I ran the Manhattan Beach 10K last year, and I can’t find a recap for it—did I really not write one? If so, that’s a shame, because I love this race.
As I walked down to my car yesterday, I already felt such a sense of belonging. Having run this race two years in a row makes me feel like I have a tradition in my new home.
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I was treated to this beautiful sunrise upon getting out of my car, and I was lucky to only have a short walk to the start and bib pickup. (I was nervous about the parking situation but it was super smooth.) I allowed so much time for pickup, but it took literally 30 seconds.
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I met up with Carolyn and Gillian, and it made me so happy to feel like I’m part of the running community here already and that I have running buds.
Meggie met up a few minutes later, and we ended up running together the whole time. She’s a doctor and one of my smartest friends, so she’s just so interesting to talk to, so we chatted the entire time and the race flew by!
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The course is a little hilly—lots of rollers, but Manhattan Beach is pretty hilly, so, to be expected. I love the course, though. It mostly runs on Ardmore and Valley, a greenway maybe about a mile east of the beach.
I remember running the first half with my friend Jen last year and letting her go ahead of me once we reached the top of that incline on mile 3, and I was dying. This time, Meggie and I ran all the hills, and I was really proud of myself for that. We walked maybe two or three times, but not for longer than 15-30 seconds, and starting running never felt hard afterwards (which is not alway the case after starting to walk again!)
Although I go to the beach nearly daily now (!), it will never get old to me, and the race takes an AGGRESSIVE downhill turn at mile 5 to get down to the beach, and you run on the strand for the last mile-ish, with the pier in view. My therapist is bicoastal, and when she’s in town, we do our sessions on the pier, so it’s a special and healing place to me now.
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The strand is fun to run on because it’s on the beach, of course, but it’s fun to look at all the gorgeous houses there. Last year, I remember more people out cheering for us, but maybe Meggie and I were too deep in conversation for me to remember.
The Manhattan Beach 10K has such a great hometown feel, and yesterday was the 42nd running of it, so it’s a well-oiled machine now.
We finished in 1:04:17, which was only 10 seconds slower than I ran last year! (10:20 pace) Years ago, I would have considered that so slow for myself, but yesterday I was so happy for it. I felt really strong the entire time, and I haven’t felt strong running in a really long time, so I was so #endorphinwasted.
There was a little expo afterwards, and I got this really good Koia protein drink with almond milk. I’m not usually a protein drink person, but this hit the spot. It’s all plant protein, which I like because I’m allergic to whey. (Insert no whey joke here :))
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We found a teenage girl to take our photo after, and they are EXPERTS at taking good photos.
Afterwards, we all went for brunch at Superba Food & Bread in Manhattan Beach, and we just had a really good time geeking out about running and talking about the Alberto Salazar scandal and other running gossip.
Afterwards, Meggie and I went to get our nails done in that same little shopping center, and it just felt like such a great little morning with friends.
I had plans to meet up with a friend afterwards to take a walk, and I was BEAT. I’m so not a napper, but I went home and passed the eff out for a little bit, and it was glorious. My friend and I walked for probably about four miles, and it was also so much fun. This is only the second time we’ve hung out, but we have a ton in common, so it felt like I was hanging out with an old friend.
32,000 steps later, I was so, so beat and so happy to get home to my couch and ordering takeout tacos.
Yesterday was a perfect day that made me feel really part of a community in my new home after I’d been feeling a little lonely recently. Can I bottle up yesterday? I also ran four miles with another friend this morning, and I am just so happy right now. I’m sitting at my kitchen table writing this staring out at the ocean, the Santa Monica Pier and the mountains, and I feel very lucky right now.
I love this…how you made those hills your bitch and how happy you look. <3
This is sounds like a great day! I took a full year off racing, and I’m just starting to wonder if maybe I want to run regularly again. (I go to orange theory twice a week, so I am running, but its not quite the same).