Pasadena Half Marathon
Pasadena Half Marathon
Rose Bowl Stadium
January 22, 2017

What a race!!
Days before the race we had extreme rain storms in Los Angeles County. While looking at the forecast, I noticed that it was supposed to rain on race day.

Running in the rain is one of my least favorite things to do. I've been running for eleven years and I always wait until the rain clears before running outside.
When I found out that I would have to do the second half marathon in the rain, I became very nervous. Before the rain, I was already nervous because the first time I ran with Nike in Pasadena, the run broke me down.
I have been training hard to beat my time this race and redeem myself from that Nike run. I started doubting my abilities, but I told myself...
You have to do this and finish strong.
When I arrived at the Rose Bowl Stadium, the mood of the participants was low. Everyone had on parkas and looked cold. I went to line up early so that I could get focused.
It was raining, but it wasn't too bad when the race started.
The first 3 miles were the most challenging. They had gradual hills with steady inclines. I told myself that I would not walk on any hill. That was another personal victory that I am glad to have achieved.
After mile 3, the course flattened out and I ran at a steady pace. Like I normally do on my runs, I focused on my surroundings and taking in the ability to even run.

I saw a few of my friends on the course, that made me feel better. I started to feel sluggish after mile 5 and my right foot began to cramp. Luckily the course provided Clif Bar gels so that gave me an extra boost and the Gatorade helped increase my sodium levels.
I was in a zone and doing well until mile 11. I realized that I hit a mental wall around this mile when I do my long runs and races. I had to do keep telling myself, “You got this...Keep Going!” Repeating this over and over helps me stay focused when I start getting tired.
When I saw mile 12, I got an extra boost of energy because I knew the finish line was closeby.
My friends were texting me to see where I was at. I am grateful for them because having their encouragement helped me go further.
The last mile I ran as hard as I could. I listened to what my coach Kit would say when we are working out “Give this last mile all you got”.
I did the best I could and beat my PR by finishing the half marathon (13.1) in 2:25 minutes (10 minutes faster than my first half marathon time).
When I finished the race I cried tears of joy. I went into Pasadena to overcome the challenges I faced the first time.

Just like I always say “Each run is a chance to get better and stronger”.
I feel like a warrior after completing that race. It was not easy but it was so worth it!