Los Angeles Marathon 2019

I know it has been a while but I am back. I ran the Los Angeles Marathon a couple weeks ago. I have wanted to run it for a while and decided that I would do it this year. My dad and I drove up on Friday and made it there by 4 pm and that gave us about an hour to get my bib. Then we went to dinner and made sure I was sleeping by 9 pm. I took this picture at 4:30 am. I got up but unfortunately I didn't want to wake my dad up so I didn't have coffee. That was not a smart choice. I left the room and made my way to the shuttle. It was cold outside and I walked 3 blocks from the hotel to the bus. It felt like the time I ran the Seattle marathon. When I was walking to the bus there was people coming from all over walking to the same bus so you don't really have to feel afraid to be out at 4am walking the streets of LA.
The bus drove us to the marathon and it was a nice bus and everyone was excited and friendly. Once at the start I noticed it was cold and I did not bring a warm enough sweater. I froze for about an hour and then a nice stranger gave me his jacket and I was so cold I took it. The race took of right on time and all 25 thousand people started moving. The first mile was tough but after that I got moving. I was wearing a new pair of shoes and it was a bad choice so my feet hurt for a long time but I was able to run a 4:14. 

I do love being done.

I love the medal it's really big and cool. The marathon was a great experience too. I am really glad I ran it and I am grateful my dad was there with me.

Mount Laguna Trail marathon race report

The Mount Laguna marathon was on the same day as the time change and I was a whole 3 hours early. I know what your thinking and I was thinking the same thing. Really G       I was greeted by Scott Mills and he pointed me and all the other runners to our parking space. I was really looking forward to this race. The race director does a great amazing job putting this race together and the volunteers are so kind and its so much fun. It was a really cold morning but since the race started at 7:30 it gave the morning time to warm up. Becca and Julianne and phillip where  there running too. Having close friends makes life feel better. We all got our bibs right on time. There was coffee and clean bathrooms muffins . The whole morning was easy and everyone had big smiles on there face. I felt lucky to be able to just be there.

Off we went. I went at a pace that did not really feel comfortable to me. I wanted to go a bit faster just to see what I could do. I have been just having fun finishing so I told myself lets see if you can do 20 minutes batter than last year. I felt fine and in a great mood the entire race. I listened to a new play list at mile 12.5 and that just made me even happier. The trail was beautiful with a brisk wind and the sun was still warm on me. I got to see a bunch of my friends at aid stations and running. I had a GU every hour and one before the race started . I ate bananas and sprite at the aid stations. I felt great the whole way and it was a blast.

I did way better than I thought I would. I beat my time by 25 minutes. It took me 5:25 minutes. Than was great for me. I was thrilled that all this running is paying off and that just cause I am getting older does not mean I am getting slower. This was my fastest trail marathon so far. The best part was running Mount Laguna in the fall. It is so pretty out there. After we crossed the finished line the race director put this amazing medal around our necks.    Look at this medal it is perfect. Every year they give us a piece of art for finishing this race and then our swag bags. OMG Crazy awesomeness for real. Once again running this race did not disappoint in any way!!! From the time the race starts you know you are right where you are supposed to be. I am already excited for next year...It was awesome !

at the end of the day I feel blessed to have been able to take part in such a great event.

My Sunday Rock and Roll Run

This past Sunday my dad ran the Rock and Roll half marathon and I ran the full. My dad is 65 he ran his first full marathon at the age of 60 with a time of 4:30. That's amazing don't you think. I do I am so proud of him. This year he ran the half and he did really well 2:10. I am so proud of him. The weather was amazing. You know perfect running weather . The race started at 6:15 am. SO early but I picked up my dad at 5am and we made it right on time. I ran alone and I thought if I could run around 4 hour marathon I would be pleased . I honestly just wanted to have a good run. I ran a 4:12. I was happy with that. The best part was seeing my dad as I crossed the finish line yelling G. Then I yelled HEY DAD as loud as I heard and he heard me. That was an awesome feeling. The Rock and Roll did a great job putting on the race. It was amazing with the music and costumes and the energy was beautiful running magic. 

