San Francisco Weekend - Brazen Summer Breeze Half Marathon 2015

 I decided to surprise my mom with a quick trip to San Francisco for her birthday. We both had at the time off, kids were free and hubby was going out of town with his buddies.

My mom's best friend lives in the San Francisco area and they hadn't seen each other in almost 5 years, so it was going to be a great way to celebrate. I called my cousin last minute and dragged her along to visit our cousins in SF. It was going to be a fun and busy weekend.

We're on our way

We Made it!!!

We weren't quite sure the plan for the weekend, but we were excited to go as it was very last minute.

My cousin and the kids had never been to San Francisco and there were a million things that I wanted to show them.  I also found a half marathon taking place minutes from where we were staying. My cousin decided that she would do the 10K and I the half marathon.

We picked up our rental car and off we went to my mom's best friends' place. They have been friends for over 50 years and it was like watching school girls catch up. They had cake ready for mom.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Since we were only there for the weekend, there was a lot to cram in. I knew that I wasn't going to see it all, so narrowed it down to a few things. We decided to take the kids to California Academy of Sciences as it was inside of the Golden Gate Park and also housed an amazing aquarium. This place is full of things to keep the kids busy and entertained for the day. We spent the entire day there exploring.

Inside the Rainforest

It is definitely worth a visit, the kids and adults enjoyed all the exhibits and shows. The kids were wiped so I headed home with mom and the kids and sent my cousins off to explore San Fran on their own.

The half marathon was the next morning and was literally minutes away. We arrived early to register and was able to get a parking spot right next to the start/finish line.  The race was set along the San Leandro Marina.  Registration was quick and simple. We both registered for our races and headed back to the car to set up and eat some goodies. I was going to use this a a training race for my marathon training and hoped to break through some mental barriers.

Carb Loading before the Race

The course was and out and back route which took you on grass, gravel and paved paths along the beautiful marina shoreline. It was a nice a small race which offered a 5K, 10K and half marathon distance.  There were 408 participating in the half distance which made it a nice small group which was great as the race was on a path.  I started out keeping a pretty steady pace, but eventually lost wind. I can't say it was my greatest race, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  The scenery was beautiful and the weather was great. I was also thrilled to have my cousin there with me.

Still smiling !

The food afterwards was also super with your standard bananas and bagels, but there were also ice cream cookie bars and sweet pastries.  With the race being so close to where we were staying, we were able to make it home by lunch and head out for another day of exploring San Francisco.

Showing off our Bling

I have to admit that I do always look up races in any city that I will be visiting.  It gives me a chance to see parts of a city that I may have never seen or had planned to visit. I definitely suggest it to you all, if your schedule allows it.

Hanging out

We spent the rest last of our time catching up with my cousins, keeping the kids busy and my mom enjoying every moment with her best friends. They have been friends since their teens which means that they their friendship has spanned over 50 years.  I remember receiving letters from them as a child before there was internet and before long distance calls were much more affordable. They were at my wedding and my parents attended their children's weddings. It was pretty amazing to watch them catch up and chat as if no time had past.

I was so thrilled to see how happy my mom was that we were all able to be there with her for her birthday. It was a memorable weekend for all of us.

Weekend is Done!

 

Barrie Waterfront Half Marathon Recap

Hubby ran this race last year and had a blast and convinced me to join him this year. I haven't raced this distance for a while now and was looking forward to running this distance.

This is a very small race that has a 5K, 10K, kids fun run as well as the half marathon. We were allowed to pick up our kits on race day as we live out of town. It was super convenient as the packet pickup was steps from the start/finish line. Parking was free and plentiful. Hubby decided last minute not to run this year as he has not been able to train properly and didn't want to injure himself.

I had a busy week leading up to race day. I had a trip to Hong Kong and tried to get in all my workouts according to the plan. But training in 85% humidity and temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius can be tough.  It was nice to have hubby drive up to the race even though he had decided not to run. I was able to relax and chill in the car.  We stopped to pick up a buddy who was going to run the half as well and headed up to Barrie.

After picking up our race kits. We headed to the potties, which were plentiful and right at the start/finish area.  The half marathon runners are the first wave to go followed by the 10K and then the 5K runners. There were a total of 333 people that finished the half marathon which indicates how small the race was. It was a nice change to the big races. There was space for everyone to pass and run at their own pace. There was no bumping or impatient people grunting from behind.

