This is the life: la rock 'n roll 1/2 marathon

i put this on my calendar what seemed like a long time ago. (i laugh because there was nothing else on the calendar at the time. things changed really quick.)

i made the decision to run another half marathon around july. i don't think i was fully committed until after training started in august. i knew what i was going to have to endure to make it happen and that made me anxious. but i wanted to do another one this year.

i also knew i needed my sister to commit. this started as something we wanted to do together and i couldn't have imagined doing another one without her. so when she said yes, i was all in.

but this idea grew. my sister in law wanted to run. my good friend wanted to run. her friend wanted to run. and then we had a team. running every saturday at 7:30 in porter ranch. then every sunday. and at least three times a week.

i was surrounded by support and encouragement and accountability. (more on that later.)

after 12 grueling weeks of training we were at the weekend of the race. it was the same weekend of the qbm craft fair. and it worked out well because bobby dropped me off at the hotel on our way home. we checked in and went straight to the expo in time to get our bibs, shirts and do a little browsing of running gear.

and of course we took pictures:

then we went to the yardhouse at la live for dinner.

it was delicious. chicken stir fry and brown rice. the perfect meal before a race. then it was time for bed.

getting to sleep with five restless, anxious and excited girls was like a teenage sleepover. lots of giggling and whispering, but no pillow fights.

before we knew it, it was time to get up, shower, and head out.

our meeting place was starbucks just down the street from our hotel. a little hot chocolate, a banana and some last minute tips on goo and drinking water. i was awake and energized and ready to go.

here's the ymca training group.

and then we split up and went to our assigned corrals - which are based on your expected finish time.
and then we decided to forget our corrals and start the race together as a team.

we got the jitters out. joked around. laughed at the costumes, especially the drunk elvises. the energy was ridiculous. i love that about running. it gets you started with such enthusiasm and excitement.

we made it to the start and we were off.

the course was not my favorite. nothing exciting. it was a loop course meaning we ran to one point and then ran the same course back. not a fan of seeing others running the opposite direction. it makes the race seem longer.

it was awesome running through downtown l.a. though. especially when we ran through the colosseum. but i was focused on my pace and didn't have a chance to notice some of the landmarks we were going past. like when we passed the space shuttle?!

one thing i didn't like was this tunnel. it was fine the first time i went through it but coming back it was stuffy and smelly and it made me want to pass out.

i never looked at my iphone while running so i had no idea how i was doing. but i felt great. i never felt like giving up or slowing down. until i hit this bridge.

this was a tough one. i decided to take some of the goo to see if it gave me that last bit of energy i needed to finish. still not sure it made a difference. it was also getting really hot at this point and i just wanted to reach the top and head back through the tunnel and then i was on the home stretch.

crossing the finish line with energy to spare.

i felt so good and ready for more. filled with joy. it mattered that i didn't finish as fast as the first time. but it mattered more that i finished and felt stronger than ever.

we posed for pictures and ate everything they handed to us; bagels, smoothies, bars and chocolate milk.