Mount Laguna Trail Marathon

So what do you have planned for this weekend ? I am feeling really blessed that I get to run again this Sunday. I run around my house all the time but it is a real treat to get to run in the mountains for a girl with 4 kids who lives where I do.
 I love the feeling of crisp air surrounding me and the smell of the dirt and mountains. It makes me feel so grounded and whole. I feel really close to God when I am out there. You know life is so busy and full of stuff. I do wish I could slow down the whole thing and just sit with it all ….I feel like when your out running walking strutting, jogging whatever you choose to do you get that ..Life slows down a little bit and actually get to get rid of the crap that really doesn't matter in your head and then life seems so much clearer and whats really important seems to come to you. Its so good for you. Its like a veggie smoothie for the soul. So this Sunday I will be running the Mount Laguna Marathon. I ran it two years ago with these two guys.

Let me make my self clear .I did not run with them they are way faster than me but we all ran the marathon. I will be going at it alone this year and I am sure it will be great. Hey, I get to run for a bunch of hours so its a win win situation for me but I will miss my friends. Mike will be at the finish line with my mom and Jack and my little brother is coming too..Oh my dad too.

This is the medal I got two years ago and its my favorite one. 

This will be my last race for November and then I have the North Face half in December . I am once again excited to show up and try my best..
I am loving this quote . Run Often Run Long but NEVER out run the JOY of running...

I Bought the Pictures

I rarely buy the pictures of me running. There crazy expensive for beginners and I don't really ever look like I am having a good time . Then came the Rock and Roll Seattle pictures.. I knew once I saw them I just had to wait for the price to go down and I would buy them.  I really like them. I look so happy and yes happy is the right word. 

Here is my actual medal picture. I love this one too. Its  not often in my world I look this happy and well put together after running 26.2 miles. So I bought the pictures and I am so glad I did. Do you ever buy your marathon pictures ? Do you wait for there crazy prices to go down too ? 

Beating the Post Marathon Blues

Beating the post marathon blues can be tricky. I don't think it matters how many marathons you have ran each one is a big deal. It has its own story. It changed you in some way. Each marathon has its own group of friends and each race has its own training story and then the actual race story. I remember them all good and bad. What they all have in common and I forgot until today is the marathon blues. You trained so hard for so long that when race day comes and goes you are left feeling kinda empty sad. I started feeling this last night and then I remembered this feeling. To me it feels like a great friend came and visited and stayed with you and you had a great time and then they have to go home. When they leave your left feeling sad. So I looked back at my journals to see what things I had done to help me feel better. I want to start by saying these are things that have worked for me in the past. I can't speak for anyone else just me. 

1. The first thing is I let myself take a couple days off. I try and recover. During this time I try and keep my mind busy. This is not hard with 4 kids. I actually started knitting again today this was to  get my mind away from thought of running. When I have traveled to Marathons I always try to stay a couple extra days after to keep busy and celebrate. 

2. I take really good care of myself after. I feel weaker or just more susceptible to getting sick. ( I haven't yet but just in case ) I drink lots of orange juice take my vitamins and try to eat a clean diet. I have a couple extra smoothies. I try and stay really hydrated sometimes I don't but when I do I can really tell I recover faster. I also try and have a bit more protein .

3. I feel like this is key. Even though it might be the last thing you want to do the day after the marathon I really think it helps.

Go for a small jog or walk. It really helps with soreness. I mean a take it easy jog. A relaxing jog. Your legs will thank you but so will your brain. You know your feeling a little down and going on a short jog just helps lighting the spirits and relax those muscles. Its a win win situation.

4. Go to bed early. Getting good sleep really helps and if you have babies let yourself nap when they do. I napped today when Jack slept and told my older kids mommy needs a nap please hold down the fort. Its OK because as a mother if your feel good your kids are happier. 

