When I heard that the US Olympic Trials would be taking place the day before the LA Marathon, I jumped at the chance to be so close to history. And Jenn is my favorite fan girl to experience these things with. So we decided to kill 3 birds with one stone - Trials, Expo and We Run Social meet up!
Here goes:
1. The first person we met once we got to the Convention Center area of Los Angeles, was Ann Tack. Anne is a legacy runner for the LAM which means this was her 31st year running the LA Marathon. She said that she loves the marathon and course so much that it is the only one she does anymore.
2. The Olympic atmosphere.
Every where we looked we saw American flags and Olympic rings. It sure boosted my excitement for the trials and the Olympics in general.
3. When you go to a race sponsored by a shoe company, it pays to wear the shoes.
I would like to say that my Pro Compression socks and my Skechers shoes were caught on camera. I don't know whose camera but maybe they were on TV. I will never know because I never asked!
4. Get CLOSE to the action!
The Olympic Trials were run in a loop. The first loop was 2.2 miles form the start to the finish and then 4 six mile loops. So no matter which side of the street you were on, you had great access to the athletes. Every once in a while you would see a bomb sniffing dog come by and there a continuous police presence. Congratulations to all the runners but most especially our hometown hero, Meb! GO MEB!
5. WE definitely took the time to walk around and see the sights. Walking around that much was probably not the best idea over all but it was so worth it! And Jenn was the best travel partner. Her excitement with all things running is contagious!
And why not match match in our QTees tanks and ProCompression socks? It was Valentine's Day the next day after all. (Thank you QTees for sending us our tanks and letting us pick out our choice of colors!)
6. I am addicted to Kombucha, especially LIVE Kombucha. I was so excited to see them at the expo. Their Cola flavor is AMAZE!
It is a good starter Kombucha because it really does taste like soda.
7. The We Run Social Meetup before most big races is a CANNOT MISS event. I love meeting new runners and catching up with friends I only see at WRS events.
You should for sure follow along on Facebook or Twitter to get updates on the next meet up. I believe the next one is happening at the Phoenix Marathon.
8. ProCompression socks are the best!
17 pairs of feet can't be wrong!
9. I always eat a turkey burger the night before a race. No bun with fries. Some of my traditional favorites are the Burger Lounge and BJ's. The day before the LA Marathon I had the FULLY LOADED turkey burger at The Counter.
Super yum! So many toppings, it was like a burger salad! It was just right!
10. Finally, it was so wonderful to stay with my old friend B. She was a godsend. It was by far my easiest out of town race experience ever, thanks to her.
She even made me and Jenn coffee when we got back to her house after the marathon.
So, stay tuned for the marathon experience. Spoiler Alert: I will be back in 2017!
Did you get a chance to catch the Olympic Trials coverage on TV? What do you like to eat the day before a race?
As always, I wish you Happy Feet,
SD Mom
Wow… 31 years of running the marathon?! I don’t know if I could do that. Heck, I’ve never even ran one!
ReplyDeleteI can just picture you and Jen fangirling the trials. "MEB! REMEMBER ME? You took a picture with me?"
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