Before the start

This all started about 4 weeks ago - I decided it was finally time to set an intermediate milestone and the Half Marathon@SF was the challenge to work up for. Not sure if I was thinking straight or could do it - 2 separate questions - decided to answer the 2nd one [ I figured self-answering the first one in the affirmative didn't mean much :); and didn't really have an objective party to pose the question to , sigh! ]

And the litmus test

The 10miler at Sawyer Camp is the test that will help me decide, to do or not to do.
Thanks to Coach Rajeev Patel and Arun Sharma that day, I actually completed the 10mile run. Momentarily that did bring me back to the 1st question. But enough about.

The BIG Weekend

Race weekend approached with some apprehension,

1. Friday, Took care of the Bib pickup via Abheek [and later thanks to Nipa, Nirman ]
   
2. Took a family-walk to Baskin Robbins for ice cream Friday night - that was a nice refreshing outing.
   
3. slept well on Friday [ 7/29/05] night - per Coaches' advise
4. Saturday, didn't go for the long run Saturday - that was easier done than said
   
5. had a big rice lunch - couldn't make the carbo-load meet @ Giovannis .
6. Had the help of ReliableRanga's ( RR ) concern to ensure the bib and starting schedule was nailed to the last minute
7. Read emails and saw RR's caution - Be prepared to go it alone! Print email, print map to Ferry Building; take out the frozen banana [for this is no fresh stock @ home], make gatorade, fill bottles for fuel-belt and rush to bed!
   
8. Hit the bed at 10:15pm - had Shivum's party all evening - couldn't miss that now, could I?

Target: 2h 38minute - 12 minutes/mile.

Race Day: Saturday, July 31, 2005

2:30am : alarm went off and I actually woke up with a sense of alertness that hasn't plagued me recently - I attribute that to unacknowledged anxiety about this big event.

2:45am : Came downstairs and saw Prajakta and Sujata's respective Good luck notes. What a wonderful start to this day; I am blessed. In her note, Prajakta reminds me, "Daddy: Remember I have already walked 14 miles at the walkathon!" - so she is one-up on my attempted 13.1 miler today! The note really cheered up the morning and off to a great start. I am so glad and lucky for having all of them :)
Snack: 2 peanut butter slices, mushed banana, some milk.

2:55am : RR called to say, "All systems are on schedule; how are you doing?" , A-OK here sir. Said Goodbye to Rohini as I leave the house [woke her up actually !]

3:07am : In the car and on my way to Oak Shopping center @ Cupertino. KOIT [ 96.5 FM] is my companion for the first leg.

3:20am: Waiting at the DeAnza light [off hwy 85] and Rambabu calls [on RR's phone] and I tell him, "please give me 2 more minutes to get there!".

3:35 am : Depart with Peter, RR, Rambabu in Rambabu's car - nice car that too. Next stop, Oracle to pick up Nirman.

3:55 am : Arrive Oracle; Nirman showed up with the race bags - it has the chip, bib and some stuff. Off to the races.

4:39 am : Reached Embarcadero/Bryant parking lot - parking special for the run that morning - just 10$. It is windy and a little nippy!

Nirman prompted us to jog to the starting place - that helped get rid of the cold - stop for a restroom break and then met up with Deepak, Arun, Srini, Pradeep. Got a picture with the elite crowd. I went with some of the others to the 4:30-5hour [for the marathon] corral. At around 5:20 [don't have a watch so can't tell time :(, note to self - should have a time device just for these occasions ], the first group is off the start line. There is a lot of cheering and clapping. Apparently about 15000 participants were expected. First to start off were the wheelchair participants. Amazing how diverse the crowd, is including the early start, 5k, 10k, 2 halves and the marathon - there are at least 6 different races being kicked off. Mind boggling that the organizers have all this on tap.

And now it is our turn to start off, and here we go...

And the RACE

I started off on a slow pace, lots of people but the streets near the Ferry Bldg are wide and plenty of room for everyone. There are kids holding signs, "Go, Daddy, go" - feels good to read them other cheers from other spectators. I am thinking, I registered and trained so I am here; how motivated do you have to be to come to cheer your friends, and family at this hour and in this not-so-sunny weather. Just then someone shouts from the sidelines, "No this is not your worst dream, it's for real". That's that much for hard-truths and reality. :)
I am beginning to get into a rhythm within the first mile - I am glad. Then we pass the sourdough factory - oh, my am I going to be hungry and distracted ! Fortunately that passes by the time we get to the bay front. I think it was the sight of people lined outside the portables that banished any further wanderings along the bread path. At this point we hit the climb for Fort Mason - I guess that is 1 of the 3 hills that were listed on the schedule. I take it on easy and having remembered to wear my hat helps - I don't have to look at summit just focus on a step at a time - reduced stride length, I navigate the first one.
After that the is the part where we pass the lawns being watered, I believe near Crissy field; nice view of the yachts to the right, and flat running. I find a "nike swoosh" to focus on a shirt and start pacing that guy for a little while until the next water stop. At that point, I lose him. Didn't feel the need for water/cytomax for the weather was perfect.
This was the point of the next ascent towards the Bridge. This turns out to be a 2 part ascent and that works out to be just fine. As we near the bridge, I see the first of the runners returning from having completed the bridge loop - wow!
I begin to scan for Tony or one of the other faster runners on left [ the return path ], but don't him or another TeamAsha member. I did recognize 1 runner from the Stanford tracks in the early lot, quite impressive.

