Commentary by Rick Rodriguez
The Malibu Half-Marathon proved one thing to me about where I stand with my running! I still love it but I need to love it more to run 13.1 miles. As I prepare to leave my 48th year, there are sparks of spring in my step but gone are the days when I could run out the door and not stop for awhile.
Entering Fall, the weather cools and it's right about the time my running picks up! This year I entered the Malibu Half-Marathon down in Southern California. It was a great opportunity for me to see the Pacific Coast and perhaps check some of the trails at Point Muga State Park, the latter something I've had on my list for some time!
The Malibu Half-Marathon is described by the Organizer's as " Here's where the beauty really begins! You will be running on the beautiful cliffs lining the undeveloped coastline. Take in the beauty of the land and sea until mile 19 where you come to civilization and the restaurant Neptune's Net, across from the famous surf of County Line. Here you will come to the first of the small rollers which will challenge you to the end.
The final six miles roll along the coast past the north Malibu mansions, with owners like Brad Pitt and many other Hollywood stars. The final mile brings you across the bluffs where you pass the Malibu sign and drop downhill past the Trancas market, and Starbucks. A few hundred more yards to the entrance at Zuma Beach and, congratulations, you've just finished the race to Malibu! Get some food and refreshments and cool your legs in the surf at the beautiful beach in the sun. Look around, you've just run to Paradise."
I also had the opportunity to visit several friends I have in the area playing golf at Moorpark Golf Course with Dan, and later taking in the Ronald Reagan Library and the The Getty Museum. It was a mini vacation with the Malibu Half-Marathon as the centerpiece and sole purpose of the trip. Needless to say, while I enjoyed visiting the aforementioned sites, the Reagan Library in particular, I could not shun the thoughts of pulling off this 13.1 with as little training as I did in between this run and the San Francisco Half Marathon in July!
With a pre-race meal at Dukes of Malibu and a good night's rest at my friend, Mark & Ronna's house in Calabasas, I felt ready for what was to come. On race day, I woke early (5am) and headed off up the 101 twenty miles or so to Zuma Beach. From there a 20 minute bus ride took us to the start line where several thousand runners congregated on a beach, and after about 30 minutes we were off running back toward Zuma Beach.
I handled the 1st five miles fairly normally while my running legs grew comfortable. The weather was nearly perfect with only a skotch of humidity that caused me to discard one of my layered shirts early in the race. At Mile 8 and 9, I began to labor (not unexpected) and the rolling hills began taking their toll. I struggled a fair bit and after debating whether I should run shirtless the rest of the way, I tossed my last shirt.
Sans shirt I headed home to the finish line. The cool breeze seem to lift my spirit enough to carry me past a few struggling runners but one woman kept pace with me and I trailed her home. The crowds at Zuma Beach gave me the familiar adrenaline rush as I dashed in. It was a very cool run!
And, it was a great Southern California Experience, made all the better by experiencing some new things and sharing them with friends. Experiencing The Getty again, an amazing museum with remarkable art; the incomparable Ronald Reagan Library and finally running the Pacific Coast 13.1 miles north of Zuma Beach in the Malibu Half-Marathon.
The Malibu Half-Marathon is a uniquely organized event that is well run (pun intended) and the surrounding confines, especially its finish at Zuma Beach make it a can't miss for runners! Perhaps, in 2012 and my 49th year, I can come back to loving running more and taking on Malibu one more time!
