See you in 2008!

Thank you everyone for running with adidas Urban Run SF. Runs will resume on January 7, 2008.

Next year, I want to implement self-timed track sessions for those who request them. They should be a lot of fun. We'll try something different each time depending on your training. A few of us have been meeting at Kezar @ 6:30PM/7PM on Tuesday evenings. A Thursday evening track session or Strawberry Hill hill workouts may also be a possibility, although I strongly recommend Andy Chan's track workouts held on the same night http://www.malvina.com/kstars/track.php
If you join Pamakids for only $12 annually (www.pamakids.org), Andy's track workouts are only $2 for structured/timed/coached workouts. Let me know...

Second, I think the pizza event was a huge success in bringing everyone together. We should have something like this more often in 2008! Huh, what do you think?

In the meantime, have fun cross training in addition to running and rest. Make a plan of possible objectives next year instead of just "staying in shape". (Everyone in adidas Urban Run SF is already in shape!) Define your goals and make them happen. I will be more than happy to help you meet/exceed them!

All the best and I will see you next year!

adidas Urban Run SF - December 17, 2007

FREE PIZZA NIGHT!!!

ROUTE – Pier 39 or Aquatic Park run

• Start at the adidas Sport Performance store
• Right on Market Street
• Left on Embarcadero

o Turnaround at Pier 39 (Embarcadero @ Bay St.) for 4 mile run
o Turnaround at Jefferson/Hyde for 6 mile run

• Return onto Embarcadero
• Right on Market Street
• Finish at the adidas Sport Performance store

adidas Urban Run SF - December 10, 2007

ROUTE – Broadway-Stockton Tunnel run (4.1 miles)

• Start at the adidas Sport Performance store
• Proceed on Powell Street
• Left on Post

• Right on Laguna
• Right on Broadway (and through tunnel)
• Right on Stockton Street
• Right on Market Street
• Finish at the adidas Sport Performance store

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1491836

If you have completed a race recently, share them with us!

Warren Chang completed the Singapore Marathon in ~4:42

Goal Met...and Redefined

So enough about elites at CIM...here's a human perspective on the race.

