Okay so I got a lot of other things, which I'll explain.
Summary: I left work a little early on Friday to sit in lovely LA traffic and managed to pass the hours with some fantastic tunes. I had planned to stop in Fresno to see Grandma and Grandpa Winter. It only took about 6 hours to get there, but I arrived a little before 9:30pm to a place I haven't been in over 10 years. It was weird because I remembered, quite vividly, the very immediate neighborhood and their house but nothing sorrounding it was familiar. For those that have not had the opportunity to meet my Grandma, let me consolidate her into one word: horses. (Yes, that is intentionally plural). If Will Ferrell were to say play a character like Alex Trebek and ask her "are horsies pretty?", let's just say that charities would not have been deprived.
I enjoyed a nice visit with them and a good night's rest (w/hundreds of horse figurines). I woke up Saturday morning and had the opportunity to meet Lucy, the little black dog I have heard much about, and also see my Uncle Jeff - a real treat as our paths always seem to keep us on opposite sides of the country. I managed to get an early start on the road and finish my drive to SF. I took 152 West (through Los Banos) and really enjoyed the drive. If I had someone like Katie in the car I would have either a) stolen her camera and taken pictures, or b) made her take pictures, so that I could throw one in and let the photo speak for the scenic beauty.
It was a very quick trip to SF and I managed to get there sooner than expected. I was guided into the city by E.K. (a.k.a. Emily Berg Kane) and then greeted by a shout out from up above that went something like this "say hey to my female, she's coming down to meet you". Yes, you're right, it could only be the one and only J. Andy Kane. I won't gush over the fabulousness of their apartment (but I will refer you to replikate.blogspot.com for a full review and photo tour).
My favorite part of driving into SF was looking to my left and seeing precise rows of pastel houses, which from afar appeared to be on a gradual incline. (My marathon experience tells me that it probably was not a gradual incline that supported these homes).
I brought up my stuff and headed back out to walk a few blocks to the expo and pick up my number. I was quickly reminded of my childhood crush on San Fran - it was the inspiration for my move to Boston. To me, SF is the hybrid of East meets West, highlighting all the goodies. :)
Blah blah blah ...
I had a perfect evening with Mr. and Mrs. Kane, who cooked up an ideal meal that we enjoyed on their scenic roof deck, followed by a drive to look out over the city and visit Treasure Island. Sleep was minimal that evening, because of nerves and text messages, but 5am came before I knew it. Katie was patient enough to wait for me and we walked over to the starting line together. I love being awake when the city sleeps. No, really - I do.
As we dipped in and out of that female traffic jam of fellow runners we managed to hit toilet row and still make it to our respective starting points with a few minutes to spare. Already I was keenly aware of the differences between SF and NY (Nov. 2005). I contorted my body into all sorts of stretches trying to loosen up and repeating to myself, "mind over matter - your leg will be fine". Update - my right leg was being funky (for a few weeks) before the race and I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it at all.
This is a "family" blog so I'll skip the details about the race itself b/c really it would end up being a lot of expletives anyway. Highlights include: 1) I finished, 2) the four attractive guys on mile 7-8 holding up cardboard signs of encouragement and their phone numbers, 3) the weather/temperature, 4) the Golden Gate bridge that floated above a cloud of fog, 5) the realization that this would be my last full marathon, a.k.a. retirement, 6) that f-ing finish line! :) Which conveniently was guarded by firemen in tuxedos with Tiffany boxes - incentive what?!
I realized early on that I was off my NY pace and that my goal to finish would in fact take precedence. Most of us know that sometimes I have a hard time saying no. It's like Dios Malos said, "I want it all". Marathon training and other recent life events have reminded me that I can't do it all and that when I prioritize I should make the things that make me most happy, the trump card.
Here are a few visuals for those not interested in reading:
Katie and Corey: pre-race photo op
Me, E.K., and Katie - The aftermath.
Not quite the Love Train the O'Jays had in mind.
Food - it all sounded oh so good!
And then the 7 hour drive home ...
