Just when we were in the swing of having them back, they're gone again. With the upcoming…read moreconstruction, it was announced there were not going to be anymore races for the foreseeable future here on the West Coast. This was the last race on Feb1 as the 5k and 10k took place the prior days. From what I gather from others, this can take many years to come back. I believe this was a new half marathon course at least new to me since the Star Wars Half days. This course was very refreshing, the stretch of it on Anaheim Blvd, running past the Packing District and the Ducks ice rink. The good thing about the "out and back" parts is seeing if you can spot the "balloon ladies" if it's a concern or maybe friends who run at a different pace or checking out their fits. I appreciated the DJ's and bands out there. They brought the energy! Everything was just so cute with the "It's a Small World Theme" but maybe I'm biased because I happen to love the color purple as in the bib, medal, and long sleeve tech t-shirt. It delighted me to see several runners dressed in this theme because I'm not creative enough to assemble my own costumes. PhotoPass photo opportunities were inside the park and some at the reunion area. These digital photos are included in registration and show up in the app same day. I must say the finish line replica photo op in the reunion area was a time consumer in the hot sun. Powerade was the electrolytes on course. I was wondering how they were able to get the taste and concentration consistent to realize they were being poured from the plastic bottles. Not too much to sample or any freebies at the expo if you compare that with other major race expos. The post-run snacks are not much nor memorable unless you count that nacho-like cheese from the box. IYKYK Yes, you pay a pretty penny just to participate but only you put a value on this experience. I would say if you're a Disney fan and have the means, to just do it one time for the experience but that dream has run out luck on this coast for now.

I did it :D my first half marathon, and I couldn't have picked a more magical way to do it than…read moreRunDisney's Halloween weekend at Disneyland Most of my training happened on the treadmill, which honestly taught me a lot about consistency and mental endurance. I followed the official RunDisney training program from their website and trusted the process--even when life was busy and motivation was low. Race morning was early (very early), but the energy, costumes, music, and Disney magic made every mile worth it. Running through Disneyland in the dark, then heading outside the parks with rolling hills, the heat that I did not prepare for was challenging--but unforgettable. These are the things that really helped me: 1. Enlist a buddy to do it with you. I somehow managed to persuade my oldest son to come with his mama. My son who is in his prime, who at the time just came back from officer training school (boot camp). He was jumping, singing, running circles around me during the race, yelling out motivational pep talks. It was kinda annoying and motivating at the same time. 2. Use the free pacers There are multiple pacing groups, and sticking with one helps you stay calm, consistent, and confident. It really helped to see a whole group pushing through. Being next them reminded me about Dory..."Just keep swimming... Just keep running!" 3. Arrive early + move up in your corral We arrived around 4:15 AM, which gave us time to settle in and get closer to the front of the corral--huge stress reducer. 4. Stay close to the start line if possible We stayed at a hotel near the start, walked over, and later met my hubby near the mall. Less logistics = less stress. 5. Go to the Expo on Day 1 Exclusive merch sells out fast (RIP glow-in-the-dark shoes). The expo is free, fun, and has lots of freebies. Pro tip: go again on the last day for sales. 6. Practice in your costume This is non-negotiable. What feels cute for 10 minutes may not feel cute at mile 9. I practiced in my Ursula costume a handful of times. I saw people ditching parts of their costumes. 7. Hydration is covered Water and electrolytes are provided on course. I didn't need to carry water, but some people prefer to--do what works for you. 8, Know the course You start inside Disneyland, then head outside the parks where the hills show up. Save your energy for those miles. 9. Pictures Make sure your number is visible. Photos come free with it. There a a good number of photo opp in the parks. Unfortunately we couldn't stop since we were the last coral. So we did "passing" video shots. You should practice doing this. 10. Volunteers The volunteers outside of Disney were awesome! Seeing the signs, hearing the encouragement, and grabbing the sweets helped a ton. Soak it in and it will keep you motivated I discovered that I hate running long distance. At the same time I also realized I like doing it at Disney and after the race I told my son lets do the Dopey Challenge next. Where you run the 5k, 10 k and half marathon all in the same weekend. Of course my sweet son replied, "sure thing mom as long as your paying." This race reminded me that you don't have to be perfect--you just have to..... "just keep running, just keep running, running....running". If you're thinking about doing a RunDisney race, especially your first half marathon, do it. Train smart, trust the plan, and soak in every magical mile.

I know there is a Yelp for the Amazing Race Los Angeles...but need Amazing Santa Monica Race…read moredeserves it's on little piece of History... How do you describe spending your hard earned money on something that will drive you insane? yelling at others? pissing you off? making you run all around town? talking to strangers...? having people asking you what you are doing.....having a MIME Touch you as your running around in Venice Beach and you !@??#$!# at him...not knowing who he is...or your teamate telling one of the people giving you clues listen here we are really busy right now looking for a clue we can't help you! That was all part of the Amazing Santa Monica Race...that took just about a grueling 5 hours to compete....during the process you don't know what to expect... Bob was a great host, comedian, commentator, etc.... The only downside is the Santa Monica version is pretty new so we didn't have a ton of groups competing...positive side our team wins a medal cuz not enough groups are competing!! Okay 2nd isn't 1st...so I'm still upset! Try it...it's tons of fun!

