Alone with the Turtles

Alone with the turtles

By no means do I consider myself to be an animal fanatic. I like animals but am not crazy about them and cockroaches are something I am terrified of. However, I don't dislike them either. I am fascinated by wild animals such as tigers and big mammals such as whales. I certainly admire them. I have become bolder over the years. Traveling and doing some adventure sports has certainly helped overcome certain fears. This morning, I came about to swim in a lagoon where there was nobody but me and the turtles and fish in the water at the time. On a high from that, I was inspired to write about it.

Right now, I am holidaying on the Big Island in Hawaii where I discovered that there is this new sport called paddle boarding. This resort also has it's own private beach with a small lagoon. The lagoon is home to several fish and sea turtles. I have seen them resting against the rocks each night. Not a very confident swimmer myself, I haven't had the guts to don some scuba gear and check out the sea life. I am happy to see the ones as visible through the water, which in this case are several, with the water being so clear (it was an even more abundant riot of color in the lagoon at the resort in Jamaica last year).

Sitting at the beach for two days and watching people struggle to balance while paddle boarding, I thought to myself, I could never do this. On the second day, I got talking with this one woman who was off and about and to me she seemed to be good at the sport. She claimed she wasn't that good but thanked me all the same. The next day she saw me sitting by the water and asked if I was going to try it out. I said before I leave. In the meantime, she had given me a few tips on getting started.

Unbeknownst to me, my 13 year old son and husband, at the same time of my conversation with the woman, had gone looking for a kayak to rent. Turned out, the day was too windy, and the kayaks were unavailable, so they came back with a paddle board. Both tried their hand at it and had fun, while not quite getting the hang of it, being the non listeners, especially if I was the one giving the directions. Hubby did do alright the second time he tried it. Of course, they had to give me a turn and I tried it sooner rather than later. I was so thrilled with my success with the activity (sitting back and observing helped, as well as following the tips the woman had given me). Granted, I was still on my knees, and hadn't had the courage to stand while paddling, but it was a big step for me, one whose children are constantly making fun of my style with the one and only swim stroke I know. Delighted at my success, I couldn't wait to go try it again.

Turns out, our plan was to drive to the Volcanic National park this morning (the next morning). It meant that I had to pack in a run, a swim and try to paddle board before leaving.  Getting the run in was a no brainer. I had been waking up early enough and getting a good 5 mile loop in that traversed some beautiful views. This plan of mine meant I couldn't  have a leisurely breakfast but that isn't something I would be saddened by!

Upon returning from my run and changing to swimwear, I went to the beach house to pick the paddle board. The two workers were polite but said they opened only at 8. I responded rather disappointedly, "We are going out for the day and I was hoping to try some paddle boarding before leaving". One of them immediately asked me where I was going to and retrieved a paddle board. He told me he wasn't supposed to but was making this an exception. I was extremely grateful and happily walked to the water with the board. A Yoga instructor saw me struggle with placing the board on the water and gave me a few tips on what to do. She called me a couple of minutes later and gave me a few more tips.

With all the advice I got, I was able to have a really peaceful ride, along which I saw turtles swimming in the water. It was just me and the sea turtles in the lagoon at the time. I then saw one swimming in the middle of the lagoon, it's head bobbing up and down, which inspired me to paddle board a little more. After what I thought would be just the right amount of time without making my arms really sore, I returned the paddle board and jumped in to swim in the lagoon, again, knowing that it was just the turtles, the fish and me. After my run as well as the paddle boarding, The cool, salty waters made for a refreshing treat! Rejuvenated and ready for another beautiful day in this beautiful place on earth!

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 :)

The Journey that started in 1985

Way back in August of 1985, when we were carefree and didn't know what we wanted to really do, but wanted to go to a really good engineering school, no matter how expensive for the time, because of its reputation, we took the risk of staying in the middle of the Thar desert where there was nothing but a village, and no civilization so to speak of other than this great institution, we had no clue what we were getting into. Little did we also realize that the place helped make us for who we are today for better or worse, helped us build life long, extremely strong ties and helped us connect with each other in a way that nobody outside of our world can truly penetrate. 

