TheDelsolRunner

Life running in the dessert

New concept for the the virtual race

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor
I have recently organized a virtual race called The Cable Car Half Marathon, and I have mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to give back to the running community. So this is what I have come up with. This is something I'm trying out, so I really don't even know if this concept is going to work....

I'm really hoping it'll work!

So here it is! Runners can sign up to refer the virtual race to others. The runners will have a unique referral code that others will use during registration. The site, www.justrunyourcity.com will track all registrants. For every runner that you refer, you will receive compensation for that referral!

Let me say that again: You will receive compensation(Money!!) for every registration you refer!!

Pretty cool right??!!

Runners who refer, you will be paid via PayPal after the close of the event. And the payout structure I try to keep simple: $8.00 for every referral. That's it!

There is no confusing tier structure. Just a flat $8.00 for every referral.

The main idea for this is runners can refer others to this race, and earn money that can go towards their own race expenses, such as race fees, running gear, physical therapy, etc.. Or it could be a way to earn money for anything else.

For runners(or non-runners) that are interested in referring runners for this virtual event, click on the link below to fill out a form so that I may reach out to you. And I'll go over more details.

http://www.justrunyourcity.com/runner-referral

I think(and hope) this will be a great opportunity to share a great virtual event and for individuals to earn extra money. As I mentioned before, this is a new concept, so there are things that I'm still testing and working on. So you will be there with working those things out. But one thing that will not change in this process, is you referral incentive. That incentive amount will never change during this process.

So join me in sharing to many others about this virtual race!! Help others "Run Their City" and make some extra money in the process!!


P.S. This is the first event, so there is a lot of un-treaded waters. This is not an opportunity that will replace your job or career. This is NOT a way that people are going to get crazy rich. The concept is, the more your refer, the more money you'll earn. So if you refer 100s of people, then that's great!! But just know this is not a quick overnight way to earn.
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I created a virtual race

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor
I have thought about this project for some time. I have put together a virtual race! I have done a few virtual races in the past and have enjoyed the experience. A great concept: register for a race, submit a time and receive a finisher medal.

Many runners look at this as a great option from a traditional race. The registration fees are not as high. There is no travel to a race. There is no cost that comes from participating in a race such as travel fees, lodging fees, food, etc..

I have met many runners who would register for a virtual race even if they do many traditional races throughout the year. Some will run for a charity for the race is supporting. Others will run for the unique finisher medal.

So while putting together this race, I wanted to design a great medal that would be unique from other virtual race medals. I thought about making themed medals around the holidays and movies. But there's plenty of those medals out there. So I decided to make mine about cities, landmarks, or central parts of a city.

When it came to charity, I wanted to do something different. I'm a believer in giving back to the community. But I wanted to give back to the running community. I'll get into details about that later. But I think it's a great concept where runners can earn money for their own races.

But for now, here is my first virtual race: The Cable Car Half Marathon.





Here are the details of the medal:

Material and process: zinc alloy die casting (with cutouts)
Plating: antique brass
Size:diameter on 4''
Thickness: base thickness is 5 mm, 3D part will be 8mm.
Cable car center: 3D design with soft enamel for color
Backside: sandblasted design

The words: 'Cable Car Half Marathon' and the two rings around the medal are engraved.


Below is the ribbon design:

If you would like to register, you can click on the below link:

http://www.justrunyourcity.com/product-page/cable-car-half-marathon-virtual-race




Stay tuned, I'll be posting how I'll be giving back to runners from this Virtual Race!!

You can also check out the website: www.justrunyourcity.com
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Mt.Charleston Marathon - Race Recap......Part 1

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor
The Mt. Charleston Marathon - where do I start with this one? The race was over before it began. I hate saying that because it is so negative, but looking back, I probably should have sat this one out.



This was a race I've been looking forward to since Revel Races announced it several months ago. I really enjoy their events and to have one in my hometown Vegas is awesome. Much training went into the months leading up to the race with an eye on a BQ. Nutrition was on point. Gear was set, and all that was left was to run the race.

