Long Beach 1/2 Marathon!

It was beautiful and sunny with just enough cloud cover that I might dare call it a perfect day to run. Sunday, October 7th, 2012 was the first half-marathon event that members of Kiss My Pace participated in. The Long Beach Half-Marathon course was wonderfully scenic to the point that I forgot, for part of the time, that I was not only in a bit of pain, but also running 13.1 miles. The course is flat and we enjoyed the pleasant shoreline for a majority of the miles.

Two of us made it out to tackle the run and I would like to say, both of us did our best. I would have never guessed that this was Jennel's first half-marathon! She was awesome and totally had this run in the bag. She is one tough little mama!

This was my second half-marathon and my goal was to beat my previous finish time, which I am very proud to say I did! This was a much flatter course, but a much more mentally challenging run. I was doing great in the beginning and got a little overly ambitious, which caused me to aggravate an old hip injury. Though I struggled through, I managed to knock 19 minutes off.

I am hoping to have a larger group of Kiss My Pace ladies to run the next half-marathon!

Our small group of runners! Gio, Jennel, Valinda & Omar!

Jennel & I getting ready to get into our wave start time!

Jennel running right off the starting line.

Jennel running like a champion at miles 11-12.

Doing my best and running my hardest!

All smiles the closer to the finish line I got. Mile 11.

Girls on the Go 5K/10K

Some of the ladies of Kiss My Pace got together for our groups first official event this past weekend! This was a run focused on women, Girls on the Go 5K/10K, at Bonelli Park in San Dimas, CA. The weather was beautiful, the route was scenic & the team was awesome!

Dressed in our team colors of hot pink & black, we went out and represented our active group! The morning started out with some stretching and a fun Zumba warm up, soon after that the 10K ladies took off in a blur of speed and grace! Close on the heels of the 10K was the start of the 5K. All of the girls put in their best efforts and left their miles in the dust! Not only did we get a great workout, but we also had a wonderful time doing it.  Here are some great photos from the event, taken by our official team photographer (my husband) Adrian Giovanni Lopez.

Check out more of Adrian Giovanni Lopez's Photography at:

http://adrianglopez.tumblr.com/

Maria Bautista warming up with some Zumba!

  

 

Ladies sporting their headbands!

 

Maria showing off her awesome "Kiss My Pace" nails!

 

All smiles before the run started.

 

10K Runners!

 

5K Runners!

 

Kiss My Pace Team Finish Photo!

Our Point of View

Kiss My Pace is a Los Angeles based recreational activities group for women. We aim to provide fun and interesting ways to keep active and stay motivated while moving toward our individual fitness goals. There are women of all activity levels and all ages, ranging from women who are just starting to add a little activity into their routines, all the way to women involved in extensive training for competitions. 

This group is a way for all of us to feel confident and get the support we need to get out there and work towards our active goals, no matter how big or small.

"No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow your progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying." -Unknown

 Let's get out there, get active & have some FUN!