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If you’re a Disney runner, you want to be “Perfect.” If you’re a Nike runner, you want to be a “Legacy.” Many races have some version of this title, where a runner has run the race every year since its inception. First, it’s pretty cool to be able to say you have been there for every race. More important, races tend to provide special swag for these runners—sashes, special bibs, distinctive ribbons on the medals, gifts—as well as recognition in the program or on a banner. So running an inaugural race has its potential drawbacks, but also the potential for great reward. (True confession: I was thrilled to get an email from the Berkeley Half Marathon offering the Legacy runners an early registration opportunity!)

RnR SF shirt front

Last year I ran the Inaugural Rock n Roll San Francisco half marathon. While I had my complaints about both the race (a hill right before the finish line and seriously could it have been any colder?) and the series (discontinuation of the elite athlete program and additional fees for Tour Pass holders—both reversed after enormous public outcry), I couldn’t pass up the chance to eventually become a Perfect-Legacy-Whatever of the rock n roll world. (Okay, full disclosure: because the race sold out last year, I signed up to run 2014 at the 2013 expo—before the race.)

The 2014 publicity announced all sorts of changes. The biggest deal was the course change from a loop to a point-to-point. I’d expected a course change, since I heard Rock n Roll series was “stuck” with the 2013 course after purchasing the date and permits from another race organization. The new starting line was out by the beach, a public transportation dead zone (not that there is public transit that early in the morning anyway), and both the parking situation and the need to ride a shuttle to the start made me a little queasy due to less than ideal past experiences with both at other races. Fortunately the pre-paid parking I purchased at the Expo worked exactly as it should—I show up, there is a place for me to park—and the shuttle worked rather well. (My only shuttle complaint is that I didn’t ask for the number of the cute guy who sat down next to me.) As I got off the bus, I was MUCH less worried about the race. Grade: A.

RnR SF shirt design

But wait.

The starting line was a madhouse like any large race, but with plenty of porta-potties. (This is a factor NOT to be underestimated!) The race directors decided to allow the last corral to start first, giving them some lead time before the elite runners and the rest of the pack and to prevent them from getting swept on the Golden Gate Bridge, which had a hard re-open time (and at least a chance of hitting the finish line before the chocolate milk ran out). This seemed like a good idea to me, since the Rock n Roll races usually put about five minutes between corrals in order to keep the runners somewhat spaced out along the course. Sadly, it was the organizing team that spaced out, and not only did the last corral not leave early, it left after the published start time for the race. This was a critical error, but making it worse was the decision to not leave as much time as usual between the corrals. As a result, the last corral (which started first) was still thick and clumped together as the elite runners came speeding through, dodging and weaving to avoid taking out the slower runners. As a result, the first few miles were a big, hot mess. Grade: A for effort, D for results.

I wasn’t feeling particularly speedy and found myself trudging up San Francisco’s famous hills. Fortunately I plodded forward far enough to find my friend Lillie Goker. Lillie is one of the people I added to my personal circle of athlete-ninjas last year during my race to Earth in the Half Fanatics club. She noticed that we were both part of typically non-overlapping Facebook groups, and last year at the Rock n Roll Portland half marathon she introduced herself (“Bain? Hi, I’m Lillie!”) as she ran past. (On each of our best days, Lillie is much faster than I am.) We ran into each other at multiple races, from the Rock n Roll races in Seattle and Vegas to Disney World where we ran part of the Dopey Challenge races together. Since I went to many races only knowing 1 or 2 people from my immediate running group, it was great to get to know Lillie as we criss-crossed the country (simultaneously, but independently) and shared runs, usually bumping into each other randomly somewhere along the way.

To the average person, Lillie does not look like an experienced runner (marathoner!). Right now she doesn’t have a body like the Karas or Laurens of the world. During some races she takes extended walking breaks or does not run at all. What the average person can’t tell from looking at Lillie is that even though she’s still in her 30s, she has Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) and Atrial Fibrilation (AFib)—two potentially life-threatening heart conditions that she must vigilantly self-monitor—and the meds that help keep her safe aren’t exactly figure-friendly.

