The Fro Fro Blog

Race Report: DSE Conservatory 5K (San Francisco)

Today's race marks my 28th consecutive month of doing a race every month -- typically half marathons or sprint triathlons.  Last year's December race was the Las Vegas Half Marathon, but this year that race conflicted with the Jets' visit to San Francisco.  My priorities firmly in order, I chose the Stick over the Strip.  Unfortunately the Jets didn't reward me.

So with 2008 quickly expiring, I made my way over to Golden Gate Park this morning for the DSE Conservatory 5K.  When we started at 9:00 am it was chilly, but the sun was peeking through the ominous clouds.  Unfortunately, we'd only run a few hundred yards before those clouds started dumping torrential rains.  It was in that moment I realized why many of my friends think I'm a little bit nuts for doing this race-a-month thing.  But I stick to it, because when you love the sweets, you gotta move your feets.  I'm here all week, folks!

The course ran past some of the major Golden Gate Park landmarks, including the Conservatory of Flowers, the Rose Garden, and the de Young Museum.  As we made our way past the Japanese Tea Garden, I was thinking a cup of tea would actually be quite lovely right about then.  No?  OK.  Keep going.

Around Stow Lake.  Kept telling myself that I wasn't that cold.  Volunteers commended us for coming out in the rain, and one even complimented me on how stylish I looked in my pink Atalanta running skirt.  Of course Billy Crystal's Fernando Lamas springs to mind:  "Eets not how you feel, dahling, eets how you looook....and yooou looook maaahvelous!"

So I persevered, and while my time wasn't stellar, I shaved my usual 10-minute mile by a few hairs.

The Dolphin South End-ers stuck around to chat and snack, but I had to keep running.  My Jets were at it again at 10, thankfully this time with a better result.   I'm back home now, in from the cold and rain --and it's finally time for that tea.  

 

Quote of the Day: Brett Favre's a Jet

"All the speculation in the world never prepares you for the reality of the moment."

-- Eric Allen on NYJets.com

Brett's a Jet.  Let the games begin.

Quote of the Day

"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up."

-- Vince Lombardi, legendary football coach born on this date in 1913.

Race Report: See Jane Run Half Marathon (Alameda, CA)

I know what you're saying.  "Fro Fro, I thought you weren't going to do the race-a-month thing this year."  Or perhaps, "Aren't you doing a triathlon next weekend?"  Or more simply, "Are you crazy?"  All of these are appropriate questions to ask.

This time around, my excuse is that I'd read the course was flat. At long last I might be able to achieve the personal best I'd been (literally) chasing since my 2:15:35 time in the U.S. Half over a year and a half ago. I became convinced that the U.S. Half course had been mis-measured, I had been mis-timed, or some other mistake had occurred.  If there were any time to prove that wrong, it was yesterday.  So I laced up my Asics once more and headed over the Bay Bridge to Alameda. 

Thanks to the wonder of microclimates, the East Bay is normally more than a bit warmer than the city of San Francisco.  Unfortunately, when I arrived at the starting line in Crown Memorial State Beach at 7:15 am, it was c-c-c-cold and at one point even started to drizzle a bit.  This didn't seem to dampen anyone's spirits. The all-female race was organized by See Jane Run, the athletic gear store that's all about girl power. At 7:40 there was an '80s-music dance warmup -- and before long the cold around me and inside me began to thaw a little.

At 8:02 am we were off.  As promised, the course was flat as a pancake.  It also helped that the race was well-organized and well-supported but not too well-attended.  With 1,900 participants, it felt like a big event but not so big that you got held up at water stops or had to deal with too much crowding.  

In most races I try to pace myself in order to reach the finish line at my desired time.  Unfortunately as can be the case with even the best laid plans, I just can't seem to get there when I want to.  But yesterday, even by mile 8 I was still on my desired pace.  My internal monologue shifted from, "I think I can do it" to "This could actually happen" to "Wow, I'm really gonna do this!"  Around mile 10 we hit some serious headwind that didn't let up for the final 3 miles.  But by then I knew I had this thing licked and I couldn't have been happier. 

