Uncomfortable Living, Part 1: Running 13.1 Miles

The DJ tells me to look to the camera on the left as I cross the finish line. I look to my left and see Austin Powers and Marilyn Monroe. I don't see a camera. Not that I expected one. I just wanted to finish.

For three months, I sacrificed three early mornings a week to run. I ran in Mar Vista, Rancho Penasquitos and Danville. I ran in the sun, in rain and for one minute, hail. I ate a bunch of bananas, drank gallons of Gatorade, consumed Clif Bar after Clif Bar. All to run 13.1 miles in three hours. And to have my picture taken with celebrity impersonators.

I made plenty of mistakes on race day. I didn't hydrate all that well pre-race. I didn't stretch until five minutes before running. I didn't account for the massive logjam of cars pulling into the same parking lot. That's OK. I can tell people I ran half a marathon and survived.

Aside from hiking the Inca Trail, this was the hardest thing I've ever done. My legs are in pain. My back is stiff. I now know what "chafing" is. But like a spectator said from the sidewalk as I ran past the halfway mark, "You get bragging rights for a whole year!" So there's that.



And a funky medal that spins. It's all worth it.