SEAL BEACH, CA // The 37th Annual Seal Beach 5/10k walk/run took place last Saturday with over 5,000 people participating. Each year, Los Alamitos High School Lacrosse players, coaches + parents volunteer as a fundraiser for the program. JV players volunteered along the route while the Varsity players laced up their shoes to participate by running. This type of event is a great way for more schools + lacrosse programs to get out and support their local community and raise funding for their programs to reduce individual player costs.
The Seal Beach Run Board of Directors was pleased with the hard work from the Los Al volunteers + participants and are excited to welcome the lacrosse programs back in years to come.
Also in town for the weekend was former US TEAM PLAYER + owner of TEAM OC Crista Samaras, who joined LC, her dogs Chicken + Goos, and the Los Alamitos laxers in the race.
Below, 4 individual perspectives on their 10K experience.
THE FAB FOUR
LIZ “LC” CONNELLY // TEAM OC Director, Los Alamitos Varsity coach, + mom of Chicken & Goose
CRISTA SAMARAS // BOUNCE + TEAM OC owner, Princeton alumna, USA World Cup Champion + fitness machine
KEATON OTAKE // Los Alamitos varsity player, TEAM OC member + resilient defender
CHICKEN WING CONNELLY // attention lover, bird chaser + mama’s girl
LC // My alarm went off with a brrrrinnnngg! With energy that only Labrador toddlers could exhibit at 6am on a Saturday, Chicken + Goose jumped and leaped and sprinted towards the door. I threw on my work-out clothes, grabbed my phone + keys, put the pups’ leashes on, and left my apartment.
We hopped in the car and cruised up the PCH to Seal Beach. Chicken + Goose leaned their heads out the car window as I double-checked to make sure the window-lock was on. So Chicken didn’t roll the window up on her head, again.
We arrived at the marina and crossed the bridge to meet my Los Al players. The dogs were frantic – confused by the thousands of people around us and anxious to play with the other dogs. I was frantic trying to calm them down. 15 minutes to go until the start of our 10K trek through Seal Beach.
My phone rings and my face lights up. Crista Samaras, my boss and my friend, was calling to say she had arrived. A hand popped up waving from across the street and Crista zig-zagged through the crowd to come join us.
Chicken + Goose were out of control when the race began, dragging me + Crista behind them. We steadied our pace and were doing well until suddenly, the Goose-man had an urgent need to take care of business. I told Crista to go beat the Los Al girls while I took care of the exhausted pups. She was out of sight before I even knew she was gone. About ¼ mile up the road we saw a gas station. Relief spread over me: WATER! The dogs downed it all and renewed their energy – ready to give this race another shot! Goose led the way and Chicken wouldn’t leave my left leg, her head bumping into my calf with each stride I took. We turned onto a path alongside a river and the narrow sidewalk made running with the 2 free-roaming dogs a little more difficult.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel Chicken’s furry head bashing into my leg anymore – my heart was in my throat and my eyes darted towards the river – no Chicky. Finally, I spot the little pup following a lady about 30 yards behind me. I yell,“Chicken! I’m up here!” I see her look up in confusion, realizing that lady was not her mama. She sprinted past other runners and they laughed and cheered her on as she went.
We passed the 5 mile mark and I felt a burst of energy come on. I dug deep in the final stretch and managed to sprint the last of the race, the pups chasing me. I crossed the finish line, flopped to the ground, and was greeted by puppy breath as Chicken + Goose licked my face. We made it out alive.
CRISTA SAMARAS // Who wants to run a 10K? I do! This is the perfect event/group exercise as I prepare to get back in shape after taking off a whole year of working out. Where did the time go? And, how many pieces of Starbucks pumpkin bread can 1 person consume in 365 days?
Time goes by as it always does. A year’s worth of wisdom, the devastating loss of a pet and the value of friendship, success and failure accompany me now. So does a few extra pounds. ANSWER: 197 slices of pumpkin bread.
I needed the break. Having been a “professional” lax player for over a decade, I loved working out and figuring ways to push myself. Back then, my nickname was Quadzilla – 200 lbs of quick/fast/scary. Now, I’m a meager 160lbs + my Sundays have been lazy. But in the last month, I’ve re-entered the fitness world with a vengeance. My exercise of the moment is indoor cycling although my calves are growing by the second and my hearing is becoming more impaired riding inside a room boom-boom-BOOMING with extra-loud music. I only have 40% hearing in my right ear as it is.