As it turned out, Lillie was not having a great race either. The San Francisco weather was cooperatively not freezing, and the skies were clear enough to reveal gorgeous views from the Golden Gate Bridge, but Lillie’s heart was acting like a feisty two-year-old complete with choruses of “I DON’T WANNA!” Since I pretty much only see Lillie at races, and I know it sucks to be all by yourself and having a hard race (been there, got the tech shirt) it was a total no-brainer to me: forget running hard, and enjoy the morning with Lillie (who reminded me multiple times that really, she’d be fine without me…it took me a few to determine she was concerned she was “ruining” my race, and not annoyed by my yapping!).

It would be exaggerating to say that EVERY other runner passed us, because we did not DLF (dead last finish); but when we reached the finish line, the chocolate milk was gone and the beer tent was populated by fewer than a dozen other runners (who had not, fortunately, consumed all the beer). That said, we both had as much fun as one can have at a race. We waved at Dr. Dribble as he ran by with his basketballs, I introduced her to my “Got The Runs?” crew as they came through, and I had a brief conversation with Pavement Runner (another athlete-ninja, but a fast one!). Lillie actively managed her heart condition and we enjoyed the day.

A good race for me is one where I enjoy myself and get to spend some time with friends. I can run faster on any day I want, but I can’t always see Lillie. Besides, I was having a pretty crappy race until I ran into her. Misery loves company? Maybe, but I’d say misery vanishes in the San Francisco sunlight in the company of friends. I’d say it was Perfect.

RnR SF Finishers Medal

There were not enough porta-potties at the starting line.

You read that right: not enough porta-potties at the starting line. (I only know this because I was talking to one of the nearby merchants after the race, and he said runners were asking if they could pretty-please use the bathroom in his store.  Like the welcoming town Livermore is, said merchant allowed them to do so.) For an inaugural race, that’s pretty high praise–the lack of porta-potties was the absolute worst visible gaffe throughout the entire race experience.  Bravo, Inagural Livermore Half Marathon!

While I would have preferred some race day packet pickup, I understand the logistical mess that could have been.  There were two pickup options, one on Thursday at the Livermore 24 Hour Fitness, and one on Friday at the pre-race Expo in downtown Livermore. Fortunately work had me driving home through Livermore on Friday, so I stopped by the Expo.

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A printout of all of the race numbers was taped down to the tables in front, and after looking up my number I walked right to the pick-up tables–no lines–for my bib and shirt. True to the promise in the pre-race advertising, this is a cute shirt I will actually wear.

 Livermore Shirt  Livermore shirt back

The Expo itself was somewhat small, with tables for maybe 8 vendor-exhibitors.  These included Vega and Culligan, the on-course hydration support team, a few services (chiropractic, massage), a Stella & Dot vendor, and the San Francisco creation “Go Cuff.”

Livermore Half Marathon GoCuff sign

Then I discovered the Artistic Table–turns out they were one of the post-run RunLiv festival sponsors–where I had a delightfully crispy light red while finshing up some work for the week and awaiting my friend Sandy.

Sandy and I had a pre-race pasta fest (yes, I know the science behind carb loading says us weekenders don’t need it, but I like pasta!) at Strizzi’s (http://www.strizzis.com). I would have eaten (and sipped!) more, but I still had to drive home (making Sandy the smarter of the two of us, as she booked a hotel).

Race day morning, I experienced the usual difficult prying myself out of bed.  Arriving in Livermore just about ten minutes before the start of the race, I was thrilled to find ample, FREE, convenient parking.  Score another one for Livermore. During my warm-up jog to the starting line I fastened my SpiBelt and stuck the timing tag to my shoe. As I hit the back of the pack, the race started and I turned around for the run.

