at least I was faster than the gigantic 5-man silver burrito

[moominmolly]

I'm in San Francisco, sort of on a whim. It's my 30th birthday, and the Bay to Breakers 12k was today, so I thought it would be fun to run it. Mind you, I'm too lazy to actually train, so my longest run to date was 2.8 miles last Thursday. Given that, I'm pretty pleased that I managed to run well over half of the race (2/3, maybe?) without dying. Yay!

Running a crazy race in San Francisco with 45,000 entrants is very much like taking a nice leisurely jog with all of Burning Man. Seriously, this race is bigger than my hometown. It took me 15 minutes to clear the start line. Everyone was fabulous, and the people on the sidelines were as great as the runners themselves.

While waiting for me around the finish line, dilletante ran into vito_excalibur, who I had totally forgotten lived in San Francisco. Accidentally running into someone you know in a big city is wonderful; doing it in someone ELSE'S big city is even better. Especially when you just did a footrace along with an entire small town's worth of people.

One nice thing about traveling west: free mornings! We had a lazy laid-back time in the hotel yesterday after getting up, and I was mystified that by the time we left, housekeeping had not yet pounded angrily on our door telling us to wake up already. That was when I realized that it was only 9 AM. Woo!

One crappy thing about traveling west: if you plan to see a bunch of people in the evening, don't forget that you will turn into a pumpkin before you even show up. Oops. But in the end, I had fun anyway, and was delighted to see the people I did. :)

I feel terribly special and celebrated. I don't remember the last time I went this far out of my way to ensure that I properly celebrated my own birthday, but with 30 it felt mandatory. And it worked! I feel great, and not at all old.

A last note: I feel as if I am missing a year. I have to remind myself that I haven't seen a lot of people in TWO years, not just one. I know what happened to that year -- she's taking a nap right now, actually -- but all the same, I'm happy to be back in my own timestream again.

Comments

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[cuthalion.livejournal.com]

The best part about traveling west is: you're in San Francisco! yay!

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

yay!

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Eep, now I feel old. (I turn 33 in a few weeks.)

[ceelove.livejournal.com]

Bah. I'm 33, I recently went through incredibly debilitating surgery, and I'm probably now in the best shape I've been in, aside from the end of the bike trip. I think 33 is a very good age, thus far. :)

[water-childe.livejournal.com]

As I'm also 33, I say, yes, I think it's a fabulous age.
I feel stronger physically and mentally then I think I ever have. I agree, so far so good. :)

[trom.livejournal.com]

Go you!!! It was great seeing you last night....

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

It was bizarre and lovely to run into y'all! This sounds like an excellent way to celebrate 30. Happy birthday.

[safetybitch.livejournal.com]

Hee! I'm in SF right now, too, we flew out to do the Fire Arts Expo! We tried to get up for Bay to Breakers, but the sleep got us...

[justinjs.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday!

[simplykimberly.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday, and if you end up with any spare time at all, and want to visit, give a holler! I'm just across the bay!

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

happy birthday! I keep finding all the things you manage to do despite
the napping adorable person that happened to your last year rather awe-inspiring!

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Well, gosh, thanks! Every time I start to feel bad, like I could/should be doing more than I am, I remember that I am doing everything I do while being the mom of a new baby, and I feel all better again.

[gentlescholar.livejournal.com]

Wow. I hadn't realized that you were so many years younger than I am. Happy Birthday! And congratulations on celebrating it well! As your daughter might put it, "A ga ga bla ga gla ba a!" (hit ear with finger) "A ga bla" (narrowly avoid poking eye with knuckle) "a." (so there.)

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

I have always had a strong tendency to hang out with people who are older than I am, so I (used to) get that a lot.

Also, I think N said precisely that the other night! And it seemed happy. So, thanks. :)

[d3l1r1um.livejournal.com]

Eeee! Happy birthday! Um! When are you going back? Would be lovely to meet Ms. N and see you guys, it's been years and years and years...

[contessagrrl.livejournal.com]

Happy, happy birthday!

I wish for you a year of joys unimagined, smiles unending, health abundant and surprises undreamed of.

Also, socks. :)

Thank you!

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Socks, TOO? I faint!

[badlittlemonkey.livejournal.com]

Jeez, now that sounds like a way to really celebrate a birthday! Happy 30th!

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

yay! 2/3's is a *lot*!

also, as i don't think i mentioned it today, Happy Birthday!

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :) If I subtract the time on the clock when I crossed the start line from the time when I crossed the finish, I did it in 1:42 -- which, at the end of the day, meets all of my realistic goals. So yay!

And also, thanks. Sorry I was kind of zoned both times I saw you.

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

1:42 is darned good!

Sorry I was kind of zoned both times I saw you.

We'll have to fix that someday, with an unzoned, not-socially-weird, meet-up of sometime. Perhaps if I actually make it to Boston...

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

If you DO actually make it to Boston, I think that could be arranged!

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

By the way, thanks for saying that 2/3s is a lot. Everyone else I knew ran the whole thing, so it's good to hear. :) And I just did the math, knowing my running pace and walking pace, and 2/3 is just about exactly right. Yarrr! Even if it wasn't the whole course, it's still a personal record.

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

I'm betting everyone else you knew a) trained a bunch or b) is more on the natural/lifelong athlete sides of things or c) both.

2/3's is FIVE MILES.

[coyotegoth.livejournal.com]

Happy 30th- woo, not dying!

[veek.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday, darling.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[arachne8x.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday and what a cool way to celebrate it. 2/3 is awesome and what a great year to be celebrating!

[fanw.livejournal.com]

Welcome to 30-hood! It ain't half bad!

[gosling.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday!

[water-childe.livejournal.com]

Hippy Hoppiest of Birthdays!
Although there are some fairly demanding activities that I like doing, running long distances seems really difficult to me. Or rather I'm the only one in my family who's so far escaped the 'knee' curse. I fear that if I tried marathon running I'd regret it as my knees would spaz out. I have great admiration for 'runners' but also the very idea of deciding to run a race for your birthday seems more then cool!

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're in San Fran and we're in the Northern UK. We all get around, don't we? [looks for the words "jet-setter" stamped on her tushee]

(and happy happy BD!!!)

[amare.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday!

[bluepapercup]

It was *glorious* to see you. Miz N. is simply wonderful, and it was a joy to play with her. I'm so glad we got to hang, even if you were tired.

So many congrats on the run (it's more than I could do!!) and happy, happy birthday.

enf

[vokzal.livejournal.com]

is in Berkeley!

[oddlystrange.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!