Gearing Up for the San Francisco US Half Marathon

Hanging out at Fisherman's Wharf
with my brother!

I arrived early this afternoon in San Francisco. This trip, unlike my many recent work trips, is a combination of work and pleasure. Tomorrow I have a busy work day then comes the fun ... hanging out in San Francisco and getting ready to run the San Francisco US Half marathon on Sunday, 11/7 [I am very grateful my dear friend Michele is going to meet me here in SF so that she can cheer me on as I cross the finish line!].

I've been training for this race for a few months now. This time last year I was struggling on so many levels with my health ... for someone who's normally very active I had essentially reached a point where I was so fatigued and weak that I couldn't even exercise and had also lost so much weight. At the beginning of 2010 my GI doctor figured out it was my pancreas and since i've been on these magical enzymes I've stopped losing weight and my fatigue has dissipated. I still have some bad days but for the most part I feel so much better ... so a few months ago I made a decision to train for this half marathon and also started working out with an awesome personal trainer, Holly Margl of Flex Appeal in St. Paul. In many ways I felt the need to reclaim my health and to know that I can do anything I set my mind to!! So I registered for the SF Half marathon .. and I made a decision to also run this race not only for myself but also for my dog Ahnung who has been my source of strength on so many levels  ... Ahnung, which means star in ojibway, has been my north star and many nights when I was unable to sleep because of pain I would hold onto her, and I would tell myself exactly what we tell the kids we visit at schools ... to hold on tightly to our north star and to trust that our north star will guide us into the light ... and for me, she always does ....

This past year has been a rough year for me on many levels ... it has also been an incredible year of growth and transformation. In the same way, I have witnessed and journeyed alongside of Ahnung as I have witnessed how much she has grown and blossomed and how much of a difference she is making as a therapy dog volunteering with at-risk youth and in hospice. So when I registered for the half marathon and I was given the option of a customized bib ... I made a very conscious decision that I was going to have my running bib read 'AHNUNG'. I am going to run for Ahnung and in honor of an angel who came down from heaven in the body of an adorable big black dog ... but I will also feel the presence of my father when I run. My father appeared to me in a dream for the first time ever on January 3, 2010 .. and January 3rd is a very special day for me (and Ahnung) because it is the day (1/3/2009) when I officially adopted her from Pet Haven.

The race starts at 7 am on Sunday .... and it will be an incredible route as I will get to run across the Golden Gate bridge not just once but twice!! My sweet girl Ahnung (aka nung-nung) is NOT a runner ... so for this run she's happy that she will be with me in spirit and not in physical body. The last time we participated in a 5K9 run/walk, it was definitely a walk and not a run!!

I am looking forward to crossing the finish line on Sunday morning as I proudly wear my running bib that reads 'AHNUNG'!! thank you nung-nung for not only being my north star, but the north star for so many others ... and I of course, also have to thank Mister (another one of our dogs) for helping me get back to running and being such an awesome running buddy for my shorter runs!! Thanks Mister!!