neither here nor there

Oh Sacramento, eat my shorts.  If my previous feelings for the East Bay were purely lustful, I have recently graduated to a committed, true-love relationship with our new home.  Why?  There is a gorgeous trail run just 1 exit down from my school, literally on my way home from work.

I full heartedly recommend taking a run through Joaquin Miller Park, off Hwy 13 in Oakland.  The first run I took through this park was with two of my coworkers (we’ve committed to a Monday night run together: run at 5:00 or owe $5).  We were a bit disappointed as we finished a 1.5 mile loop on the fire road on our first trip to the park.  We had started in the Community Center parking lot and didn’t know where else to go.  The fire road was oh so steep and a bit of a death march.  Luckily, we decided to look for a real trail before heading home.

And we found one!  We took the Sunset trail around the side of a hill and found some beautiful views of Oakland and even the big city.  On our way back, we kept control of our bladders despite almost running into a buck (male deer for you urbanites) on a corner.

A week later, I asked Dale to meet me there after one of his rides for another post-work run.  While the first mile of our run was torturously steep, unlike the fire road we had found a gorgeous shaded redwood trail.  After the heart-pumping first mile, the trail evened out and we enjoyed a few more beautiful miles and this time dodged a mountain bike or two instead of deer.

I hit the trail up again last week with sixth-grade teacher extraordinaire, Amy, as we followed the trail up to an equestrian arena.  While we crossed paths with a high school cross-country meet towards the beginning and end of our run, we enjoyed quiet trails for the majority of the miles.

This is my new favorite place to run in the Bay.  Check it out.  Beautiful and easy to get to.

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Take Hwy 13 towards Hayward, exit Redwood Blvd. and drive about 5 miles West and you will reach my school.  Wonderful kids, but not the best neighborhood.  Warring gangs, run down apartments and a lot of sirens.

Take Hwy 13 towards Hayward, exit Redwood Blvd and drive about 8 miles East and you will reach Redwood Park.  Beautiful trails for hiking, mountain biking and trail running.  There are also picnic benches and a lovely little stream.

Being on October break, today we headed East, rather than West, and enjoyed a 4.5 mile trail run…well hike.  My lengthy hill run yesterday left me more in the mood for a hike today.  Redwood Park is an excellent spot for trail running and hiking.  While there were larger bike paths (at least partially paved), there were also more narrow trails branching off in a variety of directions. There were some steep sections, but I’ve learned that incline is something that isn’t easily separated from Oakland running.

While we were on the wrong side of the hill to enjoy any big views of the bay, it is a wonderfully secluded park.  The trails we followed were almost completely shaded with beautiful Redwoods and other trees.  I’m curious about how busy this park gets on the weekends, though I imagine the numerous smaller trails must not get too crowded.  Though the fire road/bike path might see some more action on a Sunday morning.

As we reached the trail head we saw a quick little lizard with a ridiculously long tail darting about.  Being a boy, Dale had the undeniable urge to pick the little guy up and was rewarded with a big bite to the finger.  Don’t touch the lizards.

Rating: Beautiful

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Yelpers got a little carried away with their gushing reviews of this spot.  Of all the East Bay runs I’ve done since we moved here this summer, this one was certainly the most disappointing so far.  ”Inspiration Point” in a Berkeley section of Tilden Park was less than inspirational.  To begin with, it took us about 40 minutes to drive through the winding roads to reach this run despite the fact that we live literally 5 minutes away from Berkeley.  I’m not against driving a bit to get to a good trail run but instead we found a rather dull, paved bike path on a grassy hill.

It was a hot (well, hot for the Bay Area) day and it didn’t help that we were running at noon with zero shade.  There were a few little side trails but they didn’t really seem to lead anywhere and were mostly just dusty paths through the grasses.  There was a pretty good view about 2 miles out, but I’ve enjoyed MUCH better views after running a mile out my door.  I think perhaps it would be an inspirational spot if it was transplanted into a city such as Danville but for being in the heart of the East Bay, you can do so much better than this.

