My new favorite dive bar
You may look at this picture and think, "Heidi took a trip to Brazil this weekend." but, you would be wrong. This weekend was the annual Carnaval celebration in SF. I joined Rolando, one of my volleyball teammates, in the Mission to check out the action. We missed the parade, and from the aftermath that we saw, there were some amazing floats and costumes. We walked past feathered headdresses that spanned 10-15 feet wide and stood at least that high. The street festival spanned eight blocks and there were four stages, tons of food and things to buy, and lots of celebration in general. It was great people watching and I swear I was the only natural blond in the crowd of thousands.
After a couple of hours of people watching we headed to El Rio for Salsa Sundays. Every Sunday this dive bar hosts a salsa band and people come from all over the city to shake their booties to the latin beat. I danced for four hours to salsa, merengue, cha cha, and hip hop. This was one of the least pretentious dance clubs I have been to in the city. Everyone danced with everyone, regardless of gender, race, or ability to keep the rythym. I have the feeling that this may be my new Sunday hang out. The best thing is that the band starts at 3 and is over by 8 - ensuring an early night home.
Running, nakedness, and Carnaval
Yesterday I started my computer several times and each time I thought I should make an entry on my blog. But, I didn't feel like I had much to write. This morning I was pondering that fact and chuckling to myself. When did 10 miles become "nothing to write about?"
There were only 2 other Salazars that showed up yesterday morning - the holiday weekend seriously depleted our stock of runners. At first I thought I might be the only one and I figured I would run with the Cathy O'Briens, for old times sake. As it turns out, it was kind of nice to run with a small group. We chatted about our lives and there wasn't any posturing or trying to entertain a large crowd. One of the women and her partner are co-parents of a five year old with a pair of gay men and the story kept us fascinated for several miles.
We from GGP to Lake Merced and 1/2 way around it. Then we wound our way up to the top of Fort Funston which afforded us amazing views of the ocean and coast, all the way to Point Reyes. It was a gorgeous day - blue sky, big puffy clouds, sixty degrees, a strong breeze off the ocean. We completed the last three miles by running along the ocean and back to camp. We finished in 2hrs 2min.
Really, I find all of the other things I have been doing during the past week much more interesting than the actual run. Last Sunday I watched Bay to Breakers. This is an institution in San Francisco that was started 95 years ago. The city of San Francisco wanted to raise morale after the 1906 earthquake that destroyed a large portion of the city. The began this race from the bay to the ocean a few years later and over time it has taken on its own persona.
There is tortilla throwing, costumes, nakedness, drinking, and other debauchery spread out over 7.4 miles. I wasn't able to participate this year for various reasons, but I already have it on my calendar for next year so I won't miss out. After joining the "race" for several blocks I headed off to my friend Stef's house for brunch before we went to Oakland for the As/Giants game. It was a soggy game but the oversized, overpriced beers and the prospect of watching Barry Bonds hit #715 kept us there until the end.
This week I hung out with new friends and said goodbye to others that are moving on. Last night I organized a group of people to join me in the Civic Center Plaza for a live simulcast of the opening night of the SF Opera's summer season. We arrived a couple of hours early to stake our claim, snack, and drink wine before bundling up to watch Madam Butterfly. The best part of the night was the obnoxious group of people next to us who caused such a ruckus that the police were call in. Not something you expect from a night at the opera.
Today will be Carnaval in the Mission and salsa dancing afterward. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!
20 miles! What more can I say?
I was a little concerned going into my run this weekend because I was still recovering from my rockstar night on Tues/Wed. It is sad how long it takes for my body to recover now that I'm over 30! I got 9 hours of sleep both Wed and Thurs nights, but I decided a super early night was in store for me on Friday. I actually got into bed at 7:15pm. Yes you may call me Grandma - except, even my grandparents stay up later than that! I was asleep by 8pm so I could get up at 5:30am and get to my run site by 6:45.
When I woke up I was really feeling good, so I got excited for the big run. I decided to switch to the Salazars permanently and become their pace group leader, since they didn't have an official one. We had 14 people and quite a few of them were visitors. There was a group from the South Bay that kept us in stitches the whole time. I took over my duties as PGL with enthusiasm. I barked out run/walk times, when to eat, when to drink, where the bathrooms were, and acted as speed cop for those who were running too fast. Maybe I should have been a drill sergeant!
We had a 5 mile warm up in the Presidio, winding our way through to the bottom of Golden Gate Bridge and back to camp. Once there we ran through Fisherman's wharf and along the embarcadero to the Ferry Building. We kept running along the water past the Ferry Building, passing under the Bay Bridge and behind SBC Park, until we got to Potrero Hill. Then we turned around and ran back the same way, leaving out the bit in the Presidio. Basically, we ran the first 5 miles and the last 3 miles of the marathon course twice and then threw in some other twists and turns for mileage. We finished in 4hr 45min - a time that had Coach Scott hugging me and telling me that we had the best time of all the groups that day (relative to our pace, etc...)
