Saturday Long Run Description (8/30/14)

On Saturday, you will be logging between 4-8 miles depending upon your training level. The link below should give you a relatively clear sense of where we're going. I've also included a verbal description beneath it:

SATURDAY'S RUN COURSE!

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SATURDAY’S RUN-

We will head SOUTH along the Marina towards Fort Mason hill near the Marina Safeway. Crest this hill and head down into Aquatic Park. Run along the waterfront into Fisherman's Wharf. You will be on Jefferson.

Please keep a watchful eye for tourists, cyclists, and other traffic in Fisherman's Wharf. Continue running to the intersection of Jefferson/Powell. There is a large GAP store on the right.

Continue running along Jefferson which will eventually turn into the Embarcadero. At the intersection of Embarcadero & Bay there is a Hillstone restaurant on the right. This is 2 MILES. Beginner level runners will turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 4 MILES.

Everyone else will continue along the Embarcadero. Upon reaching the intersection of Embarcadero and Green, you will have logged 2.5 MILES. Intermediate level runners will turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 5 MILES.

Advanced and Race level runners will continue running along the Embarcadero. When you reach the MAIN entrance of the Ferry Building you will have logged 3 MILES. Advanced level runners will turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 6 MILES!

Race level runners will continue running along the Embarcadero. Right around the time the Embarcadero is turning into ‘King Street’ you will come to the intersection of Embarcadero/Townsend. Look for Pier 38 on your left. This is 4 MILES! Turn around here and head back to the monkey bars for 8 MILES!

Tuesday Night Sports Basement Run (8/28/12)

We're logging between 2-5 miles today depending upon your training level. Here's a link to the course map for your reference-
 

Tuesday's Course Map 

We'll do our warmup routine on Crissy Field as we did this past Saturday and then launch our run. This time we will head WEST along the dirt path and head towards Hopper Hands as we did on the day of program launch.

You'll run along the dirt path past the Warming Hut at which point you'll find yourself on a paved road. Follow this road towards the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. You will take a slight right turn as you head towards Hopper Hands. At this point, gaze down at the path and you should see a 'MM2' in chalk on the ground, turn around here and head back to the start of our run.

If you're a Beginner runner, you will have logged 2 MILES upon returning to the start and you're done for the day!

Everyone else will continue EAST along the Marina Promenade for another half a mile. You will cross a small wooden bridge and see the East Beach Parking lot. Run roughly to the midpoint of the parking lot along the Promenade. Coach Toby will hang out near this turnaround point. Turn around here and head back for 3 MILES!

Advanced and Race level runners continue running on the promenade until you run into the parking lot for the 'little' Marina Green. Cut through the volleyball court area as we did last week and head onto the Marina. 

Advanced level runners will turn around upon reaching Marina Boulevard and Divisadero you will have logged. Turn around and head back the way you came for 4 MILES!
 

Race level runners will continue running to the intersection of Marina/Webster. Upon reaching this intersection, turn around and head back the way you came for 5 MILES!

Saturday Long Run Course Description (8/25/12)

We'll be launching from the Beach Chalet parking lot @ 1000 Great Highway and running through Golden Gate Park. Here are a few things to keep in mind before I dive into the details:

1)You will be running gradually uphill for the first half of your run! This course isn't terribly steep, but there is a GRADUAL uphill for much of the first half of the run. Keep this in mind as you may need to dial back your pacing a bit when you head out.

2)Watch your footing! There's a reasonable amount of this run that will take place on a dirt path/fire road. This means small rocks, tree roots (sometimes), and uneven ground at times. I don't want to see anyone take a tumble. Stay tuned in! This is particularly important for those of you who wear MP3 PLAYERS! Stay particularly alert on the RETURN when you will likely be a bit fatigued and traveling gradually DOWNHILL!

3)Water Stops. Roughly a mile into the run (not too far after you pass the Bison Paddocks on the left) there is water fountain on the LEFT adjacent to Lake Spreckles. Also there is a water fountain at the intersection of JFK/Transverse on the LEFT side of JFK. These descriptions will make more sense once you read my course description below.

Ok, enough of the preamble. Let's get down to it! Here's a link to the course map (3-7 miles)-

Saturday’s Golden Gate Park Run!

