Come On Sistah

    Half Marathon No. 9 could have easily been a love potion as well.  Oakland is a great city that put on a great event.  The police officers manning the course were cheering on the runners which is highly unusual in my experience.  There was even on police officer out using his radar gun!  I'm not sure my speed could even register on the device but at least there was no chance I could get a ticket!  The route passed a half dozen fire stations and the firefighters were out in full force cheering on folks.  The course passed lots and lots of different churches and the church folk were cheering us on as well.  I've never heard so many, "Jesus loves you, You're blessed, Praise the Lords" while running.  Definitely a different experience.  I just felt the city in general was out in full force.  Lots and lots of high fives with random people along the sidelines.  I loved all the Come On Sistahs, Last Mile with a Smiles, and I got money on you.  At mile 6 there was even a chance to run through a wall of fire!  Oh, and the Oakland rabid sport fans were also represented.  Oakland A's fans were protesting a possible move to San Jose and there were Raider fans out in their full face paint and body armor.  The city definitely put on a great event and I look forward to returning.
     I needed all the support I could get.  My legs were super tight at the beginning and weren't loosening up.  So, I ending up walking mile 2 and by mile 3 I was ready to resume my 3 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking.  It was super warm and with the half starting at 9:00am, I could feel the heat early on.  I made sure to double up at each aid station.  It was mile 4ish when the half met up with the full marathon course that began at 7:30.  This was a great course design because it meant that there was a ready supply of fresh, strong runners passing me by.  When people look that good after 17 miles and beyond it serves to inspire and keep going.  It definitely did that for me.  With a final finishing time of 3:06.15, I'm pleased.  I walked an entire mile.  There were some elevation changed and at the 3 hour mark, I was only 1/2 mile from the finish line.  To reach my goal time of under 3 hours, I only need to gain 1/2 mile.  I think that is completely doable in one of my next couple half marathons.

Oakland Eve

     I woke up sore this morning from moving and unpacking boxes last night.   Carrying boxes up and down stairs is a significant work out for me.  I wasn't really planning on running today because I'm doing a half marathon tomorrow, but I didn't want to disappoint my running buddy.  So I got her out on the trail under false pretenses.   It was only then did I tell her that I was planning on walking.  I walked a leisurely pace for 4 miles while she completed a 7 mile run.  It was a beautiful day to be out on the trail.  The birds were out and singing and the sun was gorgeous.  I even managed to see (and hear!) a woodpecker.  The walk was able to work out my soreness, so hopefully I'll be good to go tomorrow. 
     The drive to Oakland was rather uneventful and I'm sorry to say so was the running expo.  I know this is an inaugural event but the running expo was the tiniest thing I've ever seen.  Not a whole lot of products or free stuff.  It was almost a why bother.  At least I didn't have to worry about buying anything!   The nice thing is that the volunteers outnumbered the participants and were very helpful.  Hopefully the same is true out on the course and it will all be worth it.  After a five minute trip to the expo, yes, that was all it took to get my gear and walk through the mini-maze of non-existent exhibitors, I checked into my hotel and was pleasantly surprised.  You never know what you get when you make hotel reservations on travel sites and my track record in the recent past hasn't been that great.  This place looks like Melrose Place.  All the rooms face out on a common courtyard that is the pool.  Hopefully that is where the similarities end and there won't be any Melrose Drama to interrupt my pre-race slumber.

Hill Repeats

     The last time I did hill repeats was on a hill in Kirkland parallel to 90 that was a total beast.  It was short and very steep.   A group of girls conquered that monster again and again every Thursday night.  It was always gruesome but it made me stronger.

     Fast forward 10 years.  My running  buddy wants to run a half marathon in August with the following elevation profile.  

 I'm not sure this is exactly my idea of fun but I'm game for new adventures and at least I have time to prepare.  And there is no time better than the present.  I found a hill that is about a quarter mile long, not the steepest but a nice gradual incline.  I did a short warm-up and then attacked the hill.  I sounded like my lungs were weakly powering a sickly set of bagpipes or an accordion that has been attacked by moths.  Fortunately I didn't need CPR and my lungs were able to power the legs and arms up the hill four times.  Not bad after a ten year hiatus!  We'll see how I feel tomorrow and whether or not I begin a new Thursday tradition.

No Excuses!

It was gorgeous today.  As I was exploring what will hopefully become my new neighborhood next week, I followed the signs to a park entrance (new to me!) to see where it entered the bike trail.  A great entry point only a couple miles from my new neighborhood.  It didn't make sense to just turn around, so I parked and went for a three mile walk along the trail.  Momentarily, I thought about how unpleasant it was going to be since I was wearing heavy jeans and a cotton t-shirt but I had a pair of older running shoes on and that's what really matters so off I went.  Now I understand the benefits of technical fabric and one of my favorite substances, Body Glide.  Walking at a good clip generated a sweat and it wasn't the most pleasant experience but I'm thankful that I got out and moved today and didn't allow excuses to interrupt.  As an extra benefit, I had a close encounter with 3 deer, an egret, AND a wild turkey!  Spring is definitely here.  I can't wait to dust off the bike and log some miles.

Next Stop, Oakland

     The obsession continues.  My recovery after Shamrock'n has gone well which means I'm still upright and moving forward, so what's one more half marathon?  I signed up for the inaugural Oakland half marathon next weekend.  It sounds like a great run in the city and a nice way to kick off my spring break.  Some people go to Cancun and drink like fish for a week, I pay to run 13.1 miles and pray not to be sore for a week!  The hardware makes it all worth it.  
     In preparation for next week, finished a 7 mile run this morning with my speedster training partner.  One day, my hope is to keep up.  It was fun plotting our next steps together since the training group we belonged to just ended.  I feel that there are some exciting things on the horizon.