10% Off Fall Sale from Brightroom Event Photography. Expires: 10/31/10.

My event pics usually don't turn up very good.  Every now and then, they do.


Brightroom is currently having a sale.

10% off
Code:  FALLSALE2010
Expires:  Midnight 10/31/10 (I suspect it's Fort Worth, TX time as their addie is in Fort Worth, TX.)

2010 RnR Los Angeles 1/2 Marathon Snippet.

I completed the RnR Los Angeles Half Marathon on Sunday.

The course was much hillier than I expected.  My legs were fatigued and tired from the 1 marathon, 2 - 1/2 marathons and a 5k hike which I completed earlier this month.

I finished at:  2:50:44, which I am OK with.

I'll try to have a review of the Expo and Event itself before the end of next week.

RSVP for Dean Karnazes Talk and Book Signing, Fleet Feet Menlo Park. Event date: 10/27/10 at 7 pm.

I posted on 10/20/10, Wednesday that Dean Karnazes will be doing a talk and book signing at the following:

Fleet Feet Menlo Park
859 Santa Cruz Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 325-9432

Date:  10/27/10
Starts:  7 pm

I now noticed that Fleet Feet is asking folks to RSVP off of their website for the event.

To RSVP, click here.

Good luck!

Load up $40 of more on iTunes Card at Safeway, get $8 on your Safeway Club Card towards next order. Expires: 11/2/10.

I was at the supermarket, and I noticed a sign at the gift card area.

It said if you load $40 or more onto an iTunes gift card, you will get $8 loaded onto your Safeway Club Card towards your next grocery order.

The load up $40 or more onto an iTunes card, get $8 on your Safeway Club Card.

Since everyone has to purchase groceries at one point or another, this one seems to be a great deal.

On your next trip to the supermarket, it doesn't hurt to check out the gift card section to see if they have the same or similar offer.

Happy shopping!

Roasted and Toasted: My 2010 Chicago Marathon Review. Event date: 10/10/10.

This is from a tortoise's point of view.  It may be informative to those in the back of the pack.


The Chicago Marathon course has a reputation for being flat and fast.  In recent years, the event has also earned a reputation of having unpredictable weather.  In 2007, it was hot and humid enough that many participants had heat issues, and the event organizers stopped the event in the middle.  In 2009, it was very cold.

In the interest of safety, the race organizers developed an Emergency Alert System (EAS) to enable them to notify participants on the course of changing conditions as the the event went on.

The EAS flag at the Expo.  Green means Low Level of Alert.

The EAS alert levels are as follows:

1. Green - Low; good conditions.
2. Yellow - Moderate; less than ideal conditions.
3. Red - High; potentially dangerous conditions.
4. Black - Event is canceled.

Race Morning
As usual, I don't sleep well the night before an event.  I was also anxious because I found out at the Expo that the course time is based on 6 hours and 30 minutes gun time.  I had signed up for the event thinking that it was 6 hours and 30 minutes chip time.

I stayed near The Start and the Finish, so I didn't use gear check.  I also didn't use the porta potties; the lines were long.

Free Gatorade Prime was available for free.  But, I didn't see much takers.  Folks just don't gamble on things they didn't do outside of their training.

Since I am on the borderline on finishing this event on time, I carried my own fluids, a course map and a few dollars just in case I have to duck into a store along the way for refreshments.

The Corrals
I was in the back.  Plenty of room.  It felt spooky being in the way back.  Visually, I imagined getting left behind with myself running down the streets of the Windy City with no one near me.  I don't want the spotlight that much.  Someone else can have it.

Pace Groups
Although I didn't sign up for a pace group, I decided to tag along the 5:45 pace groups and kinda of changed off the groups as we went on for a while into the event.  There were 3 pace groups aiming for 5:45.  They ran accordingly:

1. 4:1 run and walk ratio
2. 2:1 run and walk ratio
3. continuously running, except thru the aid stations

Course:  6 hours and 30 minutes gun time
Several folks in the pace groups asked the pace leaders how long the course was opened for.  The pace leaders said it's 6 hours and 30 minutes from gun time...and not chip time, as I had found out the day before the race.

