Age-Grading

A few years ago, I ran a race wherein the winners were not the ones who got to the finish the fastest but rather the ones who got to the finish fastest when  age-grading variables were factored into the mix.

For those who do not know, age grading stems from the undeniable fact that both men and women lose strength and slow down with age. About a decade ago, with more runners entering the Master’s category, a way was apparently needed so all masters runners could be compared to each other in one category. By making all masters equal regardless of whether they were 40, 50, or 60 years old, awards could then be given to the athlete with the best performance.

I have two thoughts on this subject:

1. This was the product of the Baby Boom Generation getting older and once again thinking that the world had to revolve around them.

2. The whole idea of age grading has always seemed somewhat ridiculous to me.

Absolutely, age is a factor in runners slowing down as time goes on. However, I can think of fewer better occasions to say, “Well, that’s life!” In addition, while indeed a factor, age is far less a decider of someone’s overall race time as are natural ability or training. Some people are simply born with “it” and some are not. Some can work very hard and get to the maximum level that the skills they were born with will allow, but there comes a point when that ceiling is reached for those of us who are not elite.

Given that, I think age grading is insulting to those who have maintained physical fitness over the years. They do not need to receive help in order to lower their times. Likewise, for the most part, those who get a higher ranking because of the age-grading know that they did not actually beat the people who finished in front of them.

This all came to my mind as I recently read an issue of Running Times which had an article about the greatest age-graded times ever run. Some of the times were just mind-boggling. I then read another issues about more amazing times from the grey-haired.  But the problem is that while neat, the charts are unnecessary.

There is no age-grading calculator out there that would allow me to run times like Dennis Simonaitis, a Master’s runner in Draper, Utah, who at age 50 runs times I still have never achieved. If anything, I need to handicap him. How about the timeless Colleen de Reuck, who at the chipper age of 45 ran a 2:32:37 marathon?  I do not need age grading to tell me those are ridiculously fast.  These runners are still excelling well past their so-called primes.

Isn’t that what racing is about—pushing yourself to excel? Competing. Be it against your own times, the clock, or your buddy Steve, racing implies competition. If the time comes when you can no longer beat the guy next to you, well, then the time has come when you can no longer beat him. No chart is going to get you to the finish line faster.

It was nice to see Running Times editor Jonathan Beverly revisit an issue he thought he would be all for when he became a Master. Now that he is actually a Master he is not in favor of the idea (to paraphrase, of course). In three plus years, when I become a Master, perhaps I will change my mind as well and be all in for these wonky math charts which help me run faster than I ever actually had.

But, I doubt it.

Fuego Y Agua 25k Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 8; 3rd Edition 
33.1 miles run in 2013 races
Race: Fuego Y Agua 25k
Place: Isla la Ometepe, Nicaragua
Miles from home: 4084 miles
Weather: 80s; humid

It is hard not to talk about this race without mentioning the planned run across Panama three days later.  I say "planned" as it was unfortunately and indefinitely postponed.  More on that at a later date, but suffice it to say that thinking I would be running 50 plus miles in the shadeless 95 degree 100% humidity of a Panamanian highway definitely colored my actions during the Fuego Y Agua 25k ("FYA".)

Simply getting to the FYA 25k ended up being a bit of an adventure.  After rather uneventful flights from Portland to Atlanta and again to Managua, Nicaragua (north of the volcanic island which would house the litany of races being put on that weekend) the trekking begin.  Nicaragua has, for the lack of a better phrase, absolutely no street signs. This can be a problem.  Fortunately, my great friend and fellow runner (and crew member for the Panama run) Shannon, spoke Spanish.  This was the saving grace on many occasions.

Nevertheless, the driving we did on the evening we arrived to find our treasure trove of a hotel with an armed guard which were ubiquitous in this country (seriously, the McDonald's had one) was nothing compared to the three hour tour we would take the next day.


