Notices tagged with baytobreakers
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Tantek ()'s status on Monday, 19-May-2025 00:32:00 EDT 
Tantek
Ran my 13th Bay to Breakers race in 1:55:31 today! 4min+ faster than last year.
Once again the Midnight Runners crew cheered runners in Hayes Valley at the park a couple of blocks before the hill.
Felt better than I did last year, more able to sustain a moderate pace.
One quick pitstop in Golden Gate Park, and then picked up the pace to finish with a negative split and well under 2 hours. This time I made sure to keep running until I was well past the last timing strip.
Other than the Midnight Runners cheer gang, this year I did not see anyone I knew the whole race. Bus + BART + jog to the start. Howard street up to Hayes hill, then by the Panhandle and through Golden Gate park to the finish.
I did spot a neighbor after the finish and we caught up on the walk to the N-Judah light rail. Seeing the long line I decided to easy run backwards along the race course to see the costumes and a few human carried floats.
Caught the Midnight Runners crew on the Conservatory of Flowers steps and hiked back to the Panhandle together. After catching up with a few friends I went home to shower and eat before heading back to the Panhandle.
In contrast to last year, last Friday I only did a short shakeout run — no evening run and staying out late with Midnight Runners. Saturday SFRC was about the same distance.
Similar to last year I took a bus to Van Ness, then jogged to the Civic Center station and took BART to Embarcadero. It seems that’s the only reliable transit option, no matter what any mapping application (Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Routesy) claims about bus or lightrail times or routes (they were all wrong, yet again, just like last year).
Despite not seeing any friends running the race, feeling both stronger and more confident in my training was enough to boost my mood for the duration. I was grateful to be out there running on a beautiful day.
Last year: https://tantek.com/2024/150/t1/ran-baytobreakers
#SanFrancisco #run #runner #race #roadRace #B2B #Bay2Breakers #BayToBreakers -
Tantek ()'s status on Wednesday, 29-May-2024 22:00:00 EDT
Tantek
Ran my 12th #BayToBreakers race in 1:59:54 on Sunday 2024-05-19.
After a comedy of transit struggles to get to the start line, I jumped in with Corral C runners (my bib was for Corral B) and started with them.
Great seeing the Midnight Runners crab rave cheer gang in Hayes Valley before Hayes Hill.
Made it into Golden Gate Park, and eventually saw Vivek and David Lam making their way back from the finish.
Just before the bison paddock, I saw Paddy & Eleanor walking back as well, and stopped to briefly chat with them.
Soon after I saw Adrienne and a few other #NPSF pals running and as they stopped to say hi to Paddy, I took off to go finish.
Adrienne and friends caught up to me on the last segment before Ocean Beach, and decided to run together. After turning the corner onto Great Highway, I could see the finish line. Glancing down at my watch there seemed to be enough time to finish under 2 hours if we picked it up. I asked Adrienne if we could try for a sub-2 hour time and she said to go for it. We picked up the pace and after crossing the finish line I stopped my Garmin — it read 1:59:54.
Oddly the official Bay to Breakers results (which are not at a linkable URL) showed 2:00:07. The only explanation I have is after the first timing strip after the finish line where I stopped my watch, there was a big crowd of loitering people that made it hard to keep moving, and cross a second timing strip. It is possible the first timing strip did not register my bib chip, and only the second timing strip picked it up. I have emailed Bay to Breakers to see if they can correct it, and included a link to my Strava activity that shows I recorded the entire race on my watch.
It was a harder race than usual, despite the good weather.
There were a few things that contributed. First, I had run each of the prior two days: 5km+ at Friday night’s Midnight Runners 5th anniversary run and run/walk celebration afterwards totaling ~5 miles, and then 6.5 miles at SFRC on the trails on Saturday.
I slept reasonably well the night before the race, and having checked the news announcements about the availability of transit options in the morning, planned accordingly. When I checked the actual train arrival times, none of the MUNI trains that were supposed to be running were running. I ran down to take the MUNI bus which was supposed to go downtown, except it stopped at Van Ness avenue, inexplicably, and the driver told everyone it was the last stop.
Admittedly I was already annoyed that SF MUNI for some reason decided to stop the MUNI trains the morning of Bay to Breakers that could easily have taken thousands of runners to near the race start at Embarcadero via the Market Street subway. Having the bus stop sooner than expected was a second disappointment and discouragement.
I (and many other runners) decided to run towards the start, which was still ~2 miles away at that point.
Upon reaching the Civic Center station on Market street, we realized from the street level displays that BART trains appeared to be running normally like any other Sunday, so we went downstairs and paid for a second transit ticket to take the BART a few stops.
