Today could have been just another run at the dish. I mean, met a friend, started out at 6:30; now when I say a friend, this friend goes back a long way like so many of my college friends now in the area 10,000 miles away from where we all studied or pretended to in a remote campus. This is a friend who did not want to run even as close as January of this year; she has now run her first half marathon and is signed up for her first full marathon. Often, on weekends, it is thanks to her commitment that I will shake away my lazy blues.
This morning, we decided that we would go the route in the opposite direction. My friend did not really want to do the trail extension so I decided to do the first round with her and do the next by myself. The morning was really cloudy; as we went up the first hill our eyes soaked up the sight of the cloudy skies, lighting up in various hues of red. We continued taking in the beauty around when suddenly on our next downhill we saw the hawk. Now we have seen the hawk multiple times before but it was always away from the trail - on the fence, on a tree, eyeing its surroundings as always. Today we saw the hawk sitting on the trail - this was just simply amazing. I didn't want to stop my descent while enjoying the hawk; then decided to go back up the hill, to observe it more closely; by the time, my friend had stopped en route descending the hill and was taking photos. I decided to whip up my measly phone and take whatever photo I could best capture with it (that is the picture attached to this note). Anyway, this hawk was a real cool dude. He turned around, looked at us, turned back and continued its gaze in the other direction; in the meantime, my friend's phone voice sounded out a message; the hawk continued on as though this was the most natural thing in the world and ignored us like we didn't exist. Now we were wondering - is the dude just enjoying the beauty of the sky, is he just so fearless of humans now or is the mighty bird of prey injured? Who knew but by then I thought lets go on and we can keep wondering the rest of the way.
In fact, just that one sight of the hawk made my day. It could have been anything but it was like an impossibility - seeing a hawk at such close quarters in the middle of civilization. We completed the rest of the round rather uneventfully; I then decided to do the next round in the other direction; half way through, met one of my regular Dish friends, we said our customary hi's and then I asked him if he had seen the hawk; he said yes, it was pretty and we continued down our different paths. Well, the hawk wasn't there on my second round but this person had seen it; so he flew away. That ruled out the possibility of him being injured. Now, that only meant that he was truly a cool dude and knew how to get at people if he really wanted to or he is just a new breed of hawks who has decided that we can start adopting these ferocious birds. Whatever be the reason, it added to the natural beauty around us and as I was talking to another regular at the end of my second round, she said that that's what made it amazing to come here regularly - one never knew what it held in store.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Viewing the San Francisco Marathon with a different perspective
Each time I run a race, no matter what the distance, even if I have run the same race before, there is a difference. There is of course a difference in the weather, in the crowds, in how I am feeling and doing and of course, I am older each year :-)
Today I ran the San Francisco Marathon which I had run earlier in 2005. The most appealing factor of the race of course, was the fact that I could run over Golden Gate Bridge in the fog, given that the Bay Area is shrouded in fog almost every morning in July. The longer the sun takes to get out, the better as the temperatures hover in the 60s and it is just perfect conditions for a run, that too a long one.
I really owe my hubby this time as he took the trouble to get up at 3:30 a.m. and drop me off for the race. He normally sleeps really late; last night he slept at midnight so it was really a great deal of effort on his part. Of course, till he actually woke up and got ready, I was sure I would have to drive by myself and figure out how my tired legs would drive back home.
The race had wave starts, something I was not used to. I had signed up with an estimated time so that I was in the last wave - very disheartening but I knew it didn't matter given that it was the chip time that mattered. So, I was in the last group to take off and it felt absolutely great as standing around in the 55 degree weather with a wind for maybe an hour was not exactly how I wanted to start the race. Listening to conversations and watching the Bay Bridge in the fog was a good way to spend the time. I am always tongue tied with people the first time I meet them though several of you may find that hard to believe:-) A mile into the race I knew that I absolutely *had* to go to the restroom. Once that was done, I was set for the rest of the race. The first toilet I spotted had two people in line and it seemed like the person inside was going to take time. So I decided to move on - bad decision. By the time the next toilet was in sight there was no way I could wait. I spent twelve whole minutes waiting so much so that I actually saw the last person in the race - that was a first - so something new. With that I knew I could not better my best time but I decided to enjoy the race anyway without being concerned about the time.
With renewed energy I took off and loped along till the first hill which I felt was conquered really well especially when I overtook several people walking thanks to my hill training sessions. This then brought me to a stretch connecting the trail to the Golden Gate Bridge. Since I was way towards the end, there were innumerable people passing the other way having already gone over the bridge. The energy level on that bridge is absolutely amazing and that alone carries me through the entire stretch with a great deal of enthusiasm. And as I remembered it, yes, the bridge was clouded in fog but not so much that it blocked the vision so it was fantastic.