The run was beautiful! I’d previously run the Grape Stomp, also in Livermore, but this course was entirely different.  We started right in the middle of downtown, at First Street and Livermore Avenue. From there we ran through some neighborhoods, then through several parks (Independence Park, Sycamore Park, Holdener Park, Robertson Park), and past multiple wineries and vineyards (notably Wente, which I love for its support of numerous charitable endeavors). The weather was perfect, and the surrounding beautiful: verdant green hills surrounded us on all sides! The on-course support was well-staffed and well-executed.  I honestly felt like the entire city of Livermore was quite happy to welcome us.

At the finish line I received my inaugural finisher medal, pretty and with a nifty wine glass spinner in the center.

Livermore Half Marathon medal selfie

More important, I received my RunLiv festival wine glass! It’s a good thing I have a photo of my ID on my phone, since I’d left the car in a hurry to get to the starting line.

Livermore glass

The remainder of the chute area sent us runners through all the typical post-race refreshments, such as Muscle Milk, bananas, and donuts.  (Yes, donuts! I’m not ashamed to say I snarfed my coconut covered old-fashioned…but perhaps I shouldn’t have eaten the second one.) From there it was a party! Live music, a dance area, and about a dozen wineries (plus a brewery) pouring tastes for runners.  Non-runners who purchased a ticket were also welcome to join in the fun.

 

 

 

Shops lining the streets also got in on the action. Caratti Jewelers handed out adorable little gift bags with jewelry cleaner and the new Pandora catalogue inside.  (Learn more at http://www.carattijewelers.com/.)  Pretty awesome, since I have a lot of tarnished silver earrings–thanks, Caratti!

Since the field was reasonable but not huge, I easily found my run club friends at the festival. After we sampled as much wine as seemed reasonable at the time–and stopped by to sample the official event wine for RunLiv–we grabbed some hot slices and watched as the rain started to come down.

Livermore RunLiv Party

(Hey Dianne, how much stuff did you have in that bag, anyway??? Kidding!) On the way back to my car I grabbed a cup of coffee to keep me warm on the way home.

Not only did I have a fantastic time at a race that seemed nearly seamless and flawless, I was stoked to find discount codes for the upcoming RunOak and RunSF events on the back of my bib.  With an inaugural race this good, of course I’m siging up for both!  Now, let’s see if the organizers decide to throw in some bonus bling for those of us who run all three.

Livermore Half Marathon http://www.runlivermore.com
The Town’s Half Marathon http://www.runoak.com
The US Half Marathon http://www.runsf.com

And seriously, about that bonus bling…

 

Technically I live in Alameda, but I work in downtown Oakland and consider the Oakland Half Marathon my hometown race—not to sound too much like Sarah Palin, but you see can Snow Park, site of the start/finish and after-party from my office window.  Earlier this year, Runners World magazine featured a two page story about the Oakland Running Festival.  The Festival is more than a half marathon.  Runners can also choose a full marathon, marathon relay, 5k, or kids’ run (which is, as the name implies, for kids). New for 2014 there was also a “We Run The Town” challenge—run both the 5k and the half marathon, receive an extra piece of bling—for those ready to bump it up a notch, but perhaps not up to the full marathon.  When I shared the Runners World photos of the Raider Nation guys dolled-up in their Oakland best to my running roommate Kirstin, she knew them! Already registered for the half and excited to run it again, I then committed to memorizing their names so I could surprise them as I ran by.

RunnersWorld article on ORF

This should not have been a great race for me, since I had not run a single step since the Glass Slipper Challenge at DisneyWorld some four weeks earlier.  (True story! Hey, work kept me busy and out of town and on airplanes most of that time, and I spent more time trying to figure out which time zone I was in than where I could plan to run.) There’s  no way I was going to miss the race, but I did decline the inaugural “We Run TheTown” challenge…while anyone who knows me knows just how much I love my bonus bling, I thought it best not to press my luck, you know? Since I am currently on a much tighter racing budget than I was last year, I decided to go to the expo almost as late as possible. My thought was that there would be fewer temptations that way, both in terms of fewer things to eat and fewer things to buy.  (Yes, it took all my willpower  to NOT sign up for Santa Rosa at the expo—a race I’m pretty sure I’m going to register for later anyway—but I was afraid it would be a slippery slope!) Thankfully the half has a relatively late start, so I was able to semi-sleep in, drive into Oakland, and still find parking.  This year there were multiple free lots, a nice perk for those used to running in San Francisco (where “Free Parking” only exists on Monopoly boards). I set myself up in the back of the pack, expressed admiration for a very pregnant runner, snapped a selfie with another Half Fanatic, and wondered if I was going to keep over mid-course from lack of training.

