I have been told time and again that I have a way with words. But words this time will be simple and few. Instead, I will let the following 42 photos celebrate my 42-kilometer marathon run with you…San Francisco.
1. I have long-stopped counting how many times I have visited you…but each time has always been like the first- exciting, eye-opening, mind-liberating!
4. From Mark Hopkins Intercon on Nob Hill, I proceed to your standing-room-only 'Worth The Hurt' exposition.
5. Race gear claimed, sights soaked-in, supplies procured, a personalized ‘WearYourNumber’ shirt had to be had to protect me from the cold.
6. Time was not enough for the many booths to visit,
7. the lectures to attend,
8. the yoga sessions to join,
9. and the merchandise to buy or sample.
10. Reserving energy for the morrow, I ride your marathon bus back to your core.
11. From Blondies on Powell, I leisurely climb your 376 foot-Nob Hill once more.
12. The weather forecast still had to be checked, the gear and ‘ammunition’ assembled.
15. With the Bay Bridge as witness, 25,000 runners were gathering in the cold.
16. At 6:22AM, as Tony Bennett sang your song with Runner's World's Bart Yasso manning the podium, your seventh wave I ran on.
17. It sure felt different running by places heretofore I had only walked on- Pier 39, Aquatic Park, Fort Mason.
18. Whether it was nearby Presidio or distant Alcatraz, your beauty distracted my run- and soon won over my race plan.
19. At every breathtaking view, I had to pause, shoot, and at times pose, the horizon ahead always worth a scan.
20. The run on your fog-adorned bridge, that I had only driven over and walked on with loved ones years before, I will forever recall!
21. Never mind that the lanes had to be shared with cars and awestruck runners all.
22. The repeated climbs on your 44 hills were tiresome but awesome.
23. So were the uphill runs in your fancied neighborhoods,
24. your rolling, undulating streets,
25. and your flat and picture-perfect parks.
26. Many times I would be slowed down by runners ahead, but there was no point in complaining.
27. There were too many reasons for celebrating – with your bands performing,
28. your squads cheering,
29. even your Harley Boys, who bullishly manned the course, high-fiving!
30. The Gu gel, Cytomax, and hydration stations,
31. the medical aid stops,
32. and the well-positioned portalets, refreshed our bodies all.
33. Even if by Mile 18, my right calf began to ache, as did my left ankle,
34. the signs posted along the route, inspired me to run some more and never to stall.
35. And so I ran, on and on, rounding Mission Bay and zipping past your Giants' home.
36. When the finish line came into view near Harrison, I knew I was to triumph over adversity once more.
37. Little did it matter that, having as others did missed a turn, I ended up running 800 meters more.
38. Your huge 42K finisher’s medal and your astronaut’s cape, that made me look and feel Superman, indeed made the hurt worth it all!
39. And so, in a celebratory mood, I partook of your post-race treat- a glass of beer, ice-cold.
40. Then there were pictures to take, co-runners to congratulate, with a few to console.
41. Muscles recovering I ask, did it matter that I ran your marathon- my third- 8 minutes longer than my first?
42. I dare say not at all…for on the return flight back home I realized I had left my heart once more...
3. But this trip was different- I was to run your marathon that The Wall Street Journal described ‘even marathoners fear’!
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