Running on the BRIDGE

This is what the race was about for me - and pleasantly surprised to find that there were 2 traffic lanes being used for the race - so I was running on the BRIDGE. There was fog cover and the mist was fogging up my glasses. The glasses come off and hang of the front of the shirt. Even with a whole lane for each direction, there is not enough room. A lane holds about 5 runners/walkers side-to-side. This is when realize that having walkers, even 2 together causes a congestion. It must be the Bridge, but suddenly I notice the walker around me. Looks like some are doing the "Galloway" method and others are walkers all the way. I have to admit this stretch seemed extra-congested due to the walkers ! The other realization is that the BRIDGE is loooong. Other than the little brush off someone's arm, I make it to the Vista point without incident. At the vista point, there is a water stop and restrooms. Quite a few people take those breaks as they see them, I must keep going.
Complete the loop around Vista point and back on the BRIDGE. I see Deepak and some other ASHA runners on the other side. RR comes up on my right hand side and we exchange a few words. The return on the BRIDGE seems to go faster [ thankfully! ].

The Last Leg

Off the bridge, under the highway and over to the other side. The climb starts and this is a steep one - count 3 and come upto a water/gu stop. I decide to try the Vanilla gu and remember to have 2 cups of water to wash it down. Gu tastes good ; make note, "Vanilla Gu, I like". At this point I see the 10mile sign - this is only the 2nd mile marker I have noted and I am glad that there only 3.2 to go. I conveniently forget that this is the city and there are more climbs [even though the 3 promised hills are done per my count ]. I slow down on the climb up and down - not sure why I don't speed up on the downhill like many others that I see. I asked someone the time, it is 7:22am and then I see the 11mile marker - mental calculation { 30+22+60=112minutes } for 11miles - tracking close to a 1ominute mile; this is good, I am still in good spirit and doing good time as well [by my standards]
Couple of more elevations and I see the 12mile marker. At that point, I also run into Anil Rao - the Ultramarathon dude; what a privilege. He and his friend are going to take a water break and he eggs me on - "last mile, go all all out". Ok, there is a downhill portion here - have to take it slowly. As I approach what feels like the last curve, I look across and see some runners across and bushes on an up climb and for a moment my heart sinks. Then I realize that might be the 2nd half, not my half :).

Sweet Success

About 100 meters from the finish, I see Srini yelling, "Sprint to the finish" - I tried to go faster - and I can - surprising myself. As I cross the finish line I see the race clock is at 2:24. Later I realize that the chip time is the more accurate one. Stop by to return the chip and then grab a banana. Someone walks up to me with a medal and I am elated!
I see RR, Nirman - Congratulations all around. They finished about 3 minutes before. We look for Rambabu who comes up shortly. He points to the bus line and we join in - Dr. Manisha is in line with us and she had run the Napa 2 weeks ago - says SF was much better and easier than Napa. I remember to pick up my deposit sack - but they can't find my sack. A small loss for a momentous day!
Having the phone in the fuel-belt is handy - I call Rohini to let her know I finished the race. And then called Ravi; glow in their congratulatory messages as well :)
The return bus that we get into is a cable car - strike up a conversation with this lady who trekked down from Vancouver, BC for the race. Told her about ASHA. The cable car does a mini-tour of the city [at least it seems that way ] and finally gets back to the START. Marathoners are already finishing the race - spoke to a Hispanic runner from LA - time 3:24 for the marathon with his son who did the 5K race; impressive duo. We meet a trio at the parking lot with a camera - I request them to get a picture of our group and they oblige. Arun.Gupta@gmail.com happens to know Rambabu from Sun - so a brief exchange and then our party gets on the road.
On the return, we decide to stop at the IHOP in Belmont for breakfast; a 10$ breakfast/coffee stop; nice break. After dropping Nirman we [ Rambabu, RR and I ] return to Oak shopping center and bid our goodbyes.

Noteworthy

Thanks to Abheek Anand, Nipa Sheth and Nirman for coordinating the Bib pickup on Saturday and saving the trip to the city. RR kept on top of this and the schedule and injected a certain sense of urgency to the "getting there" operation.
Thanks to Arun Gupta for offering to get our picture -- one more addition to the memory shoebox of the first ever race in the new century.

Fundraising for a good cause

And now, if you feel like donating to the charity effort that is motivating all of this, please go to my TeamASHA page.

Links

• Asha's cool dudes
  
• Results - time 2h:15m, overall 1893, - select San Francisco Marathon 7.31.05
  
• Arun Sharma's marathon-in-the-camera - linked without permission.

Disclaimer

I can't vouch for these links - please use them with usual URL clicking caution.