Head NORTH from the Beach Chalet and promptly take a right turn to get onto JFK. You will run along the dirt path for about a quarter of a mile until you come to a stop sign. Turn LEFT at this stop sign at the pedestrian crosswalk onto the dirt path running along JFK.

You will continue running along this path for some time. As you close in on the first mile you will see the 'Bison Paddock' on your left. Shortly after you pass the paddock, you will see Lake Spreckles on the left. If you need water, cross the pedestrian crosswalk over to Lake Spreckles and you will see the water fountain on your left. This is roughly a mile into your run.  

Get on the LEFT side of JFK at this point. Roughly half a mile later on the left side of JFK you will see a 'MM3' in chalk. Beginner runners will turn around here and head back to the Beach Chalet for 3 MILES!

Everyone else will continue running on the LEFT side of JFK. Eventually you will come to a 4 way stop at the intersection of JFK/Transverse. This is 2 MILES. Intermediate runners will turn around here and head back to the Beach Chalet for 4 MILES!

Advanced and Race level runners will continue running on the LEFT side of JFK for roughly half a mile. You will see a large funky looking building approaching on the right.  

This is DeYoung Museum. Additionally, you should see a crosswalk cutting across JFK. Keep your eyes peeled for a ‘MM 5’ in the middle of the paved path you’re on. This is 2.5 miles! Advanced level runners will turn around here and head back to the Beach Chalet for 5 MILES!!

Race level runners will continue running along the left side of JFK until you reach the intersection of JFK/Stanyan. This is 3.5 miles. Look for a 'MM 7' in chalk at this intersection. Race level runners will turn around here and head back to the Beach Chalet for 7 MILES!

Tuesday's Run (Presidio Sports Basement) 8/21

 We're logging between 2-5 miles today depending upon your training level. Here's a link to the course map for your reference-

Tuesday's Course Map

We'll do our warmup routine on Crissy Field as we did this past Saturday and then launch our run. This time we will head EAST along the dirt path and head towards the Marina.

You'll run along the dirt path for roughly 3/4 of a mile until you hit the parking lot behind the Little Marina Green. Veer right through the parking lot and head towards Marina Boulevard.

Turn LEFT on Marina Boulevard and continue on Marina Boulevard past the Marina Safeway (this will be on your RIGHT) Once you reach Marina Boulevard and Divisadero you will have logeed 1 MILE. Beginners turn around and head back the way you came for 2 MILES!

Everyone else will continue running along Marina Boulevard. Eventually you will see the Marina Green Monkey Bars. Once you reach the intersection of Marina/Webster, you will have logged 1.5 MILES. Intermediate runners turn around and head back the way you came for 3 MILES!

Advanced and Race level runners will continue running along Marina Boulevard past the Marina Safeway and up Fort Mason Hill. Shortly after cresting Fort Mason Hill, you will run a bit farther until you see a building/structure to your right (this is a youth hostel). This is 2 MILES. Advanced runners turn around and head back the way you came for 4 MILES!

Race level runners will continue downhill into Aquatic Park. Run through Aquatic Park onto Jefferson Street until you reach the first controlled intersection at Jefferson and Hyde. This is 2.5 MILES. Race level runners turn around and head back the way you came for 5 MILES!

The saga of the 'Marathon Mutt'

A few months ago, my parents adopted a dog. This came as a bit of a surprise to me as I had never heard them express even vague interest in owning a dog. But, for most of my my childhood there was a dog in our house, so it wasn't the most bizarre thing they could have done. Little did any of us know how bizarre things would get once Sherman entered our lives.

Sherman is a schnauzer/terrier mix and bears some resemblance to Max, a miniature schnauzer I raised when I was a teenager. Unlike Max, Sherman had clearly been traumatized. He generally kept his distance from me when I first met him. I didn't personalize this as it appeared he was standoffish towards my father (and men in general) as well.

Not long after my parents adopted Sherman, he was thrust into my life via an odd set of circumstances. My parents were traveling abroad and my sister who had agreed to care for Sherman while my parents were away was unable to do so.

For the first 12 hours Sherman was in our home, he stared at me warily from the corner of the living room curled up in his bed. Barely a year old, it was evident Sherman had been through a lot.