Leaving ourselves "plenty" of time to make the 100k drive from Managua to the ferry taking us to the island of Ometepe, I preceded to waste two hours of that driving more or less in the completely wrong direction. Upon finding out of this snafu, we assumed part of the trip was sunk. We had to reserve that ferry spot for our car months in advance and who knows how many ferries went across each day and how reliable that schedule was.  But with nothing else to do we pressed on.  Arriving 90 minutes after we were supposed to leave we found out two things:

1. There were other ferries leaving that day. (yay!)
2. We couldn't get our car on any them. (boo!)

Upon further questioning, we did learn we could park our car at the ferry station and do a hop on.  Because, as any fan of Arrested Development knows - you're going to have hop-ons. So we eschewed the car and prayed we would be able to get to our hotel, the packet pickup, the start of the race, etc. with no rental car.

On the ride over we spoke to some other runners and found out that the ferry we had originally supposed to be on had been delayed with no real explanation and the one we were on was actually the one we would have been pushed to.  So we should have actually been able to get our car on it. This should have been a harbinger of how these banana republic countries tend to work but we were just happy to be on the boat.

As the ferry crawled along at the speed of smell, we realized too late we were baking ourselves in the rather relentless sun.  Fortunately many portions of our skin were covered and the worst of the burning was limited. Checking into our hotel was a breeze as it was literally (and I do understand this term) the first building on your right hand side as you stepped off of the ferry. The proprietor was waiting for us as we were the last to check in and soon we were introduced to our gulag-esqe room. When the water worked it was only of the very cold variety.  The shower handle was new however, as the still-remaining price tag revealed. Far from nice we were again just happy to have a room and semi-working internet.  That is far more than many people have so we just grinned and bore it.

We gained information that told us that the start and finish of the 25k was just a five-minute walk away as was the shuttle which would take us all to the pre-race dinner.   We spent the rest of the evening meeting new friends, reconnecting with old ones and trying to convince ourselves that it wasn't really as hot as we thought it would be. All in all, as I sweated away, I could not have been more happy I was "only" taking on the 25k.

The race directors for this race outdid themselves when coming up with challenges.  The 25k was made significantly more difficult than in previous years and we soon saw the course description, map and elevation profile of the new race. I assumed this was going to hurt a great deal and was vastly incorrect in how little I would assume it would hurt a great deal (if you follow that.)

After two long days of travel, getting to bed around 9 pm was a breeze. Riding the bus shuttles to and from the dinner allowed us an opportunity to catch sights around the island which we missed not having our car. We wondered if the locals grasped what we were about to do and if they did, whether they even cared. I have mentioned before how refreshing it can be to those of us a little wrapped up in our running to go somewhere that the people either do not know or do not care about what you are doing.  It helps keep everything in perspective.  "Oh, you are going to run 25k or do a survival run.  That's nice.  I have to go plow those rocky fields over there with these emaciated oxen in order to eat tonight.  Enjoy!"

I did not know how well I would do in the race the next day but I figured top ten was feasible. All I had to do was show up and do it.

The Race

Basically, the race could be broken up into three parts- the roughly six mile run to the volcano, the three miles up it and then the six miles back down and return to the finish. My intentions were to be comfortably in sight of the leaders when we got off of the "roads" to head to the jungle staircase of the volcanic mountain of Concepion. At that point, I would promptly die going up the mountain, resurrect myself and then try to catch as many as possible on the way down.  This way of running had served me well at the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase a few years ago and as this race was the closest I had ever come to racing like this, I decided to employ the same methodology.  That race, starting at 7,000 feet and going to 10,000 feet over roughly seven miles, would not be as steep as here at FYA but the distance and total elevation loss and gain were virtually identical.  I assumed the higher starting elevation would approximate the humidity and heat I would deal with on this day.  Or at least I hoped so. To be honest, I had no other choice.

When the gun fired us off from the start, I felt good.  I really did not think I would be all that hot. There was a decent cloud cover to start the race and a breeze here and there. Perhaps it would be relatively decent!

The race course itself was approximately 15 miles long. Eleven of those miles were either flat(ish) or downhill.  There were only two aid stations but they came right before the big climb and then right at the top.  I had an 8 ounce CamelBak bottle which I felt would be perfectly fine. I fell in behind a few runners as a few others shot off in the distance.  Young looking and with no gear whatsoever, I figured they were newbies who would die in about four miles as us "seasoned" vets would real them in.  Virtually no time during these first 5-6 miles did I feel like I was pushing too hard.  I was not surprised to be sweating profusely .54 of a mile in (I checked on my Timex RunTrainer) but I was also not worried.  I simply drank liberally from the bottle and jogged along.

