LA Marathon 2013 - Part One

People wiser than me have said that a marathon is not conquered the morning of the race...it is conquered in the weeks and months leading up to race day. For me the LA Marathon had all of the signs of being a failure instead of a success. First I got sick...and not just a little cold that keeps you down for a few days...I had bronchitis...so from January 23 to February 23 I logged a total of 0 miles...big fat goose egg!! Instead of taking a rest week like most marathon training plans suggest, I was running 19.5 miles the weekend before the race..the first 18 miles were really good...but then about 1 ½ miles from home my foot started to really hurt...up to that point my run had been really good, so I just kept trucking on...I can run 1 ½ miles with a sore foot ram through my head over and over. Then next day it got worse...I was hobbling from the pain...in my semi-expert medical opinion I had plantar fasciitis...the pain was so intense I dared to ask that question no marathoner ever wants to ask - what if I really can’t run the LA Marathon? I decided that I would take it easy until the marathon...I ran on Wednesday and it hurt...the outlook was bleak. The day before the race I took a short leisurely run and experienced little pain...YEAH!! I was ready...or so I thought.

The alarm sounded and I bolted out of bed...since I had to be at the finish line to catch my 3:30am shuttle to the start line I was awake at a crazy hour. I dressed and walked out the door still feeling a little concerned about my foot. I walked as little as possible but in the hours leading up to the race the pain in my foot got worse and so I went through a cycle of trying to sleep, massaging my foot, tying my shoes at varying tightness and taking short walks to the restroom...in pain. Finally about 2 hours before the race I decided that I would stop the craziness and try to sleep as much as possible and completely ignore my foot...I also accepted that I would drop out if I needed to, but I would go as far as I could. I dreamt about being on a bus with sweaty and stinky runners that had dropped out of the race...and I was suddenly wide awake. The small crowd of runners in the bleachers in Dodger stadium around me had grown exponentially. I sat for a little while and tried to take in all of the sights and sounds...then I got up, turned in my bag and decided to go to the restroom one last time. Even the restroom line was an adventure..there was a group of Students Run LA in front and to the side of me in the restroom lines and they were stretching as they waited. The girl who was leading was like a drill sergeant...I almost felt guilty for not stretching with them. These kids had worked hard in the months leading up to the race and even minutes before they hit the street, they were doing everything they could to ensure they had a successful race - even if it meant shuffling forward in their restroom line as the simultaneously tried to stretch their hamstring. As I walked to the start line, with chatter ever where, the announcer talking non-stop, I said a little prayer, “You take care of the foot; I’ll take care of the running.” And that was it...in short order we were off into the streets of LA. I had never given myself permission before the race started to drop out; I felt that I would surely fail if I went into a race thinking dropping out was an option....but the reality was that there was no way I could run 26.2 miles with the pain I had felt in the hours leading up to the run...or could I?  

