Marathon #18 - Here We Go!

This weekend I will be running the San Francisco Marathon for the 4th time as my 18th full marathon! I first ran the full in 2006, I ran the first half in 2010, I ran the full again in 2011, and this year I will be running the full yet again.

San Francisco Marathon Course Map

I love this race for many reasons, first and foremost because San Francisco is my hometown where I was born and raised (Sunset District HOLLA!!!) and its always fun to come home and see my friends and family. I love the city itself and think its a beautiful place to live and run, and getting to run up and down and all around the streets of San Francisco (including across the Golden Gate Bridge!) makes this race one of my all time favorites.

2006 - Finish Line with My Dad

2011 - Running Across the Golden Gate Bridge

2011 - My Friend Christina's First Marathon!

This race has also been extra special in the last year and a half because I have been lucky enough to be a part of the San Francisco Ambassador team. This team consists of 30+ amazing runners from all over the country. We have different running backgrounds and abilities, and all have different stories about our journey towards distance running. It has been a fun and memorable experience to be a part of this group, and I'm a bit sad for the experience to end this weekend!

SF Marathon Ambassadors

Representing SFM at the Carlsbad Marathon Expo

Working the Tech Center at the SFM Expo Last Year

I don't have a specific time goal for this race and my only goal is to finish. My training has been way off track these past few months (story of my life) and I just want to run to have fun and not put any pressure on myself. This past May I completed my first endurance bike event (67 mile course of the San Diego Century, race recap here) and each weekend my primary workout goal was to complete a long bike ride. I was usually able to get a long run in as well but most of my long runs fell short of my optimistic training schedule.

San Diego Century Ride

The race was mid-May which gave me the past six weeks to really focus on running. Enter all of my other usual life excuses - I've been busy at work, traveling a few times a month, tied up with volunteer responsibilities for Girls on the Run and TEDxAFC, up way too late making Glam Runner tutus, and often just feeling tired and not as motivated as I'd like to be. I know in general I take on more responsibilities than I can sanely handle, and going into my next training round for the Marine Corps Marathon in October I'm going to be smarter about planning my time.

Bart Yasso at My Post-Race BBQ Last Year (SO COOL!)

Speaking of Glam Runner .... there will be 13 Glam Runner tutus in the race! Last year I wore a SF Marathon themed tutu (white, teal, black) during the race and was planning on doing so again this year ... and to my amazement nine of my other Ambassadors will be joining me! Talk about a fun group! I'm super excited to have my fun-loving Ambassador friends dressing up in tutu and running the streets of San Francisco with me. I think they'll all have a great time and I'm grateful for their support of Glam Runner. Wearing tutu = increased fun.

San Francisco Marathon Themed Glam Runner Tutus

2012 - Running Across the Golden Gate Bridge

2012 - My Favorite Running Partner David Joined Me!

The race starts at the crack of dawn this Sunday and my wave will start running a little before 6am. Yes, that DOES mean a 4am wake-up time. Boo. If you want to track me you can download the official app from the iTunes store by searching "San Francisco Marathon". I'm bib number 41145

San Francisco Marathon Medals

David, the dogs and I drive up to LA tonight, and then continue on to San Francisco tomorrow. I can't wait!! Marathon #18, here I come!!

Coronado 15K - Red, White, & Tutu

This past 4th of July I ran the Coronado 15K for the 4th time since I've moved to San Diego. It was my first San Diego race in 2008, and I came back to run it again in 2009 and 2010. I would've run last year as well but I was up in San Francisco for the NKOTBSB concert (OH YEAH!!) for the 4th. (More on the concert here.)

Creative Parking 

Pre-Race with Tara

To show our patriotic pride Tara and I ran the race together in our Miss American Pie style Glam Runner tutus. What better way to show your love for your country? 

 We Made Tutu Friends!

I love the 15K race distance because it is more challenging than a 10K and you feel like you're working, but its not quite so hard as a half-marathon.

Deaf,  Blind Runner in the Yellow Shirt - Wow

How Do I Look So Sexy While Running? Magic.

