Boston Marathon 2016: From Funkytown to Boylston

You only get one chance at your first Boston. 2015 was overwhelmingly perfect in every way possible that I truly couldn't have asked for a better experience in 2016. I cannot deny my excitement to be toeing the line in Hopkinton (again? wow!), but I also had different goals and dreams this year.

Adam and I flew in on Saturday--I was superstitiously happy to be in position 26B for boarding.

We did an Airbnb this year about a 10 minute walk from the Prudential Center which ended up being the perfect place for everything we did. Plus, it was inexpensive & clean!

I wasn't thinking we'd have enough time to go to the expo on Saturday, but as soon as we dropped our stuff, we decided to try to squeeze it in.

Packet pick up was a breeze and then we squeezed our way through the expo talking to a few choice vendors. Hoka, Garmin, and of course, the Sam Adams free beer tent.

 I swear my name is on here somewhere...

Fortunately, we were able to catch up with Roger and Shanda immediately afterwards and head to Cambridge Brewing Company for a Loopster dinner. It was great to see everyone and carb up!

The next morning, Adam and I wandered over to meet up with Dan, Mark, and Rebecca for coffee and breakfast. We parted ways near the expo and I was able to take a few pictures near the finish line.

We had lunch with Roger and Shanda and then parted ways for a nap and a little downtime. I laid out my flat girl and figured out how to attach the St. Christopher's medal that Megan let me borrow from her dad. He is about to start treatment for lung cancer and I wanted to carry a little token from him. Partially as a reminder to be appreciative of each healthy step as I am able to take and partially as a reminder to enjoy every moment I've got in the this called life.

For dinner, Roger made reservations at a great place in Little Italy and we carbed up early in attempts to get some sleep. I got everything ready for my breakfast the next morning and made a final check of my gear.

I actually slept really well and managed to get about 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  At 5:30 a.m., I woke up, ate a bagel with Nutella, a banana, and drank a cup of Death Wish coffee. I put on my gear, grabbed my T card, and kissed Adam goodbye.

I walked down to the T station in just a sweatshirt, carrying my heatsheet in a plastic baggie. It was already warm enough that I was comfortable in shorts. Uh oh... Once I got off the train at Boston Common, I started chatting with a few runners around me about various things and made my way to the buses that were loading.

I talked next to a guy from South Carolina who was running his second marathon after qualifying for his first with a 3:11 despite running 3 extra miles on a course he got lost on (!!). Boston was a bucket list thing for him and he was the kind of guy that ran really fast without using a GPS watch. We talked the entire bus ride and then parted ways once we got into the craziness of the athlete's village.

I made a beeline for the porta-potty in the second tent area and was super excited that I didn't have to even wait in line! I grabbed another bagel afterwards and sat on the grass in the shade doing some serious people watching. I was in a funk and really wishing that I had made better arrangements to try to meet up with all the people I knew running.

I decided to go to the porta-potty again before my wave was called and ended up standing in the hot sun for 30 minutes. It was a bit concerning that I was feeling hot already and we hadn't started running.

When wave 2 was called, I just finished my pit stop and joined the throngs of others as we made our way to the starting line. Two girls were pumping sunscreen from giant containers on the side of the road and I took a generous pump to coat my neck and shoulders. Totally forgot about the sunscreen...and my sunglasses....

So as I'm standing in my corral, I'm feeling a bit off. My mind is in a funk. I'm hot. I know I am going to be sunburnt in weird places when I finish. I don't have my sunglasses and we are running east at 10:25 a.m. I see other people with music and all of sudden feel the need to have this crutch.  The tape I used to put my name across my singlet is falling off.

Get your shit together Liebowitz! You are running the Boston-frickin'-Marathon!!!

So I try to focus on how cool it is that it is Marathon Monday and I should stop being such a whiny little bitch. I check out my pace bracelet again and fiddle with my Garmin. There is a song, a few more announcements, and then omigod, omigod, omigod, the starting pistol.

