With My Own Two Feet: March, April, May

MARCH
Rockin' Shamrock Race (Santa Monica, CA) - 3.1 miles

After doing two halfs and two 10ks in two months, March felt like the right time to slow down a little.  As the old saying goes, this was a marathon, not a sprint!  And when I started looking around for options, I came across a local company that conducts weekly races in Santa Monica and Long Beach.  Rocket Racing Productions is run by Mark & Michelle, and they host low key, inexpensive races on a regular basis.  And even better, finishers still all get a medal (because clearly one of the few reasons I run is for the bling!)  So I registered for the Rockin' Shamrock Race and showed up not knowing what to expect.  Michelle greeted all runners at check in, which consists of her crossing your name off of the list and handing you a bib.  Once it's show time, Mark calls everyone over to the start line that he chalked that morning.  He explains where the chalked turnaround point is before blowing the whistle, and then just like that, we were off.  Running down the strand past the Santa Monica Pier with the ocean breeze against your face is an incredible way to start the morning.  There are few people out and about, so you have plenty of time to take in the sights of the mountains against the sounds of the ocean mixed with the smell of the salt air.  And as I approached the finish line, there was Mark with a camera and a stopwatch.  For the first time, I started to think about how fulfilling it must be on the other side - creating an opportunity for folks to run and be healthy.  I knew then that this wouldn't be my last Rocket Racing run!

APRIL
Rock 'n' Roll San Francisco (San Francisco, CA) - 13.1 miles

My first half was part of the Rock 'n' Roll series and when I got the email announcing that Rock 'n' Roll was merging with the TransAmerica half to do it's inaugural Rock 'n' Roll San Francisco Race, there was no way I could pass it  up.  How many times would I have the opportunity to run over the Golden Gate Bridge?  The race coincided with Steffie and Allison's birthdays, so it even gave us a chance to plan a bigger weekend of fun in the Bay area.  I convinced Steffie that registering her for her first half marathon was the perfect birthday gift (probably an equally genius idea to when she convinced me to hike down a mountain without proper shoes), and quickly all details fell into place.  Two nights before we hopped on the plane, things got even more exciting when a few more friends decided to drive up and join the fun.  But when eight people go to San Francisco and only four of them are running 13.1 miles, chances are, it won't all be about running.

While the Rock 'n' Roll San Fran was only my third half, it was the first time I realized how bold I had become in my approach to running.  Unlike the previous two halfs, I hadn't trained as diligently.  And with every glass of wine that was poured at dinner the night before the race, the less sleep I committed myself to getting.  When the four runners of the group finally peeled themselves away (mainly because I was falling asleep at the table) and returned to the hotel, it was close to 2 a.m.  Only four hours until we had to be up and ready to run.  And when that alarm went off, I couldn't believe how tired I felt.  Fortunately the crisp San Francisco air quickly woke me up and as we waited at the start line, I started to get excited about how beautiful this course was bound to be.  Unlike any of my other races, this time I had a running partner.  Steffie and I were going to run the race together.  Up that first hill and through the winding streets, we made our way toward the bridge.  We stopped to take pictures and soaked in the memories.  And when we crossed the finish line together, I knew we had accomplished more than 13.1 miles.  How can you truly measure a memory like that?  After a delicious brunch and a rewarding shower, we were back on the streets of San Francisco to finish our day of sight seeing, almost as if the race were just another thing someone does on a Sunday morning.

MAY

Thunder Blast Run (Santa Monica, CA) - 3.1 miles

May.  Five months into my year-long challenge.  With a number of big races still to come, this seemed like another good time to take it easy and run a 5k.  So I turned back to my new local favorites and checked out what Rocket Racing Productions had to offer.  The course for the Thunder Blast Run was identical to that of the Rockin' Shamrock, and I welcomed the familiarity of it.  I laughed at myself while running because I couldn't remember when I had become a person to whom running 3.1 miles was taking it easy.