Coronado Bridge Race

This weekend our family walked the Navy's 23rd San Diego Bay Bridge Run/Walk over the Coronado Bay Bridge with eight thousand other people. The sold out event benefited the Navy's Qualify of Life programs for service members and their families. Hubs and I have run in races, but never with our children. Son1 was so thrilled to wear an event bib. He talked about the race for a couple of weeks before the event, but we had not really practiced long walks. The kids and I practiced two longer walks the week of the race, but that was the extent of Son1's "training."

The four mile course began in San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter. This is a historic Victorian neighborhood in the heart of downtown San Diego lined with gaslamps.


We walked a few blocks to the start line, at the edge of the Gaslamp Quarter, to the convention center, right on San Diego Bay. We were grouped with the walkers and strollers. It was a new experience for us, walking in an event with wall to wall people. Most people brought cameras. The people that stopped on the course did so long enough to take pictures. The Coronado Bridge does not have a pedestrian walkway, so this is the only day of the year when people can run, walk, and take pictures on the bridge.


Just after the first mile, we left San Diego's waterfront, and wound our way to Chicano Park. The park is located in central San Diego, in the Mexican immigrant community of Logan Heights, just under the Coronado Bridge. There are nearly 70 murals under the bridge expressing many cultural and political views, making it the largest collection of outdoor murals in the world.

About this time Hubs needed to "use the facilities." Oh boy. The pack was moving right along. He promised he would catch up with us on the bridge. I was really nervous, since I did not have my cell phone with me, and the crowd was thick. How was he going to find us? I seized any opportunity to slow down with the kids, hoping to stall for time. Just before the entrance to the bridge (a traffic off ramp in the opposite direction) was a water station. Just above the kids you can see the folks above us, already on the bridge.

The three of us ascended the bridge with the pack, camera around my wrist, pushing the stroller with one hand, and snatching Son1 from his constant desire to peer over the bridge with my other hand.

One one side of the bridge we saw many San Diego trolley cars sitting quietly on the tracks, alongside some tank cars. My kids are dying to ride the trolley. It runs on a light rail system in the metro San Diego area. It is the real deal. Black and white striped railroad gates drop, with red flashing lights, and railroad horns blow. The trolley often crosses through major intersections all over metro San Diego, and along the freeways, and is cheap entertainment from our car windows. So the sight of these multiple trolleys from the bridge was eye candy for Son1.We continued to climb the bridge, and soon the naval ships came into view. This was enough to tantalize Son1 and nearly give me heart failure as he pointed to the airstrip on a ship below. We were standing right at the bridge barrier. I am afraid of heights but he clearly is not. He was just doing what most everyone else around us was doing, gaping at the views below, from the edge of the bridge.
Many people commented on my pregnancy as we walked. They probably secretly thought I was crazy to keep grabbing my 4 year old from peering over the bridge, and pushing my two year old in the stroller, with a popping belly, by myself. But while pregnancy is a miracle in a multitude of ways, my own pregnancies do not make me a hero. The most inspiring person that day was this marine, walking with his friend and his wife. I watched them closely, as I walked behind, quietly smiling at the way she gently touched him as they climbed the bridge. They were deep in conversation, laughing and joking. I wanted to thank him for his service to our country, but I did not get the chance. So, thank you, sir, for serving our country. His shirt read, "The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible." -Aruthur C. ClarkeA girl ahead of us stood a few feet from her family so she could take their picture on the bridge. I stopped and offered to take their family picture, and then asked her to take ours. Just as I posed the kids, guess who jumped right in the photo? Hubs was back!


We climbed the bridge until we were over 200 feet in the air. Since the bridge is so high naval ships can pass under the bridge. It is also the third highest suicide bridge in the United States. These signs line the bridge:Many people thought it was funny to take their picture under these signs, but I settled for a picture minus my family members.

Looking across the bay, there is a nice view of the San Diego skyline. This is also a great picture of the morning marine layer that hangs over the city this time of year. It is called "May Gray and June Gloom" by locals. A thick cloud cover keeps the coast damp and cold, but about 5 miles inland it is totally sunny. Just about here we could see the finish line at Tidelands Park in Coronado. We could also see the sailboats in the harbor.
We began our descent and I noticed a man on the ground. Soon after he got up I took the same shot on the ground.The Coronado Bridge is a prestressed steel bridge. There are grates in the middle of the bridge. Through the grates, you can see the water in the harbor.
Finally, we reached the city of Coronado while still on the bridge. The bridge connects the San Diego metro area to the peninsula of Coronado. The word Coronado means "the crowned one" in Spanish, and that is why Coronado's nickname is "the crowned city." It is one of the most affluent cities in San Diego, and even California.


We came off the bridge for the last mile of the race course. We passed around the old toll booths. The Coronado Bridge stopped collecting a toll in 2002. We came through the finish line, and rounded the sponsor booths. Son1 walked the entire way!!! We were so proud our four year old walked all four miles!

Soon, the emcee announced different prizes. Son1 was one of three children that won a Sea World prize pack for youngest entrant. The other two children were five years old. He was such a ham on the microphone that the emcee asked for his microphone back or he was going to be out of a job.

I won my own little prize pack to the Wild Animal Park for my pregnant participation.
The event was over, and it was time to get back to metro San Diego. Hubs and I decided the free bus shuttles were not the way to go. With our race bibs we could take the Coronado Ferry across the harbor for free. We walked from Tidelands Park to the ferry landing. The line must have been over 400 people. It wound around and around the ferry landing, and we were at the end of the line. We all needed "to go" and the lines for the restrooms were horrendous. Then we spotted this little boat sitting in the harbor. Hubs whipped out his cell phone, and I asked the guy on the other end for rates. It was $7 for each adult and the kids were free. The fare was music to our ears. I told him we would be right down. The line was still growing behind us, and a lady I passed asked me the price. I leaned over, informed her, and started running. Then our whole family was running. No more answers for anyone!! I asked Hubs for his cell phone again. I called the water taxi man again, as I noticed other people were running out of line behind us. "Hi, I just called. I am pregnant, and I have a FULL BLADDER." Please DO NOT give away our spots on your boat!!!" He offered for me to take the next boat, and I said NO NO NO. I told him to HOLD THAT BOAT. We were on our way down the ramp.We jumped on the boat. I settled onto the cushion, and the man in this picture asked me if I was the pregnant lady with the full bladder. Everyone on the boat heard I was coming! Goodbye Coronado, goodbye bridge!Soon enough the engines started up, and the skyline ahead of us was beautiful. The marine layer was lifting.
We docked, found clean facilities, and grabbed our car from the parking valet. It was time for lunch. We were all starved. With our bib numbers, we ate lunch free at Chipotle. They were amongst the race sponsors. Enjoy our "before" sad little hungry faces....
...and this "happy I finally have food" shot!