Nike Women's Marathon San Francisco 2010

Finally!  I'm posting my race report. Soooooo...

On October 17, 2010 I completed my first marathon, the Nike San Francisco Women's Marathon!

I came. I saw, I conquered. Wooo! I ran my first marathon! The end. Ha! Just kidding.

So the day started at 5 a.m. I stayed at the Parc 55, so it was a short walk up to the start line. Neeks came and met me in the lobby at 6 and we both set off. Nervous and excited.

The night before I almost bailed on the race. At the end of the day I couldn't walk on my feet because of pain and it had been that way for over a week. I planned to start with Neeks, bail at a first-aid station along the race route and catch a medic ride to the finish, cry and wait.

Looks like I'm having too much fun doesn't it?

The first first-aid station didn't even have a tent! No way was I bailing at mile 2. NO WAY! I kept going. I decided to just keep going until I couldn't. It hurt my feet less to run than walk and the Nike music stations were too good anyway. I was even running faster than Neeks! Wow. I became her personal cheerleader. I'd run ahead and then stop and wait and when I saw her coming up I'd start cheering her on.

Mile 6 - The not-so-big hill. Thanks to WWU10KRUNNER who helped with training (WWU10KRUNNER called me the night before to wish me luck - Thanks DS!! It meant so much. AF was really impressed too!). This hill was easy. Yah, easy! I just zipped up it. I did so many hills on the Sunshine Coast that this hill was NOTHING!!!

Mile 11 - I ran off on Neeks. She gave me a really uplifting pep talk the night before. "We'll finish it together even if you have to crawl!" I felt sooooo bad. But I saw my pace-bunny pass me. And then another, and another, and another. FRIK! So I told myself, "Winnie, this is no silly, little game of hopscotch. Go, go, go!" 

Thank you Neeks and Duane for being there! I really, really appreciate you two. AF too. It's hard rushing from cheer-station to cheer-station, standing in the rain and waiting. Thank you.

Mile 18 - Oh yah! My feet hurt. Heck!!! They hurt! I finally stopped at a first-aid tent at mile 18. Chatted with a volunteer, signed a waiver and took 2 Tylenol.

Miles 19 or 20 thru to 23 were the hardest. This part of the route takes you around Lake Merced. At about mile 22 there were men practicing shooting. There's shooting practice. Shooting! Guns! That was kind of neat.

Mile 23-24 has got to be my favourite. There was a cheer-station hosted by Power Balance. They had the BEST music. I just wanted to stop there and dance.

I finished 5:32:19 which is WAY over my goal time but gosh! This crazy girl finished!!! I got my blue Tiffany box from a very handsome fireman in a tux and Nike sneakers. I put my necklace on right away. 

I really hope to get into the Nike Marathon again if not I hope to get into NYC marathon. For now I start training for the April Fools day half on the Sunshine Coast and the BMO Vancouver Marathon :-D

PS. I found the best fast food place at Westfield. It's called the Loving Hut. Vegan! But not gluten-free. (This was before I found out I was allergic.) I highly recommend it. I was so impressed! A vegan fast food joint in a SHOPPING MALL!