Less than a mile of running in the town of Moyogalpa had us quickly on trails where we would now and later dodge herds of cattle, dangerously thin horses and a variety of other animals shuffling away clandestinely in the underbrush. We had heard talk of cougars and snakes but as the adages goes, I do not have to be faster than those creatures - only the other runners.

Purity of Ultrarunning

Let me state this unequivocally.  There is no “purity” of ultrarunning.  Now, why do I even need to feel the need to state this?


Back in July I wrote an article espousing whether an Ultra could ever be in the Olympics. I got a lot of great feedback on it but those who were against the idea seemed to have a common thread of thought.  Basically, most thought the sport is far too pure and sacred to be reduced to the brash commercialism of the Olympic machine.  To add it to a slate of events to be mulled over by announcers who could not tell the difference between a 100k race and a 401k retirement plan would steal the sport of its inherent beauty and pristine nature.

Poppycock.

No sport is pure. Period. No sport is inherently more or less devoid of crassness or greed or any of the other negative stereotypes given to events that have a purse involved or a television contract.  Only people can be given these attributes and what they then do in their sport of choosing is what defines them, not the sport.  A holier-than-though attitude exists in some sports about how their sport is above the money and material accolades and prizes.  More often than not, this is because there is no real money or accolades to be had.

Regardless, I cannot imagine a single runner who would not beam with pride to represent their country in an ultramarathon.  Is Scott Jurek any less deserving of a medal than Apolo Ohno and his ridiculous goatee?  Does Pam Smith have no more right to be on the podium with a gold medal than beach volleyball players?  I obviously do not know their mindsets specifically, but I am sure there are hundreds of worthy ultranrunners who would in no way turn down an opportunity to participate in their beloved sport and be able to do so on the world stage.  What sort of course would the runners take on, would the viewing public watch the event if it was televised, and a plethora of other questions remain but none should be whether its inclusion in the Olympics affects the “purity” of the sport.

If you have met many of the elite ultrarunners, you would have no worries whatsoever about whether any such games would affect them, even if they received lucrative (and deserving) windfalls and accolades. Most are humble and self-effacing when met with the praise they receive now. Let’s worry more about how ultras are perceived by others, even mainstream running magazines which still treat ultrarunning as a lunatic fringe. If the brethren of the running community cannot give ultras their just desserts, what chance will the rest of the world give it? Then again, curling is wildly popular when given the right framing. Perhaps an ultramarathon has a darn good chance of succeeding in the Olympics.

It cannot be as bad as rhythmic gymnastics, that is for sure.

Product Review: KLINGG

At the ING Miami Marathon expo last weekend, the developers of KLINGG presented me with one of their products. The wearable magnet they thought I might like is a holder for your earphone cord.  Its mission is to keep the cord from getting in your way while you run.  I told them I do not listen to music too often when I run but occasionally I do and would be at least interested in what they had to offer.

Lo and behold the other day I had one of those mornings when getting out and running was about last on my desired things to do list.  I knew running with music would help the 12 miler go by a tad faster.  So I unwrapped the KLINGG and figured out how to put it on me. (For a simple video demonstration of how the product works, click HERE.)  It took no time at all to get it together and on my clothing.  I slipped the cord in, played with it a bit to find the optimum slack for head swiveling and away I went.

As the product claims, it is very lightweight and does its job very effectively.  I was hoping by holding the headphone wire in place more securely it would keep the headphones from falling out of my ears.  While no headphones will stay in as tightly as I would like, without an aid, I found stabilizing the wire did indeed allow the number of times I had to reach up and shove the headphones back into my ear canals to decrease.

The design is very well put together with an extremely powerful magnet to hold the two pieces together. In addition, the side portion of the device are also magnetic meaning it will hold most headphones on either side when not in use.

Is it something you need? Probably not.  In fact, there are few running products you need.  Will it make your life easier if and when you wear headphones?  I think it will.

