The Final Run

The alarm clock went off at 4:30am. I had laid out everything I needed, knowing I would be half delirious. Somehow I managed to toast a PB & J sandwich, and stumble out the door by 5, feeling as if I was living some surreal dream. It was pitch black, no cars on the freeway, and all the skyscrapers of downtown were still lit up as I drove toward them. The clock said 5:05 but it could have been am or pm. I felt like I had gone mad.

I found the parking lot where we were meeting, and slowly the others trickled in after me. We all agreed it was a bit surreal, and the nine of us made our way toward the meeting point up the hill. It was still pitch black outside and a chilly 30 degrees. With wind.

We found the last two members of our group, and lined up for the shuttles that would take us to the starting point. It was still only 6am. Another hour and a half to go. I think I saw an old boss from my last job, but I really didn't care.

They unloaded us at the Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park, but we didn't want to get off the bus. It was only 6:30 and it was FREEZING outside. They booted us off anyway so we joined throngs of people milling about waiting for the start of the race. WHY DID WE NEED TO GET HERE AN HOUR EARLY? There was no shelter so we huddled together in a small circle to stay warm, kind of like the penguins in the documentary March of the Penguins.

Pre-race entertainment included chanting by a group of Native American performers, seeing how many guys ditched the porta potty lines to climb up the hillside to relieve themselves, and watching fellow racers in various fashion schemes (men in short shorts should never bend over and trash bags make for handy windbreakers). By the time the race was ready to start, we had been awake at least 3 hours and lost all feeling in our legs.

A Mile By Mile Breakdown of the Race:

Mile 1 - Feeling good! Still no feeling in my legs but I'm almost tempted to continue running even after our first walk cycle. I have never seen so many guys randomly peeing in the bushes along the path. And WHY is the woman mooning everybody? Gross.

Mile 2 - Ack, only one mile done?!!

Mile 4 - All right, we're heading outside of the park. Still feeling good and running too fast. I keep losing my group.

Mile 5 - Hmmm, I'm too far ahead of the group. I can't hear them yelling "Run!" or "Walk!" I can't believe I'm doing so well.

Mile 6 - CRAMP! We're running along the freeway now and the sun's out. Still a ways to go.

Mile 7 - Holy Mother of God, I'M IN PAIN.

Mile 8 - We're only a little over half way. I'm never going to make it. Every time we run, my stomach feels like it's going to explode.

Mile 9 - Half the group has caught up and ahead of me. Resorting to prayer and bargaining now to finish the race.

Mile 10 - I can't run anymore. It physically feels impossible. My knee is throbbing, my foot aches, and the cramps still come and go. Four people from the group run ahead and one of them stays with me to walk. Thank god for her. We seem to have lost three of them in the back. We're now without timer people. No one to tell us when to run and walk at our 2 minute/1 minute intervals. But no matter. If I run, I will fall over and die at this point.

Mile 11 - Bless all these wonderful kids and adult volunteers handing out drinks and cheering along the way. I taste Gatorade for the first time. I love sugar. My buddy convinces me to run for the downhill stretch of this mile when my cramps subside.

Mile 12 - Eureka! We're finally in downtown. We're almost done. I can't believe it. Will I have to keep all the promises I made when begging all the powers of above to help me finsh? My buddy is already calling her boyfriend to let her know we're almost done. I wonder if my parents will show up at the finish line.

Mile 13 - Walking through a creepy tunnel. Straight out of some sci-fi flick. Two more peeps from our group catch up with us since we've been walking much of the time. One of the members from our running group who lost us at mile 1 is done and coming back toward us to head home. "It's so close you can taste it!" he yells.

Mile 13.1 - The four of us decide to run toward the finish line, so that we at least look less pathetic for straggling in so late. Amazingly, we finished within 3 hours! And my parents are so cute! They are there too, taking pictures, giving me a Capri-sun, as if they were cheering me on as a little kid in little league (which we never did).

I can't believe we finished. That was one of the hardest things I've ever done and one of the most physically excruciating. I've gotta find more constructive and less painful ways to cope with frustration and sadness or else I'll be in a wheelchair by the time I'm 40.

One of the runners in our group said there are two types of people who do these things. One says "I will never do this again" and the other asks "when's the next one?" There is talk of the San Diego marathon in June and the 5K/10K Firecracker run in Chinatown in February. Good God, I just want to be able to walk normally again. And sleep in on Sundays. MAYBE the 10K in February. If something else is pissing me off next year.