Friday, September 19, 2014

Friday Fascinations: My 5 Favorite Races (so far!)

I am so excited to participate in my very first Friday Five Link Up with Eat Pray Run DC, Mar on the Run and You Signed Up for What?!   They have a different topic every week and bloggers link in their Friday posts.  Today's theme was My Five Favorite ______.  I decided to pick my 5 favorite races, which turned out to be way more difficult than expected.


1.  My favorite race to date has been the San Diego Women's Half.  This is the race where I earned my Half Marathon PR (for now) and the first time I felt like a runner.  It is a flat course starting in Liberty Station and winding it's way around Shelter and Harbor Islands and back.  I ran it with my friend Rachel (Hi Rachel!) and it was a blast!  Sadly, looks like the Women's Half in SD is cancelled for 2015.  


This was a great race and instead of beer at the finish, they served champagne.  My first race in a Sparkle Athletic skirt too!

2.  I would say my next favorite race was the Iron Girl Del Mar where I received my 10K PR.  It too is not coming back this year.  Is it me??  I loved this race for many reasons including the fact that there was just one teeny hill around Mile 2 and the rest was flat or downhill.  I also met Stuft Mama Kristin and probably scared her a little bit with my enthusiasm.


Here, instead of a beer garden, they gave us cookies to decorate.  How cute is that?

3.  Next, I am picking the Scripps Old Pros 10K.  My very first 10K.  I'll probably do this one every year because it is close to home and the race is around Lake Miramar, my regular running route.  It was also D's very first race (he did the kid's 2 miler).  I wore a tutu the two times I have done it.


Sadly, I have never been to the beer garden after but they do have cold towels at the finish.  A downhill finish I might add!

4.  Next, I pick Silver Strand.  Most people hate it.  It is a flat "boring" course along the Silver Strand connecting Coronado to Imperial Beach.  The reason people don't like it though is because of a little loop from about mile 10 to mile 12.5 thru a parking lot.  It is a mini out and back portion.  So I decided to do the 10-miler instead.  Awesome!  It was my first "real" distance race.  It was also the first and only time I have visited a post race beer garden.  Say what?!


It was also my first time EVER seeing a man with bleeding nipples!  You can't ever unsee that!

5.  And finally, I have to say the Carlsbad Half.  It pains me to say that because it was my first Half Marathon, the first race of the Triple Crown and the first time I ever really truly felt I would die.  I hit that proverbial wall at Mile 11 and never really recovered until well after the finish line.  But I got a decent time in.


What really made it special though was the fact that my 3 favorite people in the whole world were at Mile 12.8 cheering me on to the Finish.  I am not sure I would have made it without them.

Wow, this list was harder than I thought.  I think I will make this list every September and see if the races I pick will change.  I have 2 more Half Marathons before the end of the year, a Half in February and my FULL in February as well.  We will see...

So what is your absolute favorite race?  Why?  Do you visit the beer garden?  Have you ever seen bleeding nipples?

As always, I wish you Happy Feet,
SD Mom

23 comments:

  1. I LOVE the idea of decorating cookies after a race!! So fun and unique!

    Seeing a man with bleeding nipples makes me cringe... I feel so badly for them! I can't imagine how painful that must be!

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    1. I loved it too! Great way to get all the calories and fat burned back into your body! Ha ha

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  2. Fav race : Runners Den Fiesta Bowl Half. It's local, it's flat, it's fast...and it's during Xmas. No beer for moi. and yes! my own nips.

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    1. I hope you were one and done with those bleeding nips. Ask Jeremy for his nip stuff!

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  3. woohoo thanks for linking up with us! these are all great choices. I LOVE the champagne at the end of SD - OMG!!

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  4. If you're ever on the east coast, try the Newport Half Marathon in Rhode Island. Super scenic and beautiful.

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    1. An East Coast race is totes on my bucket list. But not in the summer. I am a delicate flower and humidity will kill me.

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    2. Haha, no worries! Humidity is the worst. And you'll be happy to know this race is in October!

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  5. My favorite race was the Boston Marathon this year, I don't think anything will ever top that for me! I have never visited a beer garden after a race, probably because I don't like beer, so it has no draw for me--I know, I know, my friends just shake their heads at me like I'm nuts, I've just never liked the stuff, not even in college! HA!

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    1. How could any race top that? Boston is Boston! :-)

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  6. Welcome to your first Friday Five linkup! Sounds like a great group of races. Love the photos! I have seen bleeding nipples (well, saw the blood on the shirt)... ouch. I really enjoy the Wine & Dine Half Marathon at WDW (food and wine in the name, of course I love it!). I'm a night runner, so any race that starts in the evening is a favorite of mine :)

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    1. Wow! Have you considered Las Vegas Rock n Roll?

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  7. Love this!!!!!!! So glad we met there and you said something. I remember exactly where we were standing. Ha. I was decorating cookies.

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    1. Me too! Yay for friends who used to be stalkers! LOL!

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  8. Great idea to do this list every year to see how your year has been and if your faves change!

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  9. I really need to run a race in San Diego. My husband is from there originally! I have run there several times, but never raced! My favorite race has been the Marine Corp Marathon!

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    1. I would love to meet you in real life! You have been such a valuable source of information for me!

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  10. I would love to run a race in San Diego! I am starting to follow more west coast bloggers - always nice to hear their taken on the infinite amount of races out there! Sentimental reasons my favorite race is the MCM, scenic wise - SeaWheeze in Vancouver or Healdsburg Half in Healdsburg, CA :)

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