Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon & 10K

This is one exciting weekend! I have actually been looking forward to this awesome weekend of trail running madness for a few weeks! Then it just crept up on me. This past weekend, the always wonderful and amazing trail race director to the stars Keira Henninger hosted her Griffith Park trail half marathon and 10K! Keira is also the lovely RD that hosted the Paramount Ranch Haunted Trails of the Night 10K a few weeks back! So anytime I get to hang out with Miss Keira and 400 or so fellow runners on some great trails, I'm a happy camper. So, let's dive right into this recap tastiness shall we?

Saturday, I got up and headed to Griffith Park. Before we go any further, let me explain what Griffith Park is. Griffith Park is a Los Angeles (and Southern California for that matter) iconic location. It is home to the hills where the Hollywood sign are, the Griffith Observatory which is an amazing building and place to go, as well as the Los Angeles Zoo. It is one of the largest urban parks in North America. It is a large mountain range essentially in the middle of Los Angeles. HUGE! Not your average every day soccer park...we are talking a mini mountain rage here people. Ok, back to the story. So, I parked my car, near the historic Greek Theatre (also located in Griffith Park), and headed to the start area which was at the base of one of the trails. Keira always feeds her runners, so I immediately noticed three full tables of pastries, coffee, juice, and igloos full of water. She also had the awesome folks from A Runner's Circle (one of Los Angeles' premiere running stores) there to help with the coordination of efforts. Check in was a breeze, and Keira gave some pretty kick ass tech shirts from Patagonia (whom she happens to belong to the ultra running team), a really great steel water bottle in a cool teal color, and some other neat goodies! She goes all out with her swag. Also important to note that her races aren't outrageously expensive...she covers a lot of costs to ensure we as runners have an amazing event. She's really a classy RD!

@KeiraHenninger and I at the start area

I checked my bag, chatted with some awesome runners like Sheila from StridingMom.com. Before I knew it, we are staged at the gateway to the race and Keira was counting us down. We got to zero and bolted out into the sunrise. This trail race took place on 5 Griffith Park trails with more than 1500 feet of elevation gain. So naturally I got a nice workout.

Within the first mile, I looked to my left and saw something we don't often get to experience due to haze or smog. With the recent rains, it cleared out the air, so we were fortunate enough to get breathtaking panoramic views of the beautiful city of Los Angeles. I could see as far as the Port of Long Beach. I could see Catalina Island, I could see Santa Monica. The ocean never looks so beautiful from atop the mountain. This view itself was all I needed to be inspired to enjoy this run! Nature and the beauty of the earth, the sky, and ocean are such blessings and should be appreciated. If you looked on the other side of the mountain, you looked into the San Fernando Valley. You can see Walt Disney Studios and Warner Brothers Studios.

Breathtaking views from the trail run. Notice the runners continuing the climb on the right

The first milestone of this run was reaching the world famous Hollywood sign. Living in the Los Angeles area my whole life the closest I have ever gotten to the sign was driving past it on the freeway, or forgetting it was nearby during my visits to the observatory, but when I tell you that nearly standing under it and seeing it unclose...there is nothing like it. Another incredible highlight! Great wide trails, amazing weather, spectacular views, and the Hollywood sign. We won!

WOO I'm In Hollywood! See, I told you I'd do it!

After that we swung back around and headed down into Brush Canyon where we made it to the half way point. This is the Camp Hollywood Land area where the infamous caves are...you know Adam West's Batcave!!!!! Just to awesome! At the various aid stations they were all fully stocked with energy gels, mini PB&J sandwiches, salty snacks, and plenty of water and electrolyte beverages. I hung out at this aid station for awhile, really just taking in this awesome canyon, the colors, the textures of the rocks and sand, the energy of this magical place. In case you couldn't tell yet, I was in heaven.

The Hollywood Dragon has landed in Brush Canyon

Then we had to make our way back UP and out of the canyon. This was rude. LOL. A nice steady walk up the hill. Along my hike up the trail, I ran into fellow local runner Tracy who was taking on the trails! Way to go, Tracy!

Go Tracy!

The next stop after climbing out of the canyon was to swing around to the iconic Griffith Observatory. One of my favorite places in Los Angeles. The observatory was mile 10 on the run, so sadly this awesome run was coming to an end. There were lots of cars and people heading up for a fun day of star-gazing and science filled fun...I think they were confused why we were all running back and forth haha.

