Ever since the holidays, my vacation to the Philippines, and the month nearing the LA Marathon, I didn't find the time to run/diet/train for the grueling challenge of 26.2 miles. Although it's completely out of character, perhaps I just didn't care enough to make the time... because even days prior to race day, I still kept making excuses to weasel my way out of it. It wasn't until my best friend and her mom yelled at me for backing out, did I gain the motivation to at least finish the course. With new long distance running shoes I bought at the expo, 150$ registration deep and bib checked out, I had no choice BUT to do it.
I've never considered myself as an active runner & 26.2 miles is not an easy thing to do. Truth be told, it was one of the most physically challenging things I've ever done. But the people were inspirational and the journey throughout LA was the perfect depiction of why I love this city so much. Here's why:
1. The runners - there were at least 30,000 running this race. But unlike the SF Nike Run (where atleast 90% are women), I saw everyone here... little kids, groups of high schoolers, the blind runners, slim and overweight runners, and my favorite the 85 year old couples. Not only did I see everyone from all walks of life, EVERYONE was motivating each other throughout the course. Everyone was so friendly, inspiring, & motivating. It made each step that much more bearable and got me through the worst parts of the course at Mile 14 to 18 (where the heat was just RIDICULOUSLY HOT). It was probably the ONE TIME I was wishing the SF gloom would come down to LA.
2. The cheering sections in each leg of the race was as diverse as it can get. From China Town, to Hollywood, to Beverly Hills, to West Hollywood ... this is truly LA. You'll find yourself running through Chinese drummers and dragon dancers then miles later in a squad of drag queen cheerleaders. The LA area has a whole set of cultural differences that it was quite the journey running through all of that in a couple of hours.
3. The Weather - I will complain about this due to the fact that I hate running outdoors when it's hot. More importantly, I hate sweating with clothes on. (If I could, I probably would've preferred to run naked). Battling the heat was the hardest challenge throughout this marathon. It was exhausting having to be under the sun and getting really bad tan lines. But HEY! That's beautiful, sunny LA for you! It was quite the scene when you'd be around the bend on your final mile and see Santa Monica Beach. My favorite area of all!
4. Running Meditation - This was a true testament of "trusting the process" & in this case, my body. Running marathons is definitely a mind over matter scenario. However, this was a great exercise to learn how to be super attentive to my body and its needs. If I needed to stop, I had to. I had to stretch before I completely cramped. Drink water before I became dehydrated. I became very good at enjoying the journey, taking things in stride, just worrying about the next steps, and being responsive to the struggles that happened "in the moment". I kept setting small goals for myself at each 5 mile mark. Somehow, I found myself at the 20 mile mark and realized how far I'd gone already.
My best friend knew that I'd follow through with my run and I wouldn't regret it. (She is my best friend for a reason!) Although I'd like to say I feel super accomplished, I wouldn't necessarily say I felt AS EMPOWERED as my previous half marathons. Maybe it was my emotional and physical investment put into this race (or lack thereof) making me feel this way. That or by some miracle and my ability to mentally rough through the pain, I was able to "get by". Nonetheless, in a million years did I ever think I'd ever complete a full marathon. But I can definitely say I successfully finished one & on my home turf!
Bucket List #204: Run a Full Marathon
