Gloria running the San Diego Women’s half marathon
I ran the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon (my first ever!) last June. I ran a 10K on the 4th of July with 17 family members. I ran 2 turkey trots on Thanksgiving morning. I ran the Carlsbad half marathon one month ago. And yesterday, I ran the San Diego Women’s half marathon. There is nothing like getting up at 4:30, putting on some spandex gear, waiting in uber-long lines to use a port-a-potty, crowding into corrals with a crew of pink-clad-women and then running for 13.1 miles. Don’t forget the .1, that part is killer. Here’s a mile by mile recap:
San Diego Women’s half marathon
Mile 1: Stoked and running fast, loving the crowd’s energy.
Mile 2: Shelter Island? What is this place? Never been here before (seriously).
Mile 3: Still good, the sun is rising and the bay is glistening.
Mile 4: The 2 hour pace group is sooooo close.
Mile 5: I caught them.
Mile 6: Yup, I just saw a blind woman, running the race. I can do this.
Mile 7: Terminal 2 is in sight. I wonder how that construction is going.
Mile 8: I lost them.
Mile 9: Breathe. Breathe again.
Mile 10: My legs are on FIRE.
Mile 11: The high school cheerleaders told me they are sooooo proud of me. I also high-fived a guy in pink bike shorts.
Mile 12: Only 10 more minutes of torture.
Mile 13: Just keep moving, Just keep moving…
FINISH LINE! Victory. The endorphins are soaring and San Diego, our fine city, finally has me hooked.
You should get hooked too. Run a race(or at least around the block). This year’s San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon and half are sporting new and improved courses. The half is more decline than incline. The marathoners don’t have to mingle with the halfers. The half goes right by my casa. And everyone finishes at Petco Park. We all win. If a race doesn’t suit you, there are hundreds of other ways to get outside.
This morning, my butt was out of bed pre-dawn, again. This time to scout a trail for the San Diego Magazine April cover shoot. All week we’ll be photographing San Diego’s most picturesque spots to enjoy the outdoors. See our 28 fave trails from last year here and check newsstands in April for even more ideas.
Yes, my legs are still on fire but I’m not complaining, I get to wear spandex to work this week.