At the Griffith Observatory

Heading back toward the start/finish area was a fun decent back to reality. Some of the way down was very steep (much like the climb), so I had to make double sure I didn't break an ankle or my face. I came across the finish line around 2:42. I was VERY happy with this time considering the climb and the challenges of this course. This course was beautiful, but let me be honest, it will kick your ass. Something happened when I made it to the top of the hills. I felt this surge of triumph and energy! I felt like I could take on the world. I even spread my arms and took in the air and energy of the sky as I ran around one of the turns. This race was incredible. It is easily one of my absolute favorites.

Day 1 Done!

Now because one day of awesome trails wasn't enough, of course I had to go back for seconds. I woke up on Sunday and headed back to Griffith Park for Keira's 10K race. This race took place on the other side of the park, near the old location of the LA Zoo and the famous Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round. Again, another easy day of check-in/registration and lovely morning snacks and beverages. While I was waiting to begin the next 6.2 leg of my trail run journey, I ran into fellow INKnBURN Ambassador Chantal! She looked amazing in her Steampunk tech tee. Speaking of INKnBURN, there was a HUGE INB presence out there! So many awesome looks out there!

Chantal and I getting ready to rock!

We were underway! This race was not as aggressive as the half marathon, which was a relief considering my legs were a little tight from playing mountain-man the day before. Again, waking up and seeing the sunrise and the colors splashing over the valley, what a great feeling that was! Inspiration started early again.

Kicking off our run with a great view

This run was an out-and-back route, again fairly mild trail, but enough of a challenge to keep me alert and challenged. The landscape was absolutely stunning. I honestly had no idea that places like this in Los Angeles even existed. Who knew that it was so close? Well played, Keira :)

Rocking the trail

I really enjoyed this shorter trail run. I think I found a new place to come out and just get away! I finished the 10K around 1:10 minutes (maybe faster) but I had a blast!

What a lovely rock!

All in all, I highly recommend these races to anyone who appreciates nature, fresh air, and time to clear your mind and free your spirit! The answer is yes! This was an amazing experience and I had a blast! Now, it's Monday evening and my legs feel like jell-o. Thanks for that, Keira. :)

Success!

Surviving the Dopey Challenge

Well...we are getting closer to the kick off of runDisney's Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna! In my opinion, it is the largest runDisney event of the year. Quite fitting that it is also the first event of the year. With the introduction of the Walt Disney World 10K and the official Dopey Challenge, this year's event sold out faster than ever. I know I am very excited to earn all of the medals in just a few short weeks, and those of you that are joining me, I hope your training is going well.

So, people want to know how I am training and how I am going to be able to manage an insane 48.6 miles over 4 days. Well...um...I don't know exactly. But I do have a strategy laid out to help me not collapse at Mike and Sulley's feet like I did this year during the second leg of my Goofy at mile 23.

Thanks #CorralG for picking me up haha

So here's what the plan is:

TUESDAY
Arrive in Orlando, and head to Casa de Pelham for laughs dinner and more laughs. Unpack my gear and prepare for an insane 7 days.

WEDNESDAY
Slay the expo! Since I am going Dopey, I will want my Dopey jacket/hoodie/pullover (whatever they offer for men this coming year) and some other minor things for merchandise. I will pick up my bibs and all the tech tees. I am also assuming this is the morning the runDisney meet-up will be. That is a 100% Sharp assumption there is no confirmed fact to that statement...so don't go running said Sharp told you! lol! After the expo, I gather there will be free-play involved...perhaps a dole whip.

THURSDAY
5K! This race isn't timed so there isn't much of a need for me to become prince of the gazelles here. I will more than likely enjoy a smooth run with little speed and use this time for character stops and laughs. So this day is a cake walk. Post race, I am sure there will be nourishment and sustenance. Then more free time...perhaps Magic Kingdom.

FRIDAY
10K! So this is where I will need to get my head in the game. I am considering this run my shake out run. I won't be going out very fast. In fact, I plan to be consistent on this race with an hour finish time. Just enough to get my legs warm without breaking the sound barrier or encouraging an injury. If there are characters I have not encountered yet, I will stop. But this race, is to focus my mind on the prize and what's coming next. After the race, a little bit of free play, but it will be time to rest and get ready for the half. About time to get off my feet.