I arrived near the finish line and made my way toward the buses. I was in somewhat of a hurry because I wanted to have enough time for a warm up at the start line. When the buses where in sight, I was so focused getting to them that I was not paying attention to the terrain. I mean, it is a parking lot, how bad can it be? Well, I ended up tripping on a cement parking block and ate asphalt, with my left knee taking most of the impact.

There was intense pain. There was blood. There was crying. And I wanted to die.

I laid on the ground for a few moments trying to recoup enough strength to stand. Once I was able to get up and walk around, I knew this was not going to be a BQ race, and probably no race at all.

I limped my way to the bus and having this internal battle trying to decide; Do I sit this one out, or run anyway? But as most runners, we know we are a different breed. We run until we physically cannot put one foot in front of the other. With this in mind, I boarded the bus.



We arrived at the start line. It was not as cold as I thought it would be. However, it started snowing once the race started. About a mile into the race, I was so excited for the race, I didn't really think about the pain in my knee. At mile 5, my pain was not really bothering me and I thought this will be a decent race.

After hitting the half marathon mark at 1:32, I was feeling the pain starting to increase. I tried to shrug it off, and continued with the pace for another 4 miles. My knee decided it had enough fun for one day. At the mile 17 aid station, I asked the medic if my knee could be bandaged and taped. This was the first time I had medical assistance during a race. It was a surreal feeling having your knee worked on and watching the runners go by. The surreal feeling soon left, I soon hated the point that I was not moving.

Once I started running again, the pain was getting more intense. each step soon became a battle. My pace was decreasing at a fast rate. The clouds started to clear, which brought up the heat. I ended up taking off the bandage job because the sweat was making them useless. My only focus at this point was to complete the race.

I winced and grimaced my way to the finish line, very happy to be done. In the end, grateful to run another marathon from one of the best-running organizations.




What I remember from the race:

- Snow at the start line, sun at the finish line.

- Great downhill race, at some points, you don't feel you're running downhill. Yet, you are..weird.

- Great support along the race, plenty of aid stations!

- Saw several Instagram friends, this was the best part.

- Saw a deer in the distance at mile 9.

- There was pie at the finish line! I think that's a first for me.




This was a great inaugural race from Revel. Which should be no surprise, this organization has some of the best marathons out West. Even though I did not reach my goals, I'm very happy to be part of this race and be in the company of great and inspiring runners.

I'll be back next year!

And I'm going to redeem my [knee] in the marathon!
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Six Races so far in 2015

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor


These six months have gone by fast, and running a race each month makes it goes by faster. This has been a goal since late last year, to run a race every month. It gets hard sometimes, from training, traveling, the costs, etc.. But its worth it all this [trouble], I have enjoyed every race.


Here is a brief review of these races:

St. George Half Marathon:

    
Coming back from a foot injury, my time was not ideal. But my first time running the St.George Half  Marathon was incredible. This was my second qualifying race for the St. George Marathon later this year. I love running in Southern Utah, has to be one of my favorites places to run.




Run Surf City Marathon:
    
First race in California! I first heard of this race about five years ago, and I've always been drawn to the Surf Board medals. And what gets better than running along the beach? I was still recovering from my foot injury, but it wasn't bad enough to keep me from running. I just was not able to run very fast, but still enjoyed the race. I'm already signed up for next years race!



Zion Half Marathon:
 
I was hesitant about this race when I first heard it was uphill. But the race course at the mouth of Zion's won over. The scenery throughout the course has to be the best I've seen....and I've ran many races. It must be my love for red rocks, I was able to meet up with a previous mission companion(pictured above), and that really topped off the race.



Salt Lake City Marathon:
     
I have lived in Utah most my life, and this was the first time I ran the Salt Lake City Half Marathon. After finishing the race, I wondered to myself why I never run the race before. The race course was amazing, taking runners through many historic sites of the city.



Ogden Marathon:
 

   
Ogden Half Marathon. One of my favorite half marathons in Utah. This is the third year I've ran here. It rained for pretty much the entire race, but did not make it a lesser enjoyable time.



Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay:







Fourth Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay, and ninth overall. These relay races never gets old. Always new relay legs, new people meet, and new experiences to be had. I always wonder if I'll run another relay race, but when I think back at the experiences, its a hard race to stay away from.