Los Angeles 13.1 - 2013 Race Review

So it has been exceptionally cold...for LA standards. The morning of the LA 13.1 half marathon the low was supposed to be 34 degrees. The day before I laid out clothes - pants, long sleeve undershirt, long sleeve shirt, thick socks, gloves, a hat I could throw away, and a trash bag. The plan was to wear the trash bag over my clothes until right before the start and then dump the hat as my head got warm. I arrived at the start way too early, so I reclined my seat and tried to take a nap...as the cold seeped into my car I would turn the heater on and then after a few minutes of the car off, I would be freezing again, so this was just not working. I decided it was time to head to the starting line and wait there instead. Maybe the race organizers had brought portable heaters...nope, as I got to the starting line, all I found were lines to the port-a-potties and shivering, shacking runners. I stayed close to a news van that was emitting a great deal of heat and then headed for the port-a-potties...It was almost warm in there, but the smell was none to pleasant...little did I know this was an omen of things to come. Most runners seemed to be huddled closer than usual at the starting line and I ended up close to the 2:15 pacer. As the race started I kept up with the 2:15 pacer and decided I would try to maintain that pace as long as possible. As we were running through Venice Beach, a homeless man turned to his friend and said, "man! These folks wanna die young!" Interesting that a homeless man had his own opinion of long distance running. We got to the 5 mile mark and the 2:15 pacer was just out of sight, but I thought that I couldn't be too far behind him...and then it hit me!! OH!! THE STENCH!!! Little did I know that the course would take us past a sewage treatment plant...and I guess business was good! At about mile 7, the 2:15 pacer long gone, I was now fairly certain that I would beat 2:30...but by how much?? As I got close to the end of the race two guys kept speeding past me and then walking...we went back and forth for about a mile and a half before the realized that they were basically keeping pace with a 41 year old. As the last mile approached I committed to finish with them, while maintaining a steady pace. They would dart in front of me, and then one would walk which encouraged the other to stop...their walks got longer which was good because my pace was slowing. At mile 13 the started walking again...mile 13!!! 0.1094 miles left and they decide to walk...so I shouted at them..."hey, don't let the old guy beat you!" and BOOM! They took off!! If they ever make a movie of my life I think the director will have me beating those two guys by inches...but in reality...they left me in the dust! But no matter...I got my PR! 2:21:32 was my official time...almost 20 minutes faster than my fastest half marathon. Next on the horizon is the LA Marathon, but before I can run from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica Pier, I get to log tons of miles. 

Eddie got run over by a Ford....almost!!

96 days left until the LA Marathon....you know what that means...pass the eggnog...I'll train later!! I decided, this morning as I skipped my morning run, that I really need to start training for the marathon...so of course instead of jumping up, throwing on running clothes and sprinting out of my house for a quick 2 miles before work, I leaned over and picked up the running magazine that was on the floor next to my bed. All day I felt like a slacker...I really should have gotten up...I really should have run....but noooooo! I chose the comfort of my nice warm bed. As the work day was coming to an end I had made up my mind that I would go for a 5 mile run....no...no...6 miles!! I need to tack on at least one guilt mile!! My ankle has had good days and bad days...I spent most of Saturday and about half of Sunday standing, so my ankle has been a little sore today, so the logical solution is of course to rest...maybe go for a bike ride instead of a run....nope...not me! I plan a 6 mile run. And then I even failed to wrap my ankle as a preventative measure before my run, so I will be icing my ankle for the rest of the evening. Things were going well for the first mile and a half and then I got to the City of Downey. I never realized that the City of Downey was so adamantly opposed to sidewalks...and street lights. I realize that we are very spoiled in the LA area with the abundance of sidewalks, but it was surprising to find so few sidewalks in such an affluent area. Oh well...all the weaving and dodging just made the miles go by faster. I was near the 5 mile mark when I saw a bright lime green car (Ford calls it a Fiesta sedan in lime squeeze) approaching at a high rate of speed. The driver was slowing, but my quick mathematical calculations determined that she would not slow down in time to avoid hitting me...so I adjusted my pace until I was certain I would allow her to pass in front of me...then she swerved...RIGHT AT ME! UGH!!! Certainly she sees me...certainly she will stop....certainly....ouch...she hit me! Nothing major...just a little tap on the legs, but with enough force to make my upper body lung forward so now my hands were resting on the middle of her hood. Ok..ok...no harm no foul...but I realized that it was way to close for comfort and I also realized that I had zero identification on me. Had this been worse I would have been in the hospital without a name...and being in the hospital without a name is worse than being in the hospital with one of those gowns that has no back...yep...it's that bad. I usually run with my Road ID (go to roadid.com to check them out...they're great!), but today I just could not find it, so I left for my run with only a house key in my pocket...yep...never doing that again!
Despite the fact that I almost landed in the hospital (that might me a slight exaggeration) I feel like today is the real beginning of marathon training season...yeah...there is a whole season of marathon training! I'm really looking to improve my time from last year...which for most people wouldn't be too hard since it was a pedestrian 6:27:03 (Sorry Paul Ryan, if you run a marathon, you remember your time, even a time as slow as mine!), but for me, I was just happy to finish, and today's run was just one of many runs that will be the foundation for the 26.2 miles I run in March. Running a marathon isn't accomplished the day of the race...it is accomplished in the hundreds of miles training for the race...those 26.2 miles are just a victory lap....a very LONG victory lap!