I crossed the finish line and was handed a little bag that contained a silver-y pendant on a black silk cord. Nice, but whether or not it was a nod to the Nike, it ain't no Tiffany necklace.   The 5K finishers got more traditional-style race medals and I think some of the half-marathoners were jealous.

Great snacks 'n' schwag bags at the post-race partay.  There were the usual bagels, peanut butter and yogurt, plus Smart Water, LightFull Smoothies, CLIF Luna Bars, champagne and Schoggi imported Swiss chocolates.  It was still pretty overcast and cold, so I headed to the See Jane Run booth and bought a cute pink hoodie, just so I could stay warm while I waited for the race results to be posted. I had to see it in writing. 

I've always felt that most of your ability to achieve a goal lies in believing that you can, and yesterday, I finally did.  2:07:21.  (That's right, a birthday present a little bit early!)

UPDATE:  Received an email from the head of the company that timed the race, saying there was a technical glitch -- they'd set their timing device to GUN time, not CHIP time.  My heart sank. But I checked the updated results and lo and behold - my personal record remains in tact at 2:10:13.

True to form, and for those of you here for the food, there was a bacon cheeseburger and fries in my future later that evening at Polkers Gourmet Burgers.  Though Perry's is still my current fave, decided to stay away from the Union Street Fair mayhem.  The Polkers folks are a nice bunch, and they made a nice burger.  It was a bit more done than my requested medium rare, but the curly fries -- which came with ranch dressing on the side without having to request it -- made amends.  

UPDATE:  A few photos...

Men's Mags at the Newsstand

In our latest installment of "At the Newsstand," we take a look at three men's mags:

Best Life: "A Flat Belly Fast"
Men's Health: "Flat-Belly Foods"
Men's Fitness: "No More Gut. Really!"

Used to be these taglines were reserved for the women's rags.  Join the club and bust a gut, boys!

New York Minutes

Spent last weekend in New York, catching up on my favorite Big Apple activities: enjoying time with family, delicious food and one-of-a-kind shopping.  Here are some of the highlights.

Friday

Lunch at S'mac, where they make a myriad of mac and cheese combinations, each in its own personal skillet.  I went for the Four Cheese.  Best part was the crunchy top layer -- inside was creamy and yummy, but I prefer a lower sauce to pasta ratio.  Tony B., you're still my #1.  (S'mac, 345 E. 12th Street)

Walked uptown to the Manhattan Mall, which is filled with every (how do I put this nicely...) "mid-market" retail chain you can imagine: Aeropostale, Express, Strawberry, Wet Seal, etc.  Why, pray tell, did I make this pilgrimage?  To get Bitten, of course!  Sarah Jessica Parker's clothing line is sold by Steve and Barry's, and I just had to see it for myself.  Could she really pull off affordable fashion, or are the two concepts mutually exclusive?  I entered the store and SJP was plastered on posters and endcaps and TV monitors everywhere espousing her mantra that "Fashion is not a luxury.  It's a right."  And I have to say the clothes do look cute, but as you might expect, the fabric is thinner than SJP herself.  I love you, sweetie, but I have to trust that my top is going to make it through more than one washing.  I bought one for $10.99 and we'll just have to see.  It's gonna look great with my pink Prada flats, though. (Bitten at Steve and Barry's in the Manhattan Mall, 6th Avenue and 33rd Street)

Speaking of shoes, I decided I'd had enough retail slumming and headed further uptown to a new 'hood.  You girls know what I'm talking about.  The shoe department at Saks Fifth Avenue, which is so big it has its own zip code (10022-SHOE). Take the express elevator to shoe heaven, where the shelves are mirrored so you can see each heel without picking up the shoe.  As Carrie said, "Shopping is my cardio," and Saks gave me one helluva workout.   Next to the shoe salon you can recharge in the Charbonnel et Walker chocolate shop, where the pastries whiz by on a conveyor belt.  (Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Avenue)

Saturday

Breakfast with Emma at Cafe Sabarsky, the authentic Viennese restaurant at the Neue Galerie.  They serve their deliciously potent coffee in the Austrian tradition:  accompanied by a glass of water to soften the blow before eating your soft boiled egg in a martini glass and marble cake with whipped cream. (Cafe Sabarsky, 86th Street at Fifth Avenue)

