Dust off your racing shoes, it’s that time again!
For those lucky enough to live in sunny Santa Monica, we never really have to put our running shoes away but if you’re like me, I tend to slack off in between race seasons.
Two weeks ago I rolled my tired body out of bed at six am, threw my running clothes on, slapped on deodorant (as a courtesy to my fellow runners- your welcome), and drove down to Hermosa Beach for the Hermosa 5000. As I ran to the registration desk and grabbed my running bib I noticed the pier was sparse with people. The woman behind the table informed me the race didn’t start for another hour.
And so began my racing season. I ran fast that morning, though my liver doth protest!, and broke my PR (that's runner's lingo for Personal Record) during the 5K race. It felt exhilarating to be back on the race course.
This Sunday, Santa Monica will be hosting the first race of its season, the Santa Monica Classic 10K/5K, to benefit Heal the Bay. Heal the Bay is a non-profit organization whose aim is to keep our beaches, water, and bays clean through research, community outreach, and education.
Living next to the beach I can appreciate what Heal the Bay is trying to do. There’s some nasty shitzu that gets washed up on the sand.
The race begins next to the boardwalk at Ocean Park Boulevard and continues north to San Vicente Boulevard and back again. I am hoping to get a little more sleep and be a little kinder to my liver this weekend so I can really enjoy this race.
After the race there will be festivities at the Santa Monica Pier and I personally look forward to the swag from sponsors like Pinkberry, POM Wonderful, and Coca-Cola. There’s nothing like finishing a race and chowing down on all the calorie-filled goodness that is thrown at you after the finish line. Thank you sir, I will have another.
Even if you’re not a runner, the post-race event on the pier is open to all. Come down and enjoy the spirit of the city and feed off the adrenaline of all of us crazy enough to get up before seven on a Sunday morning.
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