Sunday Long Run

Sunday came and I had some schedule changes which have made it possible to run with the LA Running Club. So, I get LA Roadrunners and LA Running Club opportunities for long runs.

The LA Running Club Sunday event meets at the Totem Pole in Santa Monica, just like the Saturday summer runs.

So, off I went and met the group. The runners tend to be quite good and experienced, unlike me.

Some headed off for trail runs to Inspiration Point. For me, that will be an ongoing project.

I set off with my senior pace leader from last year's LA Roadrunners Group 7. He is recovering from injury and surgery and does his long run on Sunday.

We began with a short walk to warm up and then headed to the Totem Pole to tap it per tradition and then headed towards Adelaide and the nice neighborhood and the ascent of the hill.

Soon, we reached 7th Street and headed to San Vicente, yes the dreaded San Vicente Urban Obstacle Course.

The medians are fun to run and offer the opportunity for a gradual climb heading east and a gradual descent heading west; but, it is now harder. The grass cover seems to have eroded significantly and many more roots were exposed. This made it much harder to concentrate on the running since it required vigilance to avoid the roots. It was very noticeable.

Still, my old SPL and I enjoyed it, running and chatting. We made Bundy and crossed over and began running on the dirt path on the side. Then we began a circuit of the golf course. It was a nice run with different plants and trees than I normally see.

We looped around and made it back to San Vicente to begin the return. It was warm, but not too bad. A procession of Ferraris went by, enlivening the scene.

Soon, I got that happy sight I remembered from March 20: "Ocean dead ahead." We made it back and then crossed Ocean Avenue for the quick trot to the Totem Pole.

After it was time to stretch. We ended up going to Starbucks to refuel.

All in all, I was happy.


1:56.42 of running

9.21 miles

12:40 pace

My Marathon: Part IX

As a LA Roadrunner, I was on San Vicente doing training runs numerous times. The San Vicente Urban Obstacle Course became a familiar place, even though storms sometimes eliminated it from our coursework.

Now, I was running the Los Angeles Marathon and I saw that famous island in the middle of the street on the border of Santa Monica and Los Angeles. This time I got to run on the street and not the Urban Obstacle Course of the grassy island with its holes, roots, signs, and other ankle-turning challenges.

Mentally it was great. I knew it was going to be getting easy since the street angles downhill from Los Angeles to Santa Monica. I knew I was close to the end, basically just a 5K. I used to think how odd it was when they would say "Just a 10K"or "Just a 5K"left at the Roadrunners; but, now, I was thinking it!

I felt strong. The pain and agony and all I had heard about and may be feared were not there. I probably felt better than I did early in the race which shocked me!

I was also passing a lot of people easily; I was stunned.

I saw that familiar City of Santa Monica sign and the exclusive houses. I saw the numbers of the streets getting smaller. My pace was getting faster, not slower, which was a nice feeling. My fears of exceeding 20 miles were fading quickly.

I got my last water cup at Mile 24. I was not having problems with dehydration; so, I concluded I could go the rest of the way non-stop. The Roadrunners training had far fewer water stations than the marathon (for comparison, one would be at 26th and San Vicente, one at about Mile 25/Totem Pole, and one at the Casa del Mar Hotel!).

I got my water ... looked up ... there was the sea! The sight I had been waiting a long time for and been thinking about for months.

I had discussed how it would feel during the long runs with my partners. Now, I was living it. I saw Mile 25 Marker and made the turn ...

My Marathon: Part VIII

Having cleared the Veterans Administration facility, I was now heading closer and closer to the homeland, Santa Monica and the happy training grounds of the northern end of the LA Roadrunners course.

Right before the Mile 21 Marker, there was a left turn on the course and I got my first sight of the magic words "San Vicente." It was still Los Angeles; but, San Vicente is a big deal when you are a member of the LA Roadrunners. I got a bit of happiness in my system knowing it was now getting interesting. San Vicente is the end of the line on the northern side of the LA Roadrunners running course. It means I would soon be entering home turf. I passed Mile 21 and saw I was still passing lots of people.

Now, I got my unexpected fun moment for the race. One of the Roadrunners pace captains has such an upbeat attitude and every long run he would say as we neared the water station"things like "Menudo Time!" ... even though for some reason the menudo never quite seemed to be on the table.

So, I am running along San Vicente and I see him just ahead; so, I sped up a bit and was just behind him. He did not know I was there.

I hear him, apparently motivating himself, call out loudly, "Menudo Time!" I was in shock; but, I sped up alongside and chirped, "What no coffee and doughnuts?" "Coffee and doughnuts" was his other frequently-used phrase. he looked at me with my grey Roadrunners shirt on and we both started laughing. I think basically people around us must have assumed heat stroke had set in or we were both just plain insane. For us, it was a bit of inside humor and for me it was like a nice, reenergizing moment of humor that really lightened the mood.

Mile 22 marker came right at Bundy ... now I was definitely in familiar territory and I was excited. Plus, without O.J. Simpson around his old hunting grounds, I could relax even more. I saw two bicycles decked out with Union Jacks (British flags) and somehow presumed they were for me (well, they were not; but, it worked at the time).

I was now in the last 4.2 miles. I was seeing the Los Angeles street numbers go higher and higher. I knew what it meant and it was good, very good.