Upon returning from the bridge there was a long hill going into Golden Gate park. At the top of that hill was the most breathtaking view of the race in my opinion. There was the Pacific Ocean dashing against the cliffs with a view of all the houses at the back and all the greenery around. I could have sat there for an hour just watching the waves. That was also the start of a highly energising downhill run. Soon after, the runners finishing the first half marathon were gone and a few of us trudged along. This stretch of race can be a dampener especially after all that energy. Of course, it helped to know that I was half way done and I message hubby accordingly. I was feeling pretty good till mile 15 all of this through the park but by 16 it felt like I might be a little tired. By 18 I was thinking, gosh, am I crazy - did I really sign up to do this again? All along, the views in the park were beautiful. Thanks to all the rain this year, it was especially green, the lakes looked very peaceful and the only sounds were those of tired feet around or the birds.
From the park, the route came out to Haight street, which I didn't seem to have noticed the last time I ran this race. I made a mental note of all the interesting restaurants I saw along the way, deciding that I had to come back here to eat; the most interesting name was "Squat and Gobble". By mile 20, I had regained my spirit and had decided to continue with a steady pace, no matter what the time because I knew I was going to cross the 5:00 hour barrier. Hubby called and I let him know where I was. By then, he had come back with my son to cheer me at the finish line. My 12 year old daughter proclaimed the previous day that she only wanted to sleep. There was of course a time when both would come happily to cheer their mom excitedly.
I also learned some trivia about the city and some quotations because these had been put up all along the route. By mile 21 though I was thinking - I really don't care anymore about these trivia questions. I just want to focus on my hard task ahead. Confucious said (not exact words but to the effect) that no matter what the pace, keep moving. The official bird of San Francisco city is the California Quail. The ones about Ansel Adams and the Transamerica Pyramid were what I already knew.
After mile 21 I just kept focused on achieving the next mile with a goal of 25 as I knew hubby and son were waiting around there. At about mile 24 I arrived at the AT&T parking lot, going onto mile 25 near the stadium. Soon after I spotted them; my son had made signs all on his own to support me, we chatted a bit as they ran along the outside of the path, one of the photographers took a picture of mom and son and they ran along a bit before hubby decided that my son was wearing out my energy and I needed to save it for the end. That did, however, really help with at least half a mile when I soon saw the marker for 26. As with a few prior races, I know not where that strength comes from but the last .2 miles were done sprinting to the finish line. Hurrah! Another one down. I know this is crazy but I have planned my next one five months from today as there is a marathon in California on my birthday. What better way to celebrate it!
Today I ran the San Francisco Marathon which I had run earlier in 2005. The most appealing factor of the race of course, was the fact that I could run over Golden Gate Bridge in the fog, given that the Bay Area is shrouded in fog almost every morning in July. The longer the sun takes to get out, the better as the temperatures hover in the 60s and it is just perfect conditions for a run, that too a long one.
I really owe my hubby this time as he took the trouble to get up at 3:30 a.m. and drop me off for the race. He normally sleeps really late; last night he slept at midnight so it was really a great deal of effort on his part. Of course, till he actually woke up and got ready, I was sure I would have to drive by myself and figure out how my tired legs would drive back home.
The race had wave starts, something I was not used to. I had signed up with an estimated time so that I was in the last wave - very disheartening but I knew it didn't matter given that it was the chip time that mattered. So, I was in the last group to take off and it felt absolutely great as standing around in the 55 degree weather with a wind for maybe an hour was not exactly how I wanted to start the race. Listening to conversations and watching the Bay Bridge in the fog was a good way to spend the time. I am always tongue tied with people the first time I meet them though several of you may find that hard to believe:-) A mile into the race I knew that I absolutely *had* to go to the restroom. Once that was done, I was set for the rest of the race. The first toilet I spotted had two people in line and it seemed like the person inside was going to take time. So I decided to move on - bad decision. By the time the next toilet was in sight there was no way I could wait. I spent twelve whole minutes waiting so much so that I actually saw the last person in the race - that was a first - so something new. With that I knew I could not better my best time but I decided to enjoy the race anyway without being concerned about the time.
With renewed energy I took off and loped along till the first hill which I felt was conquered really well especially when I overtook several people walking thanks to my hill training sessions. This then brought me to a stretch connecting the trail to the Golden Gate Bridge. Since I was way towards the end, there were innumerable people passing the other way having already gone over the bridge. The energy level on that bridge is absolutely amazing and that alone carries me through the entire stretch with a great deal of enthusiasm. And as I remembered it, yes, the bridge was clouded in fog but not so much that it blocked the vision so it was fantastic.
