To my Family & Friends - the people who were key to my success in San Francisco for whom I am very thankful indeed!

I did it - I did it -I did it!

On October 16th I ran the Nike Women’s (Half) Marathon in San Francisco!

What an incredible experience – a totally amazing weekend and a wonderful day of running with 25,000 of my closest friends. All weekend the weather was hot and beautiful, and my roommate Shelly & I were even able to get out and explore the city a bit – Telegraph Hill, Fisherman’s Warf, Alcatraz, and the SF Museum of Modern Art.

The morning of the race was mercifully overcast although the Alaskan contingent thought it was warm even at 6:30 am, and it was muggy! The racecourse is beautiful! From the start at Union Square we went down to the waterfront, along the water to Presidio Park and up the dread Presidio Hill. I had been hearing about this hill for more than 5 months; it’s long and fairly steep but I was frankly tired of being worried about it so, as a point of pride, I ran the entire thing. In fact, I ran up all the hills and I am honestly pretty proud of that. Oddly enough my time was almost exactly the same as my time in August when I ran a half marathon in Anchorage as part of my training. In San Francisco it took me 2:48:48 and in August it took me 2:48:13 - I couldn't make that up!

And I loved every minute of it! I spent so much time with a big grin on my face that my cheeks were almost as sore as my feet, and there were tears too. I don't know what your experiences have been with large groups of people who have come together with a common purpose but I find the energy very intense and moving. It's been hard to process it all.

So how did the numbers work out? About 25,000 people ran the Nike (half & full marathons together), 22,000 women and “a few good men”. There were 3700 Team in Training participants like me but the entire race benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This year’s event raised roughly $12.7 million to support LLS’s mission of finding cures for blood cancers and supporting patients and their families - and you were a part of that. You contributed more than $3000!

I used to say I’d take up running when I saw someone who looked happy. Well, after this amazing experience, I am the one running down the street with a big grin and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support throughout this journey!

I have a secret though. My secret is that when I set the goal to run this half marathon, what I really want to do was run the full marathon – but I was afraid, too afraid to even set the goal. I’m not afraid any more. I have made the commitment to return to San Francisco next October to finish what I started last April and run the full Nike Women’s Marathon. I consider it my 50th Birthday present to myself. I’ll keep you posted!

A map of the course and my results can be seen at: http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikeplus/en_US/mapping/#/events/NWM2011/nwm_2011_half/cy2pl97.

And pictures are at: http://www2.brightroom.com/83327/8860.

If you are on Facebook, you can find me at: alaskaweaver29@yahoo.com.

I hope all is well with you and yours!

Gotta run...

Nancy

Several folks have looked for an update and I have been remiss so here's a little and I'll post more later.

In sum - it was a totally amazing weekend and a wonderful day of running with 22,000 of my closest friends. All to benefit LLS.

My time was almost exactly the same as my time in August but there were more and larger hills. 2:48:48 for this run and 2:48:13 in August - I couldn't make that up!

I spent so much time with a big grin on my face that my cheeks were almost as sore as my feet, and there were tears too. I don't know what your expereinces are with large groups that have come together with a common purpose but I find the energy very intense and moving. It's been hard to process it all. One thing is for sure - I'm going back! Maybe for another Half maybe for the Full Marathon. You'll be the first to know!

I hope all is well with you and yours!

Gotta run...

Nancy

Here's a link for the results: http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikeplus/en_US/mapping/#/events/NWM2011/nwm_2011_half/cy2pl97

Here's a link for pictures: http://www2.brightroom.com/83327/8860

And a picture from the start and one from the finish on the beach. I took my ice-bath in the Pacific Ocean!

And if you haven't donated yet there is still time - don't wait! :)

This morning's run was bittersweet - the final Saturday morning group training before my race next weekend. Sweet because I think I'm ready, not completely sure but pretty sure. Bitter because these people and this work has become a wonderful constant in my life - one I will miss tremendously.

What an amazing bunch of people I've met. I don't know what will connect us after this common goal has passed - perhaps just a good run!

I hope all is well with you and yours!

Gotta run...

Nancy

When I joined TNT I expected a few things... I expected that I'd get stronger, I expected to make friends. I did not expect it to affect my marriage but it has - in a most wonderful way. My husband has been a runner for more than 30 years and now running is something we share. He is very proud of me and is excited to do it with me. He hadn't done an event in something like 15 or 20 years - and this summer we've done 2 together! I'm hoping to sign him up for a Half Marathon here in Anchorage on Oct 15th so he can run a Half the day before I run mine in San Francisco. How cool would that be?!? Here we are after the finish of yesterday's 10K. 12 years together and we couldn't be happier!

I hope all is well with you and yours!

Gotta run...

Nancy

I don't want too get crazy here but I'm feeling pretty good about my prospects for my half marathon in San Francisco. I did a run/walk (6min/3min) for 2.5 hours today and did roughly 13 miles. My running partner with the GPS took off at 2 hours and 10.5 miles so I think it's a pretty good gues-stimate.

This is the first time since the Big Wild Life half marathon in August that I've run quite this far and I am so excited that - my legs did not try to fall off at mile 11 like the last time, I did not drive home in a brain-fog (always good!), and I can go down stairs without turning sideways! I'm tellin' ya - it's the little things that count!

Still working on exactly what to eat and when. The last time I didn't eat enough hence the dead legs and brain-fog so I have been experimenting with sports gels and chews and such. To keep my legs going and my brain clear today I ate 2 GUs, one squeeze thing of honey, 2 bags of chews (considered 2 servings each), 8 oz of Gatorade and 2-3 pints of water with 1/8 t salt in it - and had a snack bar on the car on the way home. Good grief! And honestly my tummy has felt better...but...I can think and walk so there's definitely a trade off there. Food for thought!

I hope all is well with you and yours!

Gotta run...

Nancy