The first few miles felt great! I love that the mayor comes out to wave the runners through the starting line, and I love running through the mix of architecture that is downtown Oakland.  After a few miles one of my GTR friends snuck up on me from behind, and with the assistance of her interval timer we played  leap-frog until about mile 6 (first she’d run ahead, then I’d catch up and pass her, and when I stopped she’d run ahead).  According to Nike+, my first few miles were great, and I broke my own PR for the 10k (which, incidentally, I set last year on the same course). Eventually my hammies yelled UNCLE! And around mile 7, I couldn’t see her ahead of me anymore. The course was very similar to the course last year, and was great for all of the reasons I wrote about on the Women’s Health Action Hero Blog (which, if you missed it, you can read here: http://whplanofaction.com/actionheroes/how-to-win-a-half-marathon/) The after party was just as much fun as 2013, with live bands, an assortment of food trucks, beer from 21st Amendment Brewery (http://www.21st-amendment.com), and wines from Barefoot Wine (http://www.barefootwine.com). I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to sip on some sparkling California wine!  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Along the 2014 course I was happy to grab an orange from the crew at The Brown Sugar Kitchen (http://brownsugarkitchen.com) which also had a DJ and other treats; and this year I had the forethought to throw both hands in the air while running under the arch of flames—literally, an arch with fire on it—set up by local industrial arts non-profit The Crucible (http://www.thecrucible.org) which also put out a dragon belching flames and a few other combusting delights.  Raider Nation rocked the underpass with a DJ and high fives all around, but there was no sign of Azell Afrodesiac, Gorilla Rilla, or the Senior Raider (happy belated birthday, Sean!), all of whom were clearly playing hooky just to mess with me.

About midway through the half, the marathoners join the same course as the half-ers and we all finish the race together.  My legs started to talk some serious smack at me around mile 7, and I was definitely dogging it for most of the rest of the race, humbled as a steady stream of marathon runners—people who already ran the length of my entire race and then some—passed on by. I started to see more and more pairs of runners, one older and one younger, in nearly matching shirts, eventually learning that they are part of Running For A Better Oakland (http://www.rboakland.org), an organization that pairs volunteer adult runners with kids for the race.  Their Mission Statement:

Running for a Better Oakland (RBO) is a non-profit organization that encourages Kindergarten – 12th grade Oakland students to develop healthy lifestyles through running. By building confidence, setting goals, providing training and encouragement, RBO will give students the values for achievement and hard work that they can draw on for all areas of their lives.

Seriously, how cool is that?  Very cool, until the middle school kids and their coaches start to pass me, two by two, on the loop around the lake!

I felt a little bit like the unicorn, solo and left behind as all the others made it back to the ark. For the last mile and a half, I played a slower, less methodical leap-frog with one determined running girl and her coach. The runner seemed to be maybe middle school or early high school age-ish, and by mile 11 was clearly SO OVER this race.  Her feet hurt, and she was tired.  Her coach was a peppy slip of a woman who still had more energy than Tigger, cheerleading and pacing a faux-fartlek from light post to light post. I learned that Runner was doing her very first ever half marathon (and at that point was sure it would be her last). I told her I was proud of her for training and starting, because so many people never even try to do a race.  As the gap between us and the finish line slowly shrank, Runner told me she was going to wear her medal to school the next day. I told her once she crossed that finish line she would know that she can do anything, as long as she prepares and sets her mind to it.

The last little snip of the race course is uphill. Good times. (Not.) I broke it into three pieces: run, walk, run. Runner and her coach—and several other two-by-twos—ran right past me to conquer that finish line. Some photographers were posing them, with their medals, as I walked through the chute.  I’ll never forget the transformation I saw in Runner between first meeting her at mile 11—pink in the red-faced and worn-out kind of way, dragging behind her coach—and the gigantic and genuine grin gracing her from head to toe as she posed with her medal: a new athlete with the entire world in front of her.

