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Last Sunday, I joined 60,000 people for the freakfest known as the 2007 ING Bay to Breakers in San Francisco, CA. Our good friend Kristin "Kik" Armstrong was in town, and she wanted to see the meyhem up close! Although I was still sore from the Silver State 50-miler the day before, I figured I could make it through 7.49 miles and get some good pics. Kik and I donned our Tiki/Mai Tai costumes (complete with rasta and pink wig, respectively) and jumped into the start on a gorgeous San Francisco morning.

The start corral was sheer craziness, setting the stage for the whole run. Thousands of tortillas filled the air - I'm not sure how this tradition was started, but it's been there all three times I've done Bay2Break. Here's a video so you can get the idea:



Costumes were everywhere, some fun, some downright shocking. As the countdown to the start began, about a dozen people next to us stripped to their skivvies and donned their "Bare to Breakers" hats. Whoa! I hope they used sunscreen. Kik was very impressed with their display of freedom, and a bit jealous I think. (note to self - feed Kik about 10 beers before the race next year, get her a Bare to Breakers hat, and see what happens)


As the gun went off, runners and walkers made their way through downtown San Francisco. Residents were happy to blast their favorite music, and the whole thing felt like Carnivale. We lucked out on the weather - it was sunny and 60 degrees, meaning a comfortable run for us, and no "shinkage" for the streakers! We all knew that Footstock, the party at the end, was waiting just a short run away.


At mile 1, we passed about 20 Elvi (plural for more than one Elvis) blasting our Blue Suede Shoes and drinking enough to make the ghost of Vegas-Elvis proud.


The costumes were so impressive, Kik and I were constantly pointing out our favorites. Scooby Doo, a caveman couple, SpongeBob SquarePants, mustard and ketchup, Borat (complete with crazy swimsuit), six runners connected as a crewing boat - it was better than Halloween! Our tiki costumes didn't even stand out.


At mile three, we turned the corner and stared down the only big hill on the course, Hayes Hill. It's a tough little grind, but probably the most active party on the course. I was pleased that Kik had the bright pink hair and had no trouble tracking her through the crowd.


At the base of Hayes Hill, we ran into the "spawning salmon". These folks dress as salmon and run the course backwards, spawning their way against the stream. The visual effect is hilarious. The salmon took a short break from spawning to dance to a funk band at the base of the hill, and I caught them on video:



Kik led us up the hill, as "Movin' On Up" was blasting from one of the apartments. We turned a couple of corners and found ourselves on a nice downhill glide into Golden Gate Park. Kik and I were all smiles, but it was clear that this run was a challenge for some of the crowd. We did our best to cheer them on as we passed the rust colored de Young Museum.



There were many bands along the way, and some had the most classic names. There was a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover band called "Petty Theft", who was quite good. Soon we heard the surf tunes of "Meshugga - the Chosen Surfers".


We caught up with the Incredibles...


...and before we knew had reached the finish.


We grabbed some water and headed up to Footstock, where we were joined by Christi, Sophie, and our friends the Shepards. Christi wore a wig of her own to join in the fun. We shared some beers, met some crazy people, and enjoyed the sun.


Probably not the best numbers I have ever posted - 7.49 miles, 1 hour and 31 minutes. But we did count 43 naked people, and that's a number I will never forget! I'm glad I squeezed in one last crazy race before taking some time off to recover, and was able to share it with my good friend, Kik. Until next year...

- SD

[Below is a longer video if you're looking for more of the freakfest]