Bakersfield Track Club Half Marathon

Should I be concerned that at the mile three mark of the Bakersfield Track Club Half Marathon I see a sign that reads, "STAY OUT STAY ALIVE"? That cryptic four word message popped up a few more times along the course. I'm sure the city of Bakersfield put up those warning signs to prevent people from hurting themselves by jumping into the river that flows along the bike path. For me there was a deeper underlying meaning. Mind you, I didn't think my life was in danger, but I did take these signs as a foreshadowing of what lay ahead: a long, drawn out, run with absolutely nothing exciting to look at. Sadly, I was right.


I chose to run the BTC Half Marathon because I wanted to squeeze in another double before The Goofy Challenge in January. I had already completed the half/full combination a few weeks ago with the Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon on October 30th followed by the Silicon Valley Marathon the next day on Halloween. I finished that weekend victorious, earning a gargantuan 8 minute PR for the full marathon, one day after running a half. That was a huge win for Endorphin Dude. For this weekend, I scaled back and scheduled a half/half combination. First up is Bakersfield. Yes, Bakersfield.

I figured I could kill two birds with one stone by running BTC. My mom lives in Visalia, which is an hour and a half away, so I could pay mom a quick visit and run a 13.1 miler. It's always good to see mom. She spoils me rotten, and I don't mind that at all! I spent the night at Casa de Mama and woke up at 4am on Saturday morning and headed south for Bakersfield. I arrived with plenty of time to stretch before the race.


Because this was a small race, I decided to go sans cape. I just wasn't sure if the Bakersfieldians were ready for Endorphin Dude! Also, I really wasn't expecting to meet any Half Fanatics or Marathon Maniacs at this small local race, so there was no real need to channel my inner super hero. For that very reason, it shocked me when I met fellow Marathon Maniac, Rose-Marie Jeanpierre, at the start line! It was funny, neither of us wore our credentials on our tech shirts, but we both somehow knew we belonged in the same tribe. All it took was me saying, "I run one of these every weekend," and the next thing I know, the two of us are dropping names left and right.

The real shocker was when Rose-Marie admitted that she initially thought I was Dave Mari and that she wondered why I wasn't in Texas for the San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon! I swear, I live in a Dave Mari world. I am in Bakersfield and someone thought I was him! AGAIN!! Why does everything have to be Mari Mari Mari?! For those who have no clue what I am talking about, I am, supposedly, Dave Mari's marathon twin. You can read all about in my Los Angeles Rock & Roll Half Marathon blog post here. I figured since I can't escape Dave Mari, I might as well join him. Here's Rose-Marie and I striking Dave's signature pose:


I finished this half marathon in 2:56, which is far quicker than I had anticipated. Because I was doing back to back halves, I wanted to stretch this run out to the full allotted time, which is 3:30. However, I was so bored that I just started running! There's really not much more for me to say about Bakersfield. I came, I ran, I crossed the finish line, and I went home. Will I run Bakersfield again? Probably not. Am I glad I did it? Sure. I got to see my mom, I got to meet Rose-Marie, and now I have another medal to add to my collection. Win. Win. Win.