Afternoon visit to famed chocolatier Jacques Torres, a.k.a Mr. Chocolate.  At his Hudson Street store you can sip hot chocolate while you watch them make all kinds of delectable confections.  I stocked up on my favorite: Dark Chocolate-covered Corn Flakes.  Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, sister. (Jacques Torres Chocolates, 350 Hudson Street)

Any trip to NY wouldn't be complete for me without a visit to Marina at my favorite store, Nellie M.  If you've ever complimented me on my wardrobe, chances are Marina picked the outfit -- and she came through again this trip.  (Nellie M. Boutique, Lexington Avenue at 88th Street)    

Dinner with bro Jamie at Gari.  We surrendered to the omakase (Chef's choice) and it was outstanding.  I can only show you half of the 10 pieces since after I shot the first five, the waitress told us they don't allow photography in the restaurant.  This may be the last photo scoop you'll see in The Fro Fro Blog, so enjoy it, people. (Gari, 370 Columbus Avenue at 78th Street)

Sunday

Jets vs. Eagles at the Meadowlands.  Here I am with Dad: he's got his gear and game face on.  Dad and his friend Johnny have been ticketholders since the Jets were the Titans, so our seats are spectacular.  Too bad the team wasn't today; we lost 16-9.  Still had a great time, and the burger at Johnny's tailgate was delish.

Thanks for a great weekend, New York.  You're a helluva town! 

Race Report: See Jane Tri

The See Jane Tri is a sprint triathlon (400 yd swim / 11 mi bike / 3.1 mi run) put on by See Jane Run, the women's fitness store with outlets in Noe Valley, Oakland and ... Boise.  Yes, the one in Idaho.  Their stores are great because not only do they have great gear (i.e. apparel, yoga wear, wetsuits, running shoes, accessories), but they specialize in helping women, especially newbies.  That means, among other things, you don't have to feel embarrassed asking things like, "How do I keep my boobs from chafing when I run?"  They also have a training program so you can train for your first (or 51st) triathlon without the added pressure of all that testosterone.

Although this was my second year participating in this race and my fifth triathlon, I was still apprehensive.  Would it be freezing cold like last year?  Will I get a flat tire?  Will the nagging pain in my instep come out to torture me?  Read on...

On Friday night, I had my bike checked out by the nice people at Sports Basement, then rode it home and put it in the trunk of my car.  That's right - little Fro Fro's bike is small enough to fit in the trunk of a 4-door sedan.  No unsightly bike racks for this girl. 

In the morning I made the drive to the race site at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park in Pleasanton, about an hour East of my Pac Heights pad.  Though my wave wasn't due to start until 8:20, I'm glad I arrived at about 7 am.  There were already tons of people there and the transition area was almost filled to capacity.  However, I was able to snag a great spot close to both the Bike and Run exit points.  Set up my transition area with the following*:

- Nike super-absorbent chamois towel on top of a bright yellow terri towel
- Amphipod for See Jane Run number belt. This one is self-contained and has little plastic clips - so there are no extra straps or cords sticking out like my Zoot one had.
- Oakley Sunglasses
- Giro bike helmet
- Cannondale bike gloves
- Camelbak hydration pack
- Chocolate CLIF Shot
- Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water
- Pocket Pack of Kleenex tissues (With the cool temps, these came in super-handy two years in a row.)
- Asics GT-2110s (I've been wearing the GTs for years - starting with the 2010's. Great for stability.)

*No promotional consideration was provided by any of these manufacturers.  I just hawk their brands out of the goodness of my heart.

Picked up my chip and got body marked with my bib number on my arm and the big 4-0 tattooed on my leg for the first time.  At the Danskin Tri in Austin, they put your age on the back of your leg, so you can  competitively gawk at everyone else behind their backs.  At the See Jane Tri, it's in front, so everything's out in the open! 

At about 7:45 I ate my customary CLIF Peanut Butter Builder's Bar and decided it was finally time to take off my nice warm fleece and join the other racers to make our way over to the beach to get ready for the Swim start.  Brrr... it was cold.  But the sun was coming out, which I don't think ever happened last year.  I chattered and chatted with a woman doing her first triathlon, and tried to allay her fears as I answered her myriad of questions. 