There is a little awkward jogging before the start line, but I am diving right into a sub-8 pace within the first 1/10th mile. I notice the downhill a lot more than last year and I am ready to just get to my goal pace.

Which is?!?!

I was aiming for sub 3:20. I had a pace band with 3:18 that Adam printed out for me at the expo. I knew something in the 7:3X range would get me there.

First mile is at a 7:27. Alright, alright, alright.

It feels like the right combination of comfortable and working.

The next few miles click off as we cruise downhill 7:28, 7:28, 7:18. I'm noticing the terrain a lot more than last year and trying to cautiously take advantage of the early downhills. I also notice there is a lot less talking among my fellow runners and at small sections without spectators, the slapping of shoes on the pavement is the only noise. I take my first GU at mile 4.

Mile 5 has a slight uphill and I cruise through at 7:35. On through Framington, I clock 7:25, 7:21, 7:28. I am taking water and/or Gatorade at each stop. I hug the right side of the road which is kind of dumb because that side is always first and more crowded. But I am so dang thirsty by the time I get to the stop that I don't want to wait another 1/10th mile. I splash water over my head and try to bring my body temperature down. It brings instant relief, but the feeling is usually gone within a few minutes.

Into Ashland, I start to lose a bit of pace, but I try not to worry too much because it is still early. 7:30, 7:34, 7:37, 7:30. The crowds are so, so good and yet I am not feeling enthusiastic about it. What in the heck is the matter with me?

I ran next to a girl dressed as Wonder Woman for at least the first half of the race. We would leapfrog back and forth and I knew she would be near me because the crowds were going wild for her. At first, it was kind of fun because the cheering would amplify. But then I think I was suffering from jealousy as she would be whooping with the crowds in her cool costume while I was stuck in mopeyheadland with my dumb singlet with the letters falling off.

As I headed into the Wellesley mile, I tried to shake the funk. I still was on pace to hit the 3:18 and well within a PR. So when I cruised into the scream tunnel, I tried to soak in the energy as best I could. I saw a guy beeline for the cutest girl in stretch and laughed as she made a face as soon as he was off running again. Suddenly, it was a little fun again. 7:36

I told myself to just hold onto what I could muster and prepare myself mentally for the hills ahead. 7:34, 7:43.

As I headed into the sweet downhill of mile 16, I felt mentally prepared to tackle the hills. 7:31.

Hills are my jam. I love shortening my stride and tackling them head on. People had already been walking by this point, but the hills seemed to amplify the effect. I just put my head down and ran. 7:49, 7:47, 7:31.

Okay, who finds their mojo at mile 18?!?! Seriously, it was the best mile I felt all race. I ran through a little misting tunnel thing and suddenly I felt fabulous. I knew it wouldn't last another 8 miles so I just tried to live in the moment.

As I headed into the last section of the Newton Hills, I was relieved that I was in the single digits now to finish. 7:46, 8:03. Heartbreak was definitely breaking a lot of hearts.

But the rest of the course is packed and downhill and I knew that even though I had felt pretty funky all race, I was excited to get to my favorite part. The Boston College kids are some of the best and loudest spectators on the course and I high-fived a bunch of them as I cruised through mile 22. 7:38

The crowds thicken as the race enters Brookline and though I'm not on pace, I am feeling good enough to pass a lot of runners. This is bittersweet. The final miles of a marathon hold so many emotions and it can feel incredibly defeating when you are on the bonk side of things. Trust me, I've been there (my first marathon and Jackson Hole Bonkfest 2014 immediately come to mind). 7:41, 7:46.

Garmin is off by a bit at this point and I try not to get excited when I hear the beeps because I know I still have more to go. I have given up on trying to do runner math at this point. I'm just running as fast as my little legs will take me. I see the Citgo sign at mile 24 and know that I am getting closer. 7:42.

When I get near the Citgo sign, I look for Liz and her balloons and miraculously spot her. I shout her name and run by her as she fumbles with her phone. She knows like, a billion runners, so I'm not even sure if she knew who I was as I went by.

