Sunday Runday: Jingle Bell Run

This year's Jingle Bell Run was our wettest!

It didn't start out that way.  It had been raining for days, but the morning of the run was dry.

They kept delaying the start, waiting for those who had waited on the weather to decide whether to register.  I started getting nervous because the longer we waited, the more likely it was to rain.

The usual suspects were there.  I love coming back year and year and seeing others do the same!

And of course, moments before they started the race, the skies opened up.  It wasn't pouring, but it was the consistent drip which makes you feel wet, cold and fairly miserable.  And a lot of the course was through some pretty muddy trails.  Thatkid and I decided to do a lot more walking that usual just to be safe and not slip.

The cold wet weather meant we had some really beautiful fall foliage to look at though.

When Thatkid and I finished the race, we went in search of some towels to dry ourselves off - and dry off poor, wet, Thatdog who was even wetter and more miserable than we were.

Thatboy and Thatbaby cut off part of the course because of the rain, so we didn't have to wait too long before they joined us.

And as soon as they did finish, we headed right over to the warm and dry car, and back to our warm and dry house!

Last race of 2019 in the books!

Sunday Runday: Running Universal Jurassic World 5k

When Thatkid and I ran the Running Universal Minions 5k he spent almost the entire time complaining.  Until we crossed the finish line and grabbed his snacks.  "We're signing up for the Jurassic World one, right?" he asked.   That's how you know the kid is truly a runner.

I didn't put up much of a fight.  The Inaugural Running Universal race was so well run, you'd never guess they hadn't been doing it for years.   And it had all the fun I missed when Disney stopped their RunDisney program at Disneyland.

We headed up the night before, sitting in hours of traffic, to pick up our packets.

And of course we stopped by Voodoo Donuts to check out their display themed to match the race.

We were at the start of the race before dawn again.

They still don't seed by time, so we were in the 5th wave, waiting to start.  But they kept us more than entertained while we waited.  And everyone is in such a good mood.  You gotta love that about the pre-race atmosphere.

Eventually it was our turn to start.  There are confetti cannons for each wave!  Which makes every wave feel special.

We headed off down the entry way, which is when I noticed the park was all dressed up for the holidays.

Although Hogsmead is always winter-ready.

There was a new course this time.  Which I was really curious about, because the course for Minions was rough.  This course kept us flat or downhill for the first 2 miles, which was much easier for Thatkid.

It also took us into the lower lot, which was under construction last time for the new Jurassic World ride.

We got in line to take pictures with the dinosaurs, but there was some sort of malfunction, so after waiting for a bit, Thatkid got nervous about finishing within the time limits and we headed back out to the course.

We ran through parts of the backlot tour that we hadn't seen last time.

And we got our dinosaur pictures.

The last mile had us back in familiar waters...

As we headed back up hill for the rest of the course, it was probably fitting that this is the most ominous parts of the backlot - Jaws, Psycho, War of the Worlds....

It's much easier to stay motivated as the last mile ticks by, and since we had already run this part of the course, we knew there wasn't much ahead of us.  Pretty soon we were in City Walk and heading toward the finish line.

It was a great race and I like the new course. So did Thatkid.  He's ready to sign up for their next race, and this time Thatbaby wants to get in on the action with the kids' race!

Sunday Runday: Lululemon 10k

A couple of months before I headed to Vancouver to run Lululemon's SeaWheeze Half Marathon, Lululemon announced their very first United States race.  A 10k that just happened to be in San Diego.  I mean, I had to sign up, right?

Lululemon knows how to run their races, so I wasn't too concerned about this being an inaugural run.  Plus, I'd run the course (in the other direction) before with friends.  And this was going to be another run with friends, because just about every person a knew had also signed up.

The race started on Shelter Island, where parking is at a premium, so they shuttled us over to the start.  Which isn't novel for races, but if you've ever been shuttled before you'll know that usually means you're in for a VERY early arrival time.  And this was no different.  We shivered in the dark and cold until eventually the sun came up and it was time to start.

The race course was great.  One of the reasons my friends and I enjoy this route is that a lot of it is very scenic, running beside the San Diego Bay.  It's also predominately flat, and the hills that exist are some of the most mild in San Diego races. 

Like in Vancouver, Lululemon had a spin class there to cheer us on along the route...I think.  It was a little hard to tell because we must have run past it between classes?  People were mostly milling about, not actually on bikes.

There were also spirit stations throughout the course with drag queens, hula hoopers, and sharks!

We had a lot of fun running the race - which is one of the best reasons to run with friends.  And when we finished, we were given a medal and a donut!

The post-race festivities included a pop-up shop with a line that wrapped around the entire event, along with several other vendors.  Our race bags for SeaWheeze included a pair of running shorts, and this race gave us a tank top, so this year I've managed to score an entire running outfit, just from participating in Lululemon races!

As anticipated the 10k was really well planned and went so smoothly.  None of the kinks or snags that many first-time races have.  I hope they continue to come back to San Diego!

Sunday Runday: Grape Day 5k

This year the Grape Day 5k fell on the same day as the Fit Foodie 5k.  Oh no!  Both of these races are favorites of Thatkid and I and we usually enjoy running them together. 

I let him pick which one he would prefer to run and he chose the Grape Day 5k.   This community race is one of my favorites precisely because it is so community oriented.  Cheerleaders from neighborhood high schools cheer on the course, residents come out and man self-made water stations, or just cheer from their front yard.  It's got a real small town feel to it.

This year the course changed slightly, starting and finishing at the community park.  Thatboy loved this, because it meant they were closer to a coffee shop for Thatbaby and him to grab breakfast, but also because Thatbaby could play on the playground while they waited for us to finish.

Leftover from SeaWheeze, my Nike+ App was still in kilometers. This seemed to be really great for Thatkid who appreciated hearing an update every few minutes as to how he was doing, instead of waiting for the mile markers.

The new course still had some killer hills.   That kid and I decided that we'd run the flat portions of the course, jog down the hills, but walk up the hills. 

In addition to the water stations, the volunteers had set up spray blaster stations at the top of hills - with either water or colored chalk.

The new course seemed easier than the old one, and before long I was texting Thatboy that we were almost at the finish.

Of course, as soon as he saw the finish line, Thatkid took off like a rocket, and Thatboy JUST missed him finishing!

Thatkid and I do a lot of races together, and the Grape Day 5k is always the beginning of nonstop racing for the two of us for the end of the year.  We love it so much.