Three of my five blog posts so far this year have all been about joining marathons that, for the still uninitiated, involves running 42.195 kilometers, usually finishing within a maximum time of 5-6 hours. I ran my first 3 marathons this year in a span of six weeks or one 42K every two weeks.
To put these numbers in perspective, running gurus usually recommend only 2-3 marathons a year, with training sessions lasting 4-6 months in between. Shorter races are usually used for training- 10Ks and 21Ks as 1- and 2-hour long runs, respectively, and a 32K event for an LSD (long, slow, distance) run.
I was lucky enough to be able to join a 5K fun run recently and then carve out what could qualify as a rave run- a run in a beautiful locale, often defined by a majestic or stunning scenery. This run, that ended up to be 16K was done along the famous beach front of Long Beach, California.
Long Beach is 30K south of downtown Los Angeles. Among the city's attractions is the
HMS Queen Mary, the world's fastest ship from 1936-1952, that is now permanently moored at port, serving as a hotel and maritime museum. Another is the Aquarium of the Pacific with over 12,000 animals of over 500 species.
The city hosts the
Long Beach Marathon that is held every October- this year's edition being on October 9. This Boston Qualifier is described as one of the most scenic and flat courses in California, with stunning oceanfront scenery while traversing seaside communities but starting and finishing the run in the center of the city.
My 5K-turned-rave run started and ended no differently- near Shoreline Village. I also ran the famed Beach Path soaking in the early morning sights of the Pacific and stopping at Veteran's Pier to catch fisher folks testing the waters. The experience of witnessing the break of dawn on the other side of the Pacific Ocean was simply stunning. I simply had to leave and take pictures of my footprints in the sand, if only to record forever the moment!
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