I know I want to save a little gas for Boyston so I try to conserve my pace. Last year, I thought I was going to be done right after the turn and grossly misjudged how far that finish chute really is. 8:03

Finally, I spotted the tunnel and then, the turn! Right on Hereford!

Then left on Boylston!

I looked for Adam in the crowd, but there were way too many people so I just "sprinted" down the finish chute. The crowds on Boylston are insane. There really is nothing better in running that I've experienced so far than running down Boylston. Last 0.4 miles at a 7:15 pace.

After I crossed the finish mat, I patted a guy on the back who had been cheering wildly the last half mile. He exclaimed he just had a huge PR and was so thrilled. We hugged a giant, sweaty, runner-stranger hug, and I immediately was awash with my own emotion. This is why.

3:20:59. 47 seconds from my PR on a day that Garmin says was 68* and my 5th marathon in as many months. And a nice course PR from my 2015 time of 3:26:27. I'll take it.

I had a few takeaways from this race. I still feel like I'm learning even though this was marathon 21. I also feel like I am making dumb mistakes, but that is the human part of all of this.

DO's Take a magic token, GU every 4 miles, water and/or Gatorade at every stop, pace band (even though I didn't hit my pace, I liked the idea of immediate runner math), enjoy the good moments

DON'Ts Forget sunscreen, forget sunglasses, wear shoes with 300+ miles, forget to test tape, forget to create a game plan to meet up with fellow runners in the athlete's village, forget why we do this

Making impossible things become possible.

What a difference a year makes. Last year when I was prepping for Boston, I was taking every workout so seriously and everything was so planned. This year, well, I'm just a bit more focused on the long-term. There is no doubt that I want to do well in Boston. It's Boston. I still have incredible respect for the marathon distance and couple it with the world's most famous race....

But I'm not so nailed down to specific workouts. Structured speed work is completely absent. I just run everything without looking at my Garmin and see what happens at the end. My long run build up has been 3 marathons and a 50K since January with a few 14-21 milers thrown in for good measure. Recovery runs and base-building miles are really just time that I get to spend with Flying Tomato and Netflix/YouTube (more on that later).

Sure I want to PR. Sure I want to have another race of my life in Boston. Sure I want everything to be perfect.

But geez, I cannot expect the rainbows and unicorns and puppies to last forever. I am a real person. I do have days that I poop under a bridge on a horrible training run. I do have days that I stop my Garmin 400 times to fake tie my shoelace when I really just need a rest break. I do have days that I am like, what in the f--- am I doing out here. I do have days that I fall flat on my face despite nothing being in my path.

^----All this has happened in the past 2 weeks.

I do have days that the sun is shining in the bluest sky I've ever seen and I'm romping through the woods like when I was a kid. I do have days that I run 10 miles with a friend and remind myself how lucky I am to be healthy enough to just go run 10 miles with a friend. I do have days that begin as an easy treadmill run and end with me bursting at the seams with inspiration.

^-----All this has also happened in the past 2 weeks.

I don't really know what the point of this post is yet. Maybe a metaphor for running? I do like having goals. It gives my running purpose. It makes me happy to go faster or longer. But I also am not afraid to enjoy the moment. Maybe I'm strange that I catch myself smiling mid-run because everything is clicking. Because much like the pain of something really, really hard, the joy of something really, really great never seems to last.

I've always been obsessed with stories of endurance. Humans that have the capacity to survive tough situations fascinate me. What is it that allows them to triumph in the end? What is it that gives the mental and physical strength? Many runners can attest to the notion that mental strength is far more prized the longer the distance. The fact that "normalish" people can put their bodies through incredible physical obstacles is fascinating.

So while I'm cooking up ideas on how to make the most of a 12-hour race in July and 24-hour race in September, I am reading/watching feats that seem superhuman to me.

Netflix: The Barkley Marathons, Desert Runners, 4 Minute Mile

YouTube: Western Time (Billy Yang), Tarawera Ultra Marathon (Dreamteam Television), Paula Radcliffe (Sports Life Stories), The North Face: Curiousity

Reading: Running on Empty (Marshall Ulrich)**, Running for My Life (Lopez Lomong), Again to Carthage (John L. Parker), Run Gently Out There (John Morelock)

**I actually hated this book save for the feat of running across the United States. Make your own judgements, but I think Ulrich is a selfish a-hole.

