I ran the LA Marathon yesterday. I'm trying to focus on the positives about this race and my effort but I'm having a hard time doing that right now. Maybe later this week or next weekend I'll be in a better place but today I'm not happy with it. I know it was the best I could do yesterday. However, it was my 7th marathon and my 7th disappointing finish that was 4+ hours. I can't seem to get in under that 4 hour mark and I find that incredibly disappointing.
One positive about the LA Marathon was their tracking system for the runners. Both my husband's and my cell phone received five texts over the course of the event. These were the texts received:
- 10K in 0:57:40. Pace: 9:17. Est: 4:03:23. ETA: 11:37:44.
- 20K in 1:53:17. Pace: 9:07. Est: 3:59:01. ETA: 11:33:23.
- 30K in 2:54:42. Pace: 9:22. Est: 4:05:34. ETA: 11:40:07.
- 40K in 3:57:54. Pace: 9:34. Est: 4:10:49. ETA: 11:45:22.
- Finish in 4:08:19. Pace: 9:28. At 11:42:44.
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The Start Line at Dodger Stadium. The City of Los Angeles Mayor and the owner of the Dodgers were both there. A woman from the band the Pussycat Dolls sang the National Anthem. Another group of singers sang something else. Three helicopters flew overhead since the race was being televised locally. It was cool but dry. I thought I was in the Corral start, but apparently I wasn't and I ended up starting behind the 5:00 runners. I eventually caught up to the 4:00 group about mid-race, but a few miles later things spiraled out of my control and I lost them...
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The Finish Line along Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. The headwind gusts that we experienced for some of the race seemed to disappear in Brentwood but then roared its ugly head at the finish. It isn't a long finish along Ocean, maybe a full mile total, but the winds were crazy strong. No one was hanging out in the finish area longer than absolutely necessary, which is unfortunate because I would have loved to have laid out on the pavement and taken a nap.