Marathon is done and it was fantastic…….. which doesn’t mean it was easy so much as it was a really really beautiful course. People were incredibly friendly and good natured and the bands along the way were great. Including the dude with the grand piano at the top of one of the hills. It was a rolling course and most everyone (well everyone as far as I could tell), walked some of it. I was very glad to have trained on the SF hills. Even as it got tough though gazing out on the views made it all worthwhile. 
I arrived in Monterey on the Friday, went to the expo and booked myself on the 5am bus for Sunday (which was the “late” bus, we had a 645 am start) then just wandered around Monterey and the wharf on Saturday. Saturday night I slept remarkably well and was ready to run Sunday. It was really cold waiting for the start at 5am………then I realized the Safeway (similar to Woolworths for the kiwis) was open and dozens of folks were huddled inside keeping warm. It was hilarious as people sat in the aisles and on the deck chairs that were for sale. I think at one point they tried to get us out………yeah good luck with that. Finally they relented and even announced over the intercom when we should move to the start line. All up a really great day to run, fantastic crowd, excellent sideline support and entertainment and well deserving of its status as one of the top 3 marathons in North America.Marcia somehow managed to be allowed to cycle the course and found me around mile 21 (when I was pretty tired) and even had a little sign. It was a great boost and lovely to see a familiar face along the way.
On the right is an example of how the bands just randomly land somewhere and all had sound systems with generators so you could hear the music before you could see the band.
Also on one part of the course (around mile 20) they have strawberries. OMG nothing ever tasted so good as I found myself really hungry but was loathe to eat a banana as I don't usually have anything but GU and it's not a good idea to change these things out on a run. BUT the strawberry giveaway is legendary so I just indulged. No ill effects (fortunately). It was also a pretty hot day in the end. By the end of the morning it was hitting 70 (21) degrees. I found myself mixing water and gatorade together in the last 7 or so miles and making sure to drink the whole cup so that I didn't get dehydrated. When you are tired and ready to be done it's difficult to focus on these things but all things I will have to get right if I'm to do an Ultra.Pic on the left is the "food" give away at the end.....ideal is to eat not long after you finish and this was a fab little package to chow down on. Katy had also given me her recovery drink (well a powder you mix with milk) to try, so I also downed that back at the hotel.
Marcia and I went to Phils (fab seafood restaurant in Moss Landing that I've talked about before. It was really nice to have someone to celebrate with too!
Coming back to San Fran I went out for Japanese with another pal (trying a new place in the Mission) and was finally done in around 8pm! Monday stiff as, legs and shoulders mostly.......got to remember I am 44......but also got to remember that there were women out there running older than I am and they were kicking my butt!!!! Today, feeling somewhat sore but much much better. Come Monday back into it with Katy - Berlin looms and I've decided to lose those extra few pounds and go for a faster time given the course is flat.....see now I've said it out loud.......
No comments:
Post a Comment