We are kind of snooty about that, not in a bad sense, but it is like our magical, private world that transcends genders, ages, and cultural identities. During those four years, we laughed together, we cried together, we formed relationships, we celebrated together, tried to study together (or pretended to), fell sick together without a care in the world, biked and walked and ran together, played basketball together, giggled about silly things, shared silly stories, enjoyed the heat and the cold of the desert, gave each other nicknames that stuck through life and are so funny, and much more. There was nothing else in that place and we just hung out together. There was one phone for all the girls - about 200 of us - and a post office that was far enough that we had to cycle, we couldn't walk it - and the letters would take three weeks to get to Bombay to my family. There was no other means of communication, but we didn't miss it because we didn't know any better. Simple lives, especially now when, on the same campus, each student probably has a smart phone.

We finished our bachelor's anywhere between 1989-1991 with no promises of meeting, keeping in touch, etc other than with our immediate close knit circles of friends. This close group of friends and I would call, write letters and we knew of each others whereabouts. We were still in India for the first couple of years. The rest of the folks, if we happened to meet, if we happened to see, and nobody seemed interested in going that extra mile.

We each went our ways, pretty soon spreading our wings across the globe, not just various parts of India. Some were in touch, some weren't. Several memories started to blur, and soon fade away, but what remained with us were always the wonderful times we had together. Those bonds that ran so deep that we would immediately be like - oh, are you from BITS? and that was all it took. A few years later, the email system arrived in India, soon the internet started growing all over the world. During which time, we were still pretty much in touch with just our immediate friends, whether meeting, or calling, each busy with their lives in getting married, or having and raising children, or studying further, with no time to reminisce. 

As time went on, and the internet became powerful, we slowly started hearing about more people, successes, where they were, what they were doing, etc. Soon, this application called Facebook appeared from nowhere that transformed the way we looked at the world. Pretty soon, people started surfacing. Folks one hadn't heard of or from in 15 years or 20 years. Well, one just accepted the friendships and took off from there. Some folks one remembered, some one didn't and the brain cells tried connecting the dots through one's memories, through another friends. It didn't matter because we had that strong connection. Before we knew it, Facebook had become a virtual campus. We were having the same chats, sharing things, teasing each other, and having so much fun, but within social norms in a "public" forum.

Now, what we didn't know is our institute had initiated this reunion called as an SJM (Silver Jubilee Meet), to comomerate 25 years since we graduated. We started hearing rumblings of the same from our seniors. I remember when I first heard of it 4 years back, I thought, oh, that is too much trouble, it doesn't seem worth it, etc. As the years started approaching towards our SJM, the excitement started to take shape. After all, who would miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to go to campus and hang out with those friends who have been one's lifetime support? Oh, but wait. Not all of them were my friends. Does it really matter? Did you want to take the trouble to travel 10,000 miles to see folks that live in the vicinity, that you haven't really been in touch with, that you didn't really hang out with, etc, etc. So many questions that everybody was evaluating. 

The big picture was that we were all really delighted to be back in touch, that we were all waiting for an opportunity to go back to that hole in the wall place, to our beautiful campus, to just hang out and do nothing for a couple of days, to celebrate the place where those connections started. Who wouldn't want to do that? And so began the quest for getting us all together to get to the reunion. I must admit, when I first said I would help locate people, that I would help out, I didn't realize what was involved, and what I would sign up to do eventually. It became more and more addictive, more and more connected and has come to a point where people are really counting down.

In the midst of this, one of our friends, who refuses to be on Facebook decided to start a chat group. The beauty of the chat group is that it transcends geographical boundaries. It started out as just a joke group. Bit by bit, people ventured into other topics, from here to there to everywhere. Soon, more and more folks joined the chat forums. The topics ranged from philosophical to general rubbish to jokes to serious questions. People slowly started to rediscover these adults whom they had fooled around with on campus. They started discovering what people had been doing for the past 25 years. It didn't matter if someone had made millions while others didn't. It didn't matter whether someone had a bigger house or more time on hand or their own businesses. We started appreciating each other, respecting each other for who he/she is, accepting each other as mature individuals, wanted to get to know each other's families, and started a new-found bonding experience. We started advising each other on health matters but in a way that gave individuals their space, their individuality, their opinions, we began supporting each other across the globe, virtually in ways that would never have existed. This virtual energy has been felt everywhere.