On another note, seminary is going well...first quarter is done and so I only have 15 quarters to go! Yeah! Home stretch!! I am learning a great deal and have also realized that, just like a marathon, there are going to be high points and low points, but the goal is to keep a steady even pace...so I my average study pace is 10-15 hours of studying a week. This has really cut into...well, everything, so I am really trying to find a balance between work, family, and school...but for now I am taking it one week at a time and looking forward to Christmas break. God will provide!!

So, if it hurts to run, you should stop??

The dangers of running are certainly documented in newspapers, on the internet, etc. There are distracted drivers, large vehicles, dogs, and even a coyote, but nothing so far has sidelined me like a 2 inch gap in the concrete. I was walking my dog and she decided that the pace was too slow so we took off...it was great...her little legs pushed her faster than a dog that small should run...wind flowing through her hair, and pure joy on her face. But then it went bad...horribly bad! The pain was instant and intense as my foot turned in ways God never intended a foot to turn.Instantly I knew my mileage would decrease...little did I know how much!
I had no idea what a road block it would put in my training schedule. The plan was perfect. October 28th would mark the beginning of the real training for the LA Marathon 2013. The Rock n Roll half marathon would serve as a gauge for my fitness level. I was hoping to shave 20 minutes off of my best half marathon time, but realistically I was looking at shaving off 5 to 10 minutes. Still not shabby, right? Then I would use that as my base to train up for the LA 13.1 half marathon in January. Again, shooting to shave off another 10 minutes. By the time the LA Marathon rolled around I would be primed to shave off 30 minutes from my marathon time. Well, as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.
I did restrain myself from running for about a week...then again the dog wanted to run...so we ran a block. And it felt really good! Yet I was cautious...with only a week to go before the Rock n Roll half, this was no time to get brave. I rode my bike, but that did not seem to provide the sweet equity I was looking for. Then the Thursday before the Rock n Roll half I went for another walk with the dog. This one did not feel so good...in fact it felt pretty bad. Then the debate started in my head. Like to candidates stuck in an unending election cycle, my conservative side said I should give up hope of running 13 miles and my liberal side said I would be fine, just go ahead and run. After much consideration, and A LOT of ice on my ankle, I decided to run the Rock n Roll half marathon.
I started off great. I was well ahead of my goal pace and still feeling full of energy. I ran around the Coliseum lamenting the loss USC had to Arizona the night before, and yet I still found myself keeping a pretty steady pace, but as I was passing Felix Chevrolet a tindge of pain started to creep down into my foot and ankle. Oh well, only 8 miles to go...By the end I could hardly even walk, but I had come so far, that I could not stop. I hobbled across the finish line and I was quickly asked if I was ok. Soon there was a wheelchair and I was off to the medic. Certainly the most humiliating way to finish a half marathon.
So, now what? I guess it is true...if it hurts to run, you should stop...for a while at least, because the opposite is also true...it hurts not to run!

Mid-summer dream

It's been so long since I posted...where should I begin...in no particular order:

--Family - my daughter has graduated from high school and will be attending Concordia University, Irvine in the fall...if you consider August to be "in the fall." The family has been decked out in Concordia sweatshirts and other accoutrements, so we are prepared!! Except for the fact that she will be leaving us...the closer it gets the more we realize what a HUGE change this will be...HUGE!!

--Seminary - I have been studying my brains out (is that possible??) trying to pass my Seminary ELCEs - Entry Level Competency Exams. (For the HP fan think OWLs...but without a wand!). 3 tests on Christian Doctrine, Old Testament, and New Testament. Christian doctrine is done...passed! New Testament I missed by 2 points...and Old Testament I did really bad. You get 3 chances...so my focus has been on Old Testament and today was going to be the day...except for some reason the website says I can't take the Old Testament or New Testament tests again...ugh!! And I was all psyched up and crammed for it!! Now I have to call on Monday to get the admissions office to fix the program so it will let me take the test again...and that means, since I have to pass it before 8/1/12 I have to take it this week...during the week...after work...with a fried brain!! Everything else for seminary seems to be going along ok.

