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?  

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth!!

So, yes it has been a while since I posted last, and I will try to give a running life update soon, but this post is more of a Christian life update.

I e-mailed a good friend today to share with him that I had been feeling kind of distant from God lately. I was feeling like prayer and devotion was more of a chore than a pleasant time with God. He suggested I prayer during a run...running and prayer...both excellent suggestions!

I started my run at a really fast pace (well "really fast" is a relative term; compared to my 10min/mile, 8:36 per mile is down right super sonic)...it was difficult, but not impossible. My mind realized that I could not maintain the pace for 5 miles, but my body ignored that reality. Despite the euphoria, or maybe because of it, I forgot to pray. As I was waiting at a red light I heard a faint voice, "I am with you" The second mile was slower, but still fast for me...all along the chorus of "I am with you," continued, and seem to increase with frequency. Then I came upon a crossroad; figuratively and literally. If I turned right I would cut 2 miles off of the 5 mile run I had planned, but I would have an amazing run pace. I chose to continue on the original route. It got increasingly difficult. There were several points I wished there were more red lights and then I realized, the "I am with you" chorus was gone. I labored on for a while and then turned to prayer;  the pace got a little easier...I wasn't really going faster, but I wasn't "chasing" an impossible pace either. Then all of a sudden, "I'm still here!"

In my conversation with God He made me realize that He was with me through out my run, just as He is with me through out my life...just because I feel that He is silent doesn't mean that He has left me alone to battle the difficult miles. It is in those miles where I need to turn to Him the most and in those miles I will learn and grow so much as a runner and as a person. So, yes, seminary is hard; balancing family, work, studying, running, sermon writing and a Laker game (everyone once in a while) is hard, but these difficult time will only serve to make me a better pastor...by helping me to realize that God is always there.

So, for now, my theme song is "Praise you in the storm" by Casting Crowns (minus the parts that talk about crying...guys don't cry, it's just our awesome leaking out!) knowing that God uses the storm waters to feed His plants and trees.

Hey, maybe I shouldn't post this...this might make a good sermon one day! 



Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”           Joshua 1:9
 

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!

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?!?!        

Running while sober? Preaching with chains.

I am always amazed by the things you see while running...there's the usual...road kill, beer bottles and more cigarette butts than you can count. Every once in a while you run you come across something unique...the credit card sitting in the middle of a parkway, the coyote in the middle of the city and the guy who was trying to help me avoid a RWI (running while intoxicated). During my run Friday night I came across a cyclist that motioned for me to slow down...not that I run that fast, but apparently he had something he needed to share...danger up ahead?...little Jimmy fell in the well?...with a serious face he warns me, "hey man, watch out, the cops have a sobriety check point ahead!". REALY?? Boy was I glad I got the heads up on that one!!

Church today was awesome. Talked about how Peter viewed his imprisonment as an opportunity to expand God's kingdom. His chains were not an obstacle, but instead they were an opportunity to evangelize to the guards. And sure enough...Roman soldiers helped to spread the message of Christ as they traveled throughout the Roman Empire. So what "chains" do we have that God can use?