My Marathon: Part VII

Reaching Mile marker 20 more or less intact and functioning was a big moment. I was now in personal record territory with every step, since the longest LA Roadrunners run had been a shade over 20 miles.

The course now set out the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration facility for the runners. It is a huge place with loads of land donated by one of the early families of Santa Monica.

It is also hilly and kind of bookended the course along with the start. By now I noticed a lot of people who had been ahead of me were a) stopping b) walking c) off to the side in pain Somehow, I managed to avoid all of these; perhaps all those dark and very early mornings were paying off at the right time?

The VA Center had several hills and turns and increasing traffic as walkers clogged the road. At one point, I saw James from Group 7. I asked him if he was o.k. and he replied he was almost out of energy. I offered him a Gu Chomp; but, he said he would make it.

Soon, I had a surprise as for some reason I paid attention to the side of the course and saw the friend from church who had been there so often on the side during the training runs. He was waiting for his daughter to come and did not notice me until I called out rather loudly, "Cadena!" So, it was nice seeing a familiar face.

Next came a big hill. This seemed to be very difficult for many people. For whatever reason I felt pretty good on it and passed a lot of people. May be it was the Servite Days again ... all those times doing stadiums and The Bowl in Hell Weeks ... in a semi-Crocodile Dundee-phrase, "That's not ... THOSE were hills!"

Regardless, I made it to the top and kept going. That was a good feeling as I really felt like this was going to happen. The Los Angeles Marathon now seemed not only possible, but quite likely.

Later, at the LA Running Club Victory Run event, they said an analyst had determined the now newly-named "Purple Heart Hill" was more difficult than the more well-known Heartbreak Hill at the Boston Marathon. The president of the marathon also made an interesting point. he said many people like the Chicago Marathon because it is flat. He questioned why and said the fact that this course is hilly and challenging should make us MORE eager to run it, not less! Interesting way of looking at things ... a lot like the Servite way.