2012 Zazzle Bay to Breakers Race Recap: The good, the bad and the ugly...times 3

**Warning: there is a photo of a naked person in this post. 

'Parts' have been pixelated and are small, but I'm warning you anyway**

Update: The person in the photo found my blog while searching the internet for naked 

Bay to Breakers photos and has left a comment.

It's a cable car :)

The Lead-Up

The Good

My training has been going so well for the past several weeks. I've been consistent and diligent. My cardio base is getting really solid. I've put in some amazing hill runs with the idea of going into Bay to Breakers feeling like the Hayes Street Hill ain't no big thang. This was accomplished :)

The Bad

My left calf was feeling sore and super tight for a few days but only during running and walking down stairs. I had to extra-minimize the amount of running I was doing. No amount of rolling, Sticking, icing, or massage seemed to be making a difference, but I kept doing those things anyway. Additionally, something had been feeling 'off' in my mid-back and hip/pelvis. Things were feeling inflamed. I chalked this up to hormones...because they are a great scapegoat.

The Ugly

Awesomely, there was no lead-up ugly :)


The Day Before   


The Good

This year's expo was easy to get to on public transportation with a three-year old, easy to find, easy to navigate and appeared more interesting than last year's by a long stretch. But I didn't do any exploring.

Happy girl on her first trip on BART

The Bad

By the time I found the bib pick-up area, my number on the board and the line for my number, aforementioned three-year old was pretty done. Granted it was lunch time, so no expo exploration other than a quick trip to the Nuun booth to say 'hello.' The meltdown began as I tried to exit the premises. Must touch all the balloon sculptures. Cannot walk. Carry me, mommy. Somehow we made it back to the BART station in one piece. But the trains were loud...

sooooo loud, mommy

The Ugly

Transferring trains was most upsetting. She didn't want to get off the train even though we were going to get on another one. She let the world know she was not happy with this arrangement by cleaning the floor of the platform with her body while hollering, "don't wanna get off! don't wanna get off! let me onnnnn! let me onnnnn!" It would have been comical...but it wasn't.

But I had the bib, we made it home, we got lunch and were able to relax. Whew.

And the next day was...

Race Day!!!

The Good

Things were great right off the bat! Of course, because of the title, you know they didn't stay that way.

I didn't oversleep. My pre-race prep at home went off without a hitch. Parking at the train station was easy. I was on time for the train and even ran into some good friends while waiting :)

Nothing like seeing costumed runners at the crack of dawn waiting for the train!

I got a boo-hisssss for looking like a 'serious runner.' I assured the hecklers that it was, indeed, a costume. And anyway I had the samurai hair-do and a sparkly headband on... the combo = costume. At least to me it does.

I was so busy chatting with my buddies that I didn't take anymore awesome costume pics...but there weren't a whole lot this year anyway, or so it seemed. However, right as we parted for our respective corrals, I had the first naked runner sighting...

You can biggify this if you really want to...but I did pixelate the 'parts' 
...nothing we haven't seen before...
fortunately, this year was not as cold as last.

There were LOTS of naked guys this year as compared to last...probably a function of the nicer weather. But there were very few women despite the mild temperatures, just LOTS of guys.

The scene at the start was your typical giant race starting line zoo...

I tried taking pictures but was having a hard time with the camera...as evidenced by the next two photos...

I put the camera away with the intention of taking it back out after the Hayes Street Hill. Also, as I mentioned before, there just didn't appear to be that many cool costumes at this point, which might have been due to the fact that I was in Corral A and with the faster runners. Or maybe I was just oblivious.

Best Points of the Day:  I felt amazing going up the big Hill. I wasn't fast, but I was strong and steady. I credit this to all the Moesers I've been running. To top things off, my hip was feeling GREAT. When I crested the hill ahead of my previous time while feeling fantastic, I had high hopes for improving on last year's finish. 

Shortly after I flew down the short descent from the summit that precedes a mile or so of fairly flat terrain, I felt that sense of elation and optimism quickly fade.

The Bad

Within moments of hitting the 'flat' stretch right around the 3-mile mark, the stiffness I've been having in my left calf flared with a vengeance. I kept thinking it would loosen up, but by Mile 4 the stick of rebar that had implanted itself in my lower leg extended all the way up and into my hamstring. I stopped to the side and attempted to stretch and massage it out...to no avail.

