Wonderful Exhaustion

Had quite the day today. I woke up at 6am and suited up for my See Jane Run 5K run. It's a little hard putting on the short-shorts and facing one of those infamous Bay Area foggy mornings, but it was worth it. The race was in Alameda. The See Jane Run people are really wonderful. They've created this wonderful race geared towards every sort of woman. The whole vibe of the run was about creating this positive space for women to get out and challenge themselves, no matter age or ability, all while having fun. Plus the event was a benefit for Girls Inc, which is a great organization.

After cheering off the half-marathoners, those of us running the 5K warmed up together, gave ourselves a great cheer, and we were off. I put myself about 1/4 of the way into the pack. Not in front, but not in back. Now, I tell myself over and over again that I'm not a competitive runner, and I'm not doing this to compete against others. But there is a side of me that is a competitor, and I think of running as a sport whose only real competition is with yourself. Yes, there are other runners who run the race with you, or maybe even against you, but I really believe that all those other runners are just variations of your own self. 

I started the race out kind of fast--maybe a little faster than I would have wanted. But I had to break free of the pack and find a place where I could run at my own speed. I ran clear of the slower paced people, and then it was a matter of picking off people, or being picked off. I actually didn't get picked off too much, but I was impressed when a lady pushing a stroller picked me off. She actually pushed and excuse-me-ed her way through, and I paced her for a bit before picking her off again. Then it was me and another girl. I ran right on her shoulder the last half of the race. There was a part of me that couldn't muster the will to pass her. I just didn't have the inner strength. But then the finish line came into view. It was still a long ways off, and having it in view can be more painful than not knowing where it is at all. She started to tire, and I managed to pass her for a minute, but then she kicked and flew past me, and there was that little competitor in me who reared up and yelled, oh, HELL no!!, and I put my kick in. I ran up and caught her, and we were side by side, but then she didn't have the gas, and I yelled, come on! come on! And she came back, and we were both flying, and my legs were a little numb from the cold, and in the strangest moment of self-doubt I've ever had, I had the oddest sensation that I wasn't wearing any shorts, and I had to look down to confirm that they were there, and, assured that my shorts hadn't dropped down and mysteriously shimmied off my ankles, I continued to kick, and I beat her, or maybe she didn't have it in her, and that made me a little sad, since she carried me the whole way. I finished in 25:24, which is officially my best time for a 5K since high school.

As if that weren't enough for one day, the next item on my agenda was a gig with Maze at the shopping center next to RCW.  It was one of those throw-away gigs--you go into it knowing no one will show up, except maybe some of your friends, and any random people who happen to be there. So it was fun and easy. We debuted Naori, which went semi-ok, but not perfect. I also debuted my She Goes solo, which I worked on all week. I played it semi-ok too, but it was enough to make me feel confident and happy.

Then there was a couple hours of rest, and then a well-deserved sushi dinner. I ate 6 plates of sushi-boat goodness, which is a record for me. I have a bottomless stomach.

And then we went to check out Slam Bam Story Jam, for an evening of storytelling. Coke, a student in my class, was in the show, as well as Mark and Brenda from Ghosts and Girls days. Coke was really amazing. It's so wonderful to see people you know in the daily context of their lives transform into new beings when they perform. It was a special thing to see that tonight. 

And phew, am I tired! I did more today than I usually do in a month. It's hard to get me out of the house sometimes, but today all those things were totally worth it.

See Kathryn Run!

I'm participating in See Jane Run's 5K race this weekend. It would be more impressive if I were participating in their half-marathon--but maybe next year. Anyhow. Today I picked up my bib, t-shirt, and timing chip. I still have my timing chip on my shoe from Bay to Breakers. I'm lucky number 6092, baby!

Not quite sure how I'm going to do in this one. I gave myself a week off after Bay to Breakers, and I only was able to get one run in this week. But hey--I'm signed up and I am going to run! That beats being sedentary. If I weren't signed up for this race you can bet I'd be fast asleep on my Saturday morning.

Apparently there is going to be chocolate and champagne at the finish line! Too bad I have a gig right after. Maybe I can have one celebratory glass--you know--to toast with.

