Santa Clarita Half Marathon

I ran the Santa Clarita Half Marathon on Sunday morning. I can never sleep the night before a marathon... that means I didn't really get to take advantage of the fact that we got to turn the clocks back on Saturday night -- I mean, I couldn't sleep anyway! Oh well, at least it wasn't pitch black when I had to leave the house and head out for the race.

It was unseasonably warm too. As I ran the first few miles on the streets and trails winding through the Santa Clarita Valley the sky turned from fuchsia to a lighter pink to a brilliant blue with streaky white clouds almost imperceptibly. The air was crisp, but not cold. Perfect running conditions.

I love running in organized events because I don't need to worry about carrying water or snacks or if there's a place to pee along the trail -- all that is taken care of by the organizers. But, perhaps the best thing is the buzz of energy that surrounds you. I feel like I am literally pulled along almost effortlessly (but not quite) by the rest of the runners.

My mind slips and slides while I'm running long distances. Sometimes I am extremely focused on a single idea: I'm going to pass that guy with the red dolphin shorts and hairy legs before the next song starts OR I'll plan an elaborate dinner party (that I'll never throw) down to the minutest details -- think personalized place settings and a different beverage for every course.

Then sometimes I find that miles have passed and I've noticed nothing except the texture of the bridge boards I crossed earlier in the run. I can't recall where I'm at in my run, what songs I've listened to or what I've been thinking about.

Other times I run like a kid... I clear my mind, smile (at least to myself, no need to look like a complete dork), and kick out my feet and swing my arms and just have fun!

Regardless of how a run goes I almost always feel the same at the end: energized, a little high and extremely sexy and strong.

I finished in 2 hours and 9 minutes, about what I had expected based on my training and bout with illness in the weeks preceding the race.

While I was running, my little boy participated in a Kid K run. A Kid K is where the kids run in a one kilometer race (that's a little over a half-mile for the metrically challenged). It's a great way to get kids excited about running and to keep them busy while parents are running longer events. My little tike had a great time, it was his first event, but hopefully not his last!