Definitely one of the main positives about my host company is that people there are very social and active. Almost every week they organize something for me and my co-workers, whether it is a happy hour, stand-up comedy or a sporting event. This month it was the 32nd Nautica Malibu Triathlon presented by Bank of America, a very popular event organized every year for a good cause – raising money for a children’s hospital in Los Angeles. Triathletes from around the country, corporate teams, professional athletes and also Hollywood celebrities are welcomed to race on spectacular shores of Malibu.
Since it is a very popular charity event, every year there are also some famous people among the participants and guests ( Jennifer Lopez, Zac Efron, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Garner, David Hasselhoff, Matthew McConaughey, and many others ). Unfortunately this year I wasn’t lucky enough to meet any big celebrity but for me, it was an amazing experience anyway.
The Malibu Triathlon features a ½ mile ocean swim in the sparkling Pacific Ocean, a 17-mile bike course with spectacular views along Pacific Coast Highway, and a 4-mile flat Malibu beach run. The race is topped off by a majestic ocean-side finish on the sands of the famous Zuma Beach.
Although I wasn’t able to participate in one of the triathlon‘s disciplines this year, still wanted to be a part of the Malibu Triathlon experience so at least went there with some other colleagues to cheer for those who were actually swimming, biking or running. A day before I made a big sign to support my host company KFA Architecture.
Since the biggest problem in the LA area is traffic and parking, especially with big events like this it was pretty challenging to get to Malibu on time and to find a parking spot. We had to leave the house at 4 am and at 4:45 when we got there the parking lot was already almost full. It was still a night time and totally dark so we were freezing outside and listening to the ocean. The waves were so big and strong that I wouldn’t swim in the ocean even if somebody paid me. The triathlon started at 7 am with a national anthem sung by a local singer. The atmosphere on the Zuma Beach was pretty magical at that moment.
The swim part of the Malibu Triathlon took about an hour since there were so many people participating in the race, we were patiently standing next to the finish line, cheering for our colleagues and waiting for Hollywood celebrities ( who never showed up haha ). The biking and running parts took even more time and because the sun already came up, waiting for the triathletes was almost unbearable. It was a really hot day so after 5 hours of cheering and standing on the sun, I was so exhausted that I couldn’t wait to get back home to cool down a little bit. However, it was an amazing experience and definitely worth all the waiting so I’m planning to go there next year as well.