The BART train was full of costumed Bay to Breakers runners. Disembarking at the Embarcadero station, I jogged/ran the rest of the way around the entrance corral maze to the right spot for Corral B entrants, and joined the group waiting at the start line.
Lessons learned: I am not trusting MUNI rail or bus into downtown on Bay to Breakers race day again, despite any announcements from SFMTA. Too many years of bad experiences.
However, BART seems reliable so I plan to find my way to taking BART in the future. Perhaps by taking a bus to the 16th street BART station, avoiding all street closures.
Having missed my start corral due to the transit mishaps, I didn’t see anyone else I knew. The combination of being annoyed at MUNI’s unreliability (both in what was announced vs what was running and premature bus termination) and starting in a crowd not knowing anyone took my motivation down several notches.
Still, the weather was pleasant yet cool, ideal for a race so I ran a pace that felt good for me, and kept an eye out for friends along the course. I stopped after mile 1 for a portapotty pitstop. Back in the chaos of Howard street and then Ninth to Hayes, I saw a few folks I knew from a distance.
Seeing and high-fiving the Midnight Runners crab race cheer crew at Hayes Hill turned my mood around though, and I enjoyed the rest of the race, from Hayes Hill through Golden Gate Park.
It was my slowest Bay to Breakers yet, however first in a while that I finished with friends!
After we grabbed our medals and snacks in the finish area, I hiked/jogged back to the Panhandle, found the Midnight Runners crab rave crew keeping the party going and joined in.
2023: https://tantek.com/2023/157/t1/ran-baytobreakers
#2024_140 #SanFrancisco #run #runner #race #roadrace #b2b #bay2breakers -
Tantek ()'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 02:37:00 EDT
Tantek
Ran my 11th #BayToBreakers in 1:47:11 on Sunday 2023-05-21, again the day after an @sfrunco.com (@SFRunCo) Saturday trail #run, but this time in the middle of a very long training run, my last before the rescheduled #MUC50k trail race. Ran over 4 miles to the start, hopped in the next race corral, ran Bay to Breakers with the colorfully costumed crowd, picked up my medal, ate a banana, ran back through Golden Gate Park, and then a bit more up city hills to round out 18 miles and 1000'.
#2023_141 #SanFrancisco #runner
2022: https://tantek.com/2022/138/t1/ran-baytobreakers -
Tantek ()'s status on Tuesday, 01-Nov-2022 03:36:00 EDT
Tantek
registered to run #baytobreakers 2023-05-21!
Join me in corral A: https://baytobreakers.com/
@baytobreakers said $39.99, added $3.60 for “Booking Fee”, less than last year’s $5.95 for “Handling”, yet still a required extra charge.
Previously: https://tantek.com/2021/304/t1/registered-run-baytobreakers-2022 -
Tantek ()'s status on Wednesday, 18-May-2022 20:02:00 EDT
Tantek
Ran my 10th #BayToBreakers in 1:38:32, apparently 3 seconds faster than the previous Bay to Breakers in 2019, again the day after an @SFRunCo Saturday morning trail #run, and this time a double-day Friday.
#2022_135 #SanFrancisco #runner
2019: https://tantek.com/2019/139/t1/ran-baytobreakers -
Tantek ()'s status on Sunday, 31-Oct-2021 17:59:00 EDT
Tantek
registered to run #BayToBreakers 2022-05-15!
Join me in corral A! https://baytobreakers.com/
@baytobreakers said $39.99, and again registration added $5.95 for “Handling”, for what? Why separate? Why not charge $46?
Previously: https://tantek.com/2019/304/t1/registered-run-baytobreakers-2020 -
Tantek ()'s status on Sunday, 01-Nov-2020 01:41:00 EST
Tantek
7 years ago yesterday, showed up to @Nov_Project_SF. Last year: https://tantek.com/t53L2
Yesterday was a rest day, registered for 2021-08-22 #baytobreakers: https://baytobreakers.com/ Previously: https://tantek.com/t53L1
#2020_304 #20201030 -
Tantek ()'s status on Sunday, 19-May-2019 16:37:00 EDT
Tantek
Ran my 9th #baytobreakers in 1:38:35, 1+ minute faster than my 1st (1:39:47), yet first time #running it the day after a 10 mile trail #run. Finished healthy & strong, thanks to pal Michele for running with. #50ktraining
Last year: https://tantek.com/2018/140/t1/baytobreakers-bonus -
Tantek ()'s status on Sunday, 21-May-2017 02:54:21 EDT
Tantek
One weekend of #YTTremaining. Have learned so much, yet so much more to learn.
Tomorrow: my 7th #baytobreakers
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