2 of 12 in 2016 - DONE!!!…read more Who runs 2 1/2 marathons in 6 days... I DO!!! I earned my "Concrete" Mermaid Athlete status. My friends always call me a mermaid because I love the waters. I thought the Mermaid Series 1/2 Marathon and the pink mermaid medal was fitting for my wall of medals. I had originally signed up for the 10k 6 miles because 6 days prior to this race I just ran the Run Surf City 1/2 Marathon and in 3 weeks will be running the San Diego 1/2 Marathon. Never ran a race back to back but said there's a first for everything so less than 12hrs before start I had asked to switch to a 1/2 marathon (since my body fully recovered quickly) - why not!!! THE EXPO. There really wasn't one. Just a bib pick up at Sports Authority. THE COURSE. The race is on a Saturday morning. After a long week and having to wake up early in the M was a brutal awakening. No PRs just #sexypace. Started out cold and foggy. But appreciate the cold because by mile 5 the sun will be beaming. It was around mission beach park. Parking was hideous. Think about it, the start line and finish line are a mile away from each other and you can either park at the finish line and walk an extra mile back to your car OR you can park near the finish line and walk a mile before running 13.1 miles. There's no shuttle service!!! Choose wisely. The path ways were basically the park paths and side walks. Expect some crowding, especially when you catch up to pacer groups and they block the pathway and you can't get around them. The course is relatively flat with itty bitty unnoticeable inclines around mile 2-4. Mile 5-7 goes by quickly. Mile 8 was a clustered path and you are using mile 10s water station as mile 8s water station - not a good idea because you have to cross the course and get into the ways of mile 10 runners to get a cup of water. Mile 8-9 probably the hardest miles of this course. And the worst part, the hammer head gel espresso flavor on the tables were the nastiest gels I ever had. I had the squirts the rest of the day.... terrible!!! The rest of the way to the finish line you are running on a side walk and by then many locals are entering the park so your sharing a side walk with a lot of others runners and park visitors. And at the end they are having the kid dash on the same path as the finish so as you are running the last 100 yards there's kids and people dashing towards you (that was kind of weird and very disorganized). But overall I'm happy I ran the 1/2. San Diego people are so friendly... A lot of people smiled at me on the course, had conversation with me, etc. cracking up when homegirl and I ran past a volunteer that looked grumpy and didn't want to be there and she said "smile girl" and the volunteer still just stared at us. Hilarious! Anyhow this was a fun run with great people. THE AFTERMATH. Several tents set up for small snacks and drinks and a lot of merchandise on sale. They were serving green bananas. You know how important potassium is after running 13.1 miles and they serve GREEN BANANAS, yuck. But I received my medal and my mermaid necklace... I finished my 1/2 marathon and beat my time from 6 days ago by 5 minutes with no injury. Next race in 3 weeks :)

Really a fun theme and event. Great vendors but could have more! Very well organized from…read moreregistration to the finish line! Going to participate in another mermaid run soon!