The pace leaders reassured folks that the organizers will leave The Finish open and if something should happen, we were allowed to finish on the sidewalk.

The Race
The Start -The Emergency Alert System (EAS) was Green.

Miles 1 to 3 - Went thru the downtown Loop.  Plenty of people lined the streets cheering even though we were in the back.  More importantly, plenty of tall buildings for shade.

Mile 4 - I noticed things were getting warmer.  And, no more tall buildings for shade.

Mile 5 - Went by the zoo. The EAS flags on the course changed to Yellow.

The 1st - 5 miles went by quickly.  As we were going along, I noticed I was passing up lots of people, many of them attempting to speed walk and can't keep up.

Mile 8 - Boys town.  Men in drag.  Go, go boy dancers.  Looks like one nice street party as we went by.

Mile 13 - Went by the United Center.  Made it past the half way mark and made a porta potty stop just past it, losing all the pace groups.  Fortunately, there was no lines for the porta potties.

Mile 14 - Things started getting warmer and warmer, and I noticed my pace was slipping despite putting in more effort.  I noticed a lot more people walking.

At one point, a police vehicle slowly rolled by, announcing on the PA system that walkers should walk on the sidewalk, allowing runners to run thru the streets.  I noticed not many people were running.  I was still run/walking, but it didn't feel good.

Mile 15 - The Gatorade was literally HOT at the aid station.  I have never been served HOT Gatorade before.  At that point, I realized that this event is going bad.  Not long after the HOT Gatorade, a woman just a bit ahead of me, pulled off to the sidewalk.  I thought she was going to stretch.  Instead, she threw up.

Mile 16 - My running and walking pretty much ended during this mile.  It was hot.  And, the EAS flags on the course was changed to Red.  I pretty much walked and speed walked from this point on.


Flasthback to being cooked at the 2009 RnR Arizona Half Marathon
In 2009, I did the hot RnR Arizona Half Marathon.  The temp. at that event was 76 F.  I had pushed hard early on during this event, got dehydrated, was sick for 8 to 9 hours afterwards and tossed my cookies.  I didn't want to have the same experience again.

Mile 17 - Got my Accel Gel.  Vanilla flavored.  I saved them for later.

Mile 18 - Pilsen neighborhood.  Heavily Hispanic.  It reminded me of the Mission at home.  There were a few families here and there on the side cheering although everyone by now was walking.  I saw a push cart vendor selling icicles.  I thought of buying 1 but figured I couldn't stop at one...or possibly 2...in this heat.

Mile 19 - I know now what the Official End Vehicle looks like.  It was just a regular vehicle with decals stuck to it saying that it was the official end vehicle.  The clock on top of it says 4:41:xx as it passes me.  The vehicle's occupants didn't make any announcements telling me to use the sidewalk or anything else as it passed me.

For a few seconds, I was thinking of darting in front of the vehicle and just trying to stay ahead of it barely.  But, common sense prevailed, it's just too hot to try to stay in front of any vehicle.

Mile 20 - Went by a building.  The temperature on the building said it was, "88 F," much worst than the forecast of 86 F from the day before.  I was told later by several people that it was 89 F during parts of the event.

I made another porta potty stop.  Fortunately, no lines again.

But, I noticed that the aid stations were being dismantled as I went by.

Mile 21 - Made it to Chinatown.  I noticed all these sanitation vehicles were driving by us cleaning up the course.  The fumes from the vehicles didn't make breathing fun.

Mile 23 - I believe this was the first mile we were told to use the sidewalks instead.  But as we went on to The Finish, the items from the dismantled aid stations forced us back into the streets along the way.

