2014 LA Marathon

 

 

Running is a very religious experience for me.  It is when I feel closest to God.  Before a race, I pray.  I pray for his blessing for a healthy, safe race with no injury.  During the race, I spend my time in conversation with God.  I think of my dad, my mom, and everything wonderful I have in life.  I ask for God’s guidance so that I can be a better person, and I ask for forgiveness.  I feel so unworthy of all that he has given me, because I know I could do better and be a much better person.  During the race and during these conversations, I am so moved and emotional that I cry.  Yes, I’m running on that course, wiping away sweat and tears. 

 

When my foot crosses the finish line, the very first thing I do is I say a prayer again, thanking God for this race and for everything he has done for me.  I am so grateful.  I know I couldn’t do it without him by my side.

I don’t like running with people.  I am not a social runner.   There are spectators aligned along the courses, but I hardly notice the crowds because I’m so immersed in my own spiritual meditation. 

This weekend was the LA Marathon.  I ran the LA Marathon in 2011.  This race is sentimentally symbolic because when I ran it in 2011, Lance and I had eloped two days ago.  In 2011, my time was 6:10.  I think I was in better shape in 2010, but I had an injury so 90 percent of the race was done walking.  I wanted to redeem myself and actually run the marathon.  I began training for the  2014 race in November 2013.  My training started off well, but in January, I had ITBS and my dad passed away.  I did not run for three weeks.  However, I was determined to fulfill my goal, and I wanted to run in memory of my Dad.  The LA Marathon would be for him, and I decided to carry locks of his hair with me on race day so literally and spiritually, my dad was with me.

The Finish Line in Santa Monica

 The Start

The first quarter mile at Dodger Stadium.  WOW! 

I love the LA Marathon.  There were 21, 829 runners from all 50 states and 50 nations; all but 348 crossed the finish line. There was a group of 7 friends who  ran and Lance. who served as the support team.   We stayed at the downtown Sheraton. We went to the expo together and had dinner at a great Italian restaurant. It was just so much fun socializing with this group. I love them all dearly.  I run alone during the race, but I love the socialization of pre-race and post-race activities.

 

Picking up my bib at the expo.  There was a wall that had every runners' name on it and I found mine!

 

Pre-Race Dinner

Fun in the Sheraton

A group selfie (no, we did not sleep together. This was a joke.)

 

The race started at 7:30 a.m. and it was perfect race weather at 7:30 in the morning, but two hours into the race, the heat became horrible.  Temperatures reached the mid-80s, and by the time the race concluded for me, it was beach and bikini weather.  I ran smart though and hydrated at each water station.  The LA Marathon is a great course.  I love that it is from point to point. (I don’t really like those loop back courses.)  It starts off at Dodger Stadium and ends at Santa Monica Beach.  It is known as the Stadium to Sea course.

The course

I was very nervous about how my left leg would hold up considering my chronic knee issues.  Three days before the race, I ran a short 3-miles, and I felt a sharp pain in my hip that prevented me from going any further.  On race day, I taped up my leg with the KT tape, and I also had my ITB brace, and with God’s blessing, I was able to run the 26.2 miles without any pain—well not any “atypical” pain.

Getting ready to start

one last photo before the start of the race; we were all nervous.  Months of training led up to this point....

When I reached mile 22, the goal of getting under 5 hours was a real possibility.  When I reached mile 25, I had 16 mins left to do 1.2 miles so I pushed myself with everything I had, because I knew I was so close, and if didn’t make it, I would have beaten myself up.

It was the most exhilarating feeling when I crossed that finish line with an official time of 4:57:28. Traffic congestion was a nightmare at the finish line, and Lance had to park about 2 miles away so yes, I walked another 2 miles to the car.

 

Proudly showing our medals

 

my medal and my dad's hair

 

How do I feel today?  I am sore, but it is not unbearable.  I am sunburned on my shoulders and back.  I have chafing on my back and in both armpits.  When I took a shower, it burned, but overall, I’m not too beaten up.
 

I am grateful that it is over, and I’m pleased with the results and my performance.  Now, I’m returning to cross training and weight lifting.  I did say that this was going to be it for me, but the moment I crossed that finish line, I was ready to sign up for next year.  So, the question is, will I do it again? Absolutely.  The 2015 LA Marathon will be the 30^th anniversary, and I am very excited to be a part of it.  I now want to get under 4:45, and I think I can.