Second Runday of Advent: A Day Without a Marathon

Well, as I mentioned a few days back, today is the day that I am supposed to be running the inaugural Santa Barbara Marathon. Sadly, a slew of setbacks has derailed that dream, which makes for a disappointing day. But alas, not all is lost: It is the Second Runday of Advent, and because Sunday is (usually) my long-run day, I will be celebrating with 13 miles this afternoon. Half as much as I had been hoping for, but enough to put some tension in the old legs, anyway.

Besides, I have no business complaining. I've got my faith, my family, and my health. And as icing on the proverbial cake, I've also got this to look forward to:



Just watching that video gets me pumped. I ran L.A. last year, and it was a great experience, but the route wasn't much to write home about. A "festival of blights," as the inestimable Tina Dupuy called it. But the 2010 route is everything a big-city marathon course should be — a tour of all the town's major landmarks and attractions, so that when you're done, you can say you've seen that city in a way a few (well, about 14,000 anyway) ever have.

And it's a mere 104 days away ... assuming no more setbacks!