These movies and stories leave me feeling like I have so much more to conquer. Which is fun to dream about. Because dreams can eventually lead to reality. I'm slowly realizing how to make seemingly impossible things become possible. The scariest part is being okay with failure. Once that is on the table, it suddenly becomes okay to try.

  

Myrtle Beach Marathon RR: Lucky #20

"Nice finishing kick," I breathlessly exclaim to the sweaty guy next to me. He looks up at me with his hands on his knees and smiles modestly. I can't tell if he's secretly thrilled by his final push or if he's just satisfied the pain of the marathon is over.

Two minutes and two seconds separate me from my personal best. A feat that might leave another runner feeling empty and angry. But I am beaming. Ear-to-ear. I walk away from the finish line slowly at first and then, with purpose. This is the new normal. I feel healthy. I feel strong.

Cue the back-in-time music.

90 days prior, I ran a personal best marathon in Rehoboth Beach (3:20:12).

5 weeks later, I ran a hilly, chilly 50K.

2 weeks after that, I had a runparty with JJ in Miami at the Miami Marathon.

3 weeks after that, JJ and I added Caitlin to our runparty in LA at the LA Marathon.

And aside from the 5 days I took off from a sinus infection, I've been averaging 35-50 mile weeks in between. My true and ultimate goal of 2016 is building a strong base for the endurance events of the summer/fall. I am committed to a 12-hour race in July and a 24-hour race in September.

Back-to-back-to-back racing has been an exercise in testing how much my body can handle without getting injured. So far, so good.

Myrtle Beach (MB) was a race entry I won through a contest that the Marshall University Marathon (MUM) hosted. I wrote a handwritten letter that explained why MUM was so spectacular on the off-chance that not many others would enter the contest. I will never be sure if that's why I won, but a free within-driving-distance marathon was one better phone calls I got last year.

We decided everything very last minute and much like the race, just played the weekend by ear. The expo was on the way to the hotel and we stopped for packet pickup. I love races that do extras and was pretty excited about the fleece blanket in addition to the t-shirt AND free beer at the expo.

The only hotel within walking distance (-ish, more on that later) was a fancy Hilton property that I splurged on with the idea that I was "saving money" because I didn't pay the entry fee. We ended up on the 20th floor with an oceanfront view in one of the top 5 nicest hotel rooms I've ever stayed in.

I was a little sad that we were only staying overnight!

I needed to go put my fingers in the Atlantic and suggested to Adam that we go down to the beach before it got dark. We ended up strolling down to the pier at sunset, picking up seashells, and blissfully unaware of our charmed existence.

We made a pit stop in one of the beachfront arcades so I could play the basketball game (I have an obsession) before heading to dinner.

I found an Italian restaurant via Google within a few blocks of our hotel and we dined amongst gaggles of other runners feasting on traditional pasta dinners. By the time we finished, I was ready to lay out my flat girl and attempt to sleep.

I slept well and actually snoozed the alarm for 5 more minutes. The room was really cold and I warmed my coffee and toasted my bagel with a bath towel around my shoulders. Smart people would have just put their jacket on. The start was at 6:30 a.m. and I was just over a mile away so I wanted to leave around 5:30 a.m..

I put an old heatsheet around me and tied it above my knees so I could walk. I told Adam that he didn't need to get up with me--I just would look for him when I came by the hotel on the course at mile 12ish and at the finish line. I gave him a kiss and then headed out into the dark morning. I saw runners lined up for the race shuttle at a nearby hotel and contemplated joining them. But the air temperature seemed to be okay at the time and I thought the walk would be a nice little warm-up.

But it was cold. And windy. And my over-caffeinated coffee was having zero effect on me. I passed by the candy store and looked longingly into the window. Walking over a mile takes infinitely longer than running a mile. I could see the flashing police car lights and hear the music of the start line as I got closer. After what seemed like the longest mile ever, I made my way to the start line and sat on the curb watching other people warm up.

