Dawg Dash 10K

I had never really run with my husband Matt until this summer.  He’s been unbelievably supportive of my running (not the least of which includes walking me to the SFM start line at 5am and meeting me at the finish with my warm clothes in-hand) but would never consider himself a runner.  But this summer we made a pact to find more active things that we could do together (agreeing that carpooling to the gym just doesn’t count).  So this July, Matt put on his running shoes and trudged through several training runs with me. 

I was excited to share something with Matt that I love and has been such a big part of my life, but I’ll admit I was nervous at first.  I knew he would be faster than me and I worried I’d hold him back or wouldn’t be able to keep up.  I wanted to impress him (this makes me laugh just recalling this) and didn’t want to disappoint.  Silly worries that shouldn’t matter, especially given that we are MARRIED and have seen each other through much more substantive things!  But still, I worried. 

A few short runs and one long trail run later, we found our groove (and realizing how ridiculous my nervousness was).  Running together once a week is now one of our favorite traditions where we get to wind down from the week, talk about the week’s events, and just have some devoted time together.  Fast or slow, easy runs or workouts, it’s been great to be there encouraging each other and finding synergy in our strengths. 

With no fall races on the books and Husky pride to spare, we decided to sign up for the Dawg Dash 10k.  It would be my first 10k and his first race, ever!  As the day approached we were more and more excited, but preparing ourselves for 6.2 miles of torrential downpour.  But when the day arrived, we had nothing but clear, blue, beautiful fall skies and a tree-lined course full of amazing fall colors from the changing leaves. 

Both being Huskies, it was fun to find the start line right in the heart of campus where we spent countless hours studying and shuffling between classes.  When the gun went off, we worked our way through the massive crowd dressed in purple and gold, finally settling out by the first half mile.  From there we settled into a comfortable pace – surprisingly about thirty seconds faster than our normal pace – kicked it into cruise control and enjoyed the scenery of the race step by step, mile by mile. Before we knew it, we were rounding the corner to the finish.  No better setting for a final kick than running through the UW Quad, crossing the finish line together.

Crossing the finish!

The Road to San Francisco

I promised myself (and several friends) that I would run the San Francisco Marathon.  Well, the half. But anyway, three years went by and each year I had an excuse.  I’m getting married and my summer is really packed.  I’m in grad school and I can’t possibly find time to train. I have a wedding to go to that weekend.  I’m the master at making excuses and putting things off. That’s why I wrote my undergraduate thesis in a period of 48 hours. But what I didn’t realize is that I made that promise for a reason even if I didn’t know it at the time.

Running connected me with a community. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with the sport. But somewhere between undergrad and graduate school, I lost sight of that wonderful byproduct of running.  After I graduated (for the last time!) and settled into my career I noticed a void that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.  I had my degrees. A wonderful husband. Beautiful family and friends. And a job I love.  What else could I possibly need?

After some soul searching (interrupted by a lot of Pinterest and Facebooking), I realized that what I had lost in those years was something that I did for myself, but also connected me to a community in a larger way.  I had been running -- albeit sporadically – but not really engaging with it.  I knew I needed to get myself out of the rut and back in the groove.  And thank goodness for a visit from an old friend from high school who reminded me about my 3-year-lapsed promise.  I had my answer! 

In the Fall of 2011 I signed up for my first half marathon and my first race in (gulp!) 8 years!  With my registration complete and training plan from Jojo in hand, there was no turning back! 

Training was daunting. I had a terrible experience with over-training and stress fractures in high school – so every step and every miles I crossing my fingers that I was staying healthy.  Each week my long run gradually increased and every morning before my long run I would get butterflies.  While I was excited that I was progressing in my training and upping my mileage, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to do it (Seattle has hills, but San Francisco has HILLS) and terrified I would let the mental game get the best of me (13.1 miles is a lot of time to talk myself out of anything).   But a solid training plan from a trusted running friend, the gchat conversations with Nellie that put my worries at bay,  the support of my husband pushing me out of our front door every Sunday morning, and the encouragement and company of my running buddy, Laura, all got me through it.

SFM Start Line

July 29^th – San Francisco Marathon race day arrived and I was ready.  Nervous at the start line, but determined to enjoy each step as a celebration of my training (wise words from one wise friend), I was off and running my first half marathon.  Feeling stronger and more empowered with each passing mile, I couldn’t help but smile each step of those 13.1 precious miles. 2 hours and 10 minutes later I crossed the finish line in Golden Gate Park and I am forever grateful for my people and my community who helped me every step of the way. I am also super grateful to the SFM – a race that restored my faith in myself as a runner.

If you are interested in running the San Francisco Marathon (half or full!) – happy to answer any questions. If I can do it – you can do!