It felt better to run than to walk...so that was good :P but every time I tried to push my HR over 145, the wooden deadness of my leg would transform into shooting, searing pain from my Achilles tendon up to just under my buttcheek. I kept things slow and steady and every so often made an effort to crank it up a notch... but it just wasn't happening. My struggle to survive superseded the desire to photo any more of the event...big-time blogger let-down :(

source

I should have worn a pirate costume because I felt like this guy. 

He even has the wooden leg on the same side.

The Ugly

Running downhill and witnessing everyone around me open it up and blow by me as if I were standing still felt so lonely. 

Also, this is when I saw all the naked men's butts. Butts, butts and more butts. Lots of butts. 

Feeling fit and powerless is really frustrating. Finishing a race and not feeling tired just flat-out pissed me off.

And the kicker...

Getting passed by goddamned Gumby at the finish line was quite the tragi-comic moment. About this piece of the experience, I am rendered speechless. 

source

I'm borrowing this photo from rachelhop.com. She took it last year. If I had seen Gumby right there behind me...well, it wouldn't have made any difference. I was already stumping along as best I could :(

The finish stats are as follows:

Time.... 1:14:01  (9:56 pace)    4 minutes slower than last year 

In the top 22% of overall finishers, top 11% of all female finishers, and top 11% of women in my age group. Not as good as last year...which does bum me out a little...but it could have been worse. Finishing upright and with no residual injury is always a good thing. And it was kind of fun...sort of. If running with a wooden leg is ever fun.

And look what they gave me for my efforts...

I started laughing so hard.

And no, I didn't drink it.

Just hurt me.

Ever have one of those runs that hurts...in a delicious way?

Not an 'o, sh*t...i'm injured again!' kind of hurt. I'd say it's an 'o, wow!!! i can't wait to get into an ice bath and then roll the crap out of my legs!' kind of hurt.

I just had that run.

A bit under 9 miles of mud and hills and rutted road in 90 minutes. And it felt great!

Only one problem...

It's the Birthday Soup.

And inside the 'soup pot' is my lacrosse ball. 

All three of my awesome, hurt-alleviating tools are currently in use, and the slightest disruption of the soup-making process results in a sort of shrieking that I really can't stomach right now. So my ice-bathed, achy, sore legs will have to wait for rolling. 

I know, I know...I am the parent and I should just take what I need...but my three-year old's joy and excitement and enthusiasm about making this birthday soup is so endearing it hurts...more than my legs. So I'll just put my feet up and wait.

What's your preferred method of recovery after a satisfying and arduous workout? If you say drinking chocolate milk, I might laugh so hard that I wind up spraying Nuun all over my face.

Do you ever find yourself letting your kids do things that make your life harder because they are so totally cute you can't stand it?

It's the end of the week...

...we made it.

Whew.

A random brain dump to freshen me up for the weekend...

• So I raced last Sunday and I'm still sore. What up? I keep telling myself that it's because my brain forced my body to go way beyond its current fitness capabilities. I've been rolling and stretching, and I even did a little recovery run...of sorts. But I am just aching. My hip isn't too angry, which is good, but it also isn't happy. I need for it to be happy.

And sorry but no race pictures. Thankfully :) There were no photographers on the section of the course where I ran. I find that kind of weird. But whatcha gonna do?

• Yesterday was a climbing day. I've been going to the gym every other day or so to play on the elliptical and the treadmill and to work on the hangboard and pull-ups (I've decided I want to give myself a pull-up for my birthday in 6 weeks). The great news is that my hangboard/pull-up work is helping my hand and arm stamina. At the end of my session I was, for the first time, able to untie my own ropes.

Overhangs are no longer my nemesis...

source

...see how the rock juts out and over...overhang.

Now it's smooth handholds called slopers (click that to see different hand techniques).

source

No, they are not purple boobs.

I f*cking hate them. I actually cursed them under my breath yesterday when faced with them. I just don't know what to do with them...I slide right off. That means I am going to work them all the time until they no longer elicit profanity. 