5. Let yourself look for the next race. Its OK to sit down with your computer and let yourself look at other races. Setting out new goals is always fun. If you where not happy with your race and you know what you can do better next time plan it out and do it. My marathon in Mexico was not my best but it was also a training run so I am perfectly happy with it still I learned that my next race I think I will try  running with out my camel back. Its to hot right now to wear it specially if I am running a fully supported race. I have the AFC half marathon this month and I decided on mile 19 in Mexico as I was sweating my ass of to run the AFC with no music no hand held and no camel back. I think I carry way to much crap with me. I am excited to try something new. So go ahead and plan the next big race for yourself. Oh and if you love journals write this stuff down it really helps to see it.

6. Be accepting of how you feel. However it is you feel let it be. Let yourself feel it don't fight it and remember its just that a feeling and feelings pass. You just ran 26.2 miles and that's a huge accomplishment so if your feeling a little down after go ahead and feel that but then start doing stuff. plan things call friends and tell them about your race. Start a blog and share your experience with the rest of us..Move on and find your happy self again. Be kind to yourself and understand that this is all part of it. I hope this helps a little bit. I thought this would be a good time to write and share all this because I am right in the middle of it.
Happy Miles. G

The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life.

My Tijuana Marathon Experience

There is a free marathon and Half marathon put on every year by the the city of Tijuana to promote tourism in Mexico. I think the real reason is they want you to see that if you go down to Mexico you won't get shot or mugged and there is not drug dealers running around the streets. I know maybe years ago it seems things where that way, but not anymore.  I met a guy a couple of years ago who would, for $20, sign you up to run the marathon, then go pick up your bib in Mexico and bring it back . I would pay anyone $20 to cross the border for me. I hate the border, its always so long, so I looked up his email and contacted him again, and he said he was still picking up bibs. Then I called my dad and Mikes best friend Jeff and asked if they wanted to run the half or the full with me. I also asked a bunch of people from The Loaffers running group, but I had no luck. Most people are scared to go down to Tijuana.  Since I had no one to run with I thought maybe I just wouldn't do it, but I really knew I should because Its and good race and I needed to get the training in. I woke up at 3 because Jack is teething so I just got ready and left my house around 4:15. As a mom of four not only am I going to run a marathon, I get the whole day to myself..That's rare so heck yes I will take it. 

The race map.

Transportation is provided. You meet in San Ysidro at 5:30 and they drive you Mexico and to the race. Here is the best part of this: they also bring you back..Yes, they wait until a certain time and bring back across the border. In an air-conditioned bus. It is great. This is a picture of me leaving customs entering Mexico. From here they take us to the start line and they have a tent set up with free breakfast and water, it was very VIP. The girl in charge of this part of the race works for Road Runner Sports. She was really helpful. The other kids on the bus, and I say kids because the oldest was 26, were all from SDTC. They all ran the half marathon and two placed, and the rest did not because of the humidity. They were a really nice group of people, most runners are . We got all our bags situated and made sure we put our passports in a safe place, and then of I went to the starting line. I stood closer to the back because I was running the full and most people ran the half. I mean a couple thousand ran the half about 300 ran the full.

I saw a couple people with these socks. Some had Jesus and others the Virgin Mary. This is very Mexican. It made me smile. There was lots of excitement in the air and people doing jumping jacks and I could smell Bengay in the air. Hey, its the annual Tijuana Marathon, it's exciting stuff. 

 Here is a short video of the starting line. There are no corrals, just ready set go.

Here is my mantra, little did I know how much I would need it.

Here I am right before we started. I am still Happy.

The first half of the race was ok. I wanted to run the race in 4 hours or so..I ran the first half in 2 hours so it was ok. It is a little hilly and the whole thing is on the streets and they're not perfectly even and the humidity was crazy yesterday morning, so by mile 3 I knew it was going to be hard. I just felt like all my energy was being sucked out. I wanted to stop at the half marathon point. I even thought about stopping and getting a cab at mile 15 because it was so freaking humid, so for a couple miles I just imagined myself getting in a cab and going home and having a beer. Then at mile 18 I met a fellow runner. his name is Victor and he was just what I needed .  He wanted to talk and was upper motivated to finish. He made up funny sayings with my name in them and he was so excited about all things running.  It was his first marathon and he told me with so much excitement about his training and how he was going to finish in 4 hours. This race was had all the water stops you needed and gatorade. The one thing the second half did not have was people cheering you on, so you really had to be self motivated. Oh I almost forget to tell, you I forgot to charge my watch so I really was not sure where I was. I
guess-timated. I felt like hell from mile 20 to 26. I felt like I was melting, but I managed to finish and I went way over my 4 hour goal. I ran it in 4:21  I haven't seen the official results. I definitely grew as a runner. I feel capable of more because I finished. I am glad I did not take a cab.

