Big Sur Half Marathon

Kristin and I conquered the Big Sur Half Marathon!


Congratulations to the over 6,000 competitors who participated in this 13.1 mile run. It was awesome.


And there was no shortage of service all over the course.


First, there were crowds of people cheering us on the entire course. It was early in the morning, rain was in the forecast and the crowds were as determined as the runners to make this a great day. Marines stood at every street corner directing runners and cheering us on. I heard a young one, no older than 3 years, chant "go runners, go runners!" endlessly. There was an awesome man with very large hair on rollerblades with awesome homemade signs and an enthusiasm and humor that I know brought a smile to every single runner. 


Plenty of individuals running for a cause too! As always, there was a good representation of Team in Training runners, adding to the over 1.2 billion dollars raised for cancer research. The Monterey Bay Aquarium had a team of runners with Seafood Watch jerseys to bring awareness to help turn the tide on damaging fishing practices and more. The most visible group - Athletes for Adoption. This team raised money for God's Grace Adoption Ministry, a non-profit dedicated to ease the financial burden to help families overcome the financial burden of adopting children. They place orphaned children around the world in loving homes and families. In addition, part of our run was on a "Rails to Trails" pathway. Rails to Trails is a Washington D.C. based non-profit that strives to create a nationwide of trails from former rail lines and to help build healthier places for healthier people. 


And there was a woman who I trailed for the first 5 miles. Her shirt read, "In memory of Carmen."  Although I didn't know this woman, Carmen, or their story, both inspired me today.


Congratulations to all runners and a 365 shout out to all those who run with a purpose!