Runner’s High manager Thom Lacie keeps his Long Beach within sprinting distance

PHOTO by RUSS ROCA

Alamitos Peninsula resident Thom Lacie has been the manager at Runner’s High in Belmont Shore since 1998. This is his Long Beach:

Yoga World “I go three days a week and it’s turned out to be one of the best things I’ve done for myself. I love it because it’s noncompetitive—it’s helped me to be less competitive in my running and to enjoy it more. I remember when I first started going I approached it like a competitive sport and I’d grunt and snort and the teachers would come over to me and say ‘What are you doing?’ It pretty much rights all the wrongs in life. Whether it’s bad posture, stress . . . You can do it on your own, but there is always something to learn. I’ve been going eight years and I still learn every time I go.

6511 E Pacific Coast Hwy | Long Beach 90803 | 562.804.5525

Aroma di Roma “It’s run by a local guy who used to work at Starbucks and went off on his own. It’s very good, more Italian than other coffee places, and there a lot of locals who hang out there so it’s nice to go see everyone.”

5327 E Second St | Long Beach 90803 | 562.434.6353

Running on the beach “Well, living on the peninsula, I just walk out my door and start running. Running at low tide is best because you can run on the wet, harder-packed sand, but I also run on the soft sand sometimes. I have kind of an obsession when I run—I collect stuff I find on the beach and then I do art projects with them. Right now I’m creating something out of all the little plastic lighters I’ve found.”

Fingerprints “Great place. Love to go in there and just browse around. I like all kinds of music: Lucinda Williams, Dave Matthews . . . I really like the people who run the place, they’re the kind of people you can trust. Every now and then I’ll go in and let them guide me to some new stuff, stuff I should check out. It’s great.”

4612 E Second St | Long Beach 90803 | 562.433.4996

McKenna’s on the Bay “I don’t often eat at what would be considered upscale places, but I like going over to McKenna’s and I’ll have the seafood or whatever. Actually, what I’ll do is take my kayak and paddle over to their dock and then go on in. That’s what I love about living on the Peninsula, everything is right here. I can walk, ride my bike or paddle to just about everything. I have an eight-year-old car and it’s got 35,000 miles on it. That’s it.” 190 Marina Dr | Long Beach 90803 | 562.342.9411

Tags: alamitos peninsula, best of, running, Sports