Whoa what a weekend, and running was the easy part! If you read my last blog, you know how busy I was leading up to the LA Marathon (if not take a peek and see what it takes to get 147 kids ready to run a marathon Mt Gleason Style). Things didn't stiop Saturday.

Sunday morning I was up at 2 am to eat breakfast and then pick up Chris Schauble (@chrisschauble) to go meet the kids at school at 3:45 so we could all be ready when our bus left at 4:30 am. Once we left it was 3 to a seat on school busses for a 30 minute ride to Dodger Stadium. Not an ideal way to stretch out before a race. We were so cramped up it sucked.

Then it is go sign in with Students Run LA, get visors for all the kids, get them in the bleachers, get them ready for a pre-race picture, then finally we can go to the starting line at 7 am. Finally, I can start to stretch and focus on running, but I still need to find all my sub-4 hour runners so we can stick together. Tough, tough stuff.

Finally the race. The pace was dead on for a 3:40 marathon through mile 11. Thne things started happening. The 9 of us who were running to gether started to splinter. So the ones that could stay on pace did (leaving 5 of my kids). We also cuaght Chris Schauble who managed to "sneak" away at the start (so packed couldn't find people 3 feet to your right or left). He was looking strong and confident. He stayed with us a few miles, until we started to pick up the pace. Then it was only Hayley and myslef at mile 15. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if the kids and Chris were back there and I could see Chris and he still looked good (the best I have seen him in later stages of races). At 17 Hayley cramped and told me to go on. So I decided to get in some training . I had 3 more runners up in front of me so I dropped to 7:30 pace (from the 8:25-8:00 we were running) and caught KeKe. He stayed with me from 18 to 21. Thne he wanted to slow down. I dropped to 7:00 minute miles at this point and flew down San Vincente (freakin love that street!). Once on Ocean I cruised to mile 26 where our Mt Gleason parenst were and stopped. The clock said 3:31. I had really picked up the pace to go from a 3:40ish pace until mile 17 to get to a 3:33 pace.

Once there I stopped and waited, so I didn't finish yet. I was waiting for my two adorable seniors whom I train with every weekend. They slowed at mile 12 but shouldn't have been that far back since they are endurance beasts. We had talked about it and dreamed about crossing the line together since this would be their last marathon as Mt Gleason Runners. So I waited and waited and waited. I waited until the clock said 4:15ish and realized that I was getting so cold and stiff and I really needed to eat. I decided to jump back in with any of my team that ran by at that point. When I saw Michelle and Peanut I jumped in and finally finished. My final time was 4:23. That was 50 minutes of waiting. Oh well, my time didn't matter it was the team's times that were important.

When it was all said and done, 146 of the 147 runners finished. One kid had a severe asthma attack and had to be pulled from teh course at mile 11. As a coach I am so proud of the team. I am also super proud of Chris for his new attitude about enjoying the experience even if you don't get a PR. And I am really proud of Bob Frein for his first marathon finish in 5:14.

Now it is time to focus on the Boston Marathon. Today is not a rest day. I will jump on the trainer for 30 minutes so I can get the blood flowing and stretch. Then it will be a light jog on Tuesday.

Hope everyone loved the race as much as I did. The course, the activities, the support, and the runners were all so amazing. I can't wait until next year.