We're almost a month into 2026, and now's a good time to gauge those New Year resolutions. Will we be able to follow-through with that gym membership commitment, lean into our career aspirations, and be more present with our friends and family? Too often, we're not able to build momentum and it can all just fall by the wayside so easily. But maybe let's not give up too easily and quickly this year. Sometimes it means that we need to find a little more community and/or accountability. At certain points, even early on before we've grown our stamina, we need to take a breather before continuing on.
Some people love to run and some people loathe running. Some people love running but stop because they feel that their bodies can't handle it anymore. Christopher McDougall apparently believes that human beings were made to run, even as they age, and he mesmerizes us with the tale of an isolated tribe of ultra-runners in "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen." If you need a little inspiration, this book is a fun read, but be warned that it may lead you to sign up for races you've never been interested in!
Talking about races, we're 2 days from the Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend - happening right next to the Alamo Inn and Suites - when runners will descend upon Anaheim to participate in different events, which will include all the "medals and magic" that RunDisney® is known for. The weekend will be extra special as these runs will be the last ones in the Anaheim Resort District for some time due to future construction in the area. When we checked online recently, all the events were already sold out, as expected, but there are other noteworthy races in Orange County slated for 2026.
Right around the corner, the Surf City Marathon is set for 2/1/2026. While many of the longer races are also sold out, we still see the individual 5K and Beach Mile events available for registration as of today. These races run along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway near Huntington Beach, one of our favorites in Southern California. If this one is too short notice, the Hoag OC Marathon Running Festival will be taking place the first week of May with various races placed around Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. From what we can tell, most of the events for Hoag OC are available for registration, meaning you still have time to bring your friends and family along for the ride.
As for inspiration, did anyone notice that Alex Honnold – the first to free climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park – recently scaled the Taipei 101 without ropes?? To each his own.