And there you have it, six races in six months. I'm looking forward to the second half of the year. So far, I have three marathons and one have marathon on the calendar.
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Three Marathons later this year - Let the training begin.

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor
I'm officially registered to run in three marathons later this year. I'll be in Santa Rosa, CA for their race the third weekend in August. I'll head up to Northern Utah three weeks later to run Big Cottonwood Canyon Marathon(my favorite race). A few weeks later, I'll run in the St. George Marathon the first weekend in October. I'm looking to one of these races to qualify for Boston.

First race in Santa Rosa is 90 days away. I'm already excited for race and to run in California. The course takes runners through vineyard fields before the finish line in downtown. I first heard of this race during the week I ran the Huntington Beach Marathon. The finisher medal was a main motivator to run this race. I'm now looking forward to the scenery, a chance to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and to spend a few days in California(along with the medal).

Big Cottonwood Canyon in early fall will start near Snow Bird ski resort, and decent down the canyon and finish in Sandy. This race has always been a favorite. I've ran their half marathon the previous two years, this will be my first full marathon in at Big Cottonwood. Seeing the color of the leafs changing throughout the canyon was one of the many reasons I love this race, and I look forward to seeing more great scenery during the full marathon.

I'm really looking forward to the St. George Marathon later this year. This is a bucket list race for me. I've wanted to run this race when I first heard of it back in high school. This race has an lottery for participants, which prevented me from running the race in previous years. I ran two half marathons in Southern Utah as part of the St. George Race Series which guaranteed my spot this year. This will most likely be my last full marathon for 2015.

I'm going to compile three different workouts I received from running greats Jeff Galloway, Sage Canaday and Pete Pfitzinger. I'm wanting to step up my training for the three races, and I have found the best overall workouts from these three runners. It's hard to know which workout will be the best, and the workouts are focused on getting runners qualified for the Boston Marathon. I'm plan on taking parts of these workouts, and apply them to what I have done in my own workouts.

I'm looking to get new shoes during my training. I'm going to get either Hoka OneOne Cliffton or Skechers Strada. These shoes focus on a more cushion stride. I currently run with Skechers GoMEB 2, and I'm looking for a shoe with more support for the Big Cottonwood and St. George Marathons since they're downhill courses.

I'm going to be using the FitBit Surge during training. I want to focus more on tracking workouts, food, heartrate and weight. I have used a Garmin watch previously, which only tracks distance, pace and tracks route on Google Maps. The Fitbit Surge has the same features, but also includes wrist heartrate monitor, pedometer, calories burned, and other workout activates when requested.



Three races, three attempts to qualify for the Boston Marathon later this year. This is a brief overview of my races and training for the next five months. I have a Ragnar Relay and possible half marathon in Bryce Canyon, UT that are going to fall in the summer training months. I'm excited to get started on this journey to learn and grow in the sport of distance running and I'll keep you posted on my experience. 
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Preparing for your first 1/2 marathon

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor
Made a resolution to run a ½ marathon this year? Well let me first say: Congratulations! I applaud you! You’re entering a world full of possibilities and hundreds of new friendships. There will be challenges along the way, but also incredible triumphs. You may have started running already, and thats good. You may have also got comfortable with your running, but the thought of running in your first race might seem a bit overwhelming.

As your ½ marathon gets closer, you will need to begin your preparation. If you are not sure how to prepare for your first race, I’m hoping this post will help. Below are some things that I have done to prepare for the ½ marathon.


If you would like to know more about the cost of running, you can read more about it here.


-Choose a race: You may have already done this, but some make the goal of running a ½ marathon without choosing the race.Choose a race that either family or friends are entering, they can help you along the way and be a support group
Get to know your race: Its not as easy to just sign up for a race from a website, then show up the morning of to run. Many races a very involved, have many instructions and rules, and great things to give away. But don’t let all the instructions and rules scare you, the rules are there to organize the race, and ensure everyone's safety.


