Sorry about the video quality. I am still trying to figure out how to upload videos from my GoPro without compressing the file and losing audio/video quality.
2013 Beach Jam Marathon video
Posted: March 30, 2013 in Marathons, race, Races, RunningTags: 2013, beach jam, Caifornia, gopro, half, marathon, race, road race, running, santa monica
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Half-way Fun – 2013 Beach Jam Marathon
Posted: March 17, 2013 in Marathons, race, Races, RunningTags: ankle injury, beach jam, California, marathon, race, running, santa monica, Venice
My recent trip to California was literally the greatest time of my life. I got to spend some good quality time with my brother, run a marathon on the beaches of Santa Monica and Venice, and road-trip from LA to San Francisco.
The 2013 Beach Jam Marathon was Saturday morning and my friend Mary was supposed to meet me at the start. We ran together the evening before and she wasn’t sure if she was going to race. She decided that morning that she would run the half marathon, so I was going to run it with her. We had such a great time together at the 2012 LA Marathon so I knew this would be fun too.
The course was a 13.1 mile loop starting at Crescent Bay Park in Santa Moinca. From the start, you head south along the Venice boardwalk a few bocks past the pier and turn around. Then, back to the start/finish area for the first aid station. Continue north to the end of Will Rogers State Beach for the next aid station, then back to the start /finish.
The race was a small event held by Rocket Racing Productions. Between the 10 mile, half marathon, and full marathon there were about 75 people. I’ve learned to enjoy the small events because of the more personal atmosphere. Although I love great crowd support, some of my most memorable races have been very small ones like this.
My game plan…
Have fun, run smart. This wasn’t going to be a “race” to me. Since I’m training for my first 100 miler I just considered it my long run for the week, but this time I had company for the first half, a mobile pit crew (my brother), aid stations, and I got a medal at the end.
The weather was perfect that morning. Well, to me it was. Starting in the low 50’s, the the temps would rise to 71 before the race was over. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and just a light ocean breeze.
The first half…
This picture captures the mood perfectly.
As the race started, the conversation and laughs came quickly. We kept a slow, comfortable pace. My constant stops at every rest room slowed us down even more, but the clock wasn’t a concern. The mood was awesome. I felt strong. This was going to be great!
We continued on. Everything went great until mile 11. Mary was getting tired, and something didn’t feel right with my ankle. A few days before, I tweaked it while running in the snow and now the pain is starting to come back. As we finished the half marathon Mary got her medal and took off to get some food. She would come back to cheer me on at the end. I still had 13.1 miles to run, so I kept pushing forward.
The second half…
It was starting to get rough. I called my brother around mile 14. He was going to meet me a couple of miles down. I’ve never had a mobile pit crew, but my brother was amazing. He brought me beer and meds near mile 16 to help get me to the finish. I sat down in his car to enjoy my beer and my ankle was starting to swell. After a few minutes I took off and my brother was going to meet me a few miles later.
At the aid station near mile 18 I stopped to look at my ankle. It was getting bigger, and my pace was slowing rapidly. I typically run about a 9 or 10 minute pace for this distance but I was at about 13 minutes so I was obviously hurting. My brother met up with me again near mile 20. This time he brought me some ice, ibuprophen, another pair of shoes, and another beer. I rested there for about 20 minutes icing my ankle and keeping it elevated. I tended to the 2 very large blisters on my feet, changed my shoes, and went on my way. This race was getting brutal, but without the help of my brother I would have been suffering thru it.
I felt a lot better. The ankle still hurt, but I was close to my normal pace again. I saw Mary at mile 21. She walked with me for a couple minutes and we talked. She knew my ankle was in bad shape, but she could tell I was doing a lot better. I was ready to get this race over with. I only had 5 miles left. One more hour and I could relax and ice my ankle. That’s all I wanted.
Beach Jam Marathon course.
I pushed thru it and finally made it to the finish. I got my medal and Mary gave an ice pack for my ankle. This was the hardest marathon of my life. Other than my ankle I felt great though. I wasn’t even sore.
