The LA Marathon

Had a couple of great runs this weekend; both in Central Park. The weather has finally turned in NYC and it looks like we're going to have a proper summertime, after all. It was warm, partly cloudy and slightly breezy; ideal weather for a run under the foliage with 20,000 or so of my closest friends. (Yes, Central Park does get crowded, but we're all one big happy family.)

Saturday, July 11

distance: 5.21 miles

time: 37:12

pace: 7:08/ mile

Sunday, July 12

distance: 6.04

time: 45:39

pace: 7:33/ mile

It's amazing what a positive effect taking a day off can have on your pace! I took Friday off and it seems to have helped me out on Saturday. Of course, on Sunday I'm back to my usual pace. Grr. Anyway, it's interesting to consider that the main difference between Saturday's 7:08 mile and Sunday's 7:33 mile was fatigue. It could also be temperature, I suppose, but I'm certain it's not the minimal difference in mileage; though as a general rule the higher the mileage, the slower the per mile pace. This stands to reason, since in most cases your body will endure a faster pace for a shorter duration.

Speaking of which, I had the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles recently for business. As luck would have it, I was in town for the running of the Los Angeles Marathon. Not only was I "in town", but the race happened to begin more or less under hotel window. So, being an eager marathoner-in-training, I dutifully got up early and made my way, cup of coffee in hand, to the edge of the crowd of spectators for the 7:20 AM start. (For some reason my cell phone only takes pictures that have a dreamy "gauze over the lens" look.)

The start of the race was exhilarating, as might be expected. The sound of 17,307 pairs of feet charging off down the tarmac was accompanied by the rhythmic din of Taiko Dojo drumming; the drummers having set directly adjacent to my beloved Holiday Inn. It was all very stirring.

Now, fast forward six hours...

The finish for the LA Marathon is more or less in exactly the same spot as the start. So, as I made my way back from a long morning in the Convention Hall, I once again crossed the marathon route. To my surprise, runners were still passing in throngs.... but these runners had already completed 26 miles of their 26.2 mile odyssey. And let me tell you: while the start of a marathon may be an inspiration, the finish of a marathon is a cautionary tale! There were blood, sweat and tears. There were blisters. There was sheer determination. Perhaps, it was inspiring in a different way. My hat is off to every single individual who crossed that finish line in Downtown LA.

Witnessing that race reinforced my determination to be as prepared as possible for NYC.

If you're interested in reading the official account of the proceedings, there's a nice press release here.

By the way, the gentleman who won the LA Marathon this year, Wesley Korir, completed the race with a time of 2:08:24. This is not only an amazing time.

It's an mind-blowing, ridiculous, practically-impossible time. But he managed it...

Forward!