Manhattan Beach Yuletide 5K!

As the breaking sun shone over Manhattan beach, Gopal, glistening with perspiration of pride and satisfaction, reflected for a moment, "This could be the most soulful race, I've ever run..."

On Saturday, June 19th, 2011, Gopal and myself, participated in a 5K marathon for simply shits and giggles. And was it just that...

In great preparation for this event, we jogged perhaps once or twice that week and went out the evening prior to throw down a couple cocktails and jig about to the bluesy tunes of the legendary, Orlando Napier, feeling pumped and ready for what was to come in only a matter of hours.

More importantly, when we got home, we quickly gathered our matching outfits for the run. This involved Gopal's nonchalant powers of persuasion - "Dude, let me just have it!" - to convince Omar to strip the white, v-neck t-shirt he was wearing at that moment so that Gopal could try it on to ensure that it would work with my outfit. Of course!

The next morning began with a painful wake up call of 6 am and Gopal's incessant sighs from his bedroom - adjacent to ours - and typical groggy stomps throughout the house. We threw together some peanut butter, apple, and honey rice crackers and hit the road. Ready.

Leaving the house around 6:50 am for the race which started at 7:30 am, we thought we were chilly boxers cool. But we were mistaken. The iPhone's navigation decided to take us North on Sepulveda instead of South, making us 15 minutes late and the last ones to start the race.

While this sad site of a deserted beach and rising wet foot prints in the sand that at one point were sunken in with the hard and adrenaline filled steps of a few hundred, prepared and focused runners, it could not have been better. In fact, I laughed nearly the entire way. We got to look at everyone as they ran by us on their way back to the starting line, and they got to see us in our ridiculous apparel and steady stride in unison.

We made the 3 mile run in good time despite Gopal needing to slow down to accompany me in the last 1/2 mile to walk for a bit.

It was one for the books, and definitely one for the blog. So, here is some funny footage to munch on and a delightful picture of Omar upon our arrival home.