Race Weekend Photos

A post on race weekend to follow, but to sum up: Don't run on a stress fracture. You won't be able to run a full half-marathon, and you will end up in a walking "boot" for 4-6 weeks minimum. This will cut into your running. Also, San Fran in the early morning in October is cold when you are wearing running shorts and a tank top.

Race Weekend (Friday, October 17): I Don't Recognize You With Hair

Race weekend began early on Friday morning. I arrived at the airport around 5:30 a.m.*, and I waited for a familiar face--and an unfamiliar face that was supposed to have my airline tickets, team jersey, and weekend itinerary. Being the Type-A+ personality that I am, not having every detail of my weekend laid out for me was a challenge. The first person I saw at the airport that I recognized was Heather (Silvey) Butner. She, too, was waiting for her tickets, jersey, and itinerary. Heather, like me, is a Type-A/planner.

Once we got our tickets from our race captain, our team members congregate at the gate for our flight to San Francisco. I met my roommate for the weekend, Ellen Gillespie-Miller. I had seen Ellen at a few of the team practices this summer, but I had not yet met her. She was going to be running her 8th full marathon, and her 6th as a member of a Team in Training Team. I was excited to be rooming with an experienced runner because I certainly had pre-race anxiety, despite knowing that with a broken foot, I wouldn't be setting any records. All my teammates at the airport were groomed and dressed in non-running garb, and there were certainly a few people who did not recognize me, as I was not in my trademark white Nike hat pulled low over my eyes and signature long run pigtails. I did, however, have a heavily-taped foot to protect those broken bones as best as possible until I saw my doctor after the race ended and I returned home.

I sat with Heather on the flight, and we gossiped the entire time much to the very visible displeasure of the other girl sitting in our row. She was quite upset that she couldn't sit with her boyfriend (on a full Southwest flight), and she spent most of the flight pouting and holding his hand--as he sat in the row in front of her. Surprisingly enough, this girl looked to be about my age, not 14.

We arrived in San Francisco (actually, Oakland) before noon, and we boarded a shuttle to our hotel--the Hilton Financial District on Kearny. I was so thrilled to see palm trees and sunshine. Despite having been born in California,** I hadn't actually been there in several years. It was unseasonably warm in San Francisco that day--in the mid-80's. We checked in, and I headed to the race Expotique to pick up my bib number and freebies with teammates Ellen, Heather, Aileen Laughlin, Suzie Johnston, and Becky Denson. The Expotique ran smoothly, and I picked up my number, some granola, a great "shopping" bag, some Laura Mercier bath gel, and a spectator's pass for Andrew.***

Then, it was time to shop. The Expotique (and race start on Sunday) were right in San Francisco's Union Square, right in the heart of Saks, Gucci, Prada, etc. The Nike Store in Union Square had the names of all the Nike Marathon runners in pink and white on the side of the building.

*I am not a morning person. I had gotten up at 4 to finish packing, get ready for the flight (I am not a roll out in public in sweats kind of girl, either), and head to the airport. I had not had coffee (trying to stay hydrated for the race). I was less than pleasant, but my hair looked great.

**Despite my more "East Coast" personality, I am actually a California Girl.

***Andrew was driving down Saturday, and he would be watching the race Sunday morning. Nike had arranged shuttles for spectators that would drop them off at cheering stations along the course, down to the finish line, and back to Union Square.

This Is Not What I Expected (3 Days Until Race Day)

Well, I've made my fundraising goals, I've started packing for San Francisco, and I am trying to figure out the best way to tape my foot for my race. I am excited about my trip--San Francisco is a great city, I'll get to see some friends I haven't seen in a while, and Andrew is coming down to watch my race (and tape my foot, lucky him).*

However, I am frustrated and apprehensive. I spent months training, hoping to maintain a certain pace and get a certain finish time. Based on my training, I was on pace to do around 2:10 for my first half-marathon (just under 10 minutes a mile for the 13.1 miles). Not bad for a girl who could barely run two miles in May. Unfortunately a wrecked foot is going to really inhibit my time, and I may not even be able to run. I probably, really, should not run. I did an easy 3-miler on Friday night (October 10) that was decently uncomfortable. I need to run more than 4x the distance on Sunday.

But, I signed up for this race not for me but on behalf of Team in Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The race was always about more than me. It was about raising money for cancer research, being part of something bigger than myself, and being inspired by cancer survivors, including Jan Giesa, my Aunt Alice, my two sisters Jen and Wendy, and Kitty Janssen. It was also a tribute to my late aunt Shirley and my late grandmother Mary, both of whom lost their battles with cancer.

It's my understanding that race weekend for TNT participants is an emotional event. We have a pre-race pasta dinner (are you surprised?) where our fundraising efforts are lauded, and we learn what our dollars are doing to help battle cancers. Apparently, along the Nike course in San Fran, cancer patients and survivors are cheering on those of us wearing the TNT purple jerseys. I will be one of those people--no matter how long it takes me to cross that finish line.

*Andrew is getting his doctorate in physical therapy. He needs the practice.

$4100

That's the final amount of money I collected from friends, family, colleagues, strangers, friends and family of colleagues, and me. My minimum fundraising goal was $4,000, and I was a bit frightened at times that I would be paying much of that money out of pocket. I am thrilled that I met and exceeded my fundraising goal, as I know all the money will be going to a good cause. Make sure to check out the link to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on this blog to find out where your dollars went if you donated.

It's Like Riding A Bike

In addition to the stress fracture injury on my left foot, I decided to split open my left heel (same foot) in a cycling accident on Saturday. I purchased my first road bike this weekend that uses the cleat-type clip-in pedals. I believe I learned to ride a bike when I was 3 or 4, and I lost my training wheels when I was about 5. They say you never forget how to ride a bike. However, you can momentarily forget it when you are attempting the clip in pedals. My Look Keo Sprints and my new Sidi shoes did not want to meet up initially, and I ended up on the ground with what I thought was just a bruised and scraped knee (right side, to balance my injuries). It was until Andrew pointed out my bleeding heel that we both realized I had cracked open my left heel. Bottom line, I am still going to complete my half-marathon, but I will not be winning my age group by a long shot!

Broken, But Not Finished

It's official. I am injured. I have a stress fracture in my left foot. My race is in 17 days. My prescribed treatment: rest, ice, taping, pain killers. My actual treatment until after the race: suck it up, ice, taping, pain killers. I have come too far to quit now, and I am not going to do it.

Certainly my pace won't be as I would like it to be. But, I have worked this hard, raised these funds, and I made a commitment to Team in Training, LLS, and myself that I am not going to break.

I ran my last really long run on Sunday, September 28. I managed to log 12 miles, only 3 of which were really painful. I only have to do 1.1 more miles on race day. Fortunately, I am in my "taper" phase, so I have fewer runs, and I've been doing cross training to reduce stress on my foot.