Mile 24 - I went by a Burger King.  I thought of getting lunch but decided against it as not sure how my stomach would respond.

Mile 25 - As I was near the end of Mile 25, I saw the right turn going up hill heading towards The Finish and started running.  I noticed no one was running with me.  And, only 2 people speed walking not far ahead of me.  At this point, I figure I can survive running to The Finish since I am that close.

Mile 26 - As I was running towards Mile 26, someone was walking away with the Mile 26 sign.  I made a left turn, saw The Finish ahead and kept running towards it.  To my surprise, there were a few spectators on the side cheering me on.  I thought everyone would have been gone by now.  I have a feeling they were waiting for a relative or someone they know.

The Finish line - Crossing The Finish felt surreal.  This was my 2nd marathon.  My socks and shoes were soaked repeatedly as I went thru hoses and sprinklers along the way.  I was sure I had a blister on the bottom of my feet; I later found out I didn't.  My feet were aching.

Post Race Area
The tents and food were still intact.

The post event celebration, however, had already ended.  I arrived 15 minutes after their closing time. So, no free beer.

I got my bling, a mylar blankie and bottle of water.  There was plenty of post race food left.  One of the ladies attempted to give me an extra banana, but I declined.  I have a feeling there isn't many folks left behind me to give the items to, and she was just trying to get rid of the items.

Chip:  7:16:38
Calories:  2,800 gross

Reflections

1. This event was pretty brutal during the 2nd - Half.  My 1st Half was a bit slower than I would have liked, but the heat totally destroyed my 2nd - Half.
2. When I was walking most of my 2nd - Half, I was feeling pretty dejected.  It took me a few days before I snapped out of it.
3. I was very glad I carried my own fluids when so many didn't.
4. I also felt bad for those who were trying to BQ.  I have no doubt that the heat prevented some from BQ'ing.
5. Because of the heat, it left me in great shape for the Nike Women's Half Marathon next weekend.

Pros and Cons
Pros:

1. Definitely pretty flat with the exceptions of the bridges
2. Well done sprinklers and hoses along the way.  I lost count how many I went thru.
3. As they had mentioned, The Finish was left opened for slower folks.
4. The EAS to alert runners of bad running conditions definitely saved countless of folks from trouble.

Cons:

1. The temperature for this event is all over the place, varying annually.
2. To those that care, those finishing after 6 hours and 30 minutes gun time are not considered Official Finishers and won't see their names in the Chicago Tribune, I believe.

Would I do this one again?
Maybe.

Would I recommend this one?
Yes to those willing to take chances on the weather.

Would I do another marathon?
Yes, a tortoise-friendly one.

---

Add on:
Post Race Bonuses from Nike
The next day I made my trip to Niketown Chicago to see what Nike+ members get.  Nike+ is a fun way to track your distance runned/walked.  There are also challenges now and then, and you can score some neat perks or Nike items.

I was told at the Expo that if I finished the event I would get something at Niketown.

On my way to Niketown, I went over a bridge across the Chicago River.

The Chicago River

I was fortunate I have found my name on the "Names Wall" at the Expo because at the Niketown Chicago, it was too tall for me to look.  I probably needed a ladder or something.

"Names Wall" outside Niketown Chicago.  As a Nike+ member, I went home with poster of it.

Nike also gave me pint glasses for being a Nike+ member and for finishing the event.  Thanks, Nike.

2010 Chicago Marathon Expo Review.

The 2010 Chicago Marathon was my 2nd marathon ever.

My 1st marathon was the 2010 Los Angeles Marathon.  It was on their new course, starting at Dodgers Stadium to the sea in Santa Monica, CA.  I finished at a conservative and easy:  6:11:xx over a not very flat and fast course.


Because the Chicago Marathon Expo and event itself are pretty big by themselves, I'll cover them in separate posts.

Today's post is about the Expo.