The most important things to know about a race, are usually on the race’s website, such as course map, parking, starting and end times, spectator locations and starting line instructions. This is why its good to go with a friend or family member, especially if they have ran the event before.


You can check out this article here about getting to know your race.


-Invest in good clothes: Running for over 13 miles takes a while, so having clothes that are light, breathable, durable and comfortable to wear are essential. You may think by wearing cotton clothing is going to look good on the budget, but your skin is going to pay for it.


Many retailers are carrying clothes that are great for running activities, the best though, are at your local running stores. Go to these running stores, talk to the people there, and don’t be afraid to spend a little money on clothes, it’ll pay off in the long run(literally)!
-Invest in good shoes: Almost the same as above, a good pair of running shoes is going to be great for race day, and throughout training. Like running clothes, running shoes are light, breathable, durable, and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. And just like shoes that you get a retailer like Wal-Mart, Target or Pay-Less, these shoes are going to make your feet hurt by the time the run is over.


To find a good pair of running shoes, just get them along with your clothes at the running store. The people that work at these stores are runners themselves, and they’ll be able to get you in the right pair of shoes.


Its true that sporting stores like Big 5, Sports Authority, and Dick’s Sporting Goods carry many running shoes. In my experience, its better getting them from a running store. The people showing you shoes at the sporting places, do not know running shoes as well as the people at running stores. Period

Invest in technology: Most of us these days have smartphones, which provide great tools to help keep track of workouts, pace and time, running routes, steps taken, and play music. Other technology that can be helpful is GPS watches. Its true that smartphones can track pace and time just as well as a GPS watch. Some runners find it uncomfortable to run with a phone on their arm. This rings home for Samsung Note and Iphone 6+ owners. Another great tool is a heart rate monitor, these are great to have to make sure your heart rate doesn’t get too high. It also is a great way to track how many calories were burned during the workout.

***Disclaimer*** With all this investment talk, I’m in no way saying that you should go break the bank to buy new things. Build things up slowly, buy the most important things first(such as shoes and clothes), then technology and so on. Go shopping with a plan, because buying running gear can add up and get out of hand quickly!

-Find a meal plan that works for you, and stick with it: During your training in the weeks before the race, is where you can see what foods work best for you. Finding foods that give you the most fuel for your run, is what you want to stick with the days leading to your race. I have seen where runners didn’t have a meal plan, and their stomach is killing them halfway through the race. So if you find that rice, beans and vegetables(for example) are a good staple in your practice runs, don’t go off and eat something completely different the night before the race.


-Go online a find a good training schedule: The web has hundreds of training plans for the ½ marathon distance. These plans range from beginner to advanced. The best plans offer workouts with rest days, hard and light workout days, and cross training.


-Try out race nutrition: Many races have different types of nutrition throughout the race. This will range from water and Gatorade, fruits, energy gels, protein, nut, and fig bars and other foods that can replenish your energy. If you can, see if you can find out what type of energy they’ll be giving out from their website. Then use that energy source in your training long runs. This will help you know if your body is going to work well with the energy gels they give. If they do not, then you can carry energy gels with you that do work well.


There you have it, these are things that I have done to prepare for ½ marathons over the years. I still use them today. I hope these help you along your journey for your first ½ marathon. If you have questions, comments, or some of your own tips, you can post them down below.

 Good Luck and Run Strong!

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Getting to know your race

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor
After training for weeks leading up to a race, one of the worst feelings is getting to the race and not knowing what is going on. Many veteran runners will study a race before the day of the race, so they know what going to happen throughout the weekend.

Most of the race information is posted on their website and social media page. If you don’t see information that you’re looking for, you can always send in a question to the race director.

Here is some information that you would want to look up before the race:
Race fees: If you can, register for a race early. Most races have better prices for early registration. But if you can’t enter the race that day, knowing the fees will allow you to plan your budget.
Race start time: Most races start early in the morning, and knowing the start time will let you know when you need to be in bed the night before. There is not a more worse feeling than waking up after the race start time.

Parking: This can be tricky in some races, especially in bigger races. Get to know the parking for the event, and what times parking lots open. If you can, carpool with friends or family. Try to get to parking early to avoid traffic.
Packet pickup: This happens mostly at Race Expos days before the race. Your packet will consist of your race bib, race shirt and final instructions. You will also receive other race information and swag from sponsor companies.

