I DID IT!!!!!! So this Sunday was the La Marathon, and I finished all 26.2 miles of it! :) I'm going to go through race day with you guys:


Saturday, day before the race:


I went to the LA Expo where I had to pick up my race number, my chip and the bag they gave me. In the bag there were several fliers and handouts advertising future races (some of which I might complete!) and some snacky things like granola clusters, peanut butter (it was all natural, so it was particularly sticky and thick). Unfortunately it was raining during the Expo so I did not have time to look at all of the booths. However, the booths ranged from selling shoes, clothes, food, plaques, etc...

The LA Expo... As you can see, it was raining quite heavily!

Me with my packet :)

100% chance of rain. That was all everyone was saying on the TV and radio. So, my mom and I went to Sport Chalet and got some gear for me, including a poncho and extra socks. When I got home, I frantically googled "What to wear to a marathon when it is raining" and "how to run a marathon in the rain." I was extremely nervous because all I could think about was getting soaked and getting hypothermia.


The night before I had a very carb-y dinner including chicken pesto pasta, potatoes and TONS of water. It went to bed very early, hoping that it wouldn't rain.


Day of the Marathon:


I woke up at 4 o'clock in the morning. Let's just say I'm definitely not a morning person. I thought that getting up at 5:30 for club volleyball tournaments was murder- but this! Anyway, it took me a good hour and half to officially wake up- after getting dressed and eating. Everything I wore was water wicking- aside from my headband and baseball hat.

My parents dropped me off at around 6:00 and I felt so lost. I followed the masses and ended up sitting in one of the stadium seats waiting for the race line up to start. Everyone there looked so athletic and professional that I couldn't help feeling a little bad about myself. After about an hour or so of sitting in the cold, trying to warm myself up (especially after I stupidly dropped my gloves and lost them...) I started to make my way towards the starting line. For those of you who are unfamiliar with marathons, they have sections for mile times, ranging from 5 minutes to 15 minutes. I bonded with the people around me and made 3 new friends! YAY!

View from where I was- the sun is just about to rise

To be continued....