2012 LA Marathon

No, I did not run the LA Marathon. Pregnant or not, it would take A LOT to get me to that point. However, my wonderful husband did. He did great! It was his first marathon, and I highly doubt it will be his last. As a non-participant, I'd totally do it again.

We rented a motel room in Santa Monica (by the finish line), the boys stayed with friends and family, and my sister-friend came down to keep me company while my husband slept and ran. It was fun to have time as me sans children; time to not worry whether or not everyone was eating/sleeping/keeping up/being kind/etc. We left Saturday afternoon and went to Dodger Stadium to pick up Husband's bib and info packet.

Checking his bib number

Me and B

Bib pick-up

There was an expo going on and we wandered around the booths for a little bit before heading out to check into the Hotel Carmel. After a few trips around the block and deciding to park in city parking we checked in, had the car valet parked with the hotel (it was that or city parking, no parking lot), and we went to dinner. B and I may not have run the LA Marathon, but we did walk around Santa Monica. After dinner, Husband went back to the hotel to sleep and get ready for the next morning. B and I went to Old Navy and then walked down the pier. I was hoping to ride the ferris wheel, but it was closed due to weather. We had fun hanging out and taking silly pictures. Then we walked back to our hotel, which was centrally located between everything (if I ever went back this would definitely be an option, not the most amazing hotel, but nice and awesome location).

Third Street Promenade

A wall I liked, attached to a building I also liked

The pier, and the blue/yellow tents is Cirque du Soleil

The city and beach

Green for St. Patrick's Day

After some hangout time spent whispering, we went to bed. Husband had to wake up at 3:30 to get ready and be at the shuttle pick-up at 4:30. I was so afraid he'd miss his alarm that I woke myself up at 12 and 2 to check and make sure I hadn't missed the alarm as well. He got up at 3 and I did my best to help him get ready. He was out the door by 4ish, about which time B and I ate a piece of fruit. After he left we laid back down and tried to sleep. We both decided we were hungry and went down to the continental breakfast where we obtained a few pastries. That was enough to fill us up and we tried to get some sleep. At 7:45ish we were up and moving and getting ready for the day, Husband was standing in a massive crowd of people waiting to move to the start line and begin the marathon.

We left the hotel to get some breakfast (second breakfast) and then came back, packed up, and checked out.

Much healthier this time around

Because of the marathon the hotel was kind enough to store our bags and hold our car until our runner was done with the race, one less stress for us. We then began scouting the finish line and a place to get a good shot of Husband crossing the finish line (we got updates throughout the marathon as he passed each 10km, or 6.2mile, marker). We stood around a lot, but we had fun talking. Once he crossed the finish line we walked "with" him (separated by a fence barrier). I tried to take pictures along the way, but I'm shorter than those fences; some turned out and others didn't.

Crossing the finish line

He sees us

Waiting for his medal

Got the medal

Almost to the end

4.58.46 - amazing!

I can't even begin to explain how proud I was to see him cross that finish line. After he got his medal, his finisher warming blanket, his bag of checked items, and made it through the crowd we walked back to the hotel, got our things and car, and I drove home. It was a long two days, a break without a break, and I loved the whole experience (except the part where I was waiting  for him to finish and didn't know the B-tag clock and the other clock were different). In the future I still wouldn't take my boys, not for many more years, there are just too many people (tens of thousands), but I'd love to do it again.

Husband and I