A pitfall of running a marathon so late in the fall is that I’m playing a bit of catch-up with the holiday spirit. Those cookies I promised to blog about have yet to materialize. There is not a trace of Christmas decoration about. Much of that, I hope will happen today and tomorrow.
The evening of the marathon, we had a very slow and rainy drive from Sacramento to San Francisco. The rain stopped shortly after we arrived and we walked the two blocks from our hotel, The Larkspur (formerly the Cartwright) to Union Square to take in the holiday decorations.
Union Square's trademark palms
Union Square, Macy's quintessential holiday windows
The following Sunday we were back in Toronto and spent the afternoon at the theatre with 3 nieces and 2 nephews. All enjoyed A Year With Frog and Toad at the Lorraine Kimsa Young People’s Theatre. Frog was played most charmingly, by Louise Pitre.
And we are off – sort of. Although I was only 20 meters from the start line where the transponder chip attached to my running shoe registers my start time, it took me 37 seconds to get there, more than the 23 seconds it took me to cross the mats at the Chicago marathon. So there you have it, the distinction between “gun” time and “chip time”.
Transponder chip, tied to running shoe
Concerns going into the race; would my heart rate watch behave, would the hitherto unknown sports drink Ultima throw off my usual routine of marathon beverage consumption, would I be able to read my pace tattoos with my rapidly deteriorating middle-aged vision and would I experience foot cramps which I’ve had bouts of recently.
Pace tattoos in place
Following the advice of the three, 27 time-CIM-runners I took the significant downhill in the first mile very easy. I was relieved to see my heart rate register on my watch as the night before I realized that I had brought the more complicated watch of the two I own, the one that I don’t really know how to operate. I had frantically downloaded the manual and spent much time pressing this button and that, each press triggering a high-pitched beep, to my husband’s dismay as he quietly read. Together we were able to get the watch into a mode that would display both the heart rate and elapsed time.
I missed the one mile marker but was running around 8:25 pace at the two mile mark and it felt quite easy. I noticed some runners stop at porta potties and realized that I too, had to pee. Canadian masters legend Diane Palmason suggests that you should drink continually up until an hour before a marathon. And then, have another drink 10 minutes before the marathon. I had forgotten this and so I spent the next 8 miles in search of a porta potty with no line-up or a some sort of private spot a little forest or such. In spite of this slight discomfort the pace was very comfortable as I ran with my heart rate from 140-145. At this point I had no trouble keeping my heart rate under 145. What was interesting is that a few times my heart rate went down to 135 a lapse of concentration perhaps.
The weather was turning out to be perfect. I had tossed my hat at the one mile point and knew that it would not be long until I would feel the need to take off my vest. That would be a complicated maneuver as my race number was pinned to the front. But, first I had to find a pit stop. Shortly after mile ten we went by an industrial park which had a freestanding brick wall as part of the landscaping. I had no choice but to quickly and discreetly duck behind this makeshift porta potty. Ahem, well on the subject of TMI my husband overheard the following conversation on marathon day. A woman was explaining to her male companion how she had made a pit stop but that her muscles were very tight and she could only pee very slowly. The lack of modesty shown by long distance runners in discussing these matters has something in common with the intense physical rigours of childbirth and the willingness of participants to discuss the details thereof.
Race bib
The logistics of removing my vest while running loomed. I relaxed into the race for a couple of miles and then tackled undoing the four safety pins holding the race bib in place and redoing these same pins to attach the race bib to my shorts. Then I removed the vest and tried unsuccessfully to tie it around my waist. There was not enough length to do this. So I put placed the vest around my waist and fastened the lower part of the zipper so it encircled me. Then I twisted and twirled the vest so that it fit snugly around my waist. You may ask would it not have been easier to just stop. Well, as I write this I wonder too.
I ran the rest of the race in my short,shorts and sports bra, a racing outfit that my son used to refer to as a bathing suit. Consider the embarrassment of teenager who has a mother who has raced down Yonge street in her bathing suit. Now that I’m closer to 60 than 50, I do not feel inclined to expose so much of my body and avoid this “bathing suit” look when at all possible. However, such were the weather conditions on this day and with all that training on the line, the seconds gained by cooler body temperature won out over vanity and dignity.
