Nashville, new job and relocating

Been a busy few weeks.  Clearly I survived Nashville!  The run was tough, 

hot and hilly…….I really slogged it out.  Still came out in the top 25% for age and gender (these things matter……to me, at least) BUT took me over two hours.  Around mile two I knew it was going to be ugly and I never found the love.  That’s a lot of miles of feeling unloved I have to say.  Still I loved Nashville.  Around 34,000 people run in this race so the place was humming and the streets lined with spectators.  A pending thunderstorm meant organizers had to close the course earlier than anticipated so folks running the marathon who didn’t hit mile 11 within 2hrs 30mins got diverted to the half marathon.  Can’t imagine how devastating it would be to be running your first marathon and not be able to finish.  One very cool story……well two. The woman who won the half didn’t know it started 15 mins earlier than originally announced (once again trying to make sure folk weren’t on the course when the storm hit) – she was in the bathroom cue when the start gun went.  She raced out of the cue, jumped the fence onto the course (before the start line so her time was recorded) and sprinted to catch the lead runners…..she was just as shocked as everyone that she won!  Another woman who was running her first marathon got turned back to go to the finish line at a couple miles short of her being able to complete the full 26.2 miles so she crossed the finish line and found some guy with a Garmin gps watch and he ran around the race track with her until she had completed the full distance….way to go!

Saturday evening of the race I had dinner with the work pals family (having slept on her couch the night before we flew out of San Jose for Nashville……..6am 2hr flight to Denver then change planes for a further 2hr flight to Nashville).  Tried fried green tomatoes, yum and had several glasses of the most divine red wine (or maybe it’s just that I drink so seldom these days that all wine tastes good).

As well as the runners expo I went to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  This was really interesting……..got to see Elvis’s gold plated car……..ugly…..but gold nonetheless. 

I love this view on the right, the building in front was dated early 1800s, no prizes for guessing the date for the one in back.  This was very representative of Nashville architecture, a real mix.

On another note…….I have a new job.  Yuh it’s that time again.  I’m heading off into management consulting land going to work for Accenture as a manager.  Long story short it’s time for me to make a big career change, this is it!  Most likely I’ll travel 4 days a week and will, ultimately, be back to running teams.  Accenture is huge (170,000 employees globally) and has a fantastic learning culture.  They have their own training school just outside Chicago and and and – it’s a fantastic opportunity and if I can do a good job opens up many doors.  I almost can’t believe it, this is why I came to the US!  If I can do this well I will have the opportunity to work on a huge number of different projects, continue to work with fantastically capable, smart people and across a range of different organizations.  It’s exciting and scary.

Which also leads me to the other change – I am moving into San Fran.  Need to be closer to the home office and the airport.  I think I’ve found a very cool roomie who also has a dog!  She currently lives in Santa Cruz and is a lecturer at the University – she’s keen to move into San Fran so after my NZ visit we are going to start to look around for a place.  I think we will make a good team and it will be good to live with someone if I am travelling. 

In between all that I fly out for NZ on May 5 for 2.5 weeks......so as you can tell…….not much happening……..

Proof.....kind of

Santa Cruz half marathon, by Wilder Ranch......ummmm can't see my number, hidden, wrong colour, shouldn't be running with the big kids.....trainer made me do it, honest!

Hmmm not sure, mile 6 (9.6 km) maybe, not quite half way, windy but not unmanageable, well not a head wind at this point.  No rain, but a mighty stormy sea, rain and headwind came later!

Seriously....why would anyone do this?

Swine Smash - meat based cocktails

Santa Cruz Half, Nashville and Visiting NZ

Alright finally getting around to posting about the Santa Cruz Half.  Woke up to an overcast cold day with the promise of rain!  So no question that I would be wearing a jacket to run in, which was fortunate because as it turns out the colour of the numbers for the half versus the 10k was different and I wasn't actually registered for the half (registration was full but I ran it anyway).  Even though the weather was bad around 3.5 thousand people showed up on the day (pic on the left is the teeshirt logo, I thought it was kind of quirky and creative, I like it).  Cute at the start, they read out the places people were from (other than the US).  Turns out Australia, Sweden, Germany and New Zealand....couldn't tell if there were other folks there so might only have been me!  The course is really scenic taking you along the Coast and then out to Wilder Ranch (which I've mentioned before) - only this time we ran the coastal track, rather than the hill.  The weather being rough meant the sea was spectacular.  The last 4 miles were hellishly windy and the last mile it rained.  Somewhat meanly, I thought, we finished with a short beach run....very short but sand no less!  It really was a great race and I'd love to do it when the weather was fine too.  Of course now I realize if I ran that course from my house that would make for a very nice 15/16 mile run...between now and NY it's all about building miles.  
I was good and only looked at my watch for distance, not pace....unbelievably my chip time came in at 1hr 48mins....I find this very hard to believe but keep getting told "the chip don't lie".  So if it is true I would have been around 16th for my age group in a filed of 380ish.  Very credible but a little freakish.  Case, of course, was beside himself with it all.
Nashville is next weekend.  It will be very very different....hot for a start.  Around 20 degrees (please let it be at least that "cool"...my running buddy tells me temperatures have been around 26 for the last two weeks).  Oh and for the record I do live my life in fahrenheit and miles these days but translating to make it easier for the NZ folk.  Nashville will also have thousands more runners and, of course, bands every 2 miles or so.  They start the race in waves as well so this will be my first time doing something similar to the NY marathon.  Now I am staying the extra day I am even more excited to be able to do some additional sightseeing.  I am just going to focus on clocking the miles, enjoying the run and the music.  I am taking my i-pod just in case I don't like all the distraction - head off into my own country music concert.