Rockstar Hands for the Finish

Approaching the Finish Line

After the race we bumped into some of our fellow GOTR coaches and chit chatted for a while before parting ways and heading home. 

Go Girls on the Run!

If you live in San Diego and you've never run this race, you should check it out! Its a lot of fun and a great way to kick off the 4th of July.

Wedding Quilts, a Family Tradition

My dad's family has a tradition of making a quilt for each person that gets married. Each (willing) woman in the family creates a square, and then one of my aunts puts the whole quilt together. The first time I participated I was a low-achiever and sewed together pre-cut pieces my aunt sent. The second time I participated I decided to try a bit harder and created a needlepoint which my aunt used as the center of a quilt square.

Cousin Kate's Wedding Quilt

For my most recent cousin's wedding I decided to step it up a notch and actually sew a quilt square. I looked online and found what I thought was a simple doable pattern. I took the base fabric my aunt sent and went to the craft store to find other fabric that would work in harmony with it, and then I enlisted the help of my best friend Garley (and her sewing machine) to make it all happen.

Quilt Square Design

Fabric & Instructions From My Aunt

Preparing the Fabric

In my mind I pictured the whole square process taking about an hour. Um yeah, it took more like four and required a last minute trip to the craft store to get a second fabric to add to my square. 

First Pieces Sewn!

Starting to Come Together

Greyson Approves of My Design

So the Pinwheel Points Don't Match Up ... 

The Paw-Print Edges Go On

The square came together quite well throughout the assembly process although I remembered too late that I was supposed to iron the fabric before sewing it all together. Do you know what happens when you don't iron the fabric first? It doesn't lay flat. My square was a bit puffed up in the center, and I prayed that my aunt could flatten it and make it work.

Hard at Work Sewing

The Square is Almost Done!

Just Some Final Trimming Left

Ironing Out the Square

Complete! My First Real Quilt Square!

The creation of the quilt square happened this past Thanksgiving when I was home in San Francisco, and I finally got to see the entire completed quilt last month at my cousin Rachel's wedding.

Rachel's Wedding Quilt

I flew out to DC to meet David, and we drove 4 1/2 hours out to Roanoke, VA where the wedding would be held. It was hotter than I could stand this weekend, and there might have been a lot of complaining. Sorry David!

Trying to Cool Off with My First Chocolate Dipped Cone

The wedding celebration kicked off with a BBQ at Rachel and Dickie's house. I somehow managed to forget to take pictures the whole time we were there, especially when a crazy storm came through a few hours later and knocked out the power. We didn't realize how serious the storm was until people started to leave and found out that there were trees down in the driveway. After the men realized they couldn't drag the tree away, chainsaws were called in. A few hours later the road was cleared, but we found out that most of the area had lost power and that the storm had actually knocked out power for millions! (Turns out a lot of people in the greater DC area didn't get their power back for six days! MISERY!) More on the storm called a "derecho" here.

Rachel Greeting the Guests

 

(Official wedding photos. I'm sure you can tell.)

 

The Happy Couple

The next day the wedding was held at Roanoke College where my cousin Rachel is a professor. The ceremony was in the campus chapel and the reception was in another building nearby. The campus had lost power in some areas and not others, and the reception actually had to be moved at the last minute. Rachel seemed to be taking all of these changes in stride. I'm pretty sure I would have been freaking out!

Family Photo

With Aunt Barbara & Uncle Brian

 With Aunt Judy

Cousin Ted and Family

The Happy and Incredibly Tall Couple
(I'm wearing 4 inch heels!!)

Parents of the Bride - Uncle Stanton & Aunt Elsa

Cousin Sarah & Brianna with Rachel Photobombing

Lucky Centerpiece Winners Kim & Kate

It was nice to spend time with family I hadn't seen in so many years and to have a chance for David to get to know everyone. The next day we headed back up to David's parents' house in West Virginia where a pool party for his nieces was in full swing! It was nice to beat the heat in the pool and get to spend some time with David's family.

Pool Time with David's Nieces

David & the Girls

The weekend was a lot of  fun and I'm so glad I got to spend time both with my family and David's. Congratulations Rachel and Dickie!

Rachel & Dickie