For most races, packet pickup is only avail at the expos and not the morning of the race. So make sure you know this information, because if you cannot make it to the expo, then you can arrange someone to pick it up for you.

Course: Knowing the course is very important. This not only allows you where you are going, but also the elevation changes. Some might think that they’ll “just follow the other runners”, even though that is true and can work, its always better knowing the way yourself.
Water Aid stations: The page that has the course usually has the aid stations mapped out as well. Knowing how far the aid stations are from each other is something you can practice in training.

Provided energy: Along with water stations, energy gels may also be provided. If they are providing products that you are not familiar with, purchase a few and test them on your training runs. See how your body reacts to them. If your body does not digest them well, then may want plan carrying your own.

Starting line shuttles: Some races have you park at the finish line, and then shuttled up to the start line. This happens long before the start of the race. Make sure you know the time and place to board the shuttles to the start. These races will not allow runners to drive themselves to the start line if they missed the shuttle.  
Spectator areas: Some races have designated areas for friends and family to cheer you on. Pass this information to them so that they will not run into race road blocks.
Gear bag storage: If the race shuttles you to the start line, then they allow for you to take a gear bag to place your belonging at the start line, such as clothes to keep you warm before the start. And this can be picked up at the finish line. See what their guidelines are for these gear bags.
Pace groups: Most races provide pacers for participants. See what pacers they have for the race, then you can look for them at the start line.
Race rules: Always look over the race rules, every race has them. These rules are in place for runner and spectator safely. Even if some of the rules seem silly, be sure to follow them anyway.
FAQ page: Most of your questions can be found on their FAQ page, these pages are usually compiled from the questions they receive. However, if you don’t see an answer you’re looking for, then you submit a question from their “Contact Us” page.
Pictures: Most races provide pictures from event photo companies. These companies usually charge for pictures. If its out of the budget to buy pictures, then let friends and family who are cheering for you take plenty of pictures.
These are the items I look for to get to know my race better. It’ll help you better prepare your race and have a far better experience.

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St George Half Marathon - Race Recap

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor

First race of the year is in the books, and the St.George Half Marathon was a great race to bring in the New Year.

This is my second race in St.George, and I love the scenery this city has. I love running along the red rock.


Now that I have ran this half marathon, I’m now guaranteed in the St. George Marathon this October. Its awesome knowing that I won’t have to deal with the lottery for the race. The City of St. George has a racing series where many races take place through out the year. They have a few select races that if two are ran before October, then select runners can enter the St' George Marathon without the lottery. So I was really glad to be able to run this race. I've already ran the Snow Canyon Half, and this is my second qualifying run.

I was a little worried running this race, I have not been able to train for race since spraining an ankle muscle back in mid-November. Since then, I have ran a total of 11 times due to resting my ankle.

I had my sister-in-law pick up my packet the night before because I got to St. George later in the evening.

It was a cold morning on race day. the start time was at 9:00AM. The sun was high, so no worry about where you were headed during the race.

The only thing I could think about during the first three miles of the race was; ‘This is where I belong, [running]’. I have never felt so good and right in my element during the first part of the race. I have been running for many years now, and this was a rare moment where I [knew]I was doing something that I truly loved.

I kept the pace consistent during the first 9 miles, I felt good, my ankle felt good, and the weather was crisp and amazing. I started to feel the affects of the limited training during the last four miles. My legs were feeling sore, and my ankle was starting to feel tight.
About two miles to go.

I was able to finish the race with a decent time, it was actually 5 minutes faster than the first half marathon I ran last year. Even though in the back of my mind I knew this race was to help get me to the Marathon in October, I still wanted to give my best effort.


This was about 1.5 miles to go, my legs were feeling it.
Coming in on the home stretch



First race of 2015 completed.
This was a great race. I loved the course, the weather and the support. I just really love running in St. George. I'm so pumped to come here in October to run the famous marathon. This was the race to help get to the marathon, and I'm glad that I got to run both the Snow Canyon Half and St. George Half.