Expo: Friday
Shuttles
Free shuttles were available to the Expo from several locations.  I took a shuttle from the Chicago Hilton to McCormick Place, the site of the Expo.

Welcome.

The event was on 10/10/10.  The event slogan was, "Date to Motivate."

Wrong T Shirt
My packet pickup had only 1 hiccup.  They had defaulted me to a Women's L.  Because of my broad shoulders, I have always put down Men's/Unisex L.

To my relief, the T shirt exchange was rather painless.


Appearances of Elite Runners and Coaches
I was in awe of some of the elite runners and coaches appearing at the Expo.

Ultramathoner Dean Karnazes appeared at the North Face and WV booths.

Ryan Hall appeared at the Asics and the Hall Steps Foundation booths.

Bart Yassos greeted runners and signed books at the Runner's World booth.

Famed coach, Hal Hidgon, greeted runners and signed books at his own booth, I believe.

Fun Stuff
In some ways, I am glad I am not winning this hefty trophy because I don't want to imagine the cost of shipping it or what my luggage fees would be.

The Chicago Marathon Trophy.  The course preview is in the background.

Nike was a huge sponsor for the event and had a large retail floor space for their apparel, shoes and Nike+ computers.  I recognized and said, "Hello," to Lauren, who works for Nike.  She works some of the running events in my area and was in town working at the Expo.

Nike also had a names wall, listing the names of all the participants in the marathon.  A names wall also appears outside the Niketown store in Chicago, IL.

The Nike names wall proclaimed, "We are all marathoners."

It took me a short while, but I eventually found my name, "Mae Lee."

In the VW booth, they had the Doodle Bug.

Now kids, don't try this at home now.

Bank of America also had a photo booth were you can pose for a pic in front of a green screen, and they'll insert a background into the back.

Those who love to shop can also do some serious damage to their wallets.  Plenty of runners clothing and accessories to choose from.  All the big names were there:  Nike, Brooks, Asics, New Balance, the North Face and Mizuno.

Currently, I seem to have everything.  I spent less than $40.  I purchased an Asics T shirt, 2 Accel Gels and a packet of orange-flavored Endurox R4.

The food samples I paid most attention to was the following:

1. Gatorade - Official course fluids.
2. Accel Gel - Official course gel.

Expo:  Saturday
I also stopped by the Expo briefly on Saturday.

I ran into the Prez.  He and a couple of frequent marathoners founded the Marathon Maniacs and later founded the Half Fanatics.

The Prez and Me.

I also stopped by the New Balance booth.

Khalid Khannouchi appeared at the New Balance and Gatorade booths.  He won the Chicago Marathon twice and is the American world record holder for the marathon.

The Course Seminar
I only attended 1 seminar over the course of the Expo.  It was the Course Seminar, which brought some anxiety to my race day.

The Good:
Aid stations are a block long or longer.

The Bad:

1. Course of 6 hours and 30 minutes is based on gun time, not chip time.
2. Uh, oh...  I had signed up for the event thinking it was 6 hours and 30 minutes chip time.
3. I heard there were 45,000 participants for this event, leaving me in way back.
4. I was told that they do leave The Finish opened for slower folks, but they might have to use sidewalks and stop signs along the way.
5. Also, the aid stations won't be opened past a certain point when the end vehicle goes thru.

Training Going In
I did 3 - 20 mile wogs going into the Chicago Marathon.

1. The Best:  4:11:xx
2. The Worst:  4:31:xx  ( @ Mile 16: felt overheated and @ Mile 19:  cramped up)

Given the times of my 20 mile wogs, this can get awfully close to 6 hours and 30 minutes gun time.

I left the Expo with some anxiety.


I'll try to cover my Chicago Marathon within the next couple of days.

Grand Opening - Road Runners Sports, Campbell, CA. Event date: 11/13/10.

