Race Recap - Part 1

I am finally wrapping up my blog more than a month after running the Los Angeles Marathon!  Just wanted to give you a little taste of my experience before, during, and after the race.

Saturday, March 19

5:00 p.m. - We arrived in Santa Monica and checked into our hotel.  Weather was great - partly sunny, about 60 degrees (the calm before the storm).  We took a short walk along Ocean Blvd. and the 3rd Street Promenade, then enjoyed a nice dinner at Pizza Antica in the newly renovated outdoor mall (Santa Monica Place).

My dinner included some yummy pizza, spaghettini with chicken, salad, and some kind of a chocolate tart for dessert (see picture).  After dinner, we walked down 3rd street and checked out some of the sights and sounds.  Finally, we headed back to our hotel.  I was hoping to get the boys to sleep sooner rather than later.

10:30 p.m. - After baths, books, and an episode of Curious George, the boys finally went to sleep.  I had a late night snack of leftover pasta and a bagels with peanut butter.  All four of us were sleeping in one king bed.  The kids were sprawled all over, so I couldn't really sleep too well.  Finally, around 1:00, I got out of the bed, went to the other room, and tried to get some sleep on the pull-out sofa bed.  Worst mattress I've ever slept on in my life!  However, I was able to sleep for a good 3 hours without anyone kicking me.




Sunday, March 20 - Race Day

4:02 a.m. - I woke up and was lying in my bed waiting for my two alarms (phone and watch) to go off at 4:09 a.m.  I was nervous about the race, and just wanted to get things going!  I took a quick shower, put my running clothes on, grabbed the rest of my gear, food, and drinks, kissed Shilpa and the boys, and headed out the door.  As I walked out of the hotel lobby, it was dark, cool, and mostly deserted.  Several traffic lights were blinking and the roads around the hotel were already closed in preparation for the race.    The only sign of life outside were a few other runners like myself walking to catch the shuttle buses to Dodger Stadium.

4:45 a.m. - My shuttle bus departs for the starting line at Dodger Stadium.  I've never seen the I-10 freeway so empty in my life!  I was sitting next to a guy named Anthony who was also from the San Francisco Bay area.  He was very friendly, and we started talking about our training, race strategy, past races, future races - typical runner's chat.

5:15 a.m. - Our shuttle arrives at Dodger Stadium.  I said goodbye and good luck to Anthony and headed out to explore the pre-race happenings.  Several thousand runners were already there, most of them inside the Stadium trying to keep warm.  It was a strange sight to see all of these people sitting in the stands (some even sleeping on the ground near concessions stands) at 5:30 in the morning, stadium and field all aglow, and no baseball game being played.  I started going through my pre-race routine of eating several bagels and a banana, drinking water, doing a warm-up run, and stretching.  It was still so early - too much time to kill before the start of the marathon.  I tried to stay warm, wearing my sweatshirt, warm-up pants, and hat as long as possible before giving them away to the bag check.  Finally, it was time to go, so I shed my gear, checked my plastic bag, and headed for the start.

7:00 a.m. - Runners were required to enter our race corrals by 7:00 a.m., so I made my way to the designated area.  It continued to get more and more crowded, as the runners filled up the starting corrals.  Still no rain yet, but very cloudy and windy, with ominous looking skies above.  As we waited, race organizers provided random announcements to pass the time.  I learned that a sumo wrestler was running, and a woman who held the world record for number of marathons run in a year - 106! Crazy!  We were treated to the singing of the National Anthem by the choir of the Silverlake Music Conservatory in Los Angeles.  The elite runners (the really fast guys who actually win marathons) were given their starting gun and took off, while the rest of us "regular" runners continued to wait.  The race start was already 15 minutes behind schedule and I was tired of waiting! Just wanted to start running!

7:44 a.m. - Finally, almost 20 minutes after the scheduled start time, the horn sounded and we were off!  Stay tuned for my next post about the 26.2 miles and my post-race reflections.

The Final Stretch

Race day is almost here! Training is done. Weather should be good in LA. Forecast is for mid 50s during the race and possible showers. As long as it isn't too heavy, a little light rain will be refreshing. Start time is about 7:30 am, so I'm hoping to be done by 11:30 at the latest.

Wish me luck and stay tuned for my post-race reflections. Good luck to everyone else running the race!