The race waves began, and my Wave 6 took off about 8:30.  The Swim leg of the tri is not the nemesis it once was for me, although at one point I caught a huge wave with my mouth and had to cough it out for several strokes.

Out of the water, into the transition area.  Throw off the cap and googles, dry the feet, throw on the socks, shoes, shirt, number belt, sunglasses and bike helmet.  Take a big swig of water.  Decide to forgo  the gloves and the Camelbak and head out to the Bike course.  Hopefully that wasn't a knucklehead move because a) I don't want to get dehydrated and b) my tire tools are in it and I saw at least three women along the course with flats.  Luckily neither was an issue for me.

Back in the transition area again.  Did a shot of CLIF with a water chaser and started the Run.  This is the point at which I'm most excited, because I've gotten through the more nerve-wracking first two legs and I'm in the home stretch.  The See Jane Tri run course is among the prettiest of any of the races I've done, and the Janes punctuate it with signs carrying inspirational quotes from folks like Eleanor Roosevelt, Madonna and Vince Lombardi.  My favorite was from Anais Nin: "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."  A wave of emotions rushed over me and propelled me toward the finish.

Official Chip Time: 1:23:11 - not bad, especially since my goal was to do it in under 1:30.

After the race, I engaged in my favorite rituals -- a manicure and dinner at a restaurant I haven't tried.  Last night's venue was Skipjack (see separate Skipjack post).

I'm now in the home stretch of my year of monthly races.  Nine down, three to go.  Looking forward to finishing strong!

See Jane Tri 09.29.07

Quote of the Day

"Jennifer doesn't say, 'I hate this' or 'I love this.'  She just does it.  There's never any complaining."
-- Gunnar Peterson, JLo's trainer

Quote of the Day: Wimbledon

"My dad used to put up some targets.  If I touched the targets, I get candy.  So I was very motivated.  Maybe that's why I'm still loving too much the candies.  But whatever."
-- Marion Bartoli, who was defeated by Venus Williams in the Wimbledon women's final yesterday. 

V. Williams (#23) became the lowest-seeded woman in the history of computer rankings to take the Wimbledon title.  She was also the first to win a championship purse equal to the one earned by the men's champion ($1.4 million).  You go, girl!  V. Williams def. M. Bartoli, 6-4, 6-1.

That men's champion was Roger Federer today, although it could have almost as easily been Rafael Nadal. The match was one of the closest, most exciting I've ever watched. Federer now shares a record with Bjorn Borg, who was in attendance -- they're the hottest men of all time in tennis.  Well, not officially.  But they are the only men to have won five consecutive Wimbledon championships in the modern era.  R. Federer def. Rafael Nadal,7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-2.

Race Report: Danskin Triathlon - Austin, TX (UPDATE)

Loyal readers know I love Austin, and I was able to enjoy some of my favorite things once again on this trip: the Austin Museum of Art, the Whole Foods on Lamar Street, the outlet mall in San Marcos, walking outside at night with no need for sweater, and spending time with the Bates family.  I also checked out some new places including the Mexic-Arte Museum and Cipollina restaurant.  For the record, the former is worth visiting, the latter isn't.

The Danskin Tri is an all-women's sprint-distance race (approx 0.5 mi swim, 12 mi bike, 3.2 mi run).  Joanna and I have the logistics pretty much down to a science as follows:

Friday
Arrive about 4:30 pm on the only non-stop flight from SFO.  Pick up the rental car.  Resign yourself to a soccer mom vehicle (so uncool) in order have "stow-and-go-seats" that make it incredibly easy to transport the bikes.  Check in to the Omni Downtown Austin.

Saturday
Pick up bikes at Bicycle Sport Shop.  No bike store I've ever been to can touch this place.  It's huge, bright, full of friendly, helpful people and stocked with great merchandise (bikes, apparel, accessories and the largest aisle of CLIF products I've ever seen outside of Whole Foods).  They also rent suhweet bikes.  The first two years I did the Danskin I rented a Trek Madone.  This year, I called too late for the Madone, but I got a Lemond Buenos Aires, which was great too.  If you want to ship your own bike out there, they'll put it together and have it ready to race, then take it apart and ship it back to your bike shop at home.  They even have a booth in the race transition area in case you need a last minute adjustment.