• Bay to Breakers is approaching. I have 7 weeks to get ready. And 7 weeks to decide what "ready" means. I had set a lofty goal last fall of wanting to finish in an hour. That would be holding an 8-minute average pace for the entire 12K. Barring serious use of amphetamines or cocaine, that isn't going to happen. So...it isn't going to happen. Given that I essentially ran my race on Sunday at the same average pace (though it was a longer, more challenging course) as in 2011, I am going to set my sights for B2B on completion. And if completion seems to be well in hand, then I'll shoot for a little faster than last year. I need to be realistic in view of my lack of training. 

• I'm still trying to decide how to handle Hood to Coast Relay options. While I'd love to run with Team Nuun again, it's not a sure thing. And I will need to come up with a killer application idea. How can I ever top the nun running at noon for Nuun? 

Who wants to run Hood to Coast? Are you applying to run with Nuun? Have you ever run a long relay like it before? Did you have any super annoying people in your van? I was so lucky last year! I would go nuts if I had to deal with whiners or otherwise annoying teammates. But then again, I have a lot of practice with that particular facet of the experience...driving a minivan full of whining, screaming, complaining, fighting children every single day.

• I'm still wading through comments, thoughts, and emails in the wake of yesterday's post. Some people are really attached to their chocolate milk! I know I have a tendency to get on a soapbox and be a little pushy, so I'm not going to press this issue any further. If you feel solid in whatever nutritional decisions you are making, don't let someone else's say-so mess with you. If, however, the say-so makes you question your current mindset, by all means get busy researching! No one wants to feel like he or she is making poor choices...but sometimes poor choices are made. I'm not casting any stones because I know I make foolish decisions all the time :)

source

And, hey! Lookie here...five different bullets! I could have called this "Five for Friday"...or something like that.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend :)

I'll close with some alliteration  ;-)

Why you won't see me pimping chocolate milk...

A new movement is afoot. The Chocolate Milk Movement.


If you read fitness blogs you may have noticed a good number of bloggers extolling the fabulosity of chocolate milk. There are fitness bloggers vying for sponsorship with Team Refuel with Chocolate Milk. High-level athletes and regular folk alike are touting the benefits of drinking chocolate milk as a recovery beverage...and receiving compensation for this. Chocolate milk is yummy. How awesome to be told that something so yummy is also so good for you! 

This is excerpted from the Team Refuel website: 

Lowfat chocolate milk has 9 essential nutrients that an athlete needs, including some not typically found in recovery drinks.

Chocolate milk’s liquid assets:

A natural source of high-quality protein to build lean muscle.	The right carb-to-protein ratio scientifically shown to refuel and rebuild exhausted muscles.
Vitamin A to support a healthy immune system and good vision.	Electrolytes including calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium to help replenish what’s lost in sweat.
B Vitamins for energy.	Fluids to rehydrate.
Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, protein and potassium to build and maintain strong bones and reduce the risk for stress fractures.

Lowfat chocolate milk contains the right mix of carbs and protein scientifically shown to help refuel muscles. Chocolate milk helps restore muscles quickly to their peak potential.

16oz

Replacing muscle fuel (glycogen) after exercise is essential to an athlete’s recovery. A recent study found that drinking 16 ounces of fat-free chocolate milk with its mix of carbohydrates and protein (compared to a carbohydrate-only drink with the same amount of calories) led to greater concentration of glycogen in muscles at 30 and 60 minutes post exercise.1

Soccer

In a study of 13 male college soccer players, post-exercise consumption of lowfat chocolate milk was found to provide equal or possibly superior muscle recovery compared to a high-carbohydrate recovery beverage with the same amount of calories following a four-day period of intensified soccer training.

They call this the 'Science' behind chocolate milk. 


Addressing the claims of milk being a nutritional powerhouse...apparently the process of pasteurization renders biologically unavailable the majority of nutrients that are, indeed, present in cow's milk. Furthermore, pasteurization destroys phosphatase which is a critical enzyme involved in making the calcium and phosphorus in milk bioavailable. In fact, a test for the absence of phosphatase is used to determine if pasteurization has been complete. 


Pasteurization also completely destroys other digestive enzymes, such as the proteases, making milk extremely difficult to digest. The vitamins are either partially or completely obliterated. The nutritional components of milk that remain following processing may very well be passed through the body without being absorbed. Remember, unless you are drinking raw milk, the milk you are ingesting is a highly processed food. 