I was amazed at how good I felt. We added another minute to our mile pace - so we were running 14 minute miles, and we changed our walk/run ratio to 3/2 instead of 3/1. When I first saw the increase in time and ratio I was a little bummed. But then I realized that they aren't training us for speed, they are training us to complete a marathon safely and happily. Also, what am I whining about when that "plan" just allowed me to complete 20 miles. Just 3 1/2 months ago I was happy to complete 3 miles and not want to die.
The best thing was that I actually took advantage of my Saturday. Usually I come home, eat chips and salsa, take a nap, and laze around the rest of the day watching bad TV. I ran errands on my way home. Once I was home and had eaten a burrito the size of my head I went out and ran more errands. Then I came home to sit in an ice bath. Yes, I poured 4 bags of ice into my tub, filled it up with water, and sat in it for 20 minutes. After some ibuprofen and a nap I was ready to go out and kick up my heels. I joined some people in the mission for drinks, shuffleboard, and more yummy Mexican food - and I actually wore heels. I got home at 1:30am in great shape!
I think my body has turned a corner and is finally acquiescing to the fact that I'm going to run this marathon. It has stopped protesting with searing lungs, knives in my shins, and other such complaints. My mind and body are finally in the same place and that feels really good.
Rockstar wannabee
So, every once in a while I decide to live the rockstar lifestyle. I apparently decided that last night was my night. My volleyball team won the league championship and I was instrumental in planning an outing to celebrate. First we gathered at the cafe/pub in the fitness center to enjoy $2 beer night to wait for everyone while they changed and showered. Then we moved on to a little dive bar around the corner. I think they saw us coming a mile away because they "created" a table for in a backroom, away from the rest of the crowd. Now, when I go out and see a group of people laughing and having a good time I'm always intrigued and secretly want to be a part of that group. I just assume everyone feels that way. I'm guessing that most people don't because we cleared the room pretty quickly. I got to chatting with one of my teammates, Pete, and before we knew it everyone was ready to leave. Well, Pete and I got a second wind and decided to head to a third bar in the Mission. Martuni's is a piano bar, not one of those dueling piano places - more like a lounge piano bar. The woman playing the piano has a beautiful voice (apparently she studied opera for a while) and allows anyone to join her. I did not partake in the singing festivities, but it was great fun. Around 1am we decided to leave and I realized that I need to be a little more sober before driving myself home. Thankfully Pete lives around the corner and has a comfy couch that I crashed on for a while. I got home at 4:30am - WHAT WAS I THINKING? I'm 31 years old and my body can't even handle nights like that on a weekend when I have time to recover. Today I'm thinking back on last night with a grin on my face. I loved hanging out with everyone and being spontaneous. But, this will be the last time that I pull something like that on a school night for a long time.
Musings
I'm not sure how I started living in this world of altered reality. Let me explain. Recently I have found myself looking forward to my runs. There is no heel dragging, no secret wish to stay in bed, no bargaining with myself for one more mile, etc... I jump out of bed ready for my 3 miles. I actually increased my mileage and mph this week. I was feeling good while I was running so I decided to run faster and longer. My 9 mile run this weekend was a piece of cake. We had a long hill between mile 3 and 4 and I didn't even feel out of breath. When did I become this running maniac? I have actually found myself looking at other marathons that are coming up in the city. I seriously have a problem.
The worst thing is that all of this running isn't showing much on my body. That is the next item of business!
I whacked it out of the park!
When I started this blog my idea was that I would write in it on Saturday afternoon after my run while I was icing or shoving food in my face. Now that I have gotten into long runs my Saturdays are pretty much shot.
Yesterday I got up at 5:15am so I could be at the run site in Golden Gate Park by 6:45am. Thankfully I have been getting up at 5am all week, so it wasn't a big deal. I ran with the Salazars again and I have to say I gelled with the group much more than the previous week. Our course was relatively easy to follow and flat. We started on Great Highway and ran south along the Ocean to the zoo and then turned around. Then we ran through the park for a mile and ran down Sunset to Lake Merced. We ran around Lake Merced and back on Sunset to the park.
I was shocked by how easy the run was. Seriously, I ran 17 miles and felt like I could have continued on and run a full marathon. I wasn't surprised to learn that was true when I returned to camp and talked with Coach Scott. He told me there is an old adage that, "If you can run 18 miles, you can run a marathon." Ok, so I didn't run the full 18, but I could have. In Scott's email to me he told me to run 17 miles. When we spoke yesterday morning he said to stop at the water stop at 16 miles. Well, the water stop was at 17 miles and we were relatively close to camp. So, I chose to listen to the coach and walk back. I'm sure I could have completed another mile but I didn't need to push myself.
I still have 12 weeks of training left and I need to make sure I'm healthy. I'm supposed to run with the Salazars again next weekend to make sure that I'm really healthy. And, I'm thinking about sticking with this pace group. I can handle the pace of the COBs but I can't keep up a conversation and I feel exhausted afterward. With the Salazars we told stories and played Mini Mysteries during the entire 4 hours and at the end of it I still had energy and was in good spirits. I need to make that decision in the next couple of weeks.
So, basically I rocked the face off of 17 miles and I'm looking foward to 20 in two weeks!