After sharing the bed with me and my girlfriend during his first night with us, Sherman was seemingly a new dog the next morning. Friendly and warm, he sought constant physical contact with me after keeping his distance the previous day. Sherman was warming to me and I was becoming quite fond of him.

Borne of necessity, Sherman pretty much followed me everywhere. He joined me and my road warriors on several occasions. He even attended one of our team bar nights. He became the 'marathon mutt', the official mascot of my programs.

Sherman would end up spending nearly a month with me and my girlfriend. During his stint with us, we saw him evolve from a scared, anxious, reticent mutt to a much more friendly, open, and loving dog. We saw Sherman becoming the dog he was perhaps meant to be before all of the abuse he suffered.

It was with no shortage of sadness that I handed Sherman back over to my parents when they returned. In a short period of time, Sherman had become a big part of our lives. It was tough to say goodbye to him, but I felt good about the positive impact we had on his life during the short period of time we were with Sherman.

A few weeks later, I received a disturbing call from my mother. En route to Santa Fe, New Mexico my parents were in a car accident in the Mojave Desert. Their car rolled several times resulting in the car being totaled. Fortunately, my parents were fine.

But, Sherman had been in the back seat of the car during the accident along with a number of items my parents were transporting to New Mexico. After the car stopped rolling, my parents looked in the backseat to find that Sherman was gone.

They immediately started digging through the various items in the backseat assuming that Sheman had been buried underneath them. After several minutes of digging, they still couldn't find him.

The windshield and several windows had been broken during the accident. Given that Sherman was not in the car, one could only assume he had somehow jumped out of one of the windows while the car was rolling and ran away.

My parents spent over an hour looking for Sherman in the Mojave Desert near the site of the accident. There was no sign of him. My parents had no choice but to leave without Sherman. While I was relieved my parents were ok, I was despondent that Sherman was gone.

I'm an eternal optimist, but I simply couldn't see any reasonable scenario in which Sherman could survive. He was lost in the Mojave Desert. A typical day in July yields temperatures well over 100 degrees.

Sherman was not well suited to these kinds of conditions. If he didn't succumb to exhaustion or dehydration, there were coyotes and other predators that he surely would not be able to circumnavigate. I was despondent.

This dog that had endured so much in his short life would die alone somewhere in the Mojave Desert in a markedly unpleasant way. I felt nauseous when I thought about what might happen to Sherman.

Two days later, I was still feeling upset about Sherman's fate as I looked out the window of the Larkspur Ferry heading into San Francisco. I just couldn't get over how unfair it seemed. Things had just started to look up Sherman and fate deals him a hand like this?

My cell phone vibrated as the ferry arrived in San Francisco. A voicemail indicator popped up on my display. I quickly dialed in. My mom had left a voicemail for me. Sherman was alive! While I generally consider myself an agnostic, Sherman's survival was unquestionably a sign of divine intervention.

His survival (seemingly unscathed) defied any conventional wisdom. He was found roughly 50 miles from the site of the accident in Palm Desert. Sherman casually walked up to a truck and crawled underneath it to get a break from the heat. The owner of the truck found him, gave him some water, some beef jerky, and called my parents.

Sherman was exhausted and pretty ragged looking according to his rescuer, but he had survived an incredible journey through the Mojave Desert. My parents promptly turned the car around and headed to Palm Desert to pick him up.

I waited anxiously to hear back from my mom about Sherman's condition. Consistent with what Sherman's rescuer had indicated to my mom, Sherman was fine. He was thirsty, dirty, matted, and completely exhausted, but alive and uninjured. The kind man who rescued Sherman refused my parent's $100 reward indicating that Sherman had 'found him'.

I was dumbfounded. It simply didn't seem possible for Sherman to be alive and well. I asked my parents to send me some pictures of him. Even upon seeing the pictures, I still couldn't believe it was really him.

How did Sherman pull this off? What kind of dog was he? Did his difficult early life enable him to somehow survive 50+ miles in the Mojave Desert? Did he know where he was going? What kept him going?

Maybe Sherman was born to do this. Maybe his hard knock early life enabled him to survive the impossible. Maybe the knowledge that his new found family desperately wanted him back kept him going despite the relentless heat of the Mojave desert. Maybe there were larger forces at work.

