2009 American River Parkway Half Marathon
2009 American River Parkway Half Marathon, May 2nd
Sacramento, CA
What else are you going to do on a rainy, drizzly Saturday morning? You might as well get those running shoes on, grab a running pal, and find a nice race course that has a scenic view, after race sandwiches, cookies and ice cream, and a cool medal. This was the third annual running of Sacramento's American River Parkway Half Marathon & Walk, which drew nearly 2,500 runners, walkers and wheelchairs for a 13.1-mile stint along the river. The American River is very pretty this time of year, which cuts through the eastern and southern portions of the city. The first part of the course was a downward slope along the American River Parkway, a 30-mile-long park that winds along the river. From the starting line at William Pond Park off of Arden Way, runners proceeded in a southwesterly direction on the trails along the river, following the bend in the river along tree-shaded trails toward the Campus Commons Golf Course, and then headed back (slightly uphill) toward the finish line along the course they've just run along the lower trail.
The course took us along the 4,000 acres that wind along river, the same river where gold was discovered in California in 1848. The park is enjoying something of a rebirth as it is increasingly being protected for wildlife and recreational amenities. My running pal Steve and I left around 5:00 in the morning for Sacramento. We arrived, pick up our number, waiting in line at the porta, and we were off, like a flying heard of water buffalos. It was a cool drizzly day, but perfect for running the 13-mile course. My calves were a little sore the first two miles, but after I got going, I eased into a running routine. Steve was faster than I was so I was just enjoyed the view as I went mile to mile. The last two miles sapped my energy, and I completed the event just in the nick of time. It was sandwich time and my energy was gone. I ran to the strawberries and the cookies. I had enough energy for that. I got a 2:07, which is great for not training. We concluded the race activities and we were home before dinner. A very successful race indeed!
Some thoughts of the day:
Race Director: This event is an eco friendly race and we want to make sure that you take into consideration of the environment.
Me: Isn’t running the most eco friendly thing that you can do? I did like the corn-made water bottles that supposedly decompose in a month. Don’t keep these in your shelf. I was going to get a picture of the corn-man, but the camera was hidden somewhere.
Runner: How did your training go for this race?
Me: I am training for the race as we speak. Ok, I didn’t put in a lot of miles prior to this race, so I am training during the race.
Commentator: Did everyone behave out there?
Me: Sure, run by me really fast, we finish at the same spot don’t we? Ok everyone was very conservative and was having a good time. I didn’t see anyone barging or being inconsiderate. Everyone had a good time splashing in the puddles and in the rain.
Commentator: What did you like about the race?
Me: I liked the little bands, drums, bagpipes, the classical music people, and bell ringers. I always like the bell ringers.
Me: I also liked the little Golden Gate Bridge and watching the river as I ran by. The race people did a good job in my opinion.
Should I do the Four Bridges Half? What next?
Sacramento, CA
What else are you going to do on a rainy, drizzly Saturday morning? You might as well get those running shoes on, grab a running pal, and find a nice race course that has a scenic view, after race sandwiches, cookies and ice cream, and a cool medal. This was the third annual running of Sacramento's American River Parkway Half Marathon & Walk, which drew nearly 2,500 runners, walkers and wheelchairs for a 13.1-mile stint along the river. The American River is very pretty this time of year, which cuts through the eastern and southern portions of the city. The first part of the course was a downward slope along the American River Parkway, a 30-mile-long park that winds along the river. From the starting line at William Pond Park off of Arden Way, runners proceeded in a southwesterly direction on the trails along the river, following the bend in the river along tree-shaded trails toward the Campus Commons Golf Course, and then headed back (slightly uphill) toward the finish line along the course they've just run along the lower trail.
The course took us along the 4,000 acres that wind along river, the same river where gold was discovered in California in 1848. The park is enjoying something of a rebirth as it is increasingly being protected for wildlife and recreational amenities. My running pal Steve and I left around 5:00 in the morning for Sacramento. We arrived, pick up our number, waiting in line at the porta, and we were off, like a flying heard of water buffalos. It was a cool drizzly day, but perfect for running the 13-mile course. My calves were a little sore the first two miles, but after I got going, I eased into a running routine. Steve was faster than I was so I was just enjoyed the view as I went mile to mile. The last two miles sapped my energy, and I completed the event just in the nick of time. It was sandwich time and my energy was gone. I ran to the strawberries and the cookies. I had enough energy for that. I got a 2:07, which is great for not training. We concluded the race activities and we were home before dinner. A very successful race indeed!
Some thoughts of the day:
Race Director: This event is an eco friendly race and we want to make sure that you take into consideration of the environment.
Me: Isn’t running the most eco friendly thing that you can do? I did like the corn-made water bottles that supposedly decompose in a month. Don’t keep these in your shelf. I was going to get a picture of the corn-man, but the camera was hidden somewhere.
Runner: How did your training go for this race?
Me: I am training for the race as we speak. Ok, I didn’t put in a lot of miles prior to this race, so I am training during the race.
Commentator: Did everyone behave out there?
Me: Sure, run by me really fast, we finish at the same spot don’t we? Ok everyone was very conservative and was having a good time. I didn’t see anyone barging or being inconsiderate. Everyone had a good time splashing in the puddles and in the rain.
Commentator: What did you like about the race?
Me: I liked the little bands, drums, bagpipes, the classical music people, and bell ringers. I always like the bell ringers.
Me: I also liked the little Golden Gate Bridge and watching the river as I ran by. The race people did a good job in my opinion.
Should I do the Four Bridges Half? What next?
Labels: running
Posted by Sean
10:02 AM
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