Santa Monica Amazing Race was THE most fun activity I have done in the greater Los Angeles area in…read moreover the 2 years that I have been a resident. It is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, see the local scenery, and get a light exercise in (depending on how competitive you are). By far worth every penny for the 3-4 hours of sheer entertainment, puzzle solving, and team bonding. The host, Larry, was a true delight making the experience all the more fun and memorable. A MUST DO activity for anyone in the area or visiting! I'll definitely be signing up for the LA race soon.

Spent way too long trying different options to get the cyber Monday deal to work. Frustrating…read more Emailed them 3 days ago about and no response. God forbid you buy and have issues. No cs.

I was a DIRTY DIRTY girl today! I also learned what a Dirty Sanchez is (thanks to the large team…read morename in front of our group), then I proceeded to strip down to my birthday suit in the parking lot and get my ass rinsed out - so all in all today was quite an interesting day to say the least. Spring Break at the Lake was crazy! My first and I think I went about it as well as a virgin mud runner could, being the prissy beeotch that I am on occasion - I was a bit scared to totally trash my legs crawling on my knees over the rocks so I did my best to not come out bruised and bleeding - I wore shorts and the scrapes are very minimal but I can see how you can really get severely wrecked on the course and obstacles if you are going balls to the wall out there. I wore a bikini under my shorts and tank and my vibrams which proved to be a pretty solid choice. The mud pits were insane fun but nerve wrecking to me at the same time - having never experienced a mud run I am SO lucky Rich J. was there to hold my hand through almost every single pit - with drop offs in the pits, I was terrified each time we were in one (I guess I didn't want to encounter any injury that would prevent me from my real running and workouts) but at the same time it was an unforgettable fun experience. The polar plunge was crazy freezing - this way out did any ice bath I've ever taken in life - holy shit!!!!! I can't wait to see the pictures as there was no way in hell I was able to get any - I'm pretty sure the Go Pro cams hold up well out here but we didn't have ours with us today and everything else was checked in with bag check (which was well organized) - thank god! We had been there since 9A since the group packets I had paid to be mailed to us never arrived and we had to deal with same day pick up. Timed Teams in the 10A wave seemed to take forever to start - we were 10-30 which didn't start until after 11A. I'm not sure if the goal was to start in waves each minute of the hour but it didn't go off that smoothly and everyone was pushed back a bunch. The finisher medals are pretty sweet! Parking was $10 cash Customer service ended up proving to be completely useless and downright rude in the end when I reached out to them Tuesday before the race to ask why we had never received the shipment I paid to be mailed to our group. Not cool! I wouldn't necessarily recommend this exact mud run due to some of the organizational issues but I'm pretty certain I'd be up for another mud run in the future.

The San Diego Half Marathon is an annual event held in Downtown San Diego that has a starting point…read moreon Harbor Drive and ending the In the historic Gaslamp quarter. I signed up for the race online, which was fairly easy to complete, and they had an expo at the Hilton hotel 2 days before the race to pick up your BIB. At the expo, they had many vendors selling items as well as free energy drinks. They also handed out the free shirt you got for entering the race, which was really nice, and the quality was great! On race day, which was on a Sunday, the run for the Half Marathon started at 650 am. From all the emails I was receiving, we were told to show up at least 40 minutes or even 1 hour prior to the race due to all the runners being in the location, giving you enough time to find the wave your in. The Half Marathon or 13.1 miles course had a beautiful layout that started by the convention center, bringing you up through the Embarcadero to Harbor Island and through Point Loma. The course was a nice flat course until mile 9, where you are running up Washington Hill, gaining elevation into Hillcrest and throughout Balboa Park finishing in the Gaslamp. When we finished the race, we were giving our medals or bling and were handed a goodie bag with a Monster, crackers, and a protein bar. They were even handing out chocolate milk, water, and bananas. They had photographers on-site taking pictures and a small after party in the park aside from the finish line. This was absolutely my favorite race I have run, and I had a blast doing it. The course was perfect and well organized. They had volunteers handing out water and Gatorade approximately every 2 miles. They had porter pottys all throughout the course, and the crowd was very motivating. I'm looking forward to come-back and doing the exact race next year as well since I had an amazing experience. Thank you to all the volunteers and the organizers who made this race possible.

Sadly, along with other events of this magnitude, this event was canceled and made into a virtual…read morerace (to be ran on your own). I was really looking forward to running this particular half marathon for the first time. There was no expo with vendors, just a pickup at the Gaslamp Hilton. What was really special is the volunteers/organizers did a cheer as we were handed our medal so a big thank you to them! Besides the medal, what was picked up was the bib, shirt, and tote bag which included the Friar hat, snacks, and chocolate milk. The tech shirt was pretty unique. In my collection, it's the first to be patterned in camo style. I'm signed up for the challenge which consists of completing the Mammoth Half Marathon in June, thus receiving an extra medal. Crossing my fingers that event is allowed to take place. I crave the crisp mountain fresh air.

