Surf City Pre-Race Report

Well, we made it to Huntington Beach.  My husband and I left our quiet, kid-free house later than we had planned.  After getting lost a couple times and dealing with Orange County rainy-day traffic, it seemed like we may have hit the Expo at its peak hours.  It was crowded.  Very, very crowded. Thankfully, the race seems to be well-organized and I was able to pick up my race bib, race bag, and long-sleeve shirt very quickly.

The race bags didn't have any goodies in them... but that's OK because the race bag is a "goodie" in and of itself.  Very cool race bag!

 

I wish I had taken a picture of the race bag... but hopefully you get the idea from this picture.  That's me holding my race number.  

We didn't spend much time at the Expo because of the crowds.  I can usually tolerate crowds pretty well, but this was too much, even for me!  My husband hates crowds of any size so I think he was very happy to get out of there.  I have to give him credit, though... he didn't complain once about the crowds or about the time I took to look at stuff. 

Even though the Expo was in a tented area, it was decorated very well!  There were surfboard-signs everywhere.  These signs, like the one behind me in the picture, pointed out where to go.  There were plants set up, and lots of trash/recycling bins. 

After we checked into our hotel, we went to dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe.  Fun place & yummy food!  Then we went to Sports Authority to find a new running cap.  I lost my favorite running cap and was hoping to find a replacement at the Expo.  If they had my hat at the Expo, I didn't see it.  I was successful at Sports Authority, though, so that made me very happy!

Now, I'm in our hotel room,  using a high-jacked internet service and waiting for my dinner to digest a little more before I try on my race outfit.  I know what shirt I want to wear but I haven't decided yet if I'm going to wear my running skirt or shorts.  Right now my stomach feels so bloated from food, water, and hormones  that I know I'll look fat in either option.  Blech!

My next blog post will be my race report!  I'm not expecting to report some fabulously fast time.  I'm just looking forward to reporting that I finished it.  I figure if I can run/walk/limp 26.2 miles, I can run/walk/limp 13.1.   

No matter what, I plan on having a FUN time!  I've been looking forward to this race for months.  I can't believe tomorrow is the day!!

I'll let you know how it goes!