Tag: Half marathon

The 9th presentation of the Big Sur Half Marathon took place on Sunday, 20 October 2011. It was my 9th time running the Big Sur Half Marathon.

The weather was a bit of concern for people commenting on the Big Sur Marathon’s Facebook page but I was looking forward to rain as long as it wasn’t a huge downpour. As it turned out, the storm passed through overnight and we were left with some residual clouds and the occasional shower.

I left my car at about 0640 to head to the start line because the race day instructions said to be in our corrals by 0645. The corrals seemed to be half full and that made sense when they announced that the start time would be 0705 – instead of 0700 as the race day instructions had said – and that the corrals would go off in waves 3 minutes apart.

The opening festivities were okay. One of the speakers told the runners that we needed to hurt as badly as we’ve ever hurt during the race and that would give us an idea of how our military members felt when they were overseas protecting the United States. I thought it was a silly thing to say because race pain is quite different from the pain of being shot or having limbs blown off by IEDs. That aside, I always get choked up by the National Anthem unless the rendition is particularly horrible, which it wasn’t. I suppose it doesn’t surprise me that there are a lot of people – both men and women – who don’t take their hats off for the singing of the National Anthem. It bothers me but it doesn’t surprise me.

In theory, the wave start made some sense to prevent the congestion in the early miles. In practice, the wave start needs some work. When the gun went off, the volunteers in our corral immediately took down the barrier in front of us and so, of course, we all moved up to the corral in front of us. When my corral reached the start line, we stopped because we knew that our wave hadn’t been called. But the announcer told us to get moving so we started running. We had barely taken 10 steps when the announcer greeted our corral. Disorganized.

The main thing that I didn’t like about the wave start is that I missed seeing the elite runners on their way to the finish line. But I did enjoy having people with me throughout the race, especially at the end.

The race unveiled new mile markers for the race and they were amusing. I missed a couple of the mile markers but saw the majority of them. It certainly gave me something to look at – besides the gorgeous scenery – and to look forward to during the run. I like them much better than the old cello mile markers that the race has used in the past.

The bands that came out to play were really good sports to be out there despite the threat of rain. There seemed to be a lot more spectators cheering us along. The drum band just after the Aquarium is always upbeat and comes at a great time – just after a little hill on the way out and just before the same hill on the way back – but I think they were missing a member or two. The taiko drummers right before the turnaround were not present and that’s too bad. I love the sound of drums when I’m running. I definitely appreciate all of the bands that stayed out there for us slower runners and all of the volunteers who manned the aid stations for us slower runners.

My last couple of miles were run in a light rain. I heard runners around me cursing the rain but my mom has always told me that rain is God’s blessing so I have a very positive view of rain. I really think that the weather was perfect for the half-marathon.

All of the volunteers on the course were great – big smiles and lots of encouragement. The Team-in-Training coaches who were on the course were very different from the ones at the Nike Women’s Marathon because they offered encouragement to everyone, not just the Team-in-Training participants.

This year, the food tent was very organized because instead of having food that we had to put into boxes, the volunteers had already packed up goodie bags that contained fruit, a cookie, and a juice. Bagel halves were handed out at the rear of the tent. I will say that I missed having bottles of water to pick up because the cups of water are cumbersome to carry through the crowds.

I tried to get a cup of soup because I thought a cup of hot soup would perfectly counteract the coldness from the rain shower but the soup line was long and there was only one soup tent. So I chose not to get soup or beer and instead headed off to the parking garage to make my way home to a well-deserved warm shower and rest.

I look forward to this race every year. I hope that next year the race director will have something special planned for those of us who have run in all ten presentations!

Happy running!

The 2011 San Jose Rock-n-Rollhalf-marathon took place on Sunday, 2 October 2011. This is the third time that I’ve run this race and it seems to get better every time.

I enjoy running the same races year after year because after one or two times, the course feels like a regular running route – just with a couple thousand (or hundred) extra people running with you. I signed up for the 2011 SJRnR at the 2010 expo. Earlier in the year, I entertained thoughts of setting another PR at this race. But, with the health issues I’ve faced since July, my aspiration was simply to finish.

The expo was a more positive experience this year than last – I think I was just in a better mood this year. The volunteers working at the expo were energetic and humorous, which is always nice. The RnR shop seemed bigger than last year with a more varied selection. I didn’t buy a t-shirt hoodie as I have in years past because they didn’t have one but I did buy a commemorative SJRnR t-shirt. Even though I get the race t-shirt and know that I’ll get a t-shirt for signing up for the next year’s race, it’s become my tradition to buy a t-shirt.Dodge was a huge sponsor – they had a test drive for charity going on outside the convention center and a huge display in the expo. The volunteers that were trying to get people to stop at the Dodge booth were funny – they were handing out temporary tattoos (adidas stripes?) and were telling us that the stripes would make us run faster. Of course I took them!

The variety of exhibitors at the expo was great. I spent quite a bit of time wandering around and looking at the products and races that were being promoted. I bought some energy bars and nuun tablets, signed up for next year’s San Jose Rock-n-Roll half-marathon, and sampled some delicious grape tomatoes.

Race day dawned slightly overcast and gray. Although I didn’t check a gear bag – why bother when the hotel is a hop, skip, and a jump away from the finish? – the gear check area was uncongested, well-organized, clearly marked, and running smoothly. The long string of port-a-potties ensured that lines kept moving and wait times were bearable.

I  moseyed over to my start corral, lining up at the very back of it. The start corrals were clearly marked and delineated. The energy at the start of a race is always high and today was no exception. The singing of the National Anthem began and I was very gratified to see men removing their hats, people putting their hands over their hearts, and others shushing those who continued talking, oblivious to the solemnity of the moment. The silence leading up to the cheer that inevitably accompanies the words, “of the free,” always chokes me up and did so again on race day.

The gun went off and the race began. It took my corral a bit to get to the start but the energy never flagged.

I had no race strategy going into the race, even though I knew I likely wouldn’t be running the whole thing. I did know that I needed Gu at mile 4 or 5 so that my energy wouldn’t drop too much in the later miles. But other than that, my plan was to run when I could and walk when I needed to walk.

I spotted a tall skinny blonde lady at the start of the race and decided to use her as my pacer in the early miles. She ran with a loose, easy stride, as if this was just a training run for her. I liked that. And I liked the fact that she was tall enough that I could see her even when I fell back during the aid stations. She was running at a good pace and I’m proud to say that I hung with her for about 6 miles.

The last 4 miles of the race were a slog. It was getting warmer and each passing minute was pulling me further from that 2 hour 30 minute benchmark that I foolishly clung to despite my fatigue. And lack of proper training! When the 2 hour 30 minute pace group passed me, reality set in but some competitiveness kicked in, as well. I decided I would beat 2 hours and 45 minutes and I would not let that pace group pass me.

The ambulance at about mile 12.5 picking up a runner made me glad that I realize my own physical boundaries. The runner had collapsed from dehydration, we all assumed.

The finish line announcer was as fantastic as last year. She was energized, encouraging, and enthusiastic. As you run up to the finish line, you can hear your name being called and then there she is – a little blonde lady giving runners high fives to make them smile as they cross the finish.

The SJRnR is a very well-organized event. The bands and cheer groups along the way are excellent distractions. The volunteers at the aid stations are friendly and encouraging. The aid stations themselves are large enough to serve the number of runners.

I would recommend the SJRnR for anyone looking for a flat and fast half-marathon. I look forward to running this race again in 2012.

Happy Running!