Let me take you through the journey a bit... half the battle and nervousness came from riding the metro in Los Angeles at 5am to get to the race (the metro is highly recommended on race day due to street closures.) I have never ridden the metro in LA, so the anxiety of buying the ticket, finding the right times, getting off at the right spot, etc. etc. SO STRESSFUL! all at 4:45am!!! But somehow I made it onto the metro, fanny pack stuffed with gu, shoes tied, bib in place, gatorade and power bar in hand... and from the train to the team meeting spot I arrived at the race. I pow-wowed with my running buddies, took pictures, hit the port-o-potty, and lined up at the start with the rest of the ambitious racers. Then Mayer Antonio gave an encouraging little speech, they fired the gun and Randy Newman's "I love LA" blasted over the speakers and the crowd started to move. Then all of the sudden we crossed the start and my legs were off and running. No turning back now!!!! My dear sweet running buddy, Nellie and I decided to take it super slow... which ultimately paid off BIG in the end. And we slowly cruised through mile 1 to about 10 at a nice easy pace. Seeing Bonnie at Mile 2 with a sign which read "Run Annie Run" was amazingly encouraging and exciting. :) Then grabbing a gatorade from Austin to fuel me forward was enough to easily make the first 5 miles disappear. Throughout the course the sweet APLA coaches would run up to us and chug along side for a few yards with words of encouragement and praise.
The miles I remember the most:
Mile ELEVEN -- coming over the south side of the 10 freeway somewhere around San Vicente and Venice and seeing Dad's old office building come into view. The tall black building with the "chimney" like stack on top, number 5455. The building I spent every day home from school at with Daddy up on the 20th floor of his office, coloring at his desk, playing around in the studio, bouncing up and down the long hallways looking for entertainment. All those visions came back when I saw that building as I ran past, and that was the first tear of the run.
Mile FOURTEEN - my threshold for running!!! I had never gone beyond, so every step after was the longest I had ever run before, which made every mile in itself a small accomplishment. I didn't feel like I was going to die immediately after, so I knew I could probably keep going beyond.
Mile EIGHTEEN - suddenly that seemed like a HUGE number!!! and then there were only 8.2 more to go!
Mid-mile TWENTY / TWENTY-ONE - we're cruising 6th street then turned onto a pretty residential road to head up to 3rd when all of the sudden who do I see on my left walking against the tide of runners but my Mom and Dad decked out in Dodger blue. What a rush! I didn't think they'd make it or I didn't know where I may find them... but they were there with smiles and tears and hugs and encouragement. It supercharged me for the final 5.2...
Mile TWENTY-ONE - I shot my last chocolate GU and with a mere 5 miles in the distance I blew Nellie a kiss goodbye and stretched my legs. I blasted past Dad's office again, almost immediately after seeing him and the wave of tears was a bit stronger this time. But the power from my body and mind, and Wicked's "Defying Gravity" blasting in my iPod shuffle, swiftly pushed me to 23.
Mile TWENTY-FOUR - close to death. All of the sudden I'm thinking - WTF Anne, why did you use all your energy when you still have almost 3 miles to go?!!!! I literally thought my left leg was going to detach itself and fall somewhere on Olympic Blvd. Additionally, this heaving sensation came on where I couldn't quite breath easy... maybe cause I had been singing or maybe I hadn't had enough water and maybe I pushed too hard -- but there was heaving, and burping, and I was sure some puking was in my near future. I slowed down a bit, took a little longer walk-break, drank some water. Then picked up the pace again.
Mile TWENTY-FIVE - annoyed and in pain. This stupid juggling runner kept creeping up next to me with his juggling balls and dropping them and then I'd pull ahead and then he'd be there again and I wanted to scream "get the hell away from me and go to the fucking circus if you want to run and do tricks!!!!!!!!!!!" but I didn't because if I spoke I would have died. And suddenly I see a running buddy of mine from my pace group, I catch up to him and he goes, "I'm dying." I was like, "me too." I thought about sticking with him and walking, but I was afraid if I started to walk I wouldn't be able to run again and mile 26 was just around the corner.
Mile TWENTY-SIX - and then it was. And when I turned the corner and saw that banner, with the FINISH line banner .2 miles in the distance beyond it, I started weeping. I have no idea where the tears came from so strong, but I think a combination of the pain, the time, the distance, being so close to the end, being all by myself, it was so incredible. And I wept huge salty tears down my already sweaty, red, salty face and ran straight through to the finish line. As I crossed I heard a few people calling my name, a couple friends of friends and a coach from APLA who saw my name written on my shirt. It felt nice, but was quiet. Somewhere in the crowd my parents were said to be but I didn't see them, and they didn't see me. Even though I didn't come in with a huge group of people and was probably the only 5'10 tall girl with a white hat and a face full of tears. I clocked in at 5:41:25, (5:38:40 on my watch which I stopped for bathroom breaks). And I placed #8,230 out of 14,192 people who finished the race.
I feel amazing. I feel in pain. But I feel I could do it again in a heartbeat.
Nice posting. I love your comments for the Juggling Idiot. You should have told him that and then tripped him!
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Rich