It has grown our relationships, connections and friendships in ways we could never have imagined. Even the worst cynic would have to change his/her opinion about the chat groups, about what it has transformed into and what it has to offer each of us. 

This, my friends, is a tribute to each of you, to have gone above and beyond in making these connections happen. I hope we can spread the energy so that as many people as can benefit will show up in October to reenergize and show our children the depth of true relationships! The journey continues...

 

Spring at Home

Any change in season is always a delight, and each holds its own charm. Spring brings with it its abundance of new life, which is why spring is such an important celebration in almost every culture and religion around the world. The emerging blossoms range from buds to fruits to flowers in a riot of colours. The pictures below are a capture of spring just in our garden. Makes me wonder how beautiful it must be in various corners of the world at this time of the year! Hope you enjoy watching these photos as much as I enjoyed clicking them.


Album Link

Rocking and Rolling in San Francisco

     San Francisco! The city always has a charm that appeals to all, young and old, small and big, native or not and it is no wonder that the charm extends to the races that the city hosts. Every race that I have run in the city is crowded and today's San Francisco Rock and Roll Half Marathon was no exception. It was amazing to see just how many people were there to run a half marathon. As always, there were walkers and runners, the elites, the regulars, the first timers, the rebounding from injury folks (like me), varied ages, races, genders. 

     What made the race special to me was that I had bounced back from another injury in January to prove to myself that I could do it to record my first major race of 2014 (I did the Hot Chocolate 15K in January but that didn't exactly count in my opinion). I was signed up for a half the first weekend of January and dropped the idea as soon as one of my children threw up at night. In February, I was to run with a college friend and fell sick that night. So that race went out the window. In March, I was actually signed up for a full marathon but with my injury in January and almost non-running for about 2 weeks thereafter, I knew it wasn't doable, rather it would have been immensely foolish. The choice was to let that race go and continue running or not being able to run for months thereafter. 

       This race was at the end of my Spring Break, during which my children and I were booked to go to New York. Several visions went through my head about snowstorms, flight delays, etc and missing the race since I arrived home only yesterday. However, all the stars aligned this time. Health, wellness and travel. The only downside to the travel - and it was kind of big - I hadn't worn the right shoes for the most part and had walked a lot. So my plantar fasciitis on the left foot had caused some issues this past week.  I had continued with stretching and some elliptical workouts as time had permitted. 

       After my injury in January, I had consulted this massage therapist I have seen a few times at my gym and really appreciate. He had suggested some weight machines and foam roller techniques that I was already doing. I decided to see this personal trainer (Joe) at my gym who is a runner and who runs what else but a running lab! He said he was all booked up and I could see someone else. Well, I wasn't going to see someone else and was upset at not being able to see him. The following week he said he had an unexpected opening. So I did two personal trainer sessions with him and attended a few running labs that were all so useful, I can't thank him enough. After the first session with Joe, I was depressed thinking in spite of running for so long, I know nothing but it only increased my determination to pick his brain in terms of all possible tips and stretches he could provide. I bought these two contraptions after two sessions with him that have proven to be useful - a small bar and a ball. 

        Sleep was an issue the past few nights, particularly Friday night since I had to wake up 3:30 a.m. EDT, get myself ready before the children and leave the hotel no later than 5:00 a.m. to make it in time for our flight back home. None of this was recommended for my race of course. This morning, I was up nice and early at 2:45 so I could stretch, enjoy my cup of tea before leaving so that I could be in early enough to pick up my bib since i couldn't do it yesterday. I had a good feeling about the race this morning, though I knew that time would not be great. That wasn't the big factor in any case. I also had a strong, silent support group in my college friends. After having had no internet or email when we finished college, Facebook, linkedin and other forums have facilitated that connection in multiple ways. One such group we chat on is a phone chat app that cuts across country boundaries. It has been a great deal of fun, bonding and more. I knew I had tons of positive energy and messages from that forum.
     