A new athlete?  (obligatory post-race sweaty selfie)
A new athlete?
(obligatory post-race sweaty selfie)

 

“Do as I say, not as I do” is the sure sign of a hypocrite, yet that’s my message to you about trail racing… Up until December 28th, I had not considered that running on a trail would be THAT much different than running on the road. They both have hills, they both have twists, I figured the main difference would be the many, many more opportunities to trip over a pebble and inadvertently re-enact the Mary Decker-Zola Budd fiasco of 1984 (only with at least a dozen more runners going down). Oh my sweet, ignorant optimism!

Before I get into the story, the backstory is two-fold. One, I’m on a mission to land on earth in the Half Fanatics. Two, I’ve signed up to run 1,000 miles through Run This Year. (If you haven’t signed up yet, go! Sign up! It is free, and there are sweet swagalicious prizes!)

Brazen Racing hosts a series of 24 trail races each year, all over the greater San Francisco Bay Area.  Everyone I know raves about their races, so I decided to sign up for a pair: the New Year’s Eve (actually held on December 28) and the New Year’s Day.  Those who finish both receive a pretty nifty triple medal.  A great reputation with runners plus a pretty shiny equals a race I want to run.

So on December 28 I reported to Lake Chabot for my very first trail run: a half marathon, naturally.  As the cheerful volunteer handed me my bib, the starting bell rang (exactly on time), and I managed to politely throw my gear bag at another volunteer as I darted off to the back of the pack, fumbling with my bib along the way. I wasn’t quite the very last to start, but I was close, starting up Nike+ and silently resolving to leave earlier for the January 1 event.

All was run, run, walk, run, walk, walk, run until the first climb.  Since I ran the inaugural  Tiberon By The Bay Half Marathon in 2013—Tiburon, meaning “shark” in Spanish, gets its name from the gigantic shark-fin shaped hill that dominates it—I am not afraid of hills.  Well, I wasn’t afraid of hills until I hit the first one.  It is not a good sign when I find myself gasping for air before I’ve hit the first mile marker.  Oops.

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURESFortunately, I’ve adopted a Panglossian “I run in the best of all possible worlds” mantra, and laughed my butt off (or at least the parts of it that were not in major pain). Since my two favorite ways to describe my “racing” are (1) “I don’t run fast, I run cute. Play to your strengths,” and (2) “I’m not slow, I’m maximizing the value of my entry fee,” I just plodded along, running on the (very few!) flat parts, chugging slowly up the mountains like The Little Engine That Could, and stopping to pet the cute dogs I met along the way. I ran up to the first hydration and aid station, where I finally met the famous Endorphin Dude! Then I chugged up yet another mountain. I skipped and hopped over the suspension bridge because it was fun to make it go bouncy-bouncy. I lingered at the remaining aid station buffets, downing some electrolytes and Energy Bits, picking up some Jelly Belly beans to take along with me in a little Dixie Cup. The Brazen volunteers were all happy and encouraging, the weather was perfect, and the views of the park were gorgeous. (Yes, I stopped at the top of every hill—I EARNED that view, thankyouverymuch.)

Along the way, I learned that running downhill can be every bit as hard as running uphill. After considering the “gaiters” that some runners had on kind of dorky, I felt much less smug when I stopped to pick rocks out of my shoes. I managed not to trip on any pebbles, but I did stub the same toe on four or five different tree roots, and the eucalyptus tree bits tried to stab me in the ankles several times.

When I finally crossed the finish line, more than FOUR HOURS after I started my race—dude, people run WHOLE marathons in less than that!—I was pleasantly surprised to learn I was not the Dead Last Finisher. A cheer erupted as I crossed the finish line (really, people cheered!) and found several runners I’d met during the last year hanging out at the finish line. The Brazen Racing team had put on a post-race smorgasborg including coolers full of the It’s It ice cream sandwiches (the real San Francisco Treat!) and every manner of salty and sweet and carb-o-licious snack you might want post-run, plus bananas and juicy blood oranges.

