If you’ve ever thought about participating in an endurance event – this is the one to try!
We are so lucky to have this event right here in our backyard! The Carlsbad Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K typically takes place on the Sunday of the Martin Luther King holiday weekend. It has a reputation for being a beautiful course that is somewhat flat. It’s also very well-organized and we always look forward to the swag and medals from this event.
We love this event so much that we have made it an annual thing. Not only is it a fun event, but having a January event means we start training in October – just before Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas kick-off. Training during the holidays helps keep us from going too far off the rails. Those long training runs give us a lot of motivation to eat healthy and get to bed on time – even when all of the holiday parties come calling.
Sadly, this year, TK had a pickleball injury that kept him from running for several weeks. So, we were going to just sit this one out. But, at the last minute, I (Karen) decided to get out there and just do it.
I arrived at the starting line with very low expectations for myself. I had missed the last four weeks of long training runs – so I was just going to let myself run or walk based on how I was feeling. I had a great playlist, the weather was clear and crisp – it was going to be fun. And sure enough – it was!
The event takes off from the Carlsbad Shoppes and weaves its way along Jefferson toward the coast. I came out hot the first couple of miles. I was chugging along at a good clip. I told myself to slow down, but I seemed to be locked in at my pace so I decided to see how far it would take me. Turns out, that pace took me all the way through the event. It was my fastest half marathon finish!
If you’ve ever thought about signing up for a race, I can’t recommend this one enough. Whether you do the full, half or 5K…whether you walk, jog, or sprint to the finish line, it really is the perfect event. The course is pretty flat and incredibly scenic. They do a great job with the organization – from start to finish and all of the volunteers at the water stations along the way. I also love that this event starts a bit later and it’s such a short drive from Ocean Hills Country Club. All things that make the event just that much better!
