Revisiting the Big Sur Marathon...

We ran the Big Sur Marathon in April 2008, and this past weekend we headed back for more (and less). As I was starting to get my act together with running again a few months ago, I managed to convince K that I needed a goal to get me going. That's not unreasonable. But, just any old local 5k or 10k wouldn't do. No, it needed to be a destination race. And, what better than the beautifully scenic (and awfully hilly) Big Sur Marathon? I was not delusional enough to think that I would be back in marathon shape that quickly, but they have a marathon relay option so the decision was made. We managed to convince one of Kurt's friends who lives in San Jose to do the race with us, so team "She made me do it" was born.

Big Sur is a point-to-point course along Highway 1 from Big Sur to Carmel. I was initially planning to run the first two relay legs (about 9-10 miles) because I was eager to run through the trees of Big Sur again then emerge onto the coastline (and be done before the massive hills began leading to Hurricane Point). However, in mid-March, a chunk of the road on Highway 1 where the race is held literally fell into the ocean due to a mudslide.

That obviously caused race organizers to scramble at the last minute to get an alternate course together - an out-and-back from Carmel with the turnaround point just before Rocky Point Bridge. I was disappointed about the course change, but understood that it was a necessity and was glad that the race wasn't canceled altogether.

So, that brings us to race weekend. We flew into San Jose on Friday afternoon and enjoyed a short visit to Palo Alto that evening. Um, yeah, I'd live there. Then, we headed down to Monterey on Saturday morning to take care of packet pickup and had a nice lunch on the wharf, as K enjoyed all the samples of chowder that he could get his hands on.

We made the short drive to Carmel (again, I would LOVE to live there) that evening to visit the beach and have an early dinner.

Ocean Avenue in Carmel

View of Pebble Beach from Carmel Beach

After dinner, we drove along the coast to catch the sunset on our way back to Monterey.

We had an early wake-up call on Sunday for the race. The logistics for this race are quite challenging on a typical year because there are multiple races (marathon + relay, 21 mile, 10.6 mile, 9 mile, 5k) being held simultaneously and runners have to be shuttled to their respective starting points on the course. As the race director noted, all of this is usually spread out along 26.2 miles of highway, but this year it was compressed into 12.1 miles of highway due to the out-and-back nature of the course. All of this meant a very early wake up for us on Sunday, as we had to be at the bus pickup at 4am for our first relay runner. Oy.

A very tired team "She made me do it" at 4am

We had all been pretty ambivalent about how we were going to divide up the 5 relays legs, particularly me since the legs that I had originally wanted to run were not part of the new out-and-back course. With no real rhyme or reason to it, our friend ended up running the first two legs then handed off to K for the next two legs which left me with the final, arguably hardest, leg of 6.5 miles through the Carmel Highlands. K ended up running into the finish with me, so he actually got to see the whole course, which included a 2-mile detour at the end in Point Lobos State Reserve which is not part of the regular course. 

I wasn't running this race too seriously because I wanted to enjoy the scenery and stop for pictures. Here's a few views of the section of course that I ran:

Strawberries at mile 21-ish! Yum!

View from Point Lobos State Reserve

Sassy K

Happy to be done.

While we all enjoyed the scenery and experience of running on Highway 1, we also realized just how much waiting around is involved in doing a relay race like this. Lots and lots of waiting - waiting to get shuttled to your respective starting point, waiting for your runner to come through so you can start running, and waiting to get shuttled back to the finish area.

But, it was worth it. :)

What would you do...

I was reminded of this quote last week and it struck a nerve...

What would you do if you weren't afraid to fail?

That speaks directly to the perfectionist in me.

Then, the more I thought about it, I also think a slight modification speaks LOUDLY to the worry-wart in me.

What would you do if you weren't afraid?

Oh so much. The immediate thing that came to my mind though was running related...

Run fast...
Run far....
Run trail.

And, somehow that was enough to get me out the door for my first trail run since I broke my ankle while I was trail running last January. It was time. And, my spirit soared.

So, think about. What would you do if you weren't afraid?

Now, go do it.

The fast club...

This was a weekend filled with running. It was a weekend all about the fast club and 13.1 miles.

When it was announced a couple of weeks ago that Olympian Ryan Hall would be running in the National Half Marathon Championship held in Houston this weekend, I told K about it and made it clear that I wanted to go. K provided just the right response, "Okay, we'll see how we can make that happen." Sometimes I really love that boy. So, we headed down to Houston on Friday after work and walked just a couple of blocks from our downtown hotel to see the race on Saturday morning. The race was held on a loop course, which included an out and back on one section, so it was quite easy to see the runners multiple times without having to go very far.

K opted for a short run over to see the race start at the Convention Center while I was ready and waiting to see the leaders breeze through mile 1 in about 4:40 or so.

