Surf City 26.2, Huntington Beach, Super Bowl Sunday 2013

Training has begun!!
We usually take one southern CA trip a year, for the past 14 years (minus the year we lived in GA).
Well, it's been 2 years.  That is just too long for us.

So, for our 16th wedding anniversary, I asked Brian if he was interested in running Surf City this year.  He's done the half before, but never the full.  My thought process was that he'd get the joy of training for and running a full in one of his favorite places, and I...well, I'd get a trip to Southern California!

Another huge benefit to one of us training for a full is that it means we will be spending a lot of miles together as a family out on the trail. The kids have really missed our weekend long runs when they get to ride there bikes out on the trail.

This training go round we are doing things a little differently.  Since we have crossed over to trail running since having run/trained for our last 26.2, we will for sure incorporate that into Brian's training.  Yes, he needs to log some long miles on the paved stuff so his body will be ready for the pounding, but we also need to get him to the starting line in one piece, so trails will also play a key role.  He also doesn't want to lose his hill climbing legs.  We are fortunate to live in an area where he can hit the hills for as many miles as he wants before connecting into a paved trail that covers over 100 miles.  So he can pretty much split all his long runs between trails and hills, leaving from our front door.

The rest of us, who aren't training for a 26.2 but are supporting our runner 100%, will be meeting Brian when he comes off the dirt trail and onto the paved trail for some bike riding. I have no desire to run on pavement, so I'll be biking it.  This is also when Brian can change from his trails shoes to road shoes, pick up fresh water bottles and some fuel.

That pretty much sums up our Saturday afternoons from now till Super Bowl Sunday! Here's some pictures from our first long run. Myles rode just over 7 miles w/no complaints at all. This was his first time on the paved trail and he did great, obeyed all the rules of the trail.

I was packing his fuel in my Nathan pack.

 Yep, I could spend a few hours riding behind this guy. Not a bad view : ) Notice Myles on the other side of the canal in the distance. He did so good!

 My Saturday afternoon view.