ING Miami Half Marathon Recap

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 8; 2nd Edition 
18.1 miles run in 2013 races
Race: ING Miami Half Marathon
Place: Miami, FL
Miles from home: 3254 miles
Weather: 70s; humid

That might not have been the brightest idea.

In Miami to participate for the 5th time in some capacity for the ING Miami Marathon, I didn’t have much of a goal. The weather promised to be actually a little cool for the beginning of the race about a week beforehand. That promise was broken as the projected temperatures climbed each day. Moreover the dreaded humidity that simply saps me followed suit. By the time of the morning of the expo, I knew I was definitely not in town to race. So I decided to have some fun.

First, the expo was a wonderful experience as it always is when I come to Miami.  I have such a wide and diverse group of friends in the area that seeing them all is rather difficult.  Combine that with the fact that every time I come to South Florida I make new friends and my cup runneth over.

Prior to the race I once again had the privilege of being inspired by the ING Run For Something Better Program.  Through this free school-based running fitness programs, RFSB “challenges children to get active, set goals and start a lifetime habit of physical activity.”  Having been involved with it on three different occasions I can say that they are doing it right down here in Miami. I was presented with a chance to talk some kids right before the expo on Friday and then do a lap with them around their playground.  In the background, during a physical education class, one of the instructors was teaching the kids how to mamba, or samba or some other latin-infused dance.  Talk about awesome.  As I see more and more schools make P.E. non-mandatory, I thought about how fun of a way this was to get kids to be active.

I also spent time with Justin Loa, a child confined to a wheelchair. With the help of an iPad and a guiding hand of one of his instructors, he could type out messages to me and have the program “speak”.  When after learning he was 11, I told him that in a few years he could be driving.  He hilariously responded “Bad idea.”  I don’t know, Justin –in five years this super intelligent kid might invent a way to make that possible.

At the expo itself, I spent two days talking and learning and visiting.  With Dave Scott, the race director of the event, and my good friend G.P. Pearlberg, we spent two separate hours talking to those who wanted to learn how to run this race. Following an intimate course description (I have run it 5 times, Dave Scott has designed it, and G.P. has been on the lead car for all 11 years of the race’s existence) a question and answer session followed. It was fantastic to let what I have learned hopefully help someone the next day. As I say, knowledge not shared is wasted.

Somewhere during the expo, while people were walking around with giant orange inflatable “fist bumps” it was presented to me that a way to make this race harder would be for me to run the entire race wearing the contraptions. I will probably rue the day I agreed to that but alas. The die was cast.

"The Longest Race" - A Book Review

Ed Ayres' latest book is called The Longest Race (subtitled: A Lifelong Runner, an Iconic Ultramarathon, and the Case for Human Endurance.) I was fortunate enough to receive a signed copy from Mr. Ayres and on a long plane ride from Portland to Miami read it cover to cover.  The book is basically a race recap.  Well, two to be exact.  The first race recap is about the 2001 JFK 50 mile race.  The second is about the human race.

Ed is probably best known as the founding editor and publisher of Running Times magazine.  He also won the JFK 50 mile race outright in a time of 6:04 back in 1977, a time which was hardly topped for the next three decades. He sorta has some running chops, so to speak.

The book is loosely centered around the 40th running of the JFK 50 miler where in November 2001, at age 60, Ayres returned to see if he could break the race’s 60–69 age group record. Spoiler alert: He did - lopping over twenty minutes off the previous best. However, that is incidental to the rest of the book.  In fact, if you blink you will miss Ed mentioning he had done so.

When I say the book is a recap of the human race, it delves into other aspects of running and how we have humans have become who we are as a species. I thoroughly enjoyed references to the Tarahumara, the supposedly “hidden tribe” mentioned in the book by Christopher McDougall. Hardly too hidden if Running Times was writing articles about them in 1977, it made me chuckle to think that this might have been a slight dig at McDougall’s book. But I digress.

