san francisco u.s. half marathon today. early rise. my folks drove down from napa to transverse the city, wait, and cheer at the end. very sweet of them.
the 7am start was chilly. of no bother. in shorts and a t-shirt i knew once we got moving i wouldn't feel the temperature.
comparing this half marathon to its november cousin is unavoidable. november's run was cold and pouring rain. almost miserable. today was clear and continued to warm.
started the run fine. after a few fun tracks by not the 1s i listened to a radioload podcast about a woman that runs 50 miles, 100 miles, and even 10 day races through the yukon without stopping. i figured by comparison my run was nothing. should be easy.
hit the first hill and powered up it. was surprised to see people already walking up the hill. the crowd thinned out a little at this point.
starting out on the golden gate bridge we passed the 5 miles marker. i could've sworn we'd run 6 miles by that point.
i looked around the bay and, although a little morning haze was still present, it was a pretty day. nearly everything was visible. few clouds overhead.
still on the bridge at mile 6, i looked across the bridge to the 8 mile sign where the course setting bicyclist and lead runner were passing. i threw up my pointer finger and then clapped. other's around me clapped as well.
the loop under the bridge and climb back up were the toughest part of the race. about 7 miles in it was a steep grade. i thought a sip of water might do me well at the top. the water table was congested so i ran on without.
a number of people passed me on the ocean side of the bridge. the wind was whipping us on the right side of the face, the only time during the run i noticed the wind. i shifted gears a little to keep close to the roughly 8 mile per hour pace i was on.
off the bridge and back down the hill i hit the turn for the final 3.1 miles. i grabbed some free runner's goo for a burst of energy. i never tried the stuff before. it was too thick and immediately made me want water. passing through crissy field, it wasn't until almost the 12 mile marker that i took my first cup of water. gulped and choked. took another sip, splashed a little, tossed the rest.
a couple minutes into the twelfth mile i switched my ipod to "comme des enfants (le matos andy carmichael remix)" by coeur de pirate, a fun, uptempo song sung in french. i don't understand a word. i love the track anyway. my left leg was starting to tighten. i outran the issue.
as i spotted the finish line i almost began to cry knowing that i had the support of my parents waiting for me at the end. they said they made signs. i looked in the bleachers as i sped up to power through the finish line. i didn't see them.
i crossed the finish line and heard my dad call me name. they were just beyond the end with cameras. i gave him a high five, removed my timing chip, and crushed some free food and drink. i felt good. better than the november race. staying near the finish line i basked in the sun on a beautiful san francisco morning with my parents. it was a good day.
ipod: (the "run far young man" playlist)
* not the 1s "not the 1s"
* not the 1s "your dad hates me"
* not the 1s "you dress like an asshole"
* radiolab ("shorts: in the running")
* thundering herd (from friday)
* this american life ("see no evil") [two acts]
* coeur de pirate "comme des enfants (le matos andy carmichael remix)"
goal status: 193/750 (miles logged/miles goal)
weight: 148
feeling... who's your daddy u.s. half marathon?
1 comment:
cool!
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