Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Los Angeles Marathon Mamas



We finally did it!  It's been months of training, endless miles, several meltdowns, countless Power Gels, too many Advils to count, a couple of different pairs of shoes, couple of post recovery In-N-Out Burger meals,  too many pasta meals, several disagreements, more than several swear words, and endless amounts of stories, but we started this journey together as friends and finished as friends.
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This was my second marathon and I honestly can't remember the first one being as painful as this last one, but maybe it's like childbirth, one forgets the pain and only remembers the joy.  Ya right!  Thank goodness for the shots, courtesy of Patty, which quickly helped numb the pain.  We will each take something different away from our experience, but I couldn't help think how organized and helpful the Angelenos were along the entire course. 
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One thing I noticed when I had past the 20 mile mark was that there were a lot of young men in the prime of their life running around me and also stopped along the way cramping up.  I'm thinking "wow, I must doing okay for an old girl".  Then I see a much heavier and older lady in front of me, which helped keep my ego in check.  I had to laugh though when I overheard two Students Run LA boys talking about their friend and how slow he was running and that he was running a "moms pace".  I wanted to look over at them and say "hey, this mom is going to beat you to the finish!"
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I am so proud of my friends for completing this journey.  Congratulations to Bonnie and Marisol for running in their first marathon.  We missed Caryn, but she was a real trooper and supported us on many of our long training runs even when she didn't need to.  I don't think I will ever run another marathon again, but if I ever change my mind, I know my friends will be there with me.