This event is a bit far for me, but it may work for someone out there:

Grand Opening
Road Runner Sports - Campbell
877 E. Hamilton Ave Campbell, CA 95008
(408) 796-6979

Event date:  11/13/10.
Time listed:  9 am to 2 pm

VIP's get 20% off.
There will be raffles.
Meet Shoe Dog.
Sports bra fittings.
Samplings.
Expo booths from 9 am to 2 pm.

Sounds like a fun event!!!

Dean Karnazes Talk and Book Signing, Fleet Feet Menlo Park, CA. Event date: 10/27/10 at 7 pm.

Dean Karnazes will be doing a talk and book signing at the following:

Fleet Feet Menlo Park
859 Santa Cruz Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 325-9432

Date:  10/27/10
Starts:  7 pm

It doesn't hurt to ring up the store to confirm as the date approaches.

Good luck!

New Course and Event PR: Nike Women's Half Marathon.

Finished the 2010 Nike Women's Half Marathon today in San Francisco, CA.

"I Run to Be" was the slogan for this year's Nike Women's Marathon and Half Marathon.

It was cold and started to rain during the middle of the event.

Garmin:  2:50:09, a new course and event PR.

I was quite surprised as I hadn't train on hills recently and had been focused so much on the supposed flat and fast Chicago Marathon.

More details about my Nike Women's Half Marathon to be posted before next week's end.

Gone Hiking at the Rocky Ridge 5k.

OK.  I became the hiking tortoise today at Brazen Racing's Rocky Ridge event all in the name of a tech T.  Yes, folks.  I did it for a T shirt.

Brazen Racing generally does challenging trail events around the greater San Francisco Bay Area.  Perhaps, once in a blue moon they do a flat and fast one.

Las Trampas where the Rocky Ridge events were held.  San Ramon, CA.

Too Early Might Be Bad for You.
I woke up too early and didn't get lost on the way over, which meant I got there when it was pitch black dark.

As I was walking from the dirt parking area, passed a gate and then down a dirt trail to the set up area, I kept thinking a mountain lion might just jump on me and make a meal out of me.  Another lady who arrived after I did said she thought the same thing as she was making her way through the darkness to the set up area.

The Start and The Finish.

Chip Timing.  Must return chip afterwards, or else...

Nice single track in the shade.

The Mile Markers were well done.  In addition, there was flour to mark off confusing intersections.

Nice flat patch.

Oh, how I wish everything was pancake flat!

Challenging Events.

I was told that their Rocky Ridge Half Marathon, 10k and 5k were their most challenging events.  The Half Marathon featured an elevation change of almost 4,000 feet.  The 10k had an elevation change of almost 1,500 feet.  And, the 5k event I did had an elevation change of almost 800 feet.

For the 5k, the big accent up hill started at around Mile 1.75.  It was a genuine slog fest.  A few folks even stopped along the way up to catch their breaths. 

Looking down from near the top.

Those thinking of flying downhill better take care.  It was steep enough where one had to slow down or risk injury.

There wasn't much to see out there.

The Spectators.

The weather started to get warm, but shade never seemed too far away along the course.

Enjoying the Shade.

Afterwards, I celebrated my hike with an It's It, which Brazen Racing is known for.

It's It.

By the Calories. 

I kinda of feel guilty for munching down on the It's It.  It has 340 calories, while my hike only burned up 298 calories.

I then reasoned that I have the Nike Women's Half Marathon the next day, so I will burn up those calories and then some the next day.

I also ate a couple of slices of watermelon, some orange slices, 1/2 a bagel with Nutella and 2 small pieces of chocolate chip cookies.

The Bling and Shirt.

The Bling.

The Shirt.

 

I had a fun hike today.

Now, on to the Nike Women's Half Marathon.

2010 Nike Women's Marathon Packet Pick Up.

I made it to the Nike Women's Marathon Expotique on Thursday late afternoon/eventing to pick up my packet.

Nike Women's Expotique, Union Square, San Francisco, CA.

