ahream

After 26.2 miles in 80 degree heat, I crossed the finish line, took a picture, took my medal, smiled for my husband and then promptly walked behind a bush, crouched down against a building and threw up. And let me tell ya, I felt a heck of a lot better after that.

And I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Here are a few highlights.

1. The Carl’s Junior next to the start line at Universal Studios was a like a little gift from God. Instead of standing out in the pre-dawn cold, I had a nice cup of coffee, enjoyed unlimited use of the last real bathroom I’d see for hours and then, at the last minute, stripped off my sweat pants and ran out to the start in my shorts. (You haven’t lived until you’ve taken off your pants in a fast food restaurant dining room.)

2. “I Love L.A.” blaring through the speakers as the starter pistol sounds. This is the last time any of the 26,000 or so of us will have the energy to sing along for awhile.

3. The first few miles are through Hollywood, past all the classic monuments and into some of the swankiest neighborhoods, which are absolutely deserted. Ghosts towns. They heard we were coming, and they all packed up and went to Palm Springs. On the other hand, the poor, working class neighborhoods we’d pass in the second half of the race rolled out the red carpet. High school cheerleaders lined the roads. Kids yelled and high fived. Adults waved. And people who couldn’t afford it, ran up their water bills dragging their garden hoses out to the street to shower off any overheated runner who wanted it. Every house. Every hose. All smiles. The Four Seasons doesn’t have that kind of service.

Oh, and the dude handing out the ice, God bless you.

4. LA Fire trucks performing their version of the garden hose service with the big truck hoses and industrial fans. We love you.

5. Food smells in Koreatown, up and buzzing not that many years after it was pretty well leveled by the L.A. riots. You can’t even see the scars.

6. Past the temple in Little Tokyo.

7. Over the 6th Street bridge with the skyline of downtown laid out at your feet.

8. Around the Memorial Coliseum, used by the city to host the Olympic games. (One of the official photographers snapped a picture of me running past with the Olympic rings over my shoulder. Sweet.)

9. My new t-shirt that says, “The race doesn’t start until mile 20.” Goes nicely with my shiny new finishers medal.

ahream Dispatches from the City of Angels I'm a mystery writer living in and writing about Los Angeles. You can catch my short story, "Running Venice," in the new anthology LAndmarked for Murder. Look for it in bookstores and on Amazon.com now. In the meantime, feel free to poke around. Over at my website you can find even more blog entries than I could fit here, as well as a few other ramblings. Enjoy and come back often.
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Previous Entry :: Next Entry Read/Post Comments (4) Most Recent Twitters: A 3-foot long alligator was found walking down the middle of the street in Venice Beach this morning. I love L.A. In case you were wondering, it is very difficult to get a hummingbird out of your house. They are irrational and prone to hysterics. L.A. Finds: The Nickel Diner on Main between 5th and 6th is a made-to-look-old, throwback of a place that melds into the old downtown and is, at the same time, part of the renaissance. They serve their burgers medium, their soda in bottles and offer all they can to locals in need. Flickr Updates: The second Thursday of every month is the Downtown Art Walk. The galleries stay open late, the restaurants are packed, bands perform on the streets. God, I love L.A. What I'm Reading: Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks by Christopher Brookmyre What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami Want E-Mail Updates? Click here, type your e-mail address into the first field (for public entries) and receive an e-mail note each time a new blog post goes up. (Photo updates, Twitters and "L.A. Finds" features not included. Those you have to swing by and check yourself.) Absolutely, positively no spam. Promise. Other author blogs: Sue Ann Jaffarian Eric Stone Christa Faust Lipstick Chronicles		2007-03-06 3:21 PM L.A. Marathon XXII After 26.2 miles in 80 degree heat, I crossed the finish line, took a picture, took my medal, smiled for my husband and then promptly walked behind a bush, crouched down against a building and threw up. And let me tell ya, I felt a heck of a lot better after that. And I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Here are a few highlights. 1. The Carl’s Junior next to the start line at Universal Studios was a like a little gift from God. Instead of standing out in the pre-dawn cold, I had a nice cup of coffee, enjoyed unlimited use of the last real bathroom I’d see for hours and then, at the last minute, stripped off my sweat pants and ran out to the start in my shorts. (You haven’t lived until you’ve taken off your pants in a fast food restaurant dining room.) 2. “I Love L.A.” blaring through the speakers as the starter pistol sounds. This is the last time any of the 26,000 or so of us will have the energy to sing along for awhile. 3. The first few miles are through Hollywood, past all the classic monuments and into some of the swankiest neighborhoods, which are absolutely deserted. Ghosts towns. They heard we were coming, and they all packed up and went to Palm Springs. On the other hand, the poor, working class neighborhoods we’d pass in the second half of the race rolled out the red carpet. High school cheerleaders lined the roads. Kids yelled and high fived. Adults waved. And people who couldn’t afford it, ran up their water bills dragging their garden hoses out to the street to shower off any overheated runner who wanted it. Every house. Every hose. All smiles. The Four Seasons doesn’t have that kind of service. Oh, and the dude handing out the ice, God bless you. 4. LA Fire trucks performing their version of the garden hose service with the big truck hoses and industrial fans. We love you. 5. Food smells in Koreatown, up and buzzing not that many years after it was pretty well leveled by the L.A. riots. You can’t even see the scars. 6. Past the temple in Little Tokyo. 7. Over the 6th Street bridge with the skyline of downtown laid out at your feet. 8. Around the Memorial Coliseum, used by the city to host the Olympic games. (One of the official photographers snapped a picture of me running past with the Olympic rings over my shoulder. Sweet.) 9. My new t-shirt that says, “The race doesn’t start until mile 20.” Goes nicely with my shiny new finishers medal. Read/Post Comments (4) Previous Entry :: Next Entry Back to Top