Our Story (85 Percent): 2015 LA Marathon

The 30^th LA Marathon took place on Sunday, March 15 with scorching temperatures. (It reached the 90s at the finish line.) The temperature was expected to be so high that only a few days before the race, race officials moved the start time of the race 30 mins earlier. They also removed all the clocks along the course to discourage runners from trying to achieve some personal record (PR). They warned everyone to run cautiously, hydrate frequently, and that this race was NOT the race to push yourself for a personal best.

When I signed up for the 2015 LA Marathon back in September 2014, I wanted to achieve a PR. My last year’s time was 4:57, and I wanted to cross the finish line at 4:45. I was warned by a friend that my desire was much too ambitious, because that would require me reducing my per mile time by 30 seconds. I followed the same training guide from Runner’s World, except for this time, I included more speed runs and more weight training. I was very consistent throughout the training until a month before race day when personal motivation eluded me.

at the expo

shopping at the expo. They had some really amazing deals.

My name on the runners' wall

A quick stop to Hooters after the Expo

The LA Marathon is very special to me. It always will be, not only was it my first marathon, but Lance and I eloped two days before the 2011 marathon. I also love the famous Stadium to Sea course. The course begins at historic Dodger Stadium and ends at the beautiful Santa Monica beach/pier. There are many historic sites you pass along the course, but honestly, I don’t remember seeing much of anything. I am so immersed in my own thoughts; it is sometimes like I’m running blindly out there. I am completely oblivious. This was the third time I had run the LA Marathon, and each time, the weather was less than ideal. In 2011, I had to contend with torrential rain/thunder. Last year, I had to deal with high-temperatures, similar to this year. Normally, Lance and I reserve a hotel room at the start line, but this year, we changed our plans and stayed at the finish line. Our hotel was directly across from the Santa Monica Pier, within walking distance from shops, restaurants, and the finish line. It couldn’t have been a better location. When I finished the race, I walked a short distance back to our room.

Course map

Our room in Santa Monica

View from our room

What makes the LA Marathon even more wonderful is the support. I’ve run many races, never another full marathon, but I’ve run countless half marathons, and often the half marathons and the full marathons courses overlap. What makes such a difference is the Los Angeles community. From the moment you depart on the course until you cross the finish line, there are spectators aligned who encourage and cheer for you. However, they do more than that. They are out there giving water, Gatorade, ice, apple sauce, bagels, coconut water, popsicles, bananas, oranges. They are spraying the runners with water to keep them cool. These spectators do all of this strictly as volunteers. Water and electrolytes were provided by the race every mile, but in that heat, there were many times that I needed water sooner than that, and there was always a spectator available to help. There is such a unique and strong sense of community. It makes me love LA.

Catching the shuttle from the Santa Monica Pier to the start line at Dodger Stadium

at the start line

So what was my official time? What was my strategy? Yes, you run a race with a strategy. Even with all the warnings, I am too competitive to make adjustments. I wanted to PR, and I was going to listen to my body. I decided to start the race as I planned, running at a comfortable speed that I could maintain for close to 17 miles, which is exactly what I did. I knew that I had to take advantage of the coolness of the early morning air, and I knew once the heat came in, my speed would suffer. I ran the first 17 miles as if heat was not a factor. I reached the infamous “wall” at mile 17. Many say the wall is reached at mile 20 but for me, it was mile 17. I didn’t think I could do the remaining 9 miles to reach the finish. I was hurting. It was hot. I developed a blister on my feet. I had rash burns on my thighs, and surprisingly, my left knee started to hurt. My historically problematic right knee felt amazing. I transferred my knee brace to my left knee. I started late with the 5:30 pacer. I ran onward and soon reached the 5:00 pacer. I then ran and met up with the 4:45 pacer. My goal was to run it in 4:45, and as I ran next to the pacer, I made a decision and gamble. If I stayed with the pacer, I would be guaranteed a 4:45 finish, but I was feeling quite good and so I took the risk and just ran on. I didn’t know if I could sustain that pace, but I took the risk. The 4:45 pacer never caught up to me. I am so ecstatic to announce that my finish time for the 2015 LA Marathon was 4:34:40. I slaughtered my PR by 23 minutes, which is almost a minute faster per mile than my 4:57 time. I couldn’t believe it, and today, I’m still in shock. I ran in the heat and was able to kick ass!

Place

Name

Bib

Age

Div Place

Gender Place

5K Split

10K Split

15K Split

20K Split

25K Split

30K Split

35K Split

40K Split

Clock Time

Net Time

Hometown

5321

ELIZABETH FELLOWS WADE

8224

207

1428

29:58

1:00:46

1:30:58

2:01:23

2:32:41

3:07:00

3:44:44

4:20:15

4:45:02

4:34:40

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA

Running is my church. I can’t explain how incredibly emotional I get during a run. This emotion is at its height during the marathon. I don’t train for half marathons. There is so much discipline, self-motivation, and perseverance that goes into a marathon. There are four months of training, where no one is telling you to run. You have to become your own coach. I spend hours running long distances on Saturday. It was lonely at times. When I stood in my corral for the LA Marathon, I prayed for a safe race. Throughout the 26.2 miles, I would pray. I would think of my mom, my dad, my Blackie, and my Sherry. I could feel their spirit upon me. I thought of my husband and children, and I could not escape the insurmountable gratitude I felt to God. I don’t know if other runners feel this way, but it is one of the most emotional and moving moments in my life, and tears stream down my face. It is a good thing I have sunglasses on, which help conceal the tears. Finally, when I cross the finish line, I end the race with a final prayer. I don’t think I could get any closer to God than I do at that moment.

Finished and feeling AMAZING.

I don’t know if it is due to the last two years of excessively high temperatures, but the LA Marathon is moving the 2016 race to February 14, 2016, and yes, I have every intention of running again. I am very sore, and each time I feel that excruciating pain of my sore, tired muscles, a bright smile creeps on my face.

One last note--Something exciting happened on pre-race night. We were having our carb dinner at an Italian restaurant when KTLA Channel 5 news interviewed us. We were on the 10 p.m. news that night. It was only about 5 seconds of fame, but what an exciting 5 seconds!