Golden Gate Half

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to travel to San Francisco, California, sprinkling in some running. I’m excited to return virtually to run the Golden Gate Half-Marathon this weekend. (I wanted to run the virtual 5k also but it sold out.) Sometimes it’s a little impractical to travel so far away on short notice. But it’s pretty easy to find all kinds of virtual races to run. For those of you able to travel to San Francisco, California for the race, the Golden Gate Half takes place Sunday, November 4, the same day we “fall back” and adjust our clocks for the end of daylight savings time.

Why did I pick this race? There is a certain fondness for the hilly beauty of San Francisco, California that I experienced when I was there, including two group runs: both passed by the Golden Gate Bridge. I didn’t get to run or walk on the bridge yet though. So there was a sense of unfinished business. Even though returning there virtually is not exactly the same as being there physically in person, it’s close enough for me.

It’s always nice to receive some recognition for finishing a race like a 5k or half-marathon. Here, there will be a medal waiting (see above) and a shirt (see below) to help me remember.

Although I’m only a few weeks removed from the Des Moines Marathon, my legs have mostly recovered and I should be ready to run the race this weekend.

Would you like to join me in running this race either in San Francisco or virtually? Here’s how you can still enter. Go to motivrunning.com/golden-gate-halfmarathon/ Then use this special discount code: GGBR10 to save 10% off your entry fee.

If you do decide to run this race or know someone who is, check out the handy Golden Gate app in the app store sponsored by Motiv Running. It tells me there is 1 day, 18 hours left until the race with the handy countdown clock.

Don’t forget to follow Golden Gate Half @GoldenGateHalf on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information. Easy to remember with the same handle on all three platforms.

I will try to share the course map for the half-marathon in my next blogpost. I tried to download it from the app but it didn’t work.

How do we prove we ran the virtual half? We send proof of our route/distance/time from our Garmin or other GPS device.

In the meantime, enjoy your training, don’t forget to “fall back”, and maybe consider joining me in running this half-marathon either in San Francisco or virtually (we have until November 13, 2018 to complete the virtual half so 9 days after the actual race occurs). Even so, I will probably run the race on Sunday to synchronize my clocks as closely as possible with the actual (and some virtual) half-marathoners.