Upon returning from the bridge there was a long hill going into Golden Gate park. At the top of that hill was the most breathtaking view of the race in my opinion. There was the Pacific Ocean dashing against the cliffs with a view of all the houses at the back and all the greenery around. I could have sat there for an hour just watching the waves. That was also the start of a highly energising downhill run. Soon after, the runners finishing the first half marathon were gone and a few of us trudged along. This stretch of race can be a dampener especially after all that energy. Of course, it helped to know that I was half way done and I message hubby accordingly. I was feeling pretty good till mile 15 all of this through the park but by 16 it felt like I might be a little tired. By 18 I was thinking, gosh, am I crazy - did I really sign up to do this again? All along, the views in the park were beautiful. Thanks to all the rain this year, it was especially green, the lakes looked very peaceful and the only sounds were those of tired feet around or the birds.
From the park, the route came out to Haight street, which I didn't seem to have noticed the last time I ran this race. I made a mental note of all the interesting restaurants I saw along the way, deciding that I had to come back here to eat; the most interesting name was "Squat and Gobble". By mile 20, I had regained my spirit and had decided to continue with a steady pace, no matter what the time because I knew I was going to cross the 5:00 hour barrier. Hubby called and I let him know where I was. By then, he had come back with my son to cheer me at the finish line. My 12 year old daughter proclaimed the previous day that she only wanted to sleep. There was of course a time when both would come happily to cheer their mom excitedly.
I also learned some trivia about the city and some quotations because these had been put up all along the route. By mile 21 though I was thinking - I really don't care anymore about these trivia questions. I just want to focus on my hard task ahead. Confucious said (not exact words but to the effect) that no matter what the pace, keep moving. The official bird of San Francisco city is the California Quail. The ones about Ansel Adams and the Transamerica Pyramid were what I already knew.
After mile 21 I just kept focused on achieving the next mile with a goal of 25 as I knew hubby and son were waiting around there. At about mile 24 I arrived at the AT&T parking lot, going onto mile 25 near the stadium. Soon after I spotted them; my son had made signs all on his own to support me, we chatted a bit as they ran along the outside of the path, one of the photographers took a picture of mom and son and they ran along a bit before hubby decided that my son was wearing out my energy and I needed to save it for the end. That did, however, really help with at least half a mile when I soon saw the marker for 26. As with a few prior races, I know not where that strength comes from but the last .2 miles were done sprinting to the finish line. Hurrah! Another one down. I know this is crazy but I have planned my next one five months from today as there is a marathon in California on my birthday. What better way to celebrate it!
Pleasures from the information age
November 14, 2009 9:57 AM
I felt like I just had to share these.
1. Sitting at my children's dentist office on Veteran's day, waiting for my daughter to finish with her tooth extraction (she has great teeth fortunately, this one just didn't fall off and the new one coming in had no space), reading something mindless - Bay Area Parent - marvelling at how many private school ads and enrichment ads there were - as an educator it always fascinates me to see the parental fascination for these things. Mom#2 was in the waiting room with two kids. A few minutes later, mom#3 comes in and Mom#s 2 and 3 greet each other.
Mom#2: Hi, so good to see you.
Mom#3: Hi, so nice to see you too.
Mom#2: I haven't seen you in a long time.
Mom#3: Yes, except on facebook. Isn't that how everyone sees each other these days?
I haven't made up any of this - seriously!
This morning while running at the dish on one of the downward slopes, admiring the clouds, the scenery was picture postcard perfect - so much greenery, not so many people, etc., etc.
I see a couple - man and woman - walking supposedly together. The only reason I thought they were together is because they were trying to keep the same pace with about a half a mile's width between the two. Then I see that both are talking on each of their cells while trying to walk sort of together and get their share of exercise. It amused me so much and got me thinking - maybe if ever my husband and I set off on a walk by ourselves we might do the same - so unused to getting time to spend with each other - each catching up with his/her own friend? Food for thought...
I felt like I just had to share these.
1. Sitting at my children's dentist office on Veteran's day, waiting for my daughter to finish with her tooth extraction (she has great teeth fortunately, this one just didn't fall off and the new one coming in had no space), reading something mindless - Bay Area Parent - marvelling at how many private school ads and enrichment ads there were - as an educator it always fascinates me to see the parental fascination for these things. Mom#2 was in the waiting room with two kids. A few minutes later, mom#3 comes in and Mom#s 2 and 3 greet each other.
Mom#2: Hi, so good to see you.
Mom#3: Hi, so nice to see you too.
Mom#2: I haven't seen you in a long time.
Mom#3: Yes, except on facebook. Isn't that how everyone sees each other these days?
I haven't made up any of this - seriously!
This morning while running at the dish on one of the downward slopes, admiring the clouds, the scenery was picture postcard perfect - so much greenery, not so many people, etc., etc.
I see a couple - man and woman - walking supposedly together. The only reason I thought they were together is because they were trying to keep the same pace with about a half a mile's width between the two. Then I see that both are talking on each of their cells while trying to walk sort of together and get their share of exercise. It amused me so much and got me thinking - maybe if ever my husband and I set off on a walk by ourselves we might do the same - so unused to getting time to spend with each other - each catching up with his/her own friend? Food for thought...
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