After I got home, showered off, and put my pajamas back on, I was very glad I had already signed SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURESup for the New Year’s Day. At the time, I wasn’t sure my legs would let my fingers sign up for any more races! Fortunately, New Year’s Day ran the course in reverse. This turned several super steep climbs into downhill crawls. I took delight in the bouncy-bouncy bridge (this time crossing it by myself, so it took a little more skipping and hopping to make it happen) and shaved just about 30 minutes off of my New Year’s Eve time. Go, me! The trail racing adventures continued that week as I ran my third trail half on January 4 (for those counting, that makes 3 in one week), but that’s another story for another day.

Want to try running a trail? Check out Brazen Racing. They offer a variety of distances, great course support, and a volunteer program where your volunteer hours turn into race discounts or free race entries.

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Have you ever run a trail race?

My running goal was never “to win this race.” I am fond of telling people that I look at racing this way: I’ve seen the Olympics, and at the end they give the people who win a big medal; every time I cross a finish line someone hands me a medal, so I must win A LOT of races!

A classic first-child/Type A/perfectionist/otherwise-driven personality, sticking with something that I’m not particularly “good” at (and frankly that I don’t know I like) is challenging for me. One of the ways that I have kept myself from getting crazy insane and overly serious about running is the Sparkle Skirt. It is pretty much just like it sounds–a skirt with sparkles on it. Totally ridiculous, as you can see:

Snoopy and Kat after Santa Rosa

On the left you can see me in the Sparkle Skirt (a commando model, since I like to wear compression shorts/tights) posing with my running buddy Kat and everyone’s favorite beagle after the Santa Rosa half marathon this past Sunday. (Santa Rosa, for those who don’t know, is the home of Charles Schultz. There is even a small Snoopy-shaped labyrinth.)

The Santa Rosa half marathon (and marathon and 5k) is in its fifth year, and it has hit a sweet spot that many older races can only dream of achieving. As you can see from the photos (credit to Kat, by the way, as they are hers), the race comes with a sweet spinner medal on a fat custom ribbon, and instead of yet another race shirt all runners receive a track jacket.  (The jacket came in a men’s and women’s version–blue and pink respectively–and features reflective stripes and venting mesh.  They run true to size, even in the women’s sizes.)  Santa Rosa is also the only race I have personally attended where packet pickup takes place at a winery–with wine tasting. What’s not to love??

But wait, it gets better.

(You might want to sign up for 2014 now: http://www.thesantarosamarathon.com/ It will sell out again next year.)

There were so many porta-potties at the start/finish that I never had to wait in any line. (I never had to wait at all–I just walked along the line until I found a green/unoccupied indicator.) If you’ve ever been to a race and had to wait in line, only to find the one open potty has no paper or is already full enough to reek (or like me, you’ve waited in line so long you miss the starting gun) you know how important the porta-potty factor is. Nearby were two stands dispensing hand sanitizing foam. Best porta-potties ever.  I wish I’d taken a picture, as it was unbelievable.  This fact alone makes me bow in gratitude towards the organizers.

The start/finish was a combined area. As a starting area, there was plenty of room to mill about and warm up (note the total absence of lines for the porta-potties). Bag check had no line and was well-organized. Only a minimal amount of the street was closed off by barricade fences, making it easy to get around.

The course for the half marathon shared much of the course for the full marathon, and had some areas where traffic went in both directions (as part was out-and-back). Initially I was worried about (1) crowding, since I’m not the most coordinated of people and if there was a way to accidentally knock down the next Mary Decker my body would find a way to do it, and (2) figuring out which way to go, as Mom was directionally challenged (she literally got lost with a map and compass, after which the Girl Scouts wouldn’t let her lead hikes any more) and just leave it to me to run the course backwards or something. Neither of those was a problem, even with the marathon field looking about twice as big as the half field. The transition points were well-marked and staffed by volunteers, often with accompanying water/gatorade/snack stations.

