LA Marathon Race Report

Oh, it was good to be in Cali again.....it was so good to leave it as well. Before I start the re-cap of race events, I will leave you with this song, which I started out the race with...Enjoy

Centuries

Yes, I know, I listened to music.  I listened to music through the second half of my training.  I never usually listen to music when I run.  But, I did pick it up again this training.  Many reasons-mainly to get outside my own head and not think of the pain at times-when there was pain. So, the race report.

I woke up at 3:45 a.m. to start my routine.  Heat the Achilles, drink my drink, check Facebook...breathe....breathe some more.  I have to admit, I was nervous about this race.  Yes, every race there is some nervousness, but the heat factor of this race made me question crossing the finish line.  My first DNF?  Who am I, Ryan Hall? No..HAHA but, I knew that I had to play it safe with this race-we trained in much cooler weather and even negative degrees at times; so coming into 90 degree weather was intimidating.  I laid out my gear the night before..it's funny what will send a runner into a panic-"Where the hell are the safety pins...I picked up more at the expo..where the fuck are they?!...great..don't panic..go to the front desk..and pray to God."  However, I would have not finished and probably taken a DNF if I knew that T.O. was on the course.  How did I miss this! But, luckily I did.  I love him.

Amazingly, Kelli and I both slept really good the night before.  I think we wore ourselves out walking and thinking of the race...oh and stalking Heather Lieberg.  I was putting on my gear and Kelli got up and we finished our routines and getting ready.  We put on our old clothes we were going to donate-only to be sweating by the second block to the bus.  Pants off at the bus line.  On the bus we go to the start.

We got off the bus and I needed to find the gear check.  Then bathroom line..then we headed to the start.  I hugged Kelli, wished her good luck, then went to the side to start.  I met a nice Asian boy and we talked and that calmed my nerves.  The other thing I liked-it was just a enough time to do what we needed before the start.  In the NYC Marathon, it was such a long transport and wait that nerves set in, but it was good to watch the amazement of the NYC Marathon-which can never really be matched.

Horn goes off and we start.  Sweating by mile 1.  Okay, this is not good.  Stay calm and be smart.  I just told myself to stick to my hydration schedule.    There were more hills than I thought.  Which is okay because we train on hills a lot here.  The decent is brutal on the quads though.  It was amazing running through my old neighborhoods and areas I used to go to.  That made me smile.  Running through streets and people cheering or eating brunch cheering us on!  The community came out and had mist bottles, fruit, water and the most coveted thing ever-ice and Popsicles.  I will never take these things for granted again.  I remember running and looking over at a runner and she had ice and I was so jealous.  Where did she get that?!  Keep your eyes open O'Donnell!! Focus!  I then would grab ice and Popsicles and put them in my bra.  Once one canteen ( I had 2) was done with my electrolyte drink I used it to keep water in at the re-fill stations.  There was so many in the medical tents and on the side of the course-it was like watching a movie on a Ultra-Marathon.  I poured water on me as much as I drank it.  I tried to hit every and every hose that the fireman had going.  It was a shock of revitalization. I knew that pouring water on me would lead to chaffing with my shorts, but I picked the lesser of two evils-or so I thought until I hopped in to the shower and wanted to pee and cry at the same time. I saw Marc, Kelli's husband, at a point and waved.  It was so cool to have someone out there cheering for us.  I wondered where Kelli was as I saw the pacer by me at times.  I hope she was doing well.  I always swell in the heat.  I could tell my arm was rubbing my tank top sleeve and my fitness belt would leave marks letting me know it was there as well.  Even my calves were sweating because it was so hot.

Then as we were in the Century City section- it was hot and there was no shade.  I could tell that my body was telling me to take it more easy.  I walked more in this section and around the Veteran section.  As did many at this point.  But then around 20 I picked it up again.  It's only a 10k I told myself.  Keep moving your arms, keep moving your feet-even though it would be soon that they hurt. I put that out of my head and took in the crowds.  I thought of my dad who just walked a 10k in a race the day before, I thought about my mom tracking my progress at home, and my friends who trained with us and everyone we care about cheering for us back home.  I would be lying if every time I do a marathon that I don't think about Luke Roach.  My Carroll family will know exactly what I am talking about. I always dedicate one mile to that man. But, for others,here is the link:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-01-07/news/0201070002_1_heat-stroke-heat-illness-medical-examiner

I started my Garmin at the first line at the beginning-thinking that was the start-so my Garmin was a bit ahead.  But once I was coming off mile 25 and rolling down to 26 I could see and feel the breeze of the ocean.  I am almost there-stadium to the sea is the motto of the LA Marathon-we start at Dodgers Stadium.  I picked up the pace a bit but slowly carried it in-feet hurting and all. Of course right before the finish my empty canteen fell out of my fuel belt on to the ground.  I had to grab it as fast as I could and finish.  At that point, fast is not fast.  Fast is hoping you can get back up.  And I would just like Marathon Photo for those great shots.  I finished!!! I made it to the gear check and took off my shoes-ok, not bloody, a few blisters, have all my toenails-some were black though.  The tiny toes-damn downhills!!  Flip Flops on and headed to meet Kelli.  I waddled up to the finish hoping to see her finish, but I missed her.  The finish seemed so far far away from the gear truck.  But we met in the beer garden.  We sat down and enjoyed our free beer. We did it.  We finished and we did it in extreme heat, so we get more badass points for that. Kelli told me that if she had her phone in the beginning she would have called her husband to get her.  She was lightheaded.  I am proud that she stuck it out.  That we can both wear (and milk) our medals!

Nice salt stain on the shorts

I was a little more sore than NYC the next morning-but guessing that is from the hills and heat. Nothing Aleve and rolling didn't fix.  This was marathon #2 for both of us.  Glad I could train and do this with a friend.  It was a fun-honestly it was. And like every race, you wonder why the heck you signed up for this torture when you are in it and once you cross the finish line you wonder when you can do another.