SATURDAY
HALF MARATHON! Last year I paced by friends Ruby and Erica during the half marathon and we finished around 3:30. This wasn't bad for me considering I had 26.2 to run the next day. I plan on being world faster this time around. I am looking to finish the race between 2:30-2:45. Again, just enough to get the  burners hot, but not enough to burn out the muscles. As time has gone on, I have gotten faster and stronger and my recovery time has shortened. So this pace will encourage a fast recovery IF I eat clean, massage properly, and rest my legs post race. So after the race, we shall dine on appropriate foods, and probably retire to Casa De Pelham for the afternoon in preparation for Sunday's event.

SUNDAY
MARATHON! Last year, it took #CorralG nearly 7 hours to finish will our character stops and we had the time of our lives. We laugh at that chip time now. This go around, my plan is to get a PR on this course. My standing PR is 4:54 from this year's Chicago Marathon, so I would really like to PR at Walt Disney World. I am familiar with the terrain, I am familiar with what I will encounter, so if the weather decided to behave (I know it's Florida it does what it wants) then we should be good to go! Post race....PARTY IN THE PARKS! I will have earned it!

The key to surviving this race isn't simple! It takes weeks of dedicated and focused training. The hard work comes all the way up to the event, so if you are behind on your training, you may want to get on the ball (responsibly of course I don't want to hear you got injured). The second part to surviving this race series is taking it easy and listening to your body. You don't need to PR every race...and in fact, you shouldn't be at 100% running each of them. Pace your way through the weekend. Then celebrate your awesome accomplishment in the parks with some booze, a Nutella waffle, or a dole whip...hell have all three!

I mean I do have Tinker Bell weekend the following week, so naturally I need some strength left. Yeah, it's out the bag...I will be going Coast-to-Coast at Tinker Bell again...participating in the 10K and half marathon. Yeah...

What is your plan or tackling Dopey?

Gametiime Launches in California

If you are anything like me, you wished you had a genie in a bottle or a magic map that would show you all of the races in your geographical area with a simple click. Well one day, I happened to stumble across this genie and his name was Gametiime! Gametiime is in my opinion the only place you'll need to go to locate you next 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, or even ultra! The team at Gametiime works hard to search the internet looking for races, saving you time...because let's be honest...ain't nobody got time to be searching through the internet and race calendars! They do the work for you!

Gametiime is a free resource that anyone can use. I was fortunate enough to receive an invitation from their team some months back during their beta testing phase. I provided some feedback and have kept in close contact with their team. When the site first launched, they were only available in Washington state...and I was totally jealous. Now, Gametiime has expanded it's reach to Oregon and now CALIFORNIA! So, how easy is Gametiime to use? Easier than you think!

Say I want to search for a race in San Diego because I would be interested in vacationing there this holiday season. I simply go to Gametiime, log in and enter the criteria I am looking for. I can search by city, date ranges, the race distance I am looking for and away I go and appear the results. Simple. Did I mention that the user interface is very clean and easy to navigate?

Enter your search criteria

Once my results come back, they show high quality images and links to the races, both small and large races. When you click on the race, Gametiime will provide you with a small snapshot of the race, provide you a Google maps image showing you where the race will be held, and provide you links to register for the race! It couldn't be easier! If you aren't ready to register for the race, you can always save it to your account for later. The people at Gametiime are all about ease...saving you time...again this is a free tool!

Who doesn't love search criteria?

Example of a race page on Gametiime

So, if you haven't done so, I recommend heading over to Gametiime to find your next race. Again, they are only live in Washington state, Oregon, and California at this time, but I can promise you they are making their way to other states! And when they do, will you be one of their users? I swear by Gametiime, and I know once you get your hands on it...you'll be a fan too! You can read what I thought about the launch here.

GO GAMETIIME!

runDisney Wine and Dine Official Meet-Up Recap

Now, this was the way to kick off a runDisney race-cation weekend! I've attended several runDisney meet-ups, but this one was very special! But of course, it was an experience getting to the meet-up. Let me give you the play-by-play of my crazy Thursday.