The course was also pretty. Most of it was in a local/regional park with murals along the walls and/or greenery. The one thing I love about running, without qualification, is spending time outside. Blessed with gorgeous weather, the Santa Rosa half course was at its finest. I loved running alongside several vineyards, and seeing birds eating their breakfasts along the way.

Back to the start/finish, the finish chute was wide and the photographers were placed in such a way that even I couldn’t trip over them. Stepping off the course with my shiny new medal, I was greeted by volunteers staffing a fruit table stocked with cut watermelon (BRILLIANT!), oranges, apples, and bananas. Bottled water was plentiful. Stepping out of the immediate finish chute area, the park provided plenty of room for runners and their friends and families to enjoy the day. In addition to booths from the race sponsors, the finish line also had an inflatable “bounce house” for the kids, food trucks (including my favorite organic ice cream, Three Twins), a beer garden with pulled pork sliders for sale, live music, and a free pancake breakfast for the runners. My huge pancake, complete with butter and syrup, was just what I needed. After relaxing a bit and having some snacks, I walked the 2 blocks back to my car. Did I mention the organizers are smart enough to put the start/finish right next to several humongous mall parking structures? Booyah!

I will admit that initially my finish time–3:14–kinda bummed me out. Between January and July, I’d managed to whittle my time down below 3:00, but Sunday I was just beat. Was it the oncoming heat? A small touch of humidity? Oh wait! It was probably that on Thursday I donated double red cells at the Red Cross blood drive! (Somewhat ironically, the charity beneficiary of the Santa Rosa race was the Blood Centers of the Pacific.)

See you next year, Santa Rosa!

Honestly, I had very low expectations for this event for a number of reasons: (1) Lifetime Fitness, one of the main sponsors, promoted and sponsored a “Commitment Day 5k” on New Year’s Day 2013 and not only was the San Francisco event cancelled, I was never notified of the cancellation and spent part of New Year’s Eve scrambling around the internet trying to figure out where I was supposed to show up.  Also, still waiting for a refund. (2) The event was moved from its original location (Emeryvile, near me!) to Palo Alto, on a weeknight.  Seriously guys, who plans a run for a weekday evening at the end of one of the major traffic corridors in the country?? (3) Originally the event had a 10k and a 5k, but the 10k was cancelled just a few weeks’ out.

That said, I had a fantastic time!

Pre-event: The customer service team was quite accommodating and offered to allow me to either cancel my registration with a full refund or switch to the 5k with a partial refund (the initial cost for the 10k was a little bit more than the 5k).  Mad props to Stephanie Weber, the recipient of my initial email which included complaints about the cancellation of the Commitment Day run.  One day I was pleasantly surprised by an email informing me I’d won a full box of Luna bars; as promised, a full box of 15 Peanut Honey Pretzel flavored Luna bars arrived at my door via UPS.  Communication regarding logistics was adequate without being overwhelming.

Arrival: Parking locations were signed/easy to locate.  Lots were close to the start!  Check-in had a wait of a mere five minutes, with no waiting at bag check.

The course: A 5k out-and-back in a regional park (Baylands Nature Preserve) that will soon be closed to all events for several years, it had both negative and positive aspects.  I was annoyed by the narrow passage in a few spots, and decidedly uncomfortable on the unpaved sections, where I was literally eating runners’ dust (and crying it out from under my contact lenses).  On the bright side, it was a gorgeous day to be outside, the park setting was lovely, and the water station and cheerleaders did a great job.  The two-wave start was a great idea.  I loved seeing the girls from Girls on the Run smiling on the course (as they passed me in one direction or the other).

The swag and after-party: Decidedly great!  Instead of a race shirt, Esprit de She came with a cute tank top and reusable yellow cross-body bag (think Chico Bag, but with a cross-body design and an internal pocket).  The bag had sponsor samples, of course, and more were available at the finish line.  After I had a mimosa and a glass of wine, I enjoyed a vegetarian sandwich (I’m a vegetarian–meat-eater sandwiches were also available) and other snacks accompanied by live music.  I spent some time chatting at the Vega booth (more on that in a later post).  I skipped the mini massages, manicures, and makeovers, in part because it was getting chilly as the sun went down and in part because I had an hour’s drive ahead of me.  One thing I didn’t skip: entering the “text to win” by sponsor Athleta–I won a $50 gift card!

