Going back to Cali

On Thursday, I head west to run the Big Sur International Marathon. This will be my second time to California, and aside from the whole flying part, I can’t wait. Here’s why:

I get to run the Big Sur International Marathon. (Obviously.) A landslide on Highway One in mid-March forced organizers to change the course, which I am somewhat bummed about (no Bixby Bridge!), but it should still be gorgeous. Plus, this will be the first stress-free marathon of my life. (In Philly, I was nervous because it was my first. In New York, I was nervous because I wanted to go fast. Neither applies here.) I will be running with my camera and my friend Nick, so I should hopefully have some quality, free shots of myself running by the ocean. Also, the post-race party features s’mores. Enough said.

This view is part of the modified course. I'll take it!

I get to hang out with my good friend/former roommate Alexis. I saw her every day for three semesters of college, and now she lives in San Francisco. I haven’t seen her in over a year – the last time was when we were both in Vegas in March 2010. It has obviously been too long.

Alexis, me, and Jenn Merry during my last visit to San Fran in 2009. (Jenn Merry will be hosting me for my next marathon this fall. Marathoning: A good excuse to drop in on faraway friends.)

I get to eat with reckless abandon. Nothing says vacation like pigging out whenever you get the chance. I have already asked Alexis if we can go to Ike’s Place, a sandwich shop I once saw on Man vs. Food. And Alexis, Nick, and I are planning a detour to Santa Cruz on the way to Monterey so we can go to Burger. If I had to order right now, I’d get the Snooki – a chili burger between two grilled cheese sandwiches – with a Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, but we’ll see how I’m feeling Friday.

I get to feel superior to my former self. The last time I went to California, I ran for an hour the first day I was there, and that was a huge accomplishment. This time, I’ll be running for at least four hours. A lot can change in two years!

Oh, and did I mention the five-day forecast for the time I will be there looks like a row of orange circles? No clouds at all. Thanks, Mother Nature.