SF Marathon 2 - the photos

I just can’t figure any way to look glamorous in these shots……in fact in this one I look downright weird but….it is what it is.  Mile 11ish, headphones off because the last two miles always has lots of cheering and clapping going on, very inspirational when you are feeling tired.

Shot of the Bridge on the right  – two way traffic, cars and  people.  I think though you get the idea, a lot of people on the Bridge at once, hence the wave start!  We were also mixed up with the marathoners so even more folks.  The fog had lifted by the time I hit the Bridge but for most of the time while I ran around the Bay you could see the Bridge shrouded in mist – very San Francisco –  it never fails to delight me when I realize I really do live here and this is my backyard.

Photo of the start too – each wave started with a clear run ahead and being in the pack waiting to start kept the cold at bay.  Folk spread out pretty quickly.  Interestingly I never really race against anyone else.  Inevitably you end up with a cohort, a couple of people who run a similar pace and who you seem to play leapfrog with, but in the end the whole thing is a negotiation with yourself…….make it to the next corner, get over the next hill, 3 miles, six miles, 10 miles……..one step at a time, one mile at a time – NY will bring a whole other level to think on!

At the Bridge turn around I grabbed some GU (for the non –runners that is the little silver packets you see people munching on when they run).  It’s all about personal preference, some people eat bananas, food bars or gummy chews during half marathons/marathons, others have GU or some other similar supplement, and not just any old thing will do…….I guess there is a reason sports supplements are a multi-billion dollar business.  By the time you hit 10 miles you have to refuel and keep refueling, your body has about done all its reserves so one of the things to get right before a marathon is figuring out what works for you to refuel on the run……..GU is it for me!  It’s really disgustingly sweet and has a very viscous texture but it really does provide a spike in energy.  Most importantly it doesn’t upset my stomach.  You do need to plan to take it near a water station though, as it does need to be washed down a little.  On the marathon I will consume several of these!!!  There is always food at the end of these races too – depends on the race what sort and how much.  There’s always free water being given away and  I always grab a banana – all the books/magazines and the experienced runners say to consume carbs within half an hour of running long distances, bananas are the thing for me.  The bigger the race the better the food on offer too.

Someone asked me the other day what I would have said 12 months ago if I’d been told come August 2010 I would have raced in four half marathons and one 10k trail run……I told them I would have laughed into the wine bottle and poured another glass – I can’t help but think the jokes on me.

SF Half Marathon......awesome

Run was totally awesome.....seriously, I was fearful that a week off would make for the most hideous running experience....it didn't.  I drove through to SF on Saturday and stayed at the Hyatt......gorgeous and lesson in staying as close to the start as possible - 10min walk (at 530am).....if I ambled.  Okay, helped I had a lovely room, king size bed, TV is always a novelty and valet parking.
The day before the race I went to the expo.  I am walking among the thousands there and someone taps my shoulder "I know you"....turn around look this dude in the eye and say "indeed you do"(so very British/colonial).  12 months ago when I arrived at 24hr Fitness and was working out with Case this guy was doing the same thing.  Often we'd find ourselves in the "trainer space" at the same time.....him having not worked out hard at all, me looking like a wreck....but having done the job.  Him, like me, showing the effects of corporate life, stressed, carrying more weight than is good, a little lost and looking for something.  Four months ago I'd seen him at the gym after several months of not bumping into him.....he was startled at how much weight I had lost,  he hadn't lost any. I'd done the work and everything about me physically had changed.  He quizzed me about exercise and diet.....then on Saturday I saw him.  Wow, he looked totally transformed, lost the weight, sparkling, it was a great thing to see.  He wanted me to notice too.....there's something about all this stuff that creates the oddest relationships.  I am very happy for him, made my day to see him looking so good.