I do recommend it if you are running by yourself and concerned about safety, as there are tons of runners, walkers and bikers out on the weekend.  I might go back and try it on a rainy, winter day.  The lack of shade won’t matter and the paved path without car traffic should work well in the rain.

Overall rating: OVERRATED

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Let’s see if this stuff carries me through the CIM. My first race with music. Shuffle it up. By the way, I’m not ashamed of my musical tastes. Just try and make fun.

Call to Arms————– Angels & Airwaves
Everything’s Magic——— Angels & Airwaves
Breathe—————— Angels & Airwaves
Love Like Rockets———- Angels & Airwaves
Sirens——————- Angels & Airwaves
Secret Crowds————-Angels & Airwaves
Star of Bethlehem———- Angels & Airwaves
True Love—————- Angels & Airwaves
Jumping Rooftops———-Angels & Airwaves
Rite of Spring————- Angels & Airwaves
Heaven—————— Angels & Airwaves
Valkyrie Missile————Angels & Airwaves
Distraction————— Angels & Airwaves
Do It for Me Now———–Angels & Airwaves
The Adventure————-Angels & Airwaves
A Little’s Enough———–Angels & Airwaves
It Hurts——————Angels & Airwaves
Good Day—————-Angels & Airwaves
Start the Machine———-Angels & Airwaves
Doesn’t Remind Me——– Audioslave
Out of Exile————– Audioslave
Get Back —————- The Beatles
Suga Mama—————Beyoncé
Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) Beyoncé
Shut Up—————– Black Eyed Peas
Anxiety—————– Black Eyed Peas
Womanizer—————Britney Spears
Short Skirt/Long Jacket——Cake
Nugget——————Cake
you got the love———–Candy Stanton
Keeps Gettin’ Better——– Christina Aguilera
Listen to Your Heart——– D.H.T. Featuring Edmée
Up and Away————- Dave Matthews
Lie In Our Graves———- Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
Eh Hee (Live)————- Dave Matthews Band
Ants Marching———— Dave Matthews Band
O Valencia!—————The Decemberists
The Crane Wife 1 & 2——-The Decemberists
Tell Me——————Diddy featuring Christina Aguilera
Still D.R.E.—————-Dr. Dre
Shake That—————Eminem
I Don’t Wanna Be In Love—-Good Charlotte
Science is ignorant———Jay-Z, Coldplay
Welcome to Atlanta———JD, P. DIddy, St. Lunatics, Snoop Dogg
Sweetness—————-Jimmy Eat World
Futuresex/Lovesound——-Justin Timberlake
Heartless—————–Kanye West
Love Lockdown————Kanye West
All These Things That I’ve DoneThe Killers
Stairway to Heaven——— Led Zeppelin
Like A Prayer ————–Madonna
If I Never See Your Face Again-Maroon 5 feat. Rihanna
Mo Money Mo Problems——Mase, Puff Daddy & NotoriousB.I.G.
Shake It —————– Metro Station
New Low—————–Middle Class Rut
Powerless (Say What You Want) Nelly Furtado
You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid—–The Offspring
Time After Time————Quietdrive
Don’t Stop the Music——–Rihanna
Breakin’ Dishes———— Rihanna
Disturbia—————–Rihanna
Live Your Life————- T.I. (feat. Rihanna)
Hash Pipe—————-Weezer
California Love————2Pac featuring Dr. Dre & Roger

Afterward:
The Shuffle was wonderful; I didn’t have to play all of my usual mind games and could just enjoy the music thoughtlessly. The shuffle also seemed to be very wise and have some good timing. The excellent Killers song came on in the last mile (I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier), and appropriate enough, the very last song was Angles and Airwaves: “It Hurts.”

