Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) - 13.1 miles
The LA Rock 'n' Roll will always hold a special place in my heart since it was my first half marathon. One year earlier, I was nervous and still a bit unsure if I was really going to be able to complete such a feat. But I was also very excited to have such a large group of friends running with me. There were eleven of us dressed as superheroes and geared up for this Halloween-themed run.
One year later, as I prepped for this same run, I couldn't help but think of how different it felt this time around. Instead of being nervous about completing my first half, I was in shock that this would be my sixth in one year. And instead of being surrounded by a team of eleven superheroes, it was just me and Anthony. He was the Woody to my Buzz Light Year. One year earlier, I truly needed an army to feel like I could get myself to the finish line. And now, here I was. No entourage waiting for me at the end. It was just me motivating myself. My confidence was coming from within. And while I still love the energy when there is a big group in it together, there's something to be said about knowing that sometimes you are enough.
NOVEMBER
LMU Think Pink (Los Angeles, CA) - 3.1 miles
Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) - 13.1 miles
I can't lie and tell you that I am drawn to breast cancer awareness events. Truth is, I hate them. Maybe I still have some unresolved anger that I haven't worked out yet, but partially I think it has to do with something my mom said to me the day she told me she had cancer. We both cried. A lot. Me more than her. She had had time to get used to the idea and was also trying to be strong for us, as always. And she said, "This disease will not define me. My life is bigger than cancer." This has always stood out to me because I think it says something about who my mom is and how she chose to live her life. She didn't want to be thought of as synonymous with cancer. This was just one part of who she was. Which is part of the reason why I shy away from breast cancer events. I don't want my mom or our family to be poster children for breast cancer. She was more than that. Even still, I do feel drawn to certain events and know that increasing awareness could save others from going through the hell that we've been through...that we are currently still in. So, for my mom and for my job, a place I believe in and support, I suited up for the annual Think Pink run. And I ran. I ran for my mom.
The Vegas Strip. Gambling, drinking, sleep deprivation, debauchery, running. Wait...running? Somehow of all of the things that come to mind when you think of the Vegas Strip, running isn't typically one of them, but that's the beauty of being a runner. It takes you to new places and to places you've seen a million times, but gives you an opportunity to see them in a new way. So when I learned of the Rock 'n' Roll Vegas, I was intrigued by the opportunity to run down the strip at night.
We lined up at the far end of the strip, just past the Luxor, at 4:30 pm, being serenaded by The All-American Rejects. And as the sun dipped behind the mountains and was replaced with the superficial glow of casinos, stores and billboards, we took off with our first turn around the historic 'Welcome to Las Vegas' sign. From there, it was a straight run up the strip until we turned to make our way down Fremont Street and back toward the finish line in front of Caesar's. Lights. On lookers. Every step was peppered with something flashy to keep my attention. And, with the exception of water stations, I ran almost the entire race. It was the least amount of walking I'd ever done in a half. Lucky 7, indeed.