--Running - This has been a real bright spot lately. I have lost 14 pounds in about 1 1/2 months which has really helped my running. That and I took a couch's advise and started doing some sprints...thanks Coach Mike! It seems like ever time I go out I set a new personal best for that days distance...which is a real boost and incentive to go out and run again the next day! I have signed up for 2 races (Rock n Roll LA in October and 13.1 LA in January) in anticipation of signing up for the LA Marathon again...really...26.2 miles...again!?!?! I must be dehydrated! But it seems that the second half of this year is going to bring about lots of changes with me starting seminary and my daughter starting college, so maybe I am using running as my "constant" through these changes...I don't know.

And as we deal with the tragic news of the horrific events in Colorado I encourage you to make a conscious effort to tell the people in your live how much they mean to you. You never know how much time you have with them. My prayers go out to those that lost loved ones, to the family of this young man, and to the young man himself...may they all find comfort, forgiveness and understanding through Christ.

LA Marathon - Part 2

It has been difficult writing about the marathon...it's not a lack of material, to the contrary, it is an over abundance of amazing sights and feelings. Cheer alley that was so loud I could not hear the song playing on my iPod; passing a guy dressed as Jesus on Rodeo drive - 2 songs after "Jesus lead on" played, my friends Marty and Elaine at mile 18...I almost ran past them, and I don't think I said anything because I was already soooo tired- it was so nice to see them. And of course my pit crew at mile 15, who got me going again in little over 2 minutes-love my girls for all their support and sacrifice. Way too much for one blog post!
It may be cliche, but life is marathon, not a sprint. And after conquering the streets of LA in 6 hours and 27 minutes I feel like life holds no challenge I cannot overcome-with the help of God of course. Pain came and went, but at the mile 20 water stop my body decided my marathon was over...I was at a complete stop...not a single muscle was moving..,the first time i had been at rest in hours...and it felt GOOD! The majestical scene was broken when a lady ask me if I was ok..."sure" I said...and I continued on my trek to Santa Monica. I don't think I was really ready to continue, but I also didn't want her calling the medics. So I pressed on, but the question loomed...would I've really quit? Would I have really just stopped after months of training? Given in to my desire to stop the pain? These questions have haunted me since I crossed that finish line, but I honestly think I would have kept going...my marathon was not won that day, it was won in the miles I traveled through Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, La Mirada, Norwalk, Downey, Bellflower, and Long Beach in the months leading up to March 18th.
Indeed, the fact remains...life is a marathon, and for me the miles ahead hold the graduation of my daughter from high school, her first day at Concordia University Irvine and my first day of seminary one week later. Yes, there are still difficult times ahead for me, but I will overcome - I know where my strength comes from! So if you see someone at their mile 20, go ahead, ask them if they are ok...they might say that they are fine when it is obvious they are not, but you might be that voice that helps them keep moving.
Was that a blog post or a sermon? Maybe it was both. God bless!

LA Marathon - Part 1

On paper a marathon is nothing more than a person traveling 26.2 miles on their own feet. Nothing spectacular until you start looking deeper into how this affects the body and you look at the reality of how few people ever attempt this distance. A US study showed that 1 in 126,626 runners die from sudden cardiac arrest while running a marathon. Die...in a marathon...that seems to me to be a major effect on your body. This means marathons are more dangerous than playing football, scuba diving or even rock climbing. So it stands to reason that a small percentage of the population actually attempt a marathon. In 2011 approx. 518,000 runners finished a marathon in the US - out of a population of over 311 million. And while the exact number is nearly impossible to calculate somewhere between .1%-2% of the world's population has EVER run a marathon. I sure am glad I didn't research that data BEFORE I set off to run the LA Marathon - ignorance is bliss.