Less than a Month to Race Day

Can't believe it's almost time to race!  My training is going well.  Feeling really good about the race.  Wish I could do a few more weekday runs, but it's challenging to stick a run in with kids and Shilpa's schedule.  My core strength training with Pete and the other trainers at Evolution Trainers is definitely helping.  They give me a great workout.  For me, running 10 miles is easier than the 55 minute workouts they put me through! 

I've been getting my race day gear ready too.  Just got a new pair of Nike compression running shorts.  I'm going to try them out on my long run this weekend.  I'm also going to test a new flavor or Gu Chomps.  Been happy with apple-cranberry, but just wanted to test out strawberry for comparison.  My shoes feel great (Brooks Glycerin) - my best purchase of the new year!  Still debating whether or not to carry my Flip video camera with me during the marathon to document parts of the race. 

Finally, a word about the fundraising - amazing!  People have been so generous.  Thank you so much to all of the donors.  Without you, this personal project of mine would be nothing.  In November, when I first decided to run the LA Marathon in memory of my mother and to raise money for the American Head and Neck Society, I never imagined that so many would be willing to donate.  We have almost made it to my lofty goal of $10,000!  To see a list of all the beautiful people who have donated in memory of my mother, visit www.crowdrise.com/iyansrun.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

That's all for now.  Into the final training stretch!

Super Bowl Morning Run

Beautiful morning for a run!  Blue skies with a few hazy clouds screening the sun just enough.  Had a great 13-mile run along the Bay Trail - much better than last week's long run in the rain.  After my run, spent the rest of the morning at the Mountain View farmer's market with Shilpa, Kamran, and Dhiren.

Enjoy the Super Bowl - I'm picking the Packers 23-16.

My Boys

This has nothing to do with my marathon training - just a cute picture of Kamran and Dhiren at the Cliff House in San Francisco. Love my two boys!

Running with the Right Shoes

About 3 weeks ago, I had a running analysis done and discovered that I'm not running in the right type of shoe! Had the analysis done at Roadrunner Sports in Campbell, CA. Got fitted for these Brooks Glycerin 8 (Size 12.5) - modeled here by my youngest son Dhiren. I was surprised that I needed a different shoes because I had an analysis done about 4 years ago, and just figured I should still be running in the same type of shoe (Asics 2100 series). I also got some custom insoles. Feel much better with these shoes - no knee pain on my long run last weekend.

Lesson for the Day: If you're planning to run, get fitted for the right shoe. If it's been over a year, get fitted again. I guess running mechanics can change over time.

My Inspiration for this Run

Humble, Thoughtful, Generous, Intelligent, Kind, Optimistic, Respected, Beautiful.  These are just a few of the words that describe my mother, Finnie John.  Here’s a very brief summary of why she was an extra-special person.

My mother was well-rounded, actively involved with her church and non-profit community organizations.  She served full time in the same organization for over 40 years, working her way up and rising to a high level position.  She also always made time to support and help her friends and family (immediate and extended).

She enjoyed hosting parties.  Our home was the regular venue for family Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas Eve parties, which she always presented with style.  She also enjoyed inviting people over for no special reason – just to spend time with friends.

She loved to travel and visit new destinations.  Because of my parents, I have visited over 30 countries and experienced other cultures firsthand.

My mother was someone who could be trusted.  Many people felt close to her because they could share their private matters and feelings, and know they would be kept in confidence. 

She always supported me in everything that I did.  She, along with my dad, even attended all 8 of my marathons before she passed away, whether they were in California or the Washington, D.C. area.

She taught me so much, and was a wonderful example of how someone should live their life on this earth.  I miss her every day, and she will never be forgotten.  My life will never be the same without her.  I run this race to honor her and her beautiful life.

Adding some Strength Training

I've recently added some strength training to improve my training. For Christmas, my amazing wife Shilpa bought me a gift certificate to a local fitness training facility - Evolution Trainers in Mountain View. Worked out with Pete D'Epiro, who gave me some great core and leg strengthening exercises and stretches. He also introduced me to the magic of the foam roller - what a great invention!

Here's the website if you are interested: www.evolutiontrainers.com.

My Running Partner

During my weekday runs, my youngest son accompanies me. He usually enjoys the scenery for the first mile, then takes a nice nap for the remaining 2-3 miles. In this picture, I'm keeping him warm with his flannel Washington Redskins blanket.