It seemed like it was going to be a perfect day for a race. I was pumped and also a bit nervous. I was going to aim for a personal best.  The national anthem was sung and we were off.   I started at a comfortable pace for the first few metres but my legs didn't seem to want to pick up the pace.  It was a first for me. It was as if my legs and my brain were not communicating. It was the strangest feeling. I kept trying to keep up with the people around me, but I seemed to be falling behind. I had left my phone in the car because I wanted to focus on the race and just run.

This race ended up being quite a tough race for me. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why my legs wouldn't work. Every time I looked down at the watch, my pace seemed to be slower than then previous time I looked down. I would try to look ahead and try to catch up to the person that past me, but it just wasn't happening.

These Kids Ran out for High 5's
Right when I needed it 

The course was very scenic out and back route. It took us along the Barrie waterfront with beautiful view of Lake Simcoe, through some residential areas and part of downtown Barrie. There was plenty of room on the road for all runners. We ran on pavement for the first half of the race and then gravel for the later part.

Struggling for the Finish

There was no bag check for this race, but thank goodness there was plenty of parking nearby and the weather was perfect. Race photos are also complimentary, but had not come out yet for my recap. The  medal is huge. It also serves as a bottle opener and a magnet.

Finally done

Although I did not get a half marathon personal best. I really enjoyed the course and the beautiful day. I was quite upset that my body didn't perform as I had hoped. I kept questioning myself to what happened. Going into the race, I felt strong and ready. Was it the jet lag? Was it too much training leading up to race day?  I'm not sure what happened. What I had thought would be an amazing race for me turned out to be one of my worst.   All I know is that there will be good races and bad. I'm hoping this will be my last bad race. I will try not to dwell on it and move onto the next race and keep training.

Hubby, My Personal Photographer

Have you ever had a bad race? 

How did you deal with it?

Niagara Falls Women's Half Marathon - Race Recap

Sorry for the late race report. I've gotten super lazy and busy, so here goes....

I signed up for the Niagara Falls Women's Half Marathon during their early bird registration last year with a number of my girlfriends who had been wanting to run a "destination" race. Some of the ladies that signed up had been running for years, others were new runners and for one lady, it was going to be her first.

I had read another review from a fellow runner who's wife had run it the previous year and it sounded like a fantastic race. Katherine Switzer was going to be there for the weekend and the swag included a bottle of wine.... what more could I ask for???

By the time race weekend came, there were only 4 of us that raced. We decided to get a room in Niagara Falls the day before the race so that we could have a girl's weekend.

View from Our Room

We checked into our fabulous hotel with the fantastic view and headed straight out for packet pickup. Packet pickup was located at a local mall and we got there close to the end of the day and the lineup was RIDICULOUS!!!

Runners waiting for bib pickup, it looped around the mall

I have been to many packet pickups and this was by far the worst. There wasn't really an expo, just a few vendors and the stores that were located in the mall. We waited for over a hour to get our bibs. Thank goodness for the good company of good friends and fellow runners. When it was finally our turn, I figured out why it had taken us so long.  Each runner had to give a their bib number to a volunteer to get their bib and continue to move around the room to each station to pick up the swag each item individually.

The swag was pretty good. The wine was the best part. There are 9 items in my photo plus the shirt, which meant I had to go to 10 different people plus the first person gave me my bib, so total 11 people. It seemed very disorganized to me and sloppy. At the end of all the swag item pick up, Katherine Switzer was there with her books. All the ladies ahead of us had stopped to take photos with her which was the main reason to why the line was so long and not moving. By the time we got to her, she was instructed that no photos were allowed and that if we were to purchase her book, she would sign it. BOO!!

When we finally got our goodies, we hightailed out of there for some retail therapy. After spending some quality time at some of our favourite stores, we headed to stuff our faces and celebrate with a pre race beverage. 

Group shot before the race

We got a good night's rest and was excited to get racing the next morning. We decided to take a cab to the start, but was dropped off about 2km from the start because the traffic into the start area was back up and the cab driver told us it would be faster if we walked. The start and finish line was in a really nice park, but only had one lane going into the parking lot, which made the wait even longer. We saw a lot of runners doing the same thing as we were.

We made it to the start line with 2 minutes to spare, the announcer told us that they were going to delay the start due to the back up of cars trying to get into the parking lot. 

