The Catalina Marathon is what I like to call a “Baby Race.” By that I mean, it is why women choose to have another baby after going through all that pain the time before. On the Saturday morning 5 AM boat from Avalon to Two Harbors I ask myself why did I sign up to do this again and I ask myself that question a few more times during the race.

The Catalina Marathon is mainly a trail marathon and considered one of the most difficult marathons in the world. At around 4,000 ft. of elevation gain and 4,000 ft. of loss, super steep sections and a somewhat rewarding 3 mile downhill to finish, this bad boy can chew you up and spit you out. But, like the Visa card commercials say it’s, “Priceless.”

The views, the location, the terrain, the volunteers, the race staff and the runners are the best. In fact, I would venture to say it is my favorite group of runners that run in a race. It’s competitive in a non-competitive way, and the camaraderie is infectious.

So, this way my 9th time running this race. It was not my best, not my worst, hot and hard but I finished again ready to have another baby next year.