So ever since I started posting the videos from my races, people love to see myself making an idiot of myself. I mean, in pictures, you can’t really tell that I might be doing something dumb, but videos just prove it all to be true. This past weekend when I ran San Francisco, I ran with my camera. I ran with it in a small pouch that I once called a loincloth, attached to my iFitness belt. Look for the review of the iFitness belt coming up. You won’t be disappointed.

So during this wonderful run in San Fran, I decided that videos were a must. I wanted to prepare people for the start line, the water stops and the finish. So I will also describe my opinions of each of these segments before I show the videos that I took. Also, soon I’ll have the nice video with pictures and video and music posted, but give me some time here people, I’m not the best at movie making! :)

So the start line. You get herded into a enclosed area (usually called ‘waves’, ‘heats’ or ‘corrals’ and everyone in there is kind of nervous/jumping around/running in place. This is where I usually get pumped up to run. Seeing everyone and being around everyone and knowing I’m about to embark on another great journey (lame) I get excited! Sometimes there is some unnecessary shoving and pushing when the gun goes off, must mostly it’s pretty minimal. It can take a long time to get up to the starting line as well, but don’t worry! You WILL pass over the chip starter for your time, and your ‘chip time’ will be what you can count as your finishing time, since sometimes it’s a little backed up. Don’t be a jerk and try to push around, believe me, everyone starts. Also, I just stand in the corral. There is no need to bounce around, I need all the energy I can get to get me to the finish line!

Here is the video from the starting line.

Then we have water stops. Water stops are OUT OF CONTROL, I think. People get crazy in these stops. First off, there are a billion cups everywhere. The ground can be wet and other racers are weaving in and out of each other to either avoid the stop or to get to the stop. It’s hard to drink while you run and some people, myself included, just stopped after I get water and drinks it down, instead of trying to run and drink at the same time. Sometimes there are also two different types of drinks, like an energy drink and also water. This can be confusing to some as well. The volunteers are usually yelling and also revolted by the fact that they have to hand you water. It’s actually entertaining.

I usually try to run with a water bottle or get water at a stop if necessary during a race but I try to avoid the congestion. My absolute favorite thing is when people throw a cup over their shoulder when it still has liquid in it and it gets me wet. I also love it when people pour it over their head and it splashes all over me. Just remember when you are going through a water stop to watch out for other runners, be courteous and careful and also drink the fluids that you need!

Here is the video of Aron and Billy successfully making it through a water stop. I really like my commentary as well.

It’s funny because this station actually worked well since there was water volunteers located on both sides of the course.

I can’t find the finish line video, so perhaps you’ll just have to wait for the movie including all videos and pictures to be completed! This weekend, I have that 5k that will be fun and I think I’m going to run a 13-16 miler on Sunday, so we shall see how I fair during that. I am starting a new program this weekend when I run as well. It’s call “Lets find something to eat that doesn’t make you explode while running.” It should really help me on my longer runs instead of making them awful and painful. I think I’m going to try poptarts on this first run. Gus be gone! I also am going to my co-worker’s son’s first birthday party and I’m super excited about it! I have only been to one “one year old” birthday party before.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

Dear 13.1,

There was a time in my life that I never thought I could run the distance to you. I got excited and signed up to meet you for the first time. I didn’t know that I would truly fall in love with you during our first meeting in Long Beach back in October. I was scared the first time we met up, but you were kind and made me realize that you weren’t as scary as I thought you were. I am so sorry that I was greedy and  wanted more than what you had to offer and cheated on you with 26.2. I am sure that a lot of people do that to you, and just use you as a stepping stone to get to 26.2, which is mean! You deserve better! I never realized that I was so perfectly happy with just you, you are everything I wanted and more. I know I should be happy with what I had, but we all make mistakes right?

When we meet up, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated. I can still walk around and I don’t feel like I’m going to throw up and my legs are going to give out underneath me after we hang out. Though your hardware is significantly smaller than 26.2′s most of the time, it doesn’t matter to me because you bring me more joy than any medal ever would. After we meet up, I have so many great feelings that remind me that I can run and that running can be fun, and that anyone can run.

You are just right for me. I can run fast, or run slow and I know I won’t feel like I got ran over by a tractor the next day. I can have fun and just enjoy my surroundings during the race and my body doesn’t feel like it’s rejecting itself and that my brain is melting. Your distance is perfect, because 5k is much too short for me these days, and 10k is just short enough that I can’t really get going to enjoy the race. I’m not 16 anymore, and 5k and 10k just party too hard for me. Then, before you know it, the party is over. I like to party for longer and I like to get more bang for my buck when I hang out.. You know hanging out with you isn’t cheap, but I’m willing to pay the price. 13.1, you do that for me. You make me challenge myself just enough that I learn more about myself, but I don’t feel like I’m getting jipped like with 5k and 10k.