The days before the marathon I would obsessively check the weather report. 30% chance of rain, became 40%, which eventually topped out at 80%...wonderful, my first marathon and it's going to rain in LA! It took a few days, but soon I relented and began the planning process for a wet run. Trash bag vs. poncho. do I change shoes at mile 15? change shirts? Which shorts will keep the chafing to a minimum? So many questions to answer and only one run in the rain to use as a gauge. By the time I went to bed the night before the marathon it was almost certain that there would be either minimal or no rain, so the worrying was for not...at least it kept my mind off the marathon.

Everything was planned, prepared and packed as best I could...my wife was even armed with a race day packet that contained directions to drop me off at the start, directions to mile 15, and to the finish line...with full color maps and alternate routes. The traffic to the start was horrendous...are we surprised that LA traffic was bad?? So, I arrived at the start line about 15 minutes before the start...in a way it was perfect, no time to get nervous, no time to get cold...but almost no time to properly tie my shoes. The national anthem was great, the horn sounded for the elite women and the 13 minute countdown until we started was on. We shuffled forward trying to avoid puddles and discarded items as we went and before long I was under the start banner...iPod started and I was off on my adventure.

I knew that there would be people along the road cheering, but I never realized how many and how enthusiastic and generous they would be. The first few miles were mostly downhill which made them seem to pass effortlessly. At about mile 4 the biggest hill loomed ahead. I planned on walking the hill...I was feeling good and I wanted to run it, but I convinced myself to stick to the game plan.

Around mile 5 I came in full contact with the generosity and awesomeness of the people of LA. I have run half marathons in Culver City, Anaheim, Long Beach, and the OC, but I was not prepared for what was ahead of me. First it was one simple sign on cardboard..."Free Chili Dogs"...then another sign..."Free Homemade Chili Dogs"...then a third sign "Free Chili Dogs. Runners Only!" And then...there he was...a guy standing on the side of the road, small Weber grill in front of him, tongs in hand, and chili peculating on the side. If you overlook the fact that a chili dog at mile 5 of a marathon is digestive suicide, this was an amazing sight! This took planning! This guy felt he needed to help the people running the marathon and so he thought feeding them would help.....but what does he feed them??? Pretzels???...nah, not substantial enough...bananas???...nah, too slimy...Gummi Bears???...nah, too sticky....nope he decided that the best thing to feed marathoners running past him would be chili dogs...as I was passing this scene I couldn't help but chuckle as I noticed a young runner grabbing a chili dog...I looked to the guy running next to me and said, "that's not going to end well!" He responded, "Let's stay ahead of him." Good plan...and so I kept up the pace...

I was feeling good...probably better than I expected, but I knew the pain was waiting for me somewhere ahead...the only question was where...

Captain Obvious works for a fortune cookie company

No, of course I can't sleep! In 6 1/2 hours I will wake up to "marathon morning" but instead of getting super loaded on rest my body has decided it wants to stay awake...wide awake. Tonight I had Chinese to carbo load...after my belly was full of rice and orange chicken, I open the always insightful fortune cookie..."important events are in your future." Wow! Didn't see that one coming!
Tomorrow is going to hurt...there is really no way around it. Some have said that I can stop if it gets too hard, but I can't get on that bus...it is finish at all cost...any other attitude will certainly lead to failure. I am confident I will travel 26.2 miles tomorrow...it may take forever, but I will finish this race!
So, yes, tomorrow is an important event, but there is another huge event on the horizon..,in August I start on the road to becoming a pastor. That is really an important event! Does God really want me to be a pastor? I really think He does, so I'm taking that huge leap...I just wonder if God will put up mile markers for me.
Ok, I'm getting tired (as is probably obvious by the rambling) so good night Los Angeles...I will see you tomorrow!

