Marathon Woman

The LA marathon was Sunday. I was not one of the participants. I was recently looking back at old journal entries and I saw in my goals for 2005 that I wanted to train for and run in a marathon. I didn't make it, not even close. It's also one of my goals for 2006. I missed the 2006 LA Marathon this Sunday. But as of yesterday I am in training.

Yes, it's been an intense two days of marathon training. Let's see, yesterday I started on my vigorous regimen. I walked up to the park by my house and walked around the track four times. I'm guessing four laps is about a mile. Today, I had to cut back on my distance. I didn't get home until it was just about dark and I was walking on the track in the dark and it was a little creepy. So I only walked two laps and then walked home. If I keep up this pace of training I'll be back to running a mile in no time. Then I'll only have 25.2 more miles to build up to be ready to run a marathon. But I can do it. I have a long way to go.

I've run three marathons in my life. The first one was in 1991. When I was in Bible College in Kansas in the late seventies I had a friend named Sheila. Sheila and I were buddies (we still are though we don't get to see each other much) and we used to run together. We would go on 10 and 15 mile "fun" runs on Saturdays, somethimes in pouring rain or freezing cold. We told each other that we would run a marathon together someday.

In 1991 I was working at UCLA and I had a friend named Beth. We both liked to run so we started to run together after work, around UCLA. We decided to take a stab at a marathon run. I think the most we ran in our training runs was 6 to 8 miles but we decided to go for it. This is a picture of me after completing the marathon in 1991. I survived and it was a great experience. I didn't take home the first prize Mercedes but it was fun. I think my time was over 5 hours. Not exactly world record pace but I wasn't running to win but to finish.

I told my friend Sheila about running the marathon and we decided we would run one togehter. Shortly after the '91 marathon, I became pregnant with Eric. He was born in January 1992. I ran the marathon with my friend Sheila in March 1993 and then the next year my husband Chuck and Sheila's husband RC ran with us. It was quite a family thing, with Eric and Sheila's four kids cheering us on. This time I think the time was pushing 6 hours, but it was still a great experience.

My favorite marathon memories are:

1. At the beginning of the LA Marathon, it's one big mass of humanity piled together but everyone is excited and friendly. Then the music starts to play, "I Love LA". With the adrenaline flowing, it takes a bit of time for the crowd to start to surge forward. With the music blaring, the crowd pushes past the grandstand with waves and encouragement from the mayor and boxing great Muhammed Ali.

2.The marathon route goes through diverse neighborhoods of LA. From the "hood" to the tonier sections, it seems the whole city is behind you, the runner. Neighbors handing out water with encouraging words, local bands playing, rock, Mexican folk music, Chinese traditional drums and dancers. It makes a person proud, for once, to be a part of this great city.

3. Breaking point after breaking point. At some point there it is: "the wall". Then a mental breakthrough and a second wind. One of the best memories I have is being hot tired and ready to quit and then after one more turn in the road, a refreshing ocean breeze comes through and rejuvenates. It reminded me of the refreshing wind of the Spirit. Just when you think you can push no further, God sends the wind to refresh.

4. Finally the finish, the best part. No matter how exhausted I was, those three times, at the sight of the finish line I would perk up and sprint to the finish. What a thrill!

I need to do this again!