I landed in Orlando at 5:30PM....check in for the meet-up started at 7. You can already see how this is going to go. I grabbed my bag and RAN through the terminal to Mickey's Magical Express station, scanned my pink Magic Band, and headed to the line to Port Orleans, Riverside resort. I waited about five minutes and then my bus arrived...and then I forgot one detail. Port Orleans, Riverside is the last stop on the route for this bus...Damn. So I had to go to Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, an Port Orleans, French Quarter before even making it to my hotel...where I was the only guest to get off the bus...since I was the only one left. Then the bus driver looked at me and says 'Oh, next time just tell me before we leave and I can re-arrange that.' I gave him a side-eye and ran into the lobby. I checked in, and ran to my room. I did a Wonder Woman wardrobe change and ran to the bus depot and awaited my complimentary lift to Epcot.

My transformation looked something like this.

Once I arrived at Epcot, and again ran. The time as now around 7:30PM. Now, it is important to note that the meet-up didn't even begin until around 9PM, but one never wants to be late and be THAT person. And low and behold, who do I run into in the parking lot, King of the Gazelle's Matt from Dad's Got The Runs (love this guy). We walked up to the registration table together and got our really awesome tech tees, and fast passes to TestTrack (WIN).

Matt & I...I don't think we know whats happening lol

Matt and I entered Epcot and immediately started laughing. Mainly because I think we are both a couple of basket cases ;) We then met up with fellow Team #runDisney pals Ali from MSP Run and Jennifer from Sunshine Running. I always love seeing these two ladies! I've said it once, and I will say it again, runDisney races are nothing without the awesome people you encounter and get to know! Half of the fun of going to these races is seeing and reconnecting with awesome people like Matt, Ali, and Jennifer. I decided to venture out before the meet-up and would reconnect with these fine folks later on in the evening. Along my journey, I ran into one of my favorite people, Connie! We hung out in front of TestTrack for a while just catching up! It's always a joy seeing here, talking to her and catching up! Even though we live close to one another, and we just Owned Chicago, it's always a pleasure!

Yay Connie! @ConnieKos

Before we knew it, it was time to head to the Mexico Pavilion and get ready for our VIP seating experience for Epcot's nightly fireworks and laser spectacular (and one of my favorite shows in Walt Disney World) IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth! We had superb viewing for this show and this brought ALL the smiles to my face! As we waited for the show to begin, all the attendees (all 125 of us) took this time to mingle, shake hands and take photos!  I was no exception! I ran into some familiar faces, and finally got to meet some new folks!

Herd of Gazelles - Ali - @AM588, Matt - @Marcella823, Jenn - @JennRunsDisney

Then I met this inspiring lady in person. Kimberly Markey is amazing! She runs her marathons and won't let any illness get in the way! She is truly an inspiration, and if you get the chance to actually spend a few moments with her, you will be forever changed!

Got my life with Kimberly @MMMarathoner

And of course, I had to give one of my favorite people a hug...Miss Heather from Through Heather's Looking Glass! runDisney captured a pretty awesome photo of the two of us, that made me smile and laugh! 

Heather - @HeathersLG and I being photographed...we love our readers and followers!

Before we knew it, IllumiNations had begun. I was so surprised at how close we were. We had the best seats in the World Showcase! I was amazed! All eyes were on World Showcase Lagoon and the sky above as fireworks, fire, lasers, and LED projections took over! Always an amazing experience!

The World Showcase Comes to Life with IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

At the conclusion of the show, we made our way to The American Pavilion where wonderful food and wine were waiting for us. That is you had to be 21 or older to attend this event. We dined on delicious Gardin chicken skewers, great salad, and tasted some vegan Chardonnay...yes there is a such thing as vegan wine...I will get there ;) No meet up is complete without a photo op with Mickey Mouse! So the crew and I made our way over to the line and made some magic happen!

Me and Chef Mickey!

Team #runDisney and the Big Cheese

Once character photos were done, we got down to business! We took our seats, pulled out our phones and iPads and got ready to live tweet the event. I was saving battery life, since I didn't get a chance to charge due to my Wonder Woman costume change, but I certainly got the highlights out to you guys! The presentation started with Darryl Fry and Farron Kelley from runDisney bringing us a high-energy introduction of how awesome the night was going to be...as well as some teasers of some things to come in the near future!

Faron and Darryl. Photo Credit Disney

Next, we welcomed Tara Gidus and Jeff Galloway, the official Nutritionist and Training Consultant for runDisney! Every time these two talk they always provide some great feedback and impart such great knowledge.