Here is the medal. Its pretty and I earned it.

So after I walked around a little and changed my clothes, I went back to the bus and I can not tell you how happy I was not to have to drive or walk across the border . The wait time walking was 4 hours for pedestrians and cars had to wait 2 hours. We waited 20 minutes in the bus line… I will do this race again next year for sure but the half seems way more fun. I ended my race with a mexican Coke . Thank you for reading my blog and happy miles.

Tijuana Marathon

Its hard to believe that 3 years ago my dad and I ran the Tijuana half marathon. This is a video I made back in the day about our mini T.J. Half marathon experience. It was a great race really well put on and its free.. They had great music playing and misters too. I felt really safe down there too. 
I found out last week that the Tijuana Marathon was coming up and since I am supposed to run 20 Saturday 10 Sunday I thought why don't I sign up and do 5 Saturday and 26.2 on Sunday good Idea right ??
 Sunday is the day that I will running my 3rd marathon for the year. I am excited and nervous. I know once I am down there everything will be fine and I will be glad I signed up. It's always like this the days before I think "what was I thinking that's a long way to run." Then I start running I am loving life and I can't wait for the next race when I am done. I know its going to be hot so I am hoping for 4 hour marathon give or take a couple minutes. I am not  going for greatness I am going for a good solid training run with a medal please… I think the only thing that may make it hard is the heat so I am taking my camel back with GU brew and keeping hydrated until then. I will fill you in with the whole story when I get back but for now keep me in your good running thoughts Sunday as I run in Tijuana.. Did you know I born in Tijuana ? I was and I speak fluent spanish so it should feel cool to run in MEXICO…Happy miles 

 Here we are 6 am..

Our sweet medal.

Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon done

4 am came really early on Saturday morning but I was already up and getting all my stuff ready to go run. There was the I fact that I couldn't make coffee because I did not want to wake anyone up that sucked a little. I was hoping that down stairs there would be coffee because I need my caffine before I ran.  I run with a camel back so I got my GU brew ready in it. There was  my  gels and my phone and head phones and sun block. Some money and my ID. Oh and don't forget the butt balm. ( this stuff saves my ass) You have to balm your butt because aint nobody got time for chaffing. Now its 4:30 and I am ready I go down stairs and for a cup of coffee and maybe toast or a bagel.They had both they charged 2$ for a cup of coffee I thought that was a little crazy.  At 7 am the coffee and breakfast was free. Things like that bother me.  Here is the number one thing that I did not like about this race its that  you have to find your way to the starting line. There are no bus that takes you. You need to go to the train station and take the light rail and then the bus. That just bites.  So I started walking at 5 am to the train station and I did not find it. I saw lots of and lots of homeless people and the walk was scary. So I finally  met some people that were just walking to the Space Needle and they let me walk with them and about 15  minutes later I was there. So I got to warm up my legs I guess. Seriously It was a little scary. Now I was not prepared for how many people would be there..Holy Cow. This made the lines at san Diego look like a walk in the park. There space was just smaller and we where all cramped. It was a tight fit but it was exciting there was a buzz in the air. 

I was in supposed to be in corral 10 but I couldn't  make it because there was so many people I made it to corral 24 and that fine. The weather was amazing 60  and just a bit cloudy it was what you call perfect running weather. The marathon started at 7 but I started at 7:34. I spoke to a bunch of people wished them luck and then I retreated to my world. I started running and decided I would go for 4 hours. Why not right. I kept telling myself how many opportunities do you have to run a marathon G. I wanted to see if I could do a bit better that the San Diego marathon.