It was much more crowded than last year.  The line was 2 blocks going in waiting for the Expotique to open.  And, as I got nearer to the front of the line, more folks got in line that it was again 2 blocks long getting in.

Once inside the tent, it was very obvious the venue was too small for the number of folks who had shown up.  It was chaotic.  There were lines everywhere, and it was difficult at times to figure out what the lines were for and where the lines were going.

My packet pickup was anything but smooth.  I missed a station only to be sent back from a further station.  I then got a wrong set of directions from someone with credentials on. 

Fortunately, I came across and recognized Aileen, who has worked some of the Nike events.  She led me passed a "No Entry" point to get the item I had missed.  Without her, I would have been forced to exit, reenter and (gulp) start in the back of a horrendous line

Thank you very, very much, Aileen.

My schedule for this week is packed, so I'll try to have the rundown posted before the end of next week.

Marathon Mental Strategies and Bag of Tricks.

I attended the BATC: Marathon Training Speaker Series, Part 3.  The topic covered was marathon mental strategies.

World class marathoners, Peter Gilmore and Madga Lewy Boulet, were the speakers.

Peter emphasized focusing on "ruthless positivity."

Madga mentioned that in a long event, such as a marathon, you have to find something to pull out from your bag of tricks to keep you going.  She also mentioned that it helps out to break things down in small steps as you go along.

Afterwards I realized that I hadn't focused enough on the mental game.  I was always more concerned about trying to get in all the runs on schedule instead.

Now, I just need to work on my "ruthless positivity" and on my bag of tricks.


They also had raffles and some of the sponsors gave away some schwag.  I came away with the following:

GU gels, Saucony water bottle, and I won a $25 gift card from Sports Basement in a raffle. 

Thank you sponsors, Sports Basement, GU and Saucony.

2010 Chicago Marathon: Post Race Commiserating.

Sometimes, post event commiserating helps with the post race blues.

I was disappointed with how my 2nd Half went over this past weekend at the Chicago Marathon.  The heat shot up to 89 F during that day.


I attended a marathon seminar.  Quite a few folks attending also did the Chicago Marathon over this past weekend.  Everyone agreed that it was just too hot out there.

The lady sitting next to me said she and her mom did the race together.  She said at the end, her mom had issues and had to be tended to by medical folks.  She said her mom said, "Don't worry about me.  I am OK."

The lady next to me said, "Mom, you are not OK."

Silly as it sounds, sometimes it helps to hear it from others, even though you, yourself, know that you can't control the weather.  And, when things just get too hot out there, the best you can do is to take care of yourself to run another day.

RnR Los Angeles Half Marathon Course Preview.

Those running or considering running in the Rock 'N' Rolls Los Angeles Half Marathon can watch a preview of the course before they step a single foot onto the course.

To preview the course, click here.

2010 Chicago Marathon: How do you know when an event is going bad?

Over the past weekend, I participated in the Chicago Marathon, one of the world's major marathons.

It was my 2nd marathon.

Q:  How do you know when an event is going bad?
A:  When the Gatorade is HOT at Mile 15, you know that the event you are doing is going bad.

The aforementioned Q & A pretty much sums it up how my marathon went.


My week this week is pretty packed.  But, I'll try to cover some of the happenings from my Chicago Marathon weekend before the end of next week.

Rock n Roll Marathon Events. Save $20 on 10/10/10.

It's a 10/10/10 deal from the RnR folks.

$20 off
Code:  SAVEON10

For a list of events and dates, click here.

Valid from:  10 AM to 10 PM PST ONLY.

Ladies Night Event at Road Runner Sports.

I usually don't come this way, but I was passing thru on my way back from the RnR San Jose Half Marathon Health Expo.

Road Runner Sports, San Carlos, CA.

Reps from several endurance and health related organizations and companies were present.