The lead pack of men followed by the main pack at mile 1

Here come the women

They headed back in the same direction after the turnaround so we saw them again a little after mile 4.

The lead pack making one of the much griped about turns on the course

One block over and we were able to see them after they came out of the aid station after mile 6.

Smyth making a move coming out of the aid station

Then, we headed over to see the finish. And, what a finish it turned out to be. Hall pulled away shortly before the 13 mile mark and it appeared that he had the win over the other 2 runners who were still with him at that point. However, there was a sharp right-hand turn into the finishing straightaway where Mo Trafeh made a move past him in the corner. Trafeh held on to win the race in 1:02:17 while Hall finished second in 1:02:20.

Trafeh made his move coming around the corner onto the final straightaway into the finish

 

A couple of Rogues also put in great performances: Scott MacPherson finished 7th overall in 1:04:02 and Erik Stanley finished in 1:07.

Much was said about the course, which was a preview of the course for the Olympic Marathon Trials next year. It seemed that some of the runners weren't happy with the several sharp turns on the course. It will be interesting to see if the course changes at all based on that feedback.

Runner's World coverage of the race is here.

Then, today was the 3M Half Marathon in Austin on a warm, muggy morning. Not ideal weather conditions to take advantage of the PR friendly downhill course. For me, today was all about supporting K in one of his goal races. I dropped him off at the start and stuck around to see the runners head off before making my way to my next vantage point at about 3.5 miles in. Very aware of K's speed, I had to be fairly speedy myself in getting to various points of the course to see him. This was the second time that I have done this, and with a bit of planning and rushing around, I was able to see him at the start, 3.5 miles, 8 miles, 10.75 miles, and the finish.

K at mile 8

K finished in 1:20:06, not a PR but a very respectable top 10 age-group finish

A year later...

The one-year mark of the event that shook our little world last year is creeping up next week without me really realizing it. Seems fitting to give an update on it, as I have had many folks ask if I am running again. The short answer is yes and no. I have purposefully not really talked much here about my status in a while. I guess I kept waiting to have better news to share.

After a looong, frustrating road back with PT, I was finally able to run a mile again in early July. It was a very humbling experience to go from where I had been previously to starting back at the basics. I had to relearn how to run, just as I had to relearn how to walk. The good news is that my ankle was able to tolerate the activity, with perhaps some mild swelling afterwards which was to be expected at that point in my recovery.

Under strict orders to build back up slooowly, we left for our big trip to France just as I was getting into a groove again with running. We had more travel in the weeks after we got back, so it was hard to regain my momentum. Besides, it was hot and I had no heat acclimation built up since I had been pretty limited in my activity in the preceding months. So, I told myself that I would wait until the weather cooled down in the fall to start back. Meanwhile, I was spending time in the gym trying to regain cardio and strength, as well as lose some of the extra pounds that I put on with the months of inactivity during the first half of the year.

For whatever reason (largely the fear of failure), I didn't try running again until a few weeks ago. I surprised myself and K when I told him that I, unexpectedly, ran a mile on the treadmill after my regular workout at the gym on Christmas Eve. And, then, a few days later I surprised both of us again with consecutive days of 3-mile runs. Since we have been back from London, I've been struggling with my old friend shin pain for the past few days. As always, my "freakishly tight calves" are likely part of the culprit, but I also think my form is contributing to the problem as well. I tried to focus on a few mantras last night to help correct some suspected issues and it seemed to help. At least this is something that I've dealt with before and managed. It's slightly comforting in a way though because this is a distinctly running problem, which must therefore mean that I am becoming a runner again.

Over the past few months, I have sought inspiration in many places to help get me back to doing this crazy thing of distance running that I love. Last night's inspiration was the film about the Hood to Coast Relay, a 12-person relay race that spans 197 miles from Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. I find that I am strongly connecting to others who have overcome some obstacle to continue pursuing their passion. The film portrayed that, as well as the fun and insanity that is Hood to Coast. Here's a clip:

So, what's next? Keep tying up my laces and putting one foot in front of the other to celebrate the fact that I still have the ability to do so...a year later.

Kicking off the new year in London...

After a nice Christmas at home, we headed off to London last Thursday for a fun trip to start the new year on a good note. We arrived the morning of New Year's Eve and spent the afternoon sleeping off the jet lag before the evening festivities. After dinner, we took a rather circuitous route to our viewing location on the Waterloo Bridge to watch the fireworks overlooking the Thames River with the London Eye and Big Ben as the backdrop. The bridges were being progressively closed as they filled up with crowds. The whole experience reminded us a lot of when we were in Paris for Bastille Day over the summer. As we did then, we had to walk back to our hotel in the northern part of the West End after the fireworks were over because of closings and congestion on the subway. It was a long, cold walk, but we certainly weren't alone in it.

Happy New Year!