They are jogging lightly and stretching awkwardly and I'm wishing I had snoozed 3 more times. I get up when they announce a Marathon Maniacs photo at the start line and line up with my kinsmen for a few pictures. (I'm the 3rd one from the left)

I shed my heatsheet, stand proudly for the National Anthem, and then wait for the gun to go off.

The half-marathoners and full-marathoners are divided by a median for the first quarter mile or so. I tuck in behind the 3:30 pace group so as not to go out too fast. I notice I feel really, really good from the beginning and so I start to ease my way past them as we near the first mile marker.

I pass the first mile marker and notice my Garmin hasn't chirped yet. Weird. I've never been short in the first mile. But this works in my favor because as I weave the rest of the race, I finally catch up to the mile markers. It is much easier to do runner math this way.

I just cruise along for the first few miles. I want to stay in the 7:35-7:40 range if I am going to PR. Since I am not pacing anyone and my running has been going well, I use this as my target.

The world is waking up with the sun as we run along Highway 17 heading south. A few spectators are nursing cups of coffee, but the sidelines are sparse. I am thankful for my blaring music to keep my preoccupied. I avoid the first water stop, but grab water around mile 4.

A guy asks me our pace around mile 4 explaining he is run GPS-free. There aren't any time clocks on the course and I get from the small pieces of our conversation that he is trying to help a friend get to a sub 1:40 in the half. I run near them for the next few miles and provide updates with smatterings of runner chat as we pass mile markers. The course takes us around a retail area at mile 6 and we can see the leaders in this section. I love watching the grit and determination on their faces as we go by in the other direction.

I cross the 10K mark 46:44 and then start to make my own journey to Ocean Boulevard. The southern section of the strip is still crowded with half marathoners and the sidewalks become a little more interesting as people crowd around just outside their hotels. I feel the cold wind blowing south and my hands are freezing. I am wishing I had gloves instead of arm warmers. But the sun feels good in between the hotels and I am still feeling strong.

The half marathoners split from the full at around mile 11.5 and we kept running north on Ocean Boulevard.

I begin to look for Adam as I near the hotel and scan the crowds for his blue hat. Unfortunately, I found out later on that he wasn't expecting me to be quite as quick and hadn't come downstairs yet.

I crossed over the 13.1 mark at 1:39:27 which was perfect for a PR if I could stay on pace the second half. The miles were clicking off despite the cold headwind and I was hoping that an amazing tailwind would be the reward once we turned around. I was staying in the 7:3x through mile 16 and felt good.

But all that work started to catch up to me as we neared the turnaround and I allowed myself to back off the pace as I felt like I was working way too hard with 10 miles left. I didn't want a bonk situation. Runner math told me I could run 9 minute miles and still BQ by this point.

I watch my pace drift to 7:42 in mile 16, 7:46 in mile 17, and 7:54 in mile 18. I hit 18.3 at 2:19:46 and kept on running with respect to what I had left. With close to 8 miles left, I want to just stay comfortably hard. I had been drinking water at all the hydration stops, but no Powerade. Thinking the electrolytes might help give me a bit of boost, I grabbed Powerade at mile 20 and it turned out to be the blue kind. I like the blue kind, but not while racing. I got the red kind at mile 22 and my gut was not happy. There was a 20 second period that I honestly thought I was going to be a puking runner. Fortunately, the feeling went away just as quickly as it came and I just concentrated on getting to the next mile marker.

I knew that I would have to have some crazy kick the last few miles to PR at this point and while I wasn't willing to give up the fight, I also allowed myself to feel really good about feeling pretty darn comfortable running a 3:2X marathon. There were some tough parts (it is a marathon after all!), but I felt really great mentally about handling them. As I headed into the last 2 miles, I zenned out a bit. Just allowing myself to enjoy a gorgeous day of running and following the bobbing heads ahead of me. Watching as some people experienced a late-race surge of energy and others as they slowed to walk or stretch.