Go to the Expo for bib, chip swiping, etc.  Wait in line to get in in blistering heat -- and it's only 10am. Try not to think about how hot it's going to be during the race the next day.  Drop off bike in the nearby transition area.  Enjoy the rest of the day.

That evening, obsess about which outfit you're going to wear in the race.  You brought five choices to Austin, each with different benefits.  Settle on the new one-piece Orca tri suit you got the other night at Sports Basement.  Pack a backup in your race bag just in case you change your mind again.  Listen to the weather man (I'm sorry..."meteorologist") tell you that it's now 9pm and 85 degrees, and tomorrow it'll be 95 during the day, but due to the humidity it'll feel like 105.  Hydrate.

Sunday
Wake up at the ungodly hour of 4:45 am in order to get over to the race site parking lot and beat the lines for the shuttle buses that take you to the transition area.  Set up your spot.  Get body marked.  Head over to the swim start area in the cute flip flops with the strawberries on them that you bought for the occasion at CVS for $1.99.  Find your age group and swim wave.  Marvel at the fact that you're about to do this crazy race one more time.

The race starts a little after 7am.  Count down from ten and cheer multiple times, once for each of the waves ahead of you.  Get in the water and receive an inspiring pep talk from Sally Edwards.  Sally's schtick is that each wave has its own special word, like "Fantastic."  (Repeat after me: "I! am! a! FANTASTIC! swimmer!")  Finally, it's everyone else's turn to count for you and the race is on.  Remember what Matt Reed said about relaxing in the swim. (See #6 in I Heart Sports Basement.)  Do it, and realize how right he was.  (My swim time was actually my fastest ever this time, in spite of the fact that at one point, my spotting wasn't all that great and I had correct my course a few times.  Maybe I was a bit too relaxed....)  Seeing under the water wasn't that easy, either.  Austin had some pretty strong rains the week before, so it was quite murky in there.  Note to self: take some Airborne back at the hotel later.

Get out of the water and run into the transition area.  Overcome issues with bike helmet, throw on Camelbak, grab 'cycle and head out to the bike course.  Next issue: bike number was put on in the wrong place and is now flapping around.  Lose some time getting off the bike to deal with it.  Count the seconds you're losing in your head as they tick by ("one Mississippi, two Mississippi...") and try minimize them by moving as quickly as possible.  Every second counts, as you'll learn later on.

Get to the top of a decently steep hill, and hear one of the volunteers cheer, "Way to go!  That was the steepest hill!"  Really?  That wasn't so bad (you're from San Fran after all) and not as bad as you remembered it from last year.  Pass a 79 year-old woman on the course and pray you'll be able to race just like her 40 years from now.

Fly through the rest of the bike course.  At the transition, ditch the bike, helmet and Camelbak, down a CLIF Shot, grab number belt and head out for the run.  Feel the heat.  Feel euphoric when an entire pitcher of ice cold water is poured over your head at one of the water stops.  Keep going.  Stay focused.   The course finally changes from grass to pavement and you know you're almost done.  The music's playing ("I don't wanna work...I just want to bang on me drum all day..") and you're ready to finish strong.  You cross the finish line, hear the announcer call your name to the crowd, and pick up your finisher's medal.  Congratulations!

Since I hadn't remembered to check my watch when we started, I had no idea what my time was.  I later found out it was 1:47:30, which was exactly TWO SECONDS faster than my time last year.  You see, every second does matter.  Whatever you're doing in your life, make them count!

After the race, go back to the hotel for a shower, return the bikes and do your favorite post-race rituals.  For Joanna and me, that's Whole Foods for a Barton Springs sandwich (smoked turkey, brie and greens with fig spread on a baguette) and a gelato -- then San Marcos for family time and retail therapy.  The perfect rewards.

UPDATE:  Click on the thumbnail to see my race photo album.

by laurajf1

More info:
Omni Hotel Downtown Austin
Bicycle Sport Shop
Danskin Triathlon
Austin Museum of Art
Mexic-Arte Museum
San Marcos Outlet Mall