       One of my colleagues was also running the race. I had suggested it to her since we are both signed up to run the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon in June. She was getting a ride so we basically just got to say hi right before the race. It was really nice to see a familiar face though.

    
       Amongst the things I enjoy at a race are meeting various people. I learn a lot from talking to them. One of the women I talked at length had travelled from Los Angeles, was also signed up for the three package Rock and Roll deal. She was there by herself, and was staying back a day to enjoy the city. Another woman I talked to had travelled all the way from Germany because it was her dream to run over the Golden Gate bridge. She had strapped onto her head a GoPro camera. If you haven't seen a video made by these cameras, you should. It is fascinating. I had never met anyone at a running race wearing a GoPro because I would associate them with more adventure sports like rock climbing, surfing, skiing, underwater diving, etc. She had bought it just for this race and was pleasantly surprised that nobody else was wearing it. She had decided the different points during the race when she would videotape the action. 

        It was cold and dark at close to 6:30, the official start of the race. Being in the 10th corrall meant that I wasn't going to hit the start until 15 minutes after the start of the race. The race started near the ocean - lovely setting which came into vision by the time I started. RIght after turning the corner of the start, came a bunch of hills. You would finish one, and the next would emerge. This continued for the first mile. I was kind of pleased about it thinking that I wouldn't have to tackle hills the rest of the race which of course, was wishful thinking. After all, this was San Francisco. 

        The term Rock and Roll I felt was a misnomer. There were probably three live bands throughout the course, the first of which was after mile 8. There were jugglers and acrobats but that isn't really rock and roll. The music makes a huge difference to the morale and the tempo of the participants. It was a very well organized race though with plenty of aid stations, medical stations and volunteers. 

        After the first couple of miles, we took the turns through the Presidio with fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean, followed by views of the Golden Gate Bridge which we were soon to cross. The pictures will tell a better story of the views as well as the crowd on the bridge. The bridge run was very crowded and the sun was beating down relentlessly. The picture has a couple of people taking selfies. The selfies during the race with the views was a big deal. I did stop to take a few pictures of the views and someone did take my picture.

Just had to take this one of the ocean peeping through the trees

Looking back one could see waves of runners

Could only capture a small fraction of the people

Had someone take this photo

The gorgeous views while going through the Presidio

     The previous two times I have crossed the bridge in a race has been during the San Francisco Marathon which is held in the summer, so the fog holds steady through the bridge run and makes it very pleasant. Today, by the time we hit the bridge with the sun and the crowd, it was hot. Also, with the photo phenomenon, people would randomly stop, take pictures, walk, text, etc. This made it extremely cumbersome to navigate through the narrow passages of the bridge. The next time, it should be organized like the walkways at airports. Those standing (in this case walking/taking pictures) on one side and those running to be able to pass on a parallel path. Running across the bridge still has its own charm though and it will always be that way.

The sea of humanity on the bridge

        From there we ran down the pathway to the Marina. It was an absolutely beautiful day. By then it was a little past mile 8 and we had our first live band. Crossed a man wearing a T-shirt that read "Running my 50th half marathon). Another amazing thing about the city is how young and old, people in homes and without come out to cheer the race participants. By the time I had crossed mile 9, I had decided that I didn't need to bother about a specific time. That my goal of finishing a major race from the 1st of Jan would be accomplished and I needed to focus on a full marathon goal, hence focus on increasing that 13 mile limit next week to 15 or so. The number of outfits that one now encounters is phenomenal. 

 

This gives an idea of the nature of the day today in San Francisco

          The distance between miles 11 and 12 was the hardest for me. This was because I had thought we were done with the uphill runs which were looming in front of me and I seemed to have gone through a phase of - just plow through. After seeing the Mile 12 marker, it got easy again and of course, after 12.5, upon seeing the finish, it was like a fresh burst of energy. I had done it, albeit a slow time, after crossing 3,000 miles yesterday, overcoming yet another injury and having fun. Starting and finishing almost pain free was such a blessing! I am immensely grateful.