Not surprisingly, we slept in on Saturday morning, ahem afternoon. We had our first British meal of fish and chips for lunch then we spent a couple of hours touring St. Paul's Cathedral with an informative audio guide that was provided. Of course K wanted to head to the top, so we stopped first at the Whispering Gallery in the interior of the dome then continued on in the narrow, winding staircase to the Stone Gallery for a panoramic view of the city on a cloudy, dreary day. After our tour, we stayed for the evening prayer service.

View of Millenium Bridge leading to the Tate with Shakespeare's Globe Theatre to the left

Leaving St. Paul's

 

Next up was a walk across the Millenium Bridge for a couple of hours checking out the art at the Tate Modern followed by dinner on the top floor of the museum with a beautiful view of the Thames and St. Paul's dominating the night skyline.

No surprise that this was the Andy Warhol room, as it was covered with this cow wallpaper!

 

We then quickly headed over to the Tower of London to witness the ceremonial locking-up of the Tower by the Yeoman Warders. It is a nightly ritual that has occurred without fail since the 1300's. It is limited to 80 guests per night, and tickets must be requested well in advance to attend.

Still jetlagged, I wasn't too eager to spend Sunday with K at the British Museum, but that's what we did...for 6 hours and still didn't even come close to seeing everything in the 2.5 miles of galleries! The British Museum is undoubtedly one of the most comprehensive collections of art and artifacts in the world. It really provides a thorough view of the history of the world. Needless to say, K was in hog heaven taking it all in. A few of the notable highlights in the museum are the Rosetta Stone from Egypt and the Parthenon Sculptures from Athens.

Rosetta Stone

We were both museumed out by the end of the day, but did manage to enjoy a nice meal in Covent Garden that evening.

Monday was another full distinctly British day. We started with watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, along with tons of other folks.

Another lunch of fish and chips was followed by an afternoon at Westminster Abbey. Again, we had a nice tour of the building thanks to the provided audio guide (narrated by Jeremy Irons, no less). It was surprising to see so many royals and others entombed on the main floor of the Abbey. In addition to the royal tombs, the Abbey contains the tombs of scientists such as Newton and Darwin as well as the famous Poet's Corner, where several notable writers are buried or memorialized, including Chaucer, Dickens, Tennyson, and Browning.

Westminster Abbey

After we left the Abbey, we made the short walk over to the Houses of Parliament (which were not in session) and Big Ben in time to hear the famous clock chime.

We then changed hotels that evening to stay in Kensington for our last few nights.

On Tuesday, K and I went our separate ways so that he could spend the day at the National Gallery while I did some window shopping starting with Harrod's.

Harrod's

We met up in the evening for dinner in Notting Hill.

Wednesday was a day where we wished we had more time. We spent the morning into the early afternoon at the Tower of London. I think we were caught off guard by just how much there was to see there. After an entertaining Beefeater tour, we then checked out the "House of Bling" where the Crown Jewels are kept and viewed from a moving walkway. We continued our tour of the grounds, but weren't able to see everything that we wanted to before we needed to leave to make our next stop.

Our personal Beefeater, Chris, who had a fascination with executions!

The site of six executions within the Tower. The rest were carried out in public just outside on Tower Hill.

The resident 6 ravens of the Tower. The legend is that the monarchy will fall if the ravens leave the Tower.

King Henry VIII's armor. He was a big boy!

Tower Bridge

My one must-do item for this trip was to visit Freud's home in northern London. And, yes, the famous couch is there (although no pictures allowed).

Freud's home in London at 20 Maresfield Gardens. The Anna Freud Center which she helped create is just down the street.

We finished off our day with "The Woman in Black" at the Fortune Theater, which has been playing for 21 years in the West End! It was a suspenseful, scary drama that was even more so from our seats in the second row in the center of the stage.

A few general observations from our trip:

-London is expensive! I didn't always take the time to get an accurate view of how much I was spending with the currency conversion (1 Pound = 1.6 U.S. Dollars, approximately). I am thankful though that my business has been doing well enough that I was able to foot the bill for nearly all of our expenses there. One of the big news stories while we were there involved the VAT increase from 17.5% to a whopping 20%! So, it's just going to get even more expensive to visit there. One good thing to note is that most of the museums are free (not the historical buildings though).

-We made this trip during the off-peak season for tourists. This had some advantages and disadvantages. We never had to wait in line to visit anyplace. This was in stark contrast to my previous visit there during the summer months and our experience in Paris last summer. The big downside was the weather - it was cold and dreary, but not enough to take away from our experience too much.

- Like most major metropolitan cities, the public transportation there is comprehensive and easy to use.

- K: The history contained within the city is incredible. From its beginnings as a Roman city to the heart of England and later the British empire, it has been the center of the English-speaking world for over 1000 years. It really puts things in perspective as an American with 200-300 years of your country's history to hear details about and see artifacts from hundreds of years ago that are still understood, preserved and celebrated today.