Sunday, March 27, 2011

Never Question A Runner's Heart

Completing my 8th straight LA Marathon was a huge thing for me. I could not imagine ten years ago that I would even run one marathon. Running was never my strong suit in junior high or high school. My running really consisted of running up and down the basketball court. Being embarrassed and completely demoralized after finishing the first LA marathon may have something to do with why I am still going.

You could not write a story like mines or maybe you can, after all this is Los Angeles. I crossed that finish line in 2004 and felt like someone hammered both my feet with a sledgehammer. My feet ached and my legs were so sore from cramping up at around mile 7 and all I could do was sit after crossing the finish line. Though I was exhausted, I was so honored as the medal hung from my neck. I really wanted to get over to see my dad and show him the medal. I told him I would run the marathon in his honor because he had battled colon cancer for at least three years and I figured if he could battle cancer, I could battle too for a few hours but at that moment, I just wanted to go home and sleep. When I tried getting up the next day, it was like I had been run over by a truck several times. My phone repeatedly rang but I ignore it. I finally answered my phone thinking it was just people calling to congratulate me on the marathon but it was my mom telling me my dad had passed away during the night.

Short lived was my accomplishment. The only memory I had from the marathon was my purple toenails and my bruised calves and hamstrings. I took my first medal and I hung it around my dad’s neck because he earned it for his battle. It was at that moment that I knew I would be back the next year running the race again. The race really became an anniversary for me, and the passing of my dad. I looked at as a day to pay homage and to go out there and give everything I had because no matter how much pain my dad was in, he just kept going and when he wanted to give up I wouldn’t let him.

Sometimes people do not understand the passion that runner’s have for running. I have lined up the past eight years of the LA Marathon, one time with the flu, one time with a fractured big toe, and this year after a 3 month break from running because of 3 cysts in my left knee and at no point before the marathon did I believe I would not run the race but it is funny that every person who is folded into their sofas criticize those who have a goal bigger than the sofa. When people cannot see themselves doing something that someone else attempting to do, it is called crazy or stupid. That couldn’t be more the case this past Sunday when legacy runner James Smith refused to stop after falling and hitting his head around mile 24 of the race. With a horrible gash on his head and bleeding like crazy, Smith was determined to finish the race at all cost. After he somehow summoned the resolve to continue on to the finish his twenty-sixth straight LA Marathon, he was taken to the hospital to treat what was a subdural hematoma.

Stupid and crazy is what most replied about his decision to carry on in the race. These comments obviously came from people who have no concept of what it means to commit to something and no matter what obstacle they face they get it done. Being a legacy runner is not just and everyday thing. Running every single LA Marathon since its inaugural race is priceless and for him to come so far to think he would just quit is beyond comprehension. His passion, his drive and his desire to keep his streak going is motivation for me but it also validates the reasons why I continue to line up each year no matter what. People set a precedent for all types of things and you follow their lead or make your own way but to criticize them means you have yet to understand what life is all about.

Competitors compete while the critics just watch.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

LA MARAPOUR

We train, we diet, we deal with injuries all year long but somehow someway we find a way to make it to the starting line of every race we sign up for. Training prepares you for the race but one thing you cannot train for is mother nature. Feeling 2 months short of being physically ready to run the marathon on Sunday, I laced up my shoes and my grabbed my gear and got ready regardless of what type of shape I was in. I had worried all week about rain but Wednesday’s sunny upper 70’s weather made me think that it would be another year where every runner worried about rain and we would all overdress and then the sun would play its normal trick on us by popping out when we least expected it to, causing many to dehydrate before even reaching mile five but with dark clouds looming all around dodger stadium, we could have only hoped for the sun to bless of for a few miles.