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Finishing a marathon feels pretty damn good. Kicking a little ass along the way makes it feel even better…and it helps you to forget exactly how many people beat you in the great race and just how much pain you are in.

Sweet, cocky, victory is what I felt as I was able to pull out a finish line sprint and pass by my last two targets.

On Sunday I ran my fourth marathon. I hadn’t been planning on running this particular marathon; I was training for the California International Marathon, which falls about 7 weeks later than the Nike Women’s Marathon (this weekend’s event). I ran it last year and signed up for it this year only to learn that my sad little name did not make it through the lottery. This only served to exacerbate my negative feelings towards Team In Training.

Upon hearing of my rejection, more than one person suggested that I join the dark side, “You know, if you join Team in Training you can still get in.” I never pledged a sorority; I avoid being in a room with more than 3 or 4 other women and I do not tear up at Extreme Home Makeover. As I assume these are three requirements for TIT, er, TNT, I chose instead to maintain my dignity and if so inspired, bandit the race. Through a bittersweet chain of events, I was able to get my hands on a real, official bib and decided that despite my lack of planning, I had trained enough and would do the full marathon with my friend, Chelsea.

Miles 1-25 were made of the usual pain, pacing, gu-ing, Gatorade stops and mental mind games. Chelsea and I have done a number of LONG runs, a marathon, and a few halves together and so we have already shared nearly all of our most humiliating, juicy and entertaining stories. Thus, on Sunday we were left filling about 6 miles with the alphabet game: “Okay now name songs starting with letters A-Z,” I commanded on round five. This game lasted until delusion hit and M became just as difficult a letter as X and Z had been from the beginning.

Chelsea is one of those people that gets the race day engines burning and in the last few miles, will blow by you in an effortless burst of speed which I have come to know, respect, and dread. So when I pulled ahead of her somewhere around mile 20, I was determined to hang on to the lead by the skin of my teeth if necessary.

I spent the next five miles cursing who knows what in my head, smiling at the thought of Vanessa taking pictures along the way of her half-marathon, and wishing for my Ipod. While Chelsea’s incoherent rendition of an Angels and Airwaves song back at the start of Lake Merced was amusing, I was in need of some real drive. My sixty-year old music teacher-carpool buddy politely describes the band as “Very forceful, forward moving.” From him I know this is no compliment, but this was exactly what I was in need of.

By mile 25, I had just passed a notorious marathon sight: the lying spectator. Usually these saboteurs are shouting about how “that was the last hill” and “it’s all down hill from here.” Never believe these people. They have no idea what’s going on and are making this stuff up on the spot. “Just two more stop lights and you’re done!” my lying spectator shouted. That was shortly before the twenty-fifth mile. Half a mile later, a second man tried to encourage struggling runners, “Just two more stoplights!” Never too tired to argue, I responded, “The last guy said that two stoplights ago.”

I slowed to walk for a minute, thinking I should preserve enough energy to cross the finish moving at a respectable clip without collapsing, vomiting or bursting into tears. As I walked, I thought about how convincing the U2 cover-band at mile 24 had been. “That guy really looked like Bono,” I thought. As I was pondering why Bono would ever do a gig at a sell-out event like the Nike Women’s Marathon (and I do mean sell-out, not sold-out), my thoughts were interrupted by a crotchety middle-aged woman walking a few feet away.

“Is this your first marathon?” she asked as if it were an accusation. “No. Why, does it look like it?” I replied, irritated. I’m generally a very social race day runner. I will talk for miles with strangers around me partially out of selfishness—it helps the miles pass. No matter how haggard someone looks, “Is this your first marathon?” is not the question. Even if the person next to you is running in Keds, has bleeding nipples and has a pedometer hanging around his neck, the acceptable question is, “So which other marathons have you done?” No need to let someone know they are looking as bad as they feel by implying that they are a first timer.

