Vacation, the Flu and Exercise

As I shared the other day, I started my Christmas vacation very enthusiastic about the prospect of running throughout it. After all, I was headed to sunny Florida! Why wouldn't I want to run in warm weather on the beach?!

Then, the flu decided it needed to take out my family over the holidays. First, my mom got sick. That meant missing virtually all of our family Christmas festivities. However, her fever broke before we headed down to Florida, so she still came along. Next, my sister got sick. She, unfortunately, was at the peak of flu horribleness when we left, so she stayed home. I woke up the morning we got to Florida with those beginning twinges of a sore throat and cough. Through some fanatical tea drinking and 12-hour nights of sleep, though, I was able to get through things with a bit more comfort than my mother or sister!

Sister (left)

Shirt: C9 [similar]

Pants: C9 [similar]

Shoes: Nike [similar]

Me (right)

Long Sleeve Half Zip: Nike [similar]

T-shirt: Gap Fit [exact]

Pants: Yogasmoga [exact]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

So, we did manage to get in one run before the flu struck. Christmas Eve Eve (two days before Christmas) was unseasonably warm in Indianapolis, so we took advantage of that and went for a run while listening to some One Direction (we're both fans and pretty unashamed about that). A few days later, though, my sister was down for the count and had to opt out of our family trip to Florida. My bout with the flu, though, fortunately held off until I was safely ensconced in 75-degree weather.

Sports bra: Lululemon [similar]

Shorts: Lululemon [similar]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

It was KILLING me not to go running in the amazing weather we have been having here in Florida! I've always been told that you shouldn't run if you have both body symptoms and head symptoms (e.g., muscle aches and pains combined with sinus congestion), so I waited until the body symptoms subsided to get my run on. I probably wasn't quite at the point where I should've been running yet, but I took it super easy (walk-running) and relaxed for quite awhile afterwards. Also, I'm not typically the running-with-no-shirt-on type, but I figured it was warm and everyone else on the beach was in bikinis, so why not?

Nike Women's Half Marathon San Francisco

It's been a few days, but it's time for my race report from the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco!

The race itself was a beast compared to previous half marathons I've done. It started in Union Square in downtown SF, then immediately went into some hills. Starting off on uphills was rough! A lot of people around me seemed to burn themselves out quickly using their energy to tackle those early uphills. I knew I wasn't in peak shape, so I opted to walk the uphills from the beginning. 

The worst hill of the race was at mile 10. Man, was it brutal. Even the really good runners I know struggled on it. At one point, I looked around and not a single person in my line of sight was actually running. While I enjoyed the run signage and motivational slogans Nike had scattered around the hill, I would be very happy if they opted to take a different route next year! Even for San Francisco, this was a very hilly course. I would've preferred a route along the Embarcadero.

It was also very crowded. By the end of the race, my GPS said I'd run 14 miles with all my zigzagging around. I can't say I was super pumped about that! I started in the 11:00+ minute mile corral, which meant lots of walkers to dodge for most of the race, so that extra distance could've been avoided if they'd had a separate corral for walkers.

I like to say I'm showing off my best "I'm about to sneeze" face in this one.

The course wasn't terribly scenic, either. I would've been pretty disappointed had I flown in from out of town specifically to run this as it didn't really go by many classic San Francisco sights. It was foggy, which didn't help (there would've been some great Golden Gate Bridge vistas near the finish!), but it would've been nice to see a few more iconic landmarks. Instead, we got routed through the Tenderloin and Western Addition, which aren't exactly the most scenic parts of the city!

Now, onto my favorite parts of the race! The finish area was simply incredible. There were sponsor tents from Whole Foods (free food!), Neutrogena (free, full-size products!), Kaiser (free massages!) and more. The lines were long, but it was worth the wait. There was also a lounge area for runners only that featured personal trainers who would come stretch you out. That was a nice touch! 

And, of course, there's the necklace. Unlike the medals awarded at most other races, this one gives you a necklace from Tiffany & Co. (yes, the one pictured above). At first, I didn't really have strong feelings about this particular feature. But, now that I have it, it's a lot more practical than a medal! I enjoy being able to wear it on a daily basis and use it as a conversation starter! It's a cute necklace, too. 

The course had some incredible entertainment along the way. I was a big fan of the drum group in Golden Gate Park! It was pretty cool to see all these people coming out to perform and cheer for the runners.

Finally, I really love the fact that they give us our race photos for free. I know my photos weren't all great (and they really didn't grab a decent finish shot), but I'd much rather have okay photos from the race for free than good photos (because, let's face it...race photos are never great) that cost a ton. It was a nice added bonus!

So, yes, this was a good race. Was it a race I'd do again? I'm not 100% sure. Between the hills, the crowded course and the $150 entry fee, there are a few things making me lean towards no. But the amenities post-race, necklace and general atmosphere of the race make me think yes. We shall see what next year holds!

Taking Out the Head Trash

My dad is an awesome runner. He's in his 50s but runs half marathons at least every other month (including at least one in every state I've lived in!). Anytime I have an excellent run, I call him during my cooldown walk to tell him about it.

His dad was also a really great runner. One of the things I remember my dad always telling me that his dad said is that a run is when you take out your head trash. I didn't really understand what that meant when I was trying to run when I was younger. But with each foray I make into running, I understand it more and more.

It's been a busy week at work. One of my clients had a corporate launch, which meant 10+ hour days and early mornings. I hadn't been eating properly because I tend to reach for the potato chips when I'm not consciously thinking about nutrition. Even though I wanted to exercise, it was the last thing on my mind when I was getting home at 9pm and hadn't eaten dinner yet. So, over a couple of days, my "head trash" had started to pile up.

This afternoon, I was just mentally exhausted. For the first time in a long time, I just had this feeling that I had to run. I knew in the back of my mind that running was what it was going to take to get rid of any leftover stress. So, I threw on my running shoes as soon as I got home from work and I ran.

My goodness, did it feel great!

I ended up running 3.5 miles and was smiling by the end. I love it when that happens!

Top: Nike [similar]

Shorts: Lululemon [exact]

Socks: C9 [exact]

I can't say my outfit today was nearly as impressive as my run! I love these shorts (the colors are some of my favorites and the fabric is very light while still opaque) and shirt (it's from my Olympic days!), but together, they just don't look amazing! But, hey - they got the job done today!