Flowers in the port-o-potty

Funny Sign by the start/finish line

I wished my girlfriends a great race and placed myself with the 1:50 pacer. I know it was a bit ambitious of me, but I wanted to push myself and see how I would do. I had taken a look at the course map and it seemed fairly flat with water stations spread out quite evenly. I decided to not carry water and relay on the water stations. 

I tried to keep up with the pacer but she was going much faster than I had anticipated. She had said that she was taking advantage of the slight downhill at the beginning of the race and was going to eventually slow down the pace. I kept up with her for the first 5 km at a 5:13 pace, then gave up and decided to keep on my comfortable race pace. The course was right along Niagara Falls. The views were beautiful. The mist off the falls was very refreshing as the sun was starting to get pretty intense. The course took you past the falls twice as you had to go out and back to pass the start/finish line. I was able to position myself in a pretty good corral, so there were not many runners crowding the roads. There were only a total of 1995 runners that took part in the race. There were a few of us that stayed together for a good part of the race trying to keep a good pace. I was able to see my friends at the turnaround points. After the 7 km mark, it got a bit lonely as the course took you right along the Niagara River. There was no shade and the sun just beat down on us. I grabbed water at every water station as I had decided to not carry water this race. The water stations were plentiful and always had great volunteers cheering us on.

Still smiling

I was running alone for most of the race and ended up running a few kilometres with a fellow runner at my pace. It was nice to chat with someone to kill some time. I had run my first few half marathons with my best friend and we would always chat. But, for the past few races, I've raced alone and it's been lonely to say the least. We chatted about where we were from and kept each other going. I eventually looked down at my Garmin and knew that I needed to pick up my pace. I bid her a good race and ran on.

The second turnaround point was around the 14km mark. I was so relived to be finally turning back and heading back to the finish line. I knew that I still have a lot more distance to cover, but at least I was close to finishing. I knew at this point, I was not going to get my 1:50 finish. I had slowed down to a 5:30 pace.  It's true when they say running is a mental sport, because all I could think about was how in the world was I going run the San Francisco marathon in a month. I was starting to doubt myself, but when I saw my friends again, I knew that I could do it.  I was headed to San Francisco the next day for a layover and was going to try to run part of the marathon course. I knew that I needed to shake off the negative thoughts and plod on.

As I came down the final stretch I saw the finish line in sight. It seemed like the longest 500 metres I had ever seen. The crowds were cheering and I knew that I was almost there. I tried to pick up my feet and chased down whoever was running  in front of me. I closed my eyes and ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I crossed with Katherine Switzer giving me a high five and got my one of a kind medal. There was a nice snack from from Tim Hortons with cookies and fruit as I was exiting the finish corral. I was able to get a nice massage. There were tables were set up with table cloths and bowls of candies for runners and friends to sit and enjoy some food and water.

Katherine Switzer is on my medal

It was a great weekend with my girlfriends. There were some very nice touches to this race. If you're looking for a fun and nice small race, this one is for you.

Fun Group shot

Results

Time 1:54:42 (PB)

Pace 5:27

Category Place 28/372

Gender Place 138/1979 (yes, men are allowed to run)

Where have you raced lately?

How do you deal with the mental part of running? 

Toronto Goodlife Half Marathon

My husband and his buddies started running a few years ago. They had registered to run this race as their first half marathon. I was super excited for all three of them. Fast forward to the night before the race. The kids had been sick for weeks and now hubby had caught whatever they had. He had picked up their race kits and was going to try to run, walk or crawl to the finish. I kindly asked him if that what how he wanted to remember his "first" half marathon.  He took a nap and when he woke up, decided that there was no way he was going to be able to run. He was hacking up a lung and dizzy from being so congested. It was too late for a bib transfer and I didn't want the bib to go to waste, so I decided to run for him.

I ran this race last year so I knew what to expect for the course. I decided that I was going for a sub 2:00 time and hoped to PB. 

My splits taped to my Garmin

I packed up quickly the night before and set up my gear. I had eaten terribly that day and for most of the week as I had not planned on racing a half marathon. I got up nice and early before the kids and headed out to meet up with hubby's friends and aim for a PB. It was going to be the guy's FIRST half marathon. I was super excited of them and wished them a great race.

I'm just one of the guys

The course is know to be fast and downhill, but they don't mention on pretty big hill you need to tackle at the 3km mark heading up to 4km. I walked it last year, but decided early on that I would try my best to stay on pace and run up the hill. Once I reached the top, my legs felt O.K, but not great. I continued on. I was glad that I taped my pace on to my watch because it really helped me stay on track. I can't say the rest of the course was downhill, but it was definitely scenic. I was trying to stay on pace, so I couldn't really grab my phone out for any selfies during this race. 