I mainly write this letter to you though, in hopes that you will forgive me and my cheating self. I know I hurt your feelings when I hung out with 26.2. I’m sure that you heard that I hung out with 26.2 twice as long as I normally do with you, and I’m sorry. 26.2 made me it’s slave. I wasn’t prepared for the agony she would cause me. She beat me up pretty badly and that’s why it took me so long to come running back to you. Can you believe I was scared of racing? She did that to me. She messed with my mind, my body and my spirit. I have nothing but awful things to say about her, and guess what else she made me realize, that I’m in love with you!

26.2 is SO annoying. You don’t have any idea. I don’t have to bathe in Body Glide the night before meeting again, like you must do with 26.2. It’s so nice to be able to meet up with you again and just enjoy your company, and not worrying about not being able to bend over the next day. It’s so nice not to worry about how much gus I’ve taken, or what my next gu flavor will be. It’s so nice not to have to stop during the middle of a race to explode in the porta-pottie and it’s SO incredibly nice to have fresh feeling legs the next day. I never knew my knees, hips and back could feel that much pain, but it did after hanging out with 26.2. She is relentless. You think hanging out with her will be so memorable and amazing and then she just beats you up when your down. I wasn’t really into the whole chafing thing, and she loves to chafe you, in areas that you never even knew existed.

But you, 13.1, you never caused me such pain. I feel spry and ready to take on the world after we hang out. I want that feeling back. This weekend, when I was able to reunite with you, the rush of feelings came back. I remembered that you were my one true love. I’m sorry 13.1, I hope you understand why I wanted more and why I’m so glad that you are giving me a second chance.

xoxo

This could quite possibly be the longest post known to man kind to this day, so let the photos load, throw on some music and read away! It’s a weekend recap and race report. Enjoy!

Also, instead of putting tags with their blogs in this entire post, if you would like to visit any of the other bloggers, you can visit them by clicking on their name below. Most of them already have their race reports up as well!

Aron

Tara

Kristin

Billy

Maritza

Julianne

So this weekend, as you know, I was up in San Francisco for the San Francisco half marathon. I ran the 1st half which is the half that you run over the golden gate bridge in the course. This is the ONLY race where you run across the bridge. I was pretty excited to go up to San Fran and hang out with my friends up there as well. Well, this weekend didn’t disappoint. Gorgeous weather, great friends, fun times and hands down the most fun I’ve ever had during a race. I took over 190 pictures, so I pretty much chronologically photographed my way through my trip.

This was on Saturday on our way to the Expo. Going over the Bay Bridge into the city. It was SO clear that you could see all of the city. I forget how much I love the city and every time I go up there I am reminded that it’s one of the most fun and beautiful cities in CA.

(more…)

I hope you all can wait until tomorrow when my race report is up. It’s going to be maybe the most epic thing ever. I have sweet videos of people running through water stops, across the golden gate bridge and tons and TONS of pictures, but until then, I leave you with these two little gems..

This first one is from when we were on the way back across the Golden Gate Bridge! So amazing! I can’t wait to upload them all and share with you guys!

Just in case you were worried that I didn’t finish… Got my HUGE CA Dreamin’ medal and had the best race ever with Aron!

Thank you again to all my best friends in the BAY area! Woo woo. Tara, Maritza, Aron, Kristen, Julianne and all the folks I met up with from Twitter and the blogs were AMAZING! I had one of the greatest weekends ever. I am exhausted by completely running refreshed. Weird huh? So until tomorrow morning, when I know y’all be anticipating the recap… RUN ON! :)

xoxo

Perhaps that title is a little harsh, BUT, hear me out. This is my opinion and my blog so therefore I am allowed to say whatever I want and I definitely have much to say about ‘bicyclists’. Now, personally, I’m not one to hop on a bike and get my daily workout in, but there are some of you, many of you who do this option. Personally, I run. I used to think that bicyclists and myself were some what on the same playing field. You know, they’re working out and so am I. Maybe they run too, because they are training for a triathlon? I don’t know why I came to this decision, but I’ve decided that bicyclists hate me. Men and women, none the less. This doesn’t mean I’ve never ridden a bike or haven’t ridden a bike in the past years of my life, because I definitely have included some pictures in this post to prove that I to can cruise the streets on two wheels.  I’m sure you are all wondering why do you hate bikers? Well excuse my rant but here we go.

