Omigod, Laura, are you thinking about Bay to Breakers? That is SO cool.

How far is Howard and Main from the hotel, do you mean? Howard is only a block and a half south of the hotel; Main is east by about, what, half a mile? Something about that far. Thing to remember? The bumps. SOMA, where the hotel and the starting point are, are totally flat. The course is very much not flat; you'd be doing at least one hill - Hayes Street - that had Lance Armstrong puffing on his bike when he rode it. Great Highway is 3/4 dead west of my house.

The race usually ends with Footstock, a free concert in the Park for the racers. I seem to recall Green Day playing one of the shows.

Just a note on the Bay to Breakers. Dh and I have joined it at the last minute, just walking and with no registration. Means you don't get to go to the concert - but it is a fun if annoying that the sun comes out only when you go up the Hayes St hill. There are all kinds of people , groups and entertainment along the way. and naked people. but most of the naked people are not the people you were hoping would be naked.

Not to mention things like the entire international loans department of Wells Fargo running as a single entity,chained together at the waist, wearing, oh, say, a gigantic eighteen foot long paper mache coconut over their heads, and loincloths.

Omigod, Laura, are you thinking about Bay to Breakers? That is SO cool.

Kat and I were kicking the idea around, as well. I figure I really should, you know?

We'll cheer you on from the safety of our living room, which is about three blocks from the course. And greater love hath no man, nor woman either; we usually leave town on B2B weekend, because navigating the City by car is just insane until mid-afternoon.

Oh, and damn, forgot to answer half of Laura's question.

Obviously, getting to the start is dead simple: walk or take one of the eastbound Mission Street buses. Getting back from the Great Highway, also dead simple, although it'll be honkin' crowded: the 5 Fulton eastbound from the end of the course stops half a block from the hotel, on Market.

Or, you know, I can pick you up and take you back to hotel in Ripper.

Kat and I were kicking the idea around, as well. I figure I really should, you know?

I saw that in Natter. If we decide to do this we'll have to coordinate costumes. It does look like fun. The hill training is tough for me. In the past I've used the intracoastal bridge for this purpose. I'll have to scout out office buildings for stair potential.

The last marathon I did was 2003 LA and the hills nearly killed me. Must be more prepared for this slanted earth thing.

12K, huh? I could probably do that...

Definitely hill training involved. SF, as you all know, is large with the slanted earth thing....

Definitely hill training involved.

Oh holy hannah, yes. Used the stairs up to Coit Tower as my warmup this morning, and I almost decided that was enough when I hit the top. Oy vey. It's a good thing I'm only running 10 miles and under from now on. I think a full marathon would keel me ded.