Tag: BibRave

2023 Oakland Half Marathon Recap

Otherwise known as the one where I wore cotton.

Disclaimer: I received entry to Oakland Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Ambassador. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Ambassador, and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

It’s not like this is my first race. It’s not like this is my first race in the rain. Heck it’s not like this is my first race in Oakland!

I headed up there on Saturday with my brother and my mother. We turned it into a family experience. My brothers first ever 50 miler had been canceled due to weather the weekend before so he decided to run the Oakland marathon instead. Which all sounds great until you take into account we shared a hotel room – all three of us adults. Never doing that again.

Packet pick up was in Snow Park and it was a much bigger expo expo than last year. I was just picking up my shirt as I had my bib mailed to me earlier. They didn’t have my size I had to get a men’s size. Not sure what would have been left if I had waited until race day. The swag tent from with swag from previous years was there, I picked up a couple of long sleeves for a great price.

Race morning dawned early, at least early for my brother, who was running the marathon which started at 7. Running the half I did not start until 9 AM, but when everybody’s awake in the hotel room everybody’s awake in the hotel room . I could already tell that it was going to be a wet one and this silly Slacker didn’t try on her 3/4 zip before she packed for the trip and it didn’t fit. So I made it work. I put on my blue cotton hoodie from the day before and put a plastic poncho on over it. How bad could it be?

My mother and I headed down to the start line together. With a 9 AM start for me it wouldn’t be long before my brother was coming across the finish line for the marathon. He was aiming for another sub 3. Not going to lie, waiting for the start was so cold. The wind was so strong I was a little afraid of what was going to come. The race started more or less at nine just taking longer for the slower folks like me to get across the start line and we were off running around Oakland.

Miles 1 through 3 take you around Lake Merritt and back into town. Sometimes it’s my favorite part and sometimes it’s my most hated part depends on what mood I’m in that day. This day I was feeling the lake. It was raining and wet but I was still looking forward to everything that was about to come.

Miles 4 through 6 took us through town and then out towards Jack London Square. I gotta learn how to look at a map. For some reason I didn’t think we went to Jack London this year but I was wrong. This is also where I first landed my foot in a puddle. So not only was it raining on me, I now had one very soaking wet left foot. However, on the upshot, I was almost halfway through half marathon and still feeling pretty great. Granted, I run really slow these days.

7 through 10 saw us coming back into town and heading up Broadway. I knew there was an out and back on Broadway-I had looked at the map for that part. I honestly didn’t think it was as long as it was going to feel. It felt like forever. 7 through 10 also contained a really long slow incline for about 2 miles, you can see the people in front of you for miles. It’s just slowly going up and it’s raining on you and this is where I started to get a little cranky. I also landed my right foot in a puddle, and now I had a wet right foot.

Just before mile 10 we looped through Oakland Tech school. Not gonna lie, that part was a little weird, there were kids playing on the track. Then we finally turned around and headed back down Broadway. The slight downhill and the temp was making me so happy but I was starting to tire out and we were running into a headwind. We ran down Broadway and then down the street next to it and we were headed back towards the park. I knew we had to go farther down than the park then turn around and come back up; which is a cruel trick race organizers. Please stop doing this. A couple blocks from the finish line, my brother and mom were waiting on the sidelines for me so they jumped in and ran with me a bit.

Ran might be an overstatement. At that point I was tired and I was walking and my feet were wet and I might have been whining. Also, I was beginning to realize that my goal of breaking three hours was probably not going to happen even though I have been stalking the overall pace on my watch for 10 miles. I forgot about the tangents and I got irritated. Finally, I could see the finish line up a small hill, and I tried to run it in. It was more of a jog.

Finish- 3:00:59

I was slow, yes, but still finished with a better pace than where I was at this time the last 2 years. I also felt pretty good. Well, other than being wet and cold. I kept the plastic poncho on until the last mile of the race and even though my sweatshirt was extremely damp- there was no chafing!

I still love this race. All the artwork you get to see while you run, the people who come out to cheer, the cool buildings around downtown, the shirts and the medal. There’s a reason this is my third time running Oakland.

Oh and my brother? 2:59:53

Spread a Little Kindness

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Kindness is Dope III Knockaround Sunglasses to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews!

