Run Jon Run

Running on Empty

In the last several months, I've run a few marathons, but have not been running much besides that. Some how three weeks after running the Malibu Marathon I ran the Death Valley Marathon and had my best time.

The 2010 Los Angeles Marathon

These results buoyed me forth to continue my "low-run" training approach for the 2010 Marathon. That coupled with a ridiculously busy schedule, lack of sleep and rest led to more predictable results....a painful and sloth-like final 7 miles.


But the marathon process started hours earlier that morning. Cindy offered to drive.

We left 2 hours before the race, 5:30 am on a Sunday, that's 10.8 miles. I had planned to leave 30 minutes earlier, but didn't.

The traffic was crazy.

We didn't make it to the start on time. As we got closer, people were getting desperate and getting out of there cars and literally running along the highway. I had to pee way to badly to bounce down the road, plus a couple of friends who were already at the start informed me that they were delaying the start because of how many people were stuck in traffic. There were at least 6 shuttle buses of runners behind us so I pretty much expected that they would have to push the start time. But it didn't make it much less stressful. And it surely didn't make me have to pee less.

The lines for the porta-pots were absurd so I literally headed up the hill behind them and found a bush, one that was not already hiding another urinater.

After emerging from the brush, I headed toward the start, wherever that was and with over 25,000 other runners, spectators, family and friends bumped into my running partner, Theresa Haynes and her husband Kip and their son River, their daughter who is Skye's age and friend decided to sleep just like Skye did.



That's Theresa on the right, me almost out of frame and that women in between us, I don't have any idea who she is, but when you click and enlarge the photo it looks like she's saying, "Why are you taking a picture of me?"


This a a shot I took at the start of the race. We didn't really get moving for a few minutes.




Last year the start was much quicker, there were also around 7,000 fewer runners.




After 3 miles the crowd running was still, well a crowd running.



The weight of all those people bent trees and lamp post or I guess that's what happens when you try to take pictures on your Iphone while running.

At mile 14, I was feeling strong and wondering if I might indeed beat my personal record. So when we hit a down hill portion, I took off. And all was good for the next several miles.

Somewhere around mile 19-20, I hit the wall. And how...

So the next several miles hurt, a lot.

It was becoming apparent that I would not be having a personal record.

But I did finish. 4:35:37 behind 6189 other runners but ahead of 16,358. Not bad for almost no training.




One more marathon under my belt, that makes 7 total.



Ran alongside this guy for awhile two years ago, so it was pretty funny seeing him at the finish party.

Next Up: The Warrior Dash...