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Rehab and Sprained Ankle

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor
Here’s how to treat and rehab a sprained ankle—and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
With the fall upon us, runners are out and about on their favorite running trails. Unfortunately, running over leaf-covered roots and fallen branches for the increases the likelihood that you’ll end up with a sprained ankle.
This injury is surprisingly common. In the United States alone, 23,000 people sprain their ankle each day, and the medical costs associated with treating ankle sprains exceeds $1.1 billion annually. To make matters worse, these numbers do not take into account the long-term disability often associated with ankle sprains. In a 10-year fol­low-up of patients suffering ankle sprains, 72 percent showed signs of arthritis in the ankle joint.
Given the serious long-term consequences associated with ankle sprains, it is important to know if you’re prone to sprained ankles. Although numerous factors have been proven to correlate with the development of ankle sprains (such as high arches, poor balance, tight calves, and decreased overall fitness), by far the best predictors of future ankle sprain are prior ankle sprain and being overweight. In fact, heavy runners with a prior history of ankle sprain are 19 times more likely to suffer another ankle sprain.
Conversely, a previous ankle sprain can result in impaired coordination and calf tight­ness that can increase your potential for reinjury. In a three-dimensional study of motion in the foot and ankle while walking, individuals with a prior history of ankle sprain had reduced ground clearance during the swing phase and the injured foot was tilted in excessively when it hit the ground.
Despite the strong connection between prior sprain and future sprain, there is a counter-intuitive, inverse relationship between the severity of ligament damage and the potential for reinjury. In a two-year follow-up of 202 elite runners with ankle sprains, researchers from Greece determined that runners with the worst ligament tears had almost a zero percent rate of reinjury, while nearly 20 percent of runners with less severe ankle sprains were reinjured. This study confirms that runners with even mild ankle sprains should be diligent with their ankle rehab.
Regardless of the degree of ligament damage, the goal of treating an ankle sprain is to restore strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance as quickly as possible during the first few days following injury. Adding an elastic bandage to a standard air cast has been proven to reduce the length of time to full recovery by 50 percent. The following information outlines a popular treatment protocol for managing ankle sprains, while figure 2 shows an effective tubing exercise that can be performed once symptoms of the acute sprain have resolved.

Phase 1: Runner Is Unable To Bear Weight

— Compressive wrap with U-shaped felt balance around outer ankle. Change every four hours.
— Actively separate your toes for 5 seconds, repeat 10 times.
— Write out the alphabet with the tips of your toes. Repeat five times per day.
— Stationary bike, 15 minutes per day.
— Ankle rock board performed while seated (off weight-bearing), 30 circles, performed clockwise and then counter-clockwise 2 times per day.

Phase 2: The Injured Runner Can Walk With Minimal Discomfort And The Sprained Ankle Has 90 Percent Full Range Of Motion

— Stretch all stiff joints in the legs and hips.
— Perform the elastic band exercises illustrated in figure 2; three sets of 25 in each direction.
— Double-leg and then single-leg heel raises on the involved side, three sets of 10 reps, two times per day.
— Standing closed-eye balance, 30 seconds, five times per day.
— Standing single-leg ankle rock board, one minute, five times per day.

Phase 3: You Can Finally Hop On Involved Ankle Without Pain

— Running at 80 percent full speed; avoid forefoot touch-down
— Mini-trampoline; three sets of 30 jumps forward, backward and side to side. Begin on both legs; progress to single-limb
— Plyometrics on a 50 cm and 25 cm box, positioned 1 meter apart. Jump from one box to the ground, then to the other box, landing as softly as possible. Three sets of five reps. Note that this is an advanced drill and should be initially performed with a knowledgeable rehab expert.
Besides the standard exercise routines, it is also important that problems with balance be addressed. Regularly using an inexpensive foam balance pad can significantly reduce the risk of injury. In one study, there was a 77 percent decrease in the rate of reinjury when overweight athletes with a prior history of ankle sprain performed balance training on a foam stability pad for five minutes on each leg for four weeks. Another study from the Netherlands found that individuals treated with balance board exercises reduced their subsequent reinjury rates by 47 percent.
Because foam pads and balance boards do not put your foot through a full range of motion, I recommend a rock board that forces your foot to tilt in more than it tilts out (which is how your ankle is designed to move, see figure 3). The board places your foot in the position of a future sprain and then forces you to use your muscles to pull yourself out of the risky position. At first, perform this exercise while seated; after a few days, it can be done while standing. Of course, if you have excessive bruising or swelling you should see your health care provider to make sure nothing is broken. Many inversion sprains result in small fractures that need to be identified prior to initiating a home exercise program.



