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Bay to Breakers: Will it be the same this year?

Alex @mwp — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:30:28 +0000

Coming up in mid May is the 98th running of the famous BAY TO BREAKERS run in San Francisco. This awesome event brings tens of thousands of runners, joggers, walkers, centipede runners, nudists, drunks, and more nudists and drunks through the city every year. The course is 12K (more than 7 miles), starting from the bay, through town, to end at the breakers at Ocean Park. Along the way, you’re bound to run into 50+ naked men and women, spiderman, spongebob squarepants, salmon swimming upstream, floats, and frat boys pushing along a keg.

Or so it’s been in the previous years. One of the best annual events in all of the US caved in to local residents who have complained that the event has gotten out of hand and has imposed new restrictions. These restrictions include no floats, no drinking, and no nudity. What gives? Now it’s just a 12K that you can do in any city.

Fans of the event have protested to defend the sanctity of the Bay to Breakers. Really, what would it be this year without nudists, drunks, and costumed freaks? In response to the public upheaval, the city and race organizers have lifted a few restrictions. Kegs and bottles are banned, floats must be registered, and there is now no mention of nudity in the language. Still, some people hold that consumption of alcohol will still be allowed as long as you don’t give them a reason to stop you from enjoying your fun and look the other way.

Still, the race is still always a fun spectacle, starting with the tortilla chip toss at the beginning, dodging water balloons in the middle of the race, to the “footstock” music perfomance at the end. Run to achieve a personal best time, to dress up in something goofy, or just to get crunk. Make your way to the Bay to Breakers.

Bay to Breakers
Sunday, May 17th 2009
$44 registration (until April 30th)
San Francisco, CA

Sand Dune Park: Vertical Challenge

Alex @mwp — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:54:20 +0000

“I bet you I could run up and down this thing 7 times!”

“Ok, you’re on.”

10 minutes later…

*huff* *puff*

“How many was that?”

“You’ve done three. and you WALKED the last two.”

Sand Dune, ONE. Alex, big fat ZERO.

For those of you that like some outdoor exercise, check out Sand Dune Park, located off Rosecrans in Manhattan Beach. It’s a beach-like workout without the actual beach and is a popular spot for people to do some fun, vertical conditioning. Beware: The hill is steep. Steeper than pictures indicate. I’d describe it as somewhere between a Blue and a Black Diamond slope (maybe 50-60 degrees). So, collect all your facts before you challenge a friend into a run-off where the loser buys beers.

There’s two sides of the hill, one for kids and one for adults. I really recommend sticking to their guidelines and running on the appropriate side. If not, don’t say I didn’t warn you that a 7 year old kid will be plowing into you at full downhill speed screaming at the top of his lungs! The kids’ side actually appears to be the steeper (but shorter) of the two, and I usually don’t see too many kids here unless it’s a weekend afternoon. Parking is available on Bell St., which you can enter from Rosecrans.

Oh and don’t wear shoes. And please try not to kick sand up as you run into other people’s faces!

Runyon Canyon – Hike the Hollywood Hills

Alex @mwp — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:25:39 +0000

Kids, the greatest thing about a rainy day in LA is the day after. Famous for its layer of hazy smog, this is the one chance you’ll get to see clear skies in the City of Angels with the gunk washed away. In the picture above, you would not be able to see the downtown skyline on most days. It would look something closer to the picture below.

Runyon Canyon is one of my favorite spots in Hollywood. Mornings after a wild party, you’ll likely find me laced up and traversing the easy climb to walk off a nasty hangover. It’s the perfect hike for a casual climber–not too difficult, not very long (lasting about 45 minutes), and offers plenty of enjoyable views. Runyon Canyon, after all, is more dog park and Hollywood meat market than it is a hiker’s getaway. If you want to take your bulldog out to get exercise while checking out some hot bods running half-naked, then this is the perfect place to go. If you’re looking for peace and a lengthy workout, you’d be disappointed coming here. I’ll write later on my favorite hiking spots which are a bit further out of Hollywood.

Upwards from Inspiration Point

Cell-phone chatter, slobbering dogs, and trendy hollywooders aside, I’ve chosen to come here today to take in the amazing views of Hollywood, the downtown skyline, and the rest of the LA urban sprawl. You can even see the ocean on a clear day!

In my experience, there’s three fantastic views easily accessible in Los Angeles. If you’d like to see the westside, go to the Getty Center. If you want a shot of Downtown, check out the Griffith Observatory. Finally, Inspiration Point at Runyon offers both and a good look at Hollywood and the Miracle Mile (see above–downtown to left and ocean to right). If you go off trail a bit, you’ll see a great view of the Hollywood sign too. Along the trails, in addition to people watching, you’ll also come across smelly horses, possible rattlesnakes, and a randomly placed trampoline. Bring a friend, as it’s quick and easy enough to catch up on the latest gossip and healthier than going out for a drink.

Look, a giant trampoline! Too bad I couldn’t find someone to take my picture.

Here is a link to another article on Runyon: http://www.modernhiker.com/2007/08/16/hiking-runyon-canyon/. The author does a great job illustrating the trail using Google tools and provides plenty of depth in hiking coverage.

Runyon Canyon is accessible from Hollywood at Vista and Fuller Streets right above Franklin, but it’s always difficult to find parking there among the apartment complexes. An easier route is to drive down Mulholland, enter from the upper parking lot, and work your way downhill towards Hollywood. It’s only open during daytime hours and very dog-friendly offering on-leash and off-leash areas. Happy Walking.