At the finish

 

The Hot Chocolate Run

I am not one for one of these hyped races. You could say I am normally more conservative in my choice of races. However, this really sounded fun, I love chocolate and I love hot chocolate, so I thought, lets go ahead and register. There was a choice of 5K and 15K. I don't normally sign up for 5Ks where I have to drive beyond a radius of 3 miles, so I signed up for the 15K. I didn't pay much attention to anything till a couple of days before the race (other than ensuring that I had paid for parking and the shuttle), because it was not a priority until then. Suddenly, last week I realized that I couldn't pick up the packet on race day. That I needed to go on Friday or Saturday. The pick up was from a store in the city, a good 40 miles but very long to drive on a Friday after work (the last time I had to do that in November, it took me 90 minutes each way). So it meant going to the city on Saturday. It meant that I had to sacrifice at least half my Saturday for this purpose. I wasn't a happy camper and was telling my friends that I shouldn't have signed up for this race. The logistics were too hard to handle. 

So come Saturday morning, I went to my first regular Zumba class, ran a mile on the treadmill and drove to the city. It started raining half way through, the directions from the maps were wrong, and I spent 45 minutes driving from the wrong location to the right one. The venue for pick up was packed. With the rain and everyone wanting their race packets, there were a few volunteers directing traffic and I had had my fill of driving (I hardly drive on a daily basis, so this was way too much for me). Fortunately, everyone was very civilized in terms of waiting, parking spaces, etc. The volunteers were well organized. There wasn't a line for the pick up, so I was done in 2 minutes but I wasn't going to sit in the car for another 90 minutes. So I decided to browse the store. This is Sports Basement in San Francisco - it is huge and they have an excellent selection of gear. While browsing, they announced that it was 20% everything that day. My luck day :)

Landed up buying my first set of toe socks (I normally use my Vibrams without any socks), a pair of minimal New Balance (I used to alternate two pairs of shoes, but hadn't done so since I stuck to Vibrams last year. I wanted to see if that was doable and better for my legs. Last week I felt like I had overdone the workouts in the Vibrams), a pack of chocolate Gus, and a pair of shorts. I was glad that the browsing took longer than I had planned because I then had to drive home. It took a little while to get to the freeway, but not as bad as when I drove in, and I was off.

As always, I had my materials ready to go the previous night. This morning, I was up bright and early at 4:30. I like to have one or two cups of tea and a boiled egg normally as well as shower before I leave. The drive was uneventful and getting to the parking lot was also easy. The directions were great, the volunteers were great. Finding parking was not too bad. The lot was getting more full but the folks running the 5K would have come much earlier. There was a line for the shuttle but that moved very smoothly. Volunteers there too to ensure the right number of people for each bus. We rode in one of those fancy corporate buses that are used by Google, Genentech, etc and were the cause of protests in San Francisco as recent as last week. 

Getting to the race venue, the start of which was between the De Young and the California Academy of Sciences, there were plenty of portable toilets, which of course, one had to visit right away. There was a tent selling gear where everyone seemed to take shelter from the cold. It wasn't that cold - 41 deg Farenheit or 5 degrees Celcius but with no sun and just standing around and the wet ground, it felt cold. My toes actually felt frozen by the time I started to run. There were hundreds (maybe more) running the 15K to my pleasant surprise. Got into my corral about 20 minutes before the race. Being in the midst of a crowd really helped keep warm. 

The organizers did an excellent job of managing the start of the race, just as they did everything else. So by the end of it, of course, I had retracted on my - never to do these kind of races - never say never. 

While walking to the start, I met a colleague who had been there from earlier because she had to come for the 5K as well. Listened to the usual chatter while waiting for the race. One of the things that struck me - while waiting here and while checking in gear - so many people are into selfies - it made me feel older for sure :) It is always fun checking out the gear. 