Got this run through zozi ..thanks for the active life and cheaper runs…read more No fee for parking. Score!!! Pretty easy packet pickup. Look up your number sign and go. Was able to exchange my tech shirt for a smaller size. The 'packet' pickup was a breeze. So cool!!!! :) Can't wait for tonight. 3.1 miles of glowing madness, a huge screen, and edc like type of music? Sign me up again! The only thing is that - if you're a walker - can we stay in a single file so people can pass through? There were places where it was easy to pass and not have to say excuse me, then there were the trail parts where walkers were blocking people. AND there should be a wave for runners, joggers, woggers (walk/jog) and walkers. There were people who were just walkers, which is fine. :) Just be courteous of those behind ya that want to jog :)

What a fun way to gather a group of friends and RUN for 3.1 miles!! The Firefly Run is truly unique…read morein the sense that it's occurs at night, there's fun & motivating electronic music playing all night, and runners are dressed like fireflies! No really....there are runners that are dressed in wings, glow-in-the-dark necklaces, bracelets, wigs, neon this and neon that. It's a party run!!! Hosted at the Home Depot Center in the city of Carson, for my first 5K, this was very exciting! The entire event was extremely organized. From the parking attendants, to finding your name, filling out waivers, getting your bib number, free t-shirt, and all other materials that you may have bought. There were plenty of visible volunteers that were more than eager to help you out in case you were blinded by all the neon lights and giant LED screen....Anyways....Pre-Registration occurred online but if you wanted to register that night, there was an area designated for that. The course starts in the parking lot and guides you all around the Home Depot Center. The highlight of it all was being able to run through the stadium where the LA Galaxy play. The light shines down on the field and kind of created this magical ambience. Many runners stopped to take Instagram selfies. After all the runners cross the finish line, the fun doesn't stop there. There's a costume contest that's actually pretty cool because you get to see all the creative and kooky things that people come up with. Prize was a Go Pro!!! What am I going to dress up as next Firefly Run?????? The ONLY thing that sucked was the food vendors ripping you off after the run. TEN DOLLARS for 3 tacos and a soda??? TEN DOLLARS for a small tray of carne asada fries??? I'd rather load up on 10 bananas that they pass out for free after you cross the finish line!!! Other than that, I had the most fun running with my Team Scrambled Legs. I got the best of everything...a good run, good music, good company. A great way to spend a Friday night. When's the next 5K? Sign me up!!!!

If you've run Huntington Beach at all, you know the drill, I'm sure: you'll be running along the…read morebeach's pedestrian/bike path, so you'll be sharing the road. And that's cool. I mean, part of the fun in running at the beach is the social aspect: there are a lot of strollers, walkers, surfers, joggers, other runners, beachcombers, kids, and bicyclists. Everyone's outside enjoying the sunshine, making for a great day at the beach. Running the Tiki Beach 5k or 10k, the ocean breeze in your hair, is great fun and a perfect opportunity to get some exercise. There are grass skirts that you can add-on to your registration fee for $5 (or you can bring one of your own.) There are Tiki Beach shirts included in your registration, and a great-looking tiki medal is awarded to all finishers! Get off your couch! =]

I've run almost the same route for another race, but I would say Caren Ware Events blew that other…read moreone out of the water! Super organized & filled with lots of activity, vendors, energizing warm up, & an awesome banana pancake breakfast! Part of the reason I started running is because of the running community and organizations that put together these fun events that benefit such great causes. Free parking off of Warner & PCH if you arrive before 6:30 AM (beach parking) or right at 7am in the lot right behind Jack in the Box. Will definitely run another CWE race in the future!

Rocking it at Irvine Regional Park continues Rock It Racing's awesome trail racing challenge: The…read moreRock It Fall/Winter Series! Concentrating my efforts more on upon the trail this year and less upon the asphalt, I lace up--even if it means shortening my distances, even if it means muddying up a pair of Brooks, and even if it means trudging through uneven stretches of trees and bush with sometimes no other runners in sight. However, that's the beauty: getting away from the city streets and getting back to nature. Rock It Racing offers four very cool trail runs: Caspers 5k/12K, Whiting Ranch 5K/12K, Irvine Regional Park 15K/5-Miler, and El Moro Canyon 6K/10-Miler. Running at least 3 of the 4, qualifies you for the special Rocky Series Award, plus a stylish ​Rock It Racing trucker hat! I'm down! (While I've finished the Series and already snagged my very cool Rocky Series Award and trucker cap, I'll be sure to complete all four runs anyway, ending at El Moro Canyon next month.) Mostly flat, without the inclines you'd come upon at Caspers and Wilding, Irvine Park was my third Rock It race (I ran the 5-mile) and it was a blast! Like the other races, there were times when the trail narrows to single lanes, but that's part of the intrigue, part of the beauty. Navigating through groves of heritage Oak and Sycamore trees, you'll find the course a little challenging at times; however, the variety of landscape--Irvine Regional truly is beautiful!--serves, if anything else, as an enhancement to your run. I love it here.