Rock N Roll Weekend

Rock N Roll Weekend

(Originally posted on MySpace on 6/8/2007)

These are some pics from last weekend at the Rock N Roll Marathon, San Diego. We went down with a group of 70ish runners and walkers from the Greater San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Team in Training.

Pre-race moment of silence for the honored cancer victims, patients and survivors.

On the lawn at the starting line at 4:45 AM

Tisha and Teresa.  Tisha (left) has done all 10 RNR marathons and has the special yellow race bib to prove it. That much time in TNT means you have a lot of names on your jersey for your honorees.

Susan and me.  I set my personal record here last year (5:57:52). For anyone who wants an idea of how fast that is that's a 13:35 mile - or walk to the tune of  "Dontcha Wish Your Girlfriend was Hot Like Me" ...  then keep that up for 6 hours.

The Spring 2007 Walk Team.  Last we checked, this group alone raised about $100,000 (close to $200,000 for the three events this season).

5 minutes after the starting gun went off.  We're just about half way to the starting line from the back corral.

Tina got separated from our group and I was holding her belt pouch - with her sport drink, Clif Bars and cell phone.  Out of a crowd of 20,000, I was able to find her.  Damn, lucky, I'd say.

Purple is TNT's color.  This view at mile 2 was just awesome. I love seeing how many people are helping with the cause.

I saw this young lady from the Childs Tumor Foundation (NF Team) at mile 4 and again as she crossed the finish line.  She got the second biggest cheer from their team when she finished.

One of my Myspace friends, Stephanie, saw me on the sidelines cheering at mile 8. 

There were some unforgetable sights, like the TNT alum cheer station at mile 12.

And the reason I keep coming back every year - one of the many cancer survivors.

The half-marathon finishers (TNT only) had some finishing strong:

And some first timers who've never done an event finishing with tears in their eyes

I cut over from Mile 13.4 to the turn at mile 22 to catch the full marathoners.  I loved this picture.  Brenda had this same kind of enthusiasm I'd seen in our own Brenda who passed away a few months ago.

I caught Susan coming around the 22.5 mile mark right under 5 hours.  She proceeded to kick my ass with 4 consecutive sub-12:45 miles (a full minute below a 6 hour pace).  This is her coming down the chute near the finish line at the Marine Corps base.  She finished with a time of 5:43:28.  She tried to make me feel better saying that she actually jogged a part of it, but no matter.  Damn, she can walk!

Kirsten and her daughter were first time marathoners.  Miriam was planning on finishing a half hour faster, but tweaked a joint near mile 22.  Her mom caught up to her and walked her down the chute.

One of the things about TNT is that the coaches don't leave until every participant finishes.  At 8 hours and 20 some-odd minutes, the 16 coaches still on the course formed a conga line behind the last finisher.

There were other stories that I wish I had pictures of.

Mike from the NF team was pushed in a wheelchair the entire length of the race, but asked his teammate to stop about 50 yards from the finish.  His physical condition was pretty clearly preventing him from doing much on his own, but he stood up into his walker and battled fatigue the mid-day heat to finish  amidst a mob of fans chanting his name.

After the 10th or 15th time coming down the chute, I saw a woman clearly in pain and I caught her just as her hip gave out.  She walked between me and her husband for nearly a half a mile and at the end she pushed through on her own two feet.  This was her first marathon.  Her name was Brenda.  That significance wasn't lost on me.

At the victory party that night, one of the TNT participants asked the DJ to see if he could find the coach that helped her get past the cramps and injury she had at mile 25 to finsh her race.  I thought it might be Brenda, but when I got to the front of the dance floor, it was a younger lady.  What struck me was that there were five other coaches there because each one had done the same thing.

So much for people not being able to make a difference .

Tomorrow our summer season kicks off. I'll be the head coach for the walkers on the Bayside Marathon Team - officially "Team Brenda" in honor of TNT honoree and myspacer Brenda Donato (Your Angel, Brenda).  My spring season ends on June 23rd when I race in Anchorage for the third year in a row.  I doubt I'll come close to Susan's time, but I have a feeling my coaching instincts will take over and the 26.2 miles during the race won't be the end of it.

And from one myspacer to all the other TNTer's out here: Kerry, Shay, Shana, Stephanie, WalkerChick, The Incomparable Rotten Rob.

GO TEAM!!!