Saturday was my last run for my taper. A simple 5 mile run, involving laps around the Kezar track. It was finished off with 6x100m strides. That afternoon, I went to a friend's place in Sausalito to carpool to the race expo in Sacramento. I drank Costco's generic version VitaminWater the entire day. By the time we met up with the other Dolphin South End (DSE) running group, we went to the expo to get our bibs, chips, and goodie bags. It was followed by a big lunch at Paesano's at 3, a sub-par Mexican restaurant in Old Sac for dinner at 7, and my own tub of homemade sundried tomato/feta cheese pasta around 8:30pm. Yeah, I ate a lot that day, but I was hungry. I didn't force myself to eat anything.
The next day I was getting concerned about not clearing the bowels, but with time it came and went. Good thing! I decided on adidas singlet, adidas race shorts, and "throwaway" tube suck arm warmers (which I ended up wearing for the entire race), and adidas Supernova Light 6. A slight change in plans came when my "lucky" socks were still wet from the wash; I used another pair of Powerbar socks. I also planned on bringing Gatorade in an ergo Poland Springs water bottle for the first 6 miles. I ended up bringing that with me for 26 miles until I saw Jodi and Annamarie cheer me on, where I decided to toss it to the side of the street and sprint the last .2 miles.
We arrived at the bus pickup Sunday morning to the start at 5:45am. We saw elites walk in front of me by the hotel headquarters of Sheraton to an SUV. The bus ride was quaint, but not warm because the heater wasn't turned on. We arrived at the Folsom start with less than 30 minutes before the 7am start. That meant a mad dash to change and get ready, drop off our sweat bags, and get to the right starting area. But it all went well. It was around 40 degrees with almost no wind. We also had time to meet up with the rest of the DSE group where I had my ibroprofen before the start, thanks to Matt. I met some people at the start that I met at Clarksburg as I poked my head around to search for the 3:15 pacer. That's where I saw Gordy Ainsleigh (founder of Western States 100) and said hi to him. We were off promptly at 7am after two girls sang the national anthem a little out of tune, but very cute for their age (not cute if it were William Hung of American Idol fame). Then the mayor of Folsom sent us off after hoping to welcome everyone back to Folsom after everyone made their mass-exodus out of it! But he promised to run CIM next year, so that's great. Again, the many communities along the CIM route very much are into this race, and that's a wonderful feeling to a small-town event that reels in money for their economy.
Right from the get-go, our 3:15 pacer was going gung-ho, and we were ahead of the 3:10 group. But we set ourselves straight by aligning ourselves behind the 3:10 group...but not by much. We were right behind their asses! So two seperate big masses were engulfed as one for the first 5-6 miles.
Good thing I brought my Gatorade Endurance in a water bottle. That Gu2o water available at the race was shitty, the aid stations were sloppy, the cups were in small ass Dixie cups with small drops left, and it was confusing if they were handing out water or electrolytes since the cups were practically the same. However, I didn't have to break my rhythm or stride charging for the water stops as I passed almost all of them. When I tried to grab them two or three times later during the race, I dropped them because they were hard to grasp. When Jeremy saw this mid-race, I knew he was laughing at me. It was a good thing to not get water in the beginning because it slowed people down and they surged back to keep up with their pace or pace leader...not a good strategy. On the other hand, it was extremely risky because I should top off my glycogen stores and at that time, I felt that I was with my Gatorade Endurance. I didn't take an gels for the entire marathon...another first. The first 8 miles of our splits were way off but I think our pacer may have anticipated this for later on, when we would be slowing down. Regardless, it was a bad strategy because our average splits announced on course would be anywhere around 7:07-7:24. Remember that is gun time, so we should be going even slower for the 7:27 average splits, but we were probably going at 3:10 pace. That meant the 3:10 group was doing well under 3:10. I got to run with Brent from K-Stars for a good number of miles. He is so strong that he is capable of 3:10 pace. He does his LT training at 6:50 pace, so he is ready. Regardless, he is headed for Boston, which he achieved with a 3:11. Brent had planned 7:30 first half and 7:20 second half. Obviously, that didn't happen as he took off from me by mile 9.
I also happened to pace with Jeremy from DSE for much of the race. He really helped me pass the time with his shits and giggles. We would communicate to each other to keep consistent pace or slow up on the hills. I even gave him Gu they were passing out at mile 10.
At mile 11, there was this gradual, yet long hill around mile 11. I told this to Jeremy outloud, which he replied "ok". An Asian woman heard this and said something to the effect of CIM being really easy compared to the Nike Women's Marathon. Obviously....but were still at mile 11 and she was aiming for 3:20-3:30. I relayed the information that she was way ahead of schedule since me and Jeremy were running ahead of the 3:15 group, and somewhere between 3:12-3:14 at that time. Instead of slowing down, which she should have done to keep her in her rightful place, she sped up. I probably just took it the wrong way, but I was hoping for her to suffer and die like the rest of us. I later learned that I passed her with a lot of time to spare. Too bad I didn't get to see the catch. (Addendum: I beat her by 20 seconds at the finish!)
Also at this point, the wind had picked up a lot! But I didn't think it was drastic, perhaps later it would get worse. I was headed into a a tailwind with little or no one to draft off of.
Unfortunately, Jeremy had to slow down around mile 18 and go his own pace. Along the way we chatted with a woman who was doing the relay and we talked much during my bad patches. That helped the dead miles between 16-20 tick by. But once her relay leg was over, I was alone and the feeling of being isolated hit me hard. It affected me with a mental wall beginning at mile 23. I had to keep reminding myself NEVER to walk in this marathon. Walking would mean succumbing to failure. It would also mean that if I remained strong, it would be the first time I have never walked a lick in a marathon.
After mile 23, the 3:15 pace group came by me at a good clip. But this time, there was another pace leader! What the fuck? It had now shrunk to 5-8 runners, which would continue to dwindle. Big change from the 30-40+ that started out. I later heard from a female in that group say that she wanted to throw up as she slowed down. A guy running with her kept saying that she wouldn't. I didn't want to risk it and have her throw up on my shoes so I ran a bit faster.
By mile 24, I was in agony. I already pictured the perfect finish in my head at this point. I would muster whatever strength I had to the point of energy defecit. Then at the chute I would stagger and noodle before a volunteer would catch me and help me walk upright for a bit.
Mile 25 and 26 took forever. A couple turns here and there, but where is the friggin capitol? Then I heard Eduardo and some guy (Oliver) call out my name and tried to move faster. I don't know if I did, but I was later told that I rolled my eyes back when that happened. Then after mile 26, I heard Annamarie and Jodi cheer me on and went full gas as the crowd got thick. What a moment!! I passed a bunch of people and came in at 3:14:19 chip time. Not bad. Now I only have to cut off 4 minutes at Eugene Marathon in May to get to Boston 2009! It will require much hard work beginning January 2008 with the 18 week Pfitzinger plan, but what a trip...two years and counting through this marathon journey. I almost cut off an hour off of my 4:12 finish at NYC in 2005.

Oh yeah, it was the finish I had dreamed of during my dazed state. Someone did catch me at the finish and walk me through the chute. Dreams can come true.

Notable CIM finishes from the DSE group:

Grant J: expected goal: 2:45
chip time: 2:44 FIRST MARATHON!!
Eduardo V.: expected goal: 2:52
chip time: 2:49 PR!!
Jerry F: expected goal:
chip time: 3:10:02 PR!!
Kennet D. : expected goal ~3:00
chip time: 3:10:50 PR!!
Me: expected time: 3:15
chip time: 3:14:19 8 minute PR!!
Jeremy C: expected time: 3:15
chip time: 3:19 PR!!
Matt F.: expected time: 3:30 with injury
chip time: 3:34 PR!!

EVERYONE PRs!!!

Final note: Oliver making the trip up to Sac that morning just to see us, DSEers, finish was a really nice gesture. At the 20 mile mark, I was only one minute slower than my best time at Clarksburg 20 mile a few weeks back. Michelle and Brooke qualified for the Olympic women's trials in about 2:42 and 2:43 respecitvely in their first marathon!!! They need to come to the adidas Urban Run SF...we need superstars.

