Across the Bay 12K - 03/21/10

THIS RACE IS ALL ABOUT THE BRIDGE.  The romantic draw is the opportunity to run across the Golden Gate Bridge on a closed course.  For me, the signature element of the race is the climb up to the bridge deck from sea level.  I have run the Across the Bay 12K (7.45 miles) twice before, but never as good as this year. 

I originally planned to take the Powell-Hyde cable car to Aquatic Park to catch a bus to the start.  After awhile, I saw a cable car that turned out be the Powell-Mason line.  Rather than wait for the next one, I decided to walk to the bus.

We arrived at Fort Baker, just outside of Sausalito, in Marin County.  Fort Baker is opposite Fort Point at the Golden Gate, the entrance to the San Francisco Bay.  Like Fort Point, it was established to provide for coastal defense.  Also like other military facilities in the area, it is no longer used by the military and has been turned over to the National Park Service. 

I saw several DSE members at the start, Bill W.,  Dave K. (also running The Relay with the Devil's Slide Track Club) and Bill M.  Paul M. took the photo and Wendy N. left before the photo was taken.  Wendy's brother was visiting from out of town and also visited with us.

To avoid over-crowding, this race starts in three waves at 15 minute intervals.  I was in the first wave at 8:30.  The air horn sounded and we were off.  The start is on a hill and descends to the main post.  This year the start and finish were moved back, which provided a short flat distance before the first down hill section.  I liked the new start.  After running through the main post of Fort Baker, the course climbs from 26' above sea level to the bridge deck at about 260'.  The first mile ends a short way into this climb and my time is 6:16.  About right for the terrain. 

The Golden Gate Bridge runs North - South.  It has sidewalks on the East (bay side) and West (ocean side).  The West sidewalk is usually reserved for bikes, but it is closed for use by the runners during the race.  After the climb, my breathing returns to normal (for a race) and I am feeling good on the bridge.  Mile two is somewhere on the deck and I hit it at 7:09.  Since that includes most of the climb, it is fine.  Mile three, near the end of the bridge, clocks in at 6:24. 

Exiting the bridge, the course takes a right and then an immediate hairpin turn.  Mile four includes the descent back to bay level.  My watch records mile four at 6:43 and mile five at 5:34.  The mile four marker was clearly out of place, too long for four and short for five.  The race proceeds along Old Mason, more or less the line between Crissy Field and the Presidio.  We run past Sports Basement, one of my favorite stores in the world, but that will have to wait for a future blog post.
 








Miles six and seven are heavenly.  They are that smooth, fast, in-sync running that I love in the middle of a race where everything is going right.  Old Mason transitions to Marina Boulevard, where one traffic lane has been blocked off for the race.  This race ends with a hill at the Great Meadow, at about mile seven.  In mile six I know that I am pushing the pace and need to have something for the hill.  I decide that I am having so much fun on Marina Boulevard that I am going to spend what I have here and let the hill take care of itself.  Mile six is 6:29 and mile seven is 6:28.
 
A bike path climbs through the Great Meadow to the top of the hill at the back of Fort Mason.  The course descends on the other side and ends on Van Ness Boulevard.  As I start the ascent, I develop a sharp pain on the right side near the lowest rib.  It is probably a spasm in my diaphragm.  This is the end of the race.  I am not backing off, but I can't push the pace any more, either.  Once I crest the hill the pain goes away.  I run this area regularly and have the advantage of knowing the hill.  The descent is steeper than the climb.  The less intense climb is good for running up, but I am not a good runner of steep declines.  So, I pull back a bit on the down hill and then try to push toward the finish for the last few hundred yards on the flat section. 

I finished the race in 48:10.  That is over one minute faster than my 2008 time of 49:11 and my second fastest 12K ever.  Well, "ever" is not that long since the only place I ever see 12K races is THE CITY.  Still a good result on a moderately challenging course.  My age graded score is 79.6. 

After the race I go to the expo.  I get free biscotti and coffee from a couple of the sponsor tents.  What a great way to end a race.  Eventually, I meander over to the Cable Car station and finally get my ride on the Powell-Hyde line.  There are a few tourists, but things are not crowded yet.

I felt good recovering from the race and went to a track workout on Thursday.  At that point I realized that my recovery was not as good as I thought.  My hamstrings are tight and my leg muscles feel played-out at the end of the workout.  I need more rest and decide there will be no more races before The Relay on May 1 - 2.

PHOTO CREDITS

• Event Logo from event website.
• DSE runners photo by Paul Mosel (c) 2010.
• Golden Gate Bridge from the South side looking North.  Brightroom Event Photography (c) 2010.  Used with permission.
• Race Photo exiting the bridge before descending to bay level.  Brightroom Event Photography (c) 2010. Used with permission.
• Race Photo climbing the hill in the Great Meadow.  Brightroom Event Photography (c) 2010.  Used with permission.
• Finish line photo.  Brightroom Event Photography (c) 2010.  Used with permission.
• Jeremiah's Pick and Biscotti di Suzy logos property of their respective owners.