First off, the bikers I have ran by and rode my bike by are incredibly, incredibly unhappy. Maybe it’s because they had to spend so much money to get that bike, or perhaps because they can’t run so they’ve resorted to biking. I, especially when running, am happy and usually smiling. People that I pass that are walking and rollerblading and biking, I always give them the head nod, or small wave or at the very least a smile. When I smile, I show teeth, and give them a nice smile. Most people who are walking or running or blading look at me nicely and return the favor. Bikers look at me like I could have six heads and like I’m an idiot. When I first started running along the beach path around 2 years ago, I thought maybe I just always hit the same sour patch of riders. I continue to wave and smile to this day. The wave has been returned probably a total of 10 times. I run past huge packs of bikers all the time, and I get nothing. Let me tell you, that is SUPER lame, you bikers. Work on your people skills. Maybe you can’t ride without two hands on the handle bars but at least show me some teeth!

This was taken two summers ago. Don’t worry I’m not flashing people, I’m wearing a bathing suit. Yup, got my beach towel and my water bottle in my front basket. Cruising through Newport beach. How can you not wave or even smile to me?! I can’t ride without two hands, but I can ride without one, and with the other one I’m throwing up some waves!

Then we have them who HAVE to ride in packs that take up the WHOLE bike path I run on. It’s like they are playing Red Rover on bikes. Now, I understand I must share my bike path with others. I share with the bladers I mentioned earlier and walkers, and joggers like myself. I always get out of the way when I hear anyone say to the left and I stay in the special pedestrian lane, but then why do the bikers who I run by give me the cold shoulder and try to run me over? Now, this is plain out MEAN. So therefore two points for MEAN bikers and zero points for me. I pay attention to all laws regarding the beach path and streets, they should too! Unless they want me to put a stick in their spokes!

Then we have the fact that they don’t approve of my bike, Pinky the Beach Cruiser. Well folks let me tell you a little story. I’ve ridden 22 miles on a beach cruiser on hilly terrain about 15 times. My beach cruiser has a basket and you push back on the pedals for brakes. It doesn’t have gears. I don’t have a custom seat or wear special clothes. I know biking can kick your butt. My butt would be sore for DAYS. It’s hard work, I’m not knocking your sport, but don’t mock poor Pinky, or look down on me because I’m not the Lance Armstrong Wannabe.I know the hard work that goes into pedaling, beach cruising can be hard work if you are riding your bike for 22 miles round trip too. The scoffs I get from you mean bikers is not very nice! Just because I’m not cruising at a high speed doesn’t mean you can hate on me and my friends, who are following the laws of the bike lane land and friendly as well.

See I can ride my bike too!

A glorious ride along the back bay trail, in Newport Beach. This was how we rode our bikes to the beach. 22 miles round trip isn’t a joke on a beach cruiser.

I can do cool tricks too! Just becuase your bike doesn’t allow it doesn’t mean you can hate on mine!

I know bike care is hard! I have had my bike fall down these stairs on me before. But I have to take care of my bike just like you do!

See I am a friendly biker!

22 miles on this seat kind of sucks. It’s fun, but it sucks.

Look at me, this is normally the beach path I run but I’m riding my bike on it! And I’m staying to the right side and not anywhere near the pedestrian lane!

So I think that you spandex suited biking fiends need to work on being a little more friendly and your interaction with runners. Alas, these are just my thoughts.  When I run, I can hear you and your buddies yelling to each other, so I know it’s not out of your physical capacity to smile or wave at me. Even the old guys look at me like, why are you running? Sad but true. Bikers just seem so angry. I might not enjoy every run but I don’t run around with a huge scowl on my face. Happy up boys and girls!

On that note, last night I went for a run and for this post I counted how many bikers I passed. I passed 47. I waved at 47. ONE waved back and I got 1 partial smile. SEE! I have proof! Last night my run started off crappy. I tried out my 80′s fanny pack on my run to see if it would work for this weekend’s 13.1 for carrying my phone and camera. EPIC fail. I ripped a hole in the fanny packs side, but it was super entertaining. I never have gotten so many weird looks! My legs felt really heavy for the first mile but after that I felt good and besides the fanny pack bouncing around it was a great run. Tomorrow morning I hope to get up extra early and do one last trail run on the trail I ran my 13 miles on the other weekend when I had a great run. I’m suppose to meet up with a group so hopefully I don’t oversleep like last time and feel like a complete loser.

I am getting so excited about this weekend! It’s going to be a blast and I realized that I also get all my ‘California Dreamin‘ awards for doing the Long Beach, Huntington Beach and San Fran races. I get an extra medal and a jacket, I think. I’m super excited! I heard the medal is huge. It seems like so long ago that I ran my first 1/2 marathon back in Long Beach, but it hasn’t even been a year yet! Isn’t that crazy to think about? I’ve already ran a full marathon! Sheesh, I am a freak.

xoxo