Why Run a Marathon?

With no experience. With no training. And without ever running more than 2 miles in my life. In the year 2000, I decided that I wanted to run in the 2001 Los Angeles Marathon!

This experience had such a dramatic impact on my life that I had to sit down and write about it. Since then I have completed 3 full marathons, 10 half marathons and a lot of shorter 5K and 10K races.

"WHY RUN A MARATHON"

Immediately after completing the Los Angeles 2000 Acura Bike Tour, I decided that I wanted to run a Marathon. This life inspiring decision was not made based upon an existing dedication to the sport nor was it based upon my seasoned experience as a an avid runner. The fact is, I have never run for more than 2 miles in my life. So then . . . “Why run a Marathon?” In the end, the answer to this question was not what I had expected it to be.

It wasn’t difficult to convince my friend to run the marathon with me. Afterall, she was an established runner. We decided to make the commitment and train together over the next nine months. Our goal, the “Los Angeles Marathon, March 11, 2001.” 26.2 Miles?”

First, I wanted to educate myself. Even if I had never run before, I knew that it was not something you just did! I went to the nearest bookstore to buy a running book. After nearly 45 minutes of thumbing through rows and rows of “How to Run” instruction books, I found the perfect book for me. The running schedule and training pace best suited my skills and my schedule. It required a 16-week training commitment, four days a week, with one being a long run. It covered such topics as mental visualization and strengthening, health and nutrition, injury prevention, cardiovascular cross training and fitness education.

Since my friend had been running for years, I realized that I had some catching up to do. I decided to do my first race on my own. I signed up for the 4^th of July Village Runner 5K, which I quickly learned, was the running world’s definition for 3.1 miles. The 10K is 6.2 Miles, Then there is the half marathon at 13.1 miles and the marathon at 26.2 miles. You get the idea! Being the history buff, I was fascinated to learn about the origin for the Marathon race. I won’t bore you with the details, since it is repeated in almost all marathon-running books. All I know is that 26.2 miles is a long, long, long distance. By the way, it took me 40 minutes to complete my first race (3.1 miles/5K). That’s a 12.9 mile per minute pace. It's funny how a few seconds is meaningless to everyone but runners. If I bettered my time by even a minute or even a few seconds, it is actually a pretty big deal!

Okay, so this wasn’t exactly the speed of sound. I had to remind myself that my goal was to finish the marathon. Not to break any world records.

The next thing I did was to invest in a good pair of running shoes. For those who think that the sport is inexpensive you’re very mistaken. A really good pair of shoes can run up to $100 plus. When I found a pair that I really felt comfortable in I actually bought 8 pairs. The bonus, they were on sale for half price. This turned out to be a really smart move. You see, shoe styles frequently change over a short period of time. And oh yeah! The constant pounding of running will cause your shoes to wear out within a matter of 4-6 months at a time. The shoe that I liked became outdated in only two months. Finding the right pair of shoes can be difficult, so when you do find a pair you like, buy more than one pair. Invest and buy two or three pairs (if you can afford to). It will be worth it in the end.

Then there is the running apparel. I am not one to try to look “cute” while running. Afterall, after a few miles, nothing that you wear will keep you from the “tired and exhausted look.” I always run in lycra running (bike) shorts and some cool max loose and light fitting tops.

Another tip for running is to know your routes. As a female, this was an important factor. I identified two mid week routes for my short runs that incorporated flats, hills, lighting and safety. In the long runs, my friend and I identified a route along a popular Southern California Beach path. It started at Hermosa Beach Pier and went north to Marina Del Rey. The path was mainly flat with a few slight inclines. Another factor was the ample and strategically located restrooms along the route. VERY IMPORTANT! More so for the longer runs.

