OMG OMG OMG It’s almost here! Trying not to shoot myself in the head so please please, add a song for me on my LA Marathon Playlist by clicking on the list link and joining the group. That way I won’t feel like I’m running alone… :
RSVP Here so people on twitter know who to cheer for. If you are interested in meeting up for dinner the night before the race, let me know as I am planning on organizing something. Can’t wait!
Me at Malibu Half Marathon
Although Southern California is not known for having a high concentration of runners, there are several world class races to choose from. The great weather year round helps too. Thinking of making Los Angeles or Orange County the place for your destination race? Here are top 5 picks.
Big Sur Marathon – Named one of Runner’s World’s top marathons to run a few years running, this is the most drool worthy course in California.
Surf City Marathon/Half Marathon/5k – One of my personal favorite races. Fast, flat out and back course mostly along PCH. Always sells out with a great race participation vibe.
Catalina Eco Marathon – This is race is on my hitlist. Really challenging trail marathon on Catalina island. (One of the few races in California that can boast about you being able to run with buffalo.)
Malibu Marathon – The course will kill your soul but the views of the beach and the water crashing over the rocks in Malibu will distract you from the pain of your soul dying. I LOVE this course. It’s a cool, hip local race to boot with some awesome locals who run it.
LA Marathon – Running from Dodger Stadium to the Pacific Ocean? Featuring majestic Los Angeles based landmarks this race is a must (plus you might see a celebrity or two).
I didn’t notice these folks last year, but it looks like local artists from Santa Monica’s 18th Street Arts Center will be participating yet again at the LA Marathon: complete with drum circle, costumes, bananas and personal cheering section. Fun! Although I personally don’t see myself doing it for a race anytime soon, I always find a good giggle and enjoyment from people who run in costume or elaborate outfits.
The most interesting thing about this particular group participation is that they got special permission from the LA Marathon to do a relay team of 6o people!!!
Imagine training for that kind of team.
[Source: Santa Monica Mirror]
People have felt compelled to tell me about their running excursions with an air of self belittlement. When things like “only a 5k” or “only a 12 minute mile pace” come up, I cringe involuntarily. Why even think like that in the first place? It feels like ages ago, but I still remember when I first started running. I used to cry most days when I was up running the trail at Westridge. Not cry from pain (although there was definitely a lot of pain), but cry from the frustration of having the pain in the first place, wanting to be back in my bed at 5am, the cold, the winded feeling in my lungs and the overall exhaustion. I cried because I wanted desperately to quit while at the same time I was deathly afraid that I would give up. This was how I eventually learned to train my mind to wander. I used to get through the worst of those runs by thinking about where I wanted to be… at the time I imagined myself bulldozing through the trail, leaping up the mountains and effortlessly gliding across the sky at dawn while the rest of the world slept.
Allison + Me (Surf City Half Marathon 2010)
The whole reason I had started running in the first place was to be able to get through a dark time in my life. I wasn’t who I wanted to be when I started, I felt that given enough time and effort, that I would figuratively and literally be able to catch up and run towards the person I wanted to be, someone with discipline, strength, endurance, agility, someone who could take pain and push through it. Someone who would always be able to break the tape and cross the finish line for any goal.
I made a trip up to that trail today for hill sprints. As soon as I started pushing myself up the climbs, I had flashbacks of some of the times that I would buckle and bend over in agony trying to catch my breath and although the small glimmer of accomplishment flashed across my mind, it wasn’t nearly enough. Although I have made significant (for me) breakthroughs in my running with regards to pace and half marathon endurance, the thought of double that distance is incredibly daunting.
My second marathon is 34 days away. Every time I think about it, my heart starts racing. Times like this, I know I have to take a breath and just do the mileage, don’t worry about pace, just go. Wear my heart rate monitor if it helps. Every mile is an accomplishment. Every single one. (That’s what I tell myself during a scary long run.) Tomorrow I’m holding myself to the 16 miles I’ve been putting off. I’m thinking about doubling up my long runs for the next two weeks, just to feel more mentally at ease about it – after my run today I felt pretty strong, so I think my body can handle it – well it better anyway.