Bridge over troubled waters

God never promises smooth sailing…He doesn’t say, “come and follow me, and I will make your life easy like macaroni and cheese.” Nope, not even on long runs. 22 miles is what I had before me Saturday morning (21.89 for you legalistic types)…the alarm was set for 5:30am for a 7am departure…½ hour snooze, ½ hour stretching and dressing, another ½ hour of procrastinating and I would be off! When I hit start on my iPod at 7:15 am it was already sunny out…like it was going to get pretty warm in So. Cal. I have started listening to music only on long runs, so actually made me go a little faster when “Groove I in the heart” came on…of course it was only the first mile, but I was feeling pretty good. Having suffered a few minor stomach issues on recent long runs I decided to start with water and mix in Gatorade as needed…this seemed logical until it became apparent that water travels through the system much faster than Gatorade…about mile 4 there was a nice big park, but after a few minutes of exploring, I realized that the nice people of Bellflower keep their park restrooms clean by keeping them closed on Saturday mornings…no worries…another restroom would come along soon...soon, right? 5 miles later in Lakewood I came across a park with an open restroom…just in time! Refilled the water bottle with lukewarm metallic tasting water and I was off again…I still felt good, the Shot Rox I was trying for the first time (yes, this will come back to haunt me!) were very tasty and the new knee brace seemed to be working well, despite the fact that I needed to tighten it every 2-3 miles…was my leg getting thinner??

About mile 11 it all turn bad…I suddenly realized that it was really pretty warm…and I had 2 sips of water left…but I’m on Carson blvd in the middle of Long Beach...not exactly the Sub-Saharan desert…surely there will be somewhere to buy a Gatorade…Smart & Final…nah, it will take too long…CVS, nope…too long…then came the critical error…I thought…yep, I thought there was a gas station at Carson and Palo Verde just as I would make my turn northward…that would be Carson and Los Cayotes Diagonal!!! So, now I started to panic…maybe I should knock on someone’s door and ask them if I can get some water from their water hose…would anyone find me as I tried to crawl over the next sand dune? Sooooo thirsty….water…Then there it was, like an oasis…a beacon of hope! 7-11!!! Interesting people at 7-11, but that’s a story for another day. Peanuts and Gatorade in hand I was off again. Then it hit me…a little at first, but strong every step I took…I was REALLY thirsty!!! I drank the last of the Gatorade around mile 17 knowing there was a CVS about ½ mile up the road…there I bought a water…again, super thirsty I guzzled 1/3 of it down. Next water stop was about mile 19…this time a Walgreens…and of course all of this water made me desperate for a restroom again…about that time my stomach started to rebel…it really wanted the run to be over, and boy so did I! It took longer than I had expected…much longer than I had wanted, but it was over. My last long run before the LA Marathon was in the books! I did end up “losing my lunch” about an hour after the run, so those Shot Rox will not be going to LA with me!

Am I ready to run 26.2 miles? I don’t know…22 is almost 26…I just worry about how long it will take me…will there even be a finish line when I finish??

After my run I found out a dear friend of mine had died a few days before. He had a heart attack alone at home and a neighbor found him 2 days later. I had 2 sermons rumbling in my head for that next day and as I stood in that church I realized that I needed to share my friends death with those their…to remind them how fragile life is and how quickly it can come to an end…and that we don’t need to despair in death…that the sin that separates us from God has been conquered…that Jesus took the sins of everyone, believer, non-believer, young, old, rich, poor…everyone and died for those sins upon a cross. And so I share those truths with you today. I miss you Nate.

Puffy Stray Cats

Smells are a part of running in LA...there is heavenly hamburger intersection - Carmenita and Telegraph - where the smells from Five Guys, In n Out and a hint of Jack in the Box mix to make a scent guys would pay $1000 for...forget about Channel #5...Burger#1!!! There are also the mom-n-pop Mexican restaurants that provide an irresistible enticement to skip the run and go straight for a chorizo burrito...and yes, there are often unpleasant smells, cigarette smoke, car exhaust, and way too many dog poop piles.
----Side bar - my dear dog owning friends...is it really that hard to pick after Fido? There is actually a fantastic new way of pick up your puppies digested delights, it's called a PLASTIC BAG!!----
My run this weekend took me along Leffingwell and as I passed La Mirada I was feeling pretty good. Having traveled over 5 miles, successfully taken my life into my own hands by crossing yet another busy intersection, and noticing the down hill ahead I was a happy camper....and then the smell. Subtle at first, but soon it became so strong that even mouth breathing couldn't stop the nauseating smell from entering my nostrils. I looked away briefly and then BAM!! Puffy stray cat!! The cat looked like it had been sucking on helium…fully intact, no sign of trauma (except the obvious fact that he was dead) paws up and disturbingly frightening. Words escape me to accurately describe the morbid scene, but trust me…it was pretty gross!

