"How windy? The puddles had white caps." - Robin Podesta

Santa Cruz Half Marathon
An unseasonable storm had been predicted for half marathon day, with rain and winds of up to 20 mph along the coast. And where was the run? Along the coast. Thankfully, the rain gods held tight to their clouds for my first 10-11 miles, and as I rounded the final descent toward the finish - they released their clentch. What a fantastic run -- yeah, there was wind and rain. But I felt great, I started at an easy pace then picked it up. For the first time in a long time, I ran a long distance full of joy. During the final 2 miles, I ran right along the coast -- at times with a head wind, at times the ocean mist spraying on my face, all the time the rain, and all the while a smile upon my face. I loved it. The sound of the rain, the wind, the ocean spray created a rhythm for running that felt easy. I probably could have pushed it more....I'll save that for the next one.