Like Born to Run, Ayres culls from the data of 55 years as a competitive road runner to show how he has really delved into the hows and whys of the human race as runners. The science and theory is never overpowering and when we jump back to the JFK 50 mile recap, sprinkled throughout it is almost like “Oh yeah, he was also talking about a race. I wonder how that is going along.” The book could be read as a pretty thorough recap of the JFK 50 mile race itself, without going too much into all the soup to nuts aspect of running it.  But it is so much more than that.   

Runners like to think they are a heady bunch.  The reason is, usually, because they tend to be as such.  This book does nothing to dissuade any of those thoughts and really touches on a great deal of points I myself have just really begun to try to tackle.

I think you will thoroughly enjoy it. I give it 4 See Dane Runs.

Lance Armstrong - Some Thoughts

I am writing about Lance more for me than for you.  Please help yourself if you’d like.  However, this is here so that I can keep myself from yelling at people specifically. It can be a generalized “Are you kidding me?!” instead of calling out Johnny Homemaker and Suzy Triathlete. Basically I am writing down some thoughts to see if they will change over time. I doubt it.

First, as with any high profile person who is accused of a crime or misdeed, until a verdict is reached or insurmountable evidence presented, I do my best to hold my tongue and thoughts upon the conclusion. If anything, I retain that from three years of law school. This is especially true when I am not hearing the facts firsthand but rather reading someone’s view of what may have happened. That is already way too many places removed from the initial story for me to trust my reading of someone else’s recollection. So, until Lance did his dance with the truth, all but admitting to everything which he had been accused of, I held back judgment. No positive test results, no doping. That changes now. He is a doper.

Second, I was asked by a few people if I forgive or could forgive Armstrong. Well, to me, forgiveness matters only if one or more of the people involved care or it affects them. Lance cares not one bit if I forgive him. On the other side, my life is basically unaffected by his lying (unlike some other pro athletes like Lauren Fleshman who writes a great letter here.) So my forgiveness is unnecessary or maybe not even existing given I am not angry at him to begin with. Can you forgive someone you don’t really care about? My triathlon career is just getting started, I don't care much for bike porn, and will never be a huge fan of cycling.

Third, I bristle constantly, even prior to the admission, when people said “But look what good he has done for cancer patients and cancer research.” Talk about incongruous thinking.  If he cheated, and did so vehemently, not caring about whose lives he destroyed in the process, then what he may or may not did for cancer research et.al. has to be balanced against the bad he did elsewhere. You can’t compare cancer research against the hills of France. That is indeed comparing apples and rhinos. If it was just a little doping to win some races against how much good he had done, then maybe the good he did wins out.  But it was so much more.

Fourth, how much he actually has done for cancer research is extremely up in the air. If you don't care to read this article in Outside magazine (it is long), let me boil it down for you: the amount that Livestrong has done for the battle against cancer is not anywhere close to what you may (and I once did) think.

Fifth, for all that is holy please stop saying that you wish to concentrate on the hope he has given cancer patients. I would like to think that positive thinking and hope both help cure cancer but it sure doesn’t look like it has any effect whatsoever. So that is the thinnest of straws to hold onto.

Basically, a myth was created, cultivated, defended, exposed and taken down in a burning blaze. I am not angry as I have no real reason to be. I am disappointed it wasn’t true. I am bummed that another person in a position to do fantastic things is shown to not only be human (seriously, while most of us haven’t lied systematically and unequivocally as Lance has, most of us have never been asked the same question by thousands of people either) but vindictive, narcissistic, egotistical and so much more all without cause. 

Is Lance sorry? Probably. I am guessing mostly because he has lost sponsors, cannot participate in sports he loves, got caught and is looking at mountains of legal bills. I don’t think he is sorry he cheated.  Sure it sucks to know that you couldn’t compete and win at your sport unless you were taking drugs and playing the way everyone else in the top echelon was playing.  But lots of things suck in life.

Kind of like Lance Armstrong.

Know Thy Enemy

“Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” - Sun Tzu

Mr. Sun has said some really wise things that have become part of the lexicon of everyday normal use (I like to pretend he had a boy named Capri, but that is neither here nor there.)  In running, runners will do so much to be prepared for their race such as wearing lucky socks and pinning their bib number on the same way each time. So why is it that so many runners go into their races without more than the basic knowledge of the distance they are going to run (and even that may be a stretch)? 

