San Francisco Marathon: San Francisco, California, July 23, 2023 – Marathon #23
It has been four weeks since my last marathon, and to say I have mixed feelings of nerves and excitement would be an understatement. While the break was probably good for my body, my mind has been eager to get back into the routine and grind of long-distance runs.
I’ve been to San Francisco before, so I’m familiar with the hills. That knowledge probably didn’t help my anxiety. Once I landed, I met a few other runners heading downtown from the airport, all of us in town for the marathon. Normally, I rent a car, but this time I decided to use the BART system and my legs. What I didn’t anticipate was the increased number of homeless people and the fact that it wasn’t always safe to walk around.
I arrived on Friday since I had races both Saturday and Sunday, giving me some extra time to explore and enjoy more seafood. I had a chance to eat at The Fog House down at Pier 39. The food was absolutely amazing!
On Saturday, I got up early to make sure I arrived at the 5k race with plenty of time. I’m always a little nervous on race day until I know exactly where I need to be. I like to do a warm-up race whenever I can, and this time I ran a solid 26:35, placing 44th out of 666 females and 181st out of 1,255 overall.
After the race, I spent most of the day walking the hills of San Francisco. I stopped for lunch at Socoma’s Restaurant and then met Ivan and Martha in the hotel lobby. They’re from Sacramento—Ivan was running his first marathon, and Martha was doing the 10k. We chatted for a bit, and Ivan and I decided to meet the next morning and walk to the marathon start line together. Since Martha was running the 10k, she got to sleep in.
I was excited to start the marathon since it had been four weeks since my last race. Ivan and I met up early, and we made our way to the start line. This marathon was exactly what I needed. I was ready to get back into the rhythm, and I love meeting new people. I encouraged Ivan, telling him he was going to do great, and we both went off to do our final stretches. Of course, I met several more people along the way.
The marathon itself was beautiful. We started at 5:15 a.m., and the course had 1,750 feet of elevation—definitely a few hills. Fortunately, I was able to handle them with little effort. The sunrise over the bay was absolutely stunning, and I slowed down just long enough to take a few pictures. I’m so glad I did.
I finished the race in 5:00 hours, and I was very pleased with my time, especially considering the hills and the break I had taken.
San Francisco left an imprint on my heart. It has changed so much since the last time I visited, and I left with a new sense of gratitude. The experience made me reflect on how I can use my gifts and talents to make my community a better place. Thank you, San Francisco!