Boston Marathon Tragedy - Runners United

My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims of the Boston Marathon explosions. As you probably know by now, there were more than 130 injured and 3 killed, including an 8-year child. I don't have enough words to express the sadness.

There's a movement happening for runners to unite and wear a race shirt tomorrow,  Wednesday April 16th, to honor and remember those lost today. Let's do it. For those without a race shirt or if you have to dress up to work, wear the Boston marathon colors of blue and yellow. Spread the word

2013 Inaugural Transamerica Rock 'n' Roll San Francisco Half Marathon

Race: Sunday April 7th, 2013

Expo: Friday & Saturday, April 5-6 - Moscone Center

Start / Finish: Van Ness Ave. Between Fort Mason and Aquatic Park

Time: 7:00 a.m.

Corral: 6

Saturday, April 6th 

I arrived in San Francisco at 8:30 a.m. after a pleasant 90 minutes flight from San Diego. This was my first flight with Virgin America. Vibrant colors, individual touch screens and nice music playing in the background. I love the lounge feel to it.

As soon as I landed, I spotted The Plant Cafe Organic.  I ordered a Healthy Sunrise (carrot, beet, orange, apple, lemon juice). YES! This is probably the healthiest and most delicious breakfast I've ever had at an airport.

From the airport, I took the SamTrans bus to San Francisco downtown. Grgrgr, I waited 40 minutes for the bus to arrive and another 60 minutes to get to the city. Why didn't I take the BART? Never again! The BART is the best transportation option for me. It was cold and rainy. Lucky me, the closest bus stop was just a few blocks away from my hotel. After meeting my friends at Le Meridien, we headed out to eat.  Let the pre-race carb-loading begin! First stop, my friends' Febr and Leo's restaurant, Kirimachi, for authentic Japanese miso ( vegetarian) ramen soup. Delicious!

Next, Stella Pastry & Cafe in Little Italy for some mouthwatering Napoleons and tiramisus.

From Little Italy, we walked at least 2 miles to the Moscone Center where the Health & Fitness Expo was held. We could have taken the bus but we needed the exercise after all the food indulgence. Picking up the running bibs and shirts at the expo was relatively easy. The expo was not too crowded.

From the expo, we went to Chinatown for massages and window shopping. We probably walked another 2 miles. Our hotel was located in the Financial District, very close to the Transamerica Building.

At around 8:30 pm, we headed back to Little Italy for more carb-loading. We had reservations at E' Tutto Qa. The food was amazing and the service very friendly. I ordered the Arancia e Finocchio (salad of oranges, fennel, black olives & arugula with a lemon and olive oil dressing) and Orecchiette pasta with artichokes and tomatoes.  The restaurant was packed. There was a lot of singing and Italian speaking or I should say screaming. There were at least 5 tables celebrating birthdays. We were also treated to a delicious free panna cotta, courtesy of the restaurant manager. This food tasted very authentic. I would definitely go back again.

Saturday, April 6th - Race Day

We woke up at 5:00 am and left the room an hour later.

After a couple of stops, we ran /walked 2 miles to drop our bags at the gear check next to the starting line, adjacent to Ghirardelli's.

The weather was perfect; not too cold. not too hot, not too sunny.

The Race

The first three miles we ran through Fort Mason, the Marina Boulevard and Crissy Field. I was happy to run side by side my friend May again. We both participated in the Nike Women's (Half) Marathon last October. We continued running together at lunch times until a month ago when she moved to San Jose. [insert sad face]. We were familiar with the course, at least those 3 miles, since we covered them at the Nike Women's Marathon. Perhaps I should mention that for the NWM, we started in Union Square going downhill. For the RnR San Francisco Half, we started in Fort Mason going uphill. I kept trying to convince myself that this was good, that we need to start slow.

The next 2 miles were rough. We ran UP and UP and UP. Not a lot of downhills. What to expect. We are in San Francisco after all! I also told myself I wasn't going to stop to take pictures but I couldn't help it.

