Week 14: Mananitas in the Rain

Normally, for a Catholic lad such as myself, December 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and in my current parish it is a BIG deal. It is close to a 24-hour celebration capping a nine-day Novena and party. The 12th means Mananitas at 4 a.m. and Mass and food ... well, it has since I got to Santa Monica in 1999. But, like the rest of 2009, this day was going to be different ... I had another training run with the LA Roadrunners.


The other variable was the weather ... rain and lots of it expected. There were Group 7 emails of advice and also worried runners.


I still got up early. This time though I was eating beforehand and wearing running gear and my music was not exactly Mananita Tepeyac or Mananita Ranchera. I was actually excited about the rain. I always enjoyed playing sports in the rain and in track was notorious for liking it either cold and wet or very hot. So, I decided for my music to open my eyes to to go with the old school stuff ... Danger Zone, Hell's Bells, Thunderstruck, Back in Black, Black Celebration ....etc. all before one last song, my marathon running theme. Really, I was amped to go then! I was channeling Servite track days definitely.



It got more fun as I loaded the car and ensured I had the usual supplies: Garmin 305, heart rate belt, energy food, keys, hat, etc. I also added change of clothes and garbage bag outfit as suggested. As I began the drive, the rain started to come and hard.

At the Strand Group 7's senior pace leader, Alan, seemed almost giddy. Indeed quite a few of us were excited. I also tried a new strategy: I consumed a Clif Shot chocolate energy gel while on the Strand before the group set off. It reminded me of pudding (yum!) and I think it helped to have some energy boost in the system (the package recommended using 15 minutes prior to starting). I think it may be mental; but, I still think the gels may be a bit messy and cumbersome for the actual run. This pre-run idea may be the one for me at least. I did not have any stomach issues either. The pace leaders have said some runners have issues with digesting gels; I have been lucky I guess and no problems!

Group 7 was soon on its way. Due to the Santa Monica-Venice Christmas run, we headed immediately south through Venice, slightly altering the route. I had a new partner as my normal colleague-in-crime had not arrived; we began talking about the week's running, the weather, snow in Texas, ... It began to rain lightly in Venice but nothing too dire. I did feel a little soreness in my knee.

Soon we were into Marina del Rey with the nice condos and numerous yachts. I recognized the taller buildings of Lincoln Boulevard. It also began to be off-on rain; luckily, it was not too slick. The first water station even had Gatorade which was a nice bonus. The group ran past the small beaches, around the Marriott Hotel and the Ritz Carlton, and onwards into the inlet areas, where it began to rain heavily to much excited shouting. The group went past a Coast Guard station as well as the Sheriff's station, where I am sure a lot of "51-50" codes were being issued. Alan, our senior pace leader, was cheerfully urging us on at a water station reminding us of the fun of rain running.

I saw one of the leaders, Captain Jesus, and began to think of prior weeks when he promised menudo was just around the corner (as well as coffee and doughnuts). Only this Saturday I really was missing menudo and champurrado and everything else since I was not at St. Anne's for mananitas.

The new route took us quite south and into the Playa Del Rey area just north of LAX. It was raining again. It was nice to see a few aircraft on short finals for LAX as they took the ocean approach route, including a Horizon Air Q400, a Southwest Airlines 737, and an All Nippon Airways 777.

Eventually, we reached a turnaround. Shortly after as I was putting my windbreaker on I noticed my Garmin unit had stopped; I think I must have tapped the timer while moving the left sleeve of my windbreaker. Yikes!

By now, I was pretty damp. Shoes. Socks. Shorts. Shirt. Windbreaker. Hat. (Still no garbage bag). Still it was FUN! I also felt like I had more energy than normal. I think the gel helped as I only ate three GU chomps, despite it being my longest ever run.

Lucky 7/Magnificent 7 was soon headed back north retracing the steps as the weather improved. I was able to permanently keep the windbreaker around my waist and not even resort to the garbage bag.

Once the group was back in south Venice my knee started acting up. I began to worry I would not make it and I guess I would have had good reason to fall off the group. My initial partner had gone in search of a restroom and not returned to the group for example. The group was also more ragged than normal and my normal partner and I linked up only for him to be seen falling back on the Strand.

Still, I kept going. I was wet. I was a bit sore. I was a bit tired. But, I kept going. This was definitely like the Servite days. Keeping with the song theme, I was singing "Take me home United Road" in my head thinking of rain soccer and weather well-suited for Manchester.

Soon enough we were on the Strand again and passed the start heading north to Santa Monica border. One of the pace leaders thought it was a turnaround and began to turn only to be told to keep going! So, we had an amusing sight of 50 adults doing a giant circle in the middle of the Strand for no apparent reason to observers. Then we reached the actual turnaround and headed the short distance back to the start. I kept with the group.

I was quietly happy. I had done 15 bloody miles in the rain on a dodgy knee. Our senior pace leader was also pretty enthusiastic. We did a quick stretch. I just felt like I had something to be proud of in this one and it had been a good gut check to see if I can do this whole thing.

Once we were back at the school, I quickly swapped to a Servite shirt (Servite was playing for the PAC-5 Championship that night). Once a Friar Always A Friar. I headed off to get Gatorade and began to eat a banana as usual when I heard someone say, "Hey, did you go to Servite?" Realizing that was a question for me, I looked over and was soon in conversation with another Roadrunner and a fellow Friar! he was 10 years younger and in Group 5; he also knew of my brother and we were soon in Friar talk. Unreal. CREDO! It was a nice end for the running day (prior to the other fun on the docket and more rain).

So, it was a good day. Tough but good. I was sore; but, still functioning. It was a Servite Day. (And to boost it, SERVITE WON!)

Run according to my Garmin: 11:54 pace for 2:42.40 and 13.66 miles. So, I did not miss too much. Another runner posted 3:05.19, 15.33 miles and 12:05 pace (he said he had fallen a bit behind; so, times are a bit slower than the group).