1. Nike
2. Zoot and Yankx
3. Saucony
4. Mizuno
5. Fluid
6. Garmin
7. Weight Watchers
8. Shape Ups
9. a gym, which I forgot the name, of was also present and was giving away a trial membership
10. there was also a message table and free messages were offered from a place that I also forgot the name of
11. free facial from another place I forgot the name of 

Going in I heard there would be refreshments.  I thought it would just be some electrolyte replenishment drink, but I was amazed when I got there.

Road Runner Sports food table.

Cheese, crackers, wine and GU Chomps.

Chipotle food table.

Tacos from Chipotle.

Chips and dips from Chipotle

Dessert was from Sweetcakes of Redwood City, CA.

Delicious pieces of cupcakes was from Sweetcakes.

There was also raffle prizes.  Due to the low number of turnout, everyone went home with a prize; some went home with 2 prizes.  I won a Zoot mesh bag and a pair of socks from Road Runner Sports.

I had fun.  If you have a local Road Runner Sports, you might want to check it out to see if they are doing a Ladies Night event.

REI Members get 20% off 1 Full Priced Item.* Valid: 10/8/10 - 10/17/10.

Fall sale is going on at REI stores and at REI.com.

REI members can get 20% off 1 Full Priced Item.*

Code:  FALL20

An REI membership currently costs $20 and is valid for your lifetime.  I purchase my membership years ago when it was $15.  It has save me a considerable amount money since I have became a member.

Members also receive up to 10% in savings on your regularly priced REI purchases daily.  Dividends are distributed annually.

Items purchased at REI.com can also be shipped to your local REI store for pick at no shipping charge.  No need to be concerned about packages being left on your doorsteps for someone else to take while you are away.

To start shopping, click here.

*Exclusions apply.  See exclusions at Rei.com

Free* box of GU Roctane Island Nectars with purchase at the GU store. I received my box with a "bonus."

Last week Friday, I blogged about the free* box of GU Roctane Island Nectars with purchase at the GU store.

I received my order this week.  I was surprised 2 boxes had arrived from GU.  My order wasn't very large, and the items I ordered can fit into 1 box.  I opened the 1st box, and everything in my order was there.  I couldn't figure out what was in the 2nd box.

My order of Happiness.

Free box of GU Roctane Island Nectars.

I opened the 2nd box and was surprised by what I found.  I found 2 boxes of GU gels.  1 box was GU Tri- Berry.  The other box was Jet Blackberry.  I also found a packing slip indicating it was someone else's order.  I double checked the outside box label, and it was addressed to me.

My surprise and "bonus."

I emailed GU and informed them that they had shipped me someone else's order by mistake.

Within a couple of hours, they emailed me back, thanking me for letting them know.  They told me to just keep the order and that they will ship another shipment to the person whose order I had received.

I am sure it was an anomaly where I had received someone else's order in addition to my own order.  The offer for the free* box of GU Roctan Island Nectars is still listed on their website.

Code:  INROC2K10

* Limitations apply.  See GU website for details.

Thanks, GU!!!

Bay Area Track Club Speaker Series, Part 3. Race Day Mental Marathon Strategies. Event date: 10/13/10, Wed.

Bay Area Track Club (BATC) presents Part 3 of their Marathon Speaker Series.  World class marathoners, Madga Lewy Boulet and Peter Gilmore, will speak to the audience about race day mental marathon strategies.

To see a video clip of what's in store for Part 3 of their Marathon Speaker Series, click here

Where

Sports Basement Presidio
610 Old Mason St
San Francisco, CA 94129 

(415) 437-0100
Get directions from Google Maps

When
Wednesday, October 13
Join us at 6:30pm for snacks and drinks. The talk will begin promptly at 7:00pm.

Attendees can enjoy 10% off everything at the Sports Basement store with 10% of their purchases going directly to the Bay Area Track Club.

To RSVP and/or to ask about race day mental marathon questions, please click here.

Attendees can enter a raffle to win prizes from some of the sponsors, including Sports Basement, GU and Saucony.