mile pace, but I need to keep that up for a longer period. Last week I had a busy week with work and some personal challenges, but I found that running really helped to center me and helped me to pull myself out of my own perspective so that I can better tackle the issues.

Today I decided to start tracking what I eat again - I'm generally keeping to my 10-a-day, but I still snack on too many calorie-laden foods (give me a slice of kalamata olive oil bread with a slice of laughing cow, or 5!). These are the types of things I need to limit in my diet. However, I came across this great recipe (incorporating a little bread) the other day for Panzanella salad. I used large heirloom and regular tomatoes and regular basil from my garden, but it was DELICIOUS: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1995713.

1/2 of What You Eat

A quick post: I'm on a conference call right now and just heard from the Produce for Better Health Foundation that 1/2 of what we eat each day should be fruits and vegetables. Only 6% of the U.S. population eats as many vegetables as are recommended and only 8% eats as many fruits as are recommended. AMAZING.