2.5 stars, it is!…read more This review is long overdue since it happened on Sept 17th but wanted to be sure that I eventually got around to writing one. While i'm not an elite triathlete, I've done many events since I've started in 2009. This was the first time that I actually did this local event. My observations with this race: PROS: --If you live in San Diego, course is in our back yard. No need to ship your bike and carry all your tri gear. For those who have ever done this, you know this is a huge plus. --Calm swim in the bay = fast swim times. --This year, the medal was pretty nice as were the two shirts that they gave out in your goodie bag. One was a t-shirt and the other a technical shirt. Both i've used several times which is unusual for race shirts. --Flat run course --Coach Gurujan was the Head Referree for the event so you know USAT rules were strictly enforced. Love it! --Beer garden was great but they ran out of a lot of things early on. CONS: --Expo is really small which I pretty much expected. Pretty much just consisted of their store. --Staff during check in/expo seemed unorganized and were not very friendly. If you had questions regarding the race, they were not very helpful or accommodating. I spoke to an employee (Rachel???) and she was border line rude and was talking crap about other participants in my presence. Not too professional. --Swim start was a joke! They were using a bullhorn and having staff run around yelling for people to get to the swim start. Ever heard of sound system and speakers...just saying. Lots of people missed their waves because of this. --Course cut off times seemed pretty loose. I had a few friends in the last few waves with less than 40 minute swim only to get cut off on their second loop on the bike course. Much sooner than what was communicated to us in the race details. Pretty disappointing since this was their first triathlon. They aren't slow on the bike either. Needless to say, not first time triathlon friendly. This is a nice local event in San Diego that I'd love to support but I'm just not a fan this race and in my experience with Moment, I'm just not impressed with their staff. There are a lot of local races that I'd rather participate in; San Diego International, Carlsbad triathlon, Solana Beach, Mission bay, SheRox and many others that run a lot more smoothly. At least I gave this race a try...

The San Diego try classic is one of the top triathlons in San Diego. Centrally located near…read moredowntown San Diego makes for a picture perfect event. A beautiful course out laid through point Loma. A Stillwater start followed by a challenging bike ride through the submarine base climbing up to the lighthouse and back to liberty station on unexciting bobsled style downhill course. The race concludes with a run along the liberty station park. It's a great event well put together and USAT sanctioned.

Sea World Pole to Pole 5k Run Inaugural run was held in April of 2012. This is a great run for…read morethose who have never ran before, the course is throughout the Sea World parking lot and there is not much to see; however, after the run is over the staff pulls out some of the animals so that people can see them or pet them. This was the first run they have so it is not a very big one yet, but it has great potential to get better over time. It was well organized, there was plenty of time to get prepared before running. There were children as young as 7 years of age, and people in their golden years as well, that's how easy it is. I gave it 4 stars becasue it's behind a good cause, and because it showed that they tried very hard to put it together.

"Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). EOD technicians are responsible for disarming, rendering safe,…read moreand disposing of 100% of the chemical, biological, radiological, and explosive hazards encountered on today's battlefields. This includes improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Today, IEDs are responsible for the majority of fatalities and severe injuries to our troops. U.S. Military EOD forces around the world respond to more than 10,000 threats per year." - Taken from the website The EOD Wounded Warrior 5K was a fun run on Memorial Day. Patriotic feel. Great cause. Plenty of parking. Great for families. Tons of goodies afterwards, and military-ish equipment to see or even demo. There were three types of races: - 5K For the runners, and pets. - 1K For the kids. Parents may run by their side. It was cute seeing kids get all excited when they finish, and receive their medal. - For the staff/military personnel, body suit relay race I'd recommend staying to see the body suit relay race. It was quite interesting seeing all the gear they have to wear, and all the help they need putting it on. That thing looked heavy and hot. It gives you an idea what these EOD folks have to go through, and that still doesn't guarantee safety or even the ability to keep all your limbs. These people go through a lot, and we should be thankful for everything they do.

This was the first year they had this and I hope it comes back next year. It was a great turn out…read moreand the kids seemed to have fun on their run too. Bomb suit relay was great to watch and the EOD guys had all their cool toys out to let people see. Well put together and very fun!! Great Job guys. Hope to see it again next year!!

I love Marines, but when it comes to traffic for the public without notice or detour, it's not…read morefair. I take my son to school in Point Loma, and the traffic causes stress and delays to and from our destination. The government MCRD should work on traffic for the public.