This woman rubbed me the wrong way and so I broke from my normal routine and tried to let the small talk die. She persisted. “I absolutely HATE this marathon! I’ve done 43 marathons and this is THE WORST!” After a quick once over, I decided that she must not share my hatred for Team in Training and female empowerment bonding events and so I took the bait. I couldn’t guess what she found to be so horrible about this event. “This is a great marathon. It’s gorgeous. What don’t you like?”

“Oh no! It’s absolutely terrible! This is the hilliest course I’ve ever run!” she spoke with the air of one who would like to be considered a seasoned veteran. Now I know she said 43 marathons, but I have three responses that I would have enjoyed sharing with this woman:

1) If I did 43 marathons I would certainly hope that I would look more like I had RUN 43 marathons and not just hit up the food tables at the end of 43 marathons.

2) Where the hell did you do 43 marathons without hills? I had no idea Bakersfield and Stockton sponsored so many events. This is San Francisco lady! If you are from out-of-state and didn’t learn geography in fourth grade, have you not seen one movie depicting this city and its obvious HIlLS? The views of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, the Pacific Freakin Ocean more than make up for some hills. I live in the great land of Sacramento, which is not known for wonderful hill training workouts, but I do know how to up the incline on the treadmill. So maybe by your 44nd or 45th marathon you can find an overpass or get a gym membership so you too can train properly for a marathon that is held on a fault line.

3) It is mile 25.5 of 26.2. I do not need to hear negative talk from strangers. I have been cursing in my head and trying to ignore my wooden knees and the seizing pain in my hips that occurs every time I turn my head to the right or left. Even when running with good friends, running partners know when to keep their mouth shut if words of optimism and encouragement are not spilling out.

I let this woman pass me by with her rain cloud hovering overhead and gathered my last reserves of energy. Finally I could see the white tents marking the finish line. I assessed the situation in front of me. Immediately ahead was a Team in Training drone who I had been running near for almost an hour. Like all TNT money-makers, this woman had her name puff-painted on the front of her gaudy purple shirt. The Team in Training worker bees stationed along the course every 10 feet had been cheering her name for the past four miles. Now, just short of mile 26, a Team in Training coach (think Richard Simmons without the fro but plus 10 pounds of purple whoo-ha) jumped into the race and grabbed the TNT woman’s hand and began running with her towards the finish. He pumped her arm vigorously in the air while with his other hand he made wide, sweeping motions pointing to the woman he was clutching. It was very much, “Oh roaring crowds, don’t look at me. This is the woman that deserves the cheers. Look at her! Isn’t she just wonderful? And she probably has 5 kids at home to boot.” Perhaps if he wanted the attention directed at her, he might step off the course and let her complete her 26.2 miles without slowing her down.

This sideshow was immediately in front of me and to pass I would either have to squeeze by in a narrow breath of space between the TNT coach and the spectators or run all they way around them to pass on the ¼ of the road which the duo was not consuming with wild arm gestures. For those of you who have run a marathon, you will understand that taking the steps to run around someone is not a viable option. There was no way I would ever let this display of Team in Training beat me. I tapped into my reserves of aggression and turned on a short sprint down the side to cut the two off.

Now all that stood between me and the bagels was about 200 yards and two women, one of which bore a strong resemblance to the Grinch Who Stole Mile 25. I don’t know if this was the same woman, but at this point it was no matter. It was all the drive I needed. As they happily strutted towards the finish, I found it in me to put on a bit more of a sprint and passed them by seconds before I heard the wonderful beep of the chip passing the last timing mat. They may not have known or cared that we were racing, but I beat them, and that was enough for me.

Disclaimer: I know Team in Training has raise about a bazillion dollars for cancer research and has surely motivated thousands of people to get up off the couch and train for something difficult and impressive. That is all excellent. I’m a jerk for hating them, but you try doing this event and not walking away with at least a little residual irritation. I know I may sound a bit harsh, but it’s my own little short story and honesty is sometimes more entertaining.

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