We could all use a little extra Kindness these days, right? And if comes with cool shades as well? Even better.

For the third year, Knockaround (my favorite sunglasses) released their Limited Edition Kindness is Dope sunglasses pair. The Kindness is Dope Campaign aims to remind us to spread a little Kindness.

The Kindness is Dope set comes with 2 pairs of sunglasses. One for you and one for someone else. This year’s set included a pair of Mai Tai’s and a pair of Fast Lanes. Both frames were similar but different with a tortoise shell pattern. Cool! And if rocking a cool pair of shades helps the wearer to remember to throw a little kindness around, all the better. I’ve barely taken mine off since I received them.

I kept the Fast Lanes and sent the Mai Tai’s off to Texas. Kate is a such a great friend and is there for support any time I need it. Maybe I need it too much, but she’s always there for me, even at a distance. Plus, she had never tried Knockaround, so it was a double win.

There are still pairs available if you want to get your own. But outside of that, try to share a little more Kindness in your days. Every little bit helps.

2022 Oakland Marathon Recap (10K)

Oh, I have some much to share from last week. So many miles- on foot and by car- but let’s start with the end of the week- I ran a race!!!

Disclaimer: I received an entry in the Oakland Running Festival to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

I ran Oakland Marathon (Half) back in 2019 and loved all of the street art along the course. I ran it virtually in 2021 because I loved the medal. When the opportunity to run it again this year popped up, I was all in. I was looking forward to seeing of my fave murals along the half course as well as wondering what new ones may have popped up. Then COVID.

Don’t get me wrong, I was out of fitness in January before COVID hit but I essentially felt like I was starting from scratch afterwards. I lived in denial for a bit but by the beginning of March I knew there was no way I running the half. Yes, I could finish it but what damage would I do? So I dropped to the 10K, which the website made super easy so that was a bonus. Then race morning arrived dark and early. So dark, I got lost walking from my hotel to the start. Oops. Don’t do that.

I had done a rookie mistake and didn’t read the weather properly. I packed my BibRave singlet and a light weight long sleeve that I figured I would be ditching before the race started. Except the 10K started at 7 and it was 45 degrees. I still find that to be very cold, particularly on the top half of me. Crap. I layered the long sleeve under my tank and bought a cheap wannabe buff for my ears. I was still cold but it worked, mostly.

The 10K started at 7AM along with the marathon. When I first got to the start a little after 6, I thought it looked like it was going to be a small race and yet 30 minutes later- bam! Thousands of runners. Woah.

Still feeling new, I told myself to stick to my intervals for the 10K. 40 second run, 2 minute walk even if that meant it was going to be one of my slowest road 10K’s. My goal was to cross the finish line and not feel broken.

I did allow myself 4 minutes of running out of the chute. I knew I would not want to walk so soon but also didn’t want to blow it so soon either. The first 2 miles were run around Lake Merritt as the sun was coming up. I am lazy by nature so races are one of the few times I see sunrises. And this one was nice.
Mile 2 was also the first aid station where I promptly forgot how to drink water and choked.
Miles 1/2- 13:16, 13:24

After that graceful maneuver, we were running away from the lake and into town more. These miles were a little less scenic but still good. There were also drummers out at one of the aid stations. I still enjoyed looking for street art and getting a pic of Fallon St. I started to flag a little and grabbed some fruit snacks from my pack. Those seem to be the only thing I can make myself eat while running.
Miles 3/4- 13:17, 13:23

Miles 5 and 6 brought us back into downtown Oakland and we split from the marathoners. I was enjoying looking at all the buildings we were running by but my stomach was starting to cramp in a not good way. I also apparently found my running legs, ha!
Miles 5/6- 12:30, 12:01

Dude, the finish was uphill. Who does that???
Finish 1:22:15

With the exception of the last 100 yards, I really like the 10K course. Also, for the first time in a long time, I crossed a finish line pumped and not exhausted. Yeah, I was slow and still have a lot of work to do, but it was a good day and I needed that. All in all, it was a great experience.

Chasing It- Santa Rosa Half Marathon

Don’t flame out, don’t flame out, don’t flame out. On repeat in my head for 4.5 miles.

Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Santa Rosa Half Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Race morning dawned all too early but then don’t they all. Plus I had now confirmed that the GI disaster that was Napa Valley was not a one off, ate at the same chain the night before Santa Rosa and same issues. However this time, I was prepared with both my meds and lots of Pepto. Fingers crossed.

The race started right at 7:30 with corral A going first and Corral B a few moments later. I was in B. I had very low expectations going into this race, both due to my lack of training and the weather circumstances. Smoke in the air and a very warm morning.

Mile 1, I went out too fast but no real shock there. Well, the 12:40 was kind of a surprise as I rarely see 12’s these days. I started interspersing walk breaks on my 30/50 schedule and just kept trucking. I was carrying electrolytes and knew I was taking water at every water stop. Mile 2 dropped me back into the 13’s which made sense as I already felt tired, ha!

Then things got wierd. I was moving along doing my thing, taking water, taking pictures of the course, listening to music but somehow gaining on the 2:50 pacer. What was going on?? Miles 3-5 saw a 12:59, 12:33, and 12:46.

Mile 5 also saw another feat. I caught up to the 2:50 pacers and then dropped them. Don’t get cocky, don’t get cocky, just keep going. We had hit a dirt, gravel part of the trail and I was loving it. It was warming up but there good tree cover. Mile 6- 12:39.

I was entering unknown territory in a few ways now. I was moving faster than I have in months, now farther than the distance I had run since May and now past the longest distance I had run in these running shoes.

I was also tiring but again, that made sense. I was slowing down but I’d also started to think I really could hold onto a sub 2:50. That would be almost 20 minutes faster than Idaho. I now feared hearing the 2:50 pace group. They were chatty enough that I knew I’d hear them first. I kept pushing… and repeating my new mantra.

Around mile 9, we looped around on the path and started making our way back to the start line. 4 miles to go and the wheels were starting to come off. We hit a section of direct sunlight and I started to melt. I took a wet towel at an aid station for the first time ever. (They’ve always kind of grossed me out.) I was walking more and more and then there was no more running.

I cramped. Hard. Both my calves seized up. Running was no longer an option. It just wouldn’t work. I was power walking as best I could. Which was also contributing to my issue as I was still maintaining a mid 13 pace. Which was also earning me comments from other runners as I passed a few- I was walking faster than they were running. Couldn’t tell if they were impressed or irritated.

But it was all for naught. I heard the voices I had been fearing. The 2:50 group caught up and dropped me. Wah. But that also took away my crazy push which may be why I suddenly felt a massive side cramp as well as the continuous leg cramps. At this point I was trying everything and even walking backwards at some points. Now I was just making people laugh. 12 and 13 were my slowest- 14:31 and 14:52.

This is the first finish line I have ever walked across. Even when I’ve had horrible GI races or rolled my ankle on the side of the mountain, I’ve found a way to at least jog across the finish line. This time? Nope! I just kind of struggle walked across the finish.

But I finished! 2:56:58– ten minutes faster than Idaho.

While this race was flat- and flat is not my fave- I would totally run it again. It reminded me of me, if that makes sense.

Countdown

I am at the point of fitness where sometimes a rest day is smarter than pushing it before a race. But that also makes it way too easy to remain a Slacker.

Last week wasn’t horrible and I did get out for 2 days of runs. They weren’t bad either. Both were short but both were decent. Slower than crap but decent. The only downside was the humidity during Saturday’s run. What was that all about??? We don’t do humidity here! 100 degrees, sure but humidity, no. Yuck.

Then I rationalized that a long run on Sunday wouldn’t help me for the race but could possibly hurt it. I was feeling an odd ache in my left leg and was freaky tired. Nap time!

I still had a shoe dilemma though. The farther I had run in the Torin’s was 6 ish miles and that makes me nervous for Santa Rosa. So I figured I would try a short in the Wave Riders even though Idaho made me want to burn them. Nope, no change. In fact, I took my shoes off and finished my run barefoot. Well, let’s be real- I was walking. Only crazy people run barefoot on concrete. Or people with stronger feet than me.

Then the week ran away from me and now Santa Rosa race weekend is here. What????

Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to it but I have some concerns. First is obviously my fitness level, well lack there of. Next is smoke. It’s hard to find somewhere in Ca that isn’t affected by smoke at the moment. Worse is the fires causing the smoke.

So, Santa Rosa, here I come!