Coming into the finish line

It was another great day for a race. I stayed on mark with my splits and squeaked in right under 2 hours. It's a course PB for me, but not a half marathon PB. This is a great spring race with all different distances. I would like the run the full marathon one day as the medals are HUGE. As one of the guys put it, our half marathon medal is a coaster, the full one is a side plate.

Results 

5K - 28:36

10K - 56:60

15K - 1:25

FINISH -1:59:46.5

Pace - 5:41

The 'after' shot with our medals

Run for the Diamond - Uxbridge Half Marathon

I had chosen this race because it was not too far from home and it was one of the many races that I had heard good things. It is a nice local race in which proceeds go towards the local hospital.  I usually like to read up on races and go over the course before a race so that I can prepare myself mentally and try to visualize the race course.  But, it's been pretty crazy around here lately, so I didn't have a chance to do this and I also figured out it couldn't be any harder than the Around the Bay Road Race that I had ran a few weeks prior. I decided to look up race reports the night before and found out that it was a hilly race and would also take me onto some trails. Duh, what was I thinking Uxbridge is Canada's Trail Capital. Needless to say, I started to FREAK out!!! I had never run a trail race before and when I finally saw the elevation map of the course, I was just beside myself. It was too late, the race was the next day.

I decided to take it easy and just enjoy the race, but the competitive side in me was telling me to try to push myself. I completed my usual night before race routine by checking the weather, setting up my race gear and laying out my race outfit. I  wasn't going to have to leave at the crack of dawn because the race was only 40 minutes from home and I was going solo; no kids, no husband.

I started to notice all the rolling hills on the scenic drive up to Uxbridge. It was a bit chilly  (-3 Celsius) but the sun was out and it was going to be a great morning for a run. The race was starting and finishing at the Wooden Sticks Golf Course. I was able to pick up my race kit the morning of the race and get ready inside the warm clubhouse. One of the highlights of this race is the diamond giveaway. Every runner has a chance at winning a diamond from one of the sponsors. Unfortunately, I was not the lucky winner this year.

The drive up and start line selfie

I usually run races with my friends, but this one was a solo race. It was one of the smallest races I have taken part in. There were only 179 participants in the half marathon. This was nice as the start line was not jam packed with runners. The course took us out of the golf course and downhill onto some beautiful tree lined country roads for about 9 kms, into the trails for about 5kms, then linking up with the paths of the golf course for the last 7 kms and finishing in front of the clubhouse.

Action selfie in the trails

Since I had read about the course the night before, I tried to pace myself according. I had hoped for a sub 2 hour finish, but knew that it would not happen with the trails. I started with a good steady pace while on the country roads, but wanted to save myself for the trails and the hills that I would be facing. The air was crisp and fresh which is a nice change from racing in big cities. The road was lined will tall trees and the sun was peaking overhead. The roads were free and clear of cars and after the first few kilometres the runners got into their pace, I was running with only a few other people. Once we entered the trails, we had to run in single file and for most that part I was on my own. My pace slowed down quite a bit here as the trials were partially covered with ice.

I was a rookie to trail running, so I had to walk for some parts as the path was covered with ice and then there were some mud puddles to jump over. I decided to enjoy the scenery and try not to think about my time. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to wipe out or throw my back out while trying to get good footing on the trails.  It was great to finally hit the paved cart paths of the golf course, but there were even more hills on the path then on the trails. The ups and downs on the winding paths seemed to be never ending. I looked down at my watch at 20km and I knew I wasn't going to make my sub 2:00, I felt a bit defeated, but stared down the last hill up to the finish line and gave it all I had.

Coming up the hill for the finish

Instead of bagel and bananas, all runners were welcomed into the clubhouse for a buffet style meal. I piled my plate up with goodies and sat down to enjoy my post race meal. It was so nice to be able to sit at a table and eat properly immediately after racing.

This was a challenging course but the scenic views are worth every hill I hit. I would definitely do this race again.  

Results

Category Place - 5/28

Gender Place - 20/76

Overall Place - 87/129

Finish - Gun time - 2:03:40:1

             Chip time - 2:03:31:3

Have a Fantastic Week!

Have you run any trail races?