2012 Big Sur Marathon - Race Recap (*Hill Ninja vs Hurricane Pt.)

Date: April 29, 2012
Location: Big Sur to Monterey, CA
Start: 6:45am
Finish: 4:13:11
Elevation:

I have a crazy week ahead of me so this recap is going to be quick. Okay, let's go!

*My Ragnar teammates called me the Hill Ninja during Ragnar last weekend because I ran the Escondido and La Jolla hill legs. That and because they were picturing me doing somersaults over people as I ran up the hill. That never happened! Much. So this recap is about me versus the hill known as Hurricane Point.

So last year I ran the modified Big Sur Marathon course because part of the course on Highway 1 collapsed. They haven't quite finished fixing it yet but it is holding up for now so they decided to go back to the original course this year. So this is actually my first time running the original Big Sur Marathon course. So how do the two compare? The original course is a little bit harder than the modified course but thanks to my Ragnar training from last weekend, I did better this year than last. Six minutes better to be exact. I'll spare you the mile-by-mile split review because when I looked at my splits, I pretty much ran a 9:30 minute/mile pace the entire time. Faster on some parts and slower on the other parts (read: hills).

I drove up to Monterey on Friday with my entourage. Don't you all have entourages too? I never leave home without mine. We stopped into Taqueria Cuernavaca in Ventura for lunch. Small, tiny dive of a place with some amazing tacos.

We rolled into Monterey just after 5pm so I miss the expo for the day. So we went to eat some more. I will do a proper review of this place later on this week. I hope!

The next morning, I grabbed some breakfast before heading to the expo. Yes, I am eating real yogurt again now. Don't ask, seems that my stomach is okay with it for now.

It was early but the expo was already hella crowded.

Can you tell what's important to me?

I picked up my bib and really bright orange/pink neon shirt that I actually kinda like. Oh look my bib number was 2-4-6-8!

Then I went to do some exploring around Monterey. I have a ton of pictures from last year that I had not yet posted so I'm going to venture to say that this may very well be the only photo of my sightseeing trip that you will get to see.

I ate some more. If there is one thing that I am good at...it is carbo-loading. All day baby!

So I get up at the butt crack of dawn the next morning (aka 3am) to get ready to board a bus at 4am to the start of the race in Big Sur. It took an hour to get from Monterey to Big Sur. It took that long because it was so dark at that time of morning and there was like a million buses making their way there on a single highway lane in the dark. I'm glad I was not one of those drivers.

So we finally get to the starting area near the entrance to Pfeiffer National Park. It is still really dark and COLD! The runners' staging area is out in the open so there are thousands of runners sitting around everywhere trying to keep warm. Some even sleeping on the ground. They did have coffee, water, bananas and bagels but I had already eaten.

I took this photo about 10 minutes before the start of the race. I was in wave 2. I wore my sweats to the very last moment before I had to check them in. It was a good decision.

I don't know why but I walked all the way to the very back of the line and then slowly made my way back to wave 2. I only slept for 4 hours the night before, give me a break!

Nothing too exciting to note once the gun went off for wave 2. At least not for me. I just slowly ran with the goal to make it over Hurricane Point and run as much of the course as I could. See the line of runners ascending Hurricane Point? 

This was the start of the ascend for me. It didn't look so bad after running up that hill in Escondido in the middle of the night last weekend for Ragnar. Seriously, this was not cake but it was not as bad as I had imagined it to be.

So I took this photo of the Bixby Bridge once I was on the other side of Hurricane Point. See all that fog? It was really foggy. So foggy that it covered up most of the beautiful scenery that the Big Sur Marathon is known for. I was sad. Plus it was so SO windy. 

Even Bart Yasso thought so and that guy knows what he is talking about.

Hello Michael! I heard your beautiful music from a mile away.

So I don't have any photos from the race yet but it would look something like this. Don't you run marathons in jeans too?

I love you Big Sur Marathon ceramic medal! Yes you made me work hard to earn you but that a$$-kickin' I got on those hills that lined your lovely course is the kind of tough love that only you can bring. And when it comes down to it, I don't really mind having to get up at 3am, having my a$$ handed to me on Hurricane Point, almost getting blown off the course (I'm a small girl, have mercy) or even that hill you decide to put at mile 25, because there really is nothing like running on the edge of the western world! Nothing!

Cafe Kevah at Nepenthe - Big Sur, CA

Ever wonder what it would be like to eat a snack in paradise? Wonder no more because there is such a place.

That place is Cafe Kevah at the Nepenthe Restaurant.