Still smiling at mile 4

Miles 5 -7 were across the Golden Gate Bridge towards the Marin County. There were beautiful views of Sausalito from the bridge. Of course, I had to stop again for more pictures.  While running the Golden Gate, I thought of ultra-marathon runner Dean Karnazes. In his book  "Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss", he wrote about this little game he played with his friend Toph to cross the Golden Gate bridge at night without getting arrested. The sidewalk is usually close to pedestrians in the late hours. He basically jumped the fence and ran as fast as he could. Did he get caught? Well, you have to read the book ;-) I smiled at this thought and secretly wished he was running amongst us.

After reaching the end of the bridge, we ran through some trails and looped back to the other side of the bridge.  This was probably my favorite part of the course.  The sun was coming up and you could see the San Francisco skyline on the horizon. It was really breathtaking! We were very lucky that it was not foggy at all!

We ran miles 7-9 on the Golden Gate Bridge towards San Francisco. I really liked that we ran both directions. It was a little cool and windy but I didn't mind it one little bit.

I was running  9:05 min/mile trying to make up for all the lost time taking pictures.  I could have ran faster but unfortunately the bridge's sidewalk was a little narrow making it difficult to pass the runners. Soon we reached the 10 mile marker. We were going downhill. I loved it! The next 3 miles around the Marina Boulevard were flat but not fast for me.

The terrain was sandy and it was hard to speed up. However, I knew we were very close to the finish line. There was one last hill around mile 12.  I was deep in my thoughts when I saw a runner wearing a shirt that said "Running on Natural Gas". This made me laugh.  The last half mile was all flat. I crossed the finish line in 2:16. Not bad considering that I stopped for at least 10 minutes to take pictures ( before the bridge, while crossing the bridge, while looping the bridge, after the bridge :)

2013 RnR SFO Half Finisher's Medal

After the race, I met my friend May who arrived few minutes earlier. We walked all over the place in search for our free beer. Aha, at last we found it, a few blocks from the finish line!

Few minutes later, we met the rest of the "gang" and went out to Greens Restaurant for delicious brunch.

I highly recommend Greens Restaurant to all healthy nuts out there. Lots of options for vegetarian and non-vegetarians. I ate Mesquite Grilled Brochettes - Mushrooms, Little Farm potatoes, peppers, yams, fennel, red onions and Hodo soy tofu with charmoula. Hamada Farm fruit and almond quinoa, Moroccan carrot slaw.

Summary

The Rock 'n' Roll San Francisco Half was simply AMAZING! This is probably one of the most scenic races in the US. The temperatures were perfect, the views were breathtaking. I loved the mixed terrain ( asphalt, gravel and sand) and the challenging hills & trails. If they keep the same course next year, I'll come back!

Race profile

My running outfit next year!

BIG congrats to all my running friends, especially Leo who completed his first half marathon wearing a green tutu. By the way, he says that this is his "first and last half marathon" but for some reason I have a hard time believing it!

Do you remember what you said when YOU finished your first big race? :)

2013 San Diego Half Marathon at Petco Park

The San Diego Half Marathon at Petco Park is one of my favorite local races. I ran the inaugural in 2012 and had the best time. This is also my half marathon PR ( 2:06:08). For 2013, I had a different goal ( not necessarily a PR) but to conquer the infamous Washington Street hill ( mile 9-10). As for the rest of the course, I just wanted to enjoy it. Afterall, I ran the Rock N Roll New Orleans Half Marathon two weeks before and my legs had not fully recovered.


Saturday, March 9th - Expo

Last year the Sport, Health & Fitness Expo was located at the famous Petco Park. This year, they moved it to Port Pavilion on the Broadway Pier next to the USS Midway Museum

 

We arrived at the Expo around 2:30 p.m. There was a lot of traffic in the area so ended up parking at Seaport Village, a beautiful 10 minute walk to the Expo.

We quickly stopped by the West Coast Road Runners (WCRR) booth to greet my running coaches.  They were the official pacers of the race, once again. How exciting! We picked up our bibs, our legacy shirts and our goodie bags which included a free ticket to the Midway Museum. Soon after we left the expo.