How beautiful is this …I ran along Washington street for about 4 miles and it was just picture perfect. The trees where huge green and lush. The sun was shinning but it was not hot. There was a cool breeze that came of the water.

If you look under the tree you can see Mt.Rainer. This was a beautiful run. I think if I would have ran the half I would of felt cheated of the views they where magnificent.

This was the hardest part for me. The bridge is about 3 miles long it was boring and late in the race. The people had really spaced out so I was mostly alone but the view was amazing. On the way out it was down hill and on the way back an up hill not a bad up hill but when its mile 17 everything seems harder. I was able to stay focused and I was doing well. I thought I would do about 4 hours so I just kept running.

This was at the end of bridge see I was like..Oh man I am tired. I still kept on going. I kept thinking strong mind strong body. I drank all my Gu brew. I felt strong. The longest mile was the last one. I actually got sick as soon as I crossed the finish line. Yuck. So I crossed the finish line and then I got a text telling that my time was 3:54. I was super excited and after all that worrying I did just fine. I am really happy with my time. I loved the run and having my family there was even better. The medal was kinda cool. Its the coffee cup below. There you go that is about everything. Happy Running. 

Participant Detail

Finished In:

03:54:37

11082

Gloria King

 CA

Age: 42 | Gender: F

• Overall: 444 out of 2210
 
• Division: 19 out of 151
 
• Gender: 113 out of 1003

• 5 km
• 10 km
• 10 mi
• half
• 17.9 mi
• 20 mi

• 0:28:06
• 0:54:19
• 1:25:23
• 1:51:26
• 2:37:05
• 2:54:42

• Pace
• Chip Time
• Clock Time

• 8:57
• 03:54:37
• 04:22:04

Visiting Seattle leading up to the Rock and Roll Marathon

 So here I am again with a small photo dump. It is really pretty here. Its been sunny and perfect weather. OK so today we went to gas Works park and I used to live in green house boat 5th from the right about 14 years ago.  It looks the same.

This is Jack announcing to the world he is 10 months old today. 

so today was about going to the Expo picking up my bib. You can fallow me on twitter if you like. I signed up for the posting thing..That's kinda cool. Then we walked all around down town and had lunch. Finally we headed over to the park to play and run around. I have not gone for a run in 3 days so I am excited to get my legs moving tomorrow. Then to end our day we asked suri about where we should go for good Chicago style pizza ..

Now I am of to bed because 5 am comes early so next post will be about my run. Wish me luck and I will see after I run my butt of for about 26.2 miles.

La Jolla Half Marathon

The La Jolla half Marathon was this morning and it was a success. The weather today was perfect running weather.

I was in wave four with my dad. We started together but that was it. He took it a little bit easier today. I felt emotional this morning. They started the marathon by singing Sweet Caroline for Boston and it was emotional . The entire situation in Boston was devastating and this year watching the marathon was amazing and happy and sad. Once the race started and there I was running with a bunch of cool strangers and the I have a Neil Diamond in my head then I look behind me and see my dad. Running a few feet behind me and it dawned on me how lucky I am and how I really have to take all these moments with him in and how much I appreciate him. I have been running with him about 5 years and its always fun . My dad is a funny guy.

The weather was perfect. I ran right under 9 minute miles the entire way. I was really proud of myself. I am not a fast runner so  I have to practice practice practice to get better. So yes I felt excited to be able to run the entire way and stay under 9 min miles. This half is a-lot of peoples favorite because it has great views and lots of water along the way. It is usually never hot and you only have 1 big hill mile 7 and after that as they say its down hill.  When I got to the end I had my very own cheering section. I heard my name being yelled my nickname and mom. That was so cool so I ran as fast as I possibly could for the last half mile. I was felling good.

Here is my little man at the end of the race. He loves my medal.

Here is my dad and I. He had an OK race but I think he rocked anyway. He looked good to me. 

This is the view you see at the end of the race. So you get a medal and look to the right and see this view. Nice end to a great race.