Proper path planning prevents a pessimistic persuasion - the 1 mile stretch of Colima between Whittier blvd and Mar Vista look simple enough on mapmyrun.com...there are no big red arrows or flashing signs saying "BEWARE!!" but there should be! Go ahead and laugh at me because I a) didn't remember how far Mar Vista is from Whittier (it's like a block, right?) or b) that I failed to realize it would feel so incredibly steep (7%)...ok, 7% may not be pike's peak steep (say that 10 times fast) but in the middle of a 16 mile run, 7% is a huge momentum killer. The turn onto Mar Vista was a brief moment of bliss…down hill as far as the eye could see, with my bad vision, that’s not very far, but it was a great sight none the less. Blister maintenance about halfway down helped me gain confidence in my ability to finish a marathon for a little while…because 16 miles is JUST LIKE 26.2!! Towards the end of the run, my optimism and bliss had washed away completely…after suffering from an upset stomach from mile 10 on (note to self – Fig Newtons are NOT a good running snack!), and having to stop for another Gatorade about 2 miles before the end, I kept feeling like I could have done better. My goal was to finish the 16 miles without dying…no real time goal, but after hours of mathematics while running, I had a “must finish by” time which came and went, draining any energy I had left. Late start, stomach issues, blisters, running up hill for a mile straight, chaffing and less than stellar liquid management made for a rough training run, but it might be exactly what I needed to prepare for March 18th…or additional evidence that I should have gotten a chorizo burrito at mile 2 and headed home.
I still don’t know if I can definitely finish the LA Marathon, but 16 is almost 18 and 18 is almost 20, so I am confident I can finish my last 2 long training runs…and they keep telling me that if you can run 20 miles, you can run 26.2, so I have nothing to fear, right?

Killing me with science

It is done…the last “checkpoint” run on my path to the LA Marathon is in the rear-view mirror. The surf city half marathon was fun…except for starting too late (in my humble opinion, 8:30am is far too late to start a race), no cups at the mile 7 aid station and no water at the mile 9 aid station…oh yeah…and there is that monster blister I started to develop at mile 3 and popped at mile 10 with such force that it might have skewed the rotation of the earth – NASA is still check on that. My time 2:44:03 was not my fastest (did I mention the nearly debilitating blister) but was within a comfortable range for an old man like me. The fact that I have no other race on the calendar hit me pretty hard right after the race. No buffers…nothing else to work towards…the next time I put on a race number it will have “LA Marathon” on it. So, the questions start racing in my head – Can I really run 26.2 miles? What am I going to do about blisters? Can I really run 26.2 miles? Water was an issue at surf city, should I carry water? Can I really run 26.2 miles? What if it’s really hot, should I wear a hat? Can I really run 26.2 miles? Will my iPod battery last 6 ½ hours? Can I really run 26.2 miles?

Part of my concern about completing a full marathon lies within the science of physiology – facts are facts, our body was not really designed to run 26.2 miles – especially my fluffy body. First you have glycogen – simply put this is the chemical that provides most of the energy used during prolonged exercise…but like anything else it has its limits, and for most of us that limit is 2-3 hours, so when you expect to finish a marathon in 6 ½ hours you are looking at over 3 hours of running on empty and the body does everything it can to stop you from running on empty glycogen stores. I guess this is something I will experience in my next 3 long runs (16, 18, & 20 miles), but something I am dreading. Pushing through the “Blister of 2012” incident helped to reinforce the fact that I can overcome adversity, but will it be enough to keep my body running despite it’s efforts to make me stop? I guess we will find out March 18th on the streets of LA.