The next running event I did was the “Keep LA Running 10K,” which I did on my own. The day was really hot and I remember running really slow. As I was inching my way along, I heard the finish line announcer congratulate the winner of the 65+ female division. She was 25 years my senior. I suppose I could’ve gotten really down on myself for being slower than someone who was practically twice my age, but I was actually inspired and motivated by that thought. I felt that if she could do it, there is absolutely no reason why I couldn’t do the same.

My friend and I settled into a routine of getting together just on the weekend to run the required long run. We stuck to the book’s schedule and signed up for several races to include a few 10K’s and the Long Beach, California Half Marathon in November. During all our runs we averaged about a 10-12 minute per mile pace. This isn’t “lightening” speed, but our goal was to finish the marathon and secondly to do it in less than 6 hours. This was the cut off time before the official marathon route was to re-open the course to traffic.

The most difficult period of my training (besides running) was definitely the time commitment. As the weeks went by the number of required miles that I had to run to establish that “base” running increased. Although the training prepares you through its slow gradual increases, it was still tough to do. At some point the mid week training was up to 8 miles. This took some effort on my part to stick to the schedule, because of the West Coast’s day light savings time. It got dark so early that I had to take off work an hour or two earlier just so I could complete my 8 mile midweek runs. I had to make sure to eat a high carbo diet during the most difficult part of the training.

There were days when I had really excellent runs. The book called it having a “Great Run” or being in the “flow.” I had very few of those . . . but when I did it was pardon my pun, great! Our runs increased from 8 to 10, 10-12, 12-14, 14-16, and 16-18. My friend and I decided to run at least one 20 mile long run just for good measure. Everything that we had learned indicated that runners could hit the “WALL” at mile 20. We felt that we needed to run a 20, so we could experience how the Wall might feel like, so we could learn to work through it. You might want to call it a “dress rehearsal.” I think I hit it?

During the 20 mile run, it rained off and on. It was the first time I had to run in the rain. And actually it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was cold and windy but manageable. Since it rained heavily during last year’s marathon, we thought this experience would prepare us in case it should rain this year. Because RAIN or SHINE, we were doing this race. By now, running has taken a toll on my lower back and feet (calluses). They don’t call running high impact for nothing.

Two weeks to go and we have reached the “tapering” stage. This was really the best part of the training for me. I had been looking forward to this phase since we first began. The only thing that I had to do now was to avoid getting sick and staying injury free.

MARATHON DAY

The night before the marathon I made a “TO DO” list. I had everything ready. I picked out my clothes, I pinned the BIB number to my shirt, I made sure that I had the car keys pinned to my running pouch, I put water and bananas in my car, I put band-aids, money, callous cushions and Tylenol in my pouch. I left nothing to chance. The weather was unsettling. It had been raining very hard the entire week and all weather reports indicated a 95% chance of rain and “hard” rain to be exact. Even my friend was showing signs of concern. We chatted the night before about the possibility of bad weather for the race. In the end, we did all we could to prepare and just had to accept whatever mother nature had in store for us.

I woke up around 3:00 a.m. Call it anxious or call it nervousness. My friend and I wanted to get there an hour early. While we were loading up my car, a lady was just walking by as we were getting ready and asked us if we were running the LA Marathon. When we replied yes, she said that was terrific and wished us luck. Of course, we were accepting all the well wishes that we could. After practicing our “finish line pose” for the cameras, we were off to the race. I turned on my car stereo to play the special cassette tape that I had especially recorded for our trip. What else but the theme song from the movie the “Chariots of Fire” and “The Eye of the Tiger” from Rocky. It pumped us up. It looked like it was going to rain, but that didn’t damper our excitement. Luckily, the marathon organizers put emergency plastic rain ponchos in our goodie bags.

