Lucky Number Seven

                           

Cheesecake Brule'

Chilled Beer

The above cheesecake brule and the beer were my rewards after Marathon #7. I truly believe that seven is not a whole lot at all, especially after meeting an 81 year old woman who was running her 53rd marathon and someone in his sixties who was running his 253rd marathon. However, I do agree that it is better than doing nothing. I would like to believe that these were well earned rewards. However, I have a lot of work to do ahead and need to get cracking with my planning.

Confessions: 

I really need to confess on a few things before I can write about the race.

Confession #1: I did not run the minimum 25 miles per week, in fact, some weeks, my only running was the long run on the weekend

Confession #2: Until about four weeks before the race, I had not decided whether or not to run it. I wasn't going to go all the way to San Diego for just a half marathon. One of my college friends was going to come and run the half, so if he had, I would have gone for just a half, but he had change of plans and before that, I had decided that I was running the full.

Confession #3: My longest run prior to the race was 16 miles, about a week before the race.

Confession #4: It was my slowest ever marathon by a good 47 minutes

Confession #5: It took me close to two hours for my last six miles

Confession #6: I did hardly any or no speed workout

Confession #7: Recovery wise, this has been my fastest recovery and have been feeling really good.

Confession #8: This really boosted my confidence - completing this race and am thinking of my next one.

Confession #9: It still gives me a high - to complete a marathon. I have a year and half to complete three more.

I signed up for the San Diego Rock and Roll marathon almost six months back when I felt like I would be able to do my next marathon. About 4.5 years back, I made the resolution that I should complete ten marathons by the time I turn 50 years old. After marathon#6, three and a half years ago, as several friends know, I went through more downs than ups. However, since then, I did recover and completed two half marathons this past year. I would have done two more were it not for certain health issues that cropped up. Anyway, the downs continued as after January, my left foot, which had not seen any plantar issues, cropped up and my IT Band on my right leg started hurting. I have written more about this and my journey to the San Francisco Half Marathon here.

School was out two days before the race. A colleague had decided to run this race but was there with friends. Another colleague who has done two ironmans in a calendar year, decided to come cheer. As a result, I got my first ever photos taken by a friend during the race. Am delighted :) Four weeks ago, when I decided I would run the race, I booked my airline tickets. It so happened that the colleague who was running the race and I were on the same flight. Uneventful journey and was pleasantly surprised by the super service I received at my hotel. Getting a room and bed to myself means that I sleep well, uninterrupted and get a stretch of at least six hours, versus the six hours in spurts. 

For a change, I didn't need to get up early enough to make lunches, etc but I landed up getting up at 6:30 and was on my way to the expo in a couple of hours. Upon entering the expo, I learned that Meb Keflinghzi and Ryan Hall were two of the speakers. So after browsing through (and purchasing some) lots of gear and accessories, I went to the speaker area. Meb was running late. As a result, I got to hear Josh Cox, Mike Rouse in addition to Meb Keflinghzi and Ryan Hall. All extremely inspiring and they really put to shame any achievements I may have thought I have had. 

Meb Keflinghzi

Ryan Hall

Josh Cox on left

Sitting next to me was Beth Peterson, an 81 year old woman, who also happens to be asthmatic, who was going to be running her 53rd marathon and had her legacy bib.

Beth Peterson

After having spent a good six hours at the expo, I headed back, thinking I needed to stretch out my arch, especially with my left foot plantar acting up by now. I had been walking everywhere, walking from the hotel by a long route to the expo, around the expo and back to the hotel. I was meeting my colleagues and their friends for dinner in the hotel restaurant, which had a great deal for a $25 buffet dinner. Being a vegetarian, I was delighted to find that the one pasta dish that was a veggie dish was delicious. 

Salad with a ton of almonds

My very creamy veggie pasta

 I must say that a good night's sleep, however short, did happen despite my nervousness. Basically, once I had decided to  run the full, I knew that I would be able to do it. It was a matter of the mind. 