Sunday, March 10th - Race Day

I woke up at 4:45 a.m, left home a half hour later and drove to the Westin hotel in downtown to meet my  friends. We walked from there to the starting line where I met WCRR coach and 2-hour pacer, Sharon.

The gun went off at 7: 15 a.m.  The first few miles around downtown and Pacific Highway were flat and fast. I was averaging 9:15 min/mile ( slower than last year). Still, I was feeling good, keeping up with the 2 hour pacer.

 
I remember the course very well except for the sandy terrain around Liberty Park. My feet didn't like it very much and I started to slow down, 9:20... 9:30... 9:35. This didn't keep me from smiling as we passed the Bikram Yoga Old Town studio at mile 7. I remember thinking "The best is yet to come". No kidding! Soon we passed the first small hill, under a bridge. Lots of people walked it. I ran it. I remember thinking "Oh if you are walking this small hill, you are definitely walking Washington Street. No way!" and few minutes later "There it is. OMG! This was my goal for the day, from the bottom to the top!".  Sharon was running at 9:18 min/mile speed while I was rapidly going from 9:40 to 9:45 to 10:00 to 11:00 to 11:35 minute/mile. "Grhrhrhr. I might as well walk", I thought. I stopped 3/4 of the way. Nooo! Mission unaccomplished! OK, there is always 2014! Need more hill training!


At the top of the hill, there was my favorite neighborhood, Hillcrest. Running here at this early hour is torture for me. It's smelled sooo delicious that all I wanted to do was to EAT. Forget about running! The rest of the course is all downhill. I smiled as I remembered experiencing an incredible runner's high last year. 

2012 SD Half Marathon

My last mile was a fast one, 8:45 min/mile. Unfortunately, I've wasted too much time in Washington Street.  Also, the race this year finished in 5th avenue. It was not the same. The Petco Park ending last year was waaaay more glamorous.  My finishing time 2:13.

Race Review
- Very well organized.
- Beautiful course with challenging hill.
- Best Post-race snacks including Chuao chocolates.

- Nice legacy shirt.

-Beautiful medal

Post- race - Cafe 21

After the race, I celebrated with my friends at Cafe 21. This is one of Bobby Flay's favorite brunch restaurants in the US. The food was outstanding.

2013 RnR New Orleans - Race Recap Part II

Sunday,  February 24th - Race Day

We woke up at 6:00 a.m and headed to the starting line, just a few blocks from our conveniently located hotel.  Our friend Greg was already at the VIP tent talking to his favorite runners, Olympians Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan. What a lucky guy!  He also hung out with Gold Medalist Mo Farah the day before the race.  No words! We met Greg and a couple of blogger friends & running celebrities before walking to our corral.

George Melichar, ambassador of the RnR Series.

With my blogger friend Monica Olivas from  Run Eat Repeat

The race started at 7:00 a.m after Pearl Jam's guitarist Mike McCready performed an unusual version of the national anthem to a crowd of 16,000 runners. I was excited to run next to my husband. He was wearing our GoPro 2 camera on his forehead to document the event. The first mile was a slow one. I couldn't pace myself as it was packed.  I was probably running 10 min/mile. I couldn't tell since my Garmin couldn't locate the satellites until after about the mile 1 marker.

From mile 2-7,  we ran on St. Charles Ave and the beautiful Garden District with its well-preserved collection of charming southern mansions.  At mile 2, I saw Mo Farah running  flying the opposite direction. The crowd went wild. At mile 4, we passed Loyola University and circled back on to St Charles Ave going the other direction. There was amazing entertainment along the course including good jazz bands, rock bands and people dressed up in all kinds of costumes with their motivational posters. If you run in New Orleans, leave your iPod behind.

From the Garden District, we headed to the French Quarter via Peter St. and Decatur St. We were running parallel to the Mississippi river. We passed Jackson Square where I learned the day before that there is indeed a museum, in NOLA, dedicated to "Los Isleños".  This was very surprising to me. I knew that Spanish colonist came to Louisiana to populate the state and halt British colonial expansion. What I didn't know is that they were from the Canary Islands, my hometown. If interested, you can read more about it here

Giant Brooks RnR dude

Few minutes later, we passed the famous French Market or the oldest public market in the country. We made a left turn on Esplanade Ave, another historic street with beautiful mansions, townhouses, and a classic New Orleans cemetery. This is where French Impressionist Edgar Degas lived in 1873. 

