My Race Weekend - Nike Women's Marathon

Thursday morning I woke up to snow in Calgary, but it didn't bother me because I was going to be boarding a flight to San Fran by noon. Meho and I left for the airport and I was full of excitement. When I got the airport I was told that my flight was likely going to be delayed. I sat in the airport and found out that my flight was yes delayed but only by a half hour. We boarded our flight at 12:40 and sat on the tarmac until 2:15pm!!! We finally landed in San Fran at 3:10pm and I had to wait 40 minutes for my luggage!!! 

Me at the Nike Expo in front of the
Fuel Stream looking at me.

I finally got to meet my Sisters In Nike and I was so excited to hang out with them all weekend. Karen and Elizabeth are amazing an so much fun. I felt like I knew the both of them my whole life. Ranisha was so fun and friendly and nice she always had a huge smile on her face, she totally lit up the room. Nerissa spent a lot of time with her boyfriend and sadly we didn't really get the chance to know her.

Alyson Felix at the Expo, she is beautiful.

Friday morning started with a stretching session with Nike's very own Master Trainer Marie Purvis. She is so friendly and helpful. It was great to finally meet her after tweeting her and following her training plan for months. Our stretching session was down down on Fisherman's Wharf in view of the bay bridge, it was a breathtaking view minus all of the birds that were down there. I am pretty sure Robby ( @TarHellRob ) who works with the Nike Fuel digital team, had to chase birds away from myself and Elizabeth before we had a panic attack from the books. It was a great stretching session and got out all of the kinks in my body from the flight over. After doing a few photo's of stretching and with the Nike Fuel team we met up with Robyn from Team Epiphany to do some more Nike Women's shots. This was a lot of fun, we walked the streets of downtown San Fran and really got to see this beautiful city. I can totally see myself moving there. After the shoot we went to the Expo to pick up our race packets and take in some of the expo. I got to see myself on the Nike Fuel Stream. I was pretty stoked about that. 

On the way back from the race we ran into Joan Benoit Samuelsons
he is awesomeand beautiful, such an awesome inspiration.

Saturday was another great day. Karen and myself went over to the Expo early in the morning so we could check out the Yurbuds and the bra bar. The bra bar was pretty cool, they measured you and fitted you with a bra. They also had a place where they styled you in Nike's new cold weather gear and gave you the names of the clothes you liked. They also had places you could get a makeover and Nuun was there with all the different types of Nuun they had. They had one that had a little bit of caffeine in it. It is beautifully amazing and taste awesome and doesn't have a salty taste. We met back at the hotel for 10am and we met Marie again for a shake out run. We went down to pier 49 where we could see the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. We were right by the ocean and a little piece of me felt at home. Afterwards we came back to the hotel and I stayed in my hotel room for the rest of the day hydrating and resting for the big day the next day. 

Race Day

My new Moto.

Sunday morning I was up before my alarm went off. It was 4:40 in the morning when my eyes shot open and I felt sick, at first I thought it was nerves but than I knew I was about to get sick, everything I ate started to come up and I knew this was going to have a negative effect on my run. I was so nervous for my race because the last 5 months came down to this exact moment. I began getting ready for my race because I had be in the lobby for 6:30am and I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep anytime soon. 6:30 we all met in the lobby and made our way to the start line, but before we left the Nike Fuel team got a pictures of all of us and I must say it is the best picture of the whole weekend. I can't wait to frame this picture. 

Race Start

Me with my new white ice fuel band and the Tiffany's necklace

The race start was crazy. We were not very far back from the start line but it went super far back. I heard that it took them 45 minutes to get everyone over the start line, for us it took us 2 minutes. The day was a little chilly and super foggy outside with a light mist, this is what I was hoping for because this is my perfect racing conditions. When we started out I knew I was going to fast, but I got caught up in the moment an kept pushing myself. When I started to pull back I just ended up pushing harder. My lungs felt so great and I wanted to keep going at this pace because I knew I would make my Boston goal if I kept that pace up. All of a sudden I was at the 3 mile mark and had no idea where the race was going I felt like it was flying by. Than we hit the dreaded hill. I knew I was going to have to pull back big time on the hills because I needed my legs for the last 13 miles of the race, so I took the hills nice and slow not allowing myself to tire out on them. When I got to the top I let myself enjoy the downhill run and maybe ran them a little faster than I should have but it made up for lost time. It was so great to have community support from the members of San Fran especially when we got into the residential areas. I was feeling great into the 11th mile and was running an average pace of 8'34"/mile and was on track to make my Boston goal. Sadly at around mile 12 my body got really hot and my legs felt like jelly, things around me started going black and I passed out. I was out for only a few seconds I think, but when I came to there were people standing around me. I yelled out "Don't touch me" I wanted nothing more than to finish my race. I got up and sprint/staggered off than walked until I found the next Shot Block station, lucky for me it wasn't far away. Once I got shot blocks in me I felt so much butter, honestly shot blocks are the best thing my body absorbs them rather quickly and got me back on my feet rather quickly. Sadly, around mile 16 I had to start using the bathroom every outhouse I saw because the water was causing my body to freak out. Around mile 24 I wanted to give up, my feet hurt, my legs hurt and I was into my own head thinking I couldn't do this, lucky for me I have an amazing friend in Elizabeth, she met me at mile 25 and ran the rest of the race with me getting me into the shoot and over the finish line. I really don't know if I would have finished without her. I finally finished my race and received coveted Tiffany's necklace. My time was 4hours and 39 minutes. Not what I was aiming for but at least I finished. I was short of my goal for Boston by a big time but I am not going to let that destroy me as I have already planned my next Boston qualifier race, this time it will be in Ottawa.

On the bright side Nike Fuel had a contest that none of us were aware of. We were competing to see who got the most fuel and I won by a hair. I was presented with the new WHITE ICE NIKE FUEL BAND. Kamauri and Robby presented it to me and I was over the moon. Until the end of the month I am the only person who has the WHITE ICE NIKE FUEL. I was so excited about it and I love it. It really topped off my weekend and made me feel better about not qualifying for Boston. 

Honestly, the Nike Women's Marathon is an amazing race and I think everyone should do it. The experience is amazing and the course is breathtaking. I will for sure be back next year.