As for the race tattoos. I should have given more thought to their placement as they were virtually unreadable in spite of pulling my skin this way and that. Bottom line, print too small for middle-aged eyes. I should have stuck to my old method.
So the first half passed with much distraction. My time for those 13.1 miles / 21.1 km was 1:48:19. It felt great to be able to finally focus on the race. And as they say for the marathon, the race really begins at mile 20.
False start, awake at 2 a.m. Head to the washroom in the dark to the sound of heavy rain and run into the end of the partially opened bathroom door, smack on the bridge of my nose. Why, why, did I ever decide to run this marathon, why!?
I was able to fall back to sleep for nearly two hours. Rising just before the planned 4 a.m. I go down to the lobby and step outside to a light drizzle and warmish temperature. I have never run a marathon in the rain. Will this marathon my 20th, be the first?
Folsom to Sacramento
The tedious but important decision of what to wear looms. I decide on the short shorts, lighter vest and tank top over sports bra and lightweight microfiber cap. Then I bundle up with tights, warm up pants and t-shirt, arm warmers and jacket. Since rising I have been constantly drinking Gatorade.
There is a bus to the start line that stops at the hotel. I head downstairs and am the last runner to trundle on. My seatmate is eager to converse. All very well, since I discover that she is a pacer and only running about half the course. She is assisting a blind female runner who is hoping to run 3 hours and 30 minutes. We chat briefly about the Achilles Track Club, which I correctly gathered was the source of her involvement. Any other time I would have liked to converse more fully but I am feeling quite apprehensive, especially when I find out that the race starts at 7:00 a.m. not 7:30 a.m. as I had thought. D’oh!
My friendly seatmate offers to lend me her cellphone to text my husband this news. I confess that I’m not really sure how to send a text message. I start to think about how disappointed he will feel if he misses the finish but force myself to FOCUS on the task at hand. The 26 mile drive takes nearly an hour so by the time we get to the start area, it is nearly 6:30 a.m. and I am feeling quite tense. There is a long, line-up at the porta potty so while waiting I strip down to race gear. The day is dawning with no rain and I decide to forgo the singlet, wear the vest, which can be worn around my waist should conditions warm up markedly.
Ya gotta go
Liberated from the need to pee, I dash to the baggage truck and toss my bag. Having read the runner comments about this race from marathonguide.com was helpful in giving me confidence in the bag check process. Generally, I never leave anything I would mind losing, with baggage check.
My competitive hope is to place in the top three so having noticed that age-groups prizes are awarded on gun time, not chip time, I make my way close to the front, near the 3:10 marathon aspirants, recalling the thrill of being the oldest woman in the 3:10 corral at the Chicago marathon in 2006.
Daylight is upon us with a mainly blue sky defying the predicted steady rain. I feel ready so let the party begin. Three, two, one and we are off . . . Hallelujah!
Listen to KD Lang sing Leonard Cohen’s HALLELUJAH at the opening ceremony for Olympics. Stunning!
. . . but no bathtub! I was pleased to be told at check-in that we got a room upgrade to a King Executive Room for $15. It did not occur to me ask whether the room had a tub. The room is a large corner room with a large spa-style shower but apparently only the rooms with two double beds have bathtubs. This is not exactly what you would expect at a fairly grand Hyatt Regency hotel but perhaps that is why the price was quite a bit lower than expected.
Nice lobby but no bathtub
The location is superb, just a few blocks from the finish, two blocks from the race expo at the Convention Centre and two blocks from Blessed Sacrament Church which is where we will be at 5 :00 p.m. this evening.
Corner room with a view of Capitol Park but no bathtub!
The morning was thoroughly relaxing. We got up at 4:00 a.m. refreshed and relaxed and then hit the breakfast buffet around 7:30 a.m. After that we drove a couple of miles to Target and picked up pre-marathon supplies including; Boost and Gatorade.