The mile 26 marker came up quicker than I thought. Soon, we were being directed to enter the narrow chute that separated the half marathoner and full marathoners. The guy with the fierce finish kick (from the beginning of this saga), came flying past me as I happily made my way towards the finish line. Always happy to finish another 26.2!

When I meet with Adam, I feel unabashedly energetic. I am ready to grab some snacks, hydration, and head back to the hotel to make our checkout time. The adrenaline of finishing feeling good takes over the pain of running hard for 3+ hours.

We start to walk towards the hotel and then I decide on a whim to go get my official results printed out. When I do, I am astonished to see that I am first in my age group?! 30-34 usually is a tough crowd to beat and I know that this course has seen some really fast times. I stupidly ask the guy in the awards tent standing next to the sign that says "Awards at 10:30" what time the awards will be handed out.

Adam and I sit for a few minutes and he sees them post the printout of the division winners. I tell him I still don't believe I was 1st in my AG (especially because the printout showed me as 20th female) and ask him to go look to make sure. Then he makes me go look for myself.

We wait for the overall and master's awards to be presented and then AG awards are able to be handed out. If I wasn't floating already, I was definitely high on life after that. I look at the results later on and though they are unofficial, I show placing 10th overall!

I keep wondering if I am going to wake up from this dream I call life. I feel lucky to live it!

And if my day wasn't spectacular enough, I got to have lunch and a few beers with one of the most BA runners I know in Columbia (she was pacing the Columbia Marathon). Perfect pit stop for a perfect day!

The Return: A Smidgen of Runner Prose

My Jeep rocks from side to side as I navigate over the potholes in the gravel parking lot. I haven't been away for more than 10 days, yet the forest beyond the cars is no longer there. Bulldozers are haphazardly parked in the orange clay amid fallen trees. I stop to read the announcement about how this improvement will link the ugly, polluted sidewalk along the highway to my oasis.

Soon the crowds that swell on first spring day will become even denser. And my quiet, winter runs will be a distant memory. The children learning to ride their bicycles will meander across the path. Teenagers and seniors will hold hands, creating memories and conversing about memories created. Pretty girls with designer sunglasses will sweat harder than they prefer and young men will run shirtless at the first opportunity.

But today, the tree-lined boardwalks are mine alone.

The heavy rain has dissipated into a steady drizzle. It is too muggy for February. I am wearing a tank top and shorts and am comfortable even in the rain. 5 days have passed since I last ran--it feels like an eternity. My legs are itching to move before I reach the trailhead and I start my Garmin as I fall into stride.

As I turn to go under the bridge, I dodge rain pouring from above and hop over the puddles down below. I look up to see the familiar path ahead. The same creek to my right, the same curve up ahead at mile 0.3, and the same bare trees I see every February on the Greenway. It is as comfortable as the steady, unencumbered motion of my running.

Everything shakes out easily into place.

My legs move effortlessly down the path without a care to my lungs, still on the mend. Even with my earbuds tucked deeply in my ears, I can hear the light rasping of my breath. It seems like the perfect day to ease back into a few easy miles. But my restraint is weak. As I dodge the slippery planks of wood filling slowly with water, my pace intensifies.

At first, my stride lengthens as I realize the easy flexibility of my body from a few days off. Then, my cadence increases as I feel the joy of speed. When I reach the marsh just before the first mile marker, I know there is no hope of holding back.

It is time to soar.

L.A. marathontrialsrunbeerparty

 Last year, Bangle started recruiting Loopsters to come watch the Olympic Trials and run the L.A. Marathon. I didn't really know what kind of race I would be aiming for come February 2016, but I knew this was something I didn't want to miss out on. Running a big city marathon is always a special way to travel, but seeing the Olympic Trials just added an extra layer of awesome.

I convinced Adam to come along with this cross-country trip to hang out in L.A. for a few days with a bunch of my internet friends over Valentine's Day weekend. It was ultimately a great decision--I think he had almost as much fun as me!