The dreaded AP exams
OK, I know I shouldn't complain, but I'm going to whine for just a bit. The whole AP thing is getting really old. I figured out that I have spent at least 30 hours this week proctoring. The other 10 hours of my supposed 40 hour work week has been spent organizing the exams, moving boxes, and running from building to building when there is a crisis. I was giddy at the beginning of the week when I contemplated how much "free" time I would have to get my work done. The only problem is that each of the exams has very intricate directions and bizarre timing schedules that keeps me on my toes. I finally got smart enough to bring in a kitchen timer that beeps at 10 and 5 minutes before the end to keep everything straight. You should have seen me trying to do the clock math in my head. For example: today's US History exam is broken into 3 sections. The first being 1 hr 22 min, the second 22 min, and the third 2 hr 53 min. Who comes up with this? Oh, I forgot, it is the much-hated College Board. Don't even get me started down that path.
Yesterday I thought I might cause myself bodily harm so I could leave the proctoring to someone else. Yes, I know that would mean that I would be heading to the hospital, but after 5 hours of sitting quietly in a room you are pretty much ready to do anything to make it stop. Thankfully the last 3 1/2 hours were in my office and I could do some filing. My student finished in record time (which doesn't bode well for his score on the exam) and I thought I would get out of work early for once - and when I say early I mean 4:00pm which is officially the end of my day. But no, I had to wait until the regular time students were finished, which means that I had to hang around for another hour before heading home.
OK, that is now out of my system. Not counting the marathon of AP exam proctoring, yesterday was a pretty good day. I tried some new inserts in my shoes and used underwrap beneath my taping which eliminated the tape cuts. I felt like I was running on clouds and could have kept going for hours. I stopped at 3 1/5 miles since I have a big run this weekend. I was in contact with my coach and he has asked me to run with the Salazars, a slower group, and only complete 17 miles this weekend to make sure that I'm really back on track. I have been faithfully icing and popping ibuprofen this week to prepare myself.
I did some grocery shopping on my way home. My friend Amanda called as I was walking into Trader Joes. She talked me down from some bad decisions (read here Instant garlic mashed potatoes) and kept me busy while I navigated the store. I may have gone a little overboard - I was hungry and paying more attention to my conversation than my shopping - but it was a much more pleasant experience than I have had recently at TJs. After stopping at Whole Foods for some produce I came home, put away my groceries, ate some dinner, and crawled into bed.
Yes, I got into bed at 7:15pm last night and it was wonderful. I read for a while and was asleep by 8pm. I woke up 15 minutes before my alarm this morning and had some time to lounge and pet the kitties before getting up to face the day. Even though I know it makes me lame, I'm a much happier person today and seriously that is all that matters.
MIA
I'm sure that many of you are wondering how I am feeling since my last post was during a quiet time between trips to the bathroom. Or, maybe I'm just flattering myself in thinking that you can't get enough of reading my blog. Either way, I have come out of the stomach flu relatively unscathed and a bit skinnier. Yes, I lost 5 pounds in 2 1/2 days - not in any kind of healthy way, but I'll take it where I can get it. I haven't weighed myself since that time so I don't know if that weight stayed off or if it leapt back on my body as soon as I was eating solid food again and keeping it in my body.
I was a little nervous about my run on Saturday. It should have been cake - 8 miles at a slower pace, but I didn't have a lot of energy after my toilet hug-o-rama. I guess a week off isn't terrible when you are going into a recovery run. My shin splints got some more time to heal and in general I was in good shape. I didn't really mesh with the new group but I keep reminding myself that I won't always be running with them.
Later on that afternoon a friend and I were poking around in Golden Gate Park, exploring different stops that I had never visited. We were walking around Stowe Lake when a squirrel tried to attack me. I'm not joking. It jumped out of the bushes as we were walking and ran straight at me. It stopped just a foot short of where I was standing and hunkered down, ready to leap in the air. I was certain it was going to attack and while I was screaming like a girl I was calculating how quickly I could get my foot up to kick it out of the air when it went for my throat.
That night was the Fine Arts Festival at school. I got to watch 1 1/2 hours of dance, one of my favorite things. For a school of 250 students we have an amazing breadth of talent. There are 2 ninth grade students who have the potential to dance professionally and all I could think was, "I get to watch them perform for the next three years!" I know, I'm a dance nerd.
Sunday was a lovely combination of activity and inertia. I discovered my new favorite diner for breakfast, got enough work done to make me feel good about starting the week, and had a lovely afternoon of manis and pedis and dinner with Stef. What more could a girl ask for.
This week and next are the AP exams and I'm in charge. Each day gets a little bit better/easier and I have welcomed the 5 hour stretches of proctoring when I can't be interrupted by phone calls or drop-in visitors. I have been amazingly productive (I say as I'm writing in my blog). I have been getting up at 5am to get a workout in before getting the APs set for the day. My maintenance run went smoothly yesterday, although I need to do a better job of taping my arches/shin splints so I don't end up with so many tape cuts. I won tickets to the SF Giants game on Monday night and spent a lovely evening taking in a baseball game. Last night my volleyball team won our match in 3 games and I found out that one of my teammates is the husband of someone I have known for 10 years.
All-in-all it has been a good week.
