On a crisp October morning last Fall, Jim and I woke up in Oakland excited with anticipation for my brother’s wedding. My parents offered to watch the kids (Read: The girls ambushed their room while we ran in the opposite direction) so we could go on a quick walk to grab a bite. Our short walk for coffee downstairs turned into a longer walk to Blue Bottle a few blocks away. Over coffee and a cookie (or two because, vacation…also because, hello, it’s me) we talked about the upcoming year and what we wanted to do to make it great. Running the Bay to Breakers has always been on my bucket list and Jim knew it. So when he randomly suggested, “We should run the Bay to Breakers next year!” he knew I would opt-in immediately. We sat at this table together, high on vacation air and love, and registered with his phone on the spot. Really, I think the cookie(s) made me do it.
I should clarify something. This running business is a bucket list item from several years ago when I was young, sprightly, and without children. Some of these items are so cray, they should really debunk the legitimacy of the list entirely.
I think at first, this running ambition came because my parents used to run it and I thought it would be cool to be one of those legacy running families. Also, it looks like such a party!
Fun, right?! If you follow me on Snapchat (RecoveringCorp) you know I’ve started training in preparation for the 7.45645 miles I’ll be running on May 15 and so far, it ain’t pretty. The clock is ticking as fast as my heart rate.
At the very least, the elevation change will be in my favor and I won’t be trying to run with a hunting dog who tries to kill me every time he sees a bird. There’s that. I swear all of my neighbors hear me coming when we’re running down the street. Here she comes again with that crazy dog! (HEEL! HEEL!)
This will be our first race ever. Our friends tell us that we chose a good one for our first, that it will be a roaring good time. I just really don’t want to get trampled. That’s my main concern at this point; that I run so slow that I get trampled. (Or run into a parking meter like my mom almost did in the early 80’s.) People have been asking if Jim and I are planning on dressing up. We aren’t planning on it, but now I’m thinking about it.
Eric and Tami Taylor maybe? Or Jim could go as Tim Riggins and I could be Coach Taylor!
Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
If you have any good ideas for us, I’d love to hear! Please drop me a line in the comments. And if you’re an experienced racer and have any other tips, I can honestly use all the help I can get. xo
rachelcurrantly.com 
LOVE the bucket list, minus the move to SF. Glad its an old list! Good luck mama!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can you imagine where we would have to live? Ha! I’d have the nicest cardboard box you ever did see!
LikeLike
When you line up at the starting line, stay to the back and the outside to avoid the trampling. Also, stay to the right when running/walking, and pass on the left. If you run with headphones, be sure you can hear what is going on around you. But most of all, have fun! Speed doesn’t matter; you’re still going faster than everyone not running 🙂
LikeLike
Oh my goodness – Jessica – thank you for helping to calm my goofy nerves with these tips. I really appreciate it! xo
LikeLike
When training for a Marathon, I would tell myself this (whenever I started to come up with excuses for not running)…”It doesn’t matter.” But I don’t think I’d take things as seriously now. You’re going to have a blast. Races have so much great energy. If you don’t run a single time between now and May, you’ll still finish the race and you might as well have fun while doing it.
LikeLike
Oh! Good point on the energy. I told Jim if I couldn’t hack it, I would duck out and find a coffee shop. Hopefully the adrenaline will carry us both through to the end. And it’s a nice reminder – this isn’t a marathon. Ha!
LikeLike
Hey there, somehow stumbled upon your blog and can’t figure out how, but alas, I think I put two and two together that we live in the same town. I had to comment on your comment about “elevation in your favor”… because… I just moved here from the east coast (read: sea level) and running at elevation as been…special… I was a runner (amateur but serious, if that’s a thing) and yet now I feel like I am learning to run alllll over again. That being said, I just ran a race in Sacramento this past weekend and the change in elevation felt amazing. You’ll do fine. Your legs DO hurt though at sea level because you are truly running so much faster because your heart/lungs can take it. SO, my 1 cent: get in some leg work b/t now and then! Oh and here’s an idea for your “things I’ve googled”. How long are you supposed to take off running after running a race in which you really pushed yourself?? There is no straight answer out there.
LikeLike
Hey Julia! So glad you are here! (On the blog and in town!) Reno is such a small place, you will find (if you haven’t yet already) many, many overlapping friend circles. Funny – I was also in Sacramento this weekend and killed my run on Saturday through my parents’ neighborhood. You’re right – it was AMAZING. Thanks for the support and the great ideas. xo
LikeLike