Because I know just how dull all this running/marathon chatter can get for those that aren't interested I've attached a pick of my latest purchase.  If you pop it open you'll see the dude on the left is just yapping on marathon, marathon, marathon....guy on the right speaks for itself!  On the back it references the NY Marathon and I did get a running cap which mentions training for the marathon....going to wear that in Nashville as it is white so might offer some protection from the evil sun .... which is most welcome to be in attendance after the race, just not during!
NZ trip is all booked, including some catchups (although not all of them....I am starting to feel organized out).  Tripping into Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown, back to Wellington then last few days in Auckland. 2.5 weeks all up, which is longer than last year so I am making the most of it.  Queenstown is on the list as I want to go and stay at Karen and Brice's house, they were building when I was living with them on the Ranch so I feel like I know it but have only seen pictures.  It will also be nice to have some downtime...not to mention the Ledge Bungy overlooking Queenstown (this has been on my bucket list for along time now, the last time I had the opportunity the darn thing was closed....better not be this time!).

Changing plans and expensive teeshirts

Tomorrow I had planned to run the Santa Cruz 10k - I'd enrolled months ago and with Nashville on the 24th it seemed like a good idea.  On Wednesday Case announces that he thinks I should just run the half........so it is.  Although registation is full for the half I am just going to keep running at the turnaround point.  Seems hillarious to me that I've gone from barely being able to run 3miles to running two half marathons in a month.  I'm not going to run it for a personal best (although some have their doubts given, what appears to be,  my deeply internalized competitive streak) but just clock the miles......honest, I'll really try to suppress the urge to look at my watch too often.  It's a beautiful run along the coast but weathers suddenly gone all sad again so it might be a wet one - that could be kind of fun too.
I've also had to add an additional day to my Nashville trip.  Airline called to say I either flew out at 5am on the Sunday after the race or next best time was 3pm Monday.....ummm let me think about that for two seconds!  Of course adding a day adds a days accommodation.....this race really has proven to be very expensive (and all I get is a teeshirt!).  But then it is all about country music and Nashville!!!  On the upside I do get extra time in Nashville to do things other than run.  Lila and her family have invited me to dinner on the Saturday night then I'll use Sunday/Monday to do the touristy things.  I also think the extra day off work will be refreshing so while I sound a little whiny this is going to be one of those memorable moments that make for good story telling, particularly as no one I know likes country music like I do.

As at noon Wednesday April 7 EST

It's real.......this is the official official last word....they drew the lottery today - charity runners have automatic entry but still freaky to actually see it here, made my stomach lurch a little.....entry number 548409/26.2 miles/42.1km/$2620 to raise - it's all just numbers, really, isn't it?

Way to market and not.....

I don't think this quite makes it into the factoid bucket but was most amused to get the latest promotional material in the mail for the NCLR (National Center for Lesbian Rights) annual fundraising Anniversary Party.  You can buy one ticket or lots of 2, 4 and 10.  Why was I amused? The pitch for:

• 10 tickets: Couldn't decide which one of your exes to invite? Invite them all...and before anyone decides to get smart arse about it, no this was not specifically designed for me!
• 4 tickets: Skip a threesome, have a foursome! 

2 and 1 tickets wasn't wildly interesting - in fact the one for a single ticket was so wildly dull I thought it was a missed opportunity: Buy a single ticket or treat your family and friends to a night out on the town. As a single girl nothing about that sounded wildly fun!!!!  At 90 bucks a ticket this isn't a cheap night btw.  I've been to these dances for the last two years, not sure if I'll go this time and the sales pitch (or lack there of) isn't helping sway me!