FRIDAY
We touched down in L.A. after an uneventful plane ride and had to sit on the tarmac for about 20 minutes as Air Force One was about to take off. I was able to snap a few photos through the plane window with my phone!

Adam and I collected JJ in baggage claim and the 3 of us rode the shuttle to the car rental agency. We watched someone get almost physically violent with an employee while exiting the parking lot and then our rental got mixed up with someone named "Fancy Adam". Seriously. We ended up keeping the stupid minivan that they gave us which later actually came in handy to tote people around.

The 3 of us were starving so we had a mandatory pit stop at In N' Out. I told the cashier that I had never been and I asked him what to get. Double Double with grilled onions and animal style fries apparently...

Then it was finally time to head to Bangle's and crash the rooftop beer party.

The beer selection dwindled quickly and a few of us went on a trip to Von's for more beer and a whole bunch of snacks. We drank, snacked, and later, nibbled on boxes of Thai food.

Steve, Adam, and I went out to Von's again to grab cupcakes for Rebecca's birthday and made it back in time before she arrived. The rest of the evening was spent beering, playing Boggle, Body Boggle (Mild and I totally whooped Clark and Bacon), and falling prey to East Coast jet lag.

SATURDAY
I had no trouble waking up and like Toucan Sam, I followed the smell of coffee upstairs. A group of us decided to do a 2 mile shakeout run and we headed down to the beach to stretch our legs.

Once we got back and showered, we all headed to the train station to go downtown. The fast kids took off on the first train and the rest of us trailed along. However, our delayed travel allowed us to see both the men and women up really close on their first loop.

I was geeking out so much. All my running heroes were right in front of me!!!

We tried to meet up with the other group, but eventually settled on a spot along the out-and-back section in the shade. I brought thunder sticks/bam bams and had a blast making tons of noise as the pack would fly by. The course was perfect for getting lots of pictures and once the runners spread out, we pretty much had people going by the whole time.

Gah!!!!! It was so amazing. I started to find myself hoarse from shouting so loud. Once we saw the lead women go by the last time, we headed towards the expo to collect our bibs. More confusion led to me grabbing a piece of cafeteria pizza for lunch, but once I calmed the hangry, I felt much better.

The group eventually made it back to Bangle's and then we relaxed for a short while before going to California Pizza Kitchen. As we rode down the street, our minivan group noticed Brad standing in a parking lot with a smooshed car. Uhhhh? Fortunately, no one was hurt, but everyone was a bit shaken. Once we all got together, things we much, much happier. I was thrilled to finally meet Alice in person and ending up sitting with her and her boyfriend.

After we got back, the early alarm was looming. I laid out my flat girl and then tried to get some sleep.

SUNDAY

I slept well and woke up when I heard others stirring around. That is the benefit of a Loopfest. You absolutely cannot oversleep. For me, that means I'm not panicking about what time it is because I figure that someone will come find me. Hah!

Bangle told me that they would have food at the start so I decided to just have a mandarin and coffee at the house. Everyone convened in the kitchen and then Roger took the fast kids to the start while Adam and Nancy took everyone else to the shuttles in Santa Monica.

Once at Dodger Stadium, I grabbed a bagel and a banana and then walked around with everyone to hang out in the seats while we waited. I found an open bathroom before it got too crowded and then relaxed before Caitlin and I made our way to the D corral.

Our game plan was to try to go sub-4 if it wasn't too miserably hot and hope that JJ catch up to us so the 3 of us could run together. The corrals ended up being much smaller than expected so JJ wasn't too far back.

I had to pee while standing in the corral, but I was worried I wouldn't make it back in time. So I just held it and decided to wait until there was a free port-a-potty (spoiler: it wasn't until near double digits that I managed to find one). We heard the wheelchair division leave, followed by the elite women, and then our own race began!

As we headed up the hill in the first mile, we were doubled over with laughter as there were probably 50 guys leaning against the wall peeing. I have seen a few here and there (and obviously more on the trails), but this was excessive.

