Update on Bay to Breakers, 2009

This message is for all you WOW Bay to Breakers Participants: We have quite the day planned and here are the details:

If you haven’t signed up yet there is still time! You can sign up online until May 12. Go to http://ingbaytobreakers.com/ for more details. You can also sign up at the expo and a few other local sites but the price will be going up after May 12. Take action now! This will be a fun day.

Current Sign-ups and Corrals for the Race
This information is from the ING Bay to Breakers Site and what I’ve heard from you directly. Participants include
Stephanie A, Christina H, Dena G, Ellen G, Kathryn L, Mareva G, Yolande S, Kathleen G, Sharmaine M, Jeanetta M, and Christy G. You can check online to determine which corral you are in. I know I am in Corral B. Please let me know which corral you are in.

The site only listed registrants thru 5/8/09 so some names may not be recorded yet. If I missed your name please let me know.

Pre-Race Meetup Site and How to Get to the Start
Because of the size of this race, it is not feasible to think that we will actually run together. This is part of why we’re having a party after. However, if you would like to meet ahead of time to go over details (and use a bathroom) I encourage all of you to show up at Starbucks at 74 New Montgomery at 7:15AM. We can discuss a few things and I can hand out bibs and chips to any of you who need them.

If you want me to pick up your bib at the expo on Friday please call me so we can talk over the details. 415 682-8819/office

The race starts officially at 8:00 AM. The great thing about chip timing is that you don’t get timed for the race until YOU cross the start. In The Bay to Breakers, it can take a long time to get to the START so, don’t sweat this one!

For any of you who don’t make it to Starbucks by 7:30 (or so) I will be gone. We actually have several blocks to travel to our starting point. It is definitely “playful mayhem” and you will fit right in. However, no one appears to know where they’re going so, have a plan (and a map) to help you get where you need to be for the start.

For any of you not participating in the race, I encourage you to come a bit later, run on the Embarcadero, and join us at our Chevy’s post race party that starts at 11:30, Number 2 Embarcadero Center. Take BART or the SF Muni to Embarcadero Station and run/walk along the bay. It’s gorgeous! Even on rainy days. After your workout, join us for chips, salsa, food, and drink. Time to party! RSVP’s required.

Getting to the Race. Getting to the Party
Use public transportation! You can take BART to Embarcadero Station from all points in the Bay Area. The SF Muni also travels to Embarcadero but starts late on Sunday. Plan ahead if you’re in SF to get downtown, near the Montgomery Station/Market Street. You can walk from there to your starting point and Starbucks.
On the return from the end of the race, plan to take the N Judah Muni rather than the Shuttle provided by B2B. It is a short walk from the end of the race and cost $1.50 (have exact change). This will take you back to Embarcadero Station where you can walk to 2 Embarcadero Center to our Party at Chevy’s.

Party at Chevy’s – Please RSVP
Celebrate our half marathoners’ successes and the Bay to Breakers fun with chips, salsa, margaritas, and all kinds of good food. Bring your friends and family. Join WOW for a post race party. Come any time between 11:30 and 2:30 at 2 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA. It is only a few blocks walk from the Embarcadero Muni/BART Station. Please check in with the hostess at the entrance to the restaurant. *Reservations are required. Contact Grace Fong at Gracefong2000@yahoo.com for any questions. You can RSVP at http://meetup.com/gowowteam or http://gowowteam.com/

*Since we are a group, we have to ask for a group deposit of $8 per person. All drinks and food will be purchased individually.

What to Expect in a Big Race Like Bay to Breakers
If this is your first Bay to Breakers, there is a lot to know about ahead of time to keep it stress-free. First and foremost, be prepared to have a lot of fun with a lot of other people!

Many people dress up in costume for this race, so please feel free to be creative!! It can be a lot more fun if you dress up!

Give yourself more time than usual to arrive, to find the starting point, to get around people, etc. Check out the course map and details the night before.

The race will start and you may not even know it. With so many participants, things move slowly for most of us. Get into the rhythm and move with the flow of people until you get a chance to find your own pace. Once you’re actually moving, start “racing”. Be considerate but feel free to move in and around people until you are in a place that feels comfortable. Then just follow the folks in front of you. One reminder…If you need to stop, try to move out of the way of the crowd, for your safety and theirs. I have seen people fall and be hurt when someone in front of them stops without thinking about what’s happening behind.

The course starts downtown and wends its way thru city streets to the“Hayes Street Hill”. On hills I always say, shorten your stride, keep your breathing steady and keep going. This hill is formidable but it’s over soon enough and you will find yourself at the Panhandle of Golden Gate Park, about half way through the course. From here on, the course is flat or downhill along wide roads all the way to the ocean. You’ll be directed to the left at the ocean and shortly after that you will see and cross the FINISH. Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?

Great Race! Congratulations!

When you’re finished watching the festivities, head on to Judah Street (south on the Great Hiway) to the muni stop and jump on board for the return to downtown. http://transit.511.org/schedules/index.aspx?#m1=S&m2=rail&routeid=26621&dir=IB&type=6100&cid=SF

Agenda:
Sunday, March 17, 7:15 AM meet at 74 New Montgomery at Starbucks for pre-race hurrahs and chip/bib exchange if needed.

Sunday, March 17, 7:40 AM Depart Starbucks for our starting corrals.

Sunday, March 17, 8:00 AM Race Starts.

Sunday, March 17, 11:30 – 2:30 Join us at Chevy’s, 2 Embarcadero for a WOW Team Celebration. RSVP’s $8/person cover charge. Food and drinks purchased individually.

Things to bring with you:
1) Your Racing Bib !! Set out your clothes and everything you need for the race the night before, and pin your bib on your shirt! You won’t be able to participate in the race without the racing number bib.
2) Wear layers. It can be chilly in S.F. so bring some extra warm clothes to tie around your waist if you don’t wear them during the race itself.
3) Print out the details of the day and have a place to store them.
4) Bring money for the Muni (N Judah $1.50), plus food money or CC for Chevys)
5) Bring a cell phone. You can call me if you get lost or need info. (I’ll have mine off while I’m running)
6) A camera to capture all our fun memories!
7) Program my cell phone number (415 812-7852)

See you soon!
Stephanie

Stephanie Atwood, M.A., AAAI/ISM RRCA Certifiedhttp://gowowteam.com/ http://meetup.com/gowowteam

Vote for The WOW Team as your favorite running team at SFGate. Follow this link or paste the link below into your address bar http://baylist.sfgate.com/the-wow-team-bay-area-women-s-run-walk-club/biz/282250
Go WOW Team! Thanks!

With long distance running, sports nutrition,and personaltraining certification, Stephanie Atwood is the ideal trainerand coach. Stephanie also speaks about being "Fit for Life", a journey ofups and downs including her own experience with breastcancer, the deaths of 2 children, and growing up as a DeBolt- the family that inspired the Academy Award winning movie"Who Are The DeBolts and How Did They Get 19 Children?".