Be Original

"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something run 100 meters. If you want to experience something run a marathon." -Emil Zatopek

"The difference between a runner and a jogger is an entry blank." -George Sheehan

The San Francisco Marathon 2009-Be Original

I have been talking about running the San Francisco Marathon for a looong time! I hadn't even run a half marathon before I had decided I would run SFM 2009. Did I know their motto was 'Be Original' at the time...no. But, to me it makes perfect sense, I wanted to run SFM because it was one of those opportunities to do something different...something original?

July 26, 2009 finally arrived, and I found myself out in the chilly weather on Embarcadero in San Francisco surrounded by my family and friend (yeah Rebeka!) My husband had even gotten up at the hour of 5 a.m. to accompany us down to the starting line. My sister Allison, aunt Susie, uncle Butch, and cousin Lindsay had even decided to embark on the craziness of running the half marathon-I can be a little persausive!

Miles 1-4-Embarcadero street is the starting location, and as we wave good-bye to Rebeka (she was in a later wave.) We head out towards Fisherman's Wharf, and I must admit I was a little nervous! But, San Francisco is absolutely gorgeous, the weather is mild and misty, with a heavy fog giving the pier an otherwordly look. At that moment, I decide that I don't care about my time, I just want to let go. I am just going to run with my family, and enjoy the race. So we set off to conquer the first four miles! Let me tell you a little secret about the first four miles...they are mostly flat. So we run by Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, and Pier 39. So I spend the first four miles mostly cheerleading my family.

Miles 4-5-So of course we had to pay for those stolen moments of delightfulness in thinking that it really wasn't going to be that hilly. We hit the next couple of miles of hills. Now I have heard people describe the marathon as rolling hills. To me there was nothing rolling about the first steep hill we encountered. I just said a little prayer to Mr. Dave for making me run those hill repeats and set to getting up the hill. The next hill lead up to the Golden Gate Bridge, it was the one I had been expecting. On this hill Lindsay, and I lost our other running family members and set out to get onto the bridge as quickly as possible.

Miles 6-9-Beautiful, magical, awesome. We were on the Golden Gate Bridge...I think we may have both been speechless for a little bit. There is nothing like running on the Golden Gate Bridge, it was one of those moments where you though oh, I get why we are here. Even wrapped in fog it was unbelievable experience. Of course, even beauty has it price, the bridge itself is a hill. The bridge is long, it is 1 1/2 miles long, so what happens is you run accross the bridge, then hit a little turn around point called Vista Point (which I am sure would have given a great view if there wasn't so much fog), then head back accross the bridge.

Miles 10-11-Hills. What more can I say...Actually, we get off the bridge go up a hill, then go up another hill. I comment to Lindsay that Susan is probably mad by this point!

Mile 12-This area is more wooded. And, as I start to see the point that Lindsay has to leave to go to her finish line, I notice the world's best husband standing over on the side of the road! So I wish Lindsay good luck, then head over to say hello to my husband, who has managed to get himself from the starting line of the race to the Golden Gate Park (which is where we were) in a strange city, where public transportation is hardly running due to the marathon! It was a very happy moment, and something I needed to keep my mind off the fact that I had just lost my running buddy.

Miles 13-18-Can you smell the eucalyptus? The Golden Gate Park is like this little oasis in the middle of the city. We were running on a path surrounded by large eucalyptus trees that smelled fabulous. By this time, I decided to start talking to whomever would listen. So I met a man from Michigan, a lady from Georgia, and two SF locals. I quickly discovered that Eduardo was destined to be my new running buddy. Eduardo being a SF local had trained on the course, so he would give me little peaks at what to expect. Like, here in a minute we are going to run around a beautiful little lake, waterfall or hurd of buffalo. Which made me laugh because he asked me if the buffalo made me feel at home! So we had started to make up some time at this point, as we cruised through the rolling hills of the Golden Gate Park. Not to say that there weren't hills in the park, it was just that I was way to entertained to notice!

Miles 19-21-So the beauty of the Golden Gate Park gives way to the craziness of the Haight Ashbury. I loved the Haight! We got out of the park and on to Haight street to the sounds of The Joker aka Space Cowboy by the Steve Miller Band. And, that is when it hit me that I was really having a great time! The people that lined Haight street were so supportive, I have never heard my name shouted out so many times. I loved the people driving on their bikes with radios blaring music, the crazy shops, and the people. The people, I had heard that the locals didn't come out to support the marathon, but if you had been in the Haight Ashbury on the morning of July 26th you would have thought differently. I laughed, danced in the streets, and took in the craziness that is the Haight Ashbury.

Another of my favorite moments was knocking down 'the wall.' In marathoners language 'the wall' is typically mile 20 in a marathon. So SF had a neat little take on this, you ran under a sign that said you 'knocked down the wall.'

I got diverted to 'the wiggles.' I still don't really understand what 'the wiggles' is, but on parts of the course they divert you due to traffic. My diversion was to a street called Waller I believe, but the locals call it the Wiggles. And, since I wasn't sure that I understood this correctly, Stuart and I even went back, and sure enough there is a sign that says 'the wiggles.'

Miles 22-26-I lost Eduardo at mile 21 when we went by his house. He wanted to stop to say hello to some friends, but I was flying way too high at that point to stop. So I told him good-bye, and set out on my own. At this point, I couldn't believe that I was so close to the end! I started thanking all the Hells' Angels (they were volunteers), and all the police force that was out. I gave every last item I had in my pocket (minus my ipod) out to strangers. My electrolytes out to a guy doubled over with leg cramps (I had been there before), my gu out to a guy desperate to find an aid station, a pat on the back, and promise to notify the next volunteer to a guy that was dry heaving on the side of the road. This was forty minutes of my life that I felt on top of the world. When I started to see the ocean peeking out, I knew that I was there, that I had made it!

That moment of seeing my family on the side of the street cheering me on was the greatest! And, I did it guys (or as Eduardo kept trying to get me to say I did it ya'll!), I finished my second marathon in 4:45!