Source: Running Competitor
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Run Surf City Marathon - Race Recap

♠ Posted by Paul Naylor
The 2015 Surf City Marathon is now in the books! This race was a reminder as to why I don’t run the full marathon distance all the time, yet still glad I participated. This is by far not my last marathon, I still have to run Boston.
This was one of the best scenery races I’ve ran, especially the time spent running through Huntington Beach Central Park. Running through that park was the best part of the race. The short time spent there was incredible. With the sun rising and showing through the trees and morning mist, truly breathtaking. Seeing so many little kids just there to cheer you on was the coolest thing in the world. They were all over the park, I think every race should do this.

I’m glad that California is now checked off my list of ‘50 races in 50 states’ goal, moving towards my dream. I was first motivated by the finisher medal for this race, but many other things now are motivating me to come back next year. I would come back just for the chance to run through the park again.

 I'm coming off an injury that had me sidelined for a few months. I haven't been able to train as much as I wanted to for the race, but I've already signed up, so I had to run. I never doubted that I could complete the race, I have ran full marathons before, just been a few years since my last marathon(2010). Only 13 training runs since early November due to my ankle injury, and I felt it through out the race.

At times, my legs would cramp up to the point where all I could do is stand in place until I could start walking/running again. The pain in the legs was really setting in with six miles to go, I didn't feel that I ‘hit the wall’, just painful due to not being able to train for this race.

All I could think of during the last 6-8 miles was how bad my legs hurt. My cardio felt great, I did not feel out of breath or had a high heart rate. I was mentally and emotionally sharp too, my legs were just done with the day.

It took a lot of digging to get my legs to keep moving. I admit, I had to walk a lot during the race. I ran as much as I could, but many times my legs would just [stop]. I felt I could had endured the pain to keep a running pace, but my legs would cramp up and was forced to stop, rest then start walking until I could start running. With as much pain as I was having, the thought of throwing in the towel never came to mind. I knew I was going to cross the finish line, even if I had to take the entire allotted time(6.5 hours) to finish the race.

At mile 18, I felt really jittery, I was running out of gas, the pre-race food had been spent. Another reason for the great support from the race is that they had many food and water tables throughout the course. I soon got to a table and grabbed four granola bars and a banana. Took a few moments to get my energy back.
It was a great feeling to not have to worry about running for a long while before you get to the next water station.

Every step was earned, I think that many who run the marathon understand that completely.
When running the marathon, you see what toll its takes on runners that you don’t see a lot in the half-marathon.


Things I remember from the race:
-Very humid being being along the beach
-I got sand in every crevice without being in the sand
-First time being part of a race with 20,000+ participants
-The most well organized race I’ve been a part of
-I loved how many water stations there throughout the course
-There was a Jr. High school band playing in the park
-There were two firefighters running for the Firemen's foundation, they were in full gear for fire fighting, including the tank, [much respect].
-Legs really started cramping constantly with 10 miles to go, til the end of the race.
-The medical support staff was amazing, there were rapidly helping runners needing assistance.
-I’m only going to lose one toenail as a result of this race, pretty exciting.
Feels great to have the race done!
Someone made a sea turtle in the sand for Run Surf City


A look at the Expo.


Its been a long time since I've been to the beach.

Huntington Beach is Amazing, the atmosphere was energetic, the support went above and beyond, and the incredible weather topped everything off. I've been asking myself throughout the race if I’ll ever run this race again. Now the race is done, I think it’ll be crazy not to run this race again. And I’ll be coming back for the full marathon.

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