What I thought of the race…
Pros
*well organised
*race staff was very friendly
*aid stations were fully stocked – water, sports drinks, granola bars, gels, electrolyte tablets
*beautiful course
*plenty of rest rooms along the beach
*very affordable
Cons
*no crowd support
*not a closed course – had to dodge people the whole way (especially in Venice)
*medal was pretty basic
*not chip timed
The bottom line…
If you like quiet, scenic races then this is for you. If I lived in LA I would participate in other events held by Rocket Racing Productions.
Thank you Racing The States!
Posted: February 28, 2013 in 5k, Races, RunningTags: 5k, race, racing the states, registration, running, Running For Angels, virtual race
Hi everyone. Please take a minute to check out the Racing The States blog. She wrote a really great post about the Running For Angels Virtual Race.
Here is the link…
Also, today is the last day of the “early bird” pricing, so those that haven’t registered still have a few hours left to take advantage of the great prices. To learn more about the race you can check out the Facebook page, or you can register online at RegOnline.
-Tim
I guess I can settle for a marathon
Posted: February 25, 2013 in Marathons, Races, Running, UltramarathonsTags: 50k, beach jam, CA, California, la jolla canyon, marathon, races, running, santa monica, ultramarathon
Last week I found out that my next race was cancelled. I was planning on flying to California to visit my brother. I planned on running the La Jolla Canyon 50k, but it ended up getting cancelled due to an issue with permits. So, I searched around for other races in the LA area that same weekend. Even if I find a 5k, I am running a race while I’m there. Well, it must have been my lucky day. There is a marathon in Santa Monica (where I’m staying) the same day the 50k was scheduled (March 9th). The Beach Jam Marathon starts in Santa Monica and runs along the ocean south to Marina Del Rey then north to the Pacific Palisades, then back to Santa Monica. I’m looking forward to the challenge of another marathon. I always enjoy the scenery, the happy runners I chat with along the way, and the sense of accomplishment that I get from races. Let’s just hope this one doesn’t get cancelled…
-Tim
Running For Angels Virtual Race Update – 2/22/13
Posted: February 22, 2013 in 5k, Races, RunningTags: 5k, Angel Runners, Angelman, Angelman Syndrome, awareness, cure, custom, facebook, Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, fundraising, medal, running, Running For Angels, tech tee, vitual race
A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Meagan Cross from the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapetics. She heard about the virtual race I’m directing and wanted to put together a story about my cousin’s daughter Kyla, the race, and a little bit about me. The link was posted to the Foundation For Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics Facebook page. That means the 7,388 people that “like” that page will see the story. I’m hoping to get a lot of registrations from that.
http://blog.cureangelman.org/virtual-5k/
Only 6 days remaining until the prices for the Running For Angels Virtual Race increase by $5.
Now thru 2/28/13, you can get a race entry, and a custom medal for only $20 or for $30 you get a race entry, a custom medal, and a tech tee.
After 2/28/13 the prices will be $25 with a medal or $35 with a medal and tech tee.
Register at http://regonline.com/runningforangels.
Check us out on Facebook at http://facebook.com/runningforangels5k.
Last week of “early bird” pricing for the Running For Angels Virtual Race.
Posted: February 21, 2013 in 5k, Races, RunningTags: 5k, Angelman, Angelman Syndrome, cure, fundraiser, medals, race, registration, running, Running For Angels, tech tee, vitual race
Running For Angels Virtual Race logo.
The Running For Angels Virtual Race is a 5k race to benetit the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics. Registered participants will walk or run 5k during the week of 4/21/13. You can do it all at once, or over the course of a couple of days. There are 2 different options. For only $20 you are registered for the race and you get a custom 2.5 inch medal made by Running Awards, or for only $30 you get race registration, the custom medal, and a tech tee.
Running For Angels Virtual Race medal design.
About $7 of every registration goes the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics to fund reseach for treatment of Angelman Syndrome.