Delusional & Dejected in the LBC

So many things in our lives are centered around numbers…our age, our height, our annual income, the cost of a pound of bacon…all numbers that affect our daily lives in their own special way.  For me, over the next few months all of my running will center around one number…26.2.  Yes, for reasons I still don’t fully understand, I have signed up to run the LA Marathon.  It all happened so quickly…I was strolling through the expo for the Long Beach Marathon (I ran the ½ marathon – report below), my nostrils filled with the scent of new race t-shirts and muscle conditioning spray when I came upon the LA Marathon table.  The nice lady was offering a free t-shirt to everyone that signed up at the expo…WOW!!  Free t-shirt!!!!  So, I turned to my 12 year old daughter…”what do you think, should dad sign up for the LA Marathon?”    “It’s up to you dad…you can if you want to.”   What conviction, what drive...with motivation like that how could I NOT sign up?!?!  So, with one swipe of my credit card my fate was sealed.  On Mach 18^th, 2012 I will attempt to travel 26 miles 385 yards on my legs…I have a feeling I might be a bit delusional – especially considering my Long Beach half marathon performance.

2 hours 30 minutes…2 hour 30 minutes…2 hours 30 minutes…this was my mantra for the first 9 miles of the Long Beach marathon.  The prep was good, I did a shorter long run, but my legs felt good the week before the run and everything seemed to be going ok…staying clear of odd food, drinking plenty of water, and getting plenty of rest.  The pre-race was pretty uneventful…and except for the uptight runners yelling at the guy with the dog in the stroller, it was pretty relaxed…considering there were 20,000 people jammed into a tight space.  (Did I happen to mention that running a race with a stroller is a kin to spitting in someone’s face? Just sayin.)  The first five miles went by well…on perfect pace for a 2 hour 30 minute finish…despite the fact that Famous Dave’s decides to start cooking those amazing ribs at 6 a.m…it took every bit of will-power in my body to run past Famous Dave’s without stopping for a quick half rack of baby back ribs.  Then I got to Denise and the girls…Katie jumping up and down, Denise taking pictures and Danielle peeking out from underneath her blanket as I ran by…such a great morale boost!  They almost made me forget I was developing blisters in both my feet. 

Half way mark (6.214 miles) time: 1:08:44 – average pace: 11:28 – perfect pace!  Then it was on to what I had expected to be the toughest part of the run….the 3 miles along the beach bike path…I had imagined a feeling of being in a desert, surrounded by sand, camels and searing heat…in reality, it wasn’t that bad…except for the blisters…oh and I started to feel sick…I really thought that if I stopped I was going to hurl…so the conversation started in my head…maybe getting it over and done with would be better…that was all I could think about for ½ a mile…hurl, don’t hurl, hurl, don’t hurl, hurl, don’t hurl, hurl, don’t hurl, hurl, don’t hurl,.  Unfortunately the increasing pain in my feet made the state of my stomach less urgent…and so it happened…after 9 miles of fairly consistent running, I started walking.   

The next 4.2 miles were wrecked with pain in my feet from the blisters and a decreasing urge to lose the previous night’s dinner plus I was starting to get dizzy.  Not an ideal running physical state.  I could feel 2 hours and 30 minutes slipping out of reach, which only served to further increase the feelings of dejection.   Then like a mirage in the desert, there was the hotel that marks mile 13…I was at mile 11, but I could already see it; or was I imagining it, either way, I decided to use all of my powers of persuasion to force my legs to run through to the finish…instead they rebelled…maybe I should have fed them some ribs at mile 5…2 hours, 43 minutes and 43 seconds after I crossed the start line, I stumbled across the finish line, I got my medal, my banana, water, and the kind of gross coconut water drink knowing that 26.2 miles is technically only twice as long as 13.1 miles, and yet it will require so much more than twice the effort…what have I gotten myself into?!?!