San Francisco Mania

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I'm heading to San Francisco tomorrow night, and really looking forward to visiting friends, seeing my old neighborhood, and of course living every experience through beer and food!  The whole point of visiting San Francisco this fall was originally to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon with my sister and friends, and I guess that is still the point.  But between working, working, and working, I haven't been very dedicated to my training schedule since the Labor Day half marathon in Virginia Beach. Yeah, for those of you keeping score at home, that is about six weeks of serious slacking.  But, I've done worse and still managed to eek out the mileage. Whether or not my knees will hate me at the end is a whole different story.


In order to distract myself from the serious pain I'm about to put myself through, I've made plans to meet up with friends at my most favorite of beer joints across the city, as well as a couple as-of-yet unexplored venues.  Race weekend, meet Beer weekend. Or maybe it's the other way around...


Friday -  If I can swing it, I really want to take my sister to the Swan Oyster Depot on Polk Street.  The seafood here is simple and delicious, and the family that has run this place for years makes every visit memorable.  The beer ain't bad either.  That afternoon, I hope to meet up with my friend Katie and ferry our way across the bay to Larkspur Landing, for a visit to the Marin Brewing Company.  I haven't been there yet, and have been hearing more and more about their beers.  And on Friday night, I'll meet up with friends at William Cross Wine Merchant for some catching up.  While not technically a beer joint, it is a dusty little wine shop on Polk Street with a tiny bar in the back that serves delicious Belgians and other treats on draft.  It's basically the template for the business I want to open one day, and the staff is fantastic.


Saturday - Well, they say you should rest before a race, and alcohol is a no-no.  Even though I have shunned almost any kind of training for this one, I'm going to stick with the no-alcohol rule here.  Will instead spend the day doing some very light and easy sightseeing, to places like Anchor Steam Brewery (if I can get on the tour list, that is - cancellations only at this point) or maybe a visit to City Beer Store, which has been building quite a lot of buzz on yelp.com.  Of course, no race weekend would be complete without some carb-loading - in this case a pre-race pasta dinner with my dear friend, fellow runner, and former roommate Meredith.  Oooh, and looking forward to enjoying some luxe accomodations at the Clift hotel, too.


And Sunday, after the torture that we call the hills of San Francisco, I'll be joining friends for Rosamunde sausages and tasty brews at Toronado on Haight Street.  I'm pretty sure that this sort of behavior leads to maudlin and mushy expressions of love for the city and my wonderful friends there.  Assuming my legs are operational at this point, I'll probably hobble back to the hotel for an early bedtime, old lady that I am.


Bonus day! I'm flying out Monday evening, so will spend the day touring around the city, catching up on whatever sight I didn't yet see.  I'm currently trying to figure out if there is an actual tasting room for Schmaltz Brewing Company's west coast operation - famous for their He'Brew (The Chosen Beer).  More investigation is needed, at this point.  Other possible side trips include the Elizabeth Street Brewery or the San Francisco Brewing Company. Depending on what is open, and when.


I'm so in love with San Francisco.  This weekend schedule is probably overly ambitious, and being ill-prepared for this run means that I should probably spend my time resting up for the race.  But dammit, life is short and I'd never forgive myself if I didn't get out there and live it up among the beautiful sights of my favorite city.  The scenic vistas, the scent of the eucalyptus trees, the color of the water -- I know exactly what Tony Bennett means everytime I hear him sing about leaving his heart there.


Follow along for more adventures in mileage and malts...