Saturday, September 26, 2015 will be my 6th Boot Camp Challenge since my Boot Camp in 1977. Yes…read more.. just a FEW years ago! Amazingly, I found one other crazy person to run this challenge with me. Thanks Shawn for your 4 years in a row... and for the next 10 Challenges to come. It's an honor to be able to come back to this Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and run this same obstacle course as the past and future Marines! These Drill Instructors are INCREDIBLE; their dedication, their fitness, their determination to motivate others and oh yes... their ability to pick out that 1 boot out of 80 in a platoon, for making a minute mistake. It's been over 35 years since my boot camp and I still can remember my 4 Drill Instructor's names and faces. They still motivate me in my hiking endeavors. They molded me into the person who I became. http://www.bootcampchallenge.com/

My first time running the 10k and I loved it. The route was so beautiful. And only about 3 tiny…read morehills. This is the fourth year they're doing it and I wish they would start giving medals! The long sleeved tech shirts they gave were very nice though, they just ran a bit small. Make sure to sign up early to guarantee getting a shirt. After the race, the expo was small but so many samples. Don't forgot your hot buttered rum! I tried the non alcoholic version which was yummy. I volunteered for packet pick up Saturday, day before from 11-2pm at Roadrunner. They gave volunteers the red version of the race shirt, lovin it. Packet pick up seemed easy & very convenient that you can pick up for other people. I had fun meeting people with the same addiction: running, races, medals! Love that they offer 1k race and kids kandy kane race for the baby runners. Definitely want to take my nephew & niece. Can't beat a race starting at 10am! But it did get warmer than I thought it would. And parking was super easy & close. Loved everything about this race and can't wait for next year.

5 for FUN, but there were some kinks along the way…read more Packet pickup was avail at 2 locations on 2 different days. I opted to go during my lunch to RoadRunner. A tad disorganized - the person behind the table didn't know what to do when I presented with my number, no safety pins were offered and the people giving out the shirts used a verbal system in giving the shirts away vs. reviewing bibs. Nonetheless, since I went early, I was done within 10 mins. Pros: -Course was relatively flat (YAY.) -We actually got real medals. -Loved how everyone dressed up in 80s attire!!! -The band for the after-party was BAD ASS!!! Cons: -Traffic was horrible!!! If you're coming down on the 5, get off at Mission Bay Drive vs. Sea World Drive and park. Trust me, you'll be grateful... -When you leave, there is only 1 way out (if you parked north of Sea World Drive). -I was late to the start, so I got stuck with all the walkers and strollers. It was hard to bypass some groups since they took up the entire walkway. HELLOOOO!!! -Weather was very crisp and cool. When you round the bend on Fiesta, you get a lot of headwind, which also contributed to an even worse sore throat. -Line to take pics with the Dolorian was waaaay too long. The photographer took several shots per group, which resulted in a very long wait time. -There were mini cups of water and orange slices for post-race. That's it?! It was unfortunate that (1) I hadn't trained due to my surgery and (2) I woke up sick. This course is definitely PR-able, but it was mostly all about having fun. This is a great 5k for beginners or for those wanting a PR.

I took on the 10K for this run series. It was pleasant, easy, and hassle-free, but seemed more…read morelow-key than it should have been. To understand what I mean, the course was spectacular - it was flat and very scenic along the Mission Bay Drive stretch. Some people were also dressed up (as was encouraged) and mostly for Back to the Future since October, 21, 2015 ("the future") had just passed. Two guys were outfitted in a cardboard Delorean and were dressed as Marty McFly and the Doctor. They also had an actual Delorean on-site which everyone queued up for to take pictures. I can say it was quite wonderful to see the man in the short shorts, mustache, and aviators running past me. ;) But, other than that, I still feel like it was dead. I mean they did abruptly change the original day of the event 10 days prior and because of this, I believe many participants had cancelled along with vendors as there was definitely a general lack of enthusiasm and activity all around. The MC was OK - he attempted to liven up the crowd pre-race, but either everyone was out of spirits from waking up at the butt crack of dawn, or there was just a serious lack of numbers to illicit any type of response. Therefore the start of the race was very non-ceremonial - everyone lined up in a small cluster after which the MC said it was time for the 10K racers to begin. Yay. Finished the race in good time and was welcomed to the finish line by the MC again. Shortly after, they were already cleaning up! Very sad... They also lacked any real swag along with the registration fee, but I guess the finisher's medal more than made up for it! Probably the biggest and heaviest medal I own! Only wished that it distinguished between the 10K course finish versus the 5K. Regardless, I'll definitely register for next year's race again.