As the race began, Elizabeth and I hung back or I should say I had to run to the bathroom again. I think I hydrated too well because I made at least 4 trips to the bathroom before the race began. I figured there was no rush considering we have timing chips. By the time we jumped into the pack, fifteen minutes had gone by. This landed me amongst the slower runners and walkers, which was just what I needed. My plan was to walk and run the race because with only a month of training, there would be no way in hell I would be able to successfully be able to just haul ass from the start to finish without completely falling apart by mile 8. I also planned to take pictures along the route because I had always admired the view of the crowd from within the crowd. I figured I would make an adventure of the race by carrying my camera. I also realized that I may have had too much stuff. I had a carrying pouch for my ipod, camera, gum, and other stuff, then I had a hydration belt with only two of the four bottles with fluids.



From the start, I knew there was trouble. The timer on my brand new watch wouldn’t even start. I had no way of even keeping an accurate time on my walk breaks but I just went with the flow. The drizzling had already began but I figured this is what we would have to deal with the whole way. I had a plastic poncho over a broncos sweatshirt, over a dri-fit short sleeve shirt. I felt like I was warming up so I ditched the broncos sweatshirt and no soon as I did, the drizzle picked up to rain. I have run in rain before so it was no big deal but by the time I hit mile 4, the rain turned into showers. Showers turned into more showers and before long, I knew we all were in for a test of our endurance and will to deal with the extreme conditions.

My legs felt heavy, and my energy level just seemed non existent but I stuck to my plan. I walked when I needed to and when I felt like running, I ran but I still felt sluggish and heavy. I knew it had to be my hydrations belt. I had no choice to take it off and ditch it. It made me feel lighter and by the time I hit mile 8, I knew I was on a roll. I picked up the pace and really got into a good rhythm. The streets progressively began to look like flowing rivers and it became impossible not to slush through floods of water which were basically at ankle level. My feet were never dry after mile 8. The one rule in running a marathon is to do your best to keep from getting your shoes wet. That completely went out the window. I didn’t worry so much about it because I’d covered my feet with Vaseline so my feet and toes felt good.

As the rain hammered down, it became increasingly difficult to take pictures because my hands were dripping wet. I could barely control my ipod. My cheap poncho caused me so much grief because the hood kept coming off, so I had to tie a space blanket around my neck to keep my hood from falling off. I was starting to look like a bag person but in conditions like this, no one cared about looking good except for the few idiots running without shirts as if it was 90 degrees outside. Apparently thousands of other runner’s didn’t get the message that running for more than hours at a time with little to no clothing in conditions such as these can be dangerous. Everywhere I looked there was someone looking like a popsicle. This would explain the countless amounts of people being treated for hypothermia after the race.

When I got to the 18 mile area, I really fell into a groove. In my mind, I knew 8 miles separated me from the finish line and my eighth straight completion of the Los Angeles Marathon.

There were not a lot of thrills to this race. With visibility at a minimum, the only real goal was finishing the race. When I crossed the finish line, I was proud and relieved. I finally stuck to plan. I knew that I could have run a bit faster and I could have finished with a better time but knowing that I was able to successfully execute a plan feels so much better. I felt so good after the race I ran another mile and a half to the car and I didn’t even feel tired.

I admire all those who stuck with it on Sunday from the runners to the volunteers. Runner’s run regardless of the conditions. It’s what makes us better runners. I’m hoping Sundays race can get me jump started for the upcoming running season and I have plenty of ammunition for next year’s marathon.

Pictures coming soon..

Stay dry

Sunday, March 6, 2011

I Can Do A Marathon before Wilson

If you want to know what the definition of hard is, throw out the dictionary and head to Mount Wilson. After really being off my feet from running for about three months, I’ve tried to jump start my running with an accelerated training plan to get ready for the LA Marathon coming up in 2 weeks. I began running home from work 2 nights a week. I’ve hit just about every trail in Los Angeles to get the proper hill training and to increase my endurance but it has been nothing short of hell. With at least and extra ten pounds to deal with, my runs have been hard and slow. 3 mile runs seem like 6 and my 5 and a half mile runs from work have me running straight to the couch to just catch my breath. Coming off of a layoff of any kind can be very difficult but I have no choice to keep pushing through these difficult times so what can be more difficult than trying to get some training done at Mount Wilson? I am not sure but right now, I am inclined to say nothing.