Tara and Jeff. Photo Credit Disney

The meet-up continued with culinary specialists who discussed the various types of food and wine that were available during Epcot's International Food and Wine festival! They event spent time discussing what vegan wine was. Some wines during fermentation or finishing have animal additives added to them. Vegan wine is all natural with no extras...just grapes, no animal bi-product. I had no idea...and I LOVE WINE!

The New Balance came up and showed us some of their new glow-in-the-dark products. I am all about safety so I appreciated this portion of the event. They also teased the 2014 runDisney shoe...which was officially announced this morning during the runDisney meet-up in Atlanta.

Before we knew it, it was time for our run around the world! Yay! Before take off, I met up with a few of my readers Monica and Walt from Running Happily Ever After! Some of the sweetest people I tell you!

 We ran 1 1/2 times around the World Showcase and met at the Fountain of Nations in Future World. We took our group photo, then headed toward Spaceship Earth for a champagne toast to officially kick off the weekend!

Faron toasting to the meet-up. Photo Credit Disney

WOW! That was a fast-paced but exiting evening of friendship, laughs, lasers, food, merchandise, and new memories! It was also an awesome touch that it was at night! I knew that this meet-up was going to be special...and it was! runDisney didn't disappoint! Thank you to the team for putting this together for us :) It was the perfect kick-off to what was an amazing weekend for me!

runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Recap

One year ago I ran my first half marathon at Walt Disney World. That was was the Wine and Dine half marathon. I was relatively new to the runDisney community only having run the 2012 Disneyland half marathon just a few weeks prior. I was alone that weekend, but ended up being introduced to some amazing people that I happy to be able to call friends. 

With the busy weekend I had being King of the Tweets and running around like a crazy person, I was anxious to get down to business at the 2013 Wine and Dine half marathon. My #CorralG family have been planning this reunion race for months. Not only were we excited to see one another, but we were anxious to wear matching outfits and run together. For the half we decided to wear INKnBURN pirate tech tees! How we ended up deciding on that is actually a mystery to me, but we looked awesome and got lots of compliments.

Pirate Captain and his lovely Wenches!

The race evening started with a pre-race food stop at Via Napoli in EPCOT. We ate yummy margarita pizzas and pasta and filled out bellies...but we didn't over do it.

Marcia @TravelRunEat and Kira eating all the things!

After that, we grabbed our gear and headed to the Beach Club and waiting in line for the charter bus to whisk us away to ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, which is where the race begins. Minus the two empty buses that pulled up to the bus stop, paused, and drove off that went well lol. We boarded the bus and were off. Once we arrived at WWOS, we gathered our group of friends and conquered the field, some folks waited in line for character photos, others went and a checked bags, and others secured a spot in line for the port-o-potty (total glam I know). 

With only a few minor glitches in the pre-race celebration (characters leaving without the line being cut, extra long potty lines) the pre-race festival was entertaining, and definitely got the blood pumping...you know since the race doesn't even start until 10PM.

I was going to run the race with two of my #CorralG sisters, Marcia and Jill...who were lucky enough to be my pirate wenches for the evening. We ran into some awesome folks in Corral D, like Pam and Christine from We Run Disney!

Hanging out with Pam and Christine from We Run Disney

Before we knew it, we were off! Fireworks shot into the sky from the start line banner, bright lights signaled the beginning of our 13.1 mile party...and our souls were ready. The weather this year was much better this year compared to what I remember from last year. There was humidity present (but when isn't there it's central Florida), but temperature wise, it wasn't to bad...pretty mild and slight breezes throughout the evening. 

Marcia, Jill, and I decided to do the Galloway and do 2/1 run/walk intervals. We didn't want to overwork the race. We wanted to have fun, and retain the capability of being able to walk the next day haha. We took off out of Corral D and enjoyed a leisurely run through Walt Disney World. We had many laughs, lots of character stops, and plenty of potty stops haha. All in all, we had a blast just the three of us. A few of our other friends were running with other friends, but it was fun running into them on the course. You know what else was fun, pretending to be a gazelle as I leap downhill repeatedly and causing a minor chain reaction of 4 other people wanting to follow suit. THAT was hilarious.

Pirates!