I spotted this shirt.....thought I might need it for NY!  If you can't read it says "If found on the ground please drag across finish line".
Sunday I woke at 5am for a 6ish start to the run.  It was cool so I ran in my running vest....glad I did because it was quite chilly in places along the course.  It was a wave start as the bridge gets congested with runners (they block off two car lanes but still, it did get very crowded).  I ended up in quite a late wave i.e. with slower runners...I'd enrolled a while back before I knew what pace I could run.  I'd made the decision not to pay $10 the day before and change waves....hmmm not well thought through.  Starting off was fine as we jogged around the Embarcadero and past Fisherman's wharf, a couple of short sharp hills before we hit the bridge, which is also a hill.....this is when I realized I should have changed waves as it was at this point that I had to start dodging around people who were running far more slowly than I wanted to.  Because the course had narrowed it was actually quite a challenge to find a faster way through....on the turn around it was easier coming back as there were a couple of us who just pushed out the barrier tape and slide down the side of everyone.  I didn't feel mad or annoyed, just a lesson learned and everyone should be able to run at their own pace (it's not like I was the fastest person out there!).  After the bridge we headed through the rolling hills of San Fran.....yep more hills.  I managed to do a mega sprint at the end though and got a nice pat on the back for it from some guy who was running behind me (that was kind of cute too).  Thankfully they had foil blankets for everyone so I didn't freeze as I was cooling down.  Caught the shuttle back to the hotel and felt very full of myself......great run.  The stats:
Overall: 1841 of 8335  Female:  672 of 4944 Age F40-49:119 of 1057 Time: 2hrs 02 seconds
I always feel like the measure of success is coming in the top third for my age group.  Just seems to me I should be able to put in a credible time relative to my peers!
Great day, very inspired by the marathoners too, time ticks on and NY moves closer.
Official pics in the next few days.....if they aren't too ugly that is!

....oops and wow

I think I lost by BB.....but maybe not.  I think someone at Cisco has it.... momentarily annoying to be such a ditz but I feel oddly calm about it, liking it even.  Called Verizon (Vodafone on steroids) and suspended the service, turns out I am due an "upgrade" (where do you go from a BB Storm I wonder).  Oddly enough I had been reaching the point of "not sure I like this phone anymore" - a little over spec-ed for me I think.  Perhaps the world is just telling me time for a change......because, gee, I haven't been doing enough of that.
Chipped the cap on my tooth on Wednesday night.....oops to that too.  I feel special; I'm not sure how easy it is to chip those things....but I did.  Mildly annoying, dentist tomorrow, won't take long to fix...working from home, dentist 10mins down the road and 2mins from the best coffee shop in Santa Cruz.
I must be in a good space I can't be bothered getting angst about any of this!
On the wow front I mentioned to someone I worked with in my old team that I was running the NY marathon and fundraising.....next thing she's got the link to my fundraising page and the things gone viral.  Got donations from all over the place!  Sadly (for me) some are choosing to be anonymous - I like to thank people, even if I feel a little awkward about asking for money in the first place....although I guess I haven't (well not true I raised the first $1000 early thanks to some very generous donors early on, then I kind of stalled on the asking/inviting thing).  Personality quirk I guess, I willingly donate when asked by others but feel odd asking myself.  Either way, I got me a fundraiser whose not afraid to ask anyone!
I'm looking forward to Sunday's run over the Golden Gate Bridge.  I've felt tired and drained all week so have done very little exercise.  I am hoping it pays off and I can enjoy the run, the view and the company of the other 24999 people running!

PS: an update, just back from the dentist, tooth fixed NO CHARGE.....can't be bitch'n about that can I?  Now lets see if the phone turns up.
PSS: phone back, no new toys....best get back to liking it then!

From soup to nuts....and Guinness anyone?

Has anybody ever heard that before?  Four years in the US and I’ve never heard that saying before and now I hear it every other day!  Yay for Google and Wikipedia: "Soup to nuts" is an American English idiom conveying the meaning of "from beginning to end". It is derived from the description of a full course dinner, in which courses progress from soup to a dessert of nuts. It is comparable to expressions in other languages, such as the Latin phrase ab ovo usque ad mala ("from the egg to the apples"), describing the typical Roman meal.   

Soup to nuts was a stretch. The first time I heard it I went to my limited cooking brain and thought “that’s not possible is it?” and “ook” soup nuts, wtf? But not nearly as big a stretch as when I read “from the egg to the apples”.  These are the fascinating sidebars that make up my life!