Bay to Breakers, 2009

Bay to Breakers this year was awesome. I trained hard for this race. I think I trained smart this year too. On Monday I ran 5 miles and then did absolutely nothing else for the rest of the week except eat, rest, and eat some more. I wanted to give my body every advantage and opportunity to recover and repair and be fully ready and energized to run on Sunday.

I was actually surprised at how well I ran, especially since the forecast was for a scorching 90 degrees. I ran really strong and I didn't ever feel particularly tired, and I got water at every station. At one point I grabbed two waters, and in a moment of extreme decadence, I poured one of the waters down my back and drank the other one. On the way up the Hayes Street hill, I found a group of high school cross country runners (I could just TELL they were CC girls--there's something about the understated camaraderie and silent but powerful drive to keep moving) and I hopped on with them. They took me all the way up the hill and beyond. I was going to go with them all the way but I got distracted by a samba group and when I looked back my girls were lost in the crowd. But I pushed on, my legs full of juice and it wasn't until a point in mile 5 where I started to wonder how much longer, but then the course started heading on a gentle downslope, which lifted my spirits. The last leg is through Golden Gate park, and in years past it seemed like it took forever to get through the park, but this year, it just flew by. Before I knew it we were heading toward the final turn before you come up on the Pacific Ocean. I could see the finish line, and my legs were still strong under me, and this guy right in front of me starting kicking, and I decided to go right along with him, and it was like flying, and I ran as hard as I could, my body pushing, arms pumping, lungs filling, your feet only touching the ground for the tiniest of moments, the world streaming by, and before I knew it, it was over, and it felt so good. I ran it it 1:11:24, by my watch. My chip says 1:17, but I had to take a shishi break after the first mile. It's a PR just the same.

This one was for me. I did it. All me. All by myself. Flying.

5K in 20 Minutes!

What? Really? I ran this morning's 5K in 20 minutes?

That's what I was thinking as I hit stop on my watch this morning. I ran See Jane Run's practice 5K. There was a great turn out. Most of the people were there to practice their half marathon, but they also had the 5K course. It's nice and flat, and borders the ocean, which is another great plus. The only thing was the practice starting line must have been 400 meters from the real start, so basically we cut anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 miles off the real distance, which for a 5K, is quite a bit. So much for trying to time this thing. I'm not complaining though. It was a nice thing they were doing for the half-marathoners. 

I also realized that my new running shoes suck. That's what I get for buying shoes off the internet. I am going to See Jane Run today to get better ones. There's no way I'd make it through Bay to Breakers on these ones. See? It was worth it to wake up early and run this thing.

I'm Gonna Run Bay to Breakers

I've ran close to 90 miles in the last few months. I feel ready for Bay to Breakers. A second ago I wrote that I didn't feel ready, but once I read those words, I had to delete them all. Yes, I feel ready. No, I haven't qualified to get into the elite starting pack, but that's not my goal. My goal is not to compete at all. This is coming from a competitive cross-country runner. Yeah, I used to kick butt in the sport, but now that I am older, or maybe just more tired, I am really just content to finish. Not that I have any intention of walking the race--NO, I am going to run the darn thing. Well, run it as much as I can amongst 60,000 other people (sometimes you have to walk, unwillingly).  This race is for me. I'm going to push. I'm going to elbow my way through the throng of drunk people, and weave my way around the floats, and dodge--at all costs--the naked people. Pacific Ocean, here I come!

I also signed up for a See Jane Run 5K race that happens a couple weeks after Bay to Breakers. The Jane people are holding a practice run this Saturday. They're setting up a 5K course in Alameda. I've signed up for this practice run, and boy am I ready. I'm not there to compete, but there is a part of me that still wants to see where I stand amongst my peers. Plus there are mile markers and I've always wanted to see my splits.

I'm liking this running thing. When I run there is nothing else but breath and body. The more you run this time, the farther you can go next time. The more I run, the further my thoughts are left behind, the further every day life, and the future and past, and everything that ails me gets left behind. There is just you and your body. And after a run nothing is as good as feeling the sweat drip off your head and the clarity of your mind and the dull ache in your muscles that let you know that you are alive.

Yeah, bring it on.

This running thing is good.