Checked in to the race at 4:45am this morning along with almost 10,000 other runners. The sun hadn’t even risen and it was already 80 degrees; it was 90 degrees by the 6:00 am start. We were put into corals, like the bulls in Pamplona before they are set loose on the red scarfed runners. Well, instead of bulls I was shoulder to shoulder with some seriously fast moms. Did some small talking and it seemed like most folks had a few marathons under their belts already. It was a great vibe.
The beginning was slow going since everyone was jockeying for position and the gradual divergence amongst the runners, joggers, and walkers. The sound and rhythm of hundreds of pairs of sneakers hitting the pavement got the juice going. My concentration was little distracted by trying to figure out “passing” etiquette, group conversations, and a dude who must have over hydrated and so peed on tree within the first 100 yards of the race. Guess public urination in the happiest place on earth isn’t against the rules.
The course started in the park for the first couple of miles with the staff and Disney characters (who must have been cursing Walt in the heat) cheering us on. 8 miles were ran around the wide industrial streets surrounding Disneyland with cheerleaders, school bands, a mariachi band, and hula dancers stationed at every other mile cheering us on. The 9th mile was my favorite part of the course where we got to run around the outfield of Angels stadium. The last 2 miles were through downtown Disney. My face started to soften during the last mile or so and I started to have a mini-Rocky moment. With an ear to ear smile and happy drops of sweat rolling down and out the corner of my eyes, I thought “thank God, I almost forgot what accomplishment feels like.”
Finished 13.1 miles in 2:02.
Now I’m gonna hit up the Highland Park Swapmeet and get me a matching grill for my big ass, blinging medal.
Soundtrack of Mi Vida: I’ll Follow the Sun-The Beatles