Oh but here’s a little gem that’s way more tangible than “soup to nuts”……post the NYC Marathon Rose and I are going to Dublin for four days!  Okay a step back.  The trip so far……..me and Rose fly from San Fran to NY overnight on Thursday 4 Nov (well would only have been sleeping anyway so I figured an overnight flight was more than optimal, whole extra day in NYC!).  Friday go to the marathon expo and wander around nervously (me nervous, not Rose) and see some sights in NY.  Saturday more sights and even more nerves.  Sunday run run run run………wonder why I decided to do this at all……….run, run, run, wave at Rose (and the 2 million other people lining the streets, not joking, true fact), run, run, run, more waving and then cross the line…………drink beer eat bad (good) food and fall over.  Monday fly to Dublin via Heathrow – go visit Pauline and Bernice - NZ pals – Pauline on work secondment to Dublin for six months.  Good kiwi’s that we are, spotted the free accommodation and have someone with local knowledge…….off to Dublin we go!  Fly back to San Fran Friday via an overnight in London (well actually most likely at an airport hotel).  How’s that for an adventure.  Of course the Dublin leg was all Michelle’s idea and now she can’t come….we will drink her Guinness for her.

Great America theme park

This was a great day, we went on all the major thrill rides (apart from one that was having "technical difficulties").  Once you pay the entry fee all the rides are "free".  I got the tickets from Cosco (big warehouse type store that offers discounts on bulk buying), worked out to be about half what it would have cost us had we purchased them at the park!  Hard to think anyone makes money off that deal. The picture above right shows the giant merry-go-round at the entrance to the park - it's two stories and really quite impressive.

The Giant drop was my fav - you ride up to the top of this tower then they drop you, reminded me of parachuting.  Made me laugh hysterically for about 5mins, most excellent.

As well as the rides there was the usual array of fairground activities and THE biggest stuffed toys I've ever seen.
Most of the rides are set in bush making it a much more pleasant queueing experience.  Weather was lovely - not too hot but sunny.  I even managed to find something healthy for lunch (Sushi, needless to say the queue for that was very short!).
We ended the day on a water ride.  If it's not immediately obvious in the photo below, Michelle and I are soaking wet pondering the wisdom of choosing to do this particular ride late in the day when we could have done it earlier and dried off more quickly in the sun!

Couple of other shots just for the hell of it.  Michelle on the left at the entrance to the Survivor ride. The one on the right kind of self explanatory.  I haven't seen the real thing yet but do love the way Americans are prompted to produce little miniatures all over the country.
After the Park we headed back to Santa Cruz and a BBQ at Marcia's......she makes the yummiest BBQ.  Irene and her pal (Amelie) dropped over and brought a cake Amelie had given Irene to celebrate her tenure - yum.

I would.......

Love this!

The week that was

It's been a week, a big week!  Monday I kicked off the formal marathon training schedule.  It immediately got blown out of the water when I discovered there was a team dinner in San Jose Monday night.  Good thing I'm flexible, so re-planned.  The new plan has me running shorter distances more often during the week with a long run in the weekend, so overall I am increasing the number of miles I am running in a week as well as the long run.  It makes for quite a regime and has involved me running late in the evening. Still, I'm committed to it so will work it!
This week I've worked out of three different offices; Cisco, Accenture San Jose and San Fran.  Today in SF I met my career counsellor.  He's a really nice guy.  He's one of the partners based out of Chicago, I liked him and we just chatted about how I was settling in etc etc.  All good.  Highlight of the week had to be getting involved in developing some ideas around bringing in new business (this over and above the day job that saw this week peak in terms of deadlines of a bunch of stuff folk have been waiting for.....gotta love the stress I keep telling myself).  I love the new business stuff and I got to meet and chat with the partner responsible for the US West Coast.....very fab.
In among all of that I also had an acupuncture session that involved Marc sticking a gold plated needle in my ankle and a corresponding one in the corner of my eye (well not the actual eye ....).  Anyway it's to treat insomnia.  Over the last six months or so I've had very broken sleep.  Waking up several times a night, I can always go back to sleep but waking up so frequently is tedious and it's not like I'm not tired!!!!  Anyway that night still woke a couple of times but went back to sleep quickly and slept heavily; I think we should keep trying.....I still think acupuncture is magic.
Tomorrow Michelle and I are off to Great America, which is this giant theme park....play on the rides, probably eat some crap food and scare ourselves on the roller coaster - yippee, pictures tomorrow!

Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work

This movie was a riot and I thought Joan Rivers very likable. She's smart, very funny (even if occasionally dodgy in her humour), driven and says how she sees it. It's also very sad at times with an underlying feeling that she's lonely. The whole thing surprised me - although I had read that her ex.manager is suing her and the film makers because of the unfavorable way he is portrayed. Really he does it to himself and, frankly, it's not long into it that you start to think he's a drinker and his "disappearances" have an alcoholic ring to them. Having seen this I'd happily fork out the cash to go to one of her shows. If you get a chance go see it.

Working life

I haven't really talked much about work.  Partly it's because I've joined this huge organization and I don't quite know all the rules yet, what to share and not share.  I seem to have slipped into being part of the team relatively easily (although they'd be a better judge of that!).  The job I am doing is a good first start for me.  I am doing more of the doing than I've done for a long time and the stressors are different.....my accountabilities are less on one level and expectations so much more on others.  Part of my job does involve integrating some folks from our offshore team into the Cisco team.  Currently I have two guys from India I am working with, they are here for two and a half weeks; it's hilarious and, oddly,  the shared colonial history makes for more laughter (highways not freeways).  The other day we were talking about India and some reflections I'd once read on someone's blog about their transition from working in Japan for over two years to living in India.....total contrast in styles.  One of the guys commented that, in India (they are from New Delhi) "where you want to place your foot, a hundred or a thousand people want to place their foot there too"......I thought that was just a great way to think about India. Not that I have been, but a lot about how I think about it - kind of overwhelming.  We also laughed about how, in India, a lot of people don't drive (it's a whole other nightmare) but those that do use their horns a lot.....we all agreed NY was probably the only city in the US that came close to having the same type of mentality.  For those that haven't been horns in NY are used to say hi or I wanna change lanes or wtf?, or get out of my way or or or...... seems New Delhi is the same!
As well as my daily work I have this prescribed training program I am working my way through, some of it is online some of it means I go back to St Charles.  I am trying to soak up as much as I can - it really is grand to be learning again and all the training does have a pass/fail component.....so it really is learning.  It does feel a little like a revisiting of the combination of the Diploma in Business Admin and the Masters of Diplomacy and Trade. Alongside that I am trying to figure out where I fit, what it is I could offer longer term (the other half of why I haven't shared much, I think I should have a plan....).
Alongside all of this the NY Marathon remains a priority and I am choosing to relocate to SF (not to mention look for an actual house to buy).  I am not sure why I am always driven to such big shifts all at once (one at a time would seem sufficient).  Mostly it is that I see life as a package.....tweaking has never been my thing.  As Michelle told me once "...it's not a life half lived for you is it..." - while the change she was referring to wasn't necessarily of my choosing these things take on a life of their own and as doors open it seems like I should, at the very least, stick my head out the door, sniff the air and take up the opportunities........what if it all goes right?
PS after posting this I re-read it and it occurred to me that "sniffing the air" and "taking up the opportunities"..... that's my family, that's what we do.  We all do it in different ways but complacency is never really an option, it's not in our DNA......what if it all goes right?

Random fact

As of today, July 8 2010, I have run 500 miles  (804 km) since I started running on August 28, 2009.  How do I know this random fact?  I was loading tonight's run up onto my Nike+ site and this video popped open with a woman (whom I am embarrassed to say I didn't know and can't remember who she said she was - but is clearly some famous British runner, going by the accent!) to tell me I probably hadn't noticed because I'd been busy running, but I've just run a total of 500 miles.  I've clearly been in geek land because I thought all of this was very clever so promptly started to look around the site again and see what other cleverness I could find.....and there it was!  According to Nike+ in 2009 I ran 200 miles, mostly ran when it was sunny, on Saturdays, thought my runs were awesome and (my fav stat) burned 20,236 calories!  They even told me my average pace was 9mins 57secs (that not so impressive but at least under 10mins), making me "swift like a rabbit"....all true, I am not making any of this up.  When I load my runs in I have the option of saying how the run was (awesome is the smily face I often pick, but there are other choices including a very sad one.....that one has appeared once or twice).  I get to tell them what the weather was like and the terrain and add in a little commentary, all the rest is captured on my Nike band, ain't science clever.  Fortunately there are no awkward questions like "have you had your annual mammogram yet?".  Although the way the site is evolving it wouldn't surprise me if something like that did pop up one day!!!!

nzalien on the move

Irene and I have found a place to rent in San Fran!  We are both beside ourselves happy about it.  It's in the Mission near SF Hospital....so a "colourful" part of town.  The place is huge with separate lounge dining and a two car garage that I can also get the bike in.  We take up the lease on Aug 2; yippee!!!!!

