Volunteering at the Los Angeles Marathon

Patricia is one of our newest marathoners and this year she decided to be on the other side of the running scene by volunteering at the L.A. Marathon at mile 19 along with Beth and Diane. Since most of us haven't had the chance to see the race from that point of view she shared her views and experiences about this. It is a good idea at some point in your running to volunteer at a race so you can get a different point of view. Here is what Patty had to say about it.

"Volunteering was a great experience that I enjoyed very much. I plan on doing it again next year.

It is quite a site to see the first runner go by and then nothing for about 10 minutes then here comes another. Now more runners start trickling by. You can't help but cheer and then you remember you're supposed to give out water. Our station had so many people, including spectators, that it was difficult to handout water. You just stand there with your arm out and eventually someone will take it. I got really excited when this runner dressed as Zoro took my water. He had a sword, mask, hat, just like Zoro! I saw the police officers carrying the torch for their slain colleague, Randall Simmons. We left when our shift ended at 11:00am so there were mostly runners and no walkers at that time.

We took the 1st shift but next time I will take a later shift so I can see/help the runners/walkers at a time when I know I would be out there.

I may regret these words, but being a volunteer for the Los Angeles Marathon inspired me to do the Pasadena Marathon (not the Half). You get so excited you just want to be out there too".

Patty Felix
13.1 x 4
26.1 x 1
V x 1

Inspiration for the new training schedule

The new Marathon Training Schedule is on and it promises to be a great year. If you are still trying to decide whether or not to run a marathon and all you need is just a little inspiration then watch this video from the Spirit of the Marathon website www.marathonmovie.com Enjoy.

Glendale Downtown Dash

Well, it was a perfect day for a 5k, and some people from the Marathon Clinic showed up at the inaugural Glendale Downtown Dash. It was definitely a nice 'small town' race. It made you proud to live in Glendale and after today our city does not have to envy other cities that have their own races. I hope this is an annual event. Here are some pictures taken during the race. Congratulations to all participants

Los Angeles Marathon

Well, one more is in the books. We had a great time out there in spite of the warm temperatures. As far as I know, the Clinic members that ran it are: Jerry, Arleen, Grace and her friend Stella, Jet, and myself. The nicest surprise at the starting line was to see Jet waiting for us with a running bib on his shirt. Even though he has been braving some health issues along with scheduling problems, he has still been training whenever he gets a chance and didn't want to miss this marathon. Way to go Jet!. They had a moment of silence before the race to honor the SWAT officer killed in the line of duty last month and they sent a torch out on a relay carried by different police officers, starting with his duty partner and finishing with his 15 year old son who crossed the finish line with it. It must have been a touching moment to witness that. We also had a few other clinic members on the course stationed at mile 19. Beth, Diane and Patty decided that this year they were going to volunteer instead and I will be posting some of the experiences they had during their shift. Thank you for donating of your time to make it easier on your fellow runners. We all know that without the volunteers along the course not even the elite runners would be able to finish. Lastly, on a personal note, this was the best marathon ever for me because my family was waiting for me at the finish line. It was the best feeling ever to see them waiting there and ready to greet me and hug me no matter how bad I smelled by then. It was very emotional. God bless you all for your friendship and kindness towards each other. We do have a very unique group and personally I can't wait to get the new training schedule started and to meet the new additions to this wonderful club. Our next run will be this coming Sunday, March 9, where we will be doing the inaugural Glendale Downtown Dash. If you are not registered I do believe they will have registration available on race day. We will be meeting at the park first at 7:00 am and then either go for a training run or head down to the downtown area for the 5k. Hope to see you all.