Running Journal - 2025-05-18 (Bay to Breakers Race)

Time: 8:44-11:17 a.m. (2 hour 33 minutes) 
Resting heart rate: N/A
Weight (several hours later, after eating, etc.): 85.55 kg (188.60 lb)
Body Mass Index (BMI; note criticisms of BMI): 24.9 (Overweight = 25–29.9)
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 2,044 cal/day
Distance (running): ~15.00 km (~9.32 miles)
Cumulative distance (2025; ignores XT days): ? km (? mi)
Calories burned: 1,095 cal
Average heart rate: 102 bpm
Max heart rate: 164 bpm
Weather: sunny ☀️ 15° C (59° F), Humidity 63% Wind: 0 km/h
Terrain: 476 ft elevation gain
Avg Pace: 16'10" /mile
Best pace: 13'58" /mile
Stinkiness air level (0=No smell; 10=☣️): 0/10 (not stinky)
Comments: 2025 Bay to Breakers race, celebrating its 114th year and its 112th in-person running (2020 & 2021 had virtual runs due to COVID-19). Remembered the 3 things I should always do: 1) Garmin HRM-Pro Plus Heart Rate Monitor; 2) Anti-chafing; and 3) Sunblock ✅ Woke at 4:15 a.m., got ready, had cereal & a banana, then headed to Emeryville Amtrak to catch our shuttle. An aside: we bought shuttle tickets the night before. We parked at the 5959 Horton public parking garage (on the same side of the tracks as the station--literally just to the north across a sidewalk). Keep the entrance ticket and validate it inside the Amtrak station using a little kiosk on the right. They also have bathrooms (ask the desk for the code). We arrived ~6:10 a.m. or so. The Amtrak buses had already arrived and a driver said the 1st bus would leave at 6:30 a.m. We walked around to the 1st one and got on. The driver checked our phone but they do NOT have QR code scanners. It is mostly just the honor system. The bus eventually filled. At 6:30 a.m. or so, we departed. The ride there was quick and we got there around 6:45 a.m. or so. We got coffee at Philz Coffee - 5 Embarcadero Ctr. Then walked to see the art installation of the 45-foot-tall wire-mesh woman, titled, "R-Evolution statue" by Marco Cochrane.  Walked to the corrals. We were in Corral E this year. Passed a coffee shop called Penelope's Coffee & Tea at 121 Spear St Suite; something maybe to try another time. We exited the corrals and walked a hundred feet to Rincon Plaza, which had Adirondack Chairs with cushions, protection from the amplified noise, and almost zero people. Drank our coffee in peace, and then wandered back. We should have stayed there...the tortillas were flying and Dawn got hit twice 😝 Very bad start to the race. I sheltered Dawn as best I could with hands over her head. Thinking back, raising our hoodies would have helped. If I could get rid of one tradition, I would eliminate the tortillas. 🤬 If not aware, we first observed, then experienced the tortilla-toss tradition: people toss soft-shell tortillas of various diameters through the air, striking participants, sometimes quite forcefully. There is no way to opt-out of it, and no way to predict getting hit. Most people are relatively gentle, thankfully, but some people suck and really whip them with force at people's faces. Finally, After a long wait, our wave started, around 8:44 a.m. I think. We also observed people bouncing inflatable beach balls. Lots of people-watching opportunities. Costumes were all over the place: Mario, Slinky Dog from Toy Story, tacos, animals, butterflies, ninja turtles, Frida Kahlo, 80's fashion, lifeguards, T-rex, crayons, Stitch, ballerina tutus, drag, nudity, sequined dresses, a MUNI bus, capes, inflatable pig, etc. When our corral finally was released, we basically shuffled along for a while due to people walking. There were  NO fundamentalist religious extremist provocateurs just past the starting line this year. We stuck to our run/walk schedule of 1:30/run & 1:00/minute walk. Along the way, we passed a lot of WindSurf soap bubble stations, homemade "car wash" with bubbles, gave a small child a gentle high five, saw the people cheered from the sidewalk. There were a "Pit Stop" where a crew sat people down and gave them what might have been a jello shot, a live drum corp, random people playing amplified music, the Muppets Statler and Waldorf (two disagreeable old men) puppet show, bubble blowers, the chain of people dressed as a salmon running upstream, DJ's, public art in Golden Gate Park, etc. Hayes Hill was OK--a bit tough and glad it was over. We saw lots of buffalo this year on the ground in Golden Gate Park. At miles 6-7, we slowed down as our Achilles felt a bit sore and did not want to injure ourselves. After a few starts and stops, we decided to walk the remainder of the course. This year we did the "Breaker Bonus", the 15K course (~9.3 miles). The race took us onto the Great Highway, a portion of which (in March 2025) was closed to vehicle traffic. Sand had spilled onto the road in places, making walking a bit more strenuous. The roar of the ocean was lovely. After finishing, most of the snacks were gone, but we got bananas and some 60-calorie chewy energy bar samples, then got medals. Like last year, the 1st shuttle back to Emeryville was slated to start boarding at 11:30 a.m., so we may have missed the first one, as we arrived around noon. Skipped the beer garden area, which was full of people dancing. It looked fun and the live music stage was high-energy. At the shuttle area, we showed our phone text message to the people controlling access and they just waved us through. The page for the tickets would not load. Last year we had soggy & torn paper tickets, so we elected for the digital QR code this year, but: 1) The page would not load due to cellular congestion; and 2) No one scans the QR codes, they just want to see it on the page. They said, "No screenshots" but just waved us through. This was a source of stress. Then we laughed because--just like last year--we walked through the winding security barriers, which separated people going downtown in one direction and those of us going elsewhere in another--and found ourselves right back out where we started, basically 😛 We walked to the queue of buses far, far down the road (maybe 1/3 to 1/2 mile?), just like last year. Once we got there, an attendant actually wanted to see the QR code 🌟The bus filled-up slowly (it was maybe 1/3 full when we boarded. Dawn accidentally hit her head on the mounted TV screen 😝 and I apparently bumped her phone at the same time into her. It was a tough moment. Eventually, we got on the road and slowly made our way to Emeryville. This took maybe an hour. Stopped at Brotzeit Lokal in Oakland for brunch. Had trouble parking due to the small lot size, but then we found several spots by the hotel lot for Shore Trail use, so used that. The hostess said in the future we can just ask the hostess for a temporary parking pass as the hotel has begun closely monitoring spaces, especially on Saturday & Sunday. Overall, Bay to Breakers 2025 was probably our last time. It was a roller coaster of ups and down, both physically and mentally. I think if we did do it again, we'd stay overnight (i.e., no 4:00 a.m. start), we'd avoid the tortillas at Rincon Plaza, we'd dress with understanding no gear check exists, etc.
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Hungry a bit, slightly sore
Foods eaten today: Kashi GO Toasted Berry Crisp Cereal with nonfat milk, Kirkland Signature Colombian Cold Brew Coffee - 11 fl oz (x3), Philz Coffee - Ecstatic bold coffee (medium sized; Dawn got rose iced coffee), banana (x2), Kirkland Signature Sparkling Water - Lime (12 oz), Brotzeit Lokal Biergarten - Fresh Baked German Bretzel (x0.5) & Russian River Consecration 13oz & Omelette with asparagus + spinach + mushrooms + cheese + home fries + rye bread, scrambled eggs on toast with salsa, "That's It." Apples + Cherries mini fruit bar (x1.5)