Tag: Oakland Marathon

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

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.

Oakland Marathon- 13.1 Recap

Disclaimer: I received an entry to Oakland Running Festival 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 to soon even with the late start. I had not slept well the night before- too much coughing and a noisy neighbor. As I was getting ready I heard something from outside the window. Hi marathon runners!!!

Due to some shuttle confusion, I wanted to be at the supposed spot a little before 8. That way I had plenty of time for plan b if the hotel was right and there were no shuttles this year. I had to go back up to my room twice- forgot my headphones then my sunglasses when I picked up the headphones. I rounded the side of the hotel and hallelujah, there was a shuttle sign. After a very breezy wait, we all loaded on to the shuttles and were on our way.

I arrived way sooner than I usually like but at least I was there. I ran into BibRave Pro Nicole and we chatted for a bit. Yet we forgot to get a picture. I ate half a granola bar and drank water which is weird as I usually race fasted but with a start time of 9:30 I was a little confused. I hit the port a potties then made my way to the start. I lined up around the 2:20 group even though I knew that was highly unlikely. And we were off.

Miles 1,2 – 10:30, 11:17
Ok, just a little speedy out of the gate. I knew I wasn’t up to 10’s- I was in denial but I wasn’t that stupid. The course wound down past Lake Merritt and I enjoyed the view to my right. Then we headed in downtown and as much I was enjoying the tall buildings and street art, I realized I had a growing issue.

It’s me!

Miles 3-6- 10:59, 11:30, 10:42, 11:13
My damn feet went numb around 2.5 miles in and no walk breaks or stomping were bringing them back. So much for it being the shoes. I took walk breaks every 1:30 because I was having trouble gaging the stress on my legs. As you can see my pace never really slowed so even with all the walk breaks, I was running too fast but couldn’t feel it. I was still enjoying the city sights and not feeling any pain so I just kept moving.

Miles 7-8 12:02, 12:44
Feeling came back to my feet but I was beginning to feel super tired and my coughing was increasing. Now my walk breaks were even slower. I don’t think I ever had wheels in this race but they were all flying off at this point.

Miles 9-13- 12:24, 13:26, 14:02, 13:21, 13:46
My body pretty much told me it was done. I had ignored the cough and sore throat for days and now I was paying the price. I was done. I walked it in from there and only attempted to run when I saw a photographer. Yeah, that didn’t work. The bummer with the walking was that these back miles were not the most scenic and wound through some ummm, really interesting areas. Yeah, let’s go with interesting. Miles 12 to 13 brought us back to lake and I was so glad to see the finish line.

Finish- 2:40:21

I crossed the line and was handed plenty of snacks and water before the medal. Huh? Then as I was getting more and more tired by the minute, I just tried to find the shuttle pick up so I could make it back to hotel. And for the love of Pete- why do people not fill a bus back to front? It would make so much more sense! I made it back to the hotel in time to be violently ill, shower and head home. And mad props to the Oakland Marriott- I checked in an hour early and out 3 hours late- all complimentary due to the race.

I can’t be disappointed by my time as I was the one who buried my head in the sand for 4 days. And considering I walked 6ish miles, it was still faster than Surf City, ha! Also considering how sick I am 4 days later, yeah, it could have been much worse.

Week 12- Denial

Oh, denial is such a fun place to live in. Until reality slaps you in the face.

2019 Race Schedule (so far):
3/24 Oakland Running Festival (Thanks BibRave)
4/28 SLO Half Marathon
8-11 Oaktown Half (Thanks BibRave)

This week was rough, a few more early starts at work, but mostly due to my ability to ignore the signs. It’s a skill. I have many skills but a lot of them seem to only give myself ways to get in my own way, ha! But it was race week- I had to be excited!

Monday- Liift4
I really planned on running, packed all my gear but realized half way to work that I forgot my shoes. Doh. Stupid. Work was a little chaotic so maybe it was a good thing? Who knows, all I know is Liift4 felt harder than usual.

Tuesday-1ish miles
A rain storm was predicted to arrive overnight but I figured I could get in Monday’s run. It wasn’t cold but I didn’t account for the very cold, very strong wind. Less than 1/2 a mile in I could feel an asthma attack coming on. I slowed to a crawl and the feelings eased but do not go away. I called it at one lap of the lake and ended with a serious wheeze. It took a few hours for it to really ease.

Wednesday- ????
I woke up with a sore throat but attributed it to the asthma issue. Other than that I can’t remember much of the day.

Thursday- 2ish miles
Another sore throat and another early morning meeting. I think this was the second of the week. I headed out for 3-4 miles after work but wasn’t feeling it. I felt off. The denial is strong with this one.

Friday- Nada
I worked the late shift which was amazing after the early starts. Again, I was ignoring the sore throat and increasingly consistent coughing.

Saturday- Race Road Trip!
I felt a little more rested as I was able to sleep longer than normal before heading up towards Oakland. It took around hours and I only had 1 missed exit, ha, but I made it to the expo area around 2. Instead of going directly there, I decided to drive to the start line and check out the area for the next morning. That didn’t take long and I was dropping my car with the valet at the Marriot all to soon. That hotel is deceptively large and the expo was in the Convention Center. I picked up my bib, wandered around and then wandered around again. Bought a shirt, was able to get my shirt AND medal from the canceled Monterey Bay Half last year and met an Olympian!! Alysia Montano was at one of the booths and I got her autograph! Y’all this required so much stepping out of my shell. Then I couldn’t kill time anymore but the hotel let me check in early and then I just crashed. I ordered food from the hotel and never went anywhere. The coughing was becoming a thing.

Sunday- Oakland Marathon- half
Race recap to come.

16 ish miles for the week. And a heaping pile of denial. Stay tuned for the slap in the face.

How was your week?

No Sleep til Oakland

Disclaimer: I received an entry to Oakland Running Festival 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!

It’s race week!

How did that happen? Then again the last few weeks have kind of been a blur so that explains that.🤣

Speaking of sleep, it hasn’t been going so well this week. I just tell myself that it’s all the more reason to love the Oakland Marathon start time. 9:30. Which is one of the latest times I have ever started a race.

It kind of makes me nervous- I’m going to be running until when? Haha. I am sure I will appreciate the late wake up call on Sunday but it’s odd. I’m used to 6:30 start times, 8 is late. Maybe race mornings are the reason I can’t run early? Nope, just lazy.

I am staying at the race hotel so that’s going to be new too. I feel fancy. Just kidding. I may or may not have my mother traveling with me- it’s up in the air. 🤷‍♀️

I have increased my mileage but not by much so I am treating the race as a well supported long run. And fingers crossed none of the issues from Surf City pop back up. I know I said I was cool with my slower time but it doesn’t mean I want to do it again.

The only thing I am mostly stressed about is driving to Lake Merritt on race morning, I know I am going to run into race detours but I am not sure where or how many times. The marathon on the 5K start at 7 and 7:30 respectively. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing!

Oh and what pair of shoes to wear. Can’t my feet just be happy?

Ever run in Oakland? Any shoe advice?