We felt strong throughout the entire race! Given we were doing 2/1 intervals this made for a really easy run. We also kept our pace pretty steady throughout the race, so personally I felt absolutely no fatigue in my muscles. I could have kept going! One of my favorite parts about this race is the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios! It's bright and whimsical! All the buildings in the New York back lot are covered from top to bottom in dancing Christmas lights! It really makes you feel alive and puts you right into the holiday spirit! And of course, doing running through it with your friends makes it that much sweeter! And of course, being photo bombed by some of Jacksonville's awesome runners is always fun ;)

What in the world?

One thing I hoped runDisney brought back this year was the mile 13 laser show! As you exit Epcot and make your way to the finish line, at mile 13 there is a laser show with great high-energy music! runDisney didn't disappoint! The girls and I joined hands and trotted through the laser show feeling proud of ourselves. Now the Gods were pleased with us because Mickey and Minnie were waiting at the finish line to cheer us across the finish! This was exciting for Marcia because she has never seen the mice at the finish! I was so excited I think I may have screamed! We took pictures with the awesome duo. And out of this experience came my favorite photo of the weekend...

This photo basically sums up my entire weekend! I was surrounded by awesome friends, I got to run my favorite race, and just felt happy! Someone tweeted to me and told me my whole body is smiling in this photo! I may be almost 30, but I absolutely believe in Disney Magic! I had an amazing time at this race...can't imagine spending it any other way! What is your favorite memory from the race?

Haunted Trails of the Night 10K - Recap

Talk about a way to start a spooky Halloween week! After all the excitement and fun times of the Rock N Roll Los Angeles Expo and social media meet up (read all about it on here on Pavement Runner), I had to depart and head to Paramount Ranch in Agora Hills to get ready for the Haunted Trails of the Night 10K! Now, being the race series ambassador, I was really looking forward to this race. Running on trails is always fun, but being able to do it at night...with glow sticks, and 99 other ghouls and goblins in costume...well that just sounds like my idea of a bad ass Saturday night!

I parked at the ranch and went to check in at the barn! Wait, I am getting a bit ahead of myself. Some of you are probably wondering what Paramount Ranch actually is. Paramount Ranch is a ranch that was purchased by Paramount Pictures in 1927! It was an actual working movie and television set. It is gently nestled against the Los Angeles Mountains...and Malibu is just a few short miles away!

Ok, so I checked in at the barn and met my friend, the Race Director Keira! She, of course was hard at work putting signage up and had that awesome smile on her face. I was a little early, so I took a personal tour of the ranch. I went to change and watched the sun disappear behind the beautiful mountains. See, that is the thing. When you are running or walking trails, you throw yourself into nature. You are instantly surrounded by fresh air, beautiful trees, even the dirt and soil is beautiful.

So as we got closer to showtime, other runners and supporters started to arrive. One of those wonderful people was Dani from Weight Off My Shoulders! I had just met her at the previous event so was happy to see a familiar face...especially one that made me laugh so much. I had interacted with Dani on Social Media in the past, but I had never been able to have a sit down conversation with her. That night, we had 6.2 miles of bonding! Since this was a Halloween themed race, racing costumes were 100% encouraged. People showed up in some really awesome outfits! We all laughed and shared in this really fun themed experience...night trail run in costume. I was wearing my INKnBURN robot kit. Robot in the woods, who'd of thunk it?

The race started and we all darted down the dusty road of Paramount Ranch into the hills! I am thankful for my Black Diamond headlamp because without it, well...I would have been blind. The course was very well marked with glow-sticks, character actor volunteers, and props which made this race very entertaining. The course consisted of two 3.1 mile loops around the property through the surrounding hills. Dani and I had a wonderful time out there. We talked about everything from her experience in Boston, her reaction to being there at the finish line during the tragic events, her wonderful home life, and her aspirations for the future. Me? I listened, asked some questions and shared some my own personal stories. Running is something that should be shared with someone. It is something that instantly brings us together. I had just met Dani, but feel as if I made a friend! We stuck together through the terrain, and made our way back to the barn where we picked up our medals and a yummy sandwich.

Keira put on a wonderful event! It was just challenging enough, and 100% fun. The other participants were also very nice, welcoming, well mannered, and just fun! If you haven't run one of Keira's races here in the Los Angeles area...you are missing out! If you want in on some of this fun, challenging, and scenic action, you should register and join us for the Sean o'Brien 50 Miler, 50K (which will be my furthest distance), and marathon. Registration is open, and we would love to see you there!

Thanks Keira for a night of fun!