I wish I had the aspirations that my friends have but I'm happy to be a tag-along. Just 3 months after tackling Mt. Whitney I ran/walked my 1st half marathon. My friend had completed one earlier this year and felt like she could improve her time so she wanted to do another and heard of the thirteen.one miler on the most beautiful coastline in California on the Monterey Bay Peninsula. I have spent lots of time on the central coast, specifically Big Sur, but we'd only ever driven through Monterey. The race was the Sunday before Thanksgiving so I decided to turn it into a vacation.
The Big Sur International Marathon has been in operation for 10 years and is a top-notch event attracting participants from all over the world. As it was my first event I don't have anything to compare it to but I was thoroughly impressed with the professionalism and organization supporting over 9000 runners. The course route starts at the famous Old Fisherman's Wharf following the harbor and landmarks like Cannery Row and the Presidio, turning around at the mouth of the 17 mile drive and ending at the finish line in quaint downtown Monterey. Runners are placed in corrals based on their projected finish time. The race began at 7am so we had to be in our corral by 6:30 which meant for an early (and chilly) wake-up call. Northwest storms had been dousing the area all week and rain was expected on race day. Although we've never trained in the the rain we were prepared for the worst. As we pigged out on donuts (I never eat donuts but we were carbing) we noticed that the street outside was wet but not raining. Once the sun came up it was evident that the storm had passed over and we may get a break. As it turns out the entire day was gorgeous. I even got a little sunburn. 
There is a ubiquitous military presence in Monterey and BSIM did a great job of recruiting them as volunteers throughout the race route. It was a proud moment for me to hear these fearless defenders of our freedom cheering on our efforts. The streets were lined with supporters and cheerleaders with lots of cheeky signs like this one :)
With all the storm activity the ocean was completely unbridled churning up 10 foot waves. What a sight to behold. And there were crazy people surfing in it! Cypress trees lining the coast and whitecaps charging toward the shore like racehorses beneath a clear blue sky made the whole experience unforgettable. Fragrances of eucalyptus and salty sea air definitely kept us going. We are run-walkers. It is not on my radar to run anywhere unless a zombie is chasing me. At home we manage 3.8 miles in about 50 minutes. You typically peter out a little as your hips began to stiffen so we ran farther than usual right out of the gate and made up quite a lot of ground. Although our timing was stellar at each marker we had set for ourselves, the frontrunner was approaching the finish line as we were passing the 4 mile turn! The winner ultimately completed the half in 1:11. The athleticism and determination is enviable (incentivized by the prize money I'm sure). We finished in 3 hours and fifteen minutes -
# 6467 out of 9047 runners.
Padding over many of the famous places he wrote about, it felt a little like we were rehearsing for characters in a Steinbeck novel. The route is breathtaking and not at all challenging. In fact the scenery, the weather, the participants, and especially the GU (a gooey energy boost) were all invigorating. I had spent the year hiking mountains so this was a lovely way to end the year. Knowing that my epsom's salt bath and a massage awaited made the finish even sweeter. One more box ticked.
During one of our training days in LA I learned that there is a triathlon event in Hermosa Beach. Next up on the agenda, since I'm clearly goal oriented, is the "Day at the Beach Tri" including a 1/4 mile ocean swim, 10 mile bike and 3 mile run. Totally doable with a little guts and gumption. I have never been athletic a day in my life. I'm just a woman who loves life and a challenge. Above all I love the beauty all around us and I can't get enough of it.
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