I was once speaking at the San Francisco Marathon expo when I told no less than a dozen runners, who were about take on the half marathon course the next day, what to expect.  Some knew they were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge – and that about exhausted their knowledge of what lay ahead.  In the days prior to the internet this may have been excusable and understandable.  However, today, the race has to be pretty damn obscure for there not to be an elevation chart, detailed map, or some other information that gives you an idea of what to expect.

Then again, as Einstein said, information is not knowledge.  A simple perusal of a race and its comments on-line can give a runner whiplash  when they do a double-take to make sure the runner lambasting a race for one particular feature is talking about the same feature another runner is raving about.  “Hilly”, “scenic”, and “well-supported” are words which, without context, most assuredly mean different things to different runners.  Knowing ahead of time what you are in store for alleviates one of the biggest fears we have: that of the unknown.

When I put together the inaugural Drake Well Marathon in 2006, time constraints and logistical measures kept me from exploring the hills, woods and beautiful homes of my hometown of Titusville, PA (which the course now does, by the way.)  With the initial course being 105.5 laps around my high school’s track, many are heard to groan when thinking about the perceived monotony.  Perhaps monotony could be a problem but there was at least one splendid thing this course offered: no surprises.  No hills popped up at mile 22, no aid stations were out of place, and no one could possibly get lost.  As for mile markers, how does a marker every 400 meters grab ya?


My point is, when the fear of the unknown was removed and runners could concentrate solely on the act of running, so much more was a breeze.  Runners qualified for Boston for the first time, set new personal bests and figured out that knowledge is power.

So, don’t go into your next race without the knowledge that is easily attainable about the course, weather, food and drink available or anything else which may hinder your run.

Isn’t conquering a new personal best hard enough without ignorance slowing you down?

Running Across Panama

In a little over a month I will be participating in the Fuego Y Agua 25k race in Nicaragua. Going all the way to Central America to race 15.5 miles seems a little odd for most people. However, given how awesome and unique this race is, (helping out the local communities as well as running on a volcanic island) it makes a little more sense why I am going.  Yet, there is another reason.

When I ran my 52 marathons in 2006 I scoured available resources to find all marathons run in order to make sure I hit an actual race every single weekend.  I became a student of the sport and tried to learn as much as I could from as many people as possible who knew infinite amounts more about running than I did. A bit of a geography nerd (which I devote a chapter to in my new book,) I was often drawn to the idea of running from places of significance to other places of significance. One area intrigued me greatly and I was surprised that I could not find a race that traversed the course I felt was a natural fit.

As the years have gone by, I have learned that often when I want to run somewhere, it is far easier not to wait for an actual race but to go and simply run there. While I love “racing” I very much love “running” – there is a significant difference, which I plan to explore in a future article. As such, knowing about this race in Nicaragua, I finally saw the opportunity to combine an excellent adventure with a years-old dream:

Run the Panama Canal.

So, a few days after finishing the Fuego I will drive down to Panama. As the morning sun breaks in the city of Colon, I will begin running from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea, really) and hopefully before the sun sets, will be dipping my toes in the Pacific in Panama City. Following the actual canal is, for all intents and purposes, impossible, but I will be running alongside of it for as much as I can.  Relatively speaking it is not that far of a distance.  But the iconic nature of running across one of the most marvelous and dangerous undertakings in the 20th century is enough to get me giddy.

I am presently trying to figure out how I can have people track my progress as I have zero intention of using my own phone and paying $5000 in roaming charges. However, I will be checking in when I can and taking oodles of pictures along the way.

Stay tuned for more!

Allstate Life Insurance 13.1 Los Angeles Preview

What was said: “Let’s have you run the course of the Allstate Life Insurance 13.1 Marathon® Los Angeles about a month before the race so runners can get a perspective of what the race will be like before they ever sign up.”

What I heard: “Run. LA. In December.”

Yes. Yes I will.

This is the third course of the 13.1 series I have lined up to run prior to the race actually being raced by those who registered (hopefully) and trained (hopefully again.) The three courses, (Atlanta and Dallas before this one here in Los Angeles,) could not be more different from each other.  Without a doubt, however, this course has a flavor to it unlike any other.

