Hola from San Diego, CA!

Run Stats:

Day: 598

Miles Completed: 2101.5

Miles to San Diego: 0

Avg Miles/Day: 3.5

Marathons Completed: 80.2

Longest Run Streak: 20 Days

Shoes: Skora Fit/Skora Tempo

Playlist Favs: Beatles Abbey Road & Sgt Pepper, Genesis, Human Race & North Point Community Church podcasts

Bible Verse of the Day: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

Run Reflections: Well, after almost 20 months, I've virtually made it to San Diego! I'm arriving on an 11 day run streak and running 19 out of 20 days so far in August. This month has been a real challenge because it's been so hot and humid. Yesterday I had to wait until almost 6 PM for the temp to drop below 90 degrees. I'm glad to have finished this project and I've learned a lot along the way - about myself and the awesome country that we are blessed to live in. Will reflect on this a little more in a wrap-up post next week but, for now, I hope you enjoy learning a little about San Diego.

San Diego, CA: San Diego, Spanish for "Saint Didacus", is the 8th largest city in the U.S. and the 2nd largest in California. The city has been called "the birthplace of California" and is known for its mild year-round climate, natural deep-water harbor, extensive beaches, long association with the U.S. Navy, and recent emergence as a healthcare and biotechnology development center.

Historically home to the Kumeyaay (American Indian) people, San Diego was first visited by Europeans on what is now the west coast of the U.S. Upon landing in San Diego Bay in 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain. In 1769, the Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcala formed the 1st European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, the city became part of the newly independent Mexico and, in 1850 as part of California, became part of the U.S. following the Mexican-America War.

For a city this large and diverse, its hard to know what to include and what not to. Provided below are some (hopefully) interesting historical tidbits about San Diego courtesy of wikipedia:

• Joshua H. Bean was the 1st mayor of San Diego. Two years later the city was bankrupt and the CA legislature revoked the city's charter and placed it under control of a board of trustees where it remained for 39 years.
• In the early part of the 20th century, San Diego hosted two World's Fairs: the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 and the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935. Both events were held in Balboa Park and the exotic animals featured in the 1915 exposition provided the basis for the San Diego zoo.
• During the final months of WWII, the Japanese had a plan to target multiple U.S. Cities for a biological attack, starting with San Diego. The plan was called "Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night" and called for kamikaze planes filled with fleas infected with plague to crash into civilian population centers in the city. The plan was scheduled to launch on September 22, 1945, but was not carried out because Japan surrendered five weeks earlier.
• From the start of the 20th century through the 1970's, the American tuna fishing fleet and tuna canning industry were based in San Deigo and the city was known as "the tuna capital of the world". Due to rising costs and foreign competition, the last of the canneries closed in the early 1980's.
• Tourism is a major industry owing the the cities climate, beaches and tourist attractions such as Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo & Safari Parks, SeaWorld San Diego and Old Town San Diego Historic Park. I've included a couple of pictures of Old Town (great place for Mexican food) and the zoo/safari park. The latter includes an interesting picture of a wide variety of wild animals all grouped together. Rumor has it they were gathered to watch an outdoor viewing of The Lion King :-) I've also included a picture of a group of cheetah cubs - just because.
• Last, and certainly not least, the local craft brewing industry attracts an increasing number of visitors for "beer tours" and the annual San Diego Beer Week in November. San Diego has been called "America's Craft Beer Capital."

In looking at this snapshot of San Diego, it's intersting to see the many different "labels" that the city has had over time. They seem to have a large and diverse running community too which makes sense given the beautiful weather or scenery. I had the opportunity to visit San Diego on business in May and will share a little about that trip in the final run across america wrap-up post next week. I hope you've enjoyed this installment and will tune in next week.

Have a great week!

God Bless,

Pat