LA Marathon Recap

by our new VP, Ann Wilson:

According to meteorologist John Burgos the LA Marathon was forecasted to have rain, wind, and chilly temps. Oh my! Thankfully the weather gods were kind and there was just a bitter chill to the morning. Like in years past, I opted to take the shuttle from Santa Monica. Thankfully, Chris Kim had her wits about her and she reserved a space for us down in Lot 4. Painless!! There was no problem getting onto the shuttles either. You flash your bib number and you’re on! Of course the shuttle ride is filled with idle chit-chat about past runs and racing strategies. Booooorrrring. HAHA. We were on the 5:00 shuttle so traffic was non-existent and our arrival at Dodger Stadium was drama free. The minute we hopped off the shuttle it was time to find warmth.

Tents were set up in the parking lot for runners to lay in, but the faux grass flooring was soaked from the day before. Blech! Thankfully we were armed with trash bags aplenty and we could give our legs a rest. As we migrated from tent to porta potty (repeat) we were able to sample tasty treats from different booths. A favorite = a peanut butter sandwich with honey, bananas and choc chips. YUM! The minutes turned to hours and before we knew it we were disposing of our drop bags and finding our way to Coral B. The lead women were off and then 17:31 later it was time to start the journey of the “Stadium to the Sea” to the tune of “We Love L.A. WE LOVE IT!!”

The first miles were, and always are, a blur. I knew the course had miles of uphill followed by miles of downhill. Who knows, maybe it was the other way around. I was, once again, struck by the subtle climbs throughout the race. It was one after the other. The crowd support, aid stations, and bands were somewhat distracting.

I had a goal of staying within a given heart rate at certain points in the race and I achieved that. At Mile 16 I was starting to rethink my game plan and was visualizing putting it into another gear at Mile 22. Sadly, at Mile 19 or 20 my legs started feeling it and that no longer seemed feasible. What I do know … I was blessed to see Tamera at Mile 20 with the rest of the Pasadena Pacers. She greeted me with an opened pack of Sports Bean, a smile, and words of encouragement. She coached me for the next mile, by pointing out that I was still running and passing people. Hey, maybe I wasn’t doing so bad afterall J. Her words reverberated with me. (Tamera, you are awesome.)

I’d love to say the final descent was fabulous. Um … nope. However, the Lululemon ladies came out in full gear and spirit. I think some necks were tweaked that mile. Soon enough, the finish Line was just blocks away. “Oh, What a Feeling!” Medal?? Check! Finisher Photo?? Check! Mylar blanket?? Check! Animal crackers?? Check! Drop bag?? … Drop bag?? … DROP BAG?!!? … Check! Then it was a leisurely stroll back to the car so we could be en route to the after marathon par-tee. Chris Kim was kind enough to open her place to runners and cheerleaders alike. Food, friends and fabulous fun!! Thanks!!

So, I think the LA Marathon and I have finally reached an understanding. We like each other but there’s no love.