So, I’m psyched for the run, the quiet and the distance. I drive from LA to Seal Beach, park and walk to join the troops. Uh oh … I’m getting insecure that I can’t finish it. I’m getting nervous I might barf. Am I hydrated enough? I’m thinking … oh no, what am I thinking?
LC says … pin this bib on your shirt.
LC says … put this chip on your shoe.
LC says … turn around and face the race.
LC says … GO.
I go. I run joyfully with LC, Chicken + Goose until about half way, when Goose’s IBS gets the best of him. I leave them behind and my body + mind began cooperating like they used to. The cadence of my pace picks up, the steadfast focus of my brain keeps my breathing settled. I pass a lot of people including a few Los Al girls. I turn with the crowd to run alongside the water, taking advantage of a brief downhill stint. I use my watch as my accelerator, pushing through intervals like I am training for the field, the game. At this point, I am in the zone.
The finish line comes within eyesight. I know my legs will go. I know my heart will pump. I know my lungs will expand. I know that I have more. I go. Faster.
As I cross the line with no fanfare, gold medals or my parents to congratulate me, this event is unlike many in which I have participated. But, I see the people and the community and the sense of accomplishment … and it feels just like graduating from college or winning a World Cup. True triumph is a feeling as a result of effort over time, thousands of steps and a commitment to get to the end.
And when you get there, it’s just the chance to begin again.
KEATON OTAKE // The 10k was a mission and a half, but it was worth it. I was dreading it for a full week before race time. I ran the same race last year with my team and I knew I was in for 6.2 miles of hell. The whole team was talking strategy, and I just figured I would run it at my own pace, but the premise of having to beat LC was a bit intimidating. I assumed the punishment for losing was a huge amount of sprints (I later learned that it would have been a shirt with "LC owned you" on it!). So, I was even more stressed now – anxiety overcoming determination.
At the start, I was jogging casually, just keeping an easy pace. My teammates had a quicker start and left me in the dust. I got to the first, big, loonnnnnng hill and I don’t know where my strength of will came from, but I just decided to go. Last year, I had already started walking by that point. On my way up, I turned around and saw LC and Crista behind me. They were a little too close for comfort so I put my head down and dug even deeper. Pretty soon I had caught up to teammates Grace, Elena and Woysh. I looked back and LC and Crista were nowhere in sight; I was feeling pretty good.
By about the 4th mile, I felt like a robot. My legs were just going and I’m not sure I had any control over them. Crista had caught up to me by the riverbed, and I somehow managed to keep up with her for a little, but I lost her with a mile to go. Staying with her for just that little stretch was awesome in itself, I mean, she's an ex US national team player - a total beast! At that point I knew I was almost done. When I got to Ocean Street, I could see the finish line and I was stoked! That street seemed to go on forever; the finish line was such a tease, but when I finally got there, nothing felt better. Actually … I felt hungry and tired. Even still, I was really happy that I finished – and without walking any of it – a great accomplishment even though my body had to endure an insane week-long soreness! Regardless, the sense of achievement outweighed the struggle, and I’d do it again without a doubt!
CHICKEN WING // Last weekend I had one of the best days ever with Goose + my mom! It began with a car ride to a place I hadn’t been before. We got out of the car and walked over this bridge into an enormous crowd of people. I can remember so many different smells: the ocean, dogs, birds, people, bacon! All of a sudden everyone was running at me and then running from me. I didn’t know if I should run away or try to catch them! It was so fun! Mom kept pulling me closer to her and Goose went with Crazy Crista. I love to run, but this was tiring! I wanted to jump into the water next to us. Goose got sick on the way, but I licked his eyeball like always and I could tell he felt better just knowing I cared. Mom brought us water and we kept running. Every time she bent down to give us some I would jump up with excitement. That’s what I do to tell her I love her. Water is amazing! Water bottles are confusing. I don’t really know if I’m supposed to lick it out, bite it, or just let it fall on my head. I did a little of each. For a long time, I worked to weave through running legs around us so I could keep next to my mom. I lost her for a bit but people cheered when I found her again. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time. It was the best. I was so tired, I didn’t bark. And, I got to sleep the whole day when I finally got home. I think we are definitely going to do it again this weekend.
