Halloween Disneyland

Disneyland and California Adventure at Halloween-time:





Unfortunately it was very windy that day so there were no special Halloween fireworks. But the cooler temperature made for a pleasant day with no-wait lines (until school let-out). Disney Halloween is definitely fun! Plus, the little kids are in costumes for the special Disney trick-or-treating!

Nike Womens Half Marathon

I wasn't expecting much after attending the race expo, but the Nike Womens Half Marathon ended up being a really gorgeous and fun race. And the Finishers necklace from Tiffanys isn't too shabby either (see photo below).

My friends agreed with me that the Nike Womens Marathon race expo is the 'lamest' race expo that we have ever attended. It was a large tent in the center of a block in downtown San Francisco that contained race packet pick-up, one smoothie booth, one 'manicure' station, one 'wall of shoes' (all Nike of course), a booth for the race's charity, and some song/power-station/iPod syncing booth. That's it. There were no other vendors. With space at a premium I understand not wanting to allow too much miscellaneous stuff. But really. What was supposed to be 'cool and hip' was actually disappointing.

So I started the race a little skeptical. Was it just a bunch of hype?

I was wrong to be skeptical. This race was outstanding. The scenery was gorgeous and challenging, and the race itself was well organized for the runners. The aid stations were well stocked and the volunteers were fabulous, there were motivational signs placed along the route, and the amount of cheering and bands along the route was just about right.

I had a great time! My one tip for runners of this race in the future is to take it easy on the uphill. We saw people powering themselves up the first hill and a lot of them were probably ridiculously spent at the end. There are LOTS of steep hills on this course since it is San Francisco. But the reward for the hills are the amazing views of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate, and the bay itself.

The one thing that should be fixed at the race is that there is a literal wall of people on the other side of the finish line. There were so many people stopping to get their pictures taken with a fireman handing out a Tiffany's necklace that it was actually a hazard for runners. I had to weave through them one step after I crossed the finish line. They should probably move the firemen several yards behind the finish line so runners don't have to come to an abrupt stop.

I ended up getting my necklace from a really young fireman who was standing way in the back. He seemed shy and stood back from the crowd. It was my pleasure to get a necklace from him, and when I opened up the box I was very happy with the shiny and pretty reward inside!

Long Beach Half Marathon

While running the Long Beach Half Marathon yesterday, I realized that my motivation to run races has completely changed.

When I first started doing races, it was for the adventure and (somewhat) the comeraderie. Now it feels like racing has become more of a personal check-list of 'races to do'. The Long Beach Half Marathon was exactly that kind of race.

I was told by several people to arrive early because traffic is bad for this race. So I pre-programmed my GPS the night before, took my friends' suggestion to avoid the 710 highway and use surface streets, and arrived at the pre-paid parking with plenty of time to spare. (Note for those planning on doing the race: take the 405 and get off at Long Beach Boulevard. Some of my racing buddies took the 710 and were stuck in a virtual highway parking lot. Also, the pre-paid parking is a nightmare. You are better off parking at the convention center and/or parking for free at a meter on Long Beach Boulevard.)

The weather was cool and ideal for running. But when I started the race, I really didn't feel "it"-- that enjoyment and flow that sometimes comes with running. The race was incredibly crowded and went along a narrow bike path which could barely hold all the people. It was like Disneyland only without the huge costumes. Though the pace would have been okay normally, the pace that my friend set that day was just a little too fast for me. At mile 6 I dropped behind and slowed down. But then the ball of my left foot started to hurt like there was not enough cushioning in the shoe. I re-adjusted the shoe but nothing helped. I kept on running running running until mile 11 when I cramped in my right calf. I stretched and walked a little, then ran for a while again before my left calf cramped. Those blasted cramps!!!

The finish line was ridiculously crowded. We had to wait in line through a crowd of people just to leave the finish line area. Maybe the race has grown big quickly and the organizers didn't realize that it would be this crowded? Or more like I was finishing with the mass bulk of the half-marathoners (and elite marathoners) so everybody was there at one time.

I felt as spent on this half as I sometimes do on a full marathon. I can't explain it. You just can't predict how things will turn out on race day!

Would I recommend this race even though I personally didn't really enjoy it? Yes, I would recommend it. The race is relatively flat and the temperatures are mild. There is a lot of race support (though I didn't even notice the Hooters girls at the mile 3 waterstation) and the locals are friendly. If you don't like crowds, it probably isn't for you. But if you feed off of their energy, it is definitely a pleasant race.

Plus, it's another race to check-off on the Southern California Race 'to-do' list.

Remember him?

Do you remember the television miniseries 'North and South' from back in the 1980's? It starred several people who you may remember (e.g. Patrick Swayze and Kirstie Alley). It also starred this guy named James Read. Remember him? The good looking George Hazard? Northern counterpoint to Patrick Swayze's Southern character? According to Wikipedia he has done a few other recognizable television roles since.

I saw him at the theater the other day (at Parade the musical). He sat a row in front of me just a few seats over. He looks almost exactly like he did on North and South-- only better. Though the miniseries was over 20 years ago, he looks like he could be in his early 40's. Apparently he is 56 years old and one of the best looking and sexiest celebrities that I have seen in person (and I've seen Dennis Quaid and Aaron Eckhart). I want to know James Reads' secret to staying so young looking!