We took it easy just enjoying the morning in the first miles and JJ caught up with us quickly. Not too long after JJ joined the party, we saw Bob out on the course too and ran with him for a bit. Caitlin told us that she would just listen to our gabbing and that is pretty much what happened the whole race.

A marathon is never, ever easy, but I was running at a comfortable pace, injury-free, and with 2 awesome ladies who happen to love running too. I don't even remember half the stuff we chatted about, but I don't know that I've ever laughed so hard while running. JJ was doing shots of Fireball, I was eating pretty much everything I could find (pretzels, gels, oranges, bananas, Twizzlers....)

I was slightly concerned about the heat as we headed into the morning and so I made sure to drink early and often. Once we got beyond mile 5, I started dumping water over my head at the aid stations.

I knew to look for Adam and Nancy at mile 10 so I started to get excited as we got near double digits. Luckily, Nancy had a big, pink inflatable hand and I was able to easily spot them in the crowd. I ran over to get my Valentine's Day race kiss and then we carried on.

JJ was snapping pictures of all the sights and would catch back up to us after the photo op. Caitlin was staying steady and I made sure that as the temperature rose, she was staying cool. I splashed water from cups and water bottles on the back of her neck. As we got into the second half of the race, the splits started to slow, but we never stopped to walk. I wasn't really paying attention to my watch in the middle miles.

At some point in the upper double digits, JJ peeled off to use the port-a-potty and never caught back up to us. I was definitely sad that she wasn't going to be finishing with us and I lost my chatty partner. But Caitlin was kind enough to let me talk at her for the rest of the race and remained in great spirits despite the tough final miles of marathoning.

At some point, I grabbed a small popsicle and it was far too frozen to try to eat so I handed it to her and told her to shove it in her bra. A few miles later, we both grabbed handfuls of ice and shoved them in our bra. Both of which had a wonderful cooling effect, but a very strange clink, clink, clink noise.

The crowds were really helpful in the final miles. They were handing out water, spraying water guns, offering ice and snacks, and cheering loudly as we came past. I had a perma-grin the final few miles. There is nothing better to me than getting through that last 10K and feeling really, really good. I knew we were off of Caitlin's PR, but considering the hot and hilly course, I was ecstatic that we were going to get her second-fastest time.

The last 2 miles were cloudy and the temperatures started to (thankfully) drop. Plus, it was downhill!

As we came down the finishing chute, we spotted JB and gave him a big wave as we flew past. And then, a short while later, we saw Adam an Nancy as we closed in on the finish. With big smiles, we crossed the line with Caitlin's second best marathon time and 26.2 miles of memories.

We hugged immediately afterwards and then floated around towards our medals, blankets, and more snacks.

After finally getting Caitlin's bag (who does bag check by last name instead of bib #?), we met up with the group in the family meeting area.

Marathon #19, check!

After a reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally long walk to the minivan, we made our way back to Bangle's house for showers and food. Everyone started coming out of the their post-marathon zombie state and into party mode. Laura and Kynan showed up and added to the already awesome party. (photo cred to JB)

As the evening wore on and we grew fuzzier, a smaller group walked down to the Hermosa Saloon for more drinks and hijinks. Shooters and Domino's pizza were consumed until we reached the ends of our tiredness.

MONDAY

Most of the Loopsters left on Monday, but JJ, Caitlin, Adam, and I decided to make the most of our day and went to downtown L.A. for burritos and a T.M.Z. tour. The burritos because we all wanted some authentic Mexican while in the SoCal and the T.M.Z. tour because we needed something to touristy to do that was also lazy.

It was really, really hot, but the tour was fun and it was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. After battling L.A. traffic back to Bangle's neighborhood, we took a slight detour to the beach to dip our toes in the Pacific and to enjoy a gorgeous sunset together.

We had Nancy's lasagna and settled in for a bit to watch some of the Grammy's before we had to take JJ to the airport (with a quick stop at Pinkberry on the way).

TUESDAY

If you have to leave the most rad Cali vacation ever, you should definitely do it with a blindingly beautiful sunrise in your plane window.

I'm not sure what I did to deserve all this funning, but life is definitely good!