Marina White's Staging Area

I had the honor to pace the three hour group for this Mother’s Day weekend race that runs from Santa Ynez to Solvang. The organizers were excellent on details. Parking was fairly easy at the shuttle bus area, and there were plenty of buses to board. Coffee was ready for us to enjoy at the start, which is a nice added touch not found too often at races. The course was a great blend of scenic country and small town charm. Everyone’s favorite part in the group I was pacing was the “corkscrew” hill around mile 7 (haha), which led up to some very scenic views of the wine region. I also saw a grazing donkey here! 🙂 The wine aid station at the relay exchange was awesome. This race could be improved if there were more port-a-pottys along the course, especially the first part of the race, there were almost always lines. Finishing in the heart of Solvang to partake in wine tasting was delightful! I loved that they had chocolate to enjoy with the wine, and Alaska Airlines’ wine tasting booth with snacks was the perfect touch. While the wine tasting area was a little too crowded for my taste (pun intended), there were plenty of wine tasting options to make me forget all that. Did I mention this race has wine tasting? 😉 Yes, anyone wanting to have a great post-race reward for a fairly challenging but beautiful course should choose this one, and stay an extra day for more wine tasting (many deals offered at the post-race party).

I am always a fan of Bill Escobar’s Elite Sports California events.I have paced about a dozen of then all throughout the Ventura area. Ojai is a unique one, different from his usual coastal routes. Ojai is a great town, so it was a pleasure to pace. Race morning parking is a bit of a nuisance, basically everyone parks along a narrow, hilly street, and it is first-come, first-serve. I ended up about a half mile away. His race starts are always simple though, easy to grab your bib and get to the start area. A big problem with this race: No water cups for about the first 5 miles, and it was a pretty warm day! Old school “waterfall” with the containers of water at aid stations was how my pace group (three hours) was able to stay a little hydrated. The first part was run along bike paths and back country roads with rolling hills and nice views. The middle miles were more off to the side along open roads. Less views. The last few were bike baths again, with some shade from trees. The finish line with simple, with some massages being offered and the usual light fare of pretzels, oranges and bananas. Simple, low-key, enjoyable race.

As many know, this is a great race to PR- a lot of flat/downhills, and good weather; Not to mention, the majority takes place on a nice ocean front stretch. Of course, I was too busy running as fast as I could to notice 😉 But thankfully, the finish is also a couple blocks from the ocean, so one can always return after running. Tips : Arrive early, there is no “designated” parking. Every man for himself on the streets nearby, and in the old downtown of Carlsbad, that is not always easy. I would opt for race-day packet pickup. It is MUCH faster than going to the expo, and you miss nothing since the expo is all out doors, and there on race day (It is in some parking lots on the block between the start and the finish). The expo is pretty good, with lots of booths and goodies. You start on a slight uphill stretch for about a quarter mile, before making a turn onto the oceanfront street, then it is an out and back, until you come to the turn onto the finish line block at mile 3, a downhill stretch (which starts about half a mile out). Couple local beers are included with the entry, and drinking beer after a 3 mile run at 7AM is perfectly acceptable 🙂 Or, you can opt for the 20K, which means you do 4 of the five 5Ks that are run that day (most likely the “Elite” race, the last race of the day, is not included- that would be embarrassing to “run,” anyway. haha). Then you could space the beer drinking out better until mid – morning 😉

LA has never been my race. The first time I ran it, 2011, it poured rain. The 2nd time, 2013, conditions were actually perfect and I enjoyed myself, but still race logistics always bum me out (more in a bit about that). This year, I ran sick as a dog, A friend gifted me the entry, and I loved how the 30th anniversary medal looked (the shirts this year were also excellent), so I decided to drink my Dayquill and power through. I had gotten a flu or some type of awful hacking illness since the Little Rock Marathon at the start of the month (maybe due to the rain there?), and this was my first race since then. I am grateful for the very generous cut-off; I used it all practically. Race morning starts about 3AM, as we have to drive to Santa Monica to park at the finish and take a shuttle to the start at Dodgers Stadium. I was lucky to get into one of the corrals to start before the main mass of people. The start has a lot of energy, as we run out of the stadium. We wind our way to China Town, and a few miles later the Hollywood sign comes into view. Continue on to the Hollywood Stars Blvd, and then Rodeo Drive. I was lucky to have a friend to run with for most of the race: my second half of the race took almost double what the first half took…WTF!?..Where’s the finish?! 😀 After a few miles of residential blocks, the ocean, indicating that final stretch before the finish, comes into view! Even after eight-plus hours, the announcer is still there to celebrate us, and there were tons more left to finish behind me. The finish line is a long walk to get through it all generally. Was it a good idea for me to run so sick? Maybe not. Was the medal and course worth it? Almost definitely. A race that should likely be done once -)