With very little rest thanks to a hell of a week at work, I knew it would be a challenge waking up to do anything on Saturday but I managed to get up at 6:40 a.m. We arrived at Mt. Wilson about 8:20 and hit started about 8:40 and by that time, the sun was already letting me know I was in for trouble. I hiked Mt. Wilson once and that was last year on one of the hottest days of the year and I suffered the entire way up. I forgot to mention that it is a 7-mile trek to the top and of course that means 7 miles back. 14-miles really feel like18 when you are done. Last year, I was in pain the whole way up. I walked at a snails pace but somehow made it but forgot about the 7 miles back and tried running. I managed to go strong until a portion of the trail my legs cramped so bad that I’d wished I were dead. I was in so much pain after doing the trail and my legs were essentially crushed for a week.

So what did yesterday hold? Not much because I started out feeling sluggish and slow and knew my legs were not in the mood. After 20 minutes, I began to feel like I did last year. The sun was unforgiving and the first mile or so provides no shade. I tried upping the ante by running a bit which makes you look psychotic because everyone else is walking and struggling. I was only able to run about five minutes here and there as my legs began to really drag down. I just began to walk, take breaks, and hoped I could find some energy somewhere. I carried a bottle of water and had Gatorade in my side water bottle and before I knew it, I drank all my water. With over 4 miles to go to the top, I knew I had to conserve my Gatorade. Mt. Wilson challenges you, then it challenges again, then again. There were points where I just wanted to turn around and go back but this is when I remembered what it feels like to be in the late miles of every marathon. You start to doubt yourself. The Miles don’t come as fast as they did in the beginning and your body just wants to go back to bed but you can continue to go and hope your body goes with you or you can give up.

With views that were just stunning, I continued to push on. I’d pick up and run a little bit, then I would hit a portion of the trail where I had to walk. A lot of trails challenge you with inclines that do not stop but this trail breaks the barrier. At some point you are 3 and a ½ miles in and it seems like the trail gets steeper and steeper. At some point I felt like I was being pulled backwards. One of the key factors to this trail is that there are rocks everywhere in trail that adds to the danger factor. There are trees that have fallen and lay in the middle of the trail so you have to conserve your energy and strength to climb over and under as they block the path. Most of the trail, I found myself mumbling. I think most of it was just trying to tell my mind to keep going. It seemed like there was a stretch on the trail where I felt like I was barely moving but I’d come upon another hiker just in front of me and even though I didn’t ask them to move over, they did which always put pressure on me to not only go in front of them but to keep up a faster pace. I just kept summoning the energy but when I finally made it to the 5 and a ½ mile spot where you rest and check your mental status before continuing to the top, I just could not go any further. I was mentally and physically drained so I elected to turn around and go back. I know my lovely companion that day was disappointed but I just couldn’t keep up with her. Sometimes you have to concede and know when you have been licked.

In my only attempt to regain some respect, I took the challenge to run back down the entire 5 and a ½ miles. If you know anything about running trails, then you know running downhill is not only dangerous but one sure fire way to beat the hell out of your legs but it is a thrill. The real challenge is trying not to kill yourself when running down the sharp turns and the sliding rocks. There is a portion of the trail where you get to hide deep within the trees, shielding you from the sun but the bad part is the last mile to the end is all in the sun. It takes all you have to push and push and it seems like there’s never an end in sight. 3 hours and 20 minutes total time it took to do 11 miles. How insane is that? Another hour and I might as well have done a marathon but this was exactly what I needed. A true test that let’s me know I have a lot of work to do.

If you need something to inspire you, then go read a book. If you are looking to see how mentally and physically strong you are, then go up to Mt. Wilson!

Check out the photos on my facebook page!