Last Sunday I ran the SF Marathon.

Short version:   Beautiful day, tough course and a final time of 4:43:08, which was an almost 17 minute PR for me.   Very tired and very happy at the end.

Long version.   This  was marathon #2 for me, and my goal race for the year.  I was really, really nervous going in.   For my first marathon last Fall, I ran a conservative race, had a lot of fun, and finished with 5:00:01.   This time, I wanted to race it and really push myself, even if it meant risking the dreaded death march at the end.   I went back and forth on my goals.  I was better trained this time around, but I knew SF would be a harder course.  I eventually picked 4:40 at my A goal,  4:50 as my B goal, and anything sub 5 as my C goal.

Race Day:   Got up at 3:45 to get in my coffee and some oatmeal and than DH drove me the about 40 minutes into the city.  I got there early, hoping to get to meet Docket_Rocket (Damaris) who was also running this race.  But the corrals were large and I couldn't find her.  Oh rats!   It was a well organized race and the waves started right on time.  My wave took off right as the sun was coming up which was cool.

The first 10 miles of the race just flew by.   It was sunny and clear  so we had a stunning view of the Golden Gate bridge as we approached it and amazing views as we ran across it.  I had made the decision to run this race without my iPod and it was a good decision.  I loved soaking up the sound of the pounding feet and hearing bit and pieces of conversation around me.   I also spotted Damaris as we crossed paths going opposite directions on the bridge.  I yelled "hI' and hoped I didn't startle her.  There were definitely hills on this part of the course, but my legs were fresh and so they didn't seem that bad.

Beginning at around mile 10, we entered Golden Gate park, which was where the race started getting more serious for me.  I crossed the 13 mile marker at 2:20 and was pretty happy about there.   But, mile 14 through 17 features a slow, but steady climb though the park.  Although no particular slope here was that bad, there was a relentless quality to it and I started to feel the first beginnings of fatigue setting in.   By mile 17, I realized that 4:40 wasn't going to happen, but resolved to finish as best I could.   It was in this stretch that I spotted Damaris again and at least had the chance to introduce myself and wish her good luck.  It was neat seeing a fellow forumite in "real life" and she looked terrific out  in her maniacs shirt.

Mile 19 saw us leave the park and head back onto city streets.   The next couple of miles featured some steep downhills which were a mixed blessing.  Downhill was good, yes, but some sections were steep enough that you could not relax as you ran them.   i was feeling tired, but was in that stage where I was sensing the finish line and had started counting down the miles.  It was sunny again, and the one complaint I had with this race is that the water cups were ridiculously small and only filled 1/4 or 1/3 with water.  Each cup was less than a mouthful.  By mile 22,  I was feeling very thirsty and and somewhat nauseous from inadvertently drinking some of their electrolyte drink that had out.   Next water station, I ended up walking over the table and picking up 4 "cups" of water.   A lot of people were doing the same and it was a log jam of sweaty thirsty runners.

Around the 22-23 mile mark we hit the final hills in the course.  Tiny, baby hills compared to what we had run through, but man those final small hills about emptied what little I had in the tank.  By mile 24, my goals had shrunk to a single thought -- don't walk.   I stopped caring about time or water or anything but continuing to run.  It seemed to take forever to get the ball park and then slowly creep around it.  At mile 25 some Team in Training coach was standing yelling "You're there, just a couple more minutes", which made me think evil thoughts.   Finally, the finish line was in sight and I managed a slightly faster jog.  Then I was across!  Yay!  I hadn't walked!

I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment, much more so than for me first marathon.  I really felt I had left it all out there.   I about cried when I realized I still had to walk a mile to the car.

Favorite signs of the day:   "What in the F*** are you doing?"  "Go, random stranger, go."  "Keep running, beer ahead."

Thanks for reading and here my my splits if you are interested.

Congrats!  I love San Fran, that's for sure!

Has D posted her RR yet?

i know a few others used to run this race back in the RWBF.

i can't remember if it's this one where you can run 1st half, last half or full?

Anyway, I know GG park can throw some hills you don't expect but then again it is SAN FRANCISCO!!!

Great race and you did very well!  Enjoy the accomplishment!!!

Your splits show you trained and performed to your ability, that's huge.

I love the final goal of not walking, I know how hard fighting that urge can be for some of us who are not front of the pack material.

I had about a 7 minute walk to the start at my last marathon, that same walk took 29 minutes after it was over so I can imagine what walking a mile was like!

Good show Blue, you must be incredibly proud!

Great job, outoftheblue!  The hills were constant,  Whoever told me that the hills end at Mile 16 must've been drunk!  By the way, my Garmin recorded 1257ft elevation gain.

Great job on a tough course.  It was a pleasure meeting you even in passing.  Sorry we were unable to meet pre-race.

Congratulations on the PR on such a hilly course.  You did really well.

Awesome!!!! Congrats on the PR and pushing yourself through when things got tough. Sounds like a challenging but fun race, and you rocked it! Nice splits!

Great PR!  Congratulations on some nice splits on a hilly course.  Coming from a pancake flat part of the country, I can't imagine trying to conquer San Francisco hills.  You did a great job and had a solid race.  Way to go!

Thank you so much for all your comments and feed-back.   Looking back on the race, it seems so dream-like now -- I almost can't believe it really happened.

For those who asked about pictures, there was a ton of on-course photographers, but I choked on the price -- $30 per pix, or $70 for the lot.  I was a little surprised.  A lot of our smaller, local races give you the pictures for free.

Damaris -- I hope you feel better soon and post a RR -- I'm looking forward to reading your take on the race.