As we neared the downtown area, our heart started pumping. It was getting quite exciting. We found a parking lot as near as possible to the start line area. It was really a cool feeling seeing everyone else preparing for the run. A sense of “runners camaraderie” filled the air as everyone was stretching, drinking fluids, eating power bars and testing their two-way walkie-talkies. I was trying to enjoy this moment. This is what I have worked really hard to do and I was going to enjoy every minute of the “hoopla.” We walked through the plaza and made our way along with everyone else. As we strolled near the finish line area there were several vendors already set up. It was really cold and brisk so we made a pit stop. We found the 10:00 minute pace marker and just started to hang around. It started to drizzle, so we decided to put our raincoat on. This was a big mistake. I took it off only two blocks into the run.

There were thousands of people as far as the eye could see. At this point I really wished that I had brought my camera like I had intended. There were so many photo opportunities, like the three Elvis impersonators or the Banana Runners.

I could barely contain my excitement as the runner’s gun finally went off. My friend and I began to walk, as the crowds were too thick to attempt to run. There were so many runners, that it took nearly 8 minutes just to cross the start line. I remembered feeling a sense of “pride” as I passed the cheering crowds and looking around at the other runners. As we got about two blocks down it began to thin out and we began to slowly run.

It was really hard to contain my excitement, but I was careful not to start out too fast. The crowds were cheering and the lyrics to the song “We Love LA” could be heard in the background to another roar from the runners. It was a feeling that I never want to forget. I can understand why people run marathons over and over again. Why athletes make sacrifices in their lives for their sport. Part of it is your own sense of pride and accomplishment; the experience and joy of the spectators; and feeling the energy and enthusiasm of the race event.

It was about 5 miles into the race and I started to put my race face on. I started to focus more. Of course, my friend was the complete opposite. The “Energizer Bunny” was my nickname for her. She was super pumped. She started running in and out and waving for the cameras, zig zagging through the crowds. I found myself caught up and also pumping my hands up in the air and waving at the cameras. What a “dork” I was, but I didn’t care. This was fun. Since it was a Sunday, there were several church groups singing along the way and giving the runners “spiritual” energy. The crowd would yell out “Amen!” Little did I know that I was going to need their spiritual support later in the race . . . say around mile 21! Soon, I knew that I had some work to do, so I settled in after the first 5 miles. Now the work begins!

I remembered as we ran through neighborhoods there were children smiling from ear to ear and sticking out their little hands to invite “high-fives” from all the runners as they whizzed by them. Their faces lit up each time a runner gave them a high five. People were hanging out of their windows and blasting their stereos for the runners. It was so cool! This was by far one of the most fun and memorable part of the marathon for me.

I got my first blister at mile 6. While my friend took a bathroom break, I slipped a Band-Aid on my blister, which had already begun to bleed. This was not good I thought to myself. But I continued to think positively. It really wasn’t hurting yet, but I didn’t want it to get worse. I lost my friend at mile 9, when I followed a young couple into a fast food restaurant to use the restroom. Anything to avoid a porta potty sounded like a good idea to me. Although I will miss running along side of my friend, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with her. I will just be glad to see her at our pre determined meeting place near the finish line. While in line for the restroom, I tried to fix my blister. The young couple that I followed saw what I was doing and started to give me some helpful tips to relieve the pain. I was very appreciative. I was surprised to see a few young runners buying a value meal to eat. Amazing, I thought to myself. Eating was the last thing on my mind. Must be an age thing.

Then of course not a mile went by when I had to make a pit stop! Well, let's just say that it was a very cold and windy day! While I was standing in line, one of the banana runners stood next to me. Naturally, I couldn’t resist. I asked him how he was doing . . . running in the banana suit. He politely said just “fine, except when having to use the bathroom!” A group of us heard his comment and began to chuckle. It was a light moment, one of many where in all the pain and agony, you could find the human spirit come together to just “laugh.”

