First run of 2009, and I was fortunate to do this in San Francisco, CA. Believe it or not, I last ran here in April 2007 (twice), and I took basically the same route, except that I started off in near Union Square instead of North Beach. So this is a run from Bay Bridge to Golden Gate Bridge.
Sunny afternoon, temp about 48F (8C). Not too breezy, but it was warm enough to remove my gloves after a few km. Down Market Street towards the Ferry Building, then east along the Embarcadero, past Fishermans Wharf and Fort Mason. Then along the Marina area past Crissy Fields. Nothing much changed since April 2007, At the end of Crissy Field, I noticed new pavements and remarkably, new tracks / stairs up toward the Golden Gate Bridge. The winding path made it easier to ascend the slope. The Golden Gate Bridge was packed with tourists and sightseers.
The out leg was fine, as it was bright and sunny, and I ran faster than I anticipated (<7 min pace). I also thought of Dean Karnaze (SF is his home city), and that he must have ran this route numerous times. Probably he ran the slopes and hills, but not me. BTW, this route is part of the SF marathon. There were many runners out as well, although they weren't wearing jackets and gloves as I did!
The return leg was slower, as my legs didn't take well to downhill running. Felt hungry as the sun set, and the aroma from the restaurants along Beach Street was really tempting. I thought of stopping by Bouldin for a bowl of clam chowder, but didn't have enough money.
The weather turned cooler as it got dark (starting from the turnaround point). It was a bit of a struggle for the last 2 km along the Embarcadero. Fortunately, I remembered that there was a Peet's outlet at the Ferry Building, and I thought of Peet's chocolate covered expresso beans that Dean Karnazes likes.
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Lucky for me, there was one bag left (and I got a discount). Took four or five beans, and immediately I perked up. My favorite - chocolate and expresso! (note to myself: must buy a few more packets!).
It was dark by the time I returned to the hotel at 6 pm. Total distance: 22 km.
Next time I will try the next half of the SF marathon route and take it all the way to the Golden State Park! Then it would have been more like taking part in the SF marathon, which I can't do for now (no clearance and no resources!).
A few lessons I learnt from running in cooler weather:
- must have jacket, gloves and hat
- tend to need more water breaks (I had to take two even though I didn't hydrate along the way - lucky for me I remembered that there were restrooms at Pier 39)
- legs tend to get stiffer due to cold
- nose tends to run (need to bring along a small tower - thanks for this tip, PG!)
- although I didn't feel much perspiration, must remember to keep money/notes in ziplock (I apologized to the casher at Peet's)
Food for thought: SF has a progressive marathon category. Wonder if I have enough miles to qualify for a progressive SF marathon? I believe I do. :)
Honor Roll: PGT5
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