None of us will ever know exactly what happened to Sherman in the desert or what kept him going, but I suspect it was all of the aforementioned.

I often point to Sir Ernest Shackleton as one of my heroes for overcoming impossible odds. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd find myself looking up to a dog the way I do Ernest Shackleton. But, inspiration comes in all shapes, sizes, and breeds.

The next time you find yourself tired, fatigued, and about to throw in the towel, ask yourself, 'What would the Marathon Mutt do?'

Tuesday GGP Course Description (03/29/16)

We’ll be logging 3-6 miles on Tuesday. Here’s a link to the course map-

Tuesday Course Map

Everyone will launch from the paved path at the top of the stairs leading down to the ballfields.

You will follow Martin Luther King until it connects with Bowling Green Drive. Veer left on Bowling Green Drive. After roughly 200 meters, you will reach a stop sign. Turn right on this stop sign and head towards John F Kennedy Drive.

Cross over to the RIGHT side of JFK and turn LEFT and head towards Ocean Beach (WEST) on JFK. Continue running along JFK into Golden Gate Park. From here, the rest of the run is pretty straightforward. Follow JFK past the intersection of JFK/8th Ave. Just past this intersection, there is a pedestrian crossing on your LEFT that is adjacent to Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. This is 1 MILE.

Everyone will continue running along JFK into Golden Gate Park. Eventually you will pass the Stow Lake Pavilion which is on the LEFT off of Stow Lake Drive. Once you pass Stow Lake Drive you will see a YELLOW sign indicating '13'0 Clearance'. This is 1.5 miles. There will be a ‘MM3’ in chalk on the ground. Beginners will turn around and head back to the start for 3 MILES.

Continue running along JFK underneath the overpass and through the intersection of JFK/Transverse. At this intersection there is a water fountain if you need it. Shortly after you run through this intersection, you will pass 'Lloyd Lake' on your RIGHT. Just past this lake you will see a sign/banner for 'SF Rec & Park'. This is 2 miles. There will be a ‘MM4’ in chalk on the ground. Intermediate runners will turn around and head back to the start for 4 MILES.

Continue running for another half mile until you see Lake Spreckles on the RIGHT.  This is 2.5 miles. There will be a MM 5 in chalk on the ground. Beginners will turn around here and head back to the start for 5 MILES!

Race level runners will cross over to the LEFT side of JFK. This side of JFK is a dirt path that gets a bit rocky at times, so please watch your footing carefully! You will be running slightly downhill for the next half mile until you reach the intersection of JFK and Chain of Lakes Drive East. This is 3 miles. Race level runners will turn around here and head back to the start for 6 MILES!

Tuesday Satellite Run (12/18/2012)

Saturday's recovery run launches from outside PSOAS Massage/Bodywork at 333 3rd Street between Folsom/Harrison.

If you need to use the restroom, change, and/or store some personal items, head up to PSOAS in Suite 205.

Here's a link to the course map-

Tuesday's Satellite Run Course Map.

Here is a brief description of the course:

We will cross Folsom from 3rd Street onto the sidewalk and take a right. We will run along Folsom all the way to the Embarcadero. We will cross the street and take a left onto the Embarcadero.

Run along the Embarcadero past the Ferry Building. Be careful near the Ferry Building as it can get a bit crowded with the Farmer's Market taking place. Once you reach Embarcadero/Green, you will have logged 1.5 miles. Beginners will turn around here and head back to PSOAS for 3 MILES!

A half mile later, you will reach the intersection of Embarcadero/Bay. Look for the Hillstone Restaurant on the LEFT side of the Embarcadero. This is 2 miles. Intermediate runners will turn around here and head back to PSOAS for 4 MILES!

Continue running into Fisherman's Wharf as Embarcadero turns into ‘Jefferson’. Run along Jefferson to the intersection of Jefferson/Powell. Look for the art gallery on the left. This is 2.5 miles. Advanced runners will turn around here and head back to PSOAS for 5 MILES!

Run through Fisherman’s Wharf right to the edge of Aquatic Park. Once you reach the cul-de-sac at the edge of Fisherman’s Wharf/Aquatic Park, you’ve logged 3 miles. Race level runners will turn around here and head back to PSOAS for 6 MILES!