"It is often that a person's mouth broke his nose." - Irish Saying…read more This is yelp, and if I walk away with a broken nose, it was worth it. Lol. PROS + Easy trail + People were festive -- green tutus, leprechaun hats, kilts, ginger beards. + For those who care, there was a beer garden. I don't drink beer, however, being a "St. Patrick's Day run" it's pretty much expected. And sorry, I cannot tell you if the beer was green or not. + PIZZA at the end of your race. I was a fatass, and had 2. Or maybe 3. In my defense, they were just giving them away towards the end! lol. + Deodorant giveaway. Subtle way to tell us we stink. Lol. + MEDAL! It was not advertised, so I was a little worried. Us runners are vain like that, so luckily they did. Lol. CONS - 4 milers and 10K had different finishing areas - 4 mile finisher area looked cheap - 4 milers had minimal cheer support when compared to the 10Kers upon finish. - Volunteers took the time to don 10K runners with medals versus just handing them out to the 4 milers. - Why bother have a 2-4 miler if the 10K gets more attention anyways. 4 miles is just 2 less miles in a 10K. - Kathy Loper Events hosts the race, and does not mention anything about the St. Patrick's Day race on their webpage or facebook. Unfortunately, I think they focus more on their international ($$$) races. - Somewhere in internet space, there is a website, and facebook page dedicated to the race. It isn't easy to find, not very informative, and not necessarily easy to navigate through. Why do you have to make the world so difficult, Kathy Loper Events? Kathy Loper Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KathyLoperRunningEvents St. Patrick's Day 10K Run, 4 & 2 Mile Fun Run: https://www.facebook.com/StPat10K If you participated in this race, and participate in the St. Patrick's Day Half Marathon/5K in El Cajon (http://www.stpatricksdayhalf.com/) the next day, you will earn yourself an exclusive Leprechaun Challenge finisher's medal. Kathy Loper Events and the folks behind the Half Marathon/5K must be real secretive because I could not find a photo of the Leprechaun Challenge finisher's medal on their websites or facebooks. I guess they are not into promoting their blings. St. Patrick's Day Half Marathon: https://www.facebook.com/StPatricksDayHalf

Our running group was sponsored to participate in this run to support Children's Hospital. 5 stars…read morefor the kids!!! Race packet pickup was slow. I'm thankful for the volunteers, but move it along people! There was so much bottleneck that it just created havoc. Race morning, it rained. I was unsure if I wanted to run a 10k in the rain, but did it anyways. Parking was a little crazy, but plentiful if you don't mind the walk. There were no corrals, so basically you line up according to what you think your pace is. Luckily, I was near the front, but still got stuck behind some walkers and slower runners. After a couple of miles, it was wide open. The route included Fiesta Island, and because it was raining, wasn't very pretty. There was a slight incline and when you run around the bend, you get the rain and wind against you. Definitely reflected in your time. The poor volunteers were out at the mile markers calling out times. There were a couple of water stations, which I bypassed. What bothered me a bit was the fact that some onlookers/patrons were a little miffed that the racers were on the sidewalk heading back to the finish. Whatever... At the finish, there were booths for pizza, drinks, samples, etc... Beer garden was packed, but popular. The booths were too claustrophobic. All the lines were running into one another. You receive a tiny medal. A surprise to me since it wasn't advertised. It was my first 10K and I did it for the kids. YAY! ======================================================== STATS: Gun: 55:30 Chip: 55:03 Division: 51/221

Yearly family event that supports such a great causes and the Rady Children's Hospital! Make sure…read moreto join next year- walk through the park, hang out with some Sea World characters and animals, enjoy the vendors and so much more!