Now it's time to recover for January when the training will begin once again. To celebrate my birthday on Tuesday, I will do 26 laps (10K plus 400m) on the Kezar track at whatever-is-suffering pace.

Michelle Gallagher qualifies for Olympic Trials!

Michelle runs with local running club, Pamakids, in San Francisco.

December 2, 2007

SACRAMENTO, CA – Michelle Gallagher, 22, representing the Pamakids Running Club, qualified for the United States Women’s Marathon Olympic Trials by running a 2 hour, 43 minute, 30 second marathon. The Daly City resident, running her first marathon, placed 5th overall and 3rd American woman at the California International Marathon (CIM) in Sacramento on Sunday December 2, 2007. The 26.2 mile race started in Folsom and ended at the Capitol Mall in Sacramento. Her time, according to a list on the Track & Field News website, is the 17th fastest by an American woman in 2007.

The United States of America Track & Field (USATF) is the governing body for the sport of track & field in the United States. They, along with the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) will host the Women’s Olympic Trials Marathon in Boston, MA on Sunday April 20, 2008. The top 3 finishers at that race will represent the US at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. To qualify for the Trials, you must be a female US citizen who has run a marathon on a certified course in under 2 hours, 47 minutes. As of December 1, only 96 women had achieved the mark. At Sunday’s CIM, Gallagher was one of nine athletes to qualify for the Olympic Trials.

Gallagher ran a smart race, running consistent splits throughout the race. She was on 2:43 pace almost right from the very start of the race and she held that pace for the whole race. Her fastest mile was 6:03 and her slowest was 6:21. “It felt more relaxed than at practice,” said Gallagher, “We had a good group of runners who worked together to get a fast time.” Gallagher ran much of the race with fellow 22 year old Brooke Wells of San Francisco. Gallagher had almost twenty people cheering her on along the course, including her mom, dad, brother, coach, and Pamakid teammates. “At 18 miles, I asked her how she felt and she said fine,” said her coach Andy Chan, “I told her to surge a bit and she immediately did. That’s when I knew she was going to get the Olympic Trials time.”

Gallagher attended high school at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco, where Chan was her coach. In cross country she was league and section champion as a senior and placed 3rd at the State Championship Meet. In track & field, she was a 2-time league champion for 3200 meters (2 miles). Her fastest 3200 was 10:33.04 at the Arcadia Invitational in April 2003. That mark was the 15th fastest in the nation that spring. In her final high school race for the Fightin’ Irish she placed 4th at the State Meet in the 3200 meters. She also set high school bests of 4:56.1 (1600 meters) and 2:17.7 (800 meters).

After graduating from SHCP, she earned a full athletic scholarship to NCAA Division I, Iona College in New York. She competed for the Gaels for 4 years. In outdoor track & field she ran a 5000 meter best of 16:49.54, qualifying for the NCAA East Regional in 2004. She also won conference titles at three different distances (5000 as a freshman, 3000 as a sophomore and 1500 as a junior). In indoor track & field, she was a 4-time conference champion. In cross country she was a member of the Iona team that won back-to-back conference championships and in 2006 placed 2nd in the region and 20th at the NCAA Championships.

Gallagher graduated from Iona in June 2007 and returned to the Bay Area. She asked her former high school coach, Chan, to coach her again. Her goal was to run her first marathon in Seattle in November 2007. As part of her training she ran for the Pamakids Running Club at the Pacific Association Grand Prix Cross Country series. She won the Presidio Open in October and also placed 2nd twice and 3rd twice during the season. At the Cross Country Championships, she placed 4th. Overall for the season Gallagher placed 2nd and she led the Pamakids team to a 3rd place team finish.

Gallagher’s best race of the fall, prior to CIM, was the San Jose Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon on October 14. At that race she ran 1:16:37 (a 7 minute personal record), coming in 12th woman, 4th American woman, and 1st Bay Area woman. As a result of that excellent race, she and Chan decided to change her goals for the marathon. “After Rock ‘n Roll we realized that she had a legitimate chance to get the Olympic Trials qualifying mark,” explained Chan. So instead of racing the Seattle Marathon, she switched to CIM, which is known for producing fast times.

And a fast time is just what she got. “When I realized that the halfway split that I needed was six minutes slower than what I ran at Rock ‘n Roll it made me feel confident that I could do it,” said Gallagher.” “Even back in high school,” said Chan, “I thought her best distance when she got older was going to be the longer races. When she asked me to coach her in June, I remember telling her that if she ends up liking the marathon she could do quite well…maybe even make the Olympic Trials someday. But I had no idea that someday would come so soon.”

adidas Urban Run SF - December 3, 2007

ROUTE – AT&T Park run (3.7 miles)

• Start at the adidas Sport Performance store
• Right on Market Street
• Right on Embarcadero

• Embarcadero becomes King Street
• Right on Third Street
• Left on Market Street
• Finish at the adidas Sport Performance store

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1483256