The Brea 8K Classic is known for a few things. The obvious is the unique distance — a tad under five miles. Next is the rather competitive sub-elite Master’s level competition, of which I could not partake (yet), and last is the excellent feast provided at the finish line, of which I enjoyed my fair share to say the least! Many local eateries come out for the finish line festivities; this year Nothing Bundt Cakes, Elbows, Slaters, BJs Pizza, Mother’s Market, a coffee stand, and a taco stand were just some of the samples one got to enjoy after running. The course itself is fairly uneventful. It beings at Brea Mall, with plenty of parking. There are a few big hills around mile 2-4 on Associated Rd, and a nice cool downhill stretch at the very end. Do it for an interesting local race distance and challenging course, and most importantly, the food after! 🙂

My third year in a row doing this race. Last year I ran it with friends at a very easy pace, and the year before that I did the full at an excruciatingly slow pace. This year, I ran it as best I could. It is a good race to do well on. The cool February temps are ideal for fast running, and the relatively flat oceanfront course are also conducive. Race logistics are fairly easy. I prefer to park for free at one of their designated centers and take a shuttle in, very simple. Parking close is hard, as the beach lots fill fast, and costs some money. Getting dropped off can also be a hassle with the backed-up traffic near the beach. The race is mainly along PCH and HB’s central park. These are fairly scenic and flat areas. The last half can be a little tedious, essentially being about a 4-5 mile out and back along PCH. But there are some good music and spectators. The finish line is an enthusiastic crowd. The beer garden is always a little crowded, but I can never complain when two free beers are involved (get an extra for being a legacy runner). Overall, a fun race.

As would be expected for a race located in Irvine, many of the miles left one feeling as if he or she were stuck on the set of “Groundhog Day,” minus Bill Murray. That is to say, there were about three intersections on the course, and many streets connected by those intersections, where I am still not sure if I was just running in a continuous loop! Irvine is pretty big, and there are some fairly scenic parts, too bad this race missed most of them and instead took us on the stereotypical Irvine-esque cookie-cutter route . The start of the race was crowded, as there are many students who are training for the LA Marathon, without much regard to runners’ etiquette (and the sheer number of them would make navigating difficult on the narrow bike paths at the start, even if the best manners were practiced). After the bike paths, here begins the intersections, some streets, and a lot of out – and -back stretches where you can say “Hi” to fellow runners on the other side of the road, which was a good distraction from the monotony of the course. There was one point around mile 8, where we went back on the bike path, but also could connect with an (visible) earlier point on the course about a block up, and at least one person missed the turn, and I almost did. It was very confusing and needed more volunteer direction there. The best thing about this race–flat, and cool weather. We even got a light mist. Perhaps the worst part, beside all that I mentioned earlier–The medals said 2014 on them!!! What a disappointment that my first race of the year would be mislabeled 🙁 Post-race displayed more of the disorganization that had characterized the race itself : Challenging to find which line to stand in to pick up the finisher’s shirt, and a long wait once in line. This is a fine race for a fast run if you are a local, but don’t break the bank to do it.

I had the honor of pacing the three hour group for the inaugural event in Temecula. Temecula has such charm and presence as a wine area, but is still somewhat off the radar. Race morning parking is easy in a lot right near the start. Packet pick-up is also a breeze. The race starts at a vineyard, and in Temecula tradition, hot air balloons are visible throughout the sky. Destination Races rates this race as their most difficult, and I can understand why. It gets warm, and there are some noticeable hills! There are the usual wineries to take in during the run, which never gets old. I really loved the finish line on this one–almost a dozen local wineries on the lawn of Wilson Creek Winery, pouring without regard!! Get your taste buds ready! Cheese and other light snacks are also offered.

I was fortunate to pace the 3 hour group for this race. The race started out on the driveway of a vineyard, and toook us through the rolling vineyards of wine country. The course was very high energy and scenic, and there were plenty of spectators and aid despite the rural setting of the course. As with many Destination Races in wine country, the finish line rivals the beauty of the course itself, as being the best part. If you had selected the option, you could enjoy a nice buffet of yummy breakfast foods as well as fine wine tasting in a private area at the finish. The wine charm, medal, and glass were great perks of the race, and overall the finish line is fantastic.