Bay to Breakers

So last Sunday, I participated in the 100th annual Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco.  I had heard stories about how crazy it was.  Hundreds of thousands of people converging on downtown San Francisco.  Costumes.  Floats.  Naked people.  Drunk people.  Crazy people.  I have to admit, I was a little scared.

Yolanda and I rode BART over.  We had to leave around 6:00 a.m.  The first corral was scheduled to release at 7:00 a.m.  We were scheduled to start by 7:45-8:00 a.m.  We got off at our stop, walked up the stairs and basically walked straight into our corral, around the corner, over the start line and started the race at 7:30 a.m.  No waiting. 

Bay to Breakers is a 12k race (about 7-1/2 miles).  55,000 people were signed up to run and/or walk.  It meanders through the streets of San Francisco and ends at the ocean.  It was such a beautiful day.  A tiny bit of rain but mostly sunny and awesome.  There weren't nearly as many naked people as I thought there would be (although I did see way more fat, old men wieners than I needed to see).  There was a crack down on alcohol, floats, people who hadn't signed up and fun in general (according to the news stations).  But I still had a great time.  There were a lot of fun costumes, hilarious people, house parties along the route playing music and having fun.  There was only one hill, and even that wasn't very difficult.  It was mostly a flat course.  We stopped to take pictures and gawk at nude guys.  My official time was 2:57:37.  Yolanda was number 38,850 and I was number 38,854.  Not bad.  That means 12,000 people were behind us!  Yeah, it was over a 20 minute mile, but we had fun and took in a lot of interesting sights!  I would say we were pretty much done walking by mile 5, but we pushed through and did the final 2.5 miles.  I was wearing a pair of socks, nylons, more nylons, socks and then my shoes.  So my poor toes were squished to death.  My costume was more of just a silly outfit.  I'll post a photo below.  It definitely got a lot of attention though. 

So, two days later, I'm a bit sore in the legs and hip but I otherwise feel great.  I have another Brazen race in about two weeks and I'm hoping to really work on my time on that one.  


I know Bay to Breakers has been struggling and may be canceled next year.  I really hope they continue because I'd love to do it again!  Next year, I'll have to enter the costume contest.  :-)

Only one blister!!  WOOHOOO!!!

Couch to 5k update...six weeks in

I am starting week six of the couch to 5k program.  The program lasts for nine weeks total.  You can check out the link above, Facebook, Twitter...it's becoming quite a popular program.  I downloaded an iPhone app which helps a lot because it tells you when to switch between running and walking.  And it's working for me!

Here's the schedule:

Week	Workout 1	Workout 2	Workout 3
1	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
7	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

Basically, I ended week five by jogging for TWENTY MINUTES STRAIGHT.  In week one, I only had to jog for a minute at a time and thought I would die.  I'm really excited to finish the program and am contemplating the Bridge to 10k program to prepare for Bay to Breakers (which is a 12k, or 7.5 miles).  I don't actually plan to run Bay to Breakers, but my back pain has diminished significantly.  I haven't lost any weight per se, but my legs are thinning out noticeably.  The running seems to be working well for me.  Who ever thought I'd be a runner?!  NOT ME!

My next running goal will also include speeding up.  I seem to feel the best when I run 4.5 miles per hour.  That's a pretty slow jog.  But at least I am jogging the entire time.  After I finish the nine weeks, I will run at least once a week, trying to move up to 5 miles an hour -- with an eventual goal of being able to run an entire 5k at 6 miles per hour, which is a 10 minute mile.  Not a marathon pace whatsoever, but fast for me. 

Has anyone else done this program?  I am excited to hear about any changes to your body and mindset. 

Couch to 5k program

In the past, people have suggested I try the Couch to 5k program.  I've always said no...I don't really enjoy running so why am I going to make something I hate part of my weekly workout routine?  I "do" 5k's (or, for Annie, I do the little-more-than-three-miles) with Brazen Racing, but I walk/jog them.  If it's a flat course, I can do that in about 45 minutes.  If it's really hilly or muddy, then maybe an hour.  I am slow.  I know I'm slow.  I walk slow.  I jog slow.  I  meander.  John can do Half Dome in six hours.  AJ did it in eight.  It took me 13 hours -- both times.  John would always try to give me advice to move faster -- put on fast music and just move to the beat.  Doesn't work for me.  I'm just a sloth.  And I'm ok with it.  So, any time someone has suggested I run, I'm like, NAW!

I recently had a change of heart.  A group of Twirly Girls are planning to do the Bay to Breakers in San Francisco next year (it's the 100th annual).  It's a 12k (about 7 miles), and I understand there are some pretty nasty hills.  So, I decided I need to learn to move a little faster (hip and back problems are getting better, so it's good timing).  We may not run any of it...but I don't want to be the one holding up the group.  And I imagine the Couch to 5k program is my best bet for being able to walk/jog a 7 mile hilly course.  The program takes you from basically doing nothing to running for a full three miles non-stop.  You follow the program three days a week for nine weeks, and it starts you walking for a bit, then jogging for a bit.  Then you work up until you are jogging for 30 minutes straight. 

I don't set New Years resolutions because I don't want to feel like a failure if I don't meet them.  So, this is my goal for January.  If I finish that in two months and feel good, I can start working on their 10k program.  I will have five months until the Bay to Breakers, so it will give me plenty of time to lose weight and get in shape.  It will also help me reach my goal of inverting on the pole by April. 

Has anyone else tried the program??