The race started off fine and I ran the first half (13.1 miles) of the marathon through without stopping, took a short walking break while taking some fluids and an energy gel pack and ran another few more miles. I didn't ever really hit 'THE WALL' where I felt like I could not go on anymore around mile 18. However, I think it was around mile 20 when I had to consistently walk a little and then run a little, which probably had something to do with a hill around mile 19.
There were people cheering and crazy runners all over the place along the course. Some of the costumes were insane. I was consistently running behind a dude dressed up like a shark. Around mile 20 there were people serving shots of cold beers. My favorite sign was at mile 19 which said 'Run like there are zombies behind you!!!' In the beginning of the race, I thought all the taiko drummers and other Asian drum groups were placed rather well on giant hills so you can work your way up the hill while listening to the beat of drums. Walking and drinking/eating is not one of my fortes. By the time I was done, I am pretty sure my face was probably smeared with orange and I smelled like electrolyte drink since probably only half of what I got actually reached my mouth and the other half was spilled on my face and body.
One thing that was kind of annoying was the ambiguity of where all the miles were. I was told they had huge mile markers at every mile. Last year they had giant inflatable mile markers at every mile which rained/blew over causing runners to run around them to avoid getting smashed. I think with the anticipation of terrible rain and winds they had really small signs to the side of the route with small clocks. LAME. I'd go a couple miles at a time without ever seeing a mile marker probably because I'm short and can't see over other taller runners and I don't know, I was busy running?! When you're running long distances like that, it's really nice to know where you are so you can track your progress. Otherwise, it feels like you aren't accomplishing a whole lot when you run and don't know where you are. They only had the giant inflatable markers for the last few miles around mile 22 or 23. By that time, I was super grumpy and tired.
Running with a charity team was actually a really great decision in hindsight. Waiting for the race to start in a suite at Dodger Stadium was super nice since I didn't have to go out in the cold until he last possible minute. We had a team cheering booth around mile 18-19, which had Gatorade and pretzels. It was really encouraging to see familiar faces of other volunteers. The Gatorade they had tasted really nice and replenishing unlike the watered down electrolyte drink they served on the course. In the last 5 miles of hell, the idea of a warm inviting team reunion suite at Hotel Shangri-La motivated me to keep moving forward. I hope the volunteers who organized and manned the two suites and cheering booth know how awesome they are and how thankful I am that they were there supporting the team.
Would I ever run another marathon again? Probably not...at least not anytime soon. I would do half marathons though in a heartbeat. Those are a piece of cake after my marathon experience. In fact, I'm planning on running in the San Francisco Half Marathon this July and possibly the Nike's Women's Half Marathon in October. However, first I need to lose some weight...for the sake of my knees and a faster finishing time.
Some of the Kitten Rescue marathon team the morning of the race
Thanks for the unforgettable experience!!!