Long weekend

Sunday was Independence Day so we have today, Monday, off work.  I've spent it sorting out paper work... possibly the thing I hate doing most in the world (paper work and changing the sheets on the bed - love clean sheets hate making the bed, I don't know why, I always have and used to bargain with mum to do the ironing if she would change my sheets at home, ironing is so much more satisfying!).  The combination of the new job and needing to provide a lot of info to the mortgage broker forced the issue, so I've been diligently working through the piles and gathering all the info together.
Saturday's trip to SF went really well, loved the place, it's huge and has separate dining/lounge.  It is across the road from SF hospital so brings it's own unique view of the world.  Landlords live above and there is room for two cars in the garage and the bike!  I decided that if I walked in and thought it felt right I'd just roll with it.  Irene sees the place on Tuesday and I think we have a good chance of getting it.  I've completed all the paper work (you have to provide credit reports, references, proof of employment etc etc). I guess since I've been here I lucked out in that both places I've rented didn't require any of that as they were personal referrals.
I think I'm heading up to SF tomorrow night to stay over and go to dinner with Irene (we've hardly had time to touch base - she's been out of town and I want to hear what she thinks of the flat!).
SF 1/2 Marathon is July 25 as well.  Everyone tells me it has lots of hills in it so I'm expecting some pain but no longer feel intimidated by the distance and I get to run across the Golden Gate Bridge.  I was looking at some other locations for the Rock 'n Roll marathons & half marathons (similar to the one I went to in Nashville and the one I will go to in San Jose).  I saw they usually have one in New Orleans in February - I think I'd like to go to that one, it would be lovely to revisit New Orleans again and they need every tourist dollar they can get.  I don't know if NY will be the end of my marathoning or not, I can see myself continuing to run half marathons though.  I still like the trail running too, it's a whole different experience and it's lovely to get away from the traffic.  Not sure, right now NY completely dominates all my thinking.

Magic

With all that's been going on lately it's fair to say that this week I started to feel a little rundown!  Given the indulgences of the weekend I did manage to run 8.5m/13.5k on Monday, but that about did me in.  Thursday I had acupuncture and went with a list of minor complaints....one of which was a sty preparing to launch itself into the world.  In that weird way acupuncturists have, Marc was "delighted" to try a treatment that he had previously found very effective.  Simple enough, to treat the sty he put a needle in my temple....wow, I could feel it throbbing away, which is apparently what it is supposed to do.  By the end of the session my  eye lid was far less swollen and, magic, the following day far less inflamed, today, all but gone.  I have no idea how this stuff works but it does.  He has been treating the scar on my shin as well....this thing is 5in/13cm long and is now all but invisible.  He also treats my ankle, arguing that because it was damaged and has healed it is now "stronger" than the other one....could be something in it. I'm not sure, after the mess I made of it, I would have believed it could carry me 18 miles and be able to it all again the following week (not that I have yet!).  I am a total convert to this acupuncture stuff, it's gotta be better than drugs (although Marc himself isn't adverse to thinking that somedays Tylenol/Paracetamol is the answer).
It's a long weekend  here, Independence Day.....yay for long weekends.  I am driving to San Fran on Saturday with Michelle to look at an open home for a possible rental - still looking to buy but really want to move up sooner rather than later....I'm ready to go.
Michelle officially started her new job yesterday....she is now Assistant Professor in Women's Studies at University of California Los Angeles.  Woohoo, not bad for a 'lil girl from Whangarei.  Although I'm personally a little miffed at the LA location; setting aside that it sounds like the most fab, welcoming department she could have gone to....I'm not that fond of LA!  I think we are just going to have to continue the tradition and meet regularly in other places (Vegas anyone?).
Also Irene, my new roomie, just got tenure at Santa Cruz, very exciting - seems there is a lot of celebrating to be done everywhere I look.  She's also housesitting in San Fran next week so I'm going to head up Tuesday night, stay overnight and get a taste of what it is to commute SF - San Jose; it's hard to think I might actually miss driving the 17, but you never know.
And work continues to ramp up.