Starting out in Venice Beach, runners will begin a mile of running down the oh-so-famous Venice Beach boardwalk. Whether you have ever been to Venice Beach or not, you have undoubtedly seen it in movies or television. For me, my first memory of Venice will be Chevy Chase in "Fletch" roller skating down the boardwalk.

It is not without reason that one of the postcards promoting the 13.1 race in Los Angeles prominently displays famed street performer Harry Perry, adorned in his usual garb, but with a race number attached.

Filled with characters that no movie could invent and have audiences believe, Venice Beach has been a staple for counter-culture since counter-culture existed.  Jim Morrison and the Doors then; ridiculous amounts of “medical marijuana” bandied around now. Musicians of all types, lively locals, people with monkeys, people who are stranger than people with monkeys and more than the occasional celebrity sighting abound.

There is sand to your right. There are a plethora of stores with every possible garment and concoction you could possible imagine on your left. The sun is kissing your skin and the salty breeze from the Pacific Ocean fills your nose.  By the way, you haven’t even gone one mile yet.  Or made your first turn.

When you finally do make a turn, it is to run along the area of the city made to look like its namesake in Italy, the Venice Canals. These beautiful homes of varying styles and shapes, nestled against the canal make for a wonderful backdrop which could not be more different than the boardwalk you just left seconds ago. Opulence and wealth, fit in so comfortably with the airy still-prevalent hippie and carefree lifestyle feel.

Busting out of the canals, the next three miles take runners on a circumnavigation of Marina Del Rey. Rarely leaving sight of the marina, with hundreds of masts of ships just off to your side, there is always a reminder the nautical nature of this area of Los Angeles.  Up to this point, while the course has been relatively flat, there has been juuuust enough elevation change every once in awhile to give your legs the slightest bit of break.

In addition, as you will be running on a cordoned off street you will not do something idiotic like I did and run quadriceps-muscle first into a fire-hydrant.  (In my defense, given I was being filmed by two guys on a tandem bicycle, I was watching the traffic and potholes for them and not watching my own path. Let’s just say running 11 miles after you take yourself out with hardened steel is not an easy task.)

The next six miles of the course is simply fantastic. You begin with the type of running one would wish to have for a race in the land of beaches and it does not disappoint. After leaving Marina Del Rey, you run down the Ballona Creek Bike Path and onto the Ballona Creek Bridge to cross the, wait for it, Ballona Creek!

First up for runners after crossing the bridge is Lagoon Park and the first glimpses of the beautiful beaches that will comprise the remainder of your course. Winding along the bike path, the Pacific Ocean is now so close you can almost reach out and touch it. A gorgeously manicured beach, seemingly bereft of any sunbathers most of the time, looks like it was made just for this race. A small cliff wall off to your left separates the beach from Vista Del Mar and those lucky enough to have a house on the cliff overlooking the ocean.

Next up is Dockweiler Beach State Park where you begin the only thing that can be considered a climb for the remainder of the race. A mere thirty feet of upward motion over the next mile or so is done not only gradually but in a series of steps.  You will be hard-pressed to even notice the difference as the planes from LAX periodically take off overhead. If the morning fog is hanging low, as it often is, the planes are obscured enough that only the noise of their departure will be present.  It is as if the airport is serenading you as the revelry of engines emanates from the sky every half mile or so (pace dependent, of course.)

Before much longer you find yourself turning around to head back to the finish.  With barely a 5k to go you will be able to see the runners behind you on the bike path going to the exact place you just came from.  Entertainment on the course is in full force for these last six miles with bands aplenty to help entertain you - just in case, you know, the scenery, perfect weather and fast course are not enough.

The finish takes you right near the Del Rey Lagoon along the beach. The finish line will be festooned with a variety of foods and drinks to help those who have conquered their race kick back and enjoy the beach and revel in their accomplishments.   

As with every one of the races that I have run (and there have been many) created by the people at US Road Sports, this promises to be a top-notch first-rate event. Sure to produce fast times, I think you will be far more delighted running the course on race day than I was routing this course for you and I had a blast!
Best of luck!