When our corrall was let out, I started out at an ok pace, reminding myself that I just had to go slow and steady. Time was not of essence. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had reached the first mile at about 10:30 minutes and felt really good. So I told myself to keep to a similar pace and continue. The race went through Golden Gate Park, out on the road parallel to the ocean. The first sight of the ocean was magnificent as always. That is what makes me sign up for races in the city, I told myself. Even that one sight is enough to uplift my spirits, to energize me for the rest of the race, no matter what the distance. The waves, the surf, the fog, all of it making for a picturesque setting. about 3-4 miles were along the coast, going in one direction and returning in the other. Several folks stopped to take pictures. 

The water stops and gatorade stops were very well organized. I have trained my body to stay without water for long periods of time - not sure if it is good or bad but I basically don't stop at the water stops, don't feel full or bloated and don't have the urge to go to the restroom. So I think its a good thing for me. There was one spot about halfway through where they were handing out these chocolate squares. I debated but I had only had a boiled egg at about 5:30 a.m. and was kind of hungry so nibbled at it and finished it. It did help as far as energy goes but I felt a little full. 

Saw another colleague zipping through when I was at the 4 mile mark and he was at about 6. When I was at 6, crossed yet another colleague who was running with her husband. Miles 7 and 8 were a little uphill - gradual hills so I think I slowed down a wee bit but really felt good. The rest was easy. I felt really good at completing a longer distance (compared to just one half last year and an 8K after a gap of 2 years of no racing) and hope that the same feeling carries me through my next half and full marathon. 

The reward at the end, needless to say was fantastic. A cup of hot chocolate, a ton of chocolate sauce dip, a marshmellow, a banana, a rice crispy and some kind of wafer. I gobbled down the hot chocolate and dip with the marshmellow and banana while stretching and getting a picture of it. Great way to end the race.
 
A great way to spend a Sunday morning and a great run! Also glad that the weather gods obliged. Couldn't have asked for more.
 
 

The Streak So Far

So today was day#328 in my streak that I randomly decided to commit myself to sometime last year. Why? Several reasons. I never wanted to go back to the sloppy state that I had regressed into for a year or so, I didn't want to be afraid of being hurt, I wanted to challenge myself, and I wanted to continue enjoy running as I did since I was a little girl. The one factor that normally keeps me going under the difficult circumstances - I think of all the various children who suffer in various forms - be it battling cancer, be it the struggles that I have seen my own son go through, be it what my father had to face when he lost his dad at 19, it tends to be my motivation. My pain or struggle is not a patch and I should be able to go on. 

When I first embarked on this streak, the first few days might have been a bit challenging to keep it up each day, but then I sort of settled into a routine, and would go no matter what the time of day. However, the fall tends to be super busy - work, the kids' new routines, and my masters classes these past two years. So, I knew that juggling it would be an issue but juggle I must. So, whether it meant hitting the gym at 5, or whether it meant juggling through the morning routine between making lunch, waking up the kids, getting myself ready to squeeze in a mile or two, or between school and classes, it meant I just had to do it. There were certainly some days that were really hard. 

Some of the hardest days though I think was earlier this week when I was sick. This has been a cough for a week - that is way more than I ever have. Normally my cold lasts for two days. This time, it was not just the cough, the body ache and the weakness. But run I must to keep up my streak. So I did.  The other times it was super challenging was when I was in Colorado for my niece's graduation earlier this month. The minimum temperature was 12 degrees Farenheit. The maximum - no more than freezing point. It was bitterly cold. I only run in the Vibram 5 fingers and am just not used to the cold. Plus time was a factor to be considered. Saturday was busy with the graduation, reception, lunch, post party and dinner. Trying to squeeze in a run seemed almost impossible. So I came up with running up and down the hotel room from one door to the other. I first started with running on the spot but that becomes boring pretty quickly. So I decided to do it this way. It was not only challenging, it wasn't exacly my favorite way to run a mile (yes, I couldn't do more than a mile running up and down the hotel room). But I did it, and felt so much better at the end of it. The next day there was enough time to drive to the gym with my niece's friend who also wanted to work out. So even though we spent the day travelling, we came back to working out. It felt good. 

There will always be hurdles (or almost always) but overcoming those require sheer will power and as long as one is willing to do that, everything else falls in place.