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San Francisco Marathon #55

This was my 4th consecutive year running the San Francisco Marathon, and every year, I forget just how hilly the course is! Below is a recap of the weekend events leading up to the marathon.


Jeanne Corey Marchand, San Francisco Marathon, 2018 - Jeanne Runs

Friday:

Shakeout Run with 2017 SFM Winner, Jorge Maravilla: The shakeout run was sponsored by Jaybird. It was a chilly 60 degrees and overcast, so I wore shorts, a tank top, and my SFM zip-up jacket. After signing in, we received a Jaybird hat. Jorge spoke to the group and explained the logistics before we took a group photo and set off on the run. We ran part of the marathon route toward Chrissy Field and back. To our surprise, Michael Wardian, whom I met at the Big Sur marathon, appeared out of nowhere! He remembered us, and we caught up. He mentioned that his goal was to beat Jorge, though he wasn’t sure what to expect after just running the Hard Rock 100-miler the weekend before.


Expo Visit We headed to the Expo to pick up our bibs and shirts. The vendors were fantastic—NUUN, UCAN, Luna Bars, Barefoot Wine, and Wholly Guacamole, among others. I filled my bag with goodies and then headed to Ghirardelli’s chocolates and Fisherman’s Wharf.

Saturday:


Shakeout Run with Dean Karnazes, The Ultramarathon Man This run was much larger than Friday’s, with a lot of participants. The ambassadors of TSFM organized it well. We ran toward Fisherman’s Wharf and back to Fort Mason. Afterward, we volunteered at the Expo, greeting attendees and holding the “Ask Me a Question” sign. I had some fun exchanges, including one with a guy asking, “If 1 = Love and 2 = Money, what does 3 + 4 equal?” Seriously, some people are hilarious. I ended up buying capris, hand warmers, throwaway gloves, and NUUN. Volunteering, apparently, can be pricey!

Dinner: That evening, we kept it low-key and ate our pre-race meal: Margarita pizza, salad, bread, and a beer for extra carbs.


Sunday: Race Day

Pre-Race: Up at 3:30 am for coffee, breakfast, and multiple bathroom trips. We left for the start at 5:00 am and met Carol Gerber, a runner from Illinois, on the walk to the start. It felt like a sign from my sister and Kim’s mom, who’ve both passed away. We exchanged a hug, and it was a nice way to begin the race.


The Marathon: The race started with the 3:45 pacer. We quickly caught up with the 3:40 pacer and felt amazing. We passed that group and bumped into Joyce Lee, an incredible athlete we’d met the previous year. We ran with her for a bit, and she told us about crewing for Patsy, one of the women who placed 5th in the Badwater 135 (a race that’s as tough as it sounds!). Joyce had to leave us when we reached the Golden Gate Bridge to find a bathroom, but we continued, crossing the iconic bridge. This year, runners weren’t allowed in the traffic lanes, so we ran on the sidewalk, which wasn’t as congested as I feared.

After the bridge, we encountered a steep downhill and a difficult uphill climb, which made me realize how much I hate trail running! Once I reached the top, though, the views were breathtaking. We then descended into Golden Gate Park, where the hills kept coming. It was around this point I thought, “I don’t remember these hills!” We caught up with our friend Ricky Lam, a fellow SFM ambassador, and ran with him for a while before he surged ahead.

At mile 16, we merged with the 2:45 pace group. While passing a runner who dropped her phone, Kim collided with her, knocking her to the ground. She was fine, but it slowed us down for a bit. By mile 20, I was exhausted, but Mike, a fun guy we met at the Expo, kept us entertained. I was struggling to keep up, but Kim kept motivating me, reminding me that we had a downhill to go and then could enter autopilot mode for the final miles.

In the last few miles, I dug deep, focusing on my mental toughness. I counted steps, sang songs in my head, and pushed forward. Kim kept encouraging me, and when he told me I was on track for my second-fastest marathon, I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t been watching my pace because I’d messed up my watch earlier in the race.

Finally, we entered AT&T Park for the final stretch. The high curbs there always catch me off guard, but I pushed through. As we neared the finish line, Kim grabbed my hand, and we crossed it together, smiling. I couldn’t believe my time—3:39, my second-fastest marathon!


Post-Race: There was no big food tent at the finish, just chocolate milk, bananas, and Kind Bars. The post-race festivities were still fun, though, with Lagunitas beer and Barefoot Wine spritzers. I also grabbed a few cases of Wholly Guacamole (they were giving them away!). We met Kevin Chow in the beer garden and swapped some beer tickets with him.

I give the San Francisco Marathon five stars: perfect running weather, a beautiful but challenging course, a great expo, and well-organized shakeout runs.


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