NIKE WOMEN'S MARATHON
October 21, 2007

I did it! My first marathon! After three months of on and off training, I was able to complete 13.1 miles...AND, I didn't have to crawl over that finish line!

Prior to the run itself, NIKE sponsored an Expotique in Union Square for all marathoon participants...and as Mommy Hernandez put it, "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FREE STUFF!"

On Friday night, we went down and aside from picking up my running bib and packet, we also got a free manicure! Now ok, so just because it's free doesn't mean the quality is the greatest...but it was still a nice treat. There were free snacks, drinks, giveaways, and massages, but that line was way too long. Even though it was two days before the race, you could definitely feel the excitement in the air.

Along with the excitement, there was a definite anxiety that I was having. Would my training pay off? Would I give up? Could I do this? It kept me up on Saturday night into the wee hours of the morning! All in all, I must've had about 3 hours of sleep! But come Sunday morning, I was up and ready, Team in Training jersey on, bib #14735 on, sunblock, hat, shoes...I was pumped.

RACE DAY- Sunday

It's said that there was a total of 23,000 participants...that's a whole lotta people! The start line was at Union Square, but to even get to our designated areas was pure hell. They let people start according to how fast one could do a mile- we were in the 12-14 minute group. But aside from the actual runners/walkers, add in the equation all the family and friends who came to support their loved ones. And oh yes, all of the anxious runners who decided that it was okay to push and shove their way through...not cool ladies! By the time we were given the go-ahead, it was approximately 7:20am when we passed the start line.

As pathetic as this will sound, we were not even into the first mile when I started lagging behind Mommy Hernandez and CuznJ. I felt a tweak in my back and my first thought was "oh shit, not now!" I had to slow my pace even further until I found a good and comfortable groove. Maybe it was somewhat of a blessing because as the sun came up over the Bay Bridge, it made for a lot of Kodak moments that I couldn't pass up. So yes, if you can imagine, in the midst of a marathon with thousands of people running, there I was snapping away at the picturesque views of our beautiful city...and hey, I wasn't the only one!



Sunrise over the Bay Bridge


Among the many places that we got to pass through included the following: the Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, Aquatic Park and Ghiradelli Square (with clear views of the Alcatraz), the hill of Fort Mason (another awesome view of the Golden Gate Bridge), the Marina, Crissy Field, SeaCliff neighborhood (hello Robin Williams!), the Presidio, Cliff House, Golden Gate Park (near the buffalo and polo fields), and finally the end at Ocean Beach. Talk about a beautiful running course...and yet again, another chance for me to fall in love all over with our beautiful city.

A couple of things that I found funny...first of all, a guy running in a dress is always something to chuckle at! The fact that he was the center of many photo ops was pretty hilarious. Another was the fact that people were shedding clothes left and right...but leaving them in the streets! It's like that Hansel and Gretel story where the kids leave behind bread crumbs to make sure they don't lose their way...it was the same thing! After a while, the jokes kept coming..."..anyone need a new jacket?....who needs the mall?..." It was such a random thing, whether or not they would come back and retrieve their articles, I highly doubt.

Another thing that I thought was pretty awesome was the fact that there so many out-of-state participants. Because I registered with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, we were under the umbrella of Team in Training, San Francisco Bay Area Chapter...and our purple jerseys proudly displayed that. Amid the sea of purple, there were delegations from Ohio, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, Minnesota and many more. It was inspiring to see pictures of loved ones pinned to their jerseys, the people they were running in honor and/or in memory of.

A big motivating factor throughout the course were the many TNT coaches and mentors. They were out and about running among the crowds, others were shouting from the sidelines that we were doing an awesome job. Plus, there were so many volunteers who were handing out drinks and as you took one, they'd tell you to keep on going. On top of that, there were so many supporters with signs, giving everyone the thumbs up, yelling that we look beautiful and that we can do it. When we were in the hills, a few supporters kept repeating, "Don't let that hill control you! You control the hill! Ya'll can do it...keep going!" At the Embarcadero, there was a Gospel choir; in GGP, there was an Irish band (go Irish- hee hee!); near the Marina, there was a Cheer Squad and near the finish, a high school cheerleading squad, along with their pom-poms, were giving everyone high fives. It was neat!

So how did I do? Like I mentioned, I backed off of Mommy Hernandez's pace almost from the start and basically did the run by myself. While I did a lot of walking to compensate for my back pain, I DID run a good portion of it...that, I'm proud of. The time limit for the entire marathon is 6.5 hours. With the training that I was doing, I originally thought that I'd be able to complete the course under 4 hours...I was averaging 15 minutes per mile. BUT, what I didn't take into consideration were the damn hills of San Francisco! OMG...the hills K-I-L-L-E-D me! There was a point, I want to say at Mile 6, that as I was making my way up slowly, I swear, I began to see stars. At first I thought it was the sun shining in my eyes, but I had my hat and shades on...and when I blinked, I just saw white. It freaked me out because I've never experienced that before and my initial thought was, "Oh my god, I'm going to pass out!" Luckily, they have water/Gatorade stations every few miles and I was right near one. After I drank some Gatorade and had a Luna gel, I was good to go...in fact, it gave me a boost of energy to run. Lol...whew! Talk about some scary shit!

At Mile 10 near the Cliff House, I had the most painful cramps in my thighs. It was so unbearable that I literally had to squat and stretch for five minutes. I've had those before, but only since I started training for the marathon...but wow, this gal does not take pain well! Knowing that I was approximately three miles from the finish, I plugged on. As I made my way down to Ocean Beach, it's such a tease because the Finish Line is in view. But with 3 more miles to go, the course takes you into Golden Gate Park and back out to the Great Highway. Mile 12 is dubbed the Chocolate Mile...lol, because that's where they give out free Ghiradelli chocolate squares for that extra boost of energy! I tell you...it helped because as I found myself back on the Great Highway, the energy in the air magnified. Family, friends, and supporters were lined up and cheering everyone on...and as tired as I was, I was determined to run it in! By the time I crossed the Finish Line, my end time was approximately 4 hours and some change.

At the Finish, you're greeted by guys in tuxes holding up silver platters with these lil' blue boxes. As a NIKE Women's Marathon participant, everyone gets a silver sterling neckace from Tiffany's! WOW! (..."It's all about the free stuff!...") Now for this simple gal, I've never had anything from there, so I was pretty stoked. It's really nice...on one side, there's a silhouette of two runners; on the back, it says, "NWM SF 07" along with the NIKE swoosh symbol and the Tiffany trademark. You also get a pink t-shirt that says "Finisher." At the TNT tent, not only did I get free lunch, but I also got a pin that says, "13.1" along with the TNT logo. Mommy Hernandez was right...it's all about the free stuff! Lol!

Needless to say, I'm damn proud of myself! As I look back at how 2007 started, I was a wreck. But as the year progressed, it only got better. The decision to do things for myself has made me stronger and more confident. Through this marathon, I wanted to prove to everyone that I AM okay...that I AM moving forward...and that divorce has not brought me down. It really did bite the big one, but with time, the hurt lessened a little bit every day. I stuck to my resolution that 2007 would be MY year..and it has been. And hey, it doesn't hurt that some of my clothes are feeling a little looser, too! ;-)

Running this marathon is a huge accomplishment for me...and I'm determined, more than ever, to do even bigger things in this second-chance-at-happiness-life of mine.


Thanks ya'll for the support...it's meant the world to me. Much love...

p.s.
Pics to come soon!

p.p.s.
I'm S-O-R-E as hell! Didn't make it to work because, well, I just couldn't move...but I did find some energy to head to NIKETOWN for guess what...a FREE massage!