And then there's the sugar. Most commercially-produced chocolate milks have, on average, 24 grams of sugar per 8 oz. serving. Generally speaking, 12 of those grams are naturally present in the form of lactose. This means that an additional 12 grams of sugar are added per 8 oz. serving...and the Team Refuel page refers to 16 oz. as an amount used in their study (see above). This added sugar is often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup in most commercially produced chocolate milks. 


Okay, okay...


I'm about to start ranting. And that will turn people off of doing their own research into what milk really is, what milk really does, and determine if milk is really something they actually feel good about drinking. 


The National Milk Producers Federation and the National Dairy Council have done a very good job. They have convinced nearly the entire U.S. population that milk is necessary. They have made milk and calcium all but synonymous in the American mind. 


Go ahead and shoot holes in my discussion. Go ahead and tell me that I've no sound scientific basis for my rant. Then realize that all of the "milk is good for you" science has been funded by the good people selling the milk. 


Because I've spent way too much time searching the internet for milk nutrition sources that are not sponsored by the state or national dairy boards to compile coherently everything that I have found, I'm just lobbing a giant wad of links at you. Feel free to pick and choose...or simply ignore. Ignorance is bliss, they say.  But sometimes bliss isn't the healthiest way to live.


Don't get me wrong, though. I enjoy my cheese from time to time. I eat ice cream. And butter... OHHHH, BUTTER! And who doesn't like dunking a cookie in a glass of milk? But I, for myself, just can't get behind elevating (and promoting) milk (especially commercially-produced, highly-processed pasteurized milk) to the status it holds as a nutritional powerhouse and perfect recovery beverage for health-seeking athletes.


And that is why you won't see me pimping chocolate milk.


*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *


and here's the insane collection of fun and informative links:


Where do the cows get calcium from? From plants. So eat a 
big green salad next time you are concerned about getting 
enough calcium. 


high amts of casein which is impossible for humans to digest and assimilate... http://drbberkowitz.hubpages.com/hub/NutritionWeightLossCowsMilkNotHealthyPart1


calcium consumption, protein consumption and osteoporosis... https://www.msu.edu/~corcora5/food/vegan/osteo.html

op-ed piece on milk lobbyists and propaganda... http://www.kstatecollegian.com/opinion/a-lobbying-success-story-of-milk-unnatural-unhealthy-unwise-1.1909923#.T2D6Xpis8UU

monsanto keeping info from consumers... http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/01/8029

asking the question...do we believe harvard researchers or the milk lobbyists? http://www.fransussman.com/harvard-vs-the-milk-lobby/


"As a nurse and someone who has had kidney stones during each of my pregnancies, my urologist said stay away from chocolate milk at all costs. Whenever you mix Oxalic acid (from chocolate) and a calcium source, it can (doesn't mean it automatically will, but can) crystalize the calcium and cause deposits in your kidneys. I NEVER drink chocolate milk and my kidney stones were due to reflux into the kidneys due to the position of the baby on the ureters, BUT just thought this was info that was good to pass on. He also said that chocolate binds the calcium so it makes it useless to the bones/teeth.

Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/nutritious_foods_for_a_healthy_body/muscle_enhancer_chocolate_milk.php?page=2#ixzz1p1jj2CRn"

"To make people believe that chocolate milk is good for you is utterly ridiculous. Commercial chocolate milks may have lower fat %, but they compensate for this with added sugar. You can get chocolate flavoured whey protein with only 0.2g sugar, rather than ingest 40g after a work out. This will ensure that you get just enough carbs and plenty of protein/amino acids to help your body recover. You do NOT need sugar/fat to recover from a work out. Why waste your time working out in the first place? Wake up people.

Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/nutritious_foods_for_a_healthy_body/muscle_enhancer_chocolate_milk.php?page=2#ixzz1p1jj2CRn"

"Most commercial chocolate milks contain high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. This is made from GMOs, as in, BT corn. The benefit in drinking milk post-workout is the whey protein, not the sugar, and chocolate milk is higher in sugar than white milk and unless it is raw, you are getting more chemicals (especially in low fat milk) than nutrition from drinking milk. Chocolate milk has more sugar than soda, it is not a health food.

Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/nutritious_foods_for_a_healthy_body/muscle_enhancer_chocolate_milk.php?page=2#ixzz1p1k6FFEn"

"Does anyone else not think it's weird to be drinking another animals milk?!