We ran on Esplanade Ave. for the last 3 miles. The roads were in bad conditions and I almost twisted my ankle several times so I decided to take it easy the rest of the race. I must say, though, that the amazing views compensated for the poor state of the roads. Some of the properties were breathtaking. The other thing I really like about this last stretch is that we could see the mile markers on the horizon, up to a mile away.  I arrived at the Roosevelt Mall Drive soon after. Finishing in 2:17, one of my slowest times in the last 2 years. Still, not bad considering all the partying going on the day before :) See RnR NOLA - Part 1

Post-race eating options for the runners. Yumm, I should have brought some cash! 

After finishing this race, we had to walk at least 1.5 miles to take the shuttle back to the city. I didn't realize that we were that far from the starting line. I am glad I downgraded to the half marathon because I wouldn't have made it back to the airport in time. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this race. You can definitely set a PR on this fast and flat course ... as long as you don't spend too much time on Bourbon Street the day before ;)

2013 RnR New Orleans Race Recap - Part I

Race Date: February 23rd, 2013

Start Time: 7:00  a.m.
Distance: 13.1 miles
Start Line:  Poydras St. at Camp St.

Finish Line: Roosevelt Mall in City Park

New Orleans is the city of music, food and beautiful houses.  I loved it!

Saturday, February 23rd

We arrived in New Orleans at 9:30 a.m. after an 8 hour flight from San Diego.  NewOrleans is the birthplace of legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong. You can hear jazz music the moment you land.

After a quick stop at the hotel, we headed to the expo.

My husband is running this time around. Woohoo!

We arrived just in time to hear olympian Kara Goucher speak.  Perfect!

Thanks to my friend Greg V, we scored front seats. I owe him one. By the way, Kara, Greg and I have something in common. Guess what it is? No, it has nothing to do with our running speed. Take a closer look. Yes, we are The Visitors and we smile a lot! :)

After picking up our running packages, we left the expo and stopped by Magnolia Praline Company to snack buy a tutu. Thanks Pretty for the recommendation.

We walked to the famous French Quarter to grab a bite and do a little bit of sightseeing. It's my first trip to NOLA!

Oh my!

My grandpa hung out at this place when he came to the city as an exchange student back in the day. 

Omggg I ♥ this Bourbon Milk Punch. Who is running tomorrow?

We walked to Jackson Square and back to the hotel via Decatur St.

We were famished so we decided to stop by Carmo, a tropical restaurant cafe with ample options for vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters. This place was recommended to me by Happycow's and it was very close to our hotel.

We arrived starving but the kitchen was closed.  Nooooooo! One of the owners told us that she could make something for us, an Esmeralda Salad and some vegan Casserole.  YES, please!

The Esmeralda salad had quinoa, black beans, corn, peppers & cilantro. It was tossed with coconut chili lime dressing & topped with toasted pumpkin seeds. It was simply delicious. It was spicy and sweet at the same time. It's usually served with cotija cheese but I left it off since I don't eat cheese nor faux cheeses. The dressing was tangy and flavorful.

The Caribbean Casserole had vegan smoked chicken and vegan sausage, stewed white beans, sweat potatoes, kale, pepper and potatoes. It reminded me of a Spanish Fabada  but without the "chorizo" and "morcilla".

All I can say is that I was in heaven.  If you ever go to New Orleans, you MUST  eat at this restaurant. It's to die for or I should say to live for :) The owners are 4 partners who moved from the San Francisco area. There is a couple that lived in Brazil as well. You can tell as they have incorporated some of these amazing flavors in their dishes. Two of the owners sat down with us at the end of our meal and treated us to a shot of delicious "acerola" juice. Wow, I have found my new favorite vegan restaurant. 

I might sign up for the RnR New Orleans again, just for the excuse to be able to eat at this place.

See RnR NOLA - Part II