Given that, it was as beautiful a day as could be. San Diego, with its fog, was lovely in the 60s, not at all freezing like in the Bay Area in the mornings. I grabbed a banana and a chai from the Starbucks downstairs, took a taxi to the few blocks which was the finish line of the race from  where I boarded a shuttle to the start line at about 4:30 a.m. The start line was about 1.5 miles from the hotel and I wasn't going to walk that distance the morning that I knew I was to run 26.2 miles. 

Between the marathon and the half marathon participants numbered over 30,000, yes, over thirty thousand. There might have been more, had there been no cap on the participation. At the start, as always, the lines to the toilets, people trying to warm up, and booths with water and food. I went across to turn in my gear bag and saw the dawn break out over the trees on the horizon - a beautiful start to the day. Having turned in my gear bag and with an hour to kill, went towards my corral - the very last and slowest one - number 10 - and sat along the sidelines, as had some other folks. One of the best things about races, as I have mentioned a few times in the past, is meeting a variety of folks from different places. And so, I met these two women, who had also come all on their own, one who was running her very first marathon and one who was running her fifteenth. Our conversations hovered around running and racing and before we knew it, it was time to line up. 

Me at the start

 Had someone really tall take a picture of the start line from where we were all the way at the back. 

I was sure of doing well the first half and even though I know the rule is negative splits, I wasn't sure how I would last out after mile 15. The ironwoman colleague and friend came to cheer at miles 3 and about 9 in old town. It was great to see someone along the course, as I have never had anybody come during the course. Yes, it would have been great to have my family be there at the end, like they have for most of my marathons, but it would have meant that we all travel. This was, I did get way more rest and recovery was easier. I also got a text from a friend at mile 10, cheering me on and all along, I knew I had at least a hundred of my engineering batchmates cheering me on and sending me positive energy which was a huge moral support. 

At Mile 3

At Mile 9

Some highlights of the race: 
* The bands, drums, cheerleaders were all really fantastic. They really helped. 
* At about mile 13, it was great to have a real restroom to use - it was part of a park that we had to cross.  
* The stretch where we went along the harbor near Hotel Circle was beautiful - the palms, the birds, the water. It felt very good.
* The sun came out a little too early - about 8:30 a.m. which meant that I was hot the entire way thereafter. After mile 15, it got really hot and I would just wet my throat and my body at every water stop.
* The local residents were fantastic - they came out in their driveway with hose pipes for us, as well, refilling people's water bottles and handing out orange slices.
* The race had several water and aid stations so it didn't feel like we were without water for long stretches.


* For the second race in a row, I saw someone throw up. It isn't fun to see that. Luckily for him, he was right across from a medical station and the paramedics came right away.
* The banners that some spectators had were hilarious: "I thought you said 2.62 miles", "Touch here for more energy", "Kiss me for faster legs", etc.
*  I met someone at mile 18 or so running her first marathon and she seemed so dejected, but she chatted and at some point she perked up because she crossed me again at about mile 24 and said hi. 
* The hills were hard but not that hard. 
* The freeway stretch between about miles 17 and 21 was brutal.  The sun was beating down, the road was the freeway and hence sloping, the asphalt loved making it hotter, my feet were hurting and even though the band played great music that one could hear through speakers put up all along the stretch, it didn't help much. Literally, nobody attempted to run that stretch. Everyone was walking it. 
* There were random people standing and cheering, drivers passing by giving friendly honks for cheering. 
* My husband called up at about mile 21 and I told him I was too tired, to track me with the emails through my chip and that I would call him when I was done.

Brooks had this water fountain - bliss!

* Met the person I had met at the start yet again, at about mile 22 and we did most of those last four point two miles together.
* I did take a pain killer around mile 5.  
* I did finish with a sprint, as best as could be and with a smile of course, was delighted to get my medal and had someone take a photo of me at the finish.
* I did plan on some tentative marathons for the next three to finish ten. In the grand scheme of things, I think that is so little, especially after seeing what all these people have accomplished.

I think my biggest compliment came from a dear cousin, who said he admired my persistence and never give up attitude. With that, I will plan for my next one :)