Wake up people! 
Milk full stop wasnt designed for humans so of course it's going to have negative side effects to our bodies.
The Dairy industry brainwashes you into thinking it's your only source of calcium where there's so much more in vegetables + herbs!

Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/nutritious_foods_for_a_healthy_body/muscle_enhancer_chocolate_milk.php?page=2#ixzz1p1kEJOcV"

"Get your calcium from dark leafy green vegetables. I know the dairy industry made it ingrained in all of us to believe that calcium only comes from dairy, but it does not. The only thing you get from dairy is blood and puss filled garbage. The human body was not designed to consume it, at all, ever. Cow's milk is for baby cows. There is Soy, Almond, Rice, Hemp and Cashew milk out there. Much more delicious, and it won't kill you, or cows. Everyone wins! Yay!

http://www.weightymatters.ca/2007/04/chocolate-milk-it-does-body-bad.html"

"Pardon me, what? The HEA of PEI wants chocolate milk subsidized? That 500mL box of chocolate milk that Doug wants subsidized contains 10 added teaspoons of sugar, 400mg of sodium, and the caloric equivalent of a litre of Coca-Cola, and the Healthy Eating Alliance wants to subsidize its sale to promote its consumption?

To put the sugar in perspective, if kids in PEI schools drank one 500mL carton of chocolate milk a day for a year they'd be drinking 76 cups of added sugar! That's just over 7 five pound bags of sugar and that doesn't include the sugar naturally found in milk. Add that in and they'd be drinking 118 cups or almost 60lbs of sugar a year. And with 200mg of sodium per 250mL they'd also be drinking a third of their daily recommended maximal sodium allowance and enough non-satiating, liquid calories to support a 37.5lb gain.

http://www.weightymatters.ca/2009/11/pei-healthy-eating-alliance-endorses.html"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/09/chocolate-milk-bad-for-health_n_953845.html

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/superfoods/chocolate-milk-after-workout/

Natural Osteoporosis Community...Awesome link:

http://saveourbones.com/osteoporosis-milk-myth/

Not Milk.... http://www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html

Dairy free... w/ video... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dairy-free-dairy-6-reason_b_558876.html

A book... http://www.thierrysouccar.com/foreign_rights/nutrition/milk_lies_and_propaganda_by_thierry_souccar_msc

More... http://www.raceandhistory.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/14

Why we should not consume dairy... http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/why-we-should-not-eat-animal-products/dairy-products.html

"The amount of calcium consumed is not always related to the amount retained by the body. Availability of calcium for absorption is referred to as bioavailability, and is improved by factors such as the presence of phosphorus, vitamin D, and the extent to which the calcium mineral salt is ionized to form the divalent Ca²⁺ ion. Cellulose and hemicellulosefibers decrease absorption of calcium in the intestine. Sodium and caffeine both increase urinary calcium. Caffeine also causes an increase of calcium secretion into the human gut. Unabsorbed fats interfere with calcium absorption by forming a fatty acid–calcium soap complex, which is subsequently excreted. The bioavailability of calcium ranges from 5 to 70 percent for most foods, depending upon the type of mineral from which it is derived, the food product, and the presence of inhibitory substances. Oxalate and phytate both inhibit calcium absorption. A diet deficient in calcium may increase the risk of rickets, hypertension, osteoporosis, and scurvy. Vitamin D stimulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus into bones. Osteoporosis is one consequence of low calcium intake during the younger years of bone mineralization. There are conflicting opinions on the efficacy of increasing the intake of calcium for older people who are already suffering from osteoporosis.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/phosphorus-and-calcium#ixzz1p1wVWsgC"

Advertising and milk.   http://www.aef.com/on_campus/classroom/case_histories/3000

Why milk may not be best... harvard study http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-full-story/

The milk blog... milk not the best source of calcium on a per calorie basis http://themilkblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-research-shows-milk-is-poor-source.html

more from the milk blog... http://themilkblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-01:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-01:00&max-results=9

The Organic Milk Myth... http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Milk-Myth-Russell-Eaton/dp/1903339243

Milk...poison... http://books.google.com/books?id=-uk4AQAAIAAJ&source=gbs_similarbooks