As I neared mile 19, I was really struggling. I think this marked the moment when I began to practice my mental strengthening and visualization. The body was beginning to weaken so my mind and heart had to take over. I remember my blisters beginning to throb and if that wasn’t enough my lower back was in so much pain. I began to see people struggling and stopping on the side of the road to fix their shoes. I wanted to do the same, but decided not to. I knew that if I stopped to sit and take off my shoes I would never be able to put them back on and re-start. I kept going. By this time, I am relegated to a snail’s pace. There were several hills and my snail’s pace was becoming more like a shuffle. I came across a lady who handed out cookies to the runners, which I thought was really nice. Maybe this would give me a sugar rush. I took a little bite. Unfortunately, by this time my stomach was pretty messed up. I felt that if I ate this cookie I would develop stomach problems and that was the last thing that I needed. I put the cookie in my pouch and continued on, hunger pain and all.

Hitting the WALL!

Then at Mile 21, “IT” came. I hit the proverbial “WALL.” I had heard about it, I had read about it and now I was actually experiencing it! And it was nothing like what I thought I had experienced in our 20 mile rehearsal run. I started to get teary eyed. My body was not cooperating no matter what my mind was telling it. I used every positive thought and mental visualization technique that I could think of to keep going. AND I DID!

As I reached McArthur Park, I saw a bit of the City’s skyline. Out of nowhere, I found more energy and began to run a little faster. As I ran up a little hill, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of joy and relief. The end was near. I started to get teary eyed again, but this time it was for a good reason.

I came across a lady on the side of the road. At the very top of her lungs, she humorously yelled out encouragements to the runners. I think that she was a professional comedian. She was so entertaining and enthusiastic, that a group of us burst out into laughter. We all spontaneously started to applaud back at her to show our appreciation for making us laugh.

Nearing the Finish!

The crowds were beginning to thicken again and I heard their cheers. I thought to myself, “THIS IS IT!” As I ran over another hill, I saw a big jumbo TV screen and a crowd of people cheering. The screen was replaying the marathon winners. I felt so proud of myself as I was actually running down the same path as these gifted athletes. There are no words to describe how this moment felt. The crowds were really heavy. I glanced to each side and saw people smiling, clapping and cheering me on. (Well, me and the other 20,000 runners, of course!)

I was filled with so much joy and excitement. As I turned left onto Flower, I looked up and the crowd slowly began to blur . . . and at this point, the only thing in focus were the words, “FINISH LINE!”

All those months of training, all the pain! I raised my hands straight up into the air as if I had just won an “OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL” and yelled out “I DID IT! YES, I DID IT”.

Crossing the Finish Line!

As soon as I crossed the finish line, a volunteer congratulated me and put a finishers medal around my neck. Five seconds later a sudden rush of pain quickly kicked in. Another volunteer ran up and put a space blanket on me. I felt numb with pain. Volunteers directed me to the people who were responsible for removing the timing chips off of our shoes. As I bent down to untie them, the volunteer said to me “don’t worry honey, I will do it for you” . . . I wanted to cry . . . and I did!

So to ask the question again, “WHY RUN A MARATHON?” Did I do it for the challenge? Did I do it for the thrill? Did I do it for the athletic accolades? The answer, I did it for the “JOURNEY.”

Sometimes in life, you really don't know what you are capable of accomplishing until you give it a try. At the lowest point of my race, I had to search deep within myself for some inspiration to keep going! And what did I learn? I realized that the greatest achievements in life are found not necessarily in the final outcome itself, but in the journey.

Training for and running in a marathon can in some ways mirror life:

To ensure my success in the race: I made a commitment and I dedicated myself towards that goal; I learned all that I could; I worked hard; I appreciated the kindness of others and returned the gesture whenever I could; I kept inspired during the high moments and stayed positive during the lows; I willed myself through the most difficult times; I kept a strong heart and a determined mind; I enjoyed each moment of the experience and knew how to have fun and laugh; I learned how to be part of a “team” of fellow runners and of a community that supported one another; I did the best that I could and I never, ever gave up!

This race is dedicated in memory of my mother

ROSE

“Always an inspiration in my life”

I crossed the finish line in

5:57:49