Conclusion: I’d definitely do this event again.  For one, Girls on the Run (http://www.girlsontherun.org) is a worthy recipient of funds raised by this event.  Second, there were a decent number of women who were running their very first 5k.  The event accommodated both the faster runners (definitely not me!) and the super slow-pokes (that’s me).  Finally, I had a great time even though only one of my running buddies was there.  I’m looking forward to 2014.

 

For more information on the Esprit de She series of runs, rides, duathlons, and triathlons, visit http://www.espritdeshe.com

 

Disclosure: Back in 2o12, I was selected to be one of the original Women’s Health Magazine “Action Hero” team members. The main purpose of an Action Hero was to promote the Run 10 Feed 10 event, benefiting FEED. The event has changed over the years and sprouted in new cities. There’s even an app! I retired from the Action Hero program after three years, but still think this is a great event. To see if there is one near you, check out the official Run 10 Feed 10 site.

Are you Hungry?

According to the World Food Program, a division of the United Nations, hunger is the world’s most solvable problem. The problem isn’t a lack of food–we have plenty on the planet. It’s about connecting that food to the hungry people that need it. Media showcase the obvious problems daily: hungry people living in war zones where the roads used to deliver food are no longer safe, or where armed conflict has forced people out of their homes and farmers away from their fields, or in areas struck by disasters from hurricanes to annual floods to earthquakes. Since most of us see that news via wifi or high speed internet from the comfort of secure homes with heat and running water, it is easy to forget that there are hungry people right here in the United States. Hunger may not be as widespread or severe as it is in other places (the World Food Program doesn’t even operations in the United States) but it still exists.

Pizza: a treat for me, a luxury for many.

Hunger isn’t seasonal.

You might think of hunger around the holidays–when there are always plentiful food drives and various churches, synagogues, temples, and other organizations sponsor holiday meals for needy families–but a child is just as likely to be hungry when school lets out for the summer and they don’t have access to the federal school lunch program. According to the FEED Foundation, a big proponent of school meals and the charity beneficiary of Run 10 Feed 10, the number of hungry has increased more than 30% since 2007. Hungry children suffer even more than hungry adults, as an empty belly makes it hard to stay focused and learn in school. Hungry kids don’t get the nutrients they need to grow, and often suffer health problems into adulthood.

Here is your call to action: sign up now to Run 10 Feed 10 (http://www.run10feed10.com).

As you run your 10k, you’ll know you’ve fed at least ten hungry children. If you choose to fundraise, you can feed even more!  The fundraising commitment–if you choose to go that route–is only $100.  That’s really low and easily achievable; just ask ten of your friends to kick in $10, or ask 20 friends to donate one day of latte/smoothie money ($5), and you’re there.  The events are fun, filled with women and men out to share a run and a cause.  Each participant is guaranteed a friendly run and a post-race gathering, complete with your very own FEED Foundation bag.

If you’re like me, you can go grab this from your fridge. Many Americans can’t, and many don’t have a home with a fridge.

The information in this paragraph is outdated. Check out the main site, link above! Until September 1, you can use the code WHBAIN to save on your registration fee (and still feed ten meals!).  The complete listing of events is at http://www.run10feed10.com  While I’m based in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ll be running in Los Angeles on September 29.  Other members of The Women’s Health Action Hero team will be at every scheduled event, and are creating events in other cities.  Check out http://www.run10feed10atlanta.com if you are in Georgia!  If you can’t make any of the events, simply run your own: you choose the when and where, and Run 10 Feed 10 will send your FEED bag directly to you.

Who’s in??

If you don’t want to Run 10, you can still help Feed 10! Check out the event’s Crowdrise page, and donate to the fundraiser of your choice.