A special note from Tim…
Hello everyone. This is my first race I’ve every coordinated. It has been a very challenging, but rewarding experience. For those that don’t know, this cause means a whole lot to me. I do many fundraisers during my races to raise money for F.A.S.T. My cousin’s daughter Kyla was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome and I will continue to run for her and all of the other “Angels” . To read the whole story about Angelman Syndrome and my fundraising check out https://timsrunningreviews.wordpress.com/ask-me-why-i-run/
-Tim
No more 50k
Posted: February 20, 2013 in Races, Running, UltramarathonsTags: 50k, CA, California, la jolla canyon, Malibu, running, ultramarathon
2013 La Jolla Canyon 50k is cancelled.
The 2013 La Jolla Canyon 50k is cancelled. I really can’t believe this happened. It was supposed to be my second ultramarathon. If anyone knows of any races on 3/9/13 in the Los Angeles area please let me know. Thanks.
-Tim
A very big thank you to a fellow blogger.
Posted: February 18, 2013 in 5k, Races, Running, The Random StuffTags: 5k, Angelman Syndrome, cure, Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, race, racing the states, running, Running For Angels, virtual race
The other day I offered a contest to win a free entry to the Running For Angels 5k Virtual Race. The winner turned out to be a blogger right here on WordPress! Whitney, the writer of Racing the States won a free entry, a tech tee, and a medal. Soon after getting in contact with her, she invited me to a Facebook group called “Virtual Runs!”. I posted information about my upcoming virtual race, and I have gotten a huge response. Today alone, I have had 11 people from that group register for the race. Whitney’s blog (Racing the States) is well worth reading. I recommend all of you check it out. http://racingthestates.wordpress.com If you like what you read, please “like” her Facebook fan page. http://facebook.com/racingthestates If you would like to learn more about the Running For Angels Virtual Race, please visit http://facebook.com/runningforangels5k. You can also register for the event at http://regonline.com/runningforangels. $30 gets you a race entry, tech tee, and and a great custom medal. For $20 you get a race entry and a medal. These prices are valid thru 2/28/13, then the prices increase $5.
Running For Angels Virtual Race medal.
-Tim
First day of my training for the Hallucination 100 Mile race at Run Woodstock.
Posted: February 17, 2013 in Races, Running, Training, UltramarathonsTags: 100 mile, 50k, California, facebook, followers, Las Vegas, Malibu, Michigan, run woodstock, running, ultra, ultramarathon
The other day I put together my training plan for my first 100 miler. Today was day 1 and I was scheduled for 17 miles. I plan to do all of my long runs on Sundays since I never work Sundays. Well, today I ended up having to work, and it was a shift in the middle of the day. Because of that I had to switch around this week’s training plan, so I ended up doing tomorrow’s 5 miler instead of the 17 I planned on. I guess that’s why they say to write your training plan in pencil instead of pen.
Tomorrow should be a great day for the 17 miles. It’s supposed to be 40 degrees and partly cloudy. That’s about as good as you can hope for when it’s mid-February in Michigan.
Other exciting stuff…
Only 20 days until my next ultramarathon! I’m really looking forward to heading to California for my race. A 50k trail race in the mountains of Malibu sounds absolutely amazing. That day my brother and I will be driving from LA to Vegas to celebrate.
Today also marks a big milestone for Tim’s Running Reviews. I now have over 200 follwers on WordPress! When I started this blog back in October, I really had no idea that it would take off like it has. I wanted to thank all of my followers, Facebook fans, and everyone else who has read, liked, and commented on my blogs.
-Tim
Running For Angels Virtual Race – The medal design is complete. Check it out!
Posted: February 16, 2013 in 5k, Races, RunningTags: 5k, Angelman, Angelman Syndrome, cure, Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, fundraiser, running, Running For Angels, virtual race
Running For Angels Virtual Race Medal
The medal design is finally in. I absolutely love it! A very big thanks to RunningAwards.com for the great design and providing excellent service.
If you would like to know more about the race, you can go to http://facebook.com/runningforangels5k.
To register for the race, go to http://regonline.com/runningforangels.
For $30 you get an entry into the race with a tech tee and a medal.
For $20 you get an entry into the race with a medal only.
These prices are valid thru February 28, 2013. After that the cost of registration will go up $5.
Thank you to everyone who has shown support and registered. Invite your friends and family to be a part of this amazing event. All proceeds go to the Foundation For Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics.
-Tim
Tim's Running Reviews 