This unfinished post was written Saturday at which point I realized that I better get my head totally focused on the race. I look forward to reviewing the trip and race in the next few days. We arrived home late Tuesday and I worked yesterday. I felt fine at work but by 8:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. Pacific time) I was ready for bed. So awake, I am after 9 1/2 hours sleep.
Onwards and upwards!
Twelve pack of Gatorade G2, Boost, race bib and timing chip
Yesterday was a rare post-less day. A busy day compounded by forgetting my house key. I dined at a new restaurant at our corner while waiting for my husband “P”. More on the day later but for now farewell Toronto. We are at the airport waiting for our flight to San Francisco. I have my Starbucks in hand as I rush to get this mini-post done.
So today, on the heels of yesterday’s exhilarating run I woke to wet, cold rain. It is time to mulch the garden and pull out the cold weather running gear. I had some speedwork planned, and there is some risk involved in running fast in the cold and wet, so I ran to the YMCA and hopped on a treadmill.
There are positives to running on treadmills; shoes last longer; the rubber running surface is easier on the legs; you can readily monitor your effort and pace; among other things. One aspect of my running psyche that keeps me going is that I am very flexible in the ways I enjoy running be it; fast or slow, with or without company and indoors or outdoors.
Running on the treadmill means less stopping, no worries about pit stops and a chance to catch up on TV news. Sometimes I focus on devoting a chunk of treadmill time to work out practical issues and make chore lists while running, with pen and paper close at hand. I ran 8 x 1 minute hard and the run totaled 8 miles.
On the nutrition side, I’ve had a couple of good weeks of healthy lunches. Last week, and so far this week, I’ve taken my lunches, bean salad and quinoa pilaf from Thanksgiving dinner (augmented with chick peas). It’s time to be more thoughtful about fueling up.
Here’s a recipe for quinoa patties from the Whole Foods website. Click here for the RECIPE My husband has been a quinoa devotee for many years, having discovered a recipe in the New Basics Cookbook 15 or 16 years ago. The nifty thing about Whole Foods is that you can find the recipe for most items sampled in their cafe on their website.
We passed through Las Vegas earlier this year, while en route to Utah and he had a delicious quinoa burger at the Whole Foods. You can make a batch and freeze them as well for a thrifty and healthy meal.
I woke at 4:30 a.m. today as I’ve decided to try and move my sleep pattern towards the upcoming time zone change. My run started in the dark with a fairly steady downpour. When I reached the lake the sun was beginning to break through the cloud cover, as seen in the photo. On arriving home, the day fully emerged as one of those quintessentially lovely, late-summer days.
Also in preparation for my trip to Germany, I have become obsessed with the goal of traveling with one carry-on bag. I have been scouring the internet for tips in order to achieve this. Marathoners know, that every extra pound carried over the 26.2 mile trek requires extra energy. As travelers we runners are at a slight disadvantage (although not to the extent as golfers or pole vaulters) to traveling light, as we must pack our space consuming running shoes. If you are traveling to a race, add to that a pair of racing flats. And, if you are racing a marathon in transitional weather, then racing gear for 3-4 seasons might be required.
I confess that while I am an experienced marathoner, I am a beginner at the one-bag-carry-on challenge. In fact I am trying to kick my over-packing habit. My desire to be organized and ready for anything works against me when it comes to packing. The name of the game for the one-bagger is multi-tasking clothing items. An additional challenge is finding multi-tasking clothing for a trip to the opera in Frankfurt. I am someone who likes to be dressed appropriately for every occasion. I hope to compile these tips to once I successfully enter the realm of the one-bag-carry on living.
For starters:
Tip #1 – Take along an old pair of running shoes for your runs and leave them behind at the end of your trip to make room for any purchases.
Tip #2 – A stylish pair of sweatpants can do triple duty as PJs, casual wear for a plane trip and exercise gear
Tip #3 – Wear the running top for the next day as your PJ top
Tip #4 – Don’t take more than 2 versions of a running outfit suited to one particular type of weather
Tip # 5 – If you wake early to run and your traveling mates sleep in. Make sure all your gear is assembled before you go. In IPod can be used as a flashlight if you have to navigate in the dark.
Please feel free to comment and add your own tips. Thank you!
Mind, Motion & Matter 