They built these step seats on the outdoor patio area of the restaurant facing some spectacular scenery.

There is a souvenir shop attached to the restaurant that sells everything from soaps to ceramic to jewelry, clothing...and these decorative pieces crafted from recycled items...such as an old army helmet, nails and eating utensils. Creative! I really dig these! I almost purchased that little guy holding the knife and fork. Reminded me of myself!

Photo credit to Sister K

Just Spectacular!!

Photo credit to Sister K

We had not wanted to spoil our appetite for dinner so we did not eat at the Nepenthe Restaurant. Instead, we had a little snack at Cafe Kevah which is a part of Nepenthe restaurant. Yes, they serve beverages including wine. Can you imagine sipping a glass of wine in paradise?

Photo credit to Sister K

Cafe Kevah is that little covered area on the left hand side of this photo. There are tables with umbrellas in this large patio area with the most amazing breath-taking views I've ever did see.

My breath is officially taken away!

This chocolate chip cookie also took my breathe away!

Hot coco - coincidently we pulled into this restaurant because Sister K spotted it while I was driving on the PCH. She commented that her employer had recommended that she stopped here for a cup of coco and enjoy the amazing view should she be in the area. And there we were.

Photo credit to Sister K

This little guy was hanging out near our table because the other people with me were really mess eaters. So messy that he had to clean up all the crumbs that were dropped by "accident".

Photo credit to Sister K

It must have taken Sister K. 20 shots to get this picture just so. But he was magnificent!

Photo credit to Sister K

Did I mention that the cookie was also magnificent?

Not to be out done by the oh so delicious Maple Scone!

Maybe it all just tasted so good because we were looking out on this....paradise found!

Cafe Kevah @Nepenthe
48510 Hwy 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
(831) 667-2344

Old Fisherman's Grotto - Monterey, CA

If you ever find yourself in the Monterey Bay and happen to be near the Fisherman's Wharf area, you need to take a little walk down the pier and check out all the good eats! This post is somewhat late as this should have been posted along with my Big Sur visit but better late than never. Honestly, I just had to show you this little area where some great seafood can be had. This was the first place we went to when we got to Monterey...okay, we actually headed to the Expo first but then this was definitely the second place we headed to. Definitely!

Photo credit to Sister K

It's a funny thing, when you walk up and down the pier at the Fisherman's Wharf, there are these "sample" guys/gals out front passing out samples of their house clam chowder. Apparently, clam chowder is serious business in these parts. I mean you can't walk 3 yards without someone beckoning you to try their chowder.

Photo credit to Sister K

Along with a wide selection of seafood restaurants, there are also an equal amount of candy stores. Apparently, clam chowder and candy are compatible somehow. But how??

Taffy!

Photo credit to Sister K

Sister K and I never made it in here but this place is an oyster bar. We've never been in a place that serves mainly oysters. We'll be back!

More candy!

Before we headed up to Monterey, I did some research on some restaurants that the locals and Yelp highly recommended. It was worth my time to do so because I found this place...The Old Fisherman's Grotto. There were so many other seafood restaurant on that pier that it would have been difficult for me to know which one was better than the other.

Yep, looks good to me!

One of the cool things about this place was the view!

I don't know if I even took a breath once I sat down before I immediately ordered these and jumped all over it.

They were amazing! So fresh and so good! Heavenly if you like oysters!

Bread basket.

Photo credit to Sister K

Fried Calamari - oh these were free by the way. They handed these coupons out front along with the clam chowder samples! Yeah...I love Monterey!

Photo credit to Sister K

Water is Precious in these parts so if you want some, you have to ask! Makes sense to me.

Signs of good things to come...

...really good things!

Like Cioppino good! This was actually a little too salty but the seafood was again very fresh!

It was so good, we came back the next day for lunch and got an even better table. We saw this guy paddle-boarding with his pup. So cute!

We made it a point to come back because Sister K really wanted to try their house clam chowder. She wanted to order some the night before at dinner but we had already ordered too much. She said it was excellent!

Umm hmm, more oysters...we are crazy about oysters! I still dream about them.

Someone we know ordered a cheeseburger at a seafood restaurant. I'm not going to mention who...but someone.

I ordered the Seafood Pasta and it was pretty amazing except that it was also a bit too salty. Not sure what the heck is up with the sodium level at this place. Perhaps they wouldn't have to serve as much water if the food wasn't over the top